Bad Week for our pets (...and us)

[3girls3xsthefun]

On Memorial Day we had a BBQ -- it was also my daughters birthday -- and we had family over. I took Daisy, our rescue, out to use the bathroom and run around before the BBQ was in full swing. I sat on the porch with my mom while Daisy ran around, chasing bugs. All of a sudden she crouched down and jumped straight up into the air, trying to get to a bird on the other side of the fence. When she came down she impaled herself on our spike wrought iron fence.

I screamed for my H and ran toward her, but she managed to get herself unstuck before I got to her. 

We rushed her to the animal hospital and they took her back for surgery. She ended up with 2 puncture wounds in her chest, but luckily she missed any organs. 

She has to stay in the hospital for 3 nights and then she came home. Her surgery and stay cost us right at $3k. H, who admittedly isn't a huge fan of her due to behavior issues I've mentioned here before, is really bothered by the money we spent. He never had pets growing up and he's not attached to the dog. He said we should have had her "put down" instead of shelling out $3,000 for a dog that cost $100 and could be replaced. 

I know he's just frustrated about the money, and I am too, but I couldn't put her down knowing there wasn't really anything serious wrong with her. She's fine now, just as crazy as she was before.

Then to top it off one of our inside cat got out one dayand managed to get bit by something. He's been to the vet 3 times in the last week and now has a drain in his neck. The vet said he might need surgery, too, and H said absolutely not, he's not paying for another pet surgery. He said if they cat dies from the bite, he dies.

I also told H that the fence in the front yard HAS to go, it's too dangerous. The fence came with our 160-year old house and he said we'd be stupid to take it out. Not only does it have a lot of value, it adds to the character of the house. We live on a farm and don't have a fenced in back yard. Adding in a fenced area for the dog to run around would be an additional cost.

I knew that pets cost money, but we've honestly spend more money on these pets in the 6 months we've had them than we have on our own children in the last few years.

I guess I'm just venting. H doesn't want to hear about it anymore. If he has his way we wouldn't have any pets  




 

[niemand88f]

I'm sorry you had a rough week. I don't sympathize with your H at all - when it's an accident that the pet can recover from with good quality of life, you should do whatever you can to help them. And NOT look at it like you can just go out and get a new dog for less $ . It can be a different story if the pet is old and struggling with cancer or something else that gives them a poor quality of life.

Can you apply for Care Credit? It's a credit card you can use on human or pet medical expenses, with no interest for 6-12 months depending on the size of the purchase.

Although pet insurance won't cover these incidents or preexisting conditions, it might be worth looking into for future accidents. I pay $33 a month total for my 3 cats with Embrace.

[finally]

I'm so sorry to hear that!

I love my doggie but understand the money can be a hard thing so I set up a separate bank account for her and contribute $10 a week and I may up it to $15 soon. She is still young (1.5 y/o) but this is money that if I ever have a doubt about spending money on a treatment for her, is there.  I don't use it for routine visits but know it's there.  And should I never need it, then it's still mine.

[Deleted]

The previous poster had a great idea about setting up a separate account as an emergency fund. I know how costs can accumulate. We are pretty well-off due to our miserly ways (jk, but I am very frugal and live in a very low cost-of-living area), but I think in the final month of our basset's life we spent around $1800 or so. She had bloodwork, fluids, shots for pancreatitis, and so forth.

I would've unleashed hellfire on H for those comments and that attitude about the dog... but that's me. Maybe more communication is needed about pets, finances, and so forth. It could be that he might have resentment toward the animals. There could be a deeper issue. I don't mean necessarily anything too serious, but I would talk to him in more detail.