Honey needs help!!!

[Doodle]

We just received a phone call from the vet confirming Honey (only 8 months old!) has 2 partially torn ACLs!!!! Our vet's office has an orthopedic surgeon as well and he agreed with our vet and asked that the x-rays be sent to a radiologist to double check. All three are in agreement it is both knees.

How can this be? Our poor Honey!! She's on meds to control the pain.

The vet is talking about surgery on BOTH knees with extensive recovery time.  Honey would have to be still with no exercise. Did I mention she is only 8 months old?

I'm sure it must have happened when Honey and Shadow were chasing and wrestling, they always have a good wrestle and run. 

The vet said it is going to cost anywhere from $1500-$2500 that's PER KNEE!!!! Tears are flowing as I'm writing this and my heart is breaking. We can't pay for this. We've already spent over $2,000 in medical bills on her just in the last 4 months! What am I going to do? I love her so much. If we don't do the surgery than she will either get a full tear in one or both knees and get arthritis and have to be on constant pain meds until she can't take it anymore. I can't do that to her. I feel horrible. I told the vet I heard that sometimes it can heal on its own.  She wasn't as hopeful because Honey is bigger (50 pounds) and generally speaking that happens in smaller dogs and it's not all that common.

HELP!!! What do I do??

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Rimadyl also has major side-effects and should not be used long term. 

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Good luck.  Just find a way to do the surgery - care credit, doodle messenger, etc...  She's young and has a lot of years left in her :)

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

I am so sorry about Honey and think you have gotten some great advice. I hope this can all be taken care of and that Honey will be on her road to recovery in no time. Good luck!

[Doodle]

I appreciate all your suggestions, advice, hugs etc. Last night I filled my husband in on the whole phone call from the vet. It's taken me all day to write this. I've started and stopped this email at least 6 times.

My husband said the emotional and financial strain and stress on our human family has taken such a toll already. He feels horrible and wants Honey to have the surgery, but feels we can't give her what she needs. He says it's getting difficult in our house telling the kids to please not use excited voices in the kitchen (where Honey is now behind a baby gate) so she doesn't get up, run, jump and try to play with them.  He added that we now have baby gates up in the house blocking doors and hallways that we have to step over (the kids cannot and sometimes get "stuck"). Honey doesn't get to be with the family now, she has to stay in the kitchen away from all of us and especially away from Shadow (that part is hard to watch).  He said, especially during surgery and after, she would benefit from a quieter household (with older kids able to better control their voices).

I was angry. I was angry all day. I felt like he was being selfish.  I felt like he was giving up on our girl...our family.  It took ALL day until just as I was typing his points that I realized he wasn't being selfish, he was being selfless.  He loves her, I love her, the kids love her and she is a wonderful girl.  Sadly, I feel like there is a lot of truth to what he is saying. Setting my feelings aside I have to ask myself what is best for her? She NEEDS this surgery and she NEEDS the recovery. She deserves this. She needs love. So now what?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Unfortunately, rehoming her at this point would really not be an option, unless you happen to have a family member or friend who wants to spend $3000 to $5000 for her surgery and go through all of surgery and rehab with her, including keeping her quiet and helping her move around, go outside, etc. If you, her family who all love her, aren't willing and able to do that for her, why would a stranger be willing and able to do it? Are strangers going to love her more than you do?  She is really not adoptable, the shelters and foster homes are not able to deal with her care, much less pay for the surgeries.

I'm sorry if this sounds harsh, but this is the reality of the situation. Doodle rescue gets calls every week from people who did not get insurance for their dogs and now want to abandon a dog who needs expensive and time-consuming veterinary care because they of the "emotional and financial strain." 

I am very, very sorry for this poor puppy.

 

[Joanna, Zoe & Bender]

Oh please talk to your husband.  Yes, you do have young kids and it is not fair to them but is it really fair to Honey to abandon her when she needs you the most?  Please don't give up on her...Please help her.  This is SO sad!  Even if she is separated from the family in the kitchen until she gets better it is for her benefit.  WHat is the recovery time?  That time will be so miniscule compared to your entire lives, her entire life!  She can get better and your family bond can be stronger.  

[Donna K & Quincy]

Elizabeth, I think you need to take a step back and reread what you have just written. If you and your family who love Honey so much don't want to take this on, what hope do you have in finding someone who will? I know the recovery is difficult but it can be done and she could be crated and all the gating won't be necessary. A few weeks of being confined vs losing the family you love, I think we know what Honey would choose. The financial part may be hard but there is always ways to find the money and if it was me, about now I'd be looking around my house for things I could sell to raise some of the money. Have a yard sale, ask your friends and neighbors to give you things they don't want or need for your sale. Heck, set the kids up with a lemonade stand, every little bit helps. Please do get in touch with the Doodle Messenger, where there is a will there is a way. I know this looks very daunting now but it can be done and you can do it. I really hate to say this but I'm going to, I don't think your DH is being selfless, he is not thinking about Honey as much as he is thinking of himself.

[BG and Gavin]

I think the points and ideas that Donna has brought up are good.  This is a fabulous learning opportunity for your children regarding patience, responsibility, self control, financial obligations, helping those who cannot help themselves and the sanctity of life.  Going through this experience is not unfair to the children, in fact it is an awesome life lesson in my opinion. 

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Yes, I so agree with this....a much better "life lesson"  than teaching that when someone in the family is sick or injured and most in need we will not be there.  To me "family" is all about being there for one another....no matter what.

[Jill, Woody & Maxi]

In my opinion, spending a few months in the kitchen of her own home will be less confusing/stressful than rehoming her, and having her go through the surgery/rehab in a strange environment.  Please try to think about Honey..she needs you and your family now, more than ever.  You are her voice...after just reading the article that was posted on the main page, "so you.re thinking about getting a dog.." 

"When I polled my dog-loving friends, the stories of wear and tear in their homes came flooding in. And yet, everyone agreed that the joy of having their dogs made it more than worth it.

My family would definitely agree that our life is richer since we have opened our hearts and our home to dogs."

Please, dont set your feelings aside..think about your feelings, and your families', but most importantly, think about Honey and her feelings..

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

I think that your husband is being selfish.  You took on this responsibility by choice.  I have a gate blocking my front door.  I purchased one with a little door that opens.  You can buy baby gates that have openings that people can easily walk through and that would solve one of your problems.  Your kids have a whole house and yard in which to "use their excited voices" is it that big of an issue to not be able to do so in the kitchen?  Why not teach them to be calm and compassionate towards Honey and explain that she is injured?   By not wanting to teach your kids to not use excited voices around the dog and getting rid of her instead you would be teaching your kids that dogs are just things that can be dumped when things are less than ideal.  I'm not attacking you and it is your decision to make but please don't try to pass it off as a selfless act because frankly, I don't buy it.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Wow, tough situation.  Everything the others have said here about rehoming is true.  Would be very hard to find someone to take on the expense of the surgeries.  What about family members that could help you get through the rehab process.  It is going to be a lengthy process.  I'm guessing they will have to do them one at a time as they did with Beemers hip surgeries.  Lucy didn't put weight on her CCL repair for several days so I'm not sure how they could do them both at once.  So that means you go through the process twice.  Also, the knee that is done 2nd is going to have a rough time during the first one because it is going to have to work really hard during the period the first repair heels.  One thing I can help you with is you can take down the baby gates.  We used an Ex pen.  DH bought some wire and we put a top on it so she wouldn't be tempted to jump up.  She was very sedated during the first portion and all she did was sleep.  I would wake her up to go out and potty.  She was able to hobble out on 3 legs.  We had two steps she had to go up and down and she did fine.  She had to wear a cone until the stitches came out.  We were very worried about how she was going to tolerate the time in the pen but she honestly did fine.  She didn't feel good for a large portion of it so she was just glad to rest.  Sometimes when I would bring Lucy out to sit on the floor with me Sophie would go get in her pen.   I honestly think that if you can get the money together, you can get through the rehab process.  We had two doodles as well and they did fine.  We do though have a no rough housing in the house rule so that helped.  Here is a picture of the set up we had for Lucy.

If I can answer any other questions for you please don't hesitate to ask.