Pet owners are being forced to make a “terrible choice” between heating and eating and whether to take their sick or injured pet to the vet for treatment, the UK’s leading vet charity says.
More than half (51 per cent) of people say they are worried about the cost of vet care, according to the PDSA Animal Wellbeing PAW report, amid the ongoing cost of living crisis.
One pet owner concerned about the rising costs is 37-year-old Laura Atherton. Ms Atherton has a disability and lives alone with her nine-year-old Bichon Frise named Poppy, who she described as her "whole world".
Laura noticed Poppy wasn’t acting like her normal self in the weeks before Christmas last year. She wouldn’t urinate as often and she seemed distressed and anxious, panting even when resting.
She decided to take Poppy to the local private vet where they suspected the dog to have Cushing’s disease - a condition caused by abnormally high levels of the hormone cortisol - which her breed is prone to. The disease is not normally curable but can be managed with lifelong medication and regular checkups.
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Poppy's monthly medication costs £180.88. On average a small dog may live until they are 15 years of age, and maintaining Poppy’s current treatment for the rest of her expected lifetime would cost over £13,000.
When the discussion moved to the testing protocol and pricing, Laura said that “alarm bells started ringing”. She explained that while Poppy has always had private pet insurance, the testing for Cushing’s disease alone was going “to max out the cover for the year.” She said: “I was terrified - I’m on a very limited income due to my disability.”
Laura was able to contact the PDSA Pet Hospital in Liverpool where her pet was diagnosed with Cushing’s disease and the charity funded the treatment. The dog is now thriving and enjoying a good quality of life, which thankfully means that Laura still has her best friend by her side.
The PDSA has seen an "unprecedented need” for their services and with pet ownership on the rise, the charity expects to treat around 450,000 next year at a cost of over £85m.
PDSA Director General, Jan McLoughlin, said: “For many people we support, their pet is not just an animal, it’s their family, their lifeline, often their only source of companionship. For many, a pet’s unconditional love is a huge part of their world.”
Like Laura, more than 4 in 10 of the people the PDSA support live alone and a further 37 per cent are disabled or living with serious health conditions.
Moreover, over half of those helped by the PDSA are aged 55 or older, as 87 per cent of all surveyed say having a pet makes them feel less lonely and 88% of people say pet ownership makes them mentally healthier.
A RSPCA spokesperson said: “With the increase in pet ownership and the cost of living crisis putting a strain on people’s finances, we are seeing an increase in rescued animals coming into our care at a time when rehoming has slowed.”
One in five owners worry about pet food costs, and concerns about vet bills are at an all-time high, according to the RSPCA’s Kindness Index survey.
SuiLi Weight, a senior community manager for Cats Protection said: “Our own research shows that many cat owners out there are still going through a very tough time financially. The general rise in the cost of living has added pressure on everyone while the costs of caring for a cat too have increased, including vet costs.”
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