Know the feeling....we were told we needed loads of tests on our dog and the insurance would cover it.....he's not insured I said. Take him home and keep your eyes on him for the next 4 weeks then, came the reply....money grabbing twats.
$800 for an assessment, scan, and a few tests plus $80 for medication first visit after he went without eating for two days and could barely walk, then $475 for a second afternoon assessment and additional tests when it occurred again a month later, only to be told what we already knew from the first assessment.
It was decided then with the vet that there was no point continually bringing him in as it appears his age (beagle, turned 14 in January) is just catching up with him. Next time he visits will be the last time, unfortunately.
We love him as a member of the family, having rescued him from a puppy mill when he was 6 months old, and are more than willing to pay a reasonable amount to support is health and wellbeing (and have over the last decade and a half). And, apart from a period whilst at uni and a few years after, I have essentially always had a dog (or two), so it is difficult to imagine life without one.
But the fees (and the difficulty actually getting care, as there is now only two full-time vets within 60 miles of us) have gotten so high that we are unsure if it makes sense to get another when he passes away. Which is a tough pill to swallow, as I wanted my son to grow up with his own dog (as I think it is incredibly beneficial for child development and family wellbeing as a whole).
It is also more of a burden on the missus now, given I cannot help up with the dog and my son is too young to be much help, either.
Makes you want to pick up a nice furry hat bobble and call it Spot.