File :-(, x, )
Anonymous
/an/ please help. I adopted a dog, but he turned out to be very sick. He needs antibiotics, vaccinations, medications, and possibly even surgery, costing hundreds to thousands of dollars. I'm not sure if I can afford all of this, what can I do?
>> Anonymous
You're a moron if you don't know the answer to that question. Just put him down.
>> Anonymous
>>136237
You're the moron. He's a year old.
>> Anonymous
It depends on if he's in pain or not. If the whole thing is going to be a traumatic ordeal for him, then it's not worth it and it'd be kinder to put him down. Otherwise, I guess it's up to you.
>> Anonymous
>>136244
He's not in pain, he looks and feels healthy, but he has heartworms, pretty bad fleas (I've tried medication and baths), and he has an infection from his neutering.
>> Anonymous
I think most vets will work out a financial plan with you if you really can't afford it (as opposed to just being unwilling to afford it). Ask them what you can do. I've seen some things online, too, for people who can't afford vet care... google.
>> Anonymous
Fuck the money! His health should be your main concern, take him to the vet before he gets any worse. Most vets will come up with a financial plan.
>> Anonymous
>>136251
>>136277
Truth.
>> Anonymous
Dont give him antibiotics or any medication! most animal drugs are scams and cause more harm then good! However Vaccinations are important and a must, You can remove fleas by washing your dog in vinegar it might not kill them all with one bath but will stop them bothering him so much
>> Anonymous
Work out a payment plan/Beg a charity for money with a good sob story
>> Dudu_Montano
>>136299
SOB = son of bitch
>> Anonymous
Where did you adopt him from? If it was from a shelter, you should see what they can do for you. If you got him from a breeder, check your paperwork to see if they had any sort of guarantee on him. Some ASPCAs help out people in need, see if you have a local chapter.
>> Anonymous
>>136400

Oh, christ, NO, it's not fucking true. Protip: almost all animal medications and antibiotics which are prescribed by veterinarians are the exact same dosage, content, and manufacturing processes as those made for humans. The only difference is that they cost less, but only because you can charge any amount that you want for human medications, and people will still pay.

On that note, DO stay away from medications that you can buy over the counter in pet stores or feed stores. Often, these are of dubious quality and likely exposed to improper handling and storage techniques.
>> Anonymous
heartworms? isn't that like game over then?
>> Anonymous
>>136447
No.
>> Anonymous
>>136248

Hi. What are you being charged for the antibiotics and vaccinations? I work with a veterinarian so I have a decent frame of reference on price. Check out antibiotic prices online and see if your vet will write you a prescription, but only check reputable sites and the same brand/dosage as recommended by your vet.

As for the fleas treatments, have you treated your carpet? Clothing? Bedsheets? Couches/furniture? Car? Grass? Drapes? Self? If you've only treated the dog, it will continue to get infested from its environment.

As for the heartworm, how far progressed is it? Even though your dog is relatively young, it could have been infected while still a young pup and be very advanced, especially if the dog was a stray and didn't have access to good food for some time.
>> Anonymous
>>136428

SO not true. The filler chemicals are different, the dosages are radically different, and for the most part animals should not be allowed to use human medication and vice versa. Even simple worming tablets for humans can make a pet go to hell and back.

OP should just put it down. For the most part, animals rarely live a full and pain-free life, and definitely never the quality of life the animal would've had, once they go through things like heartworm surgery. Throughout the rest of its life it will need "special" treatments and whatnot, which is a financial AND emotional drain when the animal eventually dies, because you always feel that you should've wasted more money to torture the poor thing.
>> Anon
Human and animal medications are dosed differently. Look up pepto bismuth dosages for animals to see the difference and the risks just for a common human drug.
Heartworms..well those are touch and go. You have the arsenic cocktail they inject them now. You not only have the risk of your dog dying from the arsenic poisoning, but also a reaction to the parasites dying. And I imagine potential artery blocking from dislodged parasites.
Fleas can be taken care of with Dawn Dishsoap in a tub. The soap seems to drag them to the bottom of the tub and drowned them. Then take a comb through the dog's fur, pick off fleas and put them into a cup with Dawn in it. Kills them as you inspect the dog. Grooming and bonding time.
>> Anon
You never mentioned where you got the dog from. I'm assuming since it's not already vaccinated it's not from a pound?
Vaccines..if you can find someone who knows how to give shots, you can buy vaccines for a quarter of vet cost. We vaccinate our own dogs, so does my uncle.
If the dog's infection is bad, and if the heartworms are as well..it'd probably be more humane to put him down. Or take the dog to a shelter, tell him you took him in from a bad situation and you found his condition too much for you financial conditions at the moment.
>> Anonymous
>>136546

In talking about dosage when referring to quality of the animal meds versus human meds, I was referring to the dosages that the drugs are sold in, not the dosage for the animal itself. Shit, animals come in various weights and species, so it should be a given that all dosages are NOT the same. They're not even the same for all people. But the actual concentration/dosage that the medication comes in are the same as for most human meds, they are just either cut down or diluted. A few companies produce extra smaller dosage pills/liquids for cats or small breeds, so cutting the dosage isn't necessary for these. In fact, most veterinary clinics even order human meds if their stock in an animal medication drops low and they are having problems re-ordering it, or they will send the pet owner out with a prescription to go to a human pharmacy (as opposed to a competing veterinary clinic).

Yes, the fillers are the same, goddamnit. The only exception to this is the "medications" like frontline, heartguard, etc. which are used to treat parasites in animals.