Tough Decision

[I Like Rare Fish]

I also go out to Joshua Tree to help my mom with finding LeConte's Thrashers because I have good ears. One day we were out there, we found an abandoned Yellow Lab, and he was suffering nasty Coyote bites to his legs, neck, and paws. He had heatstroke and was covered in dried blood. He has a nasal infection, and couldn't manage to get up to greet us. Needless to say, I watched my mom kill him instantly. That was very hard to watch. I was 11 at the time.

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

It's unfortunate that money has to be a factor in these matters...but quality of life is the ultimate thing...because you can't make an animal understand why they have to go through the pain and trauma of an operation for eg and even then it may not improve things, that's what I was so scared of for my sausage. He had a slipped disc which is so common for his breed...and I feel awful that otherwise he was a happy, healthy and fit little dog...but because I couldn't afford the treatment or guarantee that it would be successful and him be back to normal I made the very painful choice to let him go. The guilt ate me up for weeks...but he was suffering and I had to do the kindest thing I could for him...I didn't get time to spoil him. He couldn't walk so the vet told us to crate him for a week to rest him in hope of improvements but it just got worse, he was incontinent by the end of the week and I made the decision right then and there to take him that afternoon. Worst day ever.

Sorry your thread has been hijacked ☹

 

[I Like Rare Fish]

It's unfortunate that money has to be a factor in these matters...but quality of life is the ultimate thing...because you can't make an animal understand why they have to go through the pain and trauma of an operation for eg and even then it may not improve things, that's what I was so scared of for my sausage. He had a slipped disc which is so common for his breed...and I feel awful that otherwise he was a happy, healthy and fit little dog...but because I couldn't afford the treatment or guarantee that it would be successful and him be back to normal I made the very painful choice to let him go. The guilt ate me up for weeks...but he was suffering and I had to do the kindest thing I could for him...I didn't get time to spoil him. He couldn't walk so the vet told us to crate him for a week to rest him in hope of improvements but it just got worse, he was incontinent by the end of the week and I made the decision right then and there to take him that afternoon. Worst day ever.

Sorry your thread has been hijacked ☹

My aunt's puppy had paralyzed back legs. Just woke up one day with legs not working. Had to drill through the spine to find what was pressing on the spinal cord.

 

[I Like Rare Fish]

So, under further investigation, the surgery will cost 1k. The original thought was that he had a bone infection on both sides of his jaw. From what it looked like on X-rays, that's what it was. But I decided to pay 200 dollars for exploratory surgery. I did this because I wanted to know I did everything to help him. They put him under and poke around in his mouth. Instead of bone infections on both sides, they found bone infections on the jaw bone and a different bone that is hard to pronounce.

The surgery price went down by almost 2k. They do need to remove a mass caused by the Periodontal Disease.

My thought process was: He was my first pet. His personality is great. The probability I will own another beardie is low. I want to do whatever I can to help him. I have a lot of things I can sell to get to 1k. Basketball hoop, drum set, and tons of different things I've outgrown over the years. My parents will not pay 1 penny. All my friends love him. They love feeding him, and he has became popular around my neighborhood because I have him out in the front. He chases vacuums, which is something special. I love him.

The vet who will do the surgery is the #1 Reptile vet in the US, and I use him for yearly checkups for my tortoises. I entirely trust him. So, with tears of joy in my eyes, I make this post. I'm going to keep him alive

 

[OliveFish05]

So, under further investigation, the surgery will cost 1k. The original thought was that he had a bone infection on both sides of his jaw. From what it looked like on X-rays, that's what it was. But I decided to pay 200 dollars for exploratory surgery. I did this because I wanted to know I did everything to help him. They put him under and poke around in his mouth. Instead of bone infections on both sides, they found bone infections on the jaw bone and a different bone that is hard to pronounce.

The surgery price went down by almost 2k. They do need to remove a mass caused by the Periodontal Disease.

My thought process was: He was my first pet. His personality is great. The probability I will own another beardie is low. I want to do whatever I can to help him. I have a lot of things I can sell to get to 1k. Basketball hoop, drum set, and tons of different things I've outgrown over the years. My parents will not pay 1 penny. All my friends love him. They love feeding him, and he has became popular around my neighborhood because I have him out in the front. He chases vacuums, which is something special. I love him.

The vet who will do the surgery is the #1 Reptile vet in the US, and I use him for yearly checkups for my tortoises. I entirely trust him. So, with tears of joy in my eyes, I make this post. I'm going to keep him alive

Woohoo! I hope it goes well and he makes a speedy recovery!!!

 

[itiwhetu]

What do you do for a job, selling that stuff you have won't be enough to pay the 1k you need.

 

[Deleted member 149562]

As much as I admire your passionate care for this animal, I cannot help but wonder about the quality of life after surgery

Animals cannot make us truly aware of their pain threshold, their emotions or any of their physical/mental problems and needs.

We as humans like to think that we know when our pet is happy or sad or hurting, but deep down we really don't

My fear for this animal is that you go through with the surgery and it gives you a false hope that all will be as it was before the problems started. Sometimes you listen to what you are told but not always hear anything more than you want to hear.

I understand that you trust the vet implicitly. It is a good thing to have a strong relationship with any medical professional but that can sometimes cloud judgement

Personally I would seek a second and third opinion. Not just on what is wrong but what course of action they would suggest.....if they all agree that the surgery is doable and has at least an 80% chance of survivability and a 95% chance of not decreasing quality of life then, great, stick with the vet that you know and trust, raise the funds and go for it......though always remember that success percentages are very much tempered according to the individual animal, its age, its overall health etc.

Sometimes our heart and good intentions can make decision making very muddy. It is abundantly clear that you love this animal to bits and you do not want to go down the road towards euthanasia, I understand that. But at the same time you must place your own feelings and wishes aside and think about the actuality and aftermath of surgery on this animal, you and the vet have no real idea what physically and mental effect it will have. Reptiles are notoriously difficult to handle anaesthesia. This is where having more than one vet opinion is crucial...your trusted vet is probably wonderful but can you be 100% sure that what he is saying will happen or is he just saying it cos its you and he is saying what he knows you want to hear?

You would be devastated if this beloved animal didn't make it through surgery or passed in the weeks/months afterwards....you have built your hopes up so much by the words of this one vet that you trust so much. This is why you really need another 1 or 2 opinions (preferably 2 more) so that you are fully educated of every potential eventuality and can then make the right choice by weighing up everything on behalf of the animal and not your heart.

JMO.

 

[Fishfaced]

I hope it works out for him. Goodluck and keep us posted.

 

[NearMeBettas]

Good luck. I can't imagine if George my leo had an issue like that... I got him when he was four and he is now almost 9. It would be hard with the money and success rates- but you also don't want to let them go prematurely. I euthanized one of my geckos years ago and I still regret it. Good luck, and I hope you madthee right decision. Be sure to update!!

 

[Slaphppy7]

Good luck. I can't imagine if George my leo had an issue like that... I got him when he was four and he is now almost 9. It would be hard with the money and success rates- but you also don't want to let them go prematurely. I euthanized one of my geckos years ago and I still regret it. Good luck, and I hope you madthee right decision. Be sure to update!!

Just an FYI, thread is over a year old, as is the post before yours

 

[I Like Rare Fish]

Good luck. I can't imagine if George my leo had an issue like that... I got him when he was four and he is now almost 9. It would be hard with the money and success rates- but you also don't want to let them go prematurely. I euthanized one of my geckos years ago and I still regret it. Good luck, and I hope you madthee right decision. Be sure to update!!

I have another thread updating that he is doing very well! He is an old dude, but he is living his best life