tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513996817497959054.post3972745767024166579..comments2024-03-28T02:06:40.534-05:00Comments on Two Pitties in the City: Pooches: On the Commitment of Dog Ownership and Medical CareTwo Pitties in the Cityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04694420319336839807noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513996817497959054.post-77511243765175580152011-05-11T21:33:09.213-05:002011-05-11T21:33:09.213-05:00And Boone and his family are awesome! What a beau...And Boone and his family are awesome! What a beautiful commitment!<br /><br />Kudos to the vet clinic that found the growth. Things like that can be difficult to spot on xray ;)ForPetsSakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11716344585805514703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513996817497959054.post-56901097749372445502011-05-11T21:31:41.825-05:002011-05-11T21:31:41.825-05:00Money is always an issue. But priorities are equa...Money is always an issue. But priorities are equally weighed. I am one of those stubborn people that believes creativity can solve most any problem. For example, vet bills are expensive, so now I work for a vet. <br />Seriously, though - I prioritize the kiddos and do whatever I can to be sure they are healthy and safe.ForPetsSakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11716344585805514703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513996817497959054.post-26100374426673831062011-05-06T16:39:49.437-05:002011-05-06T16:39:49.437-05:00For me, adopting an animal is a full time, lifetim...For me, adopting an animal is a full time, lifetime commitment. We had to stop and think when one year for Christmas Rob brought home a young female gray cockatiel as a friend for our ten year old male. He paid $40 for the bird in a pet shop.<br /><br />We'd had Holley for about six weeks when I found her lying on the bottom of the cage one morning unable to lift her wings. There was an avian vet in the area and Rob took her to his office on his way to work and left her there for examination. When the vet called me a couple hours later, he said Holly had a congenital injury to one wing and because she was a frequent layer, producing eight eggs each month, she had depleted her body of calcium.<br /><br />He wanted to do xrays, and ultrasound and give her calcium injections. He also recommended that she take an expensive supplement daily. The total bill would be around $350.<br /><br />We were on a very tight budget and we'd only had the bird a few weeks. I didn't know what to do. I called Rob and he said he'd call the vet.<br /><br />When Rob drove in that night, I didn't know what to expect, but he walked in with Holly and she had had the complete treatment. When I asked, he simply said, "she's part of the family".Suehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05100381901254968075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513996817497959054.post-61743628876444348292011-05-04T20:24:28.415-05:002011-05-04T20:24:28.415-05:00Oh, poor Boone:( It is so touching to hear a stor...Oh, poor Boone:( It is so touching to hear a story about people who are committed to their pet, through thick and thin. It really speaks to the idea that once you adopt a pet, you are responsible to him for his entire life. It's amazing that they caught his tumor before it spread because I have heard not great things about mast cell tumors. I hope that once his surgery is complete, Boone makes a full recovery and gets to live a long, healthy life with only routine vet visits. Keep us posted on him, will you?Maryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14310521653862222270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513996817497959054.post-9925479545379800532011-05-04T19:13:08.446-05:002011-05-04T19:13:08.446-05:00Great story, thank you for sharing. Boone is so lu...Great story, thank you for sharing. Boone is so lucky to have found such loving parents.Heatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12470834138243209317noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513996817497959054.post-15232235390822285412011-05-04T08:21:23.220-05:002011-05-04T08:21:23.220-05:00Wow. Great topics this week. I'm really glad I...Wow. Great topics this week. I'm really glad I read this - I thought we spent a lot on Zeus, but this certainly puts it into perspective for me - ie, we made out pretty well. (Although we spent thousands, in two months- it was a big pill to swallow for sure). I want to adopt another pup, but the cost is what's keeping me from doing so. <br />It's heartbreaking to think about old dogs no longer being wanted. I do have to say though - and I hope this doesn't sound cold - but everyone's financial abilities are different, and for some, they might not be able to put $5000 into their dogs treatment for one reason we might not know. My superviser's dog was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 5. He and his wife spent close to $8000 on treatments- chemo, blood transfusions, etc. He also took half days from work 3x a week to drive his pup to receive said treatments. It broke his heart. His dog didn't respond to treatments and didn't get any better after about six months (of varying treatment methods). He died a few weeks later. It was heartbreaking, and he was lucky that they had the means to give Bauer the best treatment they had available, but it didn't work.<br />It is by far, the saddest part of owning a dog - if/when they are sick and/or old, and they can't tell you what they want or need. We are going to outlive our pets, but that doesn't make it any easier to bear. [sorry to be such a downer.]REDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06883892688598936238noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513996817497959054.post-29580173684245397002011-05-03T23:36:33.502-05:002011-05-03T23:36:33.502-05:00What a story. We are so happee he has a good home....What a story. We are so happee he has a good home. There are so many doggies out there that need our helps<br />Snuggles and snorts,<br />Benny & LilyTwo French Bulldogshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10504475675258871866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513996817497959054.post-33251858787933075532011-05-03T20:46:39.000-05:002011-05-03T20:46:39.000-05:00Boone is a lucky guy!
That's a hard question....Boone is a lucky guy!<br /><br />That's a hard question. I think the important thing is to talk about it with your partner and decide while your dog is healthy what lengths you're willing to go to. I also think it depends on the individual dog. I have a fifteen and a half year old dog here. If something major came up with her now, I'd make sure she was comfortable and not hurting, but I wouldn't prolong her life. A young dog with a long future ahead of it is a different issue. It also depends on what you're able to afford to do to take care of your pet, balanced with what the possible outcomes are. When my heart dog developed a spinal tumor, we were offered the option of surgery for her, but I've heard of several people who went that route, and it never turned out well. I couldn't put her through that because I wanted her to stay with me.houndstoothhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02159272473651561647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513996817497959054.post-90844602935425426672011-05-03T19:44:16.944-05:002011-05-03T19:44:16.944-05:00We used to call Cisco our $10,000-dollar-dog - mos...We used to call Cisco our $10,000-dollar-dog - mostly because we quit adding it up when it reached that amount. I had so many people heartlessly tell me that I should get rid of her and get a new dog. I made a commitment to her, when I adopted her, to take care of her - the same commitment that every dog, horse, goat, etc. gets when they become part of our household. I can do without a lot of things if it means making them a little happier and healthier.<br /><br />SamHow Sam Sees Ithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08305827999885588071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513996817497959054.post-70835490882488148432011-05-03T18:23:59.741-05:002011-05-03T18:23:59.741-05:00Wow. That story gave me a lump in my throat. Boone...Wow. That story gave me a lump in my throat. Boone is quite a survivor - well, with the help of his loving and devoted humans he is. The first few weeks I had Tommy he kept getting sick. Nothing serious thankfully but the many trips to the vet made me get pet insurance. <br /><br />I think there should be a movement for health care reform for pets, too, so animals with pre-existing conditions can still be covered.Susan Campisihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07255628787592008617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513996817497959054.post-24541089315181306502011-05-03T17:04:36.595-05:002011-05-03T17:04:36.595-05:00two weeks ago we brought home a new puppy (we went...two weeks ago we brought home a new puppy (we went to get a foster dog, came back with a puppy. long story). Two days later he went to the vet where he was diagnosed with pneumonia. We'd only had him for two nights and we had to shell out hundreds of dollars for xrays and anti-biotics. we didn't think twice.dmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12706770392229057139noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513996817497959054.post-49932592165409410172011-05-03T16:49:44.581-05:002011-05-03T16:49:44.581-05:00Wow. Boone's pawrents are super duper amazing ...Wow. Boone's pawrents are super duper amazing peoples. I wish every doggie and kitteh could be taken care of like that. Boone is one lucky dog!<br /><br />When they found out that my Angel Kitteh Sister Molly was born with a bad heart, they asked her V.E.T. abouts having an operation to fix it. They didn't think two times about how much it would cost. They just KNEW they were gonna do whatever they had to do. Most sadly, there wasn't an operation to fix her heart but they know now that they're willing to spend lots of green papers to make sure we're all healthy and happy.<br /><br />Wiggles & Wags,<br />MayzieAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513996817497959054.post-70220883605001813172011-05-03T14:55:55.006-05:002011-05-03T14:55:55.006-05:00I live in the country and that type of mind set is...I live in the country and that type of mind set is the norm around here. I can't explain how much it aggrevates me. I have a friend whose parents breed their golden who just happens to have never had vet care and lives outside. When she does have puppies they are raised in a shed and sold for approx. 500 dollars. This is something that happens alot nobody gets vet care and if your dog gets sick then it is often cheaper to take it out back to shoot it and just get a new one compared to taking it to the vet. <br /><br />I find that many of these people shouldn't really have dogs. They do not care for them and basically have them just to have around. The animals recieve no vet care or even emotional and social care. Personally I think that costs should be weighed against potential length of life. I can't see myself paying for huge amounts of vet care for a dog at the very end of their life. I would see that they live comfortably until that day comes that I must take them to the vet to be put down. <br /><br />Sorry for the long rant, this is a big issue for me because of where I live.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02242103760267804263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513996817497959054.post-14227297420059529402011-05-03T14:11:53.168-05:002011-05-03T14:11:53.168-05:00I wish I could say that the idea of a dog becoming...I wish I could say that the idea of a dog becoming "useless" was antiquated. Being a rescue volunteer, we get so many senior pugs turned into the rescue. Some are because of medical costs, but a lot are just because people want a younger model. It is so heartbreaking to see these poor babies discarded like a sweater that's not in fashion any more. I wish there were more families like Boone's in the world.<br /><br />Jess & LiloMiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17479942169190252234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513996817497959054.post-52487748656211375612011-05-03T13:14:30.897-05:002011-05-03T13:14:30.897-05:00Vet bills are always tough. I've heard people ...Vet bills are always tough. I've heard people say things about how they wouldn't spend more than $500 on a pet and I can't but think that they're living in a fantasy land. Pets cost real money! We've had plenty of medical issues with our guys, and while we don't have pet insurance, we do save up quite a bit for their care. It's just something you have to plan for.<br /><br />Best of luck to Boone!Katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06682247361413446387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513996817497959054.post-51702500236033435472011-05-03T13:09:58.356-05:002011-05-03T13:09:58.356-05:00Lucky Boone! He has himself a great family!
I don...Lucky Boone! He has himself a great family! <br />I dont think any good pet owner would see their aging dog as useless. It makes me so upset when I do my weekly scans of craiglist to see old Great Danes needing rehoming. I cannot imagine giving Darwin up just because she was old.<br />At 2 years old, Darwin has racked up quite the medical expenses, most from between her first and second birthdays. And we're still going in to see her acupucturist (people still laugh that she gets acupuncture). But she's worth it.<br />I am a true believer in pet insurance and like our coverage with Trupanion. My only gripe is that they don't cover holistic medicine and acupuncture is the only thing that has helped her gimpy back.brookehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02490740909541514702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513996817497959054.post-9916857730550099732011-05-03T11:35:25.014-05:002011-05-03T11:35:25.014-05:00It seems like the high maintenance dogs always see...It seems like the high maintenance dogs always seem to rescue me because they know I will go the distance. First Sprocket with his neurological issues and arthritis, he had MRI spinal tap, weekly acupuncture for 18 months and more until he passed, then Roscoe with his addisons, and Daisy has had knee surgery, allergy problems, cancer and of course the ongoing happy tail. We initially thought Mouse also had neurological problems, but with a good diet and love he seems ok (knock on wood). So far his neuter was costly a it was a cyptorchid. Then there are the cats, Milk ate 6 inches of ribbon and .....But I love them so much and they bring me so much joy.Daisy Doghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05471139194348453305noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513996817497959054.post-82467540818278779922011-05-03T11:07:12.151-05:002011-05-03T11:07:12.151-05:00sounds to me like Boone found the perfect family :...sounds to me like Boone found the perfect family :) I could never imagine my dogs becoming useless.<br /><br />Kari<br />http://dogisgodinreverse.comKari in Alaskahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08555458287778413718noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513996817497959054.post-51430423602586895432011-05-03T11:04:15.872-05:002011-05-03T11:04:15.872-05:00Pet insurance and the whole pre-existing baloney i...Pet insurance and the whole pre-existing baloney is such a crock! It makes me so mad.<br /><br />Our Jack, at his first vet visit after he was adopted, confirmed that he had a heart murmur. There was no doubt in our mind that we'd do what it takes - he was ours now, and we had fallen in love with that sweet face. We had to dip into savings and shell our mucho dinero for further testing, only to find out he had a severe murmur, and he may only live to 2 years old.<br /><br />Luckily, our handsome man will turn 3 this summer, with no signs of slowing down! I love a happy ending, but damn the insurance man.Kim @ Yellow Brick Homehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18101229543801983510noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513996817497959054.post-76960947073197157732011-05-03T10:58:07.861-05:002011-05-03T10:58:07.861-05:00Antoinette--We have Pet Insurance on both our dogs...Antoinette--We have Pet Insurance on both our dogs, and it has saved us so much in the long run. Miss M's insurance is not very good, but when we had a several thousand dollar diagnosis, we only spent a couple hundred so we were happy. The trick is to get good insurance, and get it right when you get the dog so they don't have pre-existing conditions. We really like Trupanion pet insurance, and we wrote more about our research here: http://pittiesincity.blogspot.com/2009/07/poochestrupanion.htmlTwo Pitties in the Cityhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04694420319336839807noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513996817497959054.post-40087105629535998862011-05-03T10:57:39.200-05:002011-05-03T10:57:39.200-05:00No amount is too much. People always ask why we d...No amount is too much. People always ask why we don't adopt a second dog - and the answer I always give them is 1) We can't afford 2 vet bills right now, as Corbin is pretty accident prone himself. and 2) if we adopt a second dog, we wouldn't have the room to continue fostering... Vet bills can pile up so quickly. My parents pug, Harley, is on allergy shots - and so many people have said to my mom "Why not just get rid of him?" or "wouldn't it just be better to put him to sleep?" How can you do that? They are family members... and as a rescue volunteer, I won't adopt a dog out to a family that I don't believe will treat the dog as family. We are all that dog has, we are their family... they deserve the same in return! No amount of money could get in the way of Corbin's love for me and the great feeling it gives me to be his owner and have his unconditional friendship :-) This was a wonderful post!<br />-Corbin's momma JennCorbinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17099985133525531865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513996817497959054.post-2672774570498268272011-05-03T10:55:46.158-05:002011-05-03T10:55:46.158-05:00When I adopted Sophie, I was in my last year of la...When I adopted Sophie, I was in my last year of law school. I thought I would get a job pretty quickly after graduation and all would be well. In the meantime, I figured Sophie and I would be fine living on my very small student budget.<br /><br />Yeah, things did not go as planned. The first year of her life, Sophie was one sick puppy. Giardia 8 times, coccidia 2 times, demodetic mange that spread quickly requiring lots of meds, stomach issues, uti, infection from spay and of course 2 e-vet visits for bug bites/stings and severe allergic reactions. Thank god for credit cards.<br /><br />Of course, post law school the economy was not good. So the first thing I did when I realized no job was forthcoming, I got Sophie pet insurance. $35/month and it covers everything. I needed the reassurance that should something happen, Sophie is covered.<br /><br />Thankfully we haven't had to use it so far :knock on wood: but it is there if needed. I convinced my sister and brother in law to get pet insurance for their puppy right after they adopted her.Pattyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01229758010712631659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513996817497959054.post-48867476777051285562011-05-03T10:48:09.231-05:002011-05-03T10:48:09.231-05:00Rudie cost us $3000 the first month we had him, an...Rudie cost us $3000 the first month we had him, and it has been many thousands since, but not quite up to Boone's impressive bills.<br /><br />I have a client that spent $20,000 on replacing his 7 year old dog's hips after it was hit by a car.<br /><br />It's heartwarming to see that people put their furry family members on the same plane as the rest of the family.h(eather)https://www.blogger.com/profile/05167433352658399818noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513996817497959054.post-35405153823365693562011-05-03T09:41:47.960-05:002011-05-03T09:41:47.960-05:00I have heard very mixed things about pet insurance...I have heard very mixed things about pet insurance (e.g. that to get good coverage it is expensive enough that if you put that same amount of money aside every month you'd be better off. Would love to hear some recommendations. I too would mortgage my house for my two dogs. I think the exception would be if the outcome was grim or very painful. When I adopted Max he had everything under the sun a dog could catch in a kennel: kennel cought three different kinds of worms (which he passed on to my other dog Lola), c-diff. Poor honey was so stoic about it all. It was very expensive but he's totally worth it.Antoinette Errantehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12542340159051171474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7513996817497959054.post-51097045260822320082011-05-03T09:33:50.479-05:002011-05-03T09:33:50.479-05:00Wow, that is some serious dedication- he is a love...Wow, that is some serious dedication- he is a loved & lucky lucky dog. Thanks for sharing!Passion 4 Pitshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15678945184614503335noreply@blogger.com