My 2 year old female Rottie has addison's disease and the cost of treatment is sky high...?

Question

I'm a college student and my female rottie was recently diagnosed with addison's disease. I brought her into the vet becuase she was acting extremely lathargic, not eating, vomitting, etc. 4 days and $1400 later I had her home. My parents helped me out a great deal, but the monthly cost to treat her is over $200 a month for the rest of her life. Roughly $2400 a year. I can't stand the thought of "giving her away" (I'm her second home as it is - I've had her for a year) and "putting her down" makes makes me want to cry. I can't afford the treatments, my parents have already done more then they should have, and if she goes off the monthly injection of Percorten-V ($180 a month) she will die a very slow and cruel death. I've already looked online for the drug, but I can't find it any lower then $130. Can anybody give me any suggestions? I really don't want to put her to sleep, but I can't let her suffer either... Please help.

Answer 1

Wow, I know exactly what you are going through. We lost a 7 year old lab cross to Addisons. It was my daughters dog and he got sick a few days before her 7th birthday. There was no way her dog was going to die that day so off to the vet we went. More than a grand later we got him back, things went well for about 3 weeks then he relapsed. There was no guarantee, as you know that the meds are going to cure Addison or even painlessly cotrol it. So when Tude relapsed we made the difficult choice of saying good bye. Just thought I'd share our story.
Below is a poem written from the sick dogs point of view, read it alone. It still puts tears in my eyes. I wish the author could be found.


If It Should Be


If it be I grow frail and weak,
And pain should wake me from my sleep,
Then you must do what must be done,
For this last battle can’t be won.

You will be sad, I’ll understand,
Don’t let your grief then stay your hand,
For this day more than all the rest,
Your love and friendship stand the test.

We’ve had so many happy years,
What is to come will hold no fears,
You’ll not want me to suffer, so,
When the time comes, please let me go.

I know in time, you too will see,
It is a kindness you do me,
Although my tail its last has waved,
From pain and suffering, I’ve been saved.

Do not grieve that it should be you,
Who has to decide this thing to do
We’ve been so close, we two, these years,
Don’t let your heart hold any tears.


Author Unknown

Answer 2

You have an impossible choice.

Rescue would have a very difficult time placing her but you could contact them. Go here and scroll down the page to these links:

http://www.akc.org/breeds/rescue.cfm

Rottweiler
American Rottweiler Club
Gwen Chaney, [e-mail]

North Carolina Rottweiler Rescue

Southern States Rottweiler Rescue

Rotts Across Texas Rottweiler Rescue

NoVa Rottweiler Rescue League, Inc.

Gingers Rottie Rescue - Las Vegas Nevada

Phoenix Area Rottweiler Rescue

Northeast Rottweiler Rescue

WeCare Rottweiler Rescue, Inc.

The cost of the drugs is not that high - not when some cancer drugs are $5000 a month. $180 would only fill one of my 3 scripts for pain from a sports injury. You need to find a way to come up with basically $45 a week. Think of it that way. Thinking $45 rather than $180 or $2340 makes it a lot more doable.

The other option is to get a part-time job. (it can be done in collee - been, there did that.) At even $6 an hour, you would only have to work 33 + hours to buy her meds or 8 1/2 hours a week -one day - (claim a huge nmber of exceptions so they don't take out Federal Income Tax - your income won't be taxable anyhow as it will be too low.) . Since many areas have upped minimum wage close to $7 an hour that is 28 1/2 hours a month or 7 + hours a week - one day.

Is she worth giving up 1 day a week??? Is she worth doing everything it takes to save her even if it means reorganzing your time and life??

Maybe waitressing, maybe McDonalds, stock boxes at Walmart, work at a convenience store, babysit Friday and Saturday nights.....

Start cutting expenses - fuel for your car, the internet, McDonalds, a few beers after class........

Once you are out of school and employed full time, you can afford her drugs.

If rescue can't help; and you don't get a job to pay for her drugs, the kindest thing you can do when the drug wears off is have the vet put her down. Letting her suffer and hoping that she will 'be okay' would be for you sake, not hers.

Don't torture her with "alternative therapies" - that is a pipe dream. You are not going to cure adrenal failure with peach pits or other hocus-pocus.


This is hard - you have just encountered the worst part of having animals and that is the losing them and having to make the call yourself as to when to let go. It never gets any easier.

Answer 3

ST has a good suggestion. Giving her to someone that can deal with the disease and the cost (I know nothing about this illness) may be the best option. Giving her up may be difficult but if you can not afford her anymore it is better than the alternative. Just make sure the new owner knows what they are getting into or they may put her to sleep.

Answer 4

Have you thought about looking into alternative medical treatments? My dog had some issues and I found a guy named, Arno, in Canada who deals in herbal remedies for animals. Here is his website http://www.horsesenseherbs.ca/tes_gold_three.html
It looks like a horse only site, but he actually does other animals too. Check him out. It is worth a shot. You also might find someone willing to donate her care. Or you could maybe get different people to take different months to participate in the expense of her care. Write a human interest type story for a local paper and see what you can find. You might even be able to do do a fund raiser at the college for her.
Also, check out Reiki, I do Reiki with animals and we see great comfort for them with it.
Check out your options. Hang in there. And remember the most important thing is the quality of life. Do not let her suffer.

Answer 5

ROTTIE OWNER;
Being you are already a college student be in touch with agricultural schools like U of Penn. and Cornell in NY they have animal science curriculums. I know they have helped people to help their research efforts. I don't know that they will help but you could ask if they make generic drugs for animals? Do the research of schools within your driving distance. I would think she is great protection for a young college gurl(haha)

Answer 6

Perhaps you could work out an arrangement with the vet clinic to volunteer there in return for reduced costs for her care?

Good luck..I hope it works out.