So over Thanksgiving, the people who were housesitting for me had to take my youngest dog - Phoenix - to the Vet ER.
He had a fever of 106, was pretty much not eating or drinking. Or moving.
After a few days with an IV, and antibiotics in the IV, he was doing much better and I was able to bring him home... but we didn't really know what the root cause was.
He'd tested positive for something (neospora, I think?), and the antibiotics clearly helped...
But when he was first brought in they said he had almost no white blood cells. Or platelets.
Like, possible diagnosis had ranged from tick-bourne illnesses, to genetic immunocomprise issues, to fighting off a severe infection somewhere.
At a check up last week, they'd checked his blood and had seen the white blood cells returning, so that was good.
But today, well... Today they said he was running low again.
Which means that we haven't found the root cause, and he's not really okay. He's fine, for now. Still on antibiotics (and trying to avoid eating them when I give them to him). He's acting more like his old self, energetic. Playful.
But it will probably come back unless we run more tests.
And here's the thing. I don't like putting a price on my dog's life, but I'm also not comfortable committing to paying whatever it will take to fix this. Because I've already spent over $1000, more like $1500-2000, on his care and treatment.
If I knew that doing a ~$700 CT scan would find the problem, and that treating it would only be a bit more, I would totally do it.
But we're talking about tests, when we don't really know what's wrong in the first place. Maybe that will find it, maybe it won't.
And then, once we do find it, we have to treat him. Which could mean surgery (if it's an infection in his head, for example). Which would be... what? Another $1000?
I'm already annoyed that this set me back (wanted to spend this whole year paying off debts, and all that. Now that I've graduated and am gainfully employed.) If this had occurred in another year or two, I think I'd have been fine. But... right now? It's like the cliche - two steps forward and one step back.
There's always some unexpected emergency.
So I have this possibly gigantic bill coming. Or maybe not. But at what point should I say it's too much?
Ugh.
He's so young, though. And otherwise seems in perfectly fine health. Like, how can I not agree to doing whatever it takes?
Some days...
Some days I really wish I didn't have to struggle within these constraints. (And yes, I know I'm already better off than most.)
What would it be like, to have the resources to do what I truly want to do in life? What would it take, to get there?
And can you get there, while still being a good person? ('cause, you know, very many of the ones we hear about in the news don't seem to have managed that. Seriously.)
He had a fever of 106, was pretty much not eating or drinking. Or moving.
After a few days with an IV, and antibiotics in the IV, he was doing much better and I was able to bring him home... but we didn't really know what the root cause was.
He'd tested positive for something (neospora, I think?), and the antibiotics clearly helped...
But when he was first brought in they said he had almost no white blood cells. Or platelets.
Like, possible diagnosis had ranged from tick-bourne illnesses, to genetic immunocomprise issues, to fighting off a severe infection somewhere.
At a check up last week, they'd checked his blood and had seen the white blood cells returning, so that was good.
But today, well... Today they said he was running low again.
Which means that we haven't found the root cause, and he's not really okay. He's fine, for now. Still on antibiotics (and trying to avoid eating them when I give them to him). He's acting more like his old self, energetic. Playful.
But it will probably come back unless we run more tests.
And here's the thing. I don't like putting a price on my dog's life, but I'm also not comfortable committing to paying whatever it will take to fix this. Because I've already spent over $1000, more like $1500-2000, on his care and treatment.
If I knew that doing a ~$700 CT scan would find the problem, and that treating it would only be a bit more, I would totally do it.
But we're talking about tests, when we don't really know what's wrong in the first place. Maybe that will find it, maybe it won't.
And then, once we do find it, we have to treat him. Which could mean surgery (if it's an infection in his head, for example). Which would be... what? Another $1000?
I'm already annoyed that this set me back (wanted to spend this whole year paying off debts, and all that. Now that I've graduated and am gainfully employed.) If this had occurred in another year or two, I think I'd have been fine. But... right now? It's like the cliche - two steps forward and one step back.
There's always some unexpected emergency.
So I have this possibly gigantic bill coming. Or maybe not. But at what point should I say it's too much?
Ugh.
He's so young, though. And otherwise seems in perfectly fine health. Like, how can I not agree to doing whatever it takes?
Some days...
Some days I really wish I didn't have to struggle within these constraints. (And yes, I know I'm already better off than most.)
What would it be like, to have the resources to do what I truly want to do in life? What would it take, to get there?
And can you get there, while still being a good person? ('cause, you know, very many of the ones we hear about in the news don't seem to have managed that. Seriously.)
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