[ Post a Response | Dog Chat Message Board - Get advice on dogs here ]
Posted by Karen on August 7, 2008, 10:19 pm, in reply to "is it serious"
76.21.226.117
Everyone is short on cash right now. Trust me... My husband and I were doing finances last night and are facing a rough patch due to discovering a leak right after vacation (small vaca and we know how to do them cheap) that resulted in having to pull down a bathroom in our house, dealing with mold, etc. Former homeowner drove a nail through a gray water pipe when securing sheetrock. Over 11 years ago... Two bathrooms are gutted due to shoddy previous work and the bathroom are tied in together.
I can go on with a husband who had a serious accident last fall and broke three limbs and we were worried he would not be able to work again. We live modestly thank goodness but were facing ober $33,000 in medical bills. We spent last night reviewing finances again and realizing where we could cut even more. And this is without sacrificing care for our pets or kids. I could go on regarding how much our living expenses have gone up due to gas prices, etc... My husband's recent raise has been swallowed by food costs.
It sucks I know but when you take on a pet, you take on responsibility for all medical issues. I have a dog who needs surgery. It is for a benign tumor (lipoma) and can wait. But it has to come off this year. Luckily the vet said it can wait because it is not life threatening, just in a spot that may start bothering him. Good thing because a month ago, we had a medical emergency with another dog that could not wait and another has developed an other ear infection.
This is going to suck but if your dog was one of ours, we would find the way to get her to the vet for an exam. Waiting could mean the difference between:
life and death
or
knowing what is going on, realizing you cannot afford it and being able to put her down before she ends up suffering
or
realizing that you can afford treatment and being relieved that whatever issue was caught now before it got too costly.
In many areas, failing to provide medical care for a dog REGARDLESS of the reason is a crime. In some areas is it a felony and can result in at best confiscation of the pet and go on to fines and even jail time. If someone sees your dog and cares enough for her condition and realizes that it has gone on without treatment, then you can be called in on animal neglect in many areas.
But the symptoms you describe could be very life threatening and the longer you wait, the worse the prognosis and more expensive treatment will become.
I also have to ask, can you afford a lawsuit??? As she gets more uncomfortable, her tolerance level will drop and she will become more of a biting risk as well. Now, I am currently working with a dog I learned last night is quite possibly in chronic pain from talking with the owners. The dog has a biting history. It is getting worse but the dog is visibly uncomfortable physically still, weight is not helping and she is being raised in a manner creating more issues. Therefore, I ask you again, with a dog who is an increased biting risk, can you afford a possible lawsuit or the loss of homeowner's insurance should a visitor get bitten? If you rent, the landlord could be held laible as well and even evict you.
There is a lot here you need to think of and the dog needs to be seen by a vet to at least find out what is going on and at worst for the dog, a humane euthanasia.
Message Thread:
« Back to thread