One of my dogs is always sick...I am going broke taking care of them

[cinnamonmon]

I have 3 dogs...as Ive posted before, not willingly...the third I inherited when my son and his fiance couldnt keep her (thats my Yorkie). She has been the most costly as she has bad allergies for one and a very sensitve digestive system for another. She has reverse sneezing and before I knew what that was it cost me two er visits. My other two dogs are older, 9 and 7 and have been always been pretty healthy but as they age, they are starting to have issues also. The Yorkie mix has a collapsed trachea which acts up every now and then and the Maltese is starting to have all kinds of age related issues. The last two weeks alone, I spend $90 for a routine visit for severe itching for the Yorkie, then $50 again for the Yorkie this week as she has started peeing in her sleep (on my bed), then $184 last night at the er vet. The Maltese woke up in the middle of the night, clearly distressed and having trouble breathing...once we got there she seemed better but the vet still xrayed her and gave her meds. She couldnt find anything wrong. I am just frustrated...I adore my dogs...I make a decent salary and treat my dogs well but I do have other things I need to spend my money on.

I am lucky enough that the er vet is only 7 minutes away so maybe I go there more quickly than I would if they were farther away. Almost everytime Ive gone, it was something they couldnt really diagnose and was gone by the time we got there, or was something minor that would have gone away on its own, or could have waited till the next day to see the regular vet. (vomiting or diarrhea, coughing, bloody stool, ) The thing is when my dogs are in pain or distress my tendency is to get them help
Even the regular vet visits half the time seem to be a waste. Sometimes I think I could have diagnosed them myself if I had access to the medications. I know there are no easy answers but how do other people manage this. I can afford normal care and the occasional emergency but lately they are bleeding me dry.

[emilyann]

Bumping this so someone can hopefully help you, bless your heart .

[3LittleTooties]

I have had similar issues in the past with my little Paris. I adopted her at almost 2 years old, and seemed healthy until about six months later. For a year we were going to the vet every couple months for some problem. I even changed vets over this. Luckily, she has been healthy for almost six months now and I'm keeping my fingers crossed. This is what I am doing about her skin (itchiness) issues. We use a special shampoo that I purchase from 800Petmeds called NuSal T. I hate using chemicals, but this is the only thing that has kept her rash free. Also, she eats Natural Balance Duck and potato allergy formula food. Unlike most other foods, it has a single source for protein and a single source for carbs. I'm super carefull that she doesn't get any treats containing ingredients she could be allergic to. As for her reverse sneezing, I just try to calm her down when it happens by saying in a soothing voice "calm down, relax, it's ok", and this usually works because it often happens when she's too excited. Hope it helps to at least know you're not alone, and it can get better.

[Ladymom]

As dogs age they can get pretty expensive, can't they? I don't think a lot of people realize this until their pooches get up there in age and start having to go to the vet more often.

Lady is almost thirteen and has some pretty serious issues like diabetes and epilepsy (not to mention being hypothyroid, arthritic and allergic). She has a lot of infections because of the diabetes so we seem to be at the vet constantly for minor things. At this point, her vet bills and medications run about $5,000 a year!

I can't imagine having three senior dogs!

[DejaVu]

Ive brought dogs to the er/vet in panik of their life or that it was serious. Most the time as you said, it resolved before the vet could even see the dog, or it wasnt as bad by the time i arrived. So now I stop and think about it, and wait a bit to see if they get better. Of course if the dog was not breathing right as your dog was, I would def take him or her in. But something like diareah or itchy skin, I can take care of at home mostly.

The vet is almost an hour away from me, so I can see how it could be easy to just go to the vet if you are only a few minutes. I would so so love to be near a vet! Maybe if another situation arises, assess the situation a little longer and think to yourself, "is this something that cant wait til the morning?" or do a google search for at home remedies or over the counter meds that you can remedy yourself. For example, try a soothing oatmeal bath or start her on a suppliment to improve her skin and health if you havent already. Google is an awesome tool! lol

But there are obvious emergencies so please dont wait for your dog to "get better" I have seen posts on other forums where people ask for advice in a situation where clearly the dog should be rushed to the er.

Dog Owner's Guide: Is it an emergency?

Hope I helped, vet bills can add up quickly!

[amundjoy]

Everyone has given such good advice so I'll just tell you my experience at the EVR. Right after I adopted Honeybee, she was spotting blood from her rear. In a panic, I thought she had eaten glass, a tack or God forbid, poison. After rushing to the vet, of course it was late at night, I found out it was just an irritated anal gland. Having 3 dogs in the past that lived to be elderly, I should have remembered about this annoying problem. The bill was over $200. for 30 minutes with antibiotics. It could have been cared for at home with hot compresses and a visit to her regular vet in the morning. It's just so scary when it comes to our little babies.

[ladyj]

Originally Posted by cinnamonmon

I have 3 dogs...as Ive posted before, not willingly...the third I inherited when my son and his fiance couldnt keep her (thats my Yorkie). She has been the most costly as she has bad allergies for one and a very sensitve digestive system for another. She has reverse sneezing and before I knew what that was it cost me two er visits. My other two dogs are older, 9 and 7 and have been always been pretty healthy but as they age, they are starting to have issues also. The Yorkie mix has a collapsed trachea which acts up every now and then and the Maltese is starting to have all kinds of age related issues. The last two weeks alone, I spend $90 for a routine visit for severe itching for the Yorkie, then $50 again for the Yorkie this week as she has started peeing in her sleep (on my bed), then $184 last night at the er vet. The Maltese woke up in the middle of the night, clearly distressed and having trouble breathing...once we got there she seemed better but the vet still xrayed her and gave her meds. She couldnt find anything wrong. I am just frustrated...I adore my dogs...I make a decent salary and treat my dogs well but I do have other things I need to spend my money on.

I am lucky enough that the er vet is only 7 minutes away so maybe I go there more quickly than I would if they were farther away. Almost everytime Ive gone, it was something they couldnt really diagnose and was gone by the time we got there, or was something minor that would have gone away on its own, or could have waited till the next day to see the regular vet. (vomiting or diarrhea, coughing, bloody stool, ) The thing is when my dogs are in pain or distress my tendency is to get them help
Even the regular vet visits half the time seem to be a waste. Sometimes I think I could have diagnosed them myself if I had access to the medications. I know there are no easy answers but how do other people manage this. I can afford normal care and the occasional emergency but lately they are bleeding me dry.

It can be a very big concern, especially when you're on a fixed income. My little albino ferret had cancer, and it was amazing how fast the vet bills could add up, even with a little 1.9 lb pet. I spent quite a bit of money in three weeks before it was clear that she wasn't going to get better and I had to let her go. My dogs are ages 11, 9, and 1, so I could be facing big vet bills with them any time, especially the two older ones. I am very attentive to them and they get all the care they need and then I figure out how I'm going to manage to pay for it. I have one credit card that I use if I have to and that's my "backup" plan. I don't use the card for anything except emergencies. It's the only credit card I use and so far, it hasn't been a problem.

[Patti]

I have 4 dogs and Maya my pom started with chronic serious diseases about 2 years ago and many vet and specialist visits and tests later she was getting worse. I now have her on meds that help her live an ok quality of life and with the specialists agreement. All her conditons are life threatening and the meds make her sicker and I decided that I want her to enjoy what time she has left. Then Cali my 3 year old yorkie has been sick since I got her with one thing or the other, MVD, severe allergies, Grade 4 LP, sensitive tummy. I try not to run her in for every little upset and have meds I can use to treat her tummy. The other 2 other than spaying, dental and a few minor issues have been ok, thank God. The medicines for Cali amd Maya runs 130.00 a month, which of course the pet insurance dosesn't cover. I know how frustrating it is to have to keep taking them in and the expense. I just hope things settle down for us both.

[Wylie's Mom]

Aw, Cinnamonmon - I really feel for you because senior pets are definitely expensive - and then you have the younger one with other issues that you weren't aware of.

I wonder if any of the vets in your area have office plans - i.e., where you pay a monthly fee and in return you get free office visits and some free services as well. More and more vets are offering these plans - which are kind of similar to what Banfield offers. I know Banfield is not often the best, but maybe they would also be an option for you? But, in an emergency/after hour situation - that doesn't help, I know.

Lastly, sometimes you can come on here and ask for guidance as to whether you "should" go to the vet - but, none of us are vets here and none of us can see your baby - so all we can do is give our best guess over the internet with the info you provide, so there is always a risk there, but I know people really try to give good advice.

The link that Deja Vu provided is GREAT and I'm going to put it inside one of stickies in the Emerg. Forum.

[Ladymom]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

I wonder if any of the vets in your area have office plans - i.e., where you pay a monthly fee and in return you get free office visits and some free services as well. More and more vets are offering these plans - which are kind of similar to what Banfield offers. I know Banfield is not often the best, but maybe they would also be an option for you? But, in an emergency/after hour situation - that doesn't help, I know.

Great point! My vet doesn't offer a plan, but what I did for quite awhile is send them a check every month when I paid the rest of my bills so I had a credit with them. I have a flexible spending account through work for uncovered medical expenses that gave me the idea.

I sent them what a monthly insurance payment would be, about $35 years ago, and let the balance build up by only using it for emergencies. I can't tell you how wonderful it was to have several hundred dollars credit when Lady had back to back illnesses or an extremely expensive vet visit.

When I started making bows I set up a special account just for veterinary expenses which is ideal, I think. I tell everyone with a young dog to start saving for those expensive senior years right away!

I have only been to the ER vet once right when I first got Lady. I have a pretty amazing first aid kit that takes up a three drawer cart and have learned over the years to handle many of the simple things myself. For example, having imodium, pepto bismal and pedialite on hand to treat a tummy upset right away can prevent a visit, even hospitalization later on for dehydration.

[ladyj]

Originally Posted by Ladymom

Great point! My vet doesn't offer a plan, but what I did for quite awhile is send them a check every month when I paid the rest of my bills so I had a credit with them. I have a flexible spending account through work for uncovered medical expenses that gave me the idea.

I sent them what a monthly insurance payment would be, about $35 years ago, and let the balance build up by only using it for emergencies. I can't tell you how wonderful it was to have several hundred dollars credit when Lady had back to back illnesses or an extremely expensive vet visit.

When I started making bows I set up a special account just for veterinary expenses which is ideal, I think. I tell everyone with a young dog to start saving for those expensive senior years right away!

I have only been to the ER vet once right when I first got Lady. I have a pretty amazing first aid kit that takes up a three drawer cart and have learned over the years to handle many of the simple things myself. For example, having imodium, pepto bismal and pedialite on hand to treat a tummy upset right away can prevent a visit, even hospitalization later on for dehydration.

Sounds like a great plan! I need to update my first aid kit. The pedialite I have seen expires in 48 hours. Is there some that you can keep on hand longer?

[Ladymom]

Originally Posted by ladyj

Sounds like a great plan! I need to update my first aid kit. The pedialite I have seen expires in 48 hours. Is there some that you can keep on hand longer?

Once Pedialite has been opened you have to throw it out in 48 hours. I buy the little six packs of the smaller bottles to keep on hand.

Here's a good basic first aid kit:

Triple antibiotic ointment
Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrocortisone cream
Terramycin eye ointment
Alcohol swabs
Benadryl
Pepto Bismal
Kaopectate
Baby Aspirin
Self-adhering bandages
Gauze pads
Eye wash
Infant syringe (no needle) marked w/m’s or cc’s for medication administration
Cold Pack
Styptic powder to stop bleeding
Cotton swabs/cotton balls
Thermometer (normal rectal temperature is between 101.0 to 102.5 degrees)
Copy of shot record (in plastic sheet)
Pedialite to replace fluids

Either print off or bookmark this link from the Red Cross on first aid for pets:

American Red Cross- Animal Safety

Here's a list of over the counter medications that can be given to pets and the proper dosage to bookmark or print out:

OTC Medications

[ladyj]

Originally Posted by Ladymom

Once Pedialite has been opened you have to throw it out in 48 hours. I buy the little six packs of the smaller bottles to keep on hand.

Here's a good basic first aid kit:

Triple antibiotic ointment
Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrocortisone cream
Terramycin eye ointment
Alcohol swabs
Benadryl
Pepto Bismal
Kaopectate
Baby Aspirin
Self-adhering bandages
Gauze pads
Eye wash
Infant syringe (no needle) marked w/m’s or cc’s for medication administration
Cold Pack
Styptic powder to stop bleeding
Cotton swabs/cotton balls
Thermometer (normal rectal temperature is between 101.0 to 102.5 degrees)
Copy of shot record (in plastic sheet)
Pedialite to replace fluids

Either print off or bookmark this link from the Red Cross on first aid for pets:

American Red Cross- Animal Safety

Here's a list of over the counter medications that can be given to pets and the proper dosage to bookmark or print out:

OTC Medications

Great information. Many thanks!

[Wylie's Mom]

What I keep on hand is very similar to LadyMom's supplies. In addition, I keep on hand:

NutriCal
Mineral Oil (for severe constipation)
Vaseline (for males stuck in the "out" position)
Canned/sliced white potatoes (for sick dogs)
Benefiber (dose is a pinch) (easier to keep on hand than canned pumpkin)
Topical Benadryl Stick
Probiotic (BeneBac is GREAT to have on hand, from Petsmart)

...I think that's it....

[emilyann]

This is such a great post geeze! I'm going to bookmark it!