Pet therapy?

[Kathy]

Hey everyone,
Just thought I'd share that my dog, Jack an all white pure bred boxer (his parents were fawn and white), just had his no-telling how many surgeries. This dog, probably has a longer medical record than my children, combined! If you ever want a money pit, get a white Boxer-Genius! I love him, hence why we have spent, literally, 1,000's of dollars on him (if I had to guess, I'd say 7k). Now, not all at once. No, it's always a $500 surgery, until the dog rips his staples out (even with the cone head collar AND the stiff neck collar on, his neck is so strong he can bend it with the metal brace on!). Then, it's off to be in the vet's care until he is healed (more $$$$).
Poor dog, has been dealt a hard hand. He had a lemon size tumor on his tail when he was 18 months. He had a 'show cut' and had to have 2 vertebrae removed and it cropped more, looks more like a cut you see on a pit bull. The tumor was cancer, didn't do the chemo, just cut it off (I love the dog; but chemo was too much). Then, he gets these skin lesions, they are like a zit, but they don't go away. They get larger and larger. So, he just had his second one surgically removed. He seriously has a bigger incision than I do! It is like 6 inches long, with tons of staples. He is absolutely driving me nuts, won't lay down, and blood is coming out of it. I am having to lock him in the bathroom, so he will be calm and lay. That or he has to have his bed by my feet, where he is touching me at ALL times. He is so cute in his cone head contraption. In the night he will wake up, forget it is on and go nuts, bumping into the wall, waking us up, making us think the house is being ransacked!
Well, word to the wise, no animal surgery during your recovery- not my smartest move! Will post a picture later....

[Nairek]

Originally Posted by Kathy Earhart

Hey everyone,
Just thought I'd share that my dog, Jack an all white pure bred boxer (his parents were fawn and white), just had his no-telling how many surgeries. This dog, probably has a longer medical record than my children, combined! If you ever want a money pit, get a white Boxer-Genius! I love him, hence why we have spent, literally, 1,000's of dollars on him (if I had to guess, I'd say 7k). Now, not all at once. No, it's always a $500 surgery, until the dog rips his staples out (even with the cone head collar AND the stiff neck collar on, his neck is so strong he can bend it with the metal brace on!). Then, it's off to be in the vet's care until he is healed (more $$$$).
Poor dog, has been dealt a hard hand. He had a lemon size tumor on his tail when he was 18 months. He had a 'show cut' and had to have 2 vertebrae removed and it cropped more, looks more like a cut you see on a pit bull. The tumor was cancer, didn't do the chemo, just cut it off (I love the dog; but chemo was too much). Then, he gets these skin lesions, they are like a zit, but they don't go away. They get larger and larger. So, he just had his second one surgically removed. He seriously has a bigger incision than I do! It is like 6 inches long, with tons of staples. He is absolutely driving me nuts, won't lay down, and blood is coming out of it. I am having to lock him in the bathroom, so he will be calm and lay. That or he has to have his bed by my feet, where he is touching me at ALL times. He is so cute in his cone head contraption. In the night he will wake up, forget it is on and go nuts, bumping into the wall, waking us up, making us think the house is being ransacked!
Well, word to the wise, no animal surgery during your recovery- not my smartest move! Will post a picture later....

Geez Kathy! You certainly have your hands full! Boxers are very cute & very active dogs. Those Elizabethan collars are a trip. My neighbors cat has had 1 on his head for months. I see him outside stalking the birds with it. I can't help but to laugh & feel bad for the little guy.

I use to work for a vet a long long time ago. It was probably the best job I ever had. Very bad on the back, but I loved being with the animals.

I know exactly what you mean about the medical bills for your dog. When I adopted my beagle from the local ASPCA, they didn't tell me that she had a severe heart murmur. It was a 5 on a scale of 1-6. I use to take her out into a field on a 40 ft line & let her run & howl to her heart's content until the vet told me that she could be running 1 minute & then croak the next. Nice vet huh?

As time went on, I had to put Peanut on heart medication, thyroid medication, & arthritis medication. She would be at the vets office sometimes every 4 months. She had issues with her liver enzymes (I suspect the Lasix had something to do with it) & then 1 kidney was functioning less than the other. I lucked out that the new vet I took her to gave a discount on shelter animals. I had also worked with her 15 years ago right before she went to vet school.

Sadly, I had to put my little Peanut to sleep a month after my fusion surgery. She wasn't able to keep from having "accidents" in the house & she paced non-stop all day & all night. The vet said it was dementia. I think it was from her arthritis causing pain. When I would take her outside, she would literally fall asleep while standing up & fall to the ground. I would have to pick her up & carry her back inside. I think this was what help cause my rapid decline with my spine but she was my baby & I had to do what I had to do. She dropped from 30 lbs down to 18 lbs in about a years time so I think that there was something else going on with her as well.

I miss my baby girl terribly. I still cry for her. But I know that I gave her the best life possible. Not many people would have put up with her severe separation anxiety & medical issues. But to me, she was worth it. She saved me from my depression & always made me smile

[dshobbies]

A dear friend died last year. She'd been sick for quite some time and had gone through many surgeries. She credited her dog for seeing her through some of her most difficult times. She was cremated and at the service, we were all surprised to discover she had had her dog cremated years before and their ashes were joined together before internment. Yes, they can bring so much to our lives.

[Nairek]

I had Peanut cremated as well. She played such an integral part of my life, that I couldn't just let her go that easily.