How far are you willing to go for your pet?
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Why not have a fund raising event. Seriously my nephew did for his dog and raised over 1000.00. You could buy one of those doggie wheelie thingies that attaches to his hind end and he can walk around and use the doggie diapers too. Until you can save up the money for surgery. If he's not in pain it's just a logistic issue for him at htis point. Go to handicappedpets.com and look up Walkin' Wheels.0
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I had to put my cat down about a year and a half ago, granted he was 17 years old. I had him since I was 5. In the last couple years of this life he started to have a HUGE appetite. He would eat everything and anything, only the problem was that he keep loosing a lot of weight. We did a lot of tests on him to figure out the problem but everything came back negative. Eventually we had to decide to stop spending money and decided to end his suffering. It was my decision and the hardest thing I ever did in my life. They told me I could go into another room so I didn't have to watch but I wanted to be there for him. I held him in my arms as they injected him and he just snuggled into my elbow and died peacefully. I still miss him and cry for him from time to time.
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It would really depend on the surgery, what could go wrong, what the pet's life will be afterwards etc... We had a cat who was 20 and had renal failure and needed injections 3 times a week... We stopped after 6 months because it was stressing him out and making him miserable, and we had to put him to sleep a couple months later... but he was 21.
My current cat is my 'heart cat', if there's such a thing, I got her when I lived in Paris on my own and she's come with me to the US and moved 5 times total. She's going to be 13 this year. I probably wouldn't spend thousands if the prognostic wasn't 100% good. It would break my heart but when they're getting older, you have to figure out their quality of life too, and stressing out over pills and injections or surgery recovery when she probably only has a few years left anyway just doesn't seem like a great life (most of my cats died at 14/15).
It really sucks when they get old though. So heartbreaking to have to put them to sleep, then we jump right back with another...0 -
It really all varies from person to person, as I've read so far.
Me? If I had the money, I would do it in a heart beat, but I don't have that kind of money. I love my kitties so much and there isn't much I wouldn't do to save them if (*knock on wood*) anything happened to them. Some people would claim that you should not own pets if you cannot afford to care for them in the worst case scenario. But all the same, there's something to be said when you're providing them with a loving home that isn't on the streets. Not paing $5,000 for a surgery like that isn't not loving or caring for your pet, it's just a matter of taking care of business. If you spend that money on the surgery instead of your mortgage payment, then both you AND your pet would be homeless. It's all apart of using your better judgement.0 -
My cat was taken to a vet by her previous owner to be put down because the owner let her get a flea infestation. she wanted to kill her because she had fleas! the vet sneaked and let her live,
*smh* Really?! That is ridiculous... sounds like a dirty person that didn't want to clean things up... under normal circumstances cats don't typically get fleas because they clean themselves all. the. time.0 -
It's your choice if you don't want kids and/or can't have kids, but don't place an animals life above a human.
That's your opinion, but I place my dog before quite a few humans! :drinker:
Um yea I am gonna have to say it depends on the human, there are people out there I would put a gnat's life above0 -
When our old dog had cancer we paid a lot of money to get her treatments for it. We probably extended her life maybe 6 more months to a year before we stopped because it just wasn't working.
With our current dog as much as we love him I doubt we would do that again.
The funny part is that where we took her for her treatments it was in a really upper class area of the state where people have purebreds and designer dogs. When asked what breed ours was (she was a mix) my husband said. "D-A-W-G. Dawg." :laugh: They put that down on her paperwork for her breed too.0 -
Cats gets fleas all the time if they go outside, they usually catch them from other cats.My cat was taken to a vet by her previous owner to be put down because the owner let her get a flea infestation. she wanted to kill her because she had fleas! the vet sneaked and let her live,
*smh* Really?! That is ridiculous... sounds like a dirty person that didn't want to clean things up... under normal circumstances cats don't typically get fleas because they clean themselves all. the. time.
It only take a deflea once per month, a little drop of "de-flea" on the back of their necks and all will be well.0 -
Cats gets fleas all the time if they go outside, they usually catch them from other cats.My cat was taken to a vet by her previous owner to be put down because the owner let her get a flea infestation. she wanted to kill her because she had fleas! the vet sneaked and let her live,
*smh* Really?! That is ridiculous... sounds like a dirty person that didn't want to clean things up... under normal circumstances cats don't typically get fleas because they clean themselves all. the. time.
It only take a deflea once per month, a little drop of "de-flea" on the back of their necks and all will be well.
True.... I have inside cats and so far they have only had fleas once. But even our barn cats didn't have fleas all that often. Or at least it didn't seem like they had fleas all that often.0 -
I would spend every cent I have to my name to save my pet if she needed it and I have more than once in the 9 amazing years we've had with her. And if I didn't have enough money, I'd take a loan. I committed to take care of her just like I would a family member or child.0
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Honestly, it depends on the situation. If I had to choose between paying for an expensive surgery for my kitty cat or paying the rent and making sure my family is okay, I would have to choose my family. If, however, I had the money to spare, of course I would help my kitties.0
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It all depends on your financial situation. Last year my kitty decided she didn't want to eat and kept throwing up and didn't wanna drink water. I got so scared and took her to the vet whether I had the money or not. I don't consider her a "pet", I consider her a part of my family and would do anything to make her life liveable.0
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The way I was raised was, if you decided to own a pet, then your are responsible for that pet till their end of days. My first dog Warlock is a good example of how far I will go for my animals. He fell downstairs as a puppy. He broke his leg, and had to stay in a cast. Then, I had a car accident with him in the car, broke toes on the same foot. Another cast. Got a hold of Rat Poison down in the storm drain next to my house. My vet kindly gave him a blood transfusion from his own dog to save his life. Several years later hit by a car. Had a plate put in hip. He had to have his ear cauterized a few times (Labs will sometime shake there head too hard and bust blood-vessels filling there ear with blood like a pillow). Then at the ripe old age of 15 he had a tumor pushing on his intestines. I was willing to do the surgery to remove it, but the vet said he had 1% chance of pulling through the anesthesia. He was already so much older than a lot of 98 lb. Labs. I said Goodbye to my companion, and put him to sleep. However not treating him was NEVER an option. They are family!0
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It's your choice if you don't want kids and/or can't have kids, but don't place an animals life above a human.
That's your opinion, but I place my dog before quite a few humans! :drinker:
haha! I agree, I find myself often more fond of animals than humans. We're an arrogant destructive bunch. :-)0 -
Hello there,
So recently I had a situation where my dachshund (5 years old) slipped a disc and became paralyzed from the waist down making surgery his only real chance to walk again. I know everyone is different and has different opinions on what they would do for their sick or injured pet. For me there was no question about the money(it was less than $5000) To have him be able to walk again and pee on his own. Keep in mind these dogs are happy and healthy and can live perfectly happy lives, as any person in a wheelchair can. Just more work for you and there is really no reason to euthanize, most vets dont' consider that an option, unless there is pain or suffering. So what's your limit, how far will you go? My husbands friend was raised on a farm and said you can buy a lot of dogs with that money, I of course feel that Dexter is only 5 and I certainly can't just go out and get another Dexter. I dont' care much for money and would much rather have my happiness from my dog, can't really snuggle up to the cash. So what kind of pet owner are you?
also I was very surprised to find out that most of the people I talked to that have money and I do mean HAVE money, wouldn't really spend much to save/help their pet.
I would spend the money on the surgery.0 -
It's your choice if you don't want kids and/or can't have kids, but don't place an animals life above a human.
That's your opinion, but I place my dog before quite a few humans! :drinker:
haha! I agree, I find myself often more fond of animals than humans. We're an arrogant destructive bunch. :-)
You know I have to say I find it so annoying when people spout this "Don't put an animals life above a humans"
That is BS what makes humans so much more important, in the grand scheme everything lives and everything dies equally. I have seen time and time again people in this world that weren't worth the paper their birth certificate was printed on.
So it's situational, I won't put an animals life above a good person, but I'll be damned if I won't put an animals life above a worthless piece of *kitten* one.0 -
My friend spent $7,500 for surgery on a parrot. That is way too much for a stupid damn bird.
Well a couple factors for me here, how old is the parrot? They live a very long time. Also it's a parrot, a lot more personality and therefore usually more emotional attachment than a finch for example. Also did she have the $7500 or most of it to spend, if she had it she can spend it however she wants, people spend that kind of money on a lavish vacation that lasts only 3 weeks, that bird can last 20 years or more.
The larger parrots can live much longer than 20 years. My cockatiel died last year and I had him for 16 years. Great little guy!0 -
When I brought Zen (profile pic) and Fade home, I promised them the very best lives I could give them. I take that responsibility seriously. If $5000 meant they could continue happy, healthy lives, that's fine. If you can't afford a pet, don't get one.
My pet peeve (pun intended) when I worked in a large, corporate pet store was owners who wanted a pet, but didn't bother to make sure that animal had a good life. Hamsters in tiny cages, fish in too-small tanks, lizards dying for lack of proper heat/light. And vet care? Forget it. They really want that animal (or their little demon-spawn does) but they don't want to care for it.0 -
I would do whatever it took to keep my bulldog healthy and happy, she's like my child.0
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Here she is... :flowerforyou:
You can tell by her eyes she is a sweetie!
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Your husband's friend is right. You are right.My husbands friend was raised on a farm and said you can buy a lot of dogs with that money, I of course feel that Dexter is only 5 and I certainly can't just go out and get another Dexter. I dont' care much for money and would much rather have my happiness from my dog, can't really snuggle up to the cash. So what kind of pet owner are you?
It all depends of course, I've put dogs back together, I've let dogs go.
My cat on the other hand, no price too high. How often do you get an animal that will randomly run up to your wife and bite her, then strut off.0 -
I would spend any amount of money on my dog, but I do have it to spend. I'm fortunate to be financially secure.
But unfortunately, I had to rehome my beagle earlier this year when he bit my son. That was the red line.
Any amount, but not enough to perform basic obedience training. Indeed.0 -
Honestly I get emotional even thinking about something awful happening to my two cats, but at the same time I have definitely given it thought about how I would pay for it if something were to go wrong. Luckily for me, they are indoor cats and so far have had no issues at all, and I'm hoping that continues for a few more years at least because money is tight (paying off debt). That being said, I put money into my savings account every month even though I'm trying to pay my debt off quickly so that if something does crop up, I can pay for it.
For me it definitely depends on the circumstances. I love my cats a ton. I am 33 with no kids so I take out all my maternal instincts on them and couldn't imagine my life without them, but having lost pets in the past, I know the time will come and it will be very hard - but you have to do what's best for the pet - even if that means putting them down because they are in pain and can't be helped.
If my youngish (one is 7 the other I don't know as he was a stray but probably around the same) had an issue that could be resolved and go on to live long happy lives, I would spend as much as I could get my hands on without putting myself in financial ruin. I also buy them high quality dental care food rather than the cheap stuff because I believe it makes a difference. But I wouldn't fork out thousands of dollars to prolong their life for my benefit if they were going to be in pain or have low quality of life.
And I thought all of this stuff through before adopting my cats. Due to a breakup I have less money than before, but I will do what I can for my "kids". They were both rescue cats so they already have it really good compared to what could have been even if I couldn't afford vet care, but anything up to $5000 I could probably manage between savings, credit or borrowing. If it was more than that I'd really have to think about it and whether or not the outcome would be worth it (long happy life), because it would be a huge financial hit for me.0 -
I'm in this situation right now. I have an almost 4 year old bulldog mix named Gunner. I've had him since he was 7 weeks old. I don't have any kids yet and I absolutely love my dog. A little over a year ago, he started limping. I took him to the vet where they informed me they believed he had a partial tear in his ACL. I asked them what would need to be done and they very nicely explained to me that it would require a $2000 surgery. I asked them what I could do for the short term. They basically made me feel like the most horrible dog owner because I needed to take time to think about spending that amount of money on my dog. I left there with limping pup, happily paying my bill along with 60 days worth of anti-inflammatory/pain relievers. After some rest, his limp started to get better. I took him over to my sister's place one day. After a long day of playing with their dogs, both of his back legs became very sore again. After talking to a few people about this situation, a friend suggesting taking him to a small town vet about 40 miles from where I live. Her dog had the same problem and he was able to do a similar surgery for only about $400. (This is also the vet that my dad used for our farm animals while we were growing up.) This vet confirmed that we were now dealing with two torn ACLs. I asked him about the cheaper surgery and he said it's not recommended for dogs over 60 pounds. Mine is 83 pounds. This vet understood that it was a big deal to spend $2000 PER KNEE for the recommended surgery. He actually made me feel better by reassuring me that Gunner was not really suffering. And he told me it would be ok to ride it out, keep him calm and kind of lazy and he could possibly build scar tissue and it could repair itself. A year later, I still have not had the surgery. If he plays too hard, he might be sore for a couple days, but he still runs, goes on walks with me and plays with other dogs. I guess my point is that, just because I don't think it's reasonable to spend that much money on a dog, doesn't mean that I love him any less than the rest of you love your animals. He is spoiled rotten and gets lots of love an affection. Could I come up with the $4000? Probably. Do I think I should put myself in a financial situation like that for a dog? No. Maybe it's the farm girl in me or maybe it's my sense of reason, but if Gunner's knees get worse and he starts to suffer, I will probably have to say goodbye to him no matter how much I love him. For those of you that say you shouldn't get an animal if you can't afford to give it all the care it needs, I'd like to say this... You better hope they build lots more shelters!! If everybody that adopted a pet needed to plan for thousands of dollars in care, you wouldn't get very many people to adopt these animals. Even a short life with a great family is better than a long life in one of these shelters.0
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I'll go as far as the animal shelter to drop the expensive little *kitten* off.0
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I'll go as far as the animal shelter to drop the expensive little *kitten* off.
wow. Here's to hoping you don't actually have any pets... :noway:0 -
I'm in this situation right now. I have an almost 4 year old bulldog mix named Gunner. I've had him since he was 7 weeks old. I don't have any kids yet and I absolutely love my dog. A little over a year ago, he started limping. I took him to the vet where they informed me they believed he had a partial tear in his ACL. I asked them what would need to be done and they very nicely explained to me that it would require a $2000 surgery. I asked them what I could do for the short term. They basically made me feel like the most horrible dog owner because I needed to take time to think about spending that amount of money on my dog. I left there with limping pup, happily paying my bill along with 60 days worth of anti-inflammatory/pain relievers. After some rest, his limp started to get better. I took him over to my sister's place one day. After a long day of playing with their dogs, both of his back legs became very sore again. After talking to a few people about this situation, a friend suggesting taking him to a small town vet about 40 miles from where I live. Her dog had the same problem and he was able to do a similar surgery for only about $400. (This is also the vet that my dad used for our farm animals while we were growing up.) This vet confirmed that we were now dealing with two torn ACLs. I asked him about the cheaper surgery and he said it's not recommended for dogs over 60 pounds. Mine is 83 pounds. This vet understood that it was a big deal to spend $2000 PER KNEE for the recommended surgery. He actually made me feel better by reassuring me that Gunner was not really suffering. And he told me it would be ok to ride it out, keep him calm and kind of lazy and he could possibly build scar tissue and it could repair itself. A year later, I still have not had the surgery. If he plays too hard, he might be sore for a couple days, but he still runs, goes on walks with me and plays with other dogs. I guess my point is that, just because I don't think it's reasonable to spend that much money on a dog, doesn't mean that I love him any less than the rest of you love your animals. He is spoiled rotten and gets lots of love an affection. Could I come up with the $4000? Probably. Do I think I should put myself in a financial situation like that for a dog? No. Maybe it's the farm girl in me or maybe it's my sense of reason, but if Gunner's knees get worse and he starts to suffer, I will probably have to say goodbye to him no matter how much I love him. For those of you that say you shouldn't get an animal if you can't afford to give it all the care it needs, I'd like to say this... You better hope they build lots more shelters!! If everybody that adopted a pet needed to plan for thousands of dollars in care, you wouldn't get very many people to adopt these animals. Even a short life with a great family is better than a long life in one of these shelters.
Don't feel guilty--when I was 17 I tore the ligaments in my right knee. My parents didn't pay for surgery for me!
Six weeks in a cast, rehab after the cast came off, good as new. Just took longer to get the same result.
As long as he's happy and seems to be doing well don't feel badly, you're doing the best that you can!0 -
People shouldn't have pets if they aren't prepared to spend that money on them.
You wouldn't have kids then decide when they need money spent on them that you can't afford them anymore and put them down, so it shouldn't be this way with pets.
Our whole society tends to THROW PETS AWAY. So guess what. Honestly, if the surgery was that expensive, I kind of doubt I would pay for it for my dog. I love both my pups. But there are 1,000's in shelters in my state alone. I might adopt a new animal and care for it if the condition was too uncomfortable for my animal, or if it would decrease their quality of life. I'm fairly certain that my golden will have hip displacement within her lifetime, and typical age of golden's dying these days is between 6 and 8 years old. If she was close to that I would probably cut my losses and save another animal. It doesn't mean I don't love her. It means that I understand our society is one that often throws things away. Living things. I have to make my own decision on how to balance out that negative part of American life. Having been to kill shelters vs no kill shelters, I'd also vote for the kill shelter.
Why? Because in a no kill where everything is run on donations they are often kept in squalor, have fleas, are subject to getting into fights with other dogs they are kenneled with, and often do not have a chance of being adopted. What kind of life is that? It's not.
All the kill shelters have been clean, have several volunteers to walk dogs and do grooming, but get a bad rep because they kill the animals we decide we don't have time for. I don't see any decent way to get people to stop breeding, and indeed, I HATE most liscensed breeders because I can't afford 1200 or more for a dog, but I can pay for food, walk them and get them preventative vet care. I also don't want to deal with the problems that inbreeding causes. Give me a mutt any day and don't try to sell it to me as a "designer hybrid".
I'm not sure where you are getting your information on the lifespan of Golden Retrievers. I've been doing Golden rescue for over 10 years and the average lifespan of a Golden is 10-12 years, not 6-8 years.
That was the original lifespan that is often quoted in books about the breed. Do some more research. Tons of them are dying earlier now, due to inbreeding and genetic cancers. And really, out of my whole post that's what you pick on? A factoid?0 -
I would do anything for my bird.. I know she's a bird but you have no idea how intelligent and loving she is. Life without her would be miserable..0
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I've risked my life climbing to where the branches become twigs amd can no longer support a very small cat for this one.
Twice.0
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