"What To Do With Injured Dog" or "Am I a Horrible Person?"

[dockeryfan]

Your dog needs surgery, and it's under a grand? COnsider yourself lucky.

Actually, I'm having a hard time figuring out where the question is in your mind. He's injured, and he needs surgery, so you get it. That whole "two new dogs for the price of the surgery" makes me think you and I are different dog owners.

[Stugein]

Your dog needs surgery, and it's under a grand? COnsider yourself lucky.

Actually, I'm having a hard time figuring out where the question is in your mind. He's injured, and he needs surgery, so you get it. That whole "two new dogs for the price of the surgery" makes me think you and I are different dog owners.

Maybe because it's not a life-threatening or crippling wound 's why I'm being so blasé about it. He doesn't seem to be in any pain. He still tears around our yard at full speed. He still wrestles with the cat. There's just chunk taken out of behind his arm, and he walks with a little limp.

Its like having getting a dent in a used car that you bought for $500 and the body shop telling you it will cost $800 to fix. The car still runs. I know, crappy analogy because it's not a living thing, but still...I went in figuring on some stitches and some antibiotics. Not $500 debridement and tissue/muscle repair surgery. If it had been over a grand I don't think I would've even been conflicted enough to make a thread looking for opinions. Maybe that does make me a bad person..

[twa]

Ok, I've had these dogs for years and many dogs over my life. It's not a "if ya can't care for them don't get them" kind of situation. I know what it takes to give a dog a good home and I do it. This one just decided to get injured at a bad time.

Aside from that though, you really think that this is going to turn into a reoccurring issue? The dogs have gotten along swimmingly for as long as we've had them with the exception of when these other dogs are brought over to our house. Do you really think I need to get rid of one of mine to avoid future tangles, or would it also suffice to just not allow those outside dogs to be brought to my house again as they seem to be the instigating influence?

Yes if it has happened before it will likely happen again unless you change something...perhaps keeping them away from other dogs will do,but I rather doubt it.

pets,especially purchased ones imo, are a responsibility you chose and where that responsibility ends (limited to as it impacts you and not others) is your choice as well....I'll leave the preaching to others

[hockeysc23]

For me you need to figure out your threshold BEFORE you get a dog. I mean this isn't that big of a bill for an animal.

I thought you were talking in the thousands which makes it a hard decision. For me anything under 1k gets fixed ASAP. It's my dog, my buddy, when I got my dog I set aside money for her. You gotta assume something will happen.

Anything over 1k would take some deep thought.

I know it's probably not your intention but you don't come off too well in this thread. Most pet owners wouldn't hesitate for under $500 bucks. You talk about having very nice tickets, and remodeling the house ... but your kids football camp goes if you have to fix the dog? I'd hope your kids are worth more than season tickets. Sell those.

There has got to be a better situation. No one can tell you what to do with your dog and you should feel comfortable in whatever you choose.

But if you are already running the value proposition for this small amount I don't think the dog is anywhere near a priority. Unfortunately for him.

[MassSkinsFan]

Stuegein,

Like a lot of others, I'm tempted to pile on you. I have cats now, but have had a dog before too. When they need surgery, it has to happen.

However, I would urge you to check in with the vet again for two things:

1. Is the surgery going to improve your dog's life and prevent it from feeling more pain later on - and is not having it going to give him any long-lasting problems?
   
2. How painful is the surgery and recovery going to be, and how hard will it be to keep the wound clean?
   

If surgery is going to help your dog, and it is feasible to keep the wound clean while it heals, then just do it.

Good luck.

[Capt. Kaos]

Stugein, it all boils down to you.

A couple months back my larger dog nipped at my lil guy for trying to take something from her. That nip has happened a thousand times since they have been together (almost 3 years now). Only this one caught him just right and it popped his eye out of socket. That cost us $500 just to have the initial damage repaired. We are pushing near the 1K mark now with follow up and medication and I havent once thought about not getting him the best care possible, including driving over an hour to a pet eye doctor.

This little story isnt to try and make you sound bad or make me a hero. I share only to reinforce the fact that it all comes down to the owner. Some owners spare no expense while others treat the pet as a disposable item.

You asked what to do.... That's simple, fix him. To me that is a no brainer.

[Stugein]

For me you need to figure out your threshold BEFORE you get a dog. I mean this isn't that big of a bill for an animal.

I thought you were talking in the thousands which makes it a hard decision. For me anything under 1k gets fixed ASAP. It's my dog, my buddy, when I got my dog I set aside money for her. You gotta assume something will happen.

Anything over 1k would take some deep thought.

I know it's probably not your intention but you don't come off too well in this thread. Most pet owners wouldn't hesitate for under $500 bucks. You talk about having very nice tickets, and remodeling the house ... but your kids football camp goes if you have to fix the dog? I'd hope your kids are worth more than season tickets. Sell those.

There has got to be a better situation. No one can tell you what to do with your dog and you should feel comfortable in whatever you choose.

But if you are already running the value proposition for this small amount I don't think the dog is anywhere near a priority. Unfortunately for him.

Maybe I need an adjustment of my value perceptors or something..I just don't see $500 as a "small amount" of money. Maybe its partly sticker shock too. Like I said in another reply..I went in expecting him to need stitches and antibiotics, not surgery. I mean, I know beagles are small dogs, but I've had bigger wounds than this which were stitch jobs. To me $500 is a huge bill for seemingly minor damage.

As for how I come off..sorry, I guess. I don't have a lot of luxury or extraneous expenses for myself to cut. I don't really do much, ya know? The season tickets are for my whole family. It's what we do. We don't take family vacations. We don't to the shore or to the mountains. We don't go to King's Dominion or anything. We don't go out to eat or to movies. We save to get nice season tickets to go to football games together..me the wife and kids. Thats a whole family thing, not a selfish Dad thing. Sorry if it came off that way.

FWIW I certainly would've put off the improvements to the bathroom if I had known the dog was going to get hurt. Hindsight being what it is and all that.

Maybe I'll see if the vet can't like, do something temporary to keep it from getting worse, then I can get the surgery for him next month after a couple things have come off the credit cards and the cost is a little more palatable to the wallet.

[renaissance]

Ask the vet if you can create a payment plan.

[acuratl1984]

Get him fixed up... Its 400 bucks, hopefully u can set up a payment plan with the vet.

And afterwards get some pet insurance...

When you bought the dog, you took responsibility and you changed its life...

He could have gone to a home with out another dog...so you should do the right thing and take care of it.

[hockeysc23]

Maybe I need an adjustment of my value perceptors or something..I just don't see $500 as a "small amount" of money. Maybe its partly sticker shock too. Like I said in another reply..I went in expecting him to need stitches and antibiotics, not surgery. I mean, I know beagles are small dogs, but I've had bigger wounds than this which were stitch jobs. To me $500 is a huge bill for seemingly minor damage.

As for how I come off..sorry, I guess. I don't have a lot of luxury or extraneous expenses for myself to cut. I don't really do much, ya know? The season tickets are for my whole family. It's what we do. We don't take family vacations. We don't to the shore or to the mountains. We don't go to King's Dominion or anything. We don't go out to eat or to movies. We save to get nice season tickets to go to football games together..me the wife and kids. Thats a whole family thing, not a selfish Dad thing. Sorry if it came off that way.

FWIW I certainly would've put off the improvements to the bathroom if I had known the dog was going to get hurt. Hindsight being what it is and all that.

Maybe I'll see if the vet can't like, do something temporary to keep it from getting worse, then I can get the surgery for him next month after a couple things have come off the credit cards and the cost is a little more palatable to the wallet.

I don't think you need to apologize. Like I said you come off wrong but I don't think you mean to. It's just you talk about big ticket expenses with no problem: season tickets, remodeling, but then cannot find $500 bucks and it's your kids sports that will have to suffer?

Whatever your decision is you need to be comfortable with it. My pup had a bad problem throwing up. Cost me around $475 for all the tests and all they found out was she ate something bad and gave me some meds. But had to check everything because she threw up a little blood.

Sucks to pay all that $$ but I agreed to take care of her when I signed the contract for her.

Either fix her or don't. As other mentioned I think there are solutions (selling a game or two of your season tickets would pay for that amount) but you got to be comfortable with the decision. It seems you aren't.