How much do you love your pet?

[danzig6767]

I ask this question because man, i love my two year old dog, but events of this last year and going forward have caused me to ponder this question.

 

Yesterday, my daughter was going to take our dog for a walk which he gets very excited about. She was holding Tyson in her arms and he jumped out while i watched, he landed wrong on his front feet and crashed his head into the ground. For a brief moment, i thought he broke his neck and was paralyzed by how he looked laying on the ground. Then i saw his leg bent and stuck in a disgusting looking fashion, it was obvious to me that it was badly broken. So i took him to an emergency center where they had to put Tyson under so they could take X-Rays and straighten the leg to put it in a cast. He then had to spend the night and the emergency center sent all the pictures to my vet so he could do an operation early today. There was a fracture and dislocation, between the surgery and stay in the emergency center, it's going to cost me almost 2000 dollars.

 

Well, last spring Tyson also got bit by a bee, but neither my daughter or myself saw it happen. He had an allergic reaction and nearly died. We thought he ate something bad. The first vet couldn't figure out why my dog looked like he was dying and between his bill and the next vet who got Tyson better, my bill was about 1100 dollars. A few months before that, Tyson bolted after a rabbit if i remember correctly with his leash on which tangled in his legs and caused a minor dislocation. That set me back about 500 bucks by the time i was done. A few months ago a had to have Tyson get his yearly shots, a checkup, and a test on a growth that was growing on him. That was over 200 bucks combined. Unfortunately i'm not a lawyer or doctor, i'm far from wealthy and had medical issues of my own that left me in debt.

 

So because of some bad luck, i've spent about 4000 dollars on my dog in the last year, it's hurting my finances big time. I'll be picking up Tyson tomorrow and love the little guy very much, but if something pretty bad happened to him again anytime in the near future that i knew would be expensive, i'm questioning in my mind what i'd do? He's still very young so i'm not spending a ton of cash on dog who only has a few years left. Has anyone else here though faced the dilema of a huge vet bill you can't afford, but you don't want to have to give up your pet either? I forked over the cash for the third time in a only year, but if he say broke his leg again next year or got sick that needed very expensive care, i don't know what i'd do.

 

BTW, my daughter took this picture at the vet, the poor guy was stoned out of his mind on painkillers, i couldn't help but laugh a bit how wasted he looked at us. His eyes were huge and staring like he was on mushrooms.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v638/danzig6767/0722091627.jpg

[hawing]

Poor Tyson! That is a heck of a string of bad luck.

 

As for how I'd answer your question, I guess it depends. We don't have children, so while I would stop short of calling our cats our children, we take their companionship and care pretty seriously. (Not implying that those of you with both children and pets do not.)

 

In about 16 years of pet companionship, we've been fortunate to only have the type of dilemma you describe once. Our first cat developed a limp seemingly overnight. We had her looked at the next weekday, and after some ordinary treatments failed, it turned out she had an invasive tumor on her shoulder blade. The options were to amputate (not only the affected front leg but also part of the shoulder blade) or to dull the pain for however long she lasted with meds. She was 10 years old then, so neither a young punk nor really elderly. Knowing what we did about her personality and temperament, our gut reaction was that the proposed operation was too invasive - so we chose the latter course. We did not get too much into what the amputation would have cost. We had incurred a moderate cost (I'd have to look it up but probably in the mid-three-figures) just to figure out that it was cancer, but that was not beyond our means.

 

Our current kitty duo is a heavily bonded pair and I'm not sure how either would cope without the other - so that's a factor I'd want to consider if a big health problem develops with either of them (along with the obvious factors: age, type of problem, prognosis with/without treatment, and cost).

 

There are pet health insurance programs, not without cost but with young(ish) Tyson seemingly being prone to "incidents", maybe that would be worth looking into? Google "pet health insurance" and you will find a wealth (pun unintended) of options. Good luck to you and Tyson.

[Nottso]

"How much do you love your pet?"

I bought him a convertible.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y174/DanAuctions4u/posting/dogpark025.jpg

[danzig6767]

Great picture nottso

 

As for your post hawing, you're the second person who brought up pet insurance to me today, i had never heard of it before. Maybe that's because Tyson is my first dog. I've had a bearded dragon for many years, but it has never been a high cost pet and i never got close to the level of feelings for it like i have for my dog. I did about a 15 minute research of pet insurance via Google and offhand it seems a bit pricey, but then again i've found out quickly that problems or accidents involving dogs can be extremely expensive.

 

It's just that this last 12 months or so with Tyson has been a real financial gut punch and an unplanned for gut punch to boot. From my brief searching of insurance, it looks like any policy worth having will cost at least 250-350 a year. The bummer for me is nearly everyone i've known who has a dog or had one went the whole lives of their dogs until the very end expenses without racking up 4 grand in vet costs while i got hit with that in one year. I guess like many things in life, you can't control good or bad luck. These events though made me see firsthand the tough and potentially heart wrenching decisions some pet owners have had to or will face in the future where they have to weigh finances with their love for their pet.

[Menotti80]

first danzig let me say i love it every time you post because I get a kick out of your avatar every time.

 

but as far as tyson, sounds like 3 kind of freak accidents in 1 year. If it were me, I would put all my faith in "a string of bad luck" and/or "bad things come in 3's", and try to be as careful as I could and hope nothing else happens.

 

I know thats a crappy answer, but injuries are a lot different than a disease or cancer or something. If it were my dog, an expensive operation to fix a health condition or a disease or something is much different than broken bones. But like you said, he still could have 10-12 years left so if it were me, I would probably keep forking out the dough.

 

A few questions: How old is your daughter? If she is still real young, I might be leary about letting her pick up tyson while he is outside and could suddenly jump out of her arms and she may not be able to control him. My fiance has a 6 year old daughter, and she wants to hold and carry around our cat every chance she gets. But too often enough, she drops him or mishandles him because she really doesn't understand yet both her strength and what you can/can't do to a pet when you are playing with it or carrying it.

[DHonks]

Menotti80, I'm with ya on kids. My ex had a 5-year old (well, she still does, only he's 7 now). He would often try to mess with his family's cat or jump over it. If he jumped over it and the cat reacted by lifting it's head, he'd almost crush the thing. I'm no cat fan, but he had zero comprehension of his size vs its size

[hawing]

Nottso, that photo is terrific. That would make a good avatar - just saying.

[Diskono]

I'm in the same boat - I'm still paying off a $2500 surgery from when my dog broke his leg about a year and a half ago. Poor puppy. I really had a hard time visiting him the morning after his surgery, he just looked so miserable. He didn't even want pupcorn.

[Marleyboo]

I'm typing this on my phone so I'll keep it short. We have two dogs, marley and Seaver. Marley has had both knees replaced to the tune of around five grand. Seaver has been better, he's only needed a thousand dollar emergency surgery for a branch stuck in his chest. My wife and I are not that well off by any means but I'd spend it again for them. My dogs are much smarter than me. Oh ya, when we named Marley we thought we had a very original name. Then that stupid book and movie came out. That's Marley in my avatar pic copiloting the boat.

[TooLiveBrew]

"How much do you love your pet?"

I bought him a convertible.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y174/DanAuctions4u/posting/dogpark025.jpg

 

This dog clearly makes more money than me, and can buy & sell any of us like pawns.

[Teatoe993]

Is the name Marley the dog equivalent to Michael Bolton?

[jlau20]

Easy...

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3186/3362846458_2922b4881c.jpg?v=1237296455

[danzig6767]

Easy...

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3186/3362846458_2922b4881c.jpg?v=1237296455

Haha, nice picture Puddy

 

I'm in the same boat - I'm still paying off a $2500 surgery from when my dog broke his leg about a year and a half ago. Poor puppy. I really had a hard time visiting him the morning after his surgery, he just looked so miserable. He didn't even want pupcorn.

Looks like i caught a bit of a break on the actual surgery, it was 950 dollars, but i also had to pay nearly 700 to the emergency pet center who stabilized to leg and took the X-Rays. I'm guessing that it won't be cheap for the multiple follow up visits though, he has to have the cast taken off after after two weeks and four weeks i believe and then recasted. Any tips for things you came across that might cause issues with a dog who is getting used to a leg in a cast.

 

Well, i brought Tyson home today. The vet unfortunately found a second fracture during the surgery which he said could slow the recovery and potentially cause a limp if it doesn't heal perfectly. My dog being young should help some. The biggest concern for me is that i've always allowed Tyson to take his daily naps on the couch and he often sleeps in my bed or my daughters bed. We were home roughly 10 minutes and to my surprise he was able to still jump on the couch even with his cast on. I'll probably have to train him to not go on the couch anymore in case he tried to jump off when i'm not around, but that won't be easy given he naps there nearly every day.

 

How is this for bad timing. I had one of those dog beds for a long time, but Tyson always slept on the couch or one of our beds so i threw the dog bed out roughly 9-10 days ago when i had my carpet cleaned. Oh well.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v638/danzig6767/tyson.jpg

[dadofandrew]

Danzig, you can find pet beds for $5-10 all the time, Walgreens often has 'em on sale.

 

Many people simply cannot afford $2500 on a pet, so the issue is moot for many. My aunt worked at an animal hospital in Milwaukee for years and brought home many dogs and pets whose owners simply gave them up, due to no $. We were told our dog had a luxating patella when we got him, and luckily, it has not worsened to need the $600-1200 surgery on one or both...that rarely works for over a year (as I visit people daily, it's amazing how many have had it done, and also how it almost always has slipped back out within 18 months...almost 100%.

 

Basically, it's the same as a ballplayer...Tyson is probably not going to be healthy in his older years, as he's not healthy in his puppy time. Some will be the exception, but history should not be ignored. We love our Ronnie as much as we can, but he's 13 and showing many signs of aging, just in the past few months. No way we're going spend $1K to give him a few more months of sleeping 23 hours a day and not being able to do much else.

 

Now, if we had $800K in the bank, we'd spend a lot more than $1K.

[DrugBust]

Sorry to hear about that Dude. My first thought was pet insurance as well.

 

I've always been a cat guy and 95% of the time he's been in doors. Not a lot can go wrong with those little dudes. I like to think there would be no price too high to keep him healthy but I guess I don't know until I'm in that situation.

[danzig6767]

Sorry to hear about that Dude. My first thought was pet insurance as well.

 

I've always been a cat guy and 95% of the time he's been in doors. Not a lot can go wrong with those little dudes. I like to think there would be no price too high to keep him healthy but I guess I don't know until I'm in that situation.

Well , once i went to the vet today and picked up my dog, the excitement he had and love in his eyes of seeing me and my daughter made me realize just how much i love the little guy. If i had let him go over cash, i'd probably be feeling big time guilty. That said, i do understand that once a pet gets older, why it can be a tougher call.

 

BTW DB, i didn't know you posted here? I thought you stuck to RealGM.

[danzig6767]

Basically, it's the same as a ballplayer...Tyson is probably not going to be healthy in his older years, as he's not healthy in his puppy time. Some will be the exception, but history should not be ignored. We love our Ronnie as much as we can, but he's 13 and showing many signs of aging, just in the past few months. No way we're going spend $1K to give him a few more months of sleeping 23 hours a day and not being able to do much else.

 

Now, if we had $800K in the bank, we'd spend a lot more than $1K.

I hope the health luck reverses Al, all three injuries were kinda fluke. A bee sting, his leg getting tangled in a leash while bolting after a rabbit, and now jumping out of my kids arms from excitement for a walk. His breed though is some factor, the little guy is very active and needs a ton of exercise. He can run forever, like a mini Greyhound and can jump high.Plus, in his genes he's a hunter of small game and there are tons of rabbits and squirrels where i live. Now i face the task of him not doing something that ruins the surgery, it would help if he instead was an old or lazy dog.

 

As for your dog, sounds like my mom. Her 14 year old dog got very sick recently and she had to put him down because it didn't make sense to spend a bunch of money on a very old dog with little time left. He can't be easy though when you've had a pet that long.

[phxMILWfan]

I have 2 dogs. Kody has seizures and his meds cost roughly $30 a month with vet visits every 6 months to check his labs. Mable has Valley Fever and her meds are about $20 a month, same thing with the vet visits every 6 months. That's now that we know what is wrong with them. In the beginning they were going to the vet like crazy. Tonight my wife found a dog on the side of the road... She picked it up and it is staying in our backyard until we can do something with it in the morning. Either th Humane society or I don't know what. I honestly expect that it will have some freak illness and we will be keeping it. I love dogs but the vet bills are killer. Hope your dog stays healthy Danzig.

[DrugBust]

Sorry to hear about that Dude. My first thought was pet insurance as well.

 

I've always been a cat guy and 95% of the time he's been in doors. Not a lot can go wrong with those little dudes. I like to think there would be no price too high to keep him healthy but I guess I don't know until I'm in that situation.

BTW DB, i didn't know you posted here? I thought you stuck to RealGM.

Eh, been a lurker since I joined 6 years ago.

[twobrewers]

If i had let him go over cash, i'd probably be feeling big time guilty.

We've had two ferrets for years.

 

We had to put the first one down because of lack of cash. I was just out of college and dead broke. He had eaten something that blocked his stomach. It was going to be over $1,000 to perform a surgery which might be able to save his life. My wife didn't have the heart to take him back to put him down. I remember sitting in the waiting room with shade on to hide my tears.

 

We have a portable pet carrier that breaks down for storage. When I got home, I tore down the carrier and felt the realization that he was no longer inside - I broke down. I may have thought the $1,000 in debt was unfathomable given my situation, I'm sure Jinx (my ferret) thought otherwise.

 

I can still remember that feeling very vividly.

 

The good news, is that he taught us a very valuable lesson. We vowed to never make the same decision. Since then, we have always kept a "reserve" for their expenses.

 

In the meantime, we have had another one develop cancer that required surgery. All told, it cost around $750. Every time he comes out of the bedroom and curls up with my wife on the couch - I think that it was the best $750 investment I've ever made.

 

Owning a pet comes with the responsibility that they are not able to make decisions to save their own life. As a pet owner, that is your job.

[hawing]

Owning a pet comes with the responsibility that they are not able to make decisions to save their own life. As a pet owner, that is your job.

I realize you didn't post your story looking for any of us to assuage your guilt, but when making tough decisions like these, I think it's valid to consider the odds of success for any pricey medical procedure. In any case, given the lesson you took from your experience with Jinx, it sounds like s/he did not die in vain.

 

Honestly, this thread makes me want to cuddle my boy cats extra tonight. (This shouldn't be difficult, as they have both been clingy since we got back from a four day trip earlier this week.)

[Menotti80]

My fiance and I took her dog in this morning and had him put down. After being in declining health for months, a big turn for the worse came this past weekend. Benny had "good days" and "bad days", but the bad days were starting to outnumber the good ones. One of the hardest things I have ever done in my life. We are lucky his last day was one of his "good days"...

 

Benny was an 8 year old Beagle, and he will truly be missed... R.I.P. buddy... http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/frown.gif

 

http://images.yuku.com/image/pjpeg/f1535fc0925788ed47741abbbe0ceae356d5e8a.pjpg

 

 

[hawing]

I'm sorry for your loss. That is never easy. Try to focus on what a good life Benny had because of you and your fiancee.