For creatures that are supposed to improve on the quality of our lives, our pets sure can cause us a hell of a lot of stress. We’ve all had the maxim that a dog is not just for Christmas drilled into our heads, but that doesn’t mean that we aren’t prone to a nasty shock when it comes to the complications of our animal companions. 

Taking on any kind of critter is basically an informal agreement to take on an expensive, needy dependent who can’t actually tell you when something is wrong, because not every pet can be Bunny the talking Sheepadoodle. This has been underlined in a hilarious thread started by @lolacoaster, who lamented the fact she had had to make a very expensive vet visit for her dog, only for there to be no problem whatsoever. 

This led to others telling their stories of when their furry friends had scared them out of their minds (and got them to open their wallets), only to realize that there was nothing to worry about. While we can’t put a price on the joy that our pets bring us every day, these debacles sometimes make it seem like we should.