What Choice Do You Make When Your Pet Needs Expensive Medical Care?
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There are several issues I have with the question - first of which is "buying" an animal rather than adopting. We are or should be aware that "purebred" animals from the start are not as heathy as rescues. A majority of those $1,000+dogs are from puppy mills, which at best are filthy, lacking conditions.
I agree, many vets prices are ridiculous. While I understand the expenses involved there is no reason a neuter should be several hundred dollars. These speciality hospitals - who for the most part do save lives, however its literally many, many thousands. As another point - I have seen purebred dogs, being driven around in a BMW pulling up to a low cost clinic meant to hel
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I agree, I had a purebred Maltese that was born with liver problems. He had seizures; special liver diet and pet insurance which paid 80% of the bills associated. However at the age of 10; I had no choice but to send him to "Doggie Heaven". I could never have afforded to have him survive to the age of 10 without pet insurance. I now have adopted a mixed dog and immediately signed him up for pet insurance. I do not purchase medications from vet but from on-line pharmacies where cost is 10%. of vet charges. To sum it all -- both vets and pet insurance are needed.
I take great issue with your statement that purebred dogs are less healthy. This has to do with genetics. Mutts are a genetic mix, you may or may not get any particular disorder or weakness. Yes, puppy mills are a huge problem and are also helping fill the shelters, and unfortunately, adopting is a 2-edge sword, as the unreputable breeder doesn't care and will keep breeding, knowing that if their offspring end up at a shelter, many "good" people will be there to adopt, so they are encouraged to keep breeding, as they are in it for the money. A reputable breeder, however, keeps the breed they have alive or breeds would cease to exist and all dogs would be a "hodge-podge" of genes; breed type is what separates a golden retriever from a yellow lab, a Shih Tzu from a LLasa Apso. Reputable breeders do health screening, follow up on dogs sold, take dogs back for life if the owner is unable to keep them, therefore not filling shelters, and is interested in breeding as close to the breed standard as possible. The issue then is not purebred or not (understand genetics before making that statement) but rather reputable or not (the" not" group is being driven by money). True reputable breeders make pennies/hour for all the time and work that goes into their litters from health screening the parents-to-be to puppy education during the different development periods puppies go thru from birth until sold, and not only until they sell at 10-12 weeks, but for the life of the animal after that. Please do your research before making such a blanket statement.