The financial burden of pet medical costs

The big picture: My husband, Matt, and I have spent a lot of time and money over the last six months not just making our puppy, Zuzu, happy, but keeping her alive.

Why it matters: Medical costs for pets is increasingly making pet debt a problem, with at least one survey from U.S. News reporting that 76% of pet owners went into debt to save their pet's life. The average amount borrowed is over $2,600.

By the numbers: The average annual cost of owning a dog in Illinois is about $2,000, with about $1,000 of that going to insurance and medical care, according to MarketWatch.

• More than 75% of dog owners in a USA Today survey said financial stress causes them a significant amount or a lot of stress.
• Nearly 50% of those surveyed said they had pet-related debt.
• An emergency vet visit can cost up to $5,000.

Zoom in: Most people put these expenses on a credit card or dipping into their savings. There are special credit cards focused on veterinary needs like Care Credit, but as with all lines of credit, pay attention to interest rates.

Flashback: We adopted Zuzu from a suburban shelter in February and fell in love immediately. (Look at her!)

• About a week later, problems started.

What happened: Zuzu had a seizure, so we took her to a walk-in veterinary clinic that recommended we see a neurologist, because she also had a concerning twitch.

• Price: $262.

A few days later, Matt noticed the twitch getting worse and took her to the recommended neurologist.

• Price: $6,598.

Then we noticed Zuzu's huge pupils and that she was bumping into things. She stayed overnight at the clinic for monitoring.

• Price: $1,500.

She went blind and was diagnosed with a genetic neurological disorder.

State of play: This $8,000 was just the big-ticket items — there were more bills for meds and follow-up appointments. We are very fortunate we could afford to pay these up front, but it's a huge financial hit.

Between the lines: An increase of more corporate-owned vet clinics has led to increased costs, according to reporting by Freakonomics and The Atlantic, as they can offer high-end treatment options that smaller, locally owned clinics can't.

Reality check: We did not have pet insurance (we didn't have much time to think about it!), but we most likely wouldn't have been approved because we later learned Zuzu had a seizure last December — a pre-existing condition.

• Outlets like the L.A. Times and U.S News and World Report have comparison tools to determine best pet insurance for you. You never know what accidents are going to happen, but you can anticipate need based on certain breeds — many pugs need surgery for their bulging eyes, corgis suffer from hip issues and Boston terriers can have breathing issues.

So how's Zuzu now? She's great! It was a very scary, emotionally and financially taxing six months that included fur falling out, extreme fatigue from meds and a lot of adjustment for her and us on navigating blindness.

• But she's perfect, and we can't imagine life without her.