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I know that recently I spent over $3k on a surgery for my dog. Now that he is a Senior it is costing more and more. He has daily treatments that I have to give him, like, prescription diet food, eye drops twice a day, hear treatment once and a day and etc. I am estimating that he is costing me about $5k per year right now.
I guess that most pple don't think about this when they get this cute little puppy that dogs are going to need more healthcare when they get older just like pple. Now, I am thinking about the cost of burying him. Sometimes I think this is crazy, but at the sametime I would live in guilt if I didnt take care of him at his old age the way I would want to be taken care of. It's like the same concept I brought this child into the world and I have to take care of them so with my dog. He also givin me so much joy and love over the years. When is enough? Am I crazy? The decision for me is that I will pay whatever health cost to take care of him since he is a member of my family, but to some extent this sounds crazy to me. Well, at least I am trying to be somewhat proactive and getting him tested on a yearly basis (senior wellnes test) to hopefully diagnose things early.
No, don't think you're crazy at all. I think you're being a resonsible pet owner who is not treating their dog like a disposable paper plate.
I keep an eye out for my kids by once they turn four years old, I annualy do blood work so I have a baseline and also find out if there's anything alarming.
As far as where mine will be? Right in my backyard, I'm certain my DH will have fun digging around sprinkler lines
I don't think you are out of line...but one thing I told myself with our 15 y/o cat that passed 2 years ago, was that I wouldn't keep him alive for me if his quality of life wasn't there. That is different for every animal. We spent lots of $$ too with his specialist visits. I made sure the vet new that I wanted to him have a quality of life...and that I wasn't having him go through these visits just to be here for me. The vet and I were on the same page that if the time came that his quality of life wasn't there she would let me know (if I wasn't picking up on it).
The money we spent helped me prepare for the inevitable and it bought me some extra time. We had him cremated too. We bought a beautiful urn off of EBAY for him. Much, much cheaper than the crematory's prices for their urns. I think what people decide to do with their pet once it passes is a personal decision.
If you're going to stay in your home, here's a neat idea if you plan to bury him or his ashes...plant a tree there as well. Maybe put a bench, turn it into a little meditation area. We live next door to our ex-house now (long story involving a short-lived move to the Caribbean) and I did that with three pets. There's a flowering dogwood, two rosebushes, and some baby's breath with Carolina jasmine growing over the fence behind...so there's some color out there all the time. I made markers out of a stepping stone mold and had a bench back there. The area is kind of outlined and the new people have been nice enough to leave it intact, though I have the bench and the markers. This is definitely our last home, so mine will be cremated and stay with me...in another garden spot.
I think you are right about people not considering the long term ramifications of having a pet and that's really sad. I certainly did not get my love of animals from my father, but he did instill in me the need to see something through to the end - if you are going to commit to it, make your commitment and be strong and ready to weather whatever comes along. You're doing that in a wonderful statement of love. I'm sorry you're having to face all of this with your senior, but you surely are doing the right thing by caring for your family member this way.
I have been fortunate in adopting multiple senior dogs and when they have died (ages 15 and 17), it was a relatively fast downhill, without treatment. I did have high bills for one of my original puppies who, after two months of diagnostic deadends, spent four days in university hospital and was diagnosed with untreatable (rare) liver failure, so the hospital cost a lot, but I had him put down that same week. His brother, at age 12, was attacked by another dog and spent three days in the ER, again, very expensive, but he did recover fully.
I haven't yet had older dogs with multiple ongoing major problems. Just joint medicine, and for the late 17-year-old, monthly joint shots that worked wonders.
It's hard to know when it's time to put a beloved dog down. Some people say "when he's not himself anymore." Sick old animals aren't necessarily in pain, but if they're not eating, or falling down all the time, or incontinent in their beds, or much less active than recently, that would be time. I do think it's reasonable to forego any really expensive treatments for an old dog, especially if the illness is obviously terminal.
I do have my dogs individually cremated and put their ashes with tags in a rock garden.
Best wishes. It so hard to watch them fail, but a terminal illness is certainly a time to put them down, not treat them for cure, especially if you can't afford it (like cancer treatments for an older dog, etc.)
It's the last best way we take care of them. You are not being careless about it.
I know those vet bills can be quite high when they get older. My cat is about to turn 10 and I'm already thinking of "down the road". You might want to look into pet insurance(one I know of is VPI). They don't cover all the costs, but you pay at the vets and they reimburse you. They have different plans and such. I don't have it or know anyone that does, so I can't personally vouch for it. But my vet always talks about it so I'm going to sign up in the next couple of months for my older one.
I have an 11 yr old shih ztu that was so healthy and suddenly has been diagnosed with lymphoma in her abdoman and probably intestines. I got lucky with prednisone and she is still lively and with us in remission, but nothing lasts forever. I love her to death, but opted to not do chemo. Doggie chemo is a coverup, not a cure at all. I am happy with my decision and her life is just great right now, so we will deal with this again in a few months. When her day is good so is mine, when her day is bad, I must take 1/2 xanax to be calm. that's how it is with a loved one.
check into ASPCA pet insurance. The plan I have is $100 deductible a year and they pay 80% of expenses up to $1500 per occurance. Really helps with my bills for her right now with the lymphoma and tests. Prednisone is $20/mos so that's nothing, but I have run up $2500 so far in tests this year, from ultrasounds to cancer doctors. Insurance helps alot.
I have an 11 yr old shih ztu that was so healthy and suddenly has been diagnosed with lymphoma in her abdoman and probably intestines. I got lucky with prednisone and she is still lively and with us in remission, but nothing lasts forever. I love her to death, but opted to not do chemo. Doggie chemo is a coverup, not a cure at all. I am happy with my decision and her life is just great right now, so we will deal with this again in a few months. When her day is good so is mine, when her day is bad, I must take 1/2 xanax to be calm. that's how it is with a loved one.
check into ASPCA pet insurance. The plan I have is $100 deductible a year and they pay 80% of expenses up to $1500 per occurance. Really helps with my bills for her right now with the lymphoma and tests. Prednisone is $20/mos so that's nothing, but I have run up $2500 so far in tests this year, from ultrasounds to cancer doctors. Insurance helps alot.
Was cheapest up to 10 yrs old, $16/mos and went to $24 for me because she was 11. Still worth it.
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