Medical care for pets

[Kacey]

A recent thread discussed the level of consciousness animals may possess. Regardless of the level of mentation your favorite non-human creature possesses, how do you deal with medical care? How far will you go for your pet? What issues figure into your decision?

I've thought about these issues before, in the context of several different illness.

When my current dog, Sable, was a puppy, he was a malnourished runt when I adopted him from the Denver Dumb Friends' League. He had worms and kennel cough when I brought him home - both very common in shelter dogs - and as he recovered from those, he developed demodectic (puppy) mange, which cost several hundred dollars to treat. I paid without a thought - but several people mentioned to me that many people who adopt shelter dogs would have taken him back rather than pay... and that would have been a death sentence; the shelter likely wouldn't have paid for his treatment, and few people will adopt a visibly ill dog (a lot of his fur fell out - mostly from his chest).

Yesterday my dog swallowed a ball he and another dog were playing with - something he's never done before, mostly because I use toys too big for him to swallow (he's 83 pounds) but the dog he was playing with, whose ball he swallowed, weighs more like 20, so it was a small ball, maybe the size of a racquetball. I took Sable to the ER vet (of course, this had to happen on Thanksgiving) to see if they could make him vomit it up, which didn't work, and then they took X-rays, and suggested surgery. The ER vet visit was $284, and basically told me what I already knew - my dog had swallowed a ball and it would need to be removed. The ER vet clinic estimated the additional cost of surgery at nearly $3000 - $1500-1800 for the surgery itself, and $1000 for pre- and post-op care; I'm not actually sure if that includes post-op meds (anti-biotics and anti-nausea drugs) or not. The ER vet also suggested (somewhat reluctantly) that I could wait until morning and take Sable to his regular vet - but she left me horribly afraid my dog (who was acting quite normally) was going to take a turn
for the worse, and told me (as did the tech who took my money) to bring him back immediately if any signs of digestive upset showed up. I took Sable to his regular vet this morning, who said that he'd have been fine without treatment for up to 10 days, and might even vomit it up himself. The 3 options were do nothing and see if it came out by itself, have it surgically removed by the vet, or take him to a vet for an endoscopy - which might or might work (50/50) on an object that size. The risk to waiting is that if it went down instead of up, it would likely get caught in his intestines, and then need the same surgery - except he'd be sick when the surgery happened, instead of healthy as he is now. The estimate at his regular vet for the surgery, including another X-ray to see where the ball is now, and post-op anti-biotics and anti-nausea drugs, was $900-1000 - he's there now, waiting his turn. Sable is currently 3 1/2.

My last dog was diagnosed with end-stage lung cancer (from smog, I guess; I don't smoke, and no one smokes in my house), but she was 12, and was having other age-related problems as well - she was on thyroid medication, which affected her appetite, she wrenched her back and had to be carried up and down the stairs half the time - and I decided not to treat it aggressively because there was no way she could survive anyway - she'd just be in pain longer, and I didn't see any reason to do that to her. When she started having problems with her housetraining and lost her appetite, even for things she really enjoyed, I made the decision to take her in the following Monday and have her euthanized... and that Friday night she had some kind of a seizure (the vet thought it was a stroke) and died a thome.

How far would you go? What do you consider? I consider age, risk, outcome, and, though I hate to admit it, cost.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Once a pet is part of the family I will do everything I can to keep them alive. Recently our goldfish had a problem with algae and his tank was just not working out. So in the middle of the night Dad heads out to make get a bigger newer tank with a better air filtration system, etc, etc. End result the goldfish is doing great and we have had him for going on four years now when the store owner said to expect him to live for about six months if we were lucky.

We also have three Degu's. (think small hamster like kangaroo rats with long tails) They are really cute and the kid's loved them at first. Now unfortunately they are my pets as the kid's have moved on. However even though they are not a pet I would have chosen I will take care of them for as long as they live. (approximately 16 years or so)

Once in the family they are family and deserve whatever I can do to keep them happy, safe and secure.

 

[Drac]

How far would you go? What do you consider? I consider age, risk, outcome, and, though I hate to admit it, cost.

Speaking for myself, if the prognosis is good then whatever is costs or takes..

Once in the family they are family and deserve whatever I can do to keep them happy, safe and secure.

Yep....
__________________

 

[Flying Crane]

We adopted our little boy cat, Beowulf, from a crazy cat lady. His mother was feral, and this lady was socializing the kittens and adopting them out of her apartment. There must have been some 30 or so cats from different litters climbing all over her little apartment, some clearly sick animals, pretty nasty arrangement.

Anyway, the little guy crawled into my lap, started licking my face, and he looked me in the eye and said very clearly, "GET ME THE HELL OUT OF HERE!!!"

So we took him home where our little girl cat, Grendel, who we had for about 3 weeks already, proceeded to kick his butt for the next three days. Oh, the couch? Mine - WHAM!! Oh, the chair? Mine - WHAM!! Oh, the floor? Yup, that belongs to me too - WHAM!!! and so it went on.

Keep in mind, they were both only about 3 months old at the time.

Well eventually things settled down and they started to get along better.

Then, little Beowulf started to develop a chronic, hacking, wheezing cough. Turns out he has asthma. We believe this stems from the fact that his mother was feral (questionable nutrition while pregnant), he was weaned sooner than he should have been, and his early days were spent surrounded by a bunch of sick kittens (damn that crazy cat lady). I think these issues acted to compromise his immune system.

One day, when my wife was home, he just starts coughing and wheezing and actually stopped breathing. She rushes him to the pet hospital and they manage to stabilize him. He spends the night there and the next day we take him to our regular vet for a diagnosis. Turns out, he was having an asthma attack, but was carrying around a penny in his mouth as he was in the habit of doing at that time (we don't leave spare change lying around anymore) and he inhaled and choked on then swallowed the penny. So that needed to be extracted. All told, the episode cost us $1300.00. Oh well.

So now that he is asthmatic, he would get a steroid injection every couple months to keep it under control. Problem is, this can trigger the onset of diabetes. That happened a few months ago. Big pisser, that was. So then we learned to give him insulin injections twice a day, and instead of the steroid injection for his asthma, he gets a predisone pill once or twice a day as this is less problematic for the diabetes. And the vet bills piled up.

Now, his diabetes has gone into something like a remission and he doesn't need insulin shots. But we have to constantly monitor him because it could trigger again at any time. He still gets his prednisone for the asthma, and he is on a special diet for the diabetes control.

I have no idea how much we have paid over the years for his vet issues. But that little cat is absolutely the most affectionate, loving little guy I have ever seen. Maybe he somehow knows he is not being abandoned, and we are doing what needs to be done to keep him healthy. I dunno, we just do it 'cause we can't bring ourselves to cast him off, I guess.

Grendel, on the other hand, hasn't been sick a day in her life. Be thankful for small favors.

 

[Cryozombie]

Well, I'm unemployed, and I paid to take my dog to the ER over the weekend because I thought her leg was broken...

So I guess Id go as far as I needed for the damn mutt.
​

 

[michaeledward]

In February, Cleopatra was diagnosed with osteosarcoma at 4 and a half years. This disease (bone cancer) is terminal. By the time a vet can diagnose the disease, the leg bone is 'exploding in slow motion'. That growth of the bone is painful and weakens the bone.

The pallative is to amputate the leg. This does not cure the disease, it just eliminates the pain - and introduces a new set of challenges at the animal learns to move around on three legs. That learning curve took about three weeks.

Osteosarcoma is terminal. Amputation results in an average life expectancy of six months. We euthanized Cleo a two months ago. We were fortunate to have her with us for seven months. The total vet bill was a bit over $4,500.00.

Each day that we had Cleopatra with us this year was a gift.

However, the end result, and the cost did not really balance out. There were several extenuating circumstances that impacted our decision to amputate her leg, rather than euthanize her in February. And while the same situation will never present itself in exactly the same way again, in the future I can easily imagine the making a different choice.

In my mind, the question comes to "What is the right thing to do for Cleo?"

CKC Registration - Miss O'livia of Lionslair -
Call Name - Cleopatra, Cleo
6/15/2001 - 9/22/2006

This photo includes 'Gizmo'

 

[Marginal]

I wonder how many people spring for pet health insurance. It's offered, and those vet bills can get fairly hefty, but it seems that few people bother to pre-emptively defray those costs.

 

[Flying Crane]

Ouch, michaeledward, that's a tough episode to get thru.

My parents just euthanized their dog Camilla, a black lab/golden retriever mix, a couple weeks ago. She was just getting old and was clearly dying at the age of 14. She was having more and more trouble getting around and finally she was immobile and reached the point where she was actually dying in front of my parents eyes. They had the vet come over and euthanize her so she wouldn's suffer thru it.

My mom called me up, very upset and in tears, she really loved that dog. they knew it was the best thing for her, but it was no fun to finally make that decision. I was still around there when they got the dog, she was a very very cute puppy and she grew into a very affectionate and wonderful animal. My parents would take her out to run in the woods and the snow, and she was just a great dog. My mom clearly realized Camilla was simply one of the family, there was really no separation as a "pet". It's tough to let them go and is a difficult decision to make, but like you said, what's best for the animal? That's the decision to make.

 

[Flying Crane]

I wonder how many people spring for pet health insurance. It's offered, and those vet bills can get fairly hefty, but it seems that few people bother to pre-emptively defray those costs.

We thought about it, but it didn't seem to us like it would be worth it. I think the deductible is pretty high, and it doesn't cover pre-existing conditions like our cat's asthma was at that time. In most cases, I think it's a scam and a waste of money. For some, if you get it before the illnesses are discovered they could be useful but I really kind of think that is the exception because I think most pets don't end up with those kinds of troubles.

 

[michaeledward]

Ouch, michaeledward, that's a tough episode to get thru.

Thank you. I certainly miss my girl. But, I prefer to look on the positive. Each day through the Spring and Summer was a gift. That photo was taken on our family vacation this summer. Watching her in the lake, and in the streams, and even sitting on the front porch, was so very rewarding because it was so obvious that she was enjoying the surroundings.

If I had to project and personify; Cleo had always been a bit timid. But after the amputation, she really because much more comfortable in situations which created discomfort.

The trick with the cancer is that it sneaks up on everyone. In early January, we noticed her limping a bit. We figured it may have been caused by the cold, or by roughhousing with our other dog. After a week of it not getting better, we visited the vet. He couldn't sense anything wrong and prescribed an anti-inflammatory. That worked great for a week or two. When we ran out of meds, the limp and apparent soreness re-appeared.
We re-visit the vet, and they do a 'fine needle aspiration' and an x-ray, both of which hint at the cancer. With the cancer diagnosis, you are given a choice; euthanize or amputate. It is a nasty diagnosis, that hits hard on unsuspecting owners.

The truly sad thing, is that if we were not in the position to amputate, but instead chose in February to euthanize, the last 5 of 6 weeks of Cleo's life would have been filled with pain. And, of course then, you would have to second guess yourself about why you didn't visit the vet sooner ... and what else you could have done.

The most important thing, I think, is to do what is right for the animal, and not let consideration for the people outweigh what is right for Cleo; to not prolong her life for my benefit. We, too, found in September that she was not able to get up and move about. She was still mentally alert, but her body had failed her.

I hope that when it is my time, I have the opportunity to go as gracefully, elegantly, and peacefully as Cleopatra.

 

[Cruentus]

For initial care, I do the maximum to take care of my dog, regardless of cost. That means vets every 6mo., heart worm preventative and a multivitamin all year round (he works so we need to make sure he doesn't pick something up when we are out in an unfamiliar area), a strict diet/exercise program, a good first aid kit at home, and a good relationship with the vets and emergancy care center.

Now, I haven't had to face anything like what Micheal E. has yet.

I think that something like that is a very personal decision; one that the owners will have to live with when it is made. I can't fault someone for spending thousands of dollars to keep their pet alive even if only for a short time, and I also can't fault someone for not going to that extent.

My only thing is that I think that the dog should have the best care possible while he/she is alive, so that if it is time to go, he/she can go with dignity. I think that when it is time for me to make some tough decisions, I will do what I can to keep the dog alive and happy, but if there is not chance of the dog surviving or if the dog can only survive with great amounts of pain and suffering, then I would draw the line and put the dog down. Just like I really wouldn't want to keep myself alive soley on our modern technology alone, I wouldn't want to put my dog through that either.

But that is just my thought on it; again, it is a very personal decision. The most important thing for me is that the dog leads a good quality life; because to me I think the quality of life determines the quality of death.

"If you have nothing to live for, then you die for nothing."

Paul

 

[Cruentus]

The most important thing, I think, is to do what is right for the animal, and not let consideration for the people outweigh what is right for Cleo; to not prolong her life for my benefit.

I just wanted to highlight this because I think that Micheal Edward brings up a great point here, that I totally agree with.

 

[Kacey]

I agree as well - when we take animals into our homes, we become responsible for them. The cost issue relates more to the potential outcome - for example, when my last dog was diagnosed with lung cancer (multiple, large tumors in her lungs by the time it was diagnosed) it was untreatable - or at least, the treatment would prolong the time she was in pain without any hope of a cure. The cost of keeping her comfortable was not an issue - the cost of treatment to prolong her life in pain was an issue. Had a cure been possible (not likely - just possible) then the cost would not have been an issue, if I'd had to borrow it (beyond the credit card, I mean).

Regular vet visits, vaccinations, quality food, daily exercise - those are all, in my mind, the responsibility of a responsible owner. Sable sees the vet at least twice a year, for his annual checkup and his vaccinations.

For those who are wondering how my current dog, Sable is doing - whose ingestion of a hacky sack sparked this thread - he's recovering from the surgery wonderfully (the vet had perform a "foreign body extraction" - meaning he had to surgically open Sable's stomach - along with several layers between his skin and stomach - to remove the hacky sack). Other than trying to lick his staples (which he can't reach - so no cone) and occasionally scratch his staples (which he can't reach - thankfully)... and the diet restriction (bland food in small quantities - which he's really annoyed by) - he's acting normal. I had to leash him to take him into the yard because he tried to catch a squirrel by trying to climb the fence. If he had been in any danger by delaying the surgery - and his regular vet was a lot less concerned by the delay that the ER vet - I would have paid up without a quiver (okay, a little quiver - but I would have paid it). I am glad his regular vet, who has known him since he was 9 weeks old and was my previous dog's vet as well, was the one to do the surgery - the difference in cost ($900 vs $3000 for the ER) was just a nice bonus.

 

[fireman00]

the problem with a ball or any other non-digestible item it that it COULD create a blockage in his intestine and could be fatal if not removed. Now it is possible that the ball could sit in his stomach until he reaches the end of his life but its a chance.

I personally cry like a little kid when I have lost any of my beloved dogs; its amazing how attached I get to them and how badly I feel when they die.

Keep us posted as to what happened to the pooch.

 

[michaeledward]

For those who are wondering how my current dog, Sable is doing - whose ingestion of a hacky sack sparked this thread - he's recovering from the surgery wonderfully

It is nice to hear this. Quick recoveries make all the time we share with our animals more rewarding, I think.

 

[Flying Crane]

I personally cry like a little kid when I have lost any of my beloved dogs...

I cried like a little kid when I found out my cat has diabetes.

 

[Drac]

I cried like a little kid when I found out my cat has diabetes.

When the vet told us that there were people that took cats in their homes that had Feline Leukemia (a fatal and untreatable disease) to make their short time on Earth happy ones , then I cried...

 

[Flying Crane]

When the vet told us that there were people that took cats in their homes that had Feline Leukemia (a fatal and untreatable disease) to make their short time on Earth happy ones , then I cried...

I was at the vet's office one day for a checkup of some sort for Beowulf. This guy came in, carrying his cat in his arms, not even in a carrybox. The cat was very lethargic, seemed old, and just made this pitiful, weak cry over and over. I think the cat was dying, and the guy brought him in to be euthanized. As I walked out, I caught the guy's eye and gave him a questioning look. He just sort of shook his head slightly, and that was it. I found myself getting choked up on the way home. I guess I've got a very big weak spot for animals...

 

[Drac]

I guess I've got a very big weak spot for animals...

You ain't alone Bro..

 

[BrandiJo]

my oldest dog had heartworms, that was an expensive treatment ~but he was a stray and when we found him he wasnt in the best of heath and by the time this was diagonsed he was already a member of the family. A few years abck (5 or so) my cat kelly (the devil cat affectionaly) had a stroke about 2000 dollers in bills with her lost mobility on one side and is now starting to decline in other areas... but shes family.. she will be with us till she goes and i dont think unless shes suffering that my family will ever make the decision to put her to sleep. The other animals are all heathy and happy and somkey is doing well with his monthy meds and kelly is still evil and kicking