Hi,
I recently answered a question very similar to yours. Please write me back if you have any questions. I'm sorry about your kitty and I hope that you can work out something with your vet to get him his dental care.
Take care,
drphilvegasvet
The situation you describe is a common one; owners who don't have enough money up front to pay for the vet bills. This can happen during normal business hours but it can be especially heart-wrenching when it happens because of an after-hours emergency.
I am not aware of any Las Vegas clinic that will set up a "payment plan" for a new client. If you knew how much money was written off because of owners not paying their bills, then you would understand why clinics are reluctant to extend credit. I have personally been "burned" by (supposedly) good clients who have promised me that they would pay their bills and six months later, their file wound up in the collection bin. A veterinary clinic is a business . . . and it has to continue to operate for profit if it wants to continue to stay in business. We don't receive any money from the state or welfare organizations to help pay the bills when owners don't pay. I'm afraid the situation will only get worse as vet fees get higher and higher . . . and I guarantee you that they will get higher.
So what is a pet owner to do? Here are some solutions:
1) Apply for Care Credit which is a credit card used to pay for medical bills. Although you have to have some sort of credit to get it (like any credit card), the requirements aren't that difficult to meet. In some cases, you can avoid paying interest if you pay off your bill by a certain date.
2) Pet Insurance. Look into this. For a low monthly payment, you can help offset the sky rocketing costs of vet care. A good website to check out is www.petinsurance.com.
3) Establish a relationship with your veterinarian. Do you get a check up for your pets annually? Does your veterinarian recognize you when you enter the clinic? A clinic is much more likely to work out some sort of payment arrangement if they trust you as a client. As a new client, you may have the most trustworthy face in the world but they still won't let you pay $25 every two weeks for a $500 bill.
4) Practice preventative medicine. Although it sounds like you never could have predicted this fight between your two dogs, you should ask your vet about ways to prevent diseases before they happen. For older dogs, we recommend a full senior wellness which includes bloodwork and xrays to detect any changes BEFORE they become big problems. In the long run, this is a cheaper (and better) approach.
I hope this helps. And I hope your dogs are getting the care they deserve.
Thank you so much for your reply. I did take my cat in for his dental needs. I had to put off other pending payments, but he is more important.Thank you again for the information.
