How much would you spend to save your dog's life?

Is pet insurance an option?

@The_Compassionate_Heretic . Too late for the insurance. She actually had it, but because the insurers say it was a pre-existing condition, they disqualified the claim. But good idea.

Sadly been there, done that. We passed. The dog was 10 and had already $1200 worth of surgery. That’s where we drew the line.

I would do any thing to save my dog his name is kola and he is the cutest Siberean Huskie i ever seen!!!

$1000.00 and only if my dog would not suffer after of having any surgery. I’d like to be able to spend more and at one point then I had the means but as it is, I cannot consider that. It hurts to think about even having to weigh this so I can empathize with your family.

@hungryhungryhortence . Thanks for your sentiments. My stepdaughter is young and loves that dog. It is difficult. The comments I have received from so many people are all over the map.

I really don’t believe any normal person that says they will spend any amount of money to save their dog’s life. There is always a line where it’s drawn on how much they would spend. Me? I’ll spend as much as I can w/o making me completely broke.

This was just discussed here where some good options were given.

What is the condition that she has and what is her age? We might be able to suggest other treatment options if we know.

I love my dogs but I don’t make a lot of money. $3500 is a lot of money (house payments, groceries, family medical bills, electricity, water sewer). It would tear my heart out but we would have to say our goodbyes.

I should have checked..Thanks for the links to the question. That will help.

She is a bulldog, purebred. She has a breathing disorder and needs some sort of lung and trachea surgery work done. She is about 5 months.

@dannyc

Where did you get her? Was it from a reputable breeder? If so, did you ask the breeder for help?

Does she have sleep apnea? A quick literature search showed that bulldogs with sleep apnea are being used in studies of treatments for human sleep apnea; it may be possible to find a research study using bulldogs that will offer treatment for free. Do you have a little more detail on what is wrong with her and what exactly the vet wants to do? Do you know what her lifespan prognosis is without the surgery?

Unfortunately, bulldogs are a genetic nightmare :>(

@dannyc

Here are some AKC funded health studies on bulldogs. Several are on respiratory disorders. Again, if this matches your dog, it’s a treatment option.

@crisw. I will have to check. The vet says that assuming the surgery works she will have a normal lifespan, whatever that is. It seems they are prone to these respiratory disorders. The breeder has insisted that the dog’s records were accurate and disputes the problem. In any case the dog is in distress so it is necessary do something quick. I agree the breeder is, to me, at fault. It was my stepdaughter who purchased the dog, so I don’t have all the details.

The odds offered by the vet do not sound good to me and I wonder how many of these surgeries he has done before?

I love my dogs more than most people, but with those odds, I might back off and just have the dog put down, especially since it is so young.

Perhaps if you find a bulldog group on line, join up quickly and ask in there if anyone else has had similar experiences and what their opinions are. I am in a couple of breed specific groups in Yahoo and the wealth of knowledge is invaluable.

Good luck

@rooeytoo. Reluctantly, I have advised my stepdaughter to put the dog down, due to the odds. I believe she will go ahead anyway, hence the question. I am not saying she is wrong, she just thinks there is no way she won’t give it a shot, even if she can’t afford it. It is a a loveable dog, so I am hoping, of course it works out.

If your daughter does decide to put him down, I’d advise her to never get another bulldog. They are simply the most defect-ridden breed on the planet. There are few breeds that I think should not be allowed to continue, but the bulldog is one of them, at least in its present form. I am really sorry that this happened to you and your daughter.

My 7 month boxer/lab just got over parvo. It was so hard seeing him in so much pain. He couldn’t even walk. The vet wanted 800 dollars up front to put him in the ‘hospital’ unfortunatly we couldn’t afford it upfront and payments were not available! We chose to do an at home treatment costing 300 dollars. I had to give him 3 iv’s a day as well as 5 shots -for 4 days. It was so hard he just laid there half dead for a week. Thank god he bounced back from it and is totally fine!

I would have done anything possible to save him like your step daughter. My two dogs mean the world to me, they’re my babies!

I hope it works out okay. Wish her the best of luck.

I recently spent 1600.00 on a surgery to repair my dog’s foot and about 600.00 more in aftercare visits. I know it may seem foolish, but he is such a big part of our family. He is almost 100 percent healed. We have not regretted our decision. The vet discounted the price of the surgery by 50 percent after I sent an email to him telling him how much this dog meant to us. The surgery quoted we had gotten were in the 3500–5000 range. He was the only private surgeon who could do it. Our other alternative was LSU veterinary school which was more expensive. Our dog is a three year old Welsh terrier.

I got cats not dogs, but the concept is the same. They’re family members, thus, money is never the question…

Another consideration is the quality of life if the surgery is successful? Even a “normal” bulldog has trouble breathing in heat and humidity, folks who show them always have ice packs, sprite and emergency kits ready. So what would life be for this pup?

For me, it would not be a question of the money, I would get it together somehow, but I don’t believe in keeping animals alive just for my feelings, they have to have quality of life. I think the same way about my life.

Many thanks for all of your input. It has been very helpful.

Lily had her operation today..so far so good..I will update.. Thanks

@dannyc . . .Here’s to hoping Lily comes through barkingly. :)

Keep us posted on the progress. And yep, what Blondesjon says!