[mantispf2000]

There is a dog rescue in Pacific Grove (Peace of Mind Dog Rescue), and they recently received a 12yo Japanese Chin. Since we adopted from them before, they thought we'd be interested (and we are!!). However.......

He has congestive heart failure. They've been having him checked out regularly. They've been keeping us up to date on the test results, and he does look very cute. Our concern is the cost of his meds (about $70-$80/mo), and his diet. Research we keep on doing to make an informed decision.

Question to the RM faithful........ have any of you had to deal with a similar situation, and if so, do you/would you have any advice? We've pretty much been told that, as long as he has his meds, he can live a couple months, or a couple years (great spread, eh?).

Thanks in advance for any info you can share.......

 

[WestCoastHucker]

i recently rescued a 9yr old Chihuahua that needed a $1200 surgery on his swollen saliva glands. i knew it wouldn't require further checkups or meds and he was the old dude i was looking for to accompany my older female after her brother died. i knew i could afford it, and i easily waste much more on silly stuff with no real return, so i figured it a no brainer. i certainly wouldn't have bought a dog from anywhere for a similar price, but it's an easier pill to swallow when you know you're saving a life and getting a new best friend...

 

[OGRipper]

You deserve a lot of credit for even considering this kind of adoption.

I think the question is whether you expect him to be a rewarding companion for years to come or if you simply want to give him a nice home for the rest of his life, and are willing to pay what could be a lot to do so.

A quick search shows life expectancy for this breed is ordinarily 12 - 14 years, and that congestive heart failure is a leading cause of death. So this guy doesn't have a ton of time left regardless. Even if you're willing to pay the cost of his heart meds, other issues may pop up. If that occurs you could be faced with footing the bill for potentially expensive procedures and additional meds vs. letting him go.

My girlfriend/life partner is a vet and she constantly sees people forced to decide between paying hundreds and even thousands of dollars for surgeries and meds (with no clear outcome) vs. euthanasia. It shouldn't be a financial decision but unfortunately it is for a lot of people, and it's heart-breaking. If you're willing to go through the emotional and financial toil, you are this little guy's savior/angel, and good on you. However, the reality is that most people would look for a younger and healthier dog to adopt.

 

[WestCoastHucker]

i have had many dogs over the years that required daily meds or attention, but with them i was already invested over the course of their lives, so continuing with them on meds was the only way to go...

 

[OGRipper]

i have had many dogs over the years that required daily meds or attention, but with them i was already invested over the course of their lives, so continuing with them on meds was the only way to go...

Yeah, good point. It's easier to justify the cost and heart-wrenching that comes with senior dogs if they've been a part of your life for a long time. Taking it on so late in the dog's life is another thing altogether, and it takes a special kind of person.

 

[maxyedor]

The rescue we got our pups from has a decent number of "medical" dogs, who they get from shelters because the shelter can't afford the treatment and pretty much nobody is going to adopt an old, sick dog anyway. They then place them with foster homes who know what's involved with their care, they never fully adopt them out because they never want the caretaker to feel stuck if the care becomes cost prohibitive or the work involved becomes too great. They also have a network of vets who either volunteer or cut their costs to look after the "medical" dogs which helps defray the cost tremendously. I'd ask about that side of things, as some rescues are much better than others in that respect.

Our Marsh wasn't exactly a "medical" but probably would have been had we not adopted him. He was part of a bonded pair of puppers, but not bonded to the point that they couldn't be separated, so they were okay with us only taking his younger buddy Alice, but we always wanted a second dog and didn't figure there would be a long line of people looking for 8 year old Pits with skin issues, so we took him home too.

His Pemphigus isn't nearly as bad as heart failure, but he'll be on Prednisone, Gabapentin and Cyclosporine for the rest of his life, and gets quarterly vet check-ups with blood work. It's about $75/month in pills, $150 for each vet visit, plus about $20/month in cheese to hide the pills in, so not cheap, but honestly not expensive either. I don't bother thinking about the costs, they're minimal, and I spend so much more money on a monthly basis on shit that doesn't bring us near the happiness of the dogs, so it simply doesn't matter to me what they cost.

Being 8, we assume we'll have Marsh somewhere between 2 and 6 years, which honestly if it's 2 will be heartbreaking, but we know it going in and it is what it is, he's a fucking awesome dog and we'll give him as much love as we can for as long as we can.

My only advice is to make sure you're mentally prepared for either possibility, if you lose the dog in a couple months, are you okay with that? Conversely, if you end up having it for a few years and incur the medical expenses, are you okay with that, and do you have the time to give the dogger a good life?

It's totally okay to not be okay with any of the above.

 

[Pesqueeb]

You deserve a lot of credit for even considering this kind of adoption.

+1millon rep for even considering such an adoption.

The question you need to consider given the dogs age and medical history, is are you doing what's best for you, or what's best for the dog? This adoption has to be about the dog. This dog will be just a small part of your life, but you will be the rest of its life, however long or short that might be. The financial commitment is liable to be the least painful part of adopting this dog. I've thought a lot about adopting an older dog like that, frankly I don't have the courage to only have a dog for what's liable to only be a year or two. It's too hard too lose them. What you're considering is incredibly generous and brave. Just make sure you're ready for what's to come.


Christ, I got teary eyed just typing that.

 

[jdcamb]

+1millon rep for even considering such an adoption.

The question you need to consider given the dogs age and medical history, is are you doing what's best for you, or what's best for the dog? This adoption has to be about the dog. This dog will be just a small part of your life, but you will be the rest of its life, however long or short that might be. The financial commitment is liable to be the least painful part of adopting this dog. I've thought a lot about adopting an older dog like that, frankly I don't have the courage to only have a dog for what's liable to only be a year or two. It's too hard too lose them. What you're considering is incredibly generous and brave. Just make sure you're ready for what's to come.


Christ, I got teary eyed just typing that.

Permij my friend... Permij...

 

[mantispf2000]

Thank you all for your input. We have rescued/adopted a few dogs in the past, and felt it was the best for us and the dog combined. We have a new fur-baby, and the dog has a home that gives him/her tons of love for the rest of its days.

This one is the hardest to decide due to his condition. Will we do what it takes? HELL YES!! Will he be loved and cared for? OH YES!! Will I look funny when I take all of our dogs on a walk, 3 walking and he in a stroller or chest carrier? Do I care about how I look? NOPE!!

He's being checked on Monday, and those results will give us a better idea of what we'd be in for.

Update to follow.......

 

[mantispf2000]

Results are in........

Though Earl is doing very well now that he's back on track with his rx's, the vet asked about where he'd be living, POMDR told him in Carson City, and the vet was against his moving here. IF Earl was younger, he'd be able to adapt. However, with his advanced years and condition, it would be too much for him.

And though I was concerned he'd need consideration any time the wife and I wanted to get away, I was looking forward to caring for his cute self.......

 

[Pesqueeb]

Results are in........

Though Earl is doing very well now that he's back on track with his rx's, the vet asked about where he'd be living, POMDR told him in Carson City, and the vet was against his moving here. IF Earl was younger, he'd be able to adapt. However, with his advanced years and condition, it would be too much for him.

And though I was concerned he'd need consideration any time the wife and I wanted to get away, I was looking forward to caring for his cute self.......

Boooo.....

What's the reasoning there? Altitude?

 

[mantispf2000]

Boooo.....

What's the reasoning there? Altitude?

Exactly. Though we're at about 4700ft elevation, he'd be coming from sea level, and the doc just isn't too keen on his adapting.....

 

[WestCoastHucker]

Exactly. Though we're at about 4700ft elevation, he'd be coming from sea level, and the doc just isn't too keen on his adapting.....

relatable. when i lived in boulder, my grandpa came out to visit us from somewhere around sea level. he pretty much went straight from the airplane to the hospital because of the altitude...

 

[maxyedor]

Altitude is no joke with a weak heart, so it makes sense, but still, that's a bummer. Sounds like the doggo would have had a solid home.

 

[6thElement]

OT, but related, living at 7500ft is another reason I'm in no hurry to get COVID.