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A TikToker said she took her $20 hamster to the vet, where she was quoted $1,129 to treat him.
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It’s unclear if the hamster was treated. Insider has reached out to the veterinary clinic.
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Users in the comments shared their own stories of pet medical expenses.
Pet insurance and vet bills can be expensive, however most owners would consider it worth it to make sure their pets are healthy and happy — even if the numbers climb unexpectedly high.
That’s exactly what happened to TikToker Sarah Caceres of Porter, Texas, who posted a video (first spotted on The Daily Dot) about how her hamster Chele — who she said was bought for $20 — was quoted $1,129.46 to have emergency services rendered.
“When you take your $20 sick hamster to the veterinarian,” she posted over the video, adding: “He better live up to 10 years” in the caption. The video — which has over 740,000 views and 28,000 likes — zooms in on an itemized procedure consent form, listing the services needed to treat Chele on April 11.
The most expensive line items were for an “ER Complete XRay Study w/ STAT Review” ($587.43), “Emergency Exam” ($184), and “Contingency Treatment & Diagnostics” ($150). The form shows that the X-ray would be reviewed by a specialist. It’s uncertain from the video and any follow-up videos if Chele was dealt with.
Insider has actually connected to All Pets Animal Hospital and 24-Hour Emergency Center in Katy, Texas, the veterinary hospital listed on the invoice.
Many people in the remarks section shared their own history of pets with astronomical medical bills.
“I remember we HAD a guinea pig,” the top comment reads. “They wanted to do a $2,500 surgery and survival rate was only 30%! RIP Teddy.”
There were also people pointing out that the life of a hamster is not as long as a dog or a cat. Hamsters typically live, on average, between 18 and 36 months, according to petMD, whereas the average lifespan of a dog is said to be 10-13 years and 13-17 years for cats, with some reports of cats living into their 30s.
But for pet parents who are attached to their animal, the cost can be worth it, even if it’s not covered by pet insurance coverage.
Read the initial short article on Insider
