The owner of a pet dog has received a £20,000 bill after the dog was taken to the vet.
Sabrina, who has a French bulldog known as the Matisse, stating that the breed was a “ticking time bomb”.
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She told 9Now’s Current Love Storymentions the enormous cost to save the dog’s life: “It’s unbelievable.”
Daniele, that person dog‘s owner added: “It’s a huge, huge bill so we just asked them to reconsider.”
Sabrina said they paid more than £2,600 to a reputable breeder to purchase their registered pet, with the dog, now 5 years old, suffering from a number of health issues.
“Unfortunately, these French bulldogs, they’re time-bombing,” she said.
Sabrina and Daniele noticed Matisse’s hind legs wobbling Easter Sunday, so they took her to the local vet twice that day and she was brought home.
Sabrina said she thinks the dog is still in great pain and his breathing is becoming difficult.
So they rushed her over Sydney Veterinary Emergency & Specialist.
Once they were there, they were told that Matisse needed to be kept there overnight to stabilize her.
They were asked to leave £1,6000 as a deposit and sign some documents.
Matisse is fighting for her life and needs to undergo surgery, tomography, testing and monitoring – all at a cost.
“We kept estimating… and they kept getting higher and higher,” says Daniele.
The couple does not have pet insurance and veterinarians say first quotes are offered up to £4,700 – but costs continue to rise.
It was a huge, huge bill so we just asked them to reconsider
Daniele
In total, Matisse spent six days at the vet, earning a whopping £19,668 bill.
Among other things, the bill includes a holiday surcharge of £2,177, spine surgery worth £1,700, a CT scan worth £1,465 and 15 paracetamol tablets worth £23.
Daniele and Sabrina said the bill was too much, but the vet was unmoved so they were forced to make sacrifices for their beloved dog.
“I had to sell a few designer handbags that I didn’t really want to part with,” Sabrina said.
“You do what you have to do.”
Daniele said they told the vet they would only be able to make £15,400 that day.
She added: “I said, ‘If I can get you the money, can you give us the dog?’ And she said, ‘OK, we’re happy with that’.”
Dr Robert Zammit, a veterinarian in Western Sydney who was not involved in the dog’s care, said veterinarians needed to be upfront about the cost in the first place for people to make a “clear decision”.
However, he said that in some cases “people want equivalent human care for their animals, but are (not) willing to pay for it”.
Dr Zammit said: “If you’re getting a dog, especially if you’ve already paid £2,600 for a dog, you might want to think about paying a reasonable fee for some pet insurance, insurance. risk your dog’s health, because it can get very expensive.”
Sabrina and Daniele said they understood the vet saved Matisse’s life but wanted them to “have a heart” and “reconsider their charges”.
A statement from Sydney Veterinary Specialists & Emergencies (SVES) said: “Our hospital is a Specialty and Emergency Hospital and provides the highest level of care by a team of Surgeons. Specialist Veterinary Surgery, often in emergency situations.
“According to our standard practice, the client was informed and agreed to the cost of this special and important case prior to treatment after choosing between treatment alternatives.
“The client also had a second opinion with an independent 3rd party about the recommended treatment and cost before agreeing to the cost of the surgery.
“Matisse appeared in critical condition requiring intensive care to save lives and treat breed-specific complications.
“This included intubation, imaging, complex spine surgery and 24/7 nursing care throughout his treatment.
“The standard of care is comparable to what would be provided to a person in a critical care unit.”
Earlier this month, a Veterinarian reveals his top advice to help save dog owners hundreds of pounds.
Dr. Paul Manktelow, a strong advocate for pet health and wellbeing, shared his helpful top tips for saving money TikTok account @vitabiotics.
Last month, another vet revealed five the things he would never do with his dog.
Dr. Marcus, a Emergency room veterinarianalso known on social media as the ‘Friendly Veterinarian’ has revealed that walking your dog without a leash is a huge no-no and there are two types of treatment you should never: Now you should give it to your pet.
Elsewhere, a dog expert revealed dog breeds that people need to avoid if they’re live in a city.
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