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Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,430
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

back to the vet again with geena

so my little girl geena, (min pin/chihuahua) was acting funny. shivering, odd bladder control things, a list of things. 

took her to the vet, and her temp was 93. 93!!! super low, lethargic host of things. anyway.  she spent the day at the vet, getting fluids and tests.then was good enough to come home and be watched, and get antibiotics. 

dr. was stumped as to what was going on. two days later, and she is back at the vet.  she shivers alot, won't get off the couch, acts like she can't fully empty her bladder, although a urine test was done, and it was normal.  she is alert, and will eat (when delivered to her highness on the couch) only the choicest of morsels. and drink,, yes, delivered in a dixie cup to the princess pillow.  more tests today. he said we may have to go to a specialist if he just can't determine. 

so dh and i sorta had the discussion of how much is too much to spend on her medical care. ugh.  we are not rich by any means. first round of test and stuff was $525. which i gladly paid. and will do again. but i'm just not in the position to pay multiple thousands of dollars.  how do you put a $ on a beloved pets life?  it may not come to that, but i have to be realistic as well.  addisons has been bandied about, but she doesn't have all the symptoms. they just don't know yet.  all i can do is pray.  sigh. Smiley Sad(((

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,754
Registered: ‎05-08-2010

Re: back to the vet again with geena

So  sorry to hear about your Geena, @kittyloo.  It is so hard when our beloved pets are not feeling their best.  The question about "how much to spend" is a very personal one that only you and your DH can answer. 

 

I do, however, feel that you owe it to your Geena to find out just what is going on with her.  Even if that means seeing a specialist.  Once diagnosed, you will have to decide how far to carry out the treatment.  It may be a chronic condition that can be controlled by nonexpensive means.  It may not, but at least you will know and have a starting point for your $$ discussion. 

 

Of course, you don't want her to suffer so it sounds as if the next step is a different vet and new tests. 

 

I wish you and Geena all the best.  Let's pray that it all resolves by itself and you don't have to make any decisions.

Fear not Brothers and Sisters! I have read THE BOOK..........we win!!!
Honored Contributor
Posts: 23,835
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: back to the vet again with geena

@kittyloo  so sorry to hear your sweet pup is under the weather. You are a good pet parent. I hope they can figure out what is going on  through testing so she can start feeling better again soon. 

 

  It is expensive to have vet care.  I have pet insurance that I have been paying on for over 10 years...  about $150 a month for both dogs..... now it is paying off with my two dogs. Last year my younger dog was diagnosed with heart problems... $10,000 later...  What they tried to fix did not work...   but I still had to pay for it....Insurance payed about $7000 of the $10,000.

 

My older dog Lola just went to the vet for the first time sick last week... vomiting. Diagnosed with possibly pancreatitis... $700 one visit with all the lab tests and medications.  She is thankfully feeling so much better  today.

 

Without pet insurance I do not know if I would  have done the surgery for my  one dog's heart issue with a 10 grand price tag.  That is where pet insurance comes in as a real plus.   I would never have a pet now without pet insurance coverage knowing how great it is in an emergency. 

 

Some people say they put the money away each month instead of paying monthly for pet insurance.... but , Most people would not put that much away for such an out of the blue expensive  sickness as my one dog had.

 

I started both dogs on the insurance from puppies.  I am now an advocate for pet insurance just because one trip to the vet can be so expensive for illness or whatever happens.    

 

I hope your little  girl feels better soon ((hugs))

 

.   

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,731
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: back to the vet again with geena

I see that Addison's is being considered.  I would strongly, strongly urge you to test her for it!  Addison's is called "The Great Pretender" in canine medicine, every dog can have different symptoms, but bradycardia will eventually kill the dog if they are not treated.  Given that your dog does not weigh very much, the meds to treat her Addison's will not be very expensive, especially if your vet is good about titrating the dose of DOCP to your dog's bloodwork.  Once your dog is conclusively diagnosed, there is an online support group you can join that will help you manage your dog's disease.  It's often bandied about that the lifespan of an Addison's dog is only two years, but that is not at all true, especially if you are a pro-active owner.  One of my Scotties was diagnosed with Cushing's in '07, and the vet who treated her overdosed her Lysodren and destroyed her adrenal glands, leaving her Addisonian.  She lived another 5 years with Addison's, and died at the age of 12.5, an average age for her breed.  Many AD dog owners help their dogs live long, happy lives by managing the doses of their aldosterone and cortisone substitutes to maximize their quality of life.  I would hope that, if your vet is thinking Addison's, that they haven't dosed her with prednisone, as that will make any testing impossible for two weeks, and that they are monitoring the sodium/potassium levels in her blood, as well as her heart rate, so that she doesn't crash and die while she is being diagnosed.  The online support group used to be a Yahoo group, they were a wonderful help to me, and I hope they can help you, too.  Good luck, I'll be praying for little Geena!

Super Contributor
Posts: 485
Registered: ‎01-28-2016

Re: back to the vet again with geena

@kittyloo

 

I absolutely understand your position. I've been there several times.

 

We opted to do chemo and radiation when my five-year-old Aussie was diagnosed with lymphoma. He went into remission and stayed there. He lived to be almost 14 and we finally let him go due to "old guy stuff" - but not cancer. Not only did it cost us thousands of dollars, but there were a lot of palliative meds and diagnostics. For instance, he had to have a blood test weekly to determine if his white blood cell count could handle his next round of chemo. He had meds constantly to control nausea. There were loads of other things that weren't part of the quote, too. Those are the things that are not included in cost estimates for treatment and it added up to enough money in the end to buy a nice used car. But he was five. We ended up with nine more years with him.

 

I had another dog diagnosed with a form of blood cancer at 12 1/2. It came on very suddenly and we had no time to choose treatment but I don't think I would have put a dog that age through what we went through with the first one. To be pragmatic, even if it had been a life-saving option - we would have had another 1-2 years with him due to his age.

 

I kid you not - I actually have a credit card that I JUST use for dog expenses! Its a good option in an emergency and we can also track our pet expenses. The balance is kept at zero most of the time and we don't overuse it.

 

One of my biggest laments about the many dogs I've had throughout my 63 years is having to make that choice for them. If I woke up one morning and my dog had passed during the night, it would somehow be less traumatic to me to know that I didn't decide for them.

 

I have owned horses and dogs all of my life and I've been through this so many times.

 

I can only share this; when we let our last Aussie go, about a year and a half ago, I could not bring myself to go. My husband took her and stayed with her. When he came home, he said, "It was a lot easier on her than it is for you". 

 

We have to remind ourselves that our pets have had amazing, wonderful lives because of us. You have to lay it all out and decide what is best. Your pet's age, the eventual likelihood that she will have quality of life, what the cost of meds and treatment and diagnostics will be and whether you can break it down to affordable payments that you can sustain with time.

 

 

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,892
Registered: ‎03-20-2010

Re: back to the vet again with geena

[ Edited ]
Spoiler
 

Agree with Tends2dogs, at least try and find out what is going on first.  It may be something very simple.  Beyond that do what you can do and do not feel guilty.  You do not have to be rich to provide a good home for a dog, love is free.

 

Someday, when scientists discover the center of the Universe....some people will be disappointed it is not them.
Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,665
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: back to the vet again with geena

@kittyloo  Oh, I feel badly for your little girl.  Don't you wish she could talk and tell you (and the vet) exactly what's going on?

 

It was wise of you to have that discussion with your DH.  You never know how far this could go, and only the two of you can decide on what you can afford.  These decisions are the hardest to make, but I've known people who have spent thousands only to find the pet couldn't be saved.

 

I'm hoping your little girl will get better very soon, and with minimal expense.

Laura loves cats!
Honored Contributor
Posts: 16,837
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: back to the vet again with geena

I agree with @tends2dogs that you need to find out what is going on before you decide how much you can spend.  It may be something that is easily manageable once you have a diagnosis.  I'm so sorry that you and Geena are going through it.  I know how hard it is to worry about what's going on with your pet.

 

My dog was recently diagnosed with an eye disease, and we have had several Vet visits and will need to have many more before it's in remission.  I am thankful that I have pet insurance for her.  She's the first pet I've gotten pet insurance for.  I have it for my cat, too.


The Bluebird Carries The Sky On His Back"
-Henry David Thoreau





Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,430
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Re: back to the vet again with geena

thank you for all your kind responses, and words of encouragment. geena is still at the vet. probably getting her nails polished, or ears groomed as she is a princess.  i'll let you know what i hear, probably they will call me this afternoon. hopefully with some answers. i know they are doing at least another blood panel. good thoughts please. 

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,892
Registered: ‎03-20-2010

Re: back to the vet again with geena

I find it rather insensitive those who continue to bring up pet insurance to the OP who choose to not purchase it.  It is like throwing it in her face that they can pay expensive bills and she cannot.  As someone mentioned above they pay $150 a month, for 10 years that is $18,000, not to mention paying for what is not covered. That is not a small amount of money and not an option for the vast majority of pet owners. How and how much people choose to pay for vet bills and pet care is a personal decision.  The decision is not dependent on how much they love their pets.

Someday, when scientists discover the center of the Universe....some people will be disappointed it is not them.