Pet owners are fortunate to have access to many preventative medicines and procedures, but if you've never experienced a problem, you may wonder if the cost of prevention is worth it.
For proof, take a look at these figures provided by Emily Pointer, veterinarian at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals:
Heartworm disease
Prevention: Monthly pills for a 25-pound dog: $60 per year; yearly test, $25.
Treatment: Exam, bloodwork, radiographs and injections for a straightforward case, about $500. The cost can go into the thousands for a complicated case and many dogs die or have a shortened lifespan even if treated.
Flea and ticks
Prevention: about $20 per month for topical medication for a 25-pound dog.
Treatment for flea- and tick-borne disease: Exam, diagnostic testing and 30 days of antibiotics would cost about $200 for a simple case; Pointer has one case where the owner has spent over $3,000 treating complications from a tick-bite infection.
Kennel cough
Prevention: Exam and vaccine $105.
Treatment: Exam, radiograph and medication about $270. If pneumonia develops, hospitalization and treatment are about $1,200-$1,600.
