Depends on the situation.

Is the dog in pain? In which case none. I would not force a dog to continue living for my own personal comfort if it was suffering.

How long will the dog's life be prolonged for the price tag? Our family is not rich, 4 grand for a month of life is not a reasonable choice in regards to the families' welfare (this would be our entire savings). A few hundred for a few years, yes unquestionably doing it as this would be all our extra spending money for a month or two but not hurt our ability to progress as a family and make our current bills comfortably.

Someone in my family had to ask themselves this question a few months ago. I'd love to give you a percentage, but it just varies too much. I think a better way to look at it is this: If the treatment doesn't work, how will you feel about losing your pet AND the money? If it was worth the shot - great. However, if it would stress you out or put you into any kind of negative financial position, you have to be honest with yourself and cap the spending. Even if you can afford it, but would have serious negative feelings about losing the money if you pet didn't make it, I still don't think you should take the risk.

I believe in euthanasia. If the pet is in pain or the quality of its life is poor, I say help him pass on comfortably. Saving a pet because we don't want to let go, under these circumstances, is cruel in my book. If the expected outcome is in favor of the pet having a good quality of life, I would say spend as much as would not put the family in a financial hardship. Of course this would be my choice. There are those that would endure hardship for their pets, I am just not one of those people. When my time comes, I want to be treated the same way.

That is *so* up to the individual and how bonded they feel to the pet and what they can afford.

You are asking that question as if it can have an answer that can be defined as a standard norm of social expectation, but no, I'm sorry... that's one of those situations that has to be left up to the individual, and where it is none of society's business.

Would you ask how how much money a person should spend to keep up his favorite hobby car? No, you wouldn't. It's his car, and if he can afford it, he can spend as much on it as he wants to maintain it.

Our feelings for pets run at least as deep as a hobbyist's will for his '69 mustang, so if an animal is a person's pet, then it's nobody else's business what they choose to spend in order to maintain it.

Well, growing up I remember all three of my family dogs at one point or another needed expensive treatment. One dog had to get surgery to remove a bone($$$); the other dog got hit by a car, had to be hospitalized for a total of about 3-4 weeks;three surgeries, and two casts($$$$$$$);the third dog had to get a total hip replacement($$$$$$$$$$$$$$$). We spent almost $45,000 between the three dogs. Lot of money?? You bet!! If we were told that even with surgical and medical intervention they would probably not survive or be painfree.....no...we would not have spent that type of money. But because they were otherwise healthy and would make a full recovery....which all of them did.....you better believe we would have paid any amount. They become an extended part of family, and if a surgery or treatment would save a pet's life....an owner has a duty to care for that pet...no matter the dollar amount.

To me, there is no such thing as too much money when it comes to my babies. When I became their mommy, I made a promise to them in doing so, that I would be their protector, their advocate, their friend, and their voice when they couldn't speak and ask for help. I would always make sure they got any help they needed no matter when. Just as I would for any member of my family.

And I'm willing to put my money where my mouth is. My husband and I had to postpone buying our first house for two years because of vet bills for our first cat. YES, it was THAT much money to save her after she ate god knows what and nearly died. X-rays, surgery, and many emergency vet visits (including over the Thanksgiving holiday). Oy. But today she's 8 years old, alive, feisty, beautiful, and healthy!

Now, if there were others factors like pain, comfort, quality of life, etc. that's DIFFERENT. Then I'm willing to make the touch decisions.

But if money is the only issue, I'd sell my car, I'd sell every last possession I own, I'd do whatever it took. Animals don't have anyone else to stand up for them and help them.

I will be in the minority here, but I would not spend thousands of dollars to save a pet. A child...yes, a pet...no. I have been accused of thinking of pets as disposable, and that isn't so. I just waited 3 months to get a ride to the nearest no kill shelter to take a cat there that I got stuck with, who I could not afford to take care of. I tried to give him away, but in this economy, it was impossible. I don't make a lot of money, and he had allergies that were literally costing me so much it was making me late on my bills. I got him because the woman who had him as a kitten was going to throw him out in the woods. I took him intending to find him a home, then the economy collapsed, and I couldn't, so I kept him for over a year trying to find someone to take him. He was a sweet cat, but I could not care for him, and I did not want to see him killed at the county shelter.

On the other hand, I have a cat who is eight years old who I will keep until she dies. That being said, she has urinary tract problems at times, and if it gets too expensive to care for her, I will try to find her a home, but if I can't, I will have her put down rather than see her suffer because I won't pay thousands of dollars for her medical care.

I have had sick animals put down twice in my life, and it broke my heart both times, but it was either that or take away from my children to save them. That wasn't ever going to happen.

So it does matter how much money you have. If I were well to do, as some of you seem to be, I would spend the money, but I won't do without or let my children do without to save an animal.

My family has always had dogs. Dogs have always been a part of our lives. I have a dog right now and I know I would do anything to help him if he was hurt or sick. I would spend however much I could afford. I don't think you can state exactly how much you would spend in terms of a percentage of your income or savings. You just spend what you can.

That being said, I think the question should be 'If you should" rather than "how much money you should spend". It is a question of 'quality of life' for your pet. What 'quality of life' would they have if you allow the vet to attempt to treat them. Would they still be in pain, hardly able to move or breath etc. Sometimes it is just better to allow the vet to humanely euthanize them. If treating them can cure them or help them enough for them to have a 'good quality of life' I think most dog owners would treat them. I would.

My family had a dog a while back that was pretty old. One day he just laid down and could not get back up. The vet could do nothing for him. We eventually decided that it was just best to humanely euthanize him. That day was really hard for me as I had grown up with that dog. I think I will remember that day for the rest of my life. He just lay there not able to move and he was having trouble breathing. It was hard for me but I had to do what was best for him. ( I was alone that day and although I had spoken to my family via phone, it was ultimately left to me to make the final decision)

This website I think does a good job of defining quality of life for your pet.
http://www.pet-loss.net/quality.shtml

This one gives you an idea of what questions you should ask when determining 'quality of life' for your pet and if to let the vet treat them
http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/plhl/questions/quality.aspx