Comments on: Saving a pet’s life: Can you go too far?

By: Diana Guerrero

Diana Guerrero — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 22:49:09 +0000

When my dog’s tumor was misdiagnosed—it was a shock to find out that it was not benign. At the time I was displaced and frantically searched for help…there are groups that can help with such needs and they did.

The efforts bought me a year. The euthanasia took place at my home, it was the worst day of my life but he was calm and ready.

Today, if you can get it—pet insurance can help some. I still mean to get some funds to those agencies whose names and contact information remain in storage with some of my pal’s favorite things.

By: Julie

Julie — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 15:01:30 +0000

As a child I was severely traumatized by having several dogs die one being hit by a car,one by distemper,and one by hookworms.I am 59 years old.In my childhood,they did not have all of these marvelous treatments and medicines. So I always want to go the full course,however it seems that you have to stop somewhere unless you are a millionaire.One of our dogs had Cushings disease and died of subsequent cancer.We are still paying off her bill and it means we do not have as much money to spend on our present pets and if a catastrophe happens with them we probably will not be able to do the same for them as we did for the other dog,but if I was rich I would spend however much I could until there was absolutely no hope left.

By: Dana

Dana — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 11:38:25 +0000

What beautiful and heartfelt stories all have shared here! And I too join in saying, it’s not the money it’s the quality of life for our friends. Years ago fresh out of college and beginning a new career I purchased my first dog, already had 2 cats. A few years later I purchased another dog. What wonderful years of joy with all of them, but alas one developed cancer requiring extensive chemo and surgeries, and then the other fell ill requiring numerous tests and procedures. Both died within 6 months of each other, and my savings were depleted. But? I would do it all again and more to see them happy and having a “good” life. Our last few months together were heartbreaking (for us humans) but the dogs did well. Fast forward many years later, a dog and a cat being treated with kidney failure-nothing would stop me from doing all I can to give them a good quality of life, afterall they’ve given me so much-what’s a few bucks for all that love?

By: The OTHER Pat

The OTHER Pat — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 16:56:29 +0000

I have a stone out in my garden in remembrance of all my lost furred and feather loves that reads:

“If tears could build a stairway
And mem’ries were a lane
I’d walk right up to Heaven
And bring you home again”

By: VJ

VJ — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 16:51:28 +0000

To all of you here. What magnificient tributes. Talk about crying. Makes me think about all my pets and wishing I could see and hold them one more time right now. Sometimes when I get really reflective, I ‘hold’ each one of them in my heart and feel I can actually ‘feel’ their little bodies so warm and soft. How I miss them!

By: explodinghed

explodinghed — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 11:18:01 +0000

this is a tough issue, no one answer can cover all aspects. but i have a sweet story from childhood to relate.

we never had much growing up… the family credo was, if there’s a roof over your head, food in the fridge and the furnace goes on when it’s cold, you have everything you need. we always had pets, and took care of them as best we could. mostly they were healthy so we rarely saw the vet

when i was about 9, we adopted a sickly kitten from neighbors with even less financial stability than we had. it became apparent pretty quickly that this poor little one had some serious issues. we brought him to the local vet.

it was a simple practice; a one-man operation with no staff. he examined the kitten and said it needed to be hospitalized because he was very dehydrated and had a serious bacterial infection, so he needed an iv drip.

he kept the kitten for 2 weeks. during that time, we could tell that our parents were concerned about the cost… less in the cart on shopping days, less pocket money for the kids, and who knows what other corners they cut to prepare for what they thought would be a whopping big bill.

when we went to collect our kitten, mom took out her checkbook and asked the vet how much we owed.

“twenty-five dollars,” said the vet. now, this was a long time ago, but even then, 2 weeks of hosptalization was considerably more expensive than that.

mom asked him to be serious (he was quite the jokester).

“twenty-five dollars” he repeated.

again mom protested.

and the vet said, “when i told you that kitten needed to be hospitalized, you never once asked about the cost. a lot of people with a lot more money than you folks would have let that kitten die rather than pay for it. so i’m telling you now, it’s twenty-five dollars.”

and that was that. dr. aronsen was still a relatively young man when he died; but i’m sure he went directly to heaven, no questions asked.

By: Carol R

Carol R — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 09:24:52 +0000

If I loved you less
I would have tried to make you stay
Would have closed my eyes to your pain
And ignored it was “Your Fine Day”

Would have told myself there’s always tomorrow
Held you in my arms and not let you go
Avoided all the signs you were sending me
Told myself when it was time I would know

But my precious I loved you so much
I did what was best for you not me
Knowing the agony that I would endure
The time had come to set you free

Aware this was the last time I’d hold you
The last time to show you my love
I laid by you feeling your softness
Until the time for you to go above

I tried to hide the pain I felt
To hold back the tears in my eyes
When I saw that you were at peace
I clung to you and began to cry.

My tears could fill a river
They just continue to flow
When does this grieving end?
Does anyone really know?

http://carol10.com/spartacus.html

By: Carol R

Carol R — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 08:49:08 +0000

I had two dogs who were best friends.
Ihey both saw their vet almost monthly because of ear and other minor problems. My Alaskan Husky wet her bed a few times. Nothing major but we took her in. the doctor examined her and we had an ultrasound done the next day. she had very advanced liver cancer. We could have put her through surgery -during which she could have died-but we chose not to. Brandy lived 2 more months and died in my arms after looking deeply into my eyes.
My other dog Spartacus was a Rhodesian Ridgeback. Because of Brandy’s death and his mother’s death I asked he be tested. After a series of wrong diagnosises we found out that he had MegaEsophagus-IBD-and some kind of back leg problem-we didn’t pursue the leg problem because of his condition when we discovered it. He lived for a year with these conditions going in and out of a specialty hospital. The last time 8 days during labor day weekend and back in two days because he couldn’t eat. I had asked the vet to tell us when he thought there was nothing more to do and he called on
the Monday we brought him in to tell us-it was time. He couldn’t eat anymore -a feeding tube for a dog that size was a poor choice and he couldn’t live on IV. We made the choice to return that night and send him to the Rainbow Bridge. Like everyone I was hoping he would pass gently as Brandy had but it was not to be.
You can see the story of his trip to the Rainbow Bridge here:
http://carol10.com/spartacus.html.
would I spend that money again-a million times yes.
Carewolf

By: Marilyn

Marilyn — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 03:44:38 +0000

It has been my good fortune and blessing to love and be loved by some of the most beautiful souls imaginable - my furchildren. I have not counted the dollars spent on their care, but it is a substantial amount. We have treated heartworm in abandoned pups; spinal surgery for chronic runaway who finally settled on our home; FeLeuk, FIV; through surgery, radiation and chemotherapy we gained 8 months of remission and quality time from oral malignant melanoma before it metastisized; bladder surgery times 3 (calcium oxalate stones), Cushings disease, hermorrhagic gastroenteritis, mitral valve prolapse…..
I, too, prefer to spend it on life as opposed to automobiles. I do not take issue with others who spend their money on material things - it’s their money - but I sure do wish that more people would respect the choices of those of us who value the lives of our critters above material acquisition.

By: Kim Campbell Thornton

Kim Campbell Thornton — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 03:18:39 +0000

I spent many thousands on Miss Darcy last year and would do it all over again and more. If you had told me there was a cure in Timbuktu, I would have flown her there first class. It drives me crazy when my neighbor complains about the $100 here or $300 there he has to spend on his sweet aging Bichon and says it’s not worth it. So far, I have managed to refrain from knocking him upside the head.