Agree with christy about the reasons for the costs, but it doesn't make it any easier.

My parents spent over $15k a couple of months ago when one of their husky's got sick (don't tell my mum, dad stopped telling her the costs at $7k). Unfortunately she go better for a couple of weeks and then started to get sick again - mum and dad had no option but to have her put down, they simply couldn't afford to spend any more money and the vet still wasn't 100% sure of the cause. It is very sad, they have one 11yr old husky left pining for her sister, who she had never spent a day apart from before this.