Low-Cost Veterinary Care

I have a 4 1/2 year old Cocker Spaniel that needs ear surgery. Is there anyone in MD that can offer assistance at a reasonable price or perhaps that will take payments? I have worked since I was 16 (now 59) and have been laid off from my job of 28 years due to downsizing. My boy needs his ears taken care of and I'm at the end of my rope. Can someone please help me?

By Mary Arafe from Sykesville, MD

Answers:

Low-Cost Veterinary Care

Call your local Humane Society and ask them for referrals or even vouchers. You can also call local vets and see if your boy can receive care by an intern there. Our vet offers some lower-cost care when procedures are done by interns, always witnessed by the MD. Good luck to you and your boy! (03/10/2010)

By Tahloolabelle

Low-Cost Veterinary Care

Does your husband work on cars? Can you or your husband build custom cages? Can you offer house cleaning or can you offer to work for 2 weeks or more cleaning pet cages or can you go into the vet and mop their floors for a month? These are just ideas, you'll need to come up with you own ideas. I would print a list of things you could do for the vet and include your phone number and e-mail and what your pet needs done. Then take (or send) your list of barter options and ideas around to every vet in your area and see if any of your local vets will trade services with you.

It would be better if you could take your pet in his crate with you and deliver these "Offers to Barter" (or lists of things you can do for the vet) around personally and not mail them in! This way you can develop a personal relationship with the vet's receptionist.

Also, you could offer to man a booth advertising or working for the vet at some of the Pet Fairs in the area that are done to get donations for the Humane Society and other county pet (free spay-neuter) agencies. Many vets don't have the time to go to these, but if they don't show up, sometimes the agencies will take them off of their free voucher list. This is how my vet got taken off of the free spay-neuter voucher list for our county, they worked so much that they didn't have the time to go to the fund raiser.

Also, contact the Humane Society in you area. Some have a fund to help animals.

* Important: You don't want this to cost you vet anything! So offer to pay the cost of the anesthesia and for any of his or her tools. You are bartering "only" for services! (I did this when I got my tooth crowned. I paid for the actual cost of the crown and bartered for the dentist's time so it cost me $300 instead of $1200. (03/10/2010)

By Cyinda

Low-Cost Veterinary Care

Is there a veterinary school nearby? Sometimes they will treat an animal for little or no cost if they are doing a research study. (03/11/2010)

By Julie

Low-Cost Veterinary Care

In Baltimore the local ASPCA just started a low cost clinic in May 2010. It's at www.hampdenpethealth.org the number is 410-400-WELL

By Bunnyday