dog cardiologist...

I just recently had to put my Budman(cat) to sleep in October. He was 15 years old, almost 16 and he had been around since I was in 3rd grade. I'm now 23 :( I can understand what you guys are saying about spending that much money on a pet, but I think when it comes right down to it you can't say that until you are in that position.

About 4 years ago we noticed that Budman was peeing a LOT and pacing endlessly, well for some reason my mom just new, it was diabeties. We took him to the vet and ran a whole bunch of tests, sure enough, he was diabetic. :(

Shortly after that he started having these horid coughing fits where he would cough so hard he almost fell over. Back to the vet he went. After a lot of xrays and more tests they told us that he had some weird spots on his lungs and they needed to be tested for cancer. So we took him to a specialist, he aspirated his lungs and pulled out a tissue sample to test. Wasn't cancer, just a calcification of some sort on his left lung, they equated it to the feline version of COPD(Cronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease).

He was okay for quite a while but finally in October we decided that he had had enough, he'd lived a good, long life and it was time for him to walk the rainbow bridge. We had him creamated and still haven't decided what to do with the ashes.

I would say overall in the past 4 years with vet expenses, medications, needles, special foods, creamation, etc. we spent around $4500. I think it was money well spent, he was a member of our family.

Now that that fiasco is over I have a female cat, Fruey, that is 9 years old and started acting funny after her bro was gone. Then in the matter of months her eye completely changed from emerald green to a weird brownish color. Took her to the vet and the vet told us that she thought it was cancer but she couldn't be sure. So off to the Feline Opthamologist we went. Turns out it is, it is cancer :( She said it's extremely slow growing but she might eventually need to have the eye removed. We are still negotiating amongst the family on whether or not we should have the eye removed or just let her join Budman at the raindbow bridge. :(

Okay, I guess I have rambled on for long enough now, just wanted to tell everyone my experiences, and it's been money well spent.
 
Let me start off by saying I am sorry for everyone that is having difficulties with their pets!! I understand completely....

I will try to be brief since this is a huge subject for me (working in veterinary medicine and all). I do understand the limits finances put on the medicine you can choose for your pets. There are alternatives like pet insurance and different low interest loans specifically for pet owners. I think it is a decision only the owner can make.

I think everything possible should be done to ease pain and suffering pets experience, they give so much of themselves to their owners why not do as much as we can for them??

I do not think amputation and euthanasia should be the first thoughts in your head if there are other options available that can actually help your pet live a normal life. My dog tore her right ACL 2 years ago and had knee surgery, uses the leg well and can hike and climb like only a 4 legged animal can. She then tore her other leg a few months ago and had surgery on that leg. While having that checked, she was diagnosed with a heart murmur and had an echo to check it out -- by the way, Holly, there are several grades of murmurs and some are so mild they don't need medications, others are well controlled with medication. Chin up!! My point is that, although it strapped me financially, it was worth it to me to have everything fixed up and checked on her so she can still live an active happy life with me. She has several years of love and companionship to offer me and I want her as comfy and happy as possible during them! When she tells me it's time to go, I will gladly help her as I think it's one of the best things we can do for them.

Sorry, I see so much of this every day... the debates of what to do, of when to put a pet down, the agony of not being able to afford treatment... it's nice to know people care, though :)
 
It comes down to this....is a life a life , or are some lives more valuble than others? It is a choice we all have to make.
 
Here are my thoughts, having worked in a specialized animal hospital for over 10 years, and having both a dog and a cat who had cancer:

Don't let anyone talk you into or out of treatment or euthanasia. It is highly sensitive and personal for you, and many, many people do not understand the emotions that go with having a pet (even though they think they do).

Boxers, golden retrievers, and rottweilers are just a few of the breeds that are highly prone to cancer. Many people are totally opposed to giving chemo to a pet, claiming that it is inhumane, blah blah blah. When I worked at the hospital, I spent several days a week in oncology, administering chemo. My dog (who had osteo sarcoma - bone cancer) had chemo. I've went through it and seen it a hundred times and can tell you first hand that animals DO NOT get sick like people do from chemo. Animals are given a much lower dosage and it greatly reduces the negative effects of the chemo.

As far as getting the heart checked out, that's all fine and dandy as long as you can afford it, and it's not a waste of time and money. If the dog was doing poorly because he was over-run with cancer, I would say "don't bother" because his heart murmur would be the least of his problems. But if he's really holding out and doing well, it could only help. Again, it's a personal decision that should be made between you and your vet, and would also depend on the severity of your dog's other illnesses.

(For the record, heart murmurs are usually nothing important, so I wouldn't bother with a whole echocardiogram - unless it's really severe or if there was some other potential problem.)
 
I agree with the above poster. The other thing I'd like to say is that I don't understand people who have these animals as pets and then decide they're not as worthy as a human for medical treatment. If you feel that way, DON'T GET ANY ANIMAL EVER.
A year ago, our black lab mix was put down when her kidneys began to fail. We'd known beforehand that it had been kidney disease and for some time we had to have her on a special diet because of it. She lived well for about a year with that condition. She would have some days she just didn't feel well, but it was not severe in pain or discomfort. I'm glad we didn't rob her of that time she still had with us to have the fun will always did, and finally to say our goodbyes until we meet again. I know that when I die I will see her and other pets that have gone before her again.

I would rather know what is going on inside my pet and what they're feeling instead of being ignorant to the situation when I can help. All our pets have always been members of the family, so what if they're not human. In fact, I'd venture to say that they are more worthy of value than many people. But then again, I'm biased due to the fact most aimals have been there for me when others of my own species haven't.
 
thanks everyone, I know these topics always bring up the sob storeies :rolleyes: :) !! Overall she is doing really well, and the cancer we have had removed has been isolated, not spread to her whole body or anything. Her murmur is really mild, almost undetectable, they graded it a 2, so we're going to go the cardiologist later this year when it might give us more info. For now, she is going to get the best care we can get her, and we would never let her suffer just to keep her around for our sake. She just turned 8, so we hope for at least a couple more good years with her :)
 
Good luck Holly!!! Keep us updated!! You're little girl will be in my thoughts and prayers!!!
 
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