Letters to the Editor
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Adopt a pet wisely
Ada, you almost sound more relieved to have assuaged your guilt than you sound happy to have your cat back. And I think you're exaggerating just a bit about the likelihood of seeing him in a $400 cat stroller if you had chosen to give Ferdinand up. The vast majority of us are not spending thousands of dollars on pet toys and accoutrements.
My heart goes out to those who truly can't afford medical care for their pets. I can't imagine how terrible a situation that must be, to have to make the choice between feeding and clothing their kids, and saving their pet. But there *are* vets who will work with pet owners to set up installment payments, or who will suggest alternate treatments that may not be *quite* as effective as others, but will not be as costly, either.
At the same time, there's nothing wrong with people who can and will spend tons of money to save their pets, provided they're doing it for the right reasons.
I've spent probably about $20,000 over 11 years for medical care for my beloved cat. She has suffered from various ailments and disorders that have required treatment, and some of them were very expensive. I have been *extremely* fortunate in that I've been able to afford all of them without too much pain, but I've also spent wisely and have scrimped when I've needed to, because in adopting her, I made that inherent promise to do what's right for her, no matter what.
And I've always considered her quality of life: if the treatments recommended were worse than the disorder itself, or if the treatments had only a slim chance of restoring her to health, then I wouldn't have spent the money to subject her to them.
My cat is now 17 years old. She needs a few pills each day, but other than that, she's still the same beautiful, feisty, fluffy ball of joy that she's always been, and I have absolutely no regrets at how much money I've spent on her. The happiness she has given me has been worth far more than that. And I would do it all again in a heartbeat, even if it meant that I had to take a second job and skip meals to be able to save her.
The bottom line is, your pet becomes part of your family the minute you adopt it. If your love for that pet ISN'T unconditional, then there's an imbalance, because your pet's love for you IS unconditional. So think wisely before adopting.
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I will always pay
When I adopted my shar pei from a shelter a few years back she came complete with papers and a 'mystery disease'. Her previous owners spent a small fortune on buying her but did not want to pay to treat her. Shar peis have a laundry list of issues that are specific to them and to the shoddy breeding standards.
Many of the things were easy to clear up, ear infections are really common and can easily be prevented with regular cleaning.
She still had this mystery illness, this 'something' that was causing her feet to swell and turn bright red. It was obviously painful for her. I've been going to the same vet since I was in high school. I trust this vets office. We tried any number of things and some things would cure it for a while but it always came back.
Finally I took her to a different vet. He did a lot of research before we got there. We tried one treatment, it worked for about 3 months. The next time in he nailed it. An autoimmune disorder, very rare in dogs, but seen in shar peis more often than other breeds. She is on a lifelong course of treatment, she is happier and healthier than ever.
I spent thousands on her over the few years, but I do not regret a penny of it. When you adopt an animal and take them into your home you take on the obligation of doing for them everything they cannot do for themselves. My dogs cannot go get a job that provides them with health care coverage, nor can they pick the most nutritious foods, or know how to behave around other people. When I adopt a pet I fully expect to give them these things.
The course of treatment that my dog is on will probably shorten her life. I know this and accept this. Her quality of life is 100 times better than it was when I first got her and I believe that it is infinitely better for her to have a shorter, happier life than a longer, miserable life.
These are the decisions I have to make carefully, because I have an obligation to my pets.
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WE ALL die.
Medicine has given us the illusion that we can all live forever, given the proper treatment. Living with companion animals is bound to end in sadness at their passing. Their lifespan is shorter. We have had pet rats for years. They live 2-3 years. We have had some pretty bad weeks around here after some of the ones we have really liked have died. There was one in particular that my kids still tear up about when they talk about her (RIP Minne). But life does go on.
My dog got loose before Christmas. I thought, "I hope the dumb dog doesn't get hit by a car, because there goes Christmas. And ANY travel for the year." Thankfully, he came back after about half an hour. He's worth a skimpy Christmas, but he's not worth our financial ruin. I love him dearly. He's sleeping on the couch now, and I feel bad even thinking such a thing. He's a great personal trainer. I find it difficult to imagine life without him. But being in my mid thirties, it is pretty likely that I will live without him. As will my kids. It is inevitable.
When I was a kid, we had old school callous vets (who upset my mom) and new school vets (who bilked my mom). My mom spent thousands keeping a genetically defective, fun-loving, spunky, West Highland White terrier alive for seven ears. Despite numerous trips to MSU, eye drops, surgeries and injections, she only lived to be seven, due to a bad immune system. I think much of this was because mom thought I couldn't handle the dog dying. I knew the dog was very sick. Going through all of that to keep her going felt wrong after a while.
So I guess I feel pretty much the same about pets as people. Enjoy the heck out of them while they are around. Let them go when they are miserable or just worn out. Animals let you know. They have much more sense than we do.