Monday, October 17, 2011

What length?

I read this post on CMae's blog Happiness Is ... and that got me to thinking.

I'm crazy in love with my furbabies. My dog is my pal ... and my cat is my snuggle buddy. For anyone who isn't familiar ... meet Bristol (13 month old parti blue merle Cocker Spaniel)  and Athena (2.5 year old Domestic Medium Hair ... and quite petite at 6lbs)

 
I try to keep her well-groomed  regularly ... but the raggamuffin look is how we roll.


Anyway.
So let it be said that I love them both more than anything. However, Bristol has been scratching like a maniac since July. At first, she had fleas. So I discounted it. But after the fleas were gone ... and I bombed my house ... the scratching continued. So off we went to the vet to try and get her some relief when medicated shampoos and a switch to grain free ocean blends of food didn't work. I got a little nervous that she had suddenly developed an allergy to carpet fibers. And my first thought? Was not rehoming her.
My first thought was: "We'll move!"
My husband, naturally looked at me like I'd lost my Cotton Pickin' mind.
I then announced that if we owned a home and had this problem; I'd rip up the carpet and install laminate flooring.
His mouth my have fallen open, hand connected with forehead ... and we wagged his head back and forth and turned away from me, muttering something about "Women are crazy..."

Considering I'd tried everything I could think of, from medicated baths to Benadryl to changing her food ... a vet visit was in order. And I was fully prepared to spend $375 + $49 vet visit. I did call and ask husband's permission ... because it seemed like an exorbitant cost for something that could technically wait.
My vet and I decided however, that we would skip the allergy test for now ... since the intensity of the scratching indicated that perhaps fleas were the cause. So we started her on prednisone as a start. And it's taken a few weeks ... but I'm now at the point where I can give her a half tab every other day, and I'm hoping to wean her off the drug. $12 worth of prednisone was a much easier cost than the $400 I predicted. No, I don't know for sure what my pooch is allergic to ... but at least this time, it didn't break the bank.

However.
My animals are my kids, and I would spend any amount of $$ to keep them happy and healthy. Maybe I am a little crazy. But what lengths would you go to for your pet? Your family member? Your best pal, and your favorite snuggle buddy?


4 comments:

  1. FYI- Laminate flooring doesn't keep the fleas away. We have laminate and they still got my dogs, you know they like furniture (cringe!) as much as carpet. EW!

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  2. OH! and I spent $700 last night to keep Bubba in an O2 chamber and have an IV put in so he'd get fluids. I could have taken him home and "watched" him, but ehhhhhh I wasn't taking any chances.

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  3. Roxy, our dog, is like our child. I would do just about anything for her. We have insurance thru HomeAgain, the company that microchiped her. We also have the Banfield Optimum Wellness Plan which has saved us a ton of money with her annual care and other scares.
    Might be a bit overkill but with the happiness she brings us I figure she is worth it :)
    By the way Bristol is beautiful! I love her coat and eye color!

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  4. You're not crazy! I'm the same way! I would do anything for my dog & cat.. I've paid thousands of dollars taking care of those two! They're so worth it though.

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