My senior dog needs cataract surgery. How can I afford it now?

If you are in financial difficulty, there are ways of still getting your pet treated by a veterinarian. Ask if they take Care Credit and apply online. This is a credit card that is used specifically for medical, dental, and veterinary expenses. GiveForward is a crowd funding website that helps you raise money to help take care of your pets Call your local animal shelter and ask if they have or can direct you to a low-cost pet clinic that works with people with limited incomes. If there is a college of veterinary medicine in your area, call and ask them about a low- or no-cost veterinary care program. Many run low-cost clinics for limited income clients. The Humane Society website has a lot of links to other organizations that help with veterinary expenses. Some are for working/service animals, some are breed-specific, some are by start or location. Hopefully there is something available in your area.

Sorry Buzz is having some issues again. Your options are to get a CareCredit card to pay for his expenses or to contact some of the organizations in the link below to see if someone can help you. ( https://www.carecredit.com/vetmed/ ) ( https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/having-trouble-affording-veterinary-care ) In the future, you may want to consider pet insurance for any new pets. It is well worth it and will cover things like this in most cases. Getting insurance now will not help as this is a pre-existing condition and at his age, most companies will not cover him. If he had been covered since he was a puppy they would. ( https://trupanion.com/ )

It's concerning that Erebus's eye is getting cloudy, and he has to see a vet for it now. If paying for a vet is an issue, you can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. I'd also see if you can borrow money from family and friends. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/ http://www.dogheirs.com/resources-affordable-veterinary-care/

I'm sorry to hear that Cami is having this problem. Unfortunately, the only treatment option for cataracts is surgery - so if this isn't an option for you due to cost, then there's really nothing you can do to make them go away. But, cataracts should not cause any drainage or watering of the eyes, so I would be concerned that Cami has some other eye problem causing this - possibly an eye infection, or allergies. These can often be treated with prescription eye drops from your veterinarian, so I would recommend taking her in for an eye exam to discuss what can be done to make her more comfortable.

It is hard to evaluate eyes based on a photo. If your vet has told you your dog has cataracts, whether or not surgery is an option depends on a few factors. These include your pets overall health (a physical exam and bloodwork can help determine this), whether or not your pet will tolerate the aftercare (including frequent eye drops at first), and if your dog can still be visual once the cataract is removed (you may need to see an ophthalmologist for special testing to determine this). I would start with a general wellness exam and blood screening at your vet. If all looks good the next step would be a consultation with an ophthalmologist. More info can be found at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=659

I'm sorry to hear about Shia's eye, however it sounds like it does need to be seen by a vet as soon as possible, especially if it is red and bleeding. I'm including a few websites that, while US-centric, may help give you some options for making vet care more affordable so Shia can get help. Your local humane society may also have a list of low-cost or free clinics, or an assistance program in your area to help. Keeping his eye as clean as possible and using an Elizabethan (cone) collar can also help reduce further irritation. https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/having-trouble-affording-veterinary-care https://www.dogheirs.com/resources-affordable-veterinary-care/

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Since you haven't stated what type of surgery it is hard to give any advice. I would suggest however asking your vet if there are any other options (a different type of surgery, medical management, etc), or you can call other clinics to see if the surgery can occur at a lower rate. If this is a surgery that is life-threatening and needs to occur right away, then you may have to contact rescue groups, or ask your vet about any financial assistance programs in your area. If this is a problem that can wait, then you can discuss with your vet about the time-frame the surgery is needed, and save up. Best of luck with Neron.