What we do for our pets...

[Bambi_Bandit]

Well, I just jot back from picking up one of our "girls" from the vet. Not any vet mind you, but a veterinary ophthalmologist...

Our 12 year old Min Pin suddenly got cataracts in both eyes within a month. She essentially became blind by the end of October... but have no fear, they can fix this, right?

So, $650 in diagnostic tests last week, and $2800 in surgery / hostital / and med fees today, our little girl is back home and drugged up...

Jeez... and I thought the Yamaha Generator I bought last month was expensive....

Now she can see!!!

We'll need to watch for irritation, and treat the acute early glaucoma they found on the left eye...

OK - now back to the savings plan for all things aluminum and canine....

[Mel]

Poor kid! She must be so happy to see again. How long until the collar comes off?

[Stefrobrts]

Well, good for you. It's miraculous the things they can do for them now. She'll appreciate it!

Believe me, after spending our summer with doggie oncologists and radiation treatments, we know what you're feeling (only a whole LOT more)!

They're worth it!

[Bambi_Bandit]

Originally Posted by Mel

Poor kid! She must be so happy to see again. How long until the collar comes off?

She'll be getting HBO, Cinemax, and ESPN for the next 3 weeks!!

[ROBERT CROSS]

He made us buy him a new AS so he could enjoy his "leisure time" more!

[BradS]

Our girls are part of what lead us to buy a trailer. It was getting hard to find hotel rooms that they were happy with.Now that we have an Airstream we can all go anywhere together.

[rettoc625]

My red head Golden is half way through his radiation treatments - 19 total. That's after the MRI, surgery, CT scan and chemo. There will be more CT scans later.

Did I mention that the hospital is located in Boston? Just a short 200 mile round trip - every day - for an 8:00 am appointment. Up at 4 am, out by 5 am, 5 hours on the road, and an hour waiting on a hard wooden bench.

Beef heart, kidney and liver treats, special home cooked anti-cancer diet of ground sirloin - the love I get unconditionally - PRICELESS!!!!!!!!!!

You get as much love as you give.

Mary

[TBRich]

We can empathize...but you know, you get back much more than you give to these furry little critters. We have spent a small fortune on one our Cockers, Annie, keeping her as healthy and happy as possible...she was a rescue, and only after we'd completely fallen in love with her did we find out she had bad knees (surgery on both back legs) and a mega-esophagus (paralyzed esophagus) and paralyzed larynx (neck surgery to tie back one of her paralyzed vocal cords so she could breath better)...putting her at chronic risk for aspirated pneumonia, which she has had numerous times...she has been to the vet so often that she knows where her cage is and she just goes to it. She is almost 13 now, and the vet calls her our miracle dog because "meggies" don't usually live this long. We have stopped adding up the expenses we've incurred...somewhere well over $13,000... But we took her on when we adopted her, so she's our responsibility... and we will do what it takes as long as we are able. We're just happy she has become a happy and more-healthy pup. She also is responsible for us getting into RVing in the first place because RVing allows us to take Annie and her sister Sadie with us...to get away when we couldn't before because we couldn't leave her with anyone... And they both love to go. Annie's pic below...she's become accustomed to the good life!

TB

[Minnie's Mate]

Our previous Cocker had diabetes and I gave him injections of insulin twice a day for 4-1/2 years. He, too, had cataracts and I know too well what it cost to have them removed. He would have loved camping, but unfortunately, he had kidney failure the summer before we got our Airstream just before he turned 15. He was my best friend and there was nothing I wouldn't have done for him. My wife still doesn't know how much the cataract surgery cost.

[Silvertwinkie]

I feel for ya. I am one of the ones that has been there as well. My Sheperd mix had surgery when she was about 12-13 years old for an intestine blockage. Turned out to be cancerous, but given her age, I opted not to put her through any type of radiation or chemo since they felt based on the cut, that they got all they could see.

Penny lived nearly 2 years beyond that surgery, having just recently released her back in early August. Her small tribute page can be found here:

Penny

Having her go under the knife was a hard decision, but even in retrospect, it was the right decision. One cannot simply throw a life away just because it's banged up a bit. When we take on the responsibility for our pets, it just doesn't stop when they get really sick. Many folks told me to just put her down. My decision cost me $3000.00. If I hadn't done it, it would have cost me a lot more.......

[Minnie's Mate]

Originally Posted by Silvertwinkie

If I hadn't done it, it would have cost me a lot more.......

Amen.

[Bambi_Bandit]

Thanks for all the support and feedback for our little one... It's good to know that I'm not the only one that will spend $$ on my "kids". As others have siad before, I feel responsible to make her life as comfortable as possible. At 12, I figure the surgery to remove the cataracts was well worth it as she still pretty active for her age.

She was having a rough time of it yesterday. Turns out the 12mg of Tramadol twice a day was a bit too strong for a 5 lb dog... She was so knocked out she couldn't even stand, eat, or drink....

Only after a call to the vet explaining what we saw did the vet realize that the dosage was a bit high for the weight....

So, now she just tries to scratch, eat, and drink with her "satilite dish". Its kinda sad to see, but a tough love she's gonna have to deal with as a small trade off to getting her sight back.

[Minnie's Mate]

I'm reminded of an episode of Frasier when Eddie had to wear one of the collars and Frasier was trying to catch up on sleep and had asked his dad to keep Eddie from barking. He came out of the bedroom exclaiming that he had asked them to keep Eddie quiet and they put a mega-phone on him!

[halimer]

Here is something a friend sent me about dogs:

A Dog's purpose (from a 6-year-old).
> >
> >
> >
> > Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish
> > Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners Ron, his wife Lisa and their
little
> > boy, Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a
> > miracle.
> >
> >
> >
> > I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we
> > couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia
> procedure
> > for the old dog in their home.
> >
> >
> >
> > As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good
> for
> > six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might
> > learn something from the experience.
> >
> >
> >
> > The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family
> > surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last
time,
> > that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes,
> Belker
> > slipped peacefully away.
> >
> >
> >
> > The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty
or
> > confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud
> > about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane,
who
> > had been listening quietly, piped up, 'I know why.'
> >
> >
> >
> > Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me.
> I'd
> > never heard a more comforting explanation.
> >
> >
> >
> > He said "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life --
> like
> > loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?" The six-year-old
> > continued: "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to
stay
> > as long."
> >
> >
> >
> > Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.
> >
> >
> >
> > Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:
> >
> >
> >
> > When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
> >
> >
> >
> > Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
> >
> >
> >
> > Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure
> ecstasy.
> >
> >
> >
> > Take naps.
> >
> >
> >
> > Stretch before rising.
> >
> >
> >
> > Run, romp, and play daily.
> >
> >
> >
> > Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
> >
> >
> >
> > Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
> >
> >
> >
> > On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
> >
> >
> >
> > On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
> >
> >
> >
> > When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
> >
> >
> >
> > Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
> >
> >
> >
> > Be loyal.
> >
> >
> >
> > Never pretend to be something you're not.
> >
> >
> >
> > If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
> >
> >
> >
> > When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them
> > gently.
> >
> >
> >
> > ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!
> >

[thecatsandi]

Panther,
One of my most beloved cats came down with cancer in 2001. He went to see an oncologist got a CT scan. Had surgery. Lived well for about a year or so I thought. Seems chemo did not agree with him. One day I came home and he was just not himself. I took him to the local vet and she called an told me he needed to go to the Kitty ER. His kidneys had shut down. Turns out he ate rat poison. Something he never had done before. In his weaken state he could not fight it off even with help. I put him to sleep. I cried for days. I still cry when i think about him. He was the one who knew when I was in pain it did not matter what kind of pain. He was always ther to comfort.

[wagnerda]

Until this past summer we always travelled with our 2 miniature red smooth dachsunds "Wolfgang & Heidi", who fit into our 19' Bambi just fine. However, it was the end of the line for Wolfie this past spring after 16 wonderful years so now it is just Heidi.

Heidi is 12 years old, and has diabetes so her insulin rides in the frig and she gets a shot every morning. The diabetes also cost her her vision, and she is totally blind. But, unless we told you that you might not even know it. She knows where everything is in the Bambi, especially the dinette and her side of the cushion where she is just the right length to stand on the cushion with her rear legs, front legs on the table top, and chow down on her scrambled egg every morning.

At any rate, even though blind she can really get around. Walking with her on a leash you would never know she is blind. Inside the Bambi she runs all over without a problem, and if we have the outside door open with the sunlight coming in she will find the exact spot of sunshine coming in and lay down there so you would swear she can see... but the vet says she finds it just by the warmth..

At any rate, she's a little cutie...

best regards, Dave

[bobfowler]

I feel your pain (re: vet bills). Meet Shannon, our $4000.00 Maine Coon. No, we didn't buy her for $4000, we got her through a rescue group, but that's what she cost us just this fall at the Vet. Shannon had a bad case of "Fatty Liver Disease". Her weight dropped from 15 pounds to 8 in about 3 weeks, then she was admitted to the vet hospital where her weight dropped to 7 pounds. She spent 2 weeks in the hospital, then for 8 1/2 weeks she had a feeding tube and required tube feeding 4 times a day. Total bill was a tad over $4K, but she pulled through fine. Last year, she had $1000 in dental bills... She's one expensive "rescue".

[crazylev]

My wife has earned her angel wings, bless her heart.

Being in nursing, she has accepted:
1) administering lactate ringers to each of the three of our siamese cats when they were getting on in years. The oldest lived to about twenty!

2) Force feeding baby food, when they would no longer eat on their own until they were well enough to eat by themselves.

3) Keep one of our cats in a closed bathroom with hot shower running to get it nice and steamy. This for a real bad respiratory ailment.

4) Wash their private parts that got soiled.

We currently have an 18 YO calico that has diminishing kidney function, and now she needs lactate ringers every other day, and some sort of food that makes Whole Foods look whole sale.

We currently have four cats, three are on special diets. I don't want to think about the $$$$. But in a world full of crap, they make us smile.

[safari57]

I look back at the kitten we found in the wild, frozen to the floor of a building with openings along the top and bottom and the only way we could tell she was still alive was the ice was melted around her nose. Fed her pickle and cheese sandwich, some hot chocolate, and tucked her into the back of my hoodie. She lived with us for almost 21 years and was my buddy. Met me at the door, slept where ever and when ever I did, usually displacing the pillow with her body during the night. We put her through one difficult operation and after several months she was pretty good again, but then the cancer came back. We chose the second time to not put her through a long ordeal and let things happen. It was very tough on all of us. Our other cat, Smoky Bear, is 13 and we've decided to let him have his reign of the house till his time comes and then we'll decide what we are going to do.

Our pets are gifts of pure love wrapped in fur. They don't care what we are, who we are, what we do or don't do for a living, they only care about us. We are so lucky to have been chosen by them for their time here. Love them as hard as you can because you only have a short time with each one of them to try in some way to pay back all the love and brightness they have brought into your life.

Barry

[InsideOut]

While we are fortunate to never hava had a really sick pet...I do want to share asomething that we discovered. It cost us about $1200 with multiple vet visits, tests & drugs for Miss Lily.

Lily loves to go camping with us...when she sees us packing for a trip she is underfoot all the time making sure 'her things' are packed too. However the first 4 seasons, it seemed she would come home sick with urinary crystals and kidney infections after almost every trip that was more than a couple of days. We figured it was that she wasn't drinking enough water or that it was different water so we always brought water from home for her. It seemed worse after longer trips than just a weekend. She was on special diet food and had many trips to the vet.

It wasn't until the pet food recall last year that I finally put two & two together as to what was making her sick. I checked the foods listed, not finding the one she was on so dsimissed the whole thing. It wasn't until several weeks later when they published that the problem was melamine in the food. At home we use ceramic bowls for her food & water. While camping I used my vintage melamine bowls from the trailer. Not any more and she hasn't been sick since.

What disappointed me more than anything was that my vet did not diagonise this...it was just by chance I read the article and figured it out myself. Once I did, I mentioned it to our vet and she agreed, that most likely was the problem. We camped all summer and I took lLily's ceramic bowls...she did fine and has no signs of the 'kidney disease' anymore. I now have a new vet...I felt horrible, as you can imagine.



So, the bottomline is not not use those cute little vintage melamine bowls for pets! Makes me wonder about using them myself...but not enough to give them up!

Shari