Need prayers for my dogs
bona fido dog-lover
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SF Bay area, CA
Posts: 99,761
Need prayers for my dogs
I'm so disgusted with myself. I just did the math and figured that I spent over $4,000 in the last year on wine. $4,000!!!!!!!
I need your prayers because I've written to a very good veterinary school's teaching hospital asking them if they ever do surgery on people's pets as part of their curriculum. My elderly beagle needs surgery on her knee as she tore the inner ligaments last week and is now on pain meds and limping. The shiba is going blind very quickly due to his diabetes. His right eye has a very bad cataract and the left eye is developing a cataract also. He's running into walls and door frames due to his vision being so bad.
I realized today that if I hadn't spent so much money on wine in the last year I'd be able to pay for the knee and cataract surgeries. But I can't turn back the clock so now must ask for help for my dogs.
I would greatly appreciate your prayers for my dogs that the vet school can and will help me out with this. I have nowhere else to turn. I can't stand to see the beagle in pain and not being able to get around very well, and to see the shiba crashing into walls, missing steps and falling off the porch just breaks my heart.
Please, all you dog lovers, say a special prayer for my dogs that the vet school will do their surgeries as part of their teaching.
Thank you all very much.:praying
It hurts me to see them suffering because I was drunk and stupid for a year!
I need your prayers because I've written to a very good veterinary school's teaching hospital asking them if they ever do surgery on people's pets as part of their curriculum. My elderly beagle needs surgery on her knee as she tore the inner ligaments last week and is now on pain meds and limping. The shiba is going blind very quickly due to his diabetes. His right eye has a very bad cataract and the left eye is developing a cataract also. He's running into walls and door frames due to his vision being so bad.
I realized today that if I hadn't spent so much money on wine in the last year I'd be able to pay for the knee and cataract surgeries. But I can't turn back the clock so now must ask for help for my dogs.
I would greatly appreciate your prayers for my dogs that the vet school can and will help me out with this. I have nowhere else to turn. I can't stand to see the beagle in pain and not being able to get around very well, and to see the shiba crashing into walls, missing steps and falling off the porch just breaks my heart.
Please, all you dog lovers, say a special prayer for my dogs that the vet school will do their surgeries as part of their teaching.
Thank you all very much.:praying
It hurts me to see them suffering because I was drunk and stupid for a year!
Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 300
Least I was able to get a vet school perform knee surgery on my rottie for a fraction of the cost so I hope you get good news. If by chance they cannot help, do try contacting your local vets and humane society, there are many who will be glad to help and/or refer you to some place that can. In the meantime try giving your beagle glucosamine, it works wonders for my old dogs, give it to her everyday if you can and you should notice an improvement rather quickly, within a week or so. Keep us posted please.
bona fido dog-lover
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SF Bay area, CA
Posts: 99,761
Actually I've been giving both of them glucosamine/chondroitin dog treats for a while now. But I will continue to give them the 'senior' biscuits and pray that the vet school's hospital will do the surgeries.
Life the gift of recovery!
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Home is where the heart is
Posts: 7,061
Financial assistance
As a beagle owner and animal lover myself, I can emphasize with your pain. In reviewing my drinking years I can see so many times where I neglected care of my animals and children due to my alcohol abuse. I can not change the past and regret will do no good but I can learn from it and do my best not to repeat the behavior.
You and your dogs are in my thoughts and prayers.
Here are some links for financial aid for pet emergencies. I found this because my beagle developed addisons because the vet I had would not listen when I told her that my dog was not doing well on the medicine she gave her for cushings disease. It wound up almost killing Lucy and did kill her adrenal glands. Now she has to be on medicine for addisons for the rest of her life. It is quite costly as well as something I have to monitor closely as any stress can result in an addisons crisis which can be deadly if not caught and treated. Hope you can find some help.
Financial Assistance
You and your dogs are in my thoughts and prayers.
Here are some links for financial aid for pet emergencies. I found this because my beagle developed addisons because the vet I had would not listen when I told her that my dog was not doing well on the medicine she gave her for cushings disease. It wound up almost killing Lucy and did kill her adrenal glands. Now she has to be on medicine for addisons for the rest of her life. It is quite costly as well as something I have to monitor closely as any stress can result in an addisons crisis which can be deadly if not caught and treated. Hope you can find some help.
Financial Assistance
Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Dancing in the Light
Posts: 61,476
Hi Least,
It is so sad to see our beloved pets suffer. But blaming yourself at this point, won't help. As you are doing, focus your energy on finding a way to care for your dogs. I know, that veterinary schools do offer lower priced services for people, so I will send lots of prayers your way, that you get the answer you need.
It is so sad to see our beloved pets suffer. But blaming yourself at this point, won't help. As you are doing, focus your energy on finding a way to care for your dogs. I know, that veterinary schools do offer lower priced services for people, so I will send lots of prayers your way, that you get the answer you need.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: East Tawas, MI
Posts: 3,683
My daughter's little chihuahua Petey needed knee surgery for a luxated patella. She had spent all her money on drugs and so her dad and I paid for the surgery. We could not bear to see him walking around on three legs. The surgery went well and we later took Petey when my daughter could no longer care for him properly. My 4 Brittanys are getting up there in age. So I will say extra prayers for your babies that they will get the surgeries that they need to go back to living a full life free of pain. Hugs, Marle
Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Posts: 40
I am not sure about vet schools, but maybe a vet would work out a payment plan if you explained your situation. There are kind hearted vets who work with rescue societies and provide lower cost care. I know how hard it is to have an animal who is sick. I am going through it right now and did at the beginning of the year, too.
Try your local Humane Society for referrals. Otherwise, get out the Yellow Pages and start calling vets. :bounce At least you care about your animals. I hear horror stories from the girls at the vets office all the time. You rock!!!
Try your local Humane Society for referrals. Otherwise, get out the Yellow Pages and start calling vets. :bounce At least you care about your animals. I hear horror stories from the girls at the vets office all the time. You rock!!!
Community Greeter
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Upstate New York
Posts: 51,537
Guilt's a waste of time
Try not to look at it that way, Least - you seem like such a loving and caring person. Obviously you didn't just blow that money thinking to hell with your animals! It doesn't work that way. I wish I had back all the money I spent on liquor, legal fees, fines, etc. Then there's the ruined credit I've caused my husband to be stuck with. The main thing is we are better now, and can face all our future problems in a responsible way with a clear head. Praying hard for you and your babies.
cunning. baffling. powerful.
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: NY
Posts: 183
Hello. I don't post here very often because my brand of ESH sounds like medical advice (which makes sense. As a medical school student I am living and breathing medicine 24/7/365 or risk flunking out. I don't have any other kind of ESH!). 
I do sometimes come look at the site to see that people are well, etc. and this caught my eye.
I am a senior student at a veterinary teaching hospital and I can at least explain to you how they work because it sounds a little bit like a sort of "beauty school model" is being applied to vet school where the haircuts are cheaper because they are learning.
Our curriculum IS to work with clients and their pets. And by going to a veterinary hospital you are getting board certified specialists doing the surgeries while students assist and observe. No reasonable veterinary hospital would allow a senior student to perform a solo orthopedic or ophthalmology surgery as a learning experience to make it less expensive for the animal's owner. That would be "malpractice". Like any hospital or specialty practice, all clients are billed for the services provided. Our VTH is open 24 hours with skilled care going on round the clock just as you'd imagine in a human hospital. We've just got a lot more species for patients.
VTHs do have "charity programs" for routine surgeries such as spays and neuters, but they work through local shelters, not individuals. (As in the shelter sends animals with good adoption prospects, they are altered by students working under the supervision of the attending DVMs, and then returned to the shelter for adoption. Many of these animals are adopted out of the hospital though - to students or their family and friends.)
The truth is, it might be better to find a primary care vet that knows how to do the surgery. It will be cheaper and local. At vet schools the clinicians are the ones writing all the text books and journal articles. Just like in the human medical world, those kinds of doctors can be more expensive. There are many very capable DVMs out there who can perform a cruciate ligament repair as well as treat glaucoma.
As for the cost, whether you go to a veterinary teaching hospital or not, there are options for payment plans. Not to mention, a practice owner who has control over their finances and staff may actually be more interested in working something out with you than a VTH with a heavy teaching caseload and nearly 100 doctors on staff.
I'm not trying to dash your hopes, but give you an idea of other options since there is a good chance that the vet school will turn down the opportunity to provide free care. It's a good idea, but I'm not sure it's realistic. Surgery is an expensive enterprise. A CCL repair at a VTH will use several hundred dollars worth of supplies, equipment, and medications alone, not to mention the time and effort of the surgical team.
I hope I'm wrong and I will be happy if I am, but from my own experience, when requests like this come to our school, they are turned down. It is the school that can't afford it.
And I agree about the guilt. It is doubtful that you would have put the money into a special "dog surgery fund" anyway. What you are facing is a dilemma that pet owners face at our hospital every day. In this case, recovering alcoholic or not, you are just like everyone else.
I wish you luck with your dogs,
~SK
I do sometimes come look at the site to see that people are well, etc. and this caught my eye.
I am a senior student at a veterinary teaching hospital and I can at least explain to you how they work because it sounds a little bit like a sort of "beauty school model" is being applied to vet school where the haircuts are cheaper because they are learning.
Our curriculum IS to work with clients and their pets. And by going to a veterinary hospital you are getting board certified specialists doing the surgeries while students assist and observe. No reasonable veterinary hospital would allow a senior student to perform a solo orthopedic or ophthalmology surgery as a learning experience to make it less expensive for the animal's owner. That would be "malpractice". Like any hospital or specialty practice, all clients are billed for the services provided. Our VTH is open 24 hours with skilled care going on round the clock just as you'd imagine in a human hospital. We've just got a lot more species for patients.
VTHs do have "charity programs" for routine surgeries such as spays and neuters, but they work through local shelters, not individuals. (As in the shelter sends animals with good adoption prospects, they are altered by students working under the supervision of the attending DVMs, and then returned to the shelter for adoption. Many of these animals are adopted out of the hospital though - to students or their family and friends.)
The truth is, it might be better to find a primary care vet that knows how to do the surgery. It will be cheaper and local. At vet schools the clinicians are the ones writing all the text books and journal articles. Just like in the human medical world, those kinds of doctors can be more expensive. There are many very capable DVMs out there who can perform a cruciate ligament repair as well as treat glaucoma.
As for the cost, whether you go to a veterinary teaching hospital or not, there are options for payment plans. Not to mention, a practice owner who has control over their finances and staff may actually be more interested in working something out with you than a VTH with a heavy teaching caseload and nearly 100 doctors on staff.
I'm not trying to dash your hopes, but give you an idea of other options since there is a good chance that the vet school will turn down the opportunity to provide free care. It's a good idea, but I'm not sure it's realistic. Surgery is an expensive enterprise. A CCL repair at a VTH will use several hundred dollars worth of supplies, equipment, and medications alone, not to mention the time and effort of the surgical team.
I hope I'm wrong and I will be happy if I am, but from my own experience, when requests like this come to our school, they are turned down. It is the school that can't afford it.
And I agree about the guilt. It is doubtful that you would have put the money into a special "dog surgery fund" anyway. What you are facing is a dilemma that pet owners face at our hospital every day. In this case, recovering alcoholic or not, you are just like everyone else.
I wish you luck with your dogs,
~SK
No more merlot, more mamma
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Hills, Ct
Posts: 2,139
Hi Least,
In Ct. where I live, there is a Humane Society shelter/hospital where they will base the fee on your ability to pay. I would check out the society in your area.
I feel for you. I had to put off my dog's heart worm procedure due to lack of funds and I felt horrible about it. Guess where my tax refund went? Please let us know how everything goes ok?
Big hugs,
Karen
In Ct. where I live, there is a Humane Society shelter/hospital where they will base the fee on your ability to pay. I would check out the society in your area.
I feel for you. I had to put off my dog's heart worm procedure due to lack of funds and I felt horrible about it. Guess where my tax refund went? Please let us know how everything goes ok?
Big hugs,
Karen
Life the gift of recovery!
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Home is where the heart is
Posts: 7,061
I encourage you to click on the financial assistance link in my earlier post as it does provide some good sources for help with payments. Here is the link again just click on the bold words "financial assistance' even though it comes up not looking like a link it is one.
Financial Assistance This site includes the Pet Fund, the United Animal Nations, IMOM, Care Credit, and American Animal Hospital Association which are all places that help out with paying for needed medical care for companion animals.
Financial Assistance This site includes the Pet Fund, the United Animal Nations, IMOM, Care Credit, and American Animal Hospital Association which are all places that help out with paying for needed medical care for companion animals.
bona fido dog-lover
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SF Bay area, CA
Posts: 99,761
Thank you for the link. I did look at it earlier a bit but will look in more detail later. I thank you all for your responses. It means a lot to me, just like my dogs do.
Kurt, it is cataracts. not glaucoma. And this vet college is where my two vets went. And my vets told me to give the vet hospital their number, which I did.
I didn't send a letter cause I thought it was free, I was told by more than one person that the vet services were less expensive,and to ask about it. I am sure also that my vets would have told me if I needn't bother asking the vet school, but instead they told me to let them have their number in case any facts would need to be verified.
As far as payment plans, I would be making teeny payments for the rest of my life, unless I find a great job or hit the lottery. My ball park figure for the knee surgery was between $1,000 and $1,500. I have no idea what cataract surgery costs, only that if it's more than a dollar I haven't the money.
I'm grasping at straws here. I'm desperate to be able to do something good for my dogs in return for their undying love and devotion. I'm hoping too that prayer and a word from God might allow this school to somehow do this. Also on their website there's a spot for questions about the 'companion animal' part of their curriculum. Now where would they get the companion animals to study and operate on if not for people's pets, shelter animals, and perhaps the pets of the students and staff.
I can't give up hope as it's all I've got. I look at it this way: last year I dealt with my problems by getting, and staying, drunk. Not this time. I'm dealing with life sober. And if I can do that, there's hope for anything.
:ghug2
Actually, this particular vet school might remember me. I have an unusual last name and a few years ago I wrote a letter to the school to thank them for giving my two vets such a good and compassionate education and training. I got a letter in response from them, thanking me for expressing my gratitude for their alumni. So it's possible that I will be remembered by someone there.
Kurt, it is cataracts. not glaucoma. And this vet college is where my two vets went. And my vets told me to give the vet hospital their number, which I did.
I didn't send a letter cause I thought it was free, I was told by more than one person that the vet services were less expensive,and to ask about it. I am sure also that my vets would have told me if I needn't bother asking the vet school, but instead they told me to let them have their number in case any facts would need to be verified.
As far as payment plans, I would be making teeny payments for the rest of my life, unless I find a great job or hit the lottery. My ball park figure for the knee surgery was between $1,000 and $1,500. I have no idea what cataract surgery costs, only that if it's more than a dollar I haven't the money.
I'm grasping at straws here. I'm desperate to be able to do something good for my dogs in return for their undying love and devotion. I'm hoping too that prayer and a word from God might allow this school to somehow do this. Also on their website there's a spot for questions about the 'companion animal' part of their curriculum. Now where would they get the companion animals to study and operate on if not for people's pets, shelter animals, and perhaps the pets of the students and staff.
I can't give up hope as it's all I've got. I look at it this way: last year I dealt with my problems by getting, and staying, drunk. Not this time. I'm dealing with life sober. And if I can do that, there's hope for anything.
:ghug2
Actually, this particular vet school might remember me. I have an unusual last name and a few years ago I wrote a letter to the school to thank them for giving my two vets such a good and compassionate education and training. I got a letter in response from them, thanking me for expressing my gratitude for their alumni. So it's possible that I will be remembered by someone there.
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