Today’s Daily Post was inspired by Gracie. We have wanted to get Gracie’s dental disease taken care of since 2007. With the preanesthesia laboratory testing, anesthesia, cleaning and polishing and to extract one puppy tooth it will cost about $550.00. And that’s if we don’t have to extract more teeth than the one we know is left over from puppyhood.
Since Gracie’s dental disease has been going on for several years, there is a lot of calculus buildup and the gums are quite inflamed. We don’t know how much gum and bone support each tooth may have lost. That information will be revealed when the calculus is removed.
What has kept Gracie’s family from getting her needed care is that family expenses have just been too high. Still, they do care deeply about Gracie and do want to have the procedure done.
Fortunately, Gracie gets her teeth brushed every day, so she is used to the brushing process and, while brushing won’t remove calculus, it will remove tartar and slow the buildup of new calculus.
Is there some care you want for your pet but you just don’t think you can afford it?
What about a savings plan? There are lots of ways you could save.
I call one the “fruit jar” plan. Just take a large jar from the kitchen, cut a slot in the lid and drop a few bills into it each day. Coins can even add up quickly if the needed care isn’t too much. Some people using this plan just empty all of the coins in their pockets every day, regardless of how much or how little their pockets contain.
For example, dividing $550.00 by the 24 months we’ve been recommending this care for Gracie and it comes to only $23.00 per month. Many people would be able to save that much each month.
You can also “pay ahead” at your veterinarian’s office. Any veterinarian’s computer system will easily track your payments and the staff can be alerted to what your savings goal is. When you reach it, they will call to make you an appointment. It’s that simple.
Of course, banks are known for savings and you could start an automatic withdrawal program, a Christmas savings plan or a plain old passbook savings account.
Let your pet know just how much you love him, and just how committed you are to the very best veterinary medical care he can have. It may take a little sacrifice, but he will more than repay you with love.
See you tomorrow, Dr. Randolph.
MMSAVING
