Thursday, January 19, 2006

How much is that doggie in the window?

That question (or a variation on that question) is one I'm asking myself today. How much is that doggie in the window? Not just how much for the initial purchase, but how much in vet bills is that doggie in the window going to cost me? This morning I took my dear boy Paddy to the vet because he was off balance and kept veering to the left and having a very difficult time standing up or walking normally. This was of concern to me because it happened so suddenly (last night as I was going to bed) and didn't go away by this morning.

So to the vet he went, and they gave me a diagnosis...vestibular disease which basically is a disease of the peripheral nerve in a dog that affects their balance. There are several potential causes, but mainly it is of an unknown origin and there is no cure. It could take one day to several weeks for him to recover. But in the meantime to rule out a brain lesion, lung problems, or cancer that may be associated with this my dog is having a chest x-ray and bloodwork done which according to the web seems to be the standard procedure for this.

Of course this is not cheap, but at what point do you not pay for something for an animal, a friend, a companion that you have had for years. I don't consider myself one of those nutty dog people. I'm actually not a real fan of other people's dogs, but do love and adore my furry baby as my friends know. Any thoughts from out there?

5 comments:

Christy said...

That Paddy is too mean to have anything really wrong with him!! He's just looking for attention! ;) Awwww, you know I love him...despite his repeated attempts to eat my feet!

It's a hard question you are asking. You have to weigh quality of life vs. fiscal responsibility. If you cannot afford something, and it's serious and or life-threatening, then you have your answer. If $ is not an issue, then you have to defer to what is his quality of life. They say it's harder to loose a pet than a human b/c there is nothing but love--no other emotions mixed in. It's all much easier said than done. It's never an easy decision, but you should likely set your perameters now....cause if it comes down to a hard choice, you don't want to make it on emotion alone. I'm praying for Paddy!

Lisa said...

Thanks friend. I figure if he has a brain tumor and needs surgery, that's my limit. NO can do that one. Either let him live until it gets painful or put him to sleep peacefully. Either way it SUCKS. And I'm thinking worst case scenario here. Makes whatever really happens, not quite so bad :)

Tim Elzea said...

Phew....animal decisions like that are tough. I don't envy you at all. I agree with you in that you set a limit of how far you are going financially and stick to it. The key is to make sure the pet isn't suffering. Other than that I guess you just leave it to prayer (yes, it's all right to pray for pets). :)

Tim Elzea said...

How is the dog doing?

Lisa said...

Tim - thanks for asking. Paddington is doing better, but I fear that he is on the downward slope of his long and industrious life. He's acting pretty old this week. Thanks for asking.