Hey PF,
My 4-year old dog was just diagnosed with a torn CCL (same thing as human ACL) and the vets suggested surgical repair that is estimated to cost $4-$5K. I am wondering if any of you can offer advice or have similar experience with making a decision on what to do with a pet when costs are expensive and the chances of restored function are less-than-guaranteed.
Financially, we are just getting our careers started and our finances in order after grad school. We currently have about $6K in an emergency fund and are able to save $1.5K/mo in cash after light retirement contributions. Our only consumer debt is $1K left on her car (mine is paid off), no student loans. The kicker is that this has been with my wife and I both working. However, we just welcomed home our first child (yay!) and estimate that we will be able to save about $500/mo moving forward (insurance, part time work, day care).
What would you do in my situation? We can afford the surgery in cash, but it leaves our emergency fund very light in a transitional time in our financial lives. The surgery might not fix the leg. We love and want the best for our dog, especially with so much life left to live, but not at the expense of our baby's future. It is hard for me to balance all the factors weighing on this decision, so advice is very much appreciated!
Submitted June 21, 2017 at 09:34AM by juanwiener http://ift.tt/2tt39MU
