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My pet is losing weight. How can I afford vet tests and care?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Male | neutered | 1 year and 1 month old | 11 lbs

Hi, Kovu is still skinny, though his appetite has improved slightly. (He went from eating nothing to 1-3 ounces of wet food twice a day) over the past 4 months he’s lost 4 lbs. His vet wants $400 for blood and urine cultures. I found a charity that said they’d pay for it but when they found out he is an ESA they said they can’t due to liability issues. Are there any programs that you know of to help pay for it?which test should I do first since I can’t do all of them now? He’s my ESA I need him

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1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on August 16th, 2018

I can give you some resources that may help you afford the tests for Kovu. You can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/ http://www.dogheirs.com/resources-affordable-veterinary-care/ Check out these resources to see if one of them can help you. It would be best to do both the blood tests and urinalysis together, but if you can only do one, I'd do the blood tests. I hope this helps!

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