Daily Vet Bartering for pet care…just don’t tell the IRS!

As we’ve often discussed on Dolittler, not every person has the means to pay for even the most basic pet care. We can vilify them all we want for their irresponsibility but it ain’t gonna make a difference once their Fido or Fluffy’s arrives at the hospital on death’s doorstep.

Such was the case with today’s critical case. A dying, four year-old female Min Pin. Her brother had succumbed two days ago, at which point she started showing symptoms, too: Vomiting, bloody stools and extreme lethargy. Probably Parvo.

But her parents had no money to pay. And I believe them. The guy washes the cars across the street. His wife cleans houses when she’s not taking care of her kids’ kids. These recent immigrants would be hard pressed to pay their rent this month, much less spend even $100 on this dog’s survival.

So we struck a bargain: five details on our cars over the next month, starting Friday. If she needs blood products, it’ll be two more. Deal.

Once the diagnosis was confirmed by a handy Snap test on her stool (Parvo, indeed), the rest was pretty straightforward: bloodwork, fluids, sugar, antibiotics, and anti-nausea drugs. If we need protein in the form of blood products (plasma) we’ll be doing that, too.

We’re happy with this deal. We may be losing out, cash-wise, but it beats euthanizing another young dog (I’ve had too much of that lately). Moreover this will set up a handy system for keeping our cars clean in the future (when we institute a wellness program should this dog survive) while making way for one hard worker to secure five new clients if he keeps his word and does good details.

Poor people will always have pets. It does no good to wring our hands from our suburban perches and ivory tower heights. Far better to solve the problem by teaching a man to fish, as it were. Easier said than done, though. It’s not every client who has the presence of mind to offer his or her services. And it’s quite possible he might renege on the deal once the dog’s off the premises, whatever the outcome. (So much for up front payments.)

Add to that one extra level of complexity—the IRS—and it’s no wonder more vet hospitals don’t engage in this kind of creative accounting. That’s because bartering income is still income. And though we may take a loss on this case, the income still needs to be declared. Lop off another corporate tax rate hit on five $60 details and our return is frustratingly puny.

But it’s for the best. It’s way better than giving something away when what you’d rather do is impart some sense of what healthcare for pets is worth in this country (and I’m sorry if that sounds patronizing, but it’s how I feel).

With any luck, this dog will be on the mend by tomorrow (she’s old enough to respond well, I think) and back in fighting shape by week’s end—just in time for my well-earned detail!

December 27th, 2007

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A family friend fresh out of law school started his own small business to get experience (this was quite a few decades ago). He received more livestock and produce than money the first few years. But he got his experience, and is now seems to be working at a successful job, with his spiffy lawyer outfit. I didn't ask him if he still accepted livestock or produce as payments.

Sherri December 27th, 2007 09:27:00 AM

I have a question rather than a comment. I was not aware that a puppy with Parvo could survive. Our shelter automatically euthanizes any dog with Parvo. Can you provide me with a treatment plan and the odds of survival?

Sara Beth December 27th, 2007 10:24:00 AM

Parvo is indeed treatable. The older the dog, the better its odds, but pups can survive with a bit of luck and lots of supportive care. While we can't rid the body of the virus (it'll just have to run its course), we can supplement with fluids, protein (in the form of blood products), antibiotics (for secondary GI infection) and antiemetics (for the severe nausea). Correcting electrolyte imbalances and supplying glucose are additional mainstays of basic treatment for these cases. I haven't had one die now for a couple of years.

An update: 24 hours later, this dog is doing very well (I wrote this post yesterday).

Dr. Patty Khuly December 27th, 2007 10:31:00 AM

Sara Beth: I tend to tell folks about 85% survival on pups, but that depends on when you get them. Is it early in the disease or late? Are they very young pups or older ones? Etc...

Dr. Patty Khuly December 27th, 2007 10:33:00 AM

I love bartering! I have traded my services for massages, books and even handspun yarn. (even though I also spin) I wish bartering was more of an option for people.

Sara,

While some dogs can be saved that have parvo, it can be expensive and time consuming for a shelters resources. Not all shelters automaticly euthanise parvo dogs. It depends on the vet they use and the financial resources they have available. (or how feasible it is for their staff to treat based on their physical building set up as well as rescources)

Marie December 27th, 2007 10:37:00 AM

I have been lucky enough as a technician to work for wonderful vets who like you truely care, and will occasionally give as charity...One of my former bosses, is constantly giving out discounts here and there, and working with people even if they don't have much money for the benifit of their pet. Sometimes I wonder if he cares at all about turning a profit...It quite often seems more about doing what he really loves and not about the almighty buck. . .just making enough money to stay open. Furthermore, you make a very vaild point about how people who can't "afford" a dog will always have dogs, and we should not judge them, or look down upon them for this fact. I sadly have.. I am guilty. People come into our emergency clinic and we think oh, he has "financial issues" (he is a dead beat) unfortunatly I have no say about these matters of how discounts like that are given...I really wish I did. There have been times going over estimates with owners where I have seen the vet jack up the bill on them ..and I can't say anything but in my head I am thinking this is wrong, and I really fell sorry for them, and horrible for having to try to collect money from them knowing they are in fact strapped. Maybe now I will think differently the next time a client with "financial issues" comes into our emergency clinic.

ed December 27th, 2007 10:38:00 AM

Good for you, helping that family out with their sick dog. Parvo is very scary, and it doesn't discriminate between rich and poor, well-bred and puppy mill dogs. I got my dog from a very careful, small show-breeder. She did all the right things - we had to change clothes and leave our shoes at the door and scrub like we were participating in surgery to visit the pups (I was invited to meet them as I was a personal friend and on the puppy list) - and the whole litter came down with Parvo when they were 9 weeks old. I had just taken my baby home and he came down sick three days later. The breeder paid for his treatment (she offered to take him back and return my money - but I wasn't about to let that happen!) and thanks to an excellent vet who would NOT give up, his life was saved. Sadly, we lost one of the puppies. ( 1 of five - so, again, 80% survival) It is so contagious, it can infect an entire shelter in no time. And I am sure it is very expensive to treat also, so it is understandable why public shelters cannot treat the parvo dogs. Sad, but understandable.

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My husband bought me a 9 week old Jack Russel Terrier (looked a lot like a black and white cow). He was the cutest thing I had ever seen. We got him on the Wednesday, I took him for his vaccinations on the Friday and spent the weekend, loving him to bits. He slept in a crate next to my bed (up on my bedside table so I could keep him close). He was such a character, however, on Monday I noticed that he was a bit too sleepy and not as playful. I telephoned the vets who informed me that it might just be a reaction from the vaccinations and to keep and eye on him. He started to turn away from his food later that day so I started to use a spoon and hand feed him wet dog food (he would not take it out of the bowl but would if I fed him tiny amounts from a spoon). I stayed up with him almost all night keeping an eye on him. In the morning he was no better so I took him into the vets and they checked him over and said his temperature was very very high. The vets wanted to do some tests on him and keep him in for the day. I gave him a kiss and left him there, in my gutt I knew something was not right. I telephoned the vets every three hours (harrassing them but he was my baby). Then I got a telephone call back from a vet who informed me that "Spud" (my puppy) had tested positive for Parvo Virus and that although I had him vaccinated he must have been infection prior to me buying him and that actually having the vaccinations was going to act against him (in this situation). I asked them to do whatever they could. The vets informed me that they would try everything. I couldn't sleep all night worrying about him and I was on the Internet looking at treatments and what if's all night. I telephoned first thing in the morning and Spud was very ill, then the next day a bit better, the following day a bit better (I was starting to feel like he would be okay), then the next morning at 6 am I got a telephone call from the nurse (I told them to call me no matter what time if anything changed) she said that Spud was in pain and that I needed to go in. I went straight into the vets and by now the vet was there with the nurse, the Parvo Virus had gone into Spud's bone marrow. They had given him pain meds so when I arrived he was sleepy. The vet said that he was asleep but when I leaned over into his little cage I kissed his head and said that I love him, he gave me a little wiper (all his little body could do to tell me that he just couldnt do this any more). I asked the vet if I could hold him and he said okay, Spud had tubes coming out of everywhere and his little body was so lifeless but he opened his eyes and looked right at me then fell back to sleep in my arms. I told him I loved him and that I was so sorry, I thanked him for blessing my life and I kissed him. I turned to the vet and asked them to please put him to sleep and I could see the vet was clearly upset. He went and got the meds and I held Spud in my arms and kissed him on his head, told him I loved him and thanked him as he took his last little breath. I would not have had it any other way, I was blessed to have him in my life, such a perfect little puppy. I am just so upset that he did not get to live his life, he never even left my house. He never got to go to a park and run and play with other dogs etc. PLEASE EVERYONE HAVE YOUR PETS VACCINATED!

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Add to that one extra level of complexity-the IRS-and it's no wonder more vet hospitals don't engage in this kind of creative accounting. That's because bartering income is still income. And though buy nike shoes we may take a loss on this case, the income still needs to be declared. Lop off another corporate tax rate hit on five $60 details and our return is frustratingly puny.