Is this legal?

[Pookie]

(If this is the wrong area for this post, please feel free to move it, Lola.)

My sister called last night.  Her male cat was having a health problem, but before she could even tell me his symptoms I heard him meowing loudly to her.  He's NEVER that vocal, and you could tell by the way he was crying that this was more than just "Mommy, pay attention to me/feed me."   My first question:  is he blocked?  She wasn't sure (she was at work and has several cats, so checking the litterbox wouldn't help) and I told her to get him to an ER vet asap.

Later she called me from the vet:  he wasn't blocked, but he was so flea-ridden that he was anemic.  But the vet wouldn't treat him until my sister gave them a deposit of $1,700 (the total bill, assuming there was nothing else wrong with him, was in the $2,000-$2,600 range).  She doesn't have that kind of money, and was applying for Care Credit.

I just want to know:  is it legal for a vet to refuse to treat an obviously seriously ill animal (they said he was critical) until they get some money?  Isn't that extorsion?  I was horrified!

[FYI, my sister's application was declined, but her paycheck had already hit so she was able to pay with that.  Unfortunately, he had seizures during the night so he was put down.  RIP, Handsome Boy.  ]

[DeeDee]

It's common for this to be the case. They had a running tab with my CC info that I'd initial when Vlad got the upset stomach that night.

He wasn't taken back at all until I gave payment info and they made the exam charge to see that it was being accepted, then the next step wouldn't be done until I initialed the paperwork. I have no doubt that I'd have been told to walk if I'd not initialed something.

[Mo]

It is perfectly legal to refuse treatment until you know the owner will be able to pay.  Just like anyone else a veterinarian has to make a living somehow and the medications, equipment, and time needs to be paid for somehow. 

[Lola]

As Mo said, it is legal. 
If it wasn't her cat, and it needed emergency medical attention... an ER vet has to legally take in the animal.  The animal is usually automatically put down.  Not treated.

Sorry, about the boy cat.   

I assume the other cats have fleas as well?  Is your sister itching? 

What a nightmare... for everyone!

[Lola]

Ignore my questions.  I see your other thread.

[Pookie]

It is perfectly legal to refuse treatment until you know the owner will be able to pay.  Just like anyone else a veterinarian has to make a living somehow and the medications, equipment, and time needs to be paid for somehow. 

Pardon me if I sound hissy, but . . . so basically, if you can't shell out thousands of dollars at a moment's notice, don't have a pet?  Or else expect that, in an emergency, you'll have to euthanize because you can't afford the treatment?  IMO, it may be legal for the vets to do that, but it sure as heck is unethical.   

I understand they're running a business, but it's not like she was asking them to do it for free.  What upsets me is the amount they were demanding, and that there was no effort to work out some sort of payment plan.  I'm sure she would have been willing to sign something saying she'd pay (for example), $500 now, and the remainder in installments of whatever.

My sister told me that another woman came in with a dog.  I don't know what was wrong with it, but apparently the cost of treatment was $7,000.  The woman didn't have that kind of money, either, and applied for Care Credit.  She was declined.  I don't know what happened to the dog.   

I assume the other cats have fleas as well?  Is your sister itching? 

I don't know, but she doesn't think they do.  She didn't say if she's itching, but I imagine if he had fleas, they're in the house and possibly on the other cats.

Thanks, everyone, for answering my question.

[Lola]

I am curious about the treatment.  Without knowing any details... it sounds HUGELY expensive.  I'm no stranger to ER(s) either. 

[DeeDee]

Think of animals as patients that have only private hospitals available. With humans, once they're stabilized, a private hospital will send a patient to a public hospital if they are indigent. Only public hospitals are required to take people in if they're stable. Unless it's recently changed, these have been the rules for a long time.

Same thing with animals, except ALL animal hospitals are private. So there's no "public" must-take-care-of options for animals and their owners.

If your sister's cat was extremely anemic, most likely a blood transfusion of some sort was needed. With cats, blood transfusions are VERY expensive compared to dogs--and those aren't cheap either. Dogs are pretty easy compared to cats since there are plenty of greyhounds to donate blood. Greyhounds are the universal donors for dogs like O- is universal for humans.

With cats, it's not quite so easy.  http://www.icatcare.org/advice/cat-health/blood-transfusions-cats

In veterinary medicine, transfusions are undertaken less often, but can have a vital role in emergency and critical care situations. As in humans, a blood transfusion for a cat can be a life-saving procedure. However, feline blood transfusions need to be undertaken with care — there are practical difficulties associated with collection and storage of the blood, and a higher risk of complications, for both donor and recipient, than in canine blood transfusions.

I'm sorry your sister had to go through this, but I can tell you she's not the only one that's been required to pay through the nose for their pets in emergency situations. When we were raising the boys, it wasn't always so easy on us either, but luckily we've always had good credit cards. This is another situation where we only use CCs because if all the paperwork doesn't match the final charge, we can always protest it, and our CC from our bank will back us up.

[Lola]

I was reading about the treatment, on veterinary websites... even they don't quote that kind of money. 

By the way, I also read (not sure of the accuracy) that a person or animal doesn't necessarily itch.  The ones that are allergic to flea bites... itch. 

[DeeDee]

I was reading about the treatment, on veterinary websites... even they don't quote that kind of money. 

I agree that it seems like you're being stabbed to death, but if it's the only emergency option available, you're outta luck. They can charge what they want, and it's either them or nothing. The blood-test that I rejected was going to cost $400, and after looking at his x-ray, I didn't think it was necessary since if it were food poisoning or something like that, Barkly would have been sick too.

BTW...I'm not a great fan of our option for emergencies either. I don't like my dogs being taken out of sight of me for exams, etc. I understand I can't be back there for x-rays, but there's no reason for not letting me view the rest unless an operation becomes necessary.

[Pookie]

I am curious about the treatment.  Without knowing any details... it sounds HUGELY expensive.  I'm no stranger to ER(s) either. 

If I remember correctly, he needed 2 transfusions.  His body temperature and heart rate were both low and he was pale (I think she meant his gums, etc.).  The vet said his condition was critical.

Later, I asked her what his symptoms were when she called me.  He was lethargic, wheezing, and hadn't eaten, but had drunk some water.

Total price tag after everything including euthanasia:  $2,100.  At least she got to take him home to bury him.   

  I'm sorry your sister had to go through this, but I can tell you she's not the only one that's been required to pay through the nose for their pets in emergency situations. When we were raising the boys, it wasn't always so easy on us either, but luckily we've always had good credit cards. This is another situation where we only use CCs because if all the paperwork doesn't match the final charge, we can always protest it, and our CC from our bank will back us up. 

The problem is she doesn't have a good credit rating.  She was laid off a few years ago from a major financial institution, and had to take a job paying A LOT less at a home improvement store.  She has a different job now, but it doesn't pay a lot more than the home improvement job, and since she's the only income, it's not like anyone else was helping pay the mortgage and other bills.  She does the best she can, like most people these days.   

I agree that it seems like you're being stabbed to death, but if it's the only emergency option available, you're outta luck. They can charge what they want, and it's either them or nothing.

 

[Lola]

I agree that it seems like you're being stabbed to death, but if it's the only emergency option available, you're outta luck. They can charge what they want, and it's either them or nothing. The blood-test that I rejected was going to cost $400, and after looking at his x-ray, I didn't think it was necessary since if it were food poisoning or something like that, Barkly would have been sick too.

Stabbed to death is a pretty good description. 

[Lola]

Total price tag after everything including euthanasia:  $2,100.  At least she got to take him home to bury him.   

I am SO sorry.  Sooooo heart breaking. 

[Pookie]

I am SO sorry.  Sooooo heart breaking. 

Thanks.  And I'm sorry if I'm being really hissy.  It's very rare to hear my sister cry, and when I heard his meowing (before she took him to the vet), it just GOT to me. 

[DeeDee]

Personally, I think that if a vet charges a lot for treatment, and then can't save the pet anyway, they should do the euthanasia for free.