Between your post and what I've been told by a friend in Dallas, I'm thinking Texas is just expensive. She told me that she took her cat in to have his teeth cleaned and walked out with an $800 bill! I realize that a veterinary hospital is a business, but surely they can offer some kind of monetary relief for us seniors; after all, SS hasn't given us an increase in two years! I'm trying to live on the same monthly income I had in 1996. Perhaps you could explain to your vet what you've explained to us? You're between a rock and a hard place, but God bless you for your compassion!