Finances

I’m sure it’s no surprise to hear that the cost to treat FISS is significant. For many pets, this will be the sole reason they do not receive treatment of any form. However, there are options are there to make treatment more accessible. I’ve scoured the internet for ways to cover veterinary costs in order to afford Momo’s radiation treatments. Here’s what I’ve learned.

The Costs

Here’s a breakdown of what I’ve paid, what others have paid, and what I’ve been quoted for various parts of FISS treatment:

  • Surgery: $1,000 to $5,000

    • I paid $3,008 at our local vet clinic (including three tooth extractions, dental radiographs, and dental cleaning)

  • CT scan: $1,600 to $3,000

    • Michigan State University quote: $1,600 to $1,800

    • PetCure Oncology quote: $3,000

    • Animal Cancer and Imaging Center quote: $2,500

    • I paid $1,593 at BluePearl Pet Hospital (including anesthesia, contrast, I.V. catheter, and use of the machine)

  • Oncologist consultation fee: $100 to $300

    • I paid $130 at MSU Vet Medical Center

  • Chest radiographs: $300 to $400

    • I paid $350 at MSU Vet Medical Center

  • Bloodwork: $150 to $200 (I paid $175)

  • Palliative radiotherapy: $1,500 to $3,000

    • PetCure Oncology quote: $6,500 to $10,000

    • Michigan State University quote: $2,500 to $3,000

    • I paid $3,968 at BluePearl Pet Hospital (four treatments, including radiation planning, anesthesia, and machine setup)

  • Full-course radiotherapy: $5,500 to $10,000

    • PetCure Oncology quote: $6,500 to $10,000

    • Michigan State University quote: $7,000 to $8,000

  • Chemotherapy: $3,000 to $5,000

Approximate total cost to treat FISS: $5,000 to $10,000+

You’ll notice this is a very wide range. It completely depends on your geographic location, what your local clinics charge, your cat’s weight, your cat’s overall health, the progression of their cancer, and what treatment options you choose. Please keep in mind that once your pet has completed initial treatment, you will likely incur cancer-related costs for the rest of their lives. This could be in the form of routine scans to check for growths/metastasis, medications, long term therapies, supplements, etc. These cost also only represent what you will be paying the veterinary clinic. I have spent hundreds of dollars on additional supplements, prescriptions, time off from work, gas driving to various clinics, and phone consultations with several veterinarians. It is expensive, but it’s all worth it to keep our kitties happy and healthy.

CareCredit

If you have a pet, you’ve probably heard of CareCredit. It is a credit card specifically made for medical bills, including veterinary costs. The card offers special promotional periods during which no interest collects on your balance. You are also able to request your own credit limit and request increases to your limit. CareCredit can only be used at veterinary clinics which are part of the CareCredit system, and at this point it seems like most clinics are.

I used CareCredit to pay for Momo’s surgery. This application process was very quick and I was able to sign up on my phone in the exam room. My initial offer included a two year promotional period, meaning I have two years to payoff the balance interest-free. The catch is that once your promo period is up, interest rates start at around 30%. So you should really consider whether you can pay off the balance in the allotted time.

Overall, it’s a pretty simple tool that can be a good way to finance veterinary costs. Most veterinary clinics are very familiar with how its work and may be able to answer questions you have about it. As with any kind of credit or financing, make sure you know what you’re signing up for and that you’re capable of paying back what you owe.

ScratchPay

ScratchPay is almost identical to CareCredit. It is another option to finance veterinary bills. The difference is that ScratchPay requires a down payment (something like 20% of your total financed amount) that is paid as a service fee to ScratchPay. From what I’ve read, the payback schedule is a bit more regimented than CareCredit. Overall, CareCredit is more popular and well-reviewed than ScratchPay.

Waggle

Waggle is very similar to GoFundMe, except it was made exclusively for veterinary care fundraisers. It is a crowdfunding platform where you make create and share a campaign that is linked with your veterinary clinic so that donations are credited directly to your veterinarian. Waggle also partners with celebrities, social influencers and nonprofits to give out extra donations, a matching grant, or sponsorship to select campaigns.

I made a Waggle campaign for Momo but it really didn’t gain any traction. I’m not sure how much site traffic Waggle receives or how often they give out scholarships/grants. However, it was easy to set up and certainly worth a shot.

Friends and Family

The fundraising method which I received the most response from was simply reaching out to friends and family. I made an Instagram story post with a few details about my situation and a link to my Venmo account. People who I hadn’t even spoken to in a while reached out to donate. I think there’s a bit of pride-swallowing that comes with asking for help, but people are kinder than you think. I know if the roles were reversed I would have no problem helping someone in my situation.

So, throw a post up on Facebook or Instagram and you’ll probably win over the hearts of a few people you went to high school with, and your aunt you haven’t called in four years. Don’t let your pride get in the way. Plus, then you get to write cute little thank you cards and attempt to get your cat to “sign” them with a little paw print.

Vaccine Manufacturer Claim

This is certainly the most infuriating option available.

Vaccine companies are well-aware of the occurrence of FISS and its association with rabies/feline leukemia vaccines. Most manufacturers will have a study published on their website attempting to debunk the association and claim there is no evidence the two are linked. While it is an extremely rare adverse reaction, FISS is still considered to be a reaction caused by vaccines which the manufacturer can be held accountable for. Most vaccine manufacturers will have some sort of “guarantee” regarding the efficacy and safety of their vaccines. It is extremely difficult to find this information, but they will usually have pre-set financial support guidelines if your pet either contracts the disease it was vaccinated against or develops a specific condition such as FISS. 

I first started looking into the claims process when I read a reddit comment stating someone had received $3,000 from Merck after their cat was diagnosed with FISS. That’s quite a substantial amount of money and worth trying to get.

Prior to adopting Momo, he received both the Nobivac 3 Rabies vaccine by Merck and the Rabivac rabies vaccine by Boehringer Ingelheim. He most recently received the Nobivac vaccine in 2019, so I started with Merck. To file a claim with Merck, I had to:

  1. Call their adverse reaction line at 1-800-224-5318

  2. Answer many questions about the onset, diagnosis, and treatment of his FISS, and his vaccination history.

  3. Provide names of phone numbers of all vet clinics he’s been seen at.

  4. Wait while Merck reviewed the information I provided and called around to the vet clinics.

Eventually, I heard nothing from Merck and had to call them myself. Unfortunately, because the clinic where Momo received the Nobivac vaccine three separate times did not officially record the location of injection, they were unable to reimburse me for any veterinary expenses. However, they did send me a “goodwill gesture” $250 Visa gift card. I’ll take what I can get.

I have not attempted to contact Boehringer Ingelheim and may not end up filing a claim with them since he received their vaccine 10 years ago and the vaccine has since been discontinued. These companies are only willing to payout reimbursement funds if you can show a clear record of when and where all your pet’s vaccinations were given, which for some clinics hasn’t been the standard protocol. It makes sense, but it’s also frustrating because in Momo’s case logical deduction shows that its very likely their vaccine caused his FISS. I’m glad they have some sort of system in place to help pet owners who have been affected by FISS, but I wish it more accessible and forgiving. I just know that Merck isn’t pinching pennies.

Pet Insurance

If your pet has cancer and you didn’t already buy pet insurance, then it’s too late. But, if you have pet insurance, many companies will cover a portion of cancer diagnostics, surgery, and treatment. Depending on your coverage options, a large portion of your vet bills may be covered.

If you are reading this and your pet does not have cancer, TAKE THIS AS A SIGN TO GET PET INSURANCE! LIKE RIGHT NOW!

I debated for a while after getting Momo whether or not to get pet insurance. I adopted him when he was nine years old and he already had some pre-existing conditions, so the monthly rates were pretty high for anything beyond catastrophic accidents. Instead, I opted to put away the equivalent of the monthly insurance payment into a savings account dedicated to surprise veterinary bills. Now, I deeply regret that decision. The $50 a month I saved up for about two years could not come close to funding these vet bills, but pet insurance probably could have. You live and you learn, I guess.

Grants and Funds

This is the meat and potatoes. This is what can make the impossible possible. There are not many of them, but a few organizations exist which offer grants, scholarships, or donations to those trying to cover extraordinary veterinary costs. I’ll admit, filling out each individual application is a lot of work. Most orgs will want to see records including diagnosis, proposed treatment plans, tax forms, bank statements, pay stubs, proof of CareCredit application, and in some cases proof of financial hardship. Most, if not all, will only award money towards future treatments. This means they will not reimburse you for costs already incurred and you need to apply before you start treatments, but after you’ve had your initial oncology consultation so you can provide a written cost estimate. I applied to many right after Momo’s surgery and followed up with the proposed treatment plan from our oncologist when it was available. Many organizations I found online are no longer operating or accepting applications, which I can only assume is because of a lack of funds. So the options are limited, but it absolutely worth it to reach out and put in the time.

Here is a list of everywhere I applied and what response I received, if any:

It’s worth noting that there may be funds specific to your state/geographic region, so you may have to do a bit of your own research into local organizations.