It is so hard to make these decisions. We have had to do it too many times. In the soon to be 20 years we have been married, we have lost 4 cats and 2 dogs, the most recent was my cat Suzie last Thursday.
We did not choose treatment for her, she was 17 and failing fast. We made the right decision for her. She was tired and had had enough.
We also spent $695 on our female lab/shep cross last year for 'girl surgery'. She was too plump around her ******l area and was 'sunken in'. (The doctor actually drew pictures for us to explain the problem) They had to remove the excess tissue and 'raise' the area. She was having repeated infections, and a really bad case of diaper rash like symptoms. Poor girl! Diet did not help, and desitin and baby wipes did not do enough (not to mention the hit to her dignity) BUt the surgery was successful, she is doing great and no more girl problems.
That decision wa much easier to make than some we have been faced with. We luckily had a great vet who always gave us great information in which to make informed decisions. He never tried to influence us one way or another, or tried to make us feel guilty if did not choose treatment. Then he retired! So we are shopping for a new vet and hope we can find someone half as good as he was!
(I know long post, but real quick- a couple weeks before we lost Suzie, an abandoned, pregnant cat wandered into our yard and stayed! She is the sweetest, most wonderful cat! And she comes packing kittens! So we are expecting a litter ANY day now. So as one door closes, another opens. Ellie will never replace my Suzie, but it sure is nice to have a cat in the house! And yes, we will be keeping at least 1 if not 2 of the kittens
)
I'm so glad there are so many other people out there who are devoted pet owners like I and my DH. I have 4 dogs and 3 cats, and I've spent major bucks over the years on them. My beloved Wilma has had 2 ACL surgeries at $600 a pop. Max, my fat cat, has been treated for a urinary blockage (my DH rushed him to an emergency clinic at midnight to have him taken care of) - that was several hundred dollars. Now he's on very expensive prescription food for the rest of his life. My sweet Barney, who has since passed away, was a stray I found walking down our street. He had heartworms when we found him. The vet told my DH we should discuss whether to spend the $$ to treat him or not. My husband called from the vet and said, "He says we should discuss it," and I said, "What's to discuss?" My husband agreed, and we had him treated. We had Barney for almost 9 more years after that. Pets are a huge responsibility, and if people aren't willing to take the responsibility seriously, they shouldn't have pets. We believe in "in sickness and in health" and "til death do us part" with our pets.
You ALL are the best!
I told her, "Whatever, thats YOUR oppinion!"
Than I come home and read your all wonderful comments and made me smile, and cry!
