Can't they clean the eye socket and sew the eye shut, and follow with antibiotics, without making Fort Knox payments out of it? Sorry to hear such an awful thing has happened. Baytril is not expensive considering some other antibiotics out there and what 3 day regimen of pills costs $200? Ask for the minimum services to get the dog past the roughest part rather than put him down. I don't know the details though - what do they want to do that might be more than what is absolutely necessary in your opinion?

You are right though - the price of vet care has really skyrocketed. Is there a lower cost clinic farther away you can go to?

OMG, that is awful, Adrea! Please let us know what happens, ok? We'll be thinking about you all!!!!!

Brenda

I'm going to have him put down in an hour. He was healing fine until he got out this morning and went to the neighbors and started a fight with his dogs.

I think Ocean must have left the door cracked when he went to take a shower. He's back to being lethargic and not eating. He was dragging a foot when he came back (not sure what he did to his leg but it doesn't really matter).

It probably would have run around 1,000$ just for them to clean his eye up. I had a pretty sure bet on getting enough Baytril until payday but he screwed himself up too bad this morning. He's close to where I would say he needs hospitalized.

If was a less aggressive animal I could keep him confined where he is until he healed but he's not. Even losing an eye didn't teach him.

Ah, Adrea, I'm so sorry, I don't know what to say. I know how much he meant to you, I'm sorry this has to happen.

I'm sorry, too. No matter how aggressive (or hard-headed) they are, it still hurts like hell when you have to let them go. :(

Brenda

:(

((((big long hug)))

*sigh*

Mary

Im so sorry Adrea, thats just awful :-(
Bonnie

Tears and hugs to you.....

No matter how hard we try, our dogs WILL be the dogs they were meant to be, and no dog will ever be happy confined the way an aggressive dog probably must be.....

May Guy be happy now.

Sarah

CT,
It was 200$ for the whole thing at the animal hospital not just the antibiotics. The office visit was 90$. 105$ for a shot of baytril plus 3 days of oral baytril (exactly 6.12 per pill). 5$ for them to dispose of the syringe. No charge for the artificial tears they put in his uh socket..

Before we got to this point (this was the minimum they would do other than a penicillin shot for the exact price of the baytril injection) they want to x-ray for a skull fracture and x-ray where it is obvious his nose was bit through for 255$. They want to look at the bite marks on his lower legs (pretty much scratches). At this point no mention of what we could do for the eye...

Once we said we didn't have 255 for the x-rays they came back with 400$ in injections and take homes. We talked them into just the antibiotic. This is when I decided to just get him started on antibiotic and take him to a local vet.

Of course, he pretty much killed himself before I got him there...

66$ for the euthanasia. High # of 88$. Low numbers of 40$ extra to cremate them and not get the remains or 100$ to get the ashes. That last number might be wrong because I didn't want him cremated anyhow. I wanted to bury him next to Isis. For whatever reason I'd rather have a grave than a spot where I scattered ashes.

I think it would suck if you lived in an apartment and had no choice but to cremate...

Guyu, imo, chose his time.

I really wasn't expecting much out the first vet visit but the next morning he was totally alert and lively eating three cans of food a day...I was amazed as when we found him we couldn't even get a tail wag...I really had thought we'd lose him before morning.

Two days later (the night before he got out again) he wouldn't let me leave after I gave him his meds. He kept me with him until about 2:30 a.m.

I think around 5 Ocean tried to wake me up because he was getting ready for work and ah no dog (I thought it might have been his fault the dog got out originally but when I was cleaning up I saw a chunk of the door missing)...Around 6 he comes up and says "I think the neighbor just shot Guy.."

Nope. Guy had got it in his head to try to take on the 7 neighbor dogs after another tussle with Loyal. It was just the neighbor making noise to break up the dog fight.

He walked home but he only got up again once. He wasn't the slightest bit interested in the can of food I opened. I couldn't get him to drink even using a sprayer. He had blood trickling out of the corner of his good eye..the bad eye was obviously more inflamed and now there's a tear under it. He has another wound on his nose but this one won't stop bleeding and there's blood coming out of his nostrils too.

8 a.m. I called around to find out who to have put him to sleep. Got an appointment for 11. I had to carry him to the car. He loved car trips but he mostly just laid in one spot on the way there. He did walk from the car to the office...one last pee on the bushes even though he had to squat. Once we got into the office he laid down again and wasn't moving. I wasn't able to turn off the water works. "you must be our 11 o'clock.." The lady explains to me what they're going to do since I'd never been to a euthanasia before and tells me it'll probably be easier on me if I prepay. They look over the desk at him and seem amazed he walked in.

She helps me get him standing and I pick him up..she says "I'm afraid you might drop him.." I ignore her. I'm not going to let strangers carry him into the room. I sit him down on the table and the vet comes in. She goes to shave his leg and he barely turns his head. I see them move like he'll nip the vet. I know better though if he was going to nip they wouldn't be able to distract him quick enough. He's too sick for such a thing, anyway. The only people he's ever bit were Ocean and myself. Ocean in a car seeing another dog and Ocean being between the two. Me when I thought it was a good idea to go calm him down after I thought a stray had left the yard but hadn't. Neither of those times broke the skin though mine scarred because the jeans I had on made it scrape.

They start the injection and he's done breathing before they are even halfway through. I take his collars off and pull the car around. They load him into the car in a bag that makes me think there's no way they fit him into it.

I drive home unload him into a wheelbarrow put him in the shade and start digging his grave next to Isis. I'm sure this looked really bad to FedEx guy but he didn't say anything. I know he had to be curious why I was digging a huge hole. I have no choice but to do this around noon at the hottest part of the day because I have to go to work later. So I bury him. I call my friend who offered to help out with medication for him and tell him he's gone...

I go to work my eyes won't quit leaking. I'm not really sad more shocky. I know it was the right decision and his time to go. I'm in shock that for 10 or 11 years of his life he was fine being who he was and that it took so long for his aggression to catch up to him. I fully expected him to go quietly of old age. He decided to go out roaring though...

You sure are strong - I would never be able to go to work after all of that - I would have been crying all day.

Really too bad he got out to fight. Give a crack in the door and they are quick about it.

"I fully expected him to go quietly of old age. He decided to go out roaring though... "

A pup after my own heart. One of my favorite quotes of all times: It's better to burn out than to fade away.

REALLY sorry for your loss. In due time your sadness will be replaced with fond memories you had with him. Don't ask me how I know this.

You don't even know me, but please accept my heartfelt sympathy for you, Ocean, and Guyu. I know it must be hard to share your pain, just by your words we can tell how much you loved him.

Euthanasia is NEVER a choice we make lightly, but sometimes it IS the kindest thing we can do for our furry friends that cannot speak for themselves. They deserve the best we are able to give them 'til the very end.

You let him go with dignity when no more could be done... I'm glad you could stay with him, I'm sure felt your love and comforting touch.

Sarah (eyes leaking too)

(Hope he's playing "mad-dog chase" with Boomer and Brie over the bridge.)

So, so sad...but you were brave to be there with him when he went. You did the right thing. *hugs*

So very sorry about your dog Adrea. It is a shock when things happen suddenly and its hard to take it all in.
One tip I have for you.....if you have any large animal vets around in your area, some of them will also take care of dogs. Often times they are easier to deal with on payment plans. I don't know what we would do if we didn't have the vet that we do for our horses and dogs. He's very reasonable and as long as we consistently pay something towards the bill he keeps working with us. Something to think about for the future.