…or the story of how I probably ticked off my mother-in-law! It just drives me crazy when people get animals and don’t consider the long-term costs like vet bills. I am sure I am preaching to the choir here but I just feel all riled up about this. When my husband and I first started dating, his parents had two dogs–a blind cockapoo and an older morbidly obese lab. Neither ever went to the vet. The lab eventually died from what I think was diabetes. The cockapoo lived a miserable existence. Never got groomed and had terrible matted fur, was blind and also seemed deaf. He eventually died too of some unknown cause. I always hated going over to their house because that dog was so miserable. He smelled not just like a matted stinky dog but also of death. He had feces caked to his behind. Had lumps and oozy ears and was just a sad sight.
After the first lab died, they adopted a one year old lab mix. This was about 6 or 7 years ago when I was still in college and my husband was living at home and in school. The dog was WILD and had way more energy than what a 55 year old couple needed. But she was sweet as could be and I took a liking to her so when I was home visiting I would work with the dog to train her and walk her and take her to the park. But once again, the dog never went to the vet or got medical care. The dog also became morbidly obese like the previous lab. But not my dog, all I could do was offer my suggestions to take her to a vet and also put her on a diet. Which were never followed.
Eventually now-husband and I both finish school, get jobs, move away. We go home for the holidays and dog is still fat with too much energy and no one to exercise her and infested with fleas. They also have a sad-looking FIV positive cat that wanders the neighborhood. When we were home for Christmas, I noticed the dog has an apple sized lump. I tell mother-in-law and she says “oh, we know, it’s been there a while” but they can’t take her to the vet. Well today she posts on Facebook, oh dog’s lump is bigger what should I do? I comment well, have you taken her to the vet? And of course she has this sob story about how last month she got laid off of work and they can’t afford the vet etc. But last year they also bought a brand new 2017 Dodge Ram 1500, which start at about $28,000! For Christmas she got me a new Kitchenaid mixer that I did not ask for! I was appreciative but would have rather she used the money to take the dog to the vet! And the lump has been growing for a year now so not like it is a new issue.
I just ended the conversation by saying I am sorry to hear dog isn’t doing well and I hope you are able to find the money to take her to a vet because part of owning a pet is getting it medical care when necessary. This was a long-winded post, but it just drives me crazy. Why do they keep getting animals if they can’t afford the medical care? Or aren’t willing to prioritize their expenses to pay for the vet even though they can afford a new truck and new oven/stove and other such things. My husband and I have two cats and my horse and in the last year both cats have seen the vet for their annual check-up. One cat has been in twice for a skin allergy and a UTI. The horse has been seen too many times to count for a corneal abrasion and then a lameness exam and knee injection. But that’s part of owning animals. I just hope the dog is okay because she really is a good dog. I’m hoping the lump is just a fatty growth and not cancerous or anything but we will probably never know.
