I have been fairly lucky with my vet bills, going usually once a year for a shot or two and a general check up. I stagger the pets so I don't have to pay a ton of money out in one month or two. I have found that the annual visit keeps a good check on teeth etc. I have switched their dry cat food to an expensive grain-free blend and their teeth have improved to the point that the vet thinks I brush their teeth. I don't. I do not give them wet food but do give them chicken and tuna from time to time. They love their dry food and plow through it quickly.

Have you considered learning to brush their teeth? I tried it and it was like wrestling alligators. I needed to put on hockey equipment gear to ready myself for the event. It wasn't worth it for me to try. It is hard enough to pill them when I have to....so no teeth cleaning for me. Just good dry food.

You may want to shop around for teeth cleaning prices. They also request that you have tests done before they do the cleaning....to see if the cat might have a condition that would complicate the cleaning. I always turn them down - to save money. I figure it costs around $500 a year, per pet, for food and vet. That is why I have 3 cats and 1 dog now. I cannot afford another pet. For awhile I had 2 bunnies and 4 cats and I was going broke. The bunnies were inexpensive to feed but had lots of health issues as they were rescue bunnies and came to me in bad shape. It went down hill from there.

My one visit for the dog, for a checkup is around $300. I have had a couple of emergency visits for mouth warts (that went away on their own ) that cost me $45 just to hear that they could do nothing! Oh well. Peace of mind.

I would set up a savings fund for them, or set aside a certain credit card, if you don't have a huge income to work with.

I have to admit that if it came to paying out thousands of dollars for cancer treatment or surgery, I would probably not opt for it. I have spent tons of money on former pets and in the long run, I was not happy with the quality of their lives while trying to save them. I wouldn't do it again. Treatment for regular ailments, surely, but nothing aggressive or unusual.

Maybe they have a sliding scale fee arrangement? Have you asked?

Good luck with this problem. You are not alone, that is for sure.