If you’re reluctant to bring an injured cat in for emergency treatment because you can’t pay the bill, here’s encouraging information from a veterinarian.
It’s one thing when a cat gets sick (ongoing diarrhea, starts limping, fur is falling out) and you’re broke and thus, don’t take your pet in to see the vet.
After all, you hope that the symptoms will go away on their own.
But what if your cat suddenly gets injured?
You’re thinking that if you bring it in for emergency treatment, you won’t be able to pay the bill.
Hold on – this situation is not as dismal as you might be thinking.
You “should know that in case of severe trauma, most states require a veterinarian to provide basic first aid, whether or not they are paid,” explains Jean Hofve, DVM, who has 20+ years’ experience in both conventional and alternative veterinary medicine, and author of the eBook, “What Cats Should Eat.”
Dr. Hofve further explains, “This is important, for example, if you see an animal that isn’t yours get injured; for instance, hit by a car.
“But if you authorize any further treatment beyond immediate stabilization, you will be expected to pay for it.”
So if your cat is hit by a car and suffers a broken leg, take it in for emergency treatment including X-rays and setting the leg — and you won’t have to pay for it.
The cat is stabilized once the broken bone is set, and at that point, any additional medical care (such as an infection a few days later) will be charged to you.
Same with surgery for organ damage sustained in a vehicular accident.
Or if your cat is gashed by a dog, again, you will not have to pay the bill for basic wound clean-up, stitching and bandaging.
The cat is stabilized at this point and you can take it home. Follow-up care, however, will be on your tab.
Now retired from veterinary medicine, Dr. Hofve has researched pet nutrition and the pet food industry since the early 1990s. She has written dozens of articles and has been interviewed for print, radio and television around the world.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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