[724Skinsfan]

I'm with Matty. I've never had a pet because I'm too cognizant of an animals life expectancy. I can however empathize with pet owners dealing with high vet bills. My wife buried her 16 year old yellow lab, much like AMD's story, a few years ago. The whole family was emotionally tore up over this loss.

Currently we have a cat, inherited with the marriage, that has an upper respiratory infection. The vet recommends taking him to have his nose checked out with a scope and possibly surgically removing whatever is causing the infection: pollup, foreign matter, etc. Approximate bill = $1500. It's hard deciding the best course of action when the bill gets to a certain number. I think I'd be okay if the cost were ~$500, maybe $750 but once we get into the $1,000 range you're talking real money.