Accidents and medical emergencies happen, usually when you least expect them. What if you’re not prepared? What if you have a pet emergency?

Imagine this tragic situation: Someone left the front door open unbeknowst to you. Your Chihuahua was tragicly hit by a car! You frantically rush him to the hospital and then wait anxiously for someone to come out and talk to you.

When they do, they tell you that they can save his life, however, it will cost $8,000.00. That is typically how much it would cost for surgery, pain medications, and follow up appointments. Your choice is to pay $8,000.00 or put your baby to sleep. How horrible!

Never think this or a similar medical emergency couldn’t happen to you. I see it nearly every single day at the veterinary hospital where I work part-time. I cry for each and every one of them. What a terrible situation to be in.

Very few of us are prepared for such a thing to happen. Consider what happened to us and my Remedy when she was only 9 months old READ REMEDY’S STORY.

There Are Things That You Can Do

When this happens at our hospital, our caring veterinarians and staff do everything they can to help. There are several suggestions that we give to our clients to help them find financial help during this difficult and stressful time.

I thought it would be a good idea to share with you those suggestions, so you will know where to turn should you ever find yourself facing such a dilemma.

I suggest that you bookmark this page or write down these suggestions and contact information and put them in a safe place where you will know exactly where to find them in case of an emergency.

CareCredit

Care credit is a credit card specifically for medical and veterinary care. It is, however a credit card and you have to have decent credit. The interest rate will depend on your personal credit score.

ScratchPay

ScratchPay is not a credit card, it is a loan. They will lend to someone with a low credit score, however, there is interest involved, but the monthly payments are usually low. It may be a good place to turn if you have no other resource and it may save your dog’s life.

Frankie’s Friends

Frankie’s Friends is a non-profit foundation dedicated to finding cures and saving pets with cancer and other life-threatening conditions. They help save pets’ lives by providing grants to assist with the cost of life-saving or life-enhancing emergency or specialty care for pets whose families cannot afford the full cost of treatment. www.frankiesfriends.org

RedRover Relief

RedRover Relief provides financial assistance grants and additional resources so pet owners and rescuers can care for animals who need to have veterinary emergency care. Visit edrover.org/grants for eligibility requirements and application. RedRover also offers financial assistance for victims of domestic violence and their pets. To learn more about this program, visit redrover.org/domestic.

The Pet Fund

The Pet Fund is a registered 501(c) 3 nonprofit association that provides financial assistance to pet owners who need veterinary care assistance. Their purpose is to prevent a pet from having to be put down or suffer needlessly because their owners cannot afford expensive surgery or medical treatment. thepetfund.com 916-443-6007

Live Like Roo Foundation

Live Like Roo, is a volunteer-run 501C3 organization that provides support and financial assistance to families whose pet faces a cancer diagnosis. They pay bills for biopsies, amputations, medications, growth removals, and much more. livelikeroo.org

These are just a few and there are many other organizations and grants that can help. You just have to know where to look.

You Could Save A Life!

If you are one of the lucky ones that would be able to financially take care of any pet veterinary emergency, why not donate to one of the above organizations. You may very well save a life and help a person or family have a longer life with their beloved pet.

Working With Veterinarians

Sometimes there are other ways to lower the cost of veterinarian care.

• Negotiate a payment plan with your Veterinarian. If you are a long-time client, they may be willing to work with you. However, if this is the first visit to this veterinarian, that is doubtful.
• Get a second opinion. You may pay a consultation fee, but another vet may have other, less expensive ways to treat your pet.
• Use a vet in a less expensive area. Vets in smaller towns may charge lower fees.
• Check out local veterinary schools. Many run low-cost clinics for limited income clients.

Be Prepared Ahead Of An Emergency

Finally, consider getting pet insurance. Pet insurance today is much, much better than it used to be! There are policies for emergency care and policies for routine veterinary care. Pet insurance companies cover more and charge less than then they have in the past. So if you haven’t checked out pet insurance recently, now is a good time to do so.

Check with your veterinarian first to make sure they accept that particular insurance. Some veterinarians do not accept all pet insurance.

I suggest using Embrace Pet Insurance. Our veterinary hospital accepts Embrace Pet Insurance and we feel that it is one of the best and most affordable.

Get a free quote from Embrace Pet Insurance Today >> GET A QUOTE