Faced by a Tough Decision

Last week Spencer and I found ourselves facing a really tough decision. It involved the health of our dog, Drake. A little over a week ago Drake started acting sick. His sickness was progressive, it wasn't like it hit him right away. His food consumption gradually started to slow down and so did his activity level. When it got to the point where he wasn't eating, Spencer started to get very concerned. He monitored Drake's every movement. Our Vet recommended that we just keep him hydrated and closely watch him. After seeing no improvement, Spencer finally took him in to be seen.

We tried to get in with our Vet, but he was not available, so Spencer tried out a new one. The news we received was not good. The doctor said he could feel a "blockage" in Drake's stomach/intestines and that x-rays were necessary and it would most likely end in surgery. By the time the visit was over we were looking at a total of $900 or more, if we went through with it. Spencer was devastated!! Drake is his buddy. Needless to say he was pretty upset and emotional. Here's where the hard decision came in to play. $900 is a lot of money, especially when you don't have it. The thought of losing Drake was heart wrenching, but at the same time, we couldn't justify spending that kind of money on our dog, when we have three little boys to feed. It's sad putting a price tag on an animal.

So we decided to take Drake into another clinic that our friends referred us to, and had some x-rays taken. The x-rays did not show a blockage, thank goodness, just a bacterial infection and severely backed up bowels. We were given 2 kinds of antibiotics and told he was going to be okay. What a relief! Either the previous Vet didn't know what the heck he was talking about, or we were blessed with a miracle. Regardless, I feel so relieved that he is still with us. I would hate to be in that position again and face the hard decision of what price we are willing to pay to keep our dog with us.