I had the same decision to make years ago. My dog was very sick at 7 mos of age and was left with growth plate injuries to both front legs. One of his legs is quite bowed. I called around to see about help for him. A surgeon over on the coast was willing to take on the case after I emailed him some photos. He gave me an estimate of $1500 PER leg and that didn't include follow up appointments and treatments. He wanted to correct the legs and I would have the difficult job of turning screws daily/weekly on orthopedic devices that my poor dog would have to endure after the surgery. I was also informed that the surgery had to be done right away for it to be successful. Once he was grown it would be too late. I didn't make near the money I make now so this kind of money would have devastated my budget. I do love my dog...he is actually my best friend as he just turned 4 years old. Thankfully he is happy with his bowed legs and he can still run without any restriction. Will he have early arthritis? or go lame as he ages? Probably. But I know that the torture of surgery would have changed him, made him a different dog. The odds of complications, unsuccessful results, and just the pain and suffering were wieghed along with the outrageous cost of the surgery. I agree there are docs out there making big cash payoffs and they realize these animals are "family" so we will  find a way to pay. I did look around and found doctors that had different opinions and different estimates so maybe a second opinion would be a good idea. I also think that animals, like people don't deserve to suffer and that includes suffering painful orthopedic correction, which may be just as painful as living with the disorder. My dog has been very happy and for the most part very healthy. I am greatful for each day he is with me and as long as he can run and be a "dog", I will love him like family.

I got a wonderful 2 year old border collie from the pound a few years ago and after 4 months I cam home to find her paralyzed from the midback down.  After $300 at the pet ER with x-rays and IV's,  I took her to my vet the next day.  He kept her overnight and then told me that she had apparently pinched her spinal cord in the vertebrae and had absolutely no feeling in her legs or paws.  He said I could take her home and try to make her comfortable even though she had lost control of her bladder and bowels or another alternative was UCLA for surgery.  He said the cost would probably be around $5000 with no guarantee it would work.  I told him that wasn't an option and that taking her home would just be cruel so, sadly, I had her put to sleep.

As border collies tend to be, she was a high enregy dog and the best ball and frisbee jumper I'd seen.  I asked the vet if that could have caused the injury and he said it was very possible.  That jumping high and twisting to catch the ball or frisbee could have caused her to come down wrong and injure herself.    Now when I play frisbee with my lab, I keep it low to the ground for her to catch or chase.   One of the hardest things I've ever done is to hold that dog in my arms while they put her to sleep.  I don't want to ever experience that again.

The vet bill was also $300 so all told, it cost me $600.  There's no way I could afford $5000 though.  My feeling is that when I adopted Fannie I took on the responsibility of medical care for her and seeing that she didn't suffer and I did the best I could to stand by that responsibility.

 

 

Woof, now I'm crying.  I'm sitting here thanking my lucky stars that the dog you see in this picture is fine, so far.  She came from the pound, as I've spouted here before.  Don't get me wrong, I've had those over priced vet bills too.  It was cats.  One of them seemed always to get sick on Christmas.  IT was weird, mostly urinary tract infections, probably from all the "ash" they put in cat food (I was young).  Still alot of money.  Nothing like what you guys have just shared though.

Worst story---Is BoogBoog (see a pattern) our black cat that drooled when you petted him.  I heard some crazy meowing at 2A out in the front yard, a few yers back.  Just thought it was a bad cat fight.  Opened the door and two pit bulls saw me.  Both of them had my cat in their mouthes.  They started running side by side with the cat caught at the neck and back legs.  I'm half naked running down the  street to try and get him back.  They dropped him, he was toast....barely alive.  Took him to the place behind Meryvn's on California....emergency service.  He had too much internal bleeding, but they wanted to do surgery.  We were broke at the time, had to put him to sleep.

They are our best friends sometimes.  That pain seems funny when it's "just an animal"...but it feels so bad.

HOoooowl!

That is something I did not consider right away, sticker shock and all; the pain that Zhatu (the Maltese) will have to endure. I am certain it will be considerable. However, my parents are known for keeping their pets for as long as possible, an action that, while commendable in many respects, does not always take the animal's suffering into consideration. Years ago, they had a Newfoundland yearling who was just the sweetest dog I had ever seen. One day a few local kids went into the yard and poured acid on the dog's back, in retaliation for my mother calling the police on them for vandalizing a neighborhood house. The resulting injury was devastating, and excruciating, for the poor dog. The injury required over three hundred sutures to close; the ER vet (who, BTW, did the surgery pro bono) recommended that the dog be put down. My parents refused. As Dar mentioned, he was never the same dog again. Where he had been gentle and friendly, he became temperamental and unpredictable. We could not even leave him in the house with us when we visited, because I could not trust him with my kids. And after all that, my parents still refused to put him down, even though it was apparent that he was no longer happy.

I wish I could talk to my parents and have them reconsider. I have heard that ortho surg is very painful.

Dar...what kind of dog do you have? Is it a large breed? They are prone to ortho problems at an early age.

Boog...I mean Woof...;)...poor kitty!!!! (snif....) That is the reason I do not let my cats outside, and also the reason I do feral rescue. I catch feral cats, usually with a rigged kitty carrier, and then take them to the vet to be altered. If they are tamable, I find homes for them. (That explains why I have four.) If they are too wild, I re-release, and continue feeding them so they do not have to travel far for food. They can no longer procreate in the wild, and can't make more kittens to be owl/coyote/dog bait.

BTW, our gray kitty, Diesel, drools too!

My son still talks about how much he misses his Boxer, and she died two years ago. (He is getting a Boxer puppy for his graduation gift...:D)

Nancy...I held my kitty when we put him down, when I was 12. I cried for months...no, years. 

I recommend that the dog is taken to Dr. Lenhart at Stockdale Vet. She is HONEST and will direct you to a veterinarian clinic surgeon that is affordable.

ghostriter, I own a doberman pinscher. Not sure why I chose this breed because I could never tolerate a mean animal. My dobie is such a gentle soul. When he developed a 104 temp at age 7 months I found him at the end of my bed one morning unresponsive but still breathing. I rushed him to the vet where he spent 6 days on IV fluid and antibiotics. He lost all strength in his back legs and refused to get up. The vet told me at that time, "I have never seen such a gentle soul". He told me to take him home and put him in the sunshine on the grass. The first few hours he just sat there. It was so amazing and painful to watch him get up and try to walk to the house. He howled as he walked but he had a look on his face like "don't leave me". He has had that look ever since:) His front paws started to bow months later. The growth plates were affected by that infection. I could not put him through more pain, heck I couldn't even get his ears clipped and pinned. He is such a sweet dog now. He loves kids, little dogs, cats (I have 3 of them) and anyone that comes into my home. He even let someone steal a stereo out of my car as he sat in the back seat (probably licking the guy)! Point is, he is happy and doing well. I will make the decision to put  him out of his misery if it comes to that. I am a nurse that saves tiny babies. I see suffering in those that can't speak. It can be inhumane to let something or someone suffer just to avoid losing them. Quality of life should extend to dogs as well. If I was your parents I would listen hard to the part of the doc's speech about COMPLICATIONS and FAILURE RATE of any surgery they are considering. Will the poor dog need lots of therapy and recovery? Will it be worth it to the DOG?  Such a sad story about your Newfoundland and I can only hope those kids "paid" for it somehow. My uncle had dogs poisoned by people throwing tainted meat over the fence probably in retaliation for barking. Max has become a huge part of my life. I am "one of those" dog owners. If I created a mean, sensitive, or untrustworthy dog then life with him wouldn't be the same.Your parents need to put themselves in their "dog's paws" when making these decisions...Good luck with your boxer and you sound like a animal lover with your heart in the right place.

JAT...I would take your advice, but my parents live in Phoenix, in a very affluent neighborhood. Thanks. I will remember that for my son's upcoming graduation puppy!

BTW, that is how I knew that the ortho vet lives in a gated community...he is one of their neighbors that they had not previously met. 

...and Dar, I have a friend who owns Dobies, three of them. I would have one in a second. They are a wonderful breed, who have caught an unfair reputation. Your advice is sound...I wish I could talk my mom and dad into thinking thusly.

Ghostriter,

I can't tell you the number of dogs I have brought to Stockdale Vet and they are the best in town. Caring beyond all measures with out ripping your wallet to shreds.

I was going to try and not comment, but I can't seem to help myself.

I agree that 6K is an awful lot to spend on a pet. Anyone who receives a diagnosis that includes major surgery and/or a large sum of money should get a second opinion, especially as pets cannot quantify their level of discomfort to us. And, yes, veterinary care is expensive. Veterinary hospitals have to purchase much the same equipment as  doctor offices (X ray machines, anesthesia machines, exam tables, pharmaceuticals,  microscopes, etc.). They don't get a break on the costs of equipment because they treat animals.

One of the best things a pet owner can do to protect themselves in the event of injury/illness of their pet is to purchase pet health insurance, much as we do for people. Just imagine what that same surgery would cost if it needed to be done on a member of your family and you had no insurance to cover it...$6,000 would be a bargain.

Good luck to your family and their little maltese.