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Couple spends $45,000 on stem cell transplant for pet

post #1 of 21
4/7/05 at 8:12am
Thread Starter 
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7417688/

The couple spent $45,000 on a stem cell transplant for their golden retriever, who is recovering from lymphoma, a type of cancer that attacks the immune system.
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post #2 of 21
4/7/05 at 8:26am
I think how much I'd spend depends on too many things, so I couldn't answer your poll... While $45,000 seems a bit excessive, if I were wealthy it might be something I'd consider if the potential outcome would we worth it, if the animal wasn't near the ends of it's natural life already, if it weren't suffering too much or the treatment itself wasn't excessively extreme in nature (puts the dog or kitty through too much). There are just too many factors to pick a cut-off $$ amount, IMO.
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post #3 of 21
4/7/05 at 8:56am
I agree with Amy. There's too many variables to set a specific pre-determined number. And the most important variable is how it will impact the animal - what kind of extention and quality of life would the treatment bring?
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post #4 of 21
4/7/05 at 8:57am
interesting article. this is such a tough decision! I think i'd go as high as $5,000/year, but not sure what the ceiling is anyway
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post #5 of 21
4/7/05 at 8:58am
You know I love my cats but quite frankly I can't imagine spending that kind of money on them. I'm not sure I can imagine spending that kind of money to keep myself alive but then I have health insurance that would cover that kind of expense. I checked into to Pet Health Insurance and it seems to have a lot of holes in the coverage so I decided against it.
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post #6 of 21
4/7/05 at 9:12am
If I had the moneyI would do anything to help my Limerick. I would hate to see him suffer the way our family dog did. I watched my dog die from lymphoma. It's really nasty. She got soo weak she couldn't walk outside. She had a lump on her spinal cord that cut off feeling to her back legs. My parents finally desided to put her down 10 years to the day that we brought her home.
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post #7 of 21
4/7/05 at 12:29pm
I can't answer the poll because it would totally depend on how much money I had. If I could find $45 000 that could be used for that, without affecting necessary payments (ie rent, food, etc....basic needs), then yeah. It would also depend on what difference the treatment would make, just like Valanhb said.
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post #8 of 21
4/7/05 at 2:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bumpy
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7417688/

The couple spent $45,000 on a stem cell transplant for their golden retriever, who is recovering from lymphoma, a type of cancer that attacks the immune system.
I dont have that much, BUT I would beg steal or borrow ANY amount to make my babies well.

I just lost the LOVE OF MY LIFE, and I WOULD have spent all the money in the world if I could have saved her! I only wish I could get pet Insurence on my others, as I fear THEY too will get sick and I won't be able to save them!
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post #9 of 21
4/7/05 at 5:11pm
If I had the money, I'd do it in a heart beat. My critters are part of the family.
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post #10 of 21
4/7/05 at 6:31pm
Anything and everything to stop the suffering, just like I would for any human child of mine.
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post #11 of 21
4/8/05 at 4:53am
If i had that amount of money i wouldn't have to think twice about using it on Rosie and Sophie, BUT, i would want them to have a quality of life after the treatment and not just hanging on for a couple of month or so just for my benefit
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post #12 of 21
4/8/05 at 8:41am
Quote:
Originally Posted by rosiemac
If i had that amount of money i wouldn't have to think twice about using it on Rosie and Sophie, BUT, i would want them to have a quality of life after the treatment and not just hanging on for a couple of month or so just for my benefit
It's really about balance. Having the resources and having the will to spend them in this way is all very lovely, but if it's not truly going to benefit the animal, then it's just self-serving, and a bad use of resources. I love my babes -- they get whatever they need -- but comes a time when what they need is different from what I need, regardless of my ability to pay. So, I'm also unable to answer the poll -- it's just not that simple.
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post #13 of 21
4/11/05 at 12:22am
No amount of money is too much to spend on the kitkats BUT as everyone said, am I doing it for them or myself?

If their quality of life will improve I would spend all I have, I have already done that for Baker. That was for him. Not me.
If it was to ease my mind, I hope I wouldn't. I only want my cats alive if it is the best life they can have, no suffering, and not for another month, again to ease my mind.

The money is worth it if your pet will live many long, happy, healthy years.... If not, it is best to do the right thing and let go. Spend the money on another poor animal who needs you~
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post #14 of 21
4/12/05 at 10:35am
If I had the money, yeah I'd spend it, AS LONG AS the pet was not suffering and was young enough to enjoy several more years of life.

And if ya have the money and no human children? Yeah, then the furkids are your kids, so I'd spend it.
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post #15 of 21
4/12/05 at 11:12am
Interesting story. I forgot that bone marrow and stem cell transplants were first tested on dogs-I attended a lecture from the man considered the "father of transplantation" and he had pictures of the dogs from the 70's.
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post #16 of 21
4/18/05 at 8:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Leli
I can't answer the poll because it would totally depend on how much money I had. If I could find $45 000 that could be used for that, without affecting necessary payments (ie rent, food, etc....basic needs), then yeah. It would also depend on what difference the treatment would make, just like Valanhb said.
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post #17 of 21
4/18/05 at 8:15pm
When my last cat was dying of FeLV, his last weeks required very expensive medicine to keep inflammation down in his chest cavity. I was on Disability and didn't have the money.

I sold everything I saved as a child, toys, dolls, everything I had owned, hand-me-down antiques, books, music albums, my stereo system, furniture, jewelry, took out a loan, and asked the vet to set up a monthly payment arrangement for the rest of the balance.

Any of my cats' quality of life - PRICELESS

AND I WOULD DO IT ALL AGAIN......AND JUST PICK UP AND START FROM SCRATCH AS I DID THEN
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post #18 of 21
4/20/05 at 5:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ccoccocats
When my last cat was dying of FeLV, his last weeks required very expensive medicine to keep inflammation down in his chest cavity. I was on Disability and didn't have the money.

I sold everything I saved as a child, toys, dolls, everything I had owned, hand-me-down antiques, books, music albums, my stereo system, furniture, jewelry, took out a loan, and asked the vet to set up a monthly payment arrangement for the rest of the balance.

Any of my cats' quality of life - PRICELESS

AND I WOULD DO IT ALL AGAIN......AND JUST PICK UP AND START FROM SCRATCH AS I DID THEN
Cheryl You Are One Heck Of A Woman! What A Totally Beautiful And Unselfish Thing To Say... Bravo!
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post #19 of 21
4/20/05 at 8:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by misstorri
Cheryl You Are One Heck Of A Woman! What A Totally Beautiful And Unselfish Thing To Say... Bravo!
Thank you for your support. For some reason I cried when I read your reply to me. It touched me to know you understood. (And maybe cause I now started to miss my other kitty too!)
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post #20 of 21
4/21/05 at 2:16am
if i had the moey, there would be nop limit as to what i would spend on their treatment, as i havent, i would do everything i could to get the money.
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post #21 of 21
4/22/05 at 7:37am
If I had that kind of money, I'd spend it, but it would to be in the best interest of my babies (impact their quality of life) not because of my needs.
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