for all you dog owners out there would you?

ripley33

ripley33

Cathlete
My dog Lucy is going to be nine in May. She is a cross breed and you can see her in the back of my avatar. Lucy began have urinary problems back in September. I paid for two seperate urinalizes and two times paid for antibiotics plus exam. The infections seemed to go away and then come back which leads up to yesterday. I had noticed recently that she had been needing to go out more often again to pee but yesterday I woke up to little pee spots downstairs, a vomit, a pooh and a dog that would not eat or drink much for the whole day. She peed frequently in the house (again small drops) and squatted right in front of me to do it at times. I rang the vet and got her in this am and he did xrays, full blood work up and prescribed antibiotics, steroids and a complete urinalizes to be sent out (they don't do it here). She still hasn't ate or drank today. We picked her up and he told us it may be a tumor. The bill today was 700 dollars (I already had paid close to 300) and if the antibiotics don't work she needs a catheter surgery which can cost anywhere from 1051 to 1750 plus tax. They would determine then if it was a tumor. So I am figuring that I may pay close to 3000 to find out if it is a tumor. Just wondering for those of you who love your dog would you pay for that additional surgury if she doesn't get better after the round of antibiotics or would you just say enough is enough? I love my dog enormously but I am seriously on the fence about this...
Thanks for any advice.
Laura
 
That's a tough one...and not a question anyone is going to be able to answer for you!

I have a "free" cat that I spent $1400 on quite a few years ago, and is now on special food for the rest of his life ($30 a bag, special!). I would do it again in a heartbeat. He's the most grateful little guy!

We have another cat that I don't feel that way about and wouldn't spend that type of money on...If he were a person, I would call him an arrogant jerk! LOL!

Pray on it...It will come to you...
MJ
 
I'm so sorry Lucy is going through all this. It's so painful when our fur babies get sick. I don't have any dog experience, but this sounds very similar to what happened to my cat Slinky back in Feb. He couldn't pee and the vet could not understand why. We did a few days of antibiotics and that didn't help. Before putting a catheter on him, something the vet really didn't want to do unless absolutely necessary, we had an ultrasound done. That revealed multiple tumors. At that point the catheter would have given him at most one more week of low quality life. In the end we also spent around 3,000. I would try to find out if there is a tumor first, because a catheter is very traumatic. If the antibiotics don't cure it there's probably something more serious going on. I know the choice is difficult, but it's totally understandable to not want to spend a fortune just to be told there's nothing they can do. Lucy is lucky to be your dog and whatever you decide will be the right choice.
 
I don't know what to say Laura. I'm just sad you are going through this. I don't have any advice. Just wanted to send you some positive vibes. I hope everything works out no matter what you decide.
 
Honestly, I think this is a question only you can answer.
We spent around $4,000 on tests and medication for our nine year old boxer girl. She has Cushing's disease. The drug used to control her cortisol levels requires frequent blood work. The blood work cost $300 each time. When we first started her on the drug, we were taking her every 3-4 weeks for blood work.
She needed several blood tests (3 to diagnose her condition, 3 manage the drug), 2 ultra sound imaging, chest x-rays, and a CT scan. Her medication costs $200 a month.
Cushing's is a very expensive disease to manage. Fortunately, the cost of her health care has not been a strain on our finances but I wonder how many people could spend the money we have.
After all the tests, it was determined our girl is terminal.:( The medication is keeping her comfortable. I'm not ready to let go of her and the quality of her life seems good. I don't feel we wasted the money on her health care.

I wanted to add, I understand how you feel. I question the choices I make for my baby girl too. It's not easy. (((hugs))).
 
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Of course you must make the decision that is right for your whole family - I can't tell you what you should do - but I can tell you what (I think) I would do under the same circumstances. Please know that I am absolutely not suggesting that I know what is best, and this is just my own totally non-judgmental notion of what I might do under similar circumstances.

If it were one of my dogs, I might seek a second opinion, but if the determination was the same, and/or there was no improvement from the antibiotics, I would totally spend the money. My dogs have literally plunged into life-threatening danger on my behalf on at least two occasions and they have been my best friends for a long time - I'm pretty crazy about them.

If it turned out to be treatable and the dog could live a happy, healthy life after the issue cleared up, I know I would be glad to have done it. If it turned out to be more serious, a tumor or other major problem, I would feel better informed about how to proceed. I think my problem would be not knowing if there might have been an effective treatment that I could have pursued.

I have two dogs who are now 10 years old and both have mild (for now) heart conditions (they're sisters, and it's genetic). I know I will have to make hard decisions in the relatively near future, and I think about it all the time. I'm so sorry to hear about your dog and my fingers are crossed for a successful outcome from the antibiotics! Positive vibes!!
 
I am in agreement with everyone here. I wouldn't hesitate, but that's me. My pups and kittie are my children. You alone can make this decision.

I'm so sorry about your baby's urinary issues. I will pray that it is not tumors and something that can be cured or repaired!

One thing to consider is pet insurance. I don't know if it will cover pre-existing conditions, but it's worth looking into, especially if you decide to go ahead with the tests and surgery!

Good luck and let us know how everything turns out!
 
I was faced with an issue this summer with my 14 year old cat. He had been with me his whole life. He started having seizures and acting very strangely. We took him to the vet who prescribed anti-seizure meds. Giving a pill to a cat is LOADS of fun! Anyhoo, he was actually getting worse, even taking the tablets. He would have his seizure and then walk around in circles. One of his pupils was permanently dilated and it seemed like he was blind. We took him back to the vet who said his symptoms sounded like he had a brain tumor, which on cats is not always operable and if it is, it is EXTREMELY expensive with no guarantees. The only way to determine if he had the tumor would be with an MRI, which would cost in the thousands. Again, even if it was determined to be a tumor, the outlook was not positive. We chose not to put him through the MRI.

The bottom line, as others have said, is you need to think about the decision and talk to your vet. Maybe go for a second opinion. It also depends, as Cynthia said, on your financial situation. I know I could not spend $3,000. However, if I could, and I knew it would make a difference, I would definitely spend it!

Carrie
 
Thanks everyone for your input. I am just now returning from a third opinion. I talked to the first vet who treated the initial infection. She recommended yesterday that I go into a clinic because of the vomiting, peeing excessively etc. (She is a travelling vet who does not do many things because no office, surgery). She actually phoned after my first post to see how Lucy was doing. When I told her Lucy was in bad shape (She actually bit my husband when we got home and he tried to help her up the stairs) and was not acting right, she recommended I see another clinic for an immediate ultrasound. She phoned them for me and we went straight away.

This vet is very good. He did a long examination, ultrasound and another x-ray. Found no thickening of the bladder wall, indicating most likely no tumor. He is concerned about the vomiting, lack of appetite, biting (She bit me after I tried to get her out from under the bed to go to the third vet right through my winter mitts, drawing blood). He put her on Zantac tonight and said to keep doing antibiotics, pregnizone and will look at the urinalysis when it comes back. I have my fingers crossed it is nothing but a very bad urine infection.

Thanks for all your thoughts and wishes. I really appreciate it. Oh and here's the good part. He didn't charge me for the x-ray (he wanted to do it, no charge) or the call out since it was after hours. First time I felt like a vet really cared, EVER!

Laura
Ps will keep you posted on Lucy's outcome
 
Laura - thanks for the update. Poor doggie! Hopefully, you are right and she just has a bad bladder infection. That is initial good news about her not having a tumor (*fingers crossed*). Make sure you out some bacitracin or something on the spot where she bit you. You have to be careful with animal bites.

Carrie
 
Laura:

Thinking of you and Lucy - so sorry you both have to go through this during the holidays. It sounds like you have a wonderful veterinarian and I'm still keeping my fingers crossed for you guys.

Hoping you guys get a diagnosis of "bad bladder infection" for Christmas/Late Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Solstice!

There's a sentence I never thought I'd write.
 
Laura,
(((hugs)))) to you. I've been in this situation more than once, first with my beloved Shepherd Collie mix,Chance and then with my cat Stripes. It is a heart -wrenching decision. In one case, Chance, we spent at least $5000 between surgery and follow up. It extended his life for two years- 1 1/2 of which was of good quality.With our cat Stripes, it was different he needed an MRI just to determine his problem the MRI alone was $2500 we chose not to follow through. We kept him comfortable for as long as we could.
It sounds like this last vet will give you honest advice. Hope you get good news and it's just an infection .
 
ripley33 said:
My dog Lucy is going to be nine in May. She is a cross breed and you can see her in the back of my avatar. Lucy began have urinary problems back in September. I paid for two seperate urinalizes and two times paid for antibiotics plus exam. The infections seemed to go away and then come back which leads up to yesterday. I had noticed recently that she had been needing to go out more often again to pee but yesterday I woke up to little pee spots downstairs, a vomit, a pooh and a dog that would not eat or drink much for the whole day. She peed frequently in the house (again small drops) and squatted right in front of me to do it at times. I rang the vet and got her in this am and he did xrays, full blood work up and prescribed antibiotics, steroids and a complete urinalizes to be sent out (they don't do it here). She still hasn't ate or drank today. We picked her up and he told us it may be a tumor. The bill today was 700 dollars (I already had paid close to 300) and if the antibiotics don't work she needs a catheter surgery which can cost anywhere from 1051 to 1750 plus tax. They would determine then if it was a tumor. So I am figuring that I may pay close to 3000 to find out if it is a tumor. Just wondering for those of you who love your dog would you pay for that additional surgury if she doesn't get better after the round of antibiotics or would you just say enough is enough? I love my dog enormously but I am seriously on the fence about this...
Thanks for any advice.
Laura
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I'm sooo sorry to hear about this. Like everyone stated only you can answer that question. I think of my dog/cat as my kids. I have zoe (dog) she's 4yrs and deedee (cat) 2yrs. I paid close to 1500.00 for deedee's issues and zoe she has on go issues. you do what is best for your household. everything will work out.
 
I would pay it and I have. If you decide not to then there is nothing wrong with that. Your dog is an older dog and that has to come into play. If she does have a tumor then what will you be doing? I wouldn't want to put my older dog thru a lot, like chemo. I'm imagining that it would be awful to go thru but I don't know. If it is just a surgery that your dog will need then I would do it and pay whatever I could afford without hurting my family.
 
fit44 said:
Laura,

Did Lucy's blood work come back normal?
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It didn't. It came back with elevated white blood cells but that is all. She is very sick. I am thinking something happened at the vet's yesterday (the first visit) because when I brought her in she had vomited a small bit of bile and had a few spots of pee in the house and a pooh but was able to wag her tail, jump in van, slide under bed, squat to pee and was happier. When we picked her up she could barely walk. Tail hung way between legs, couldn't slide under bed, barely got in the van, couldn't squat at all, had trouble walking down and upstairs, sad eyes and was in serious pain (bit us both). She also vomited a huge amount of water. The second vet said that this was weird behaviour for an infection. The first visit vet said she tried to bite them when they were poking her and that she had diareha (sorry about my spelling) from stress. I think they really hurt her somehow. She has a big red mark from the needle or needles in her stomache. This is not the same dog I dropped off yesterday. I have been up most of the night trying to let her out to go pee and get her to drink small amounts. She is still under the bed very sad. When I did fall asleep she got up and there were about 20 dime sized drops of urine in the living room and her bum was all wet (because she can't squat). This will be her third day without wanting to eat. I have to force medicine into her. It is so sad and I feel so bad for her. She looks at me, so sad and embarrassed I think. I hope she gets better.

Please pray for my baby.
 
(((hugs))) My heart goes out to you. I will pray for your baby.
Please keep us posted. Hopefully, it is just a bad infection and the anti-biotics will clear it up.

Is there any food Lucy would normally go crazy for? When Mercedes won't eat, her can't resist food is vanilla ice cream or a plain burger from Burger King. The other day she wouldn't eat so I sent my son to Burger King. She finally ate that.
 
fit44 said:
(((hugs))) My heart goes out to you. I will pray for your baby.
Please keep us posted. Hopefully, it is just a bad infection and the anti-biotics will clear it up.

Is there any food Lucy would normally go crazy for? When Mercedes won't eat, her can't resist food is vanilla ice cream or a plain burger from Burger King. The other day she wouldn't eat so I sent my son to Burger King. She finally ate that.
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Oh Cynthia, I am happy to say Lucy ate about 1/2 cup of brown rice with a touch of chicken broth on it and has kept it down for about 1 hour :) Let's hope that is the first sign of getting better!
 
oh the torture when someone or some doggy you love is not well!!!! Please let us know how she is doing.

Our family would not be in a position to pay that amount of money for a dog's medical expenses so I would be limited in the actions we could take. If I had alot of money I still dont know if I would do it. It is a very induvidual decision, I think.

My shepherd's name is Lucy and I love her so much. She gets a way with more than the girls do.
 
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