Cant afford surgery for my dog - broken bones, elbow dysplasia. What should I do?!?

Question

My 4 year old German Shepherd, Fluffy, has 2 broken ribs, a dis-located hip and has 'Grade 7' elbow dysplasia (don't know wha grade 7 means). He is only 4 yrs old, very fit and healthy (besided the probelsm listed) but I just can't afford the surgery and medication he needs. Vet said it would cost over $2000 to do the surgery and give all the medication! Is there something else I can do for my darling dog? I have asked the vet for other options - he said surgery was the best option. He is in so much pain and I hate seeing him like this; he cries when he is in bed. He got ran over by a truck only 2 days ago and the signs of his injuries are showing a LOT!!!! I have 3 children aged 2, 7 and 12 and a hubby that doesn't work. I earn around $1700 a fortnight and we wouldn't be able to eat for 4 weeks if I allowed the surgery!!!


Please help me with my options. I have no idea what to do. My kids are so attached to Fluffy; we can't put him to sleep so please don't suggest that.


Beth.

And please don't tell me I bought him from an irrisponsible breeder or a backyard breeder. I paid $1050 for him when he was 8 weeks old from a professional breeder.

Both his parents were screaned for hip and elbow dysplasia (I saw the x-rays with my vet, who I trust) - BOTH parents had perfect hips and perfect elbows. I got him from a great German bloodline.

No, I didn't starve for 2 weeks to get Fluffy, that was when my hubby was working.

* Just incase you thought 'FLUFFY' was a really stupid name for a MALE German Shepherd, my daughter, Brittany (age 7) picked the name.

Russian: I asked my vet this and he first said no but then he said as his injuries are so bad (little fractures in the leg, another rib, he had a large cut above his eye and my vet fixed that up for me to minimize infections) and a few other problems with him due to the truck running him over, he then said he could quite possibly die.

I have enquired about a loan to the bank but because my hubby has a bad credit rating, I can't take a loan out either!!!!! (And don't ask me how THAT works out!!).

The vet also recommended a lot of TLC for a while but the pain he would be in, it would just be cruel to let him 'rest' out the injuries. I have asked my vet if I could make payment plans and they said I would have to pay $480 every fortnight, that is simply too much. I have to pay over $1000 in bills every month/fortnight and I really can not afford to pay $480 a fortnight. I aked if I could pay $200 a fortnight; he said he would call me in a few days to let me know if I can.

Evaly: Thank you for offering but I am from Australia.

Chetco: Yes, they said they could probably fix the dis-located hop without surgery. My vet said that he would need a lot of medication to help with the pain for a few weeks if I decided not to go along with the surgery. I would just say that keeping him at home with a lot of TLC but I don't want him to hurt, I would feel so bad for him.

No, we don't have care credit here. Yes, he gets a bit of money ($580 per fortnight) from the governement and $185 every fortnight as he had a car accident (around a onth ago) and the woman that hit his car needs to pay over all $4000 for the total cost of the car damage, so he could get a slight dis-count of the surgery.

Answer 1

A vet should be able to stabilize the hip without surgery. the ribs pretty well take care of themselves. I don't know about the
'grade 7 elbow'.. However, my dog was hit by a car, and had the injuries you describe other than the elbow, and by keeping him very quiet, and subdued, he came through it all fine..although it took about 3 weeks before he was walking, and 8 weeks before he was comfortable..He is ready for the show ring this year!
Ask your vet if they have a program such as we have in the States, called Care Credit..it is a no interest credit card used only for such vet care...

As your husband is out of work, perhaps he would have maintenacne or other skills that the vet would exchange treatment for? Vets are human too, and have needs in grounds or clinic maintenance, and will sometimes be willing to barter..

If he has the surgeries, he will still be in pain and will take about 8 weeks or more to be comfortable..Just as humans recover..

Another option is to try another vet..

Are there any friends or relatives you could ask for help. If there were more than one, they could each loan you a share..instead of all..

Answer 2

We were just in that situation.. Our dog was shot at while he was on his daily run, a couple months ago. (We live in a rural area, where it's common for the 'neighborhood' dogs to run around and play with each other. But our dog is a Pit Bull / Mastiff mix, and he's frowned upon, because of his breed).
Anyway, Buster had to get surgery, and a brace on his left hind leg.. totaling up to $2000 in vet bills. We didn't have an extra 2 Grand lying around (Come on, who does?) So the vet offered a "Care Program", or something like that. Basically, what it is, is you fill out this form that asks about your job, and your net income, etc. Then they'll add up the cost of surgery, and depending on how the numbers add up, they'll let you pay in installments, and they might cover some of the cost for you. (We bring in a decent amount of money each month, and the vet covered $200 of the bill, and we're paying $175/mo for the surgery. So, they're pretty generous when it comes to this.) So, I would definetley ask your Vet if they offer anything like this.
If that falls through, you can always get a loan from your bank.. I'd save that for a last resort, though.. With all the interest they charge...
Good Luck!

Answer 3

I"m so sorry for your dog, that's terrible.

I don't know if this would be an option, but you can contact a local german shepard rescue group and tell them about your predicament. It is possible they have a fund to help out people in emergencies.
I am part of a pug group that has helped out someone in a similar situation.
No one in the group would want to see your dog be put down, so it might be the only thing you can do to get help.
If you are not able to find help and can't afford the surgery, talk to the doctor about performing one part of the surgery, the most important one first. It's possible they can do the worst thing and it would cost less and you could do that.
If nothing else works out, you will need to be strong for your kids, because you don't want fluffy to suffer. You will need to probably put him down, or he will suffer terribly unless the vet feels he can heal at all without surgery.
Your vets will not judge you, they understand catastrophic injuries and costs and they have seen many people in the same situations.

Answer 4

There is simply no excuse to let a dog sit and suffer. Whether you have to send hubby to work, have a yard sale, or put the whole thing on a credit card - just get it done. The dog didn't ask for you as an owner, and had he been appropriately tied then he wouldn't have been run over.

Stop making excuses for all the reasons you can't afford to pay for your pet's emergency care and learn the difference between a want and a need. You have money to spend for an internet connection but no money to help the dog? UGH!

Answer 5

It sounds like you've already talked to the vet about payment options, but that they wouldn't work out very well for you, so I won't suggest that. If you have a university nearby, you could check with them because oftentimes they will provide care at a reduced rate so that the students can learn about things first hand (again assuming you have one that has a veterinary school).

You said you were from Australia, does Australia have something like the US's ASPCA? If they do, try contacting them as well. I'll keep thinking and edit if I come up with any more ideas. Good luck, I'll keep you and your family in my thoughts.

Answer 6

First will Fluffy die if he doesn't get the surgery?
If not, then just take real good care of him and comfort him.
Make sure he doesn't move alot and research some common medications for pain that are safe to give to dogs.

This is really all the advice i have on this. Surgery not being an option and euthanasia is out of the question. Just give him alot of TLC for the time being.

Answer 7

There is NO SUCH THING as a "Grade 7" elbow dysplasia.

And before you buy a puppy, you don't look at the parents hip and elbow films with your vet, you get COPIES of the clearance certificates from the BREEDER!

This whole thing sounds a little "OFF".

Answer 8

have a talk with the vet most vets are dog/cat owners too, my vet knowing i can't afford a surgery like what you describe is more than willing to set up a payment option with me, i pay about 100 extra a month to pay for a dog i put down recently (she was 13 years old and her body started fighting itself, it's a common problem in mixed coyote dogs)

Answer 9

You have two options...

Have Fluffy put to sleep or find a way to pay for the surgery.

You could find a vet who will set up a payment plan or maybe you could contact the local welfare groups for help.

If you keep Fluffy without treatment I believe you may be committing a felony....
Can you afford that?

Answer 10

I am sorry about your dog. I would ask your vet if you could make payments. Some vets will let you work off a vet bill by baking, doing things on your computer, painting, hanging drywall, tiling the vets floor. You could sell some things on Ebay. On girl put up donation cans at the grocery stores and gas stations where she lived, she raised quite a bit of money. Make up a flier and put it on collection cans or jars.