tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5663097852292824738.post4645962997529716765..comments2010-10-29T13:06:36.862-07:00Comments on Salty, Bitter, and Sour: Conversation about pet insuranceKendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00520999544622845332noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5663097852292824738.post-72631987591888558072010-10-29T13:06:36.862-07:002010-10-29T13:06:36.862-07:00I can't believe I didn't notice this artic...I can't believe I didn't notice this article before. This is actually a very personal topic for me since my dog that I had since I was 13 died this year. My folks kept Troshka alive while he had cancer in his paws, 3 separate times. He had only 1 kidney and 1 ball, before he had to get fixed at the age of 6. <br />Troshka came from a pure-bred Schnauzer breeder in Sebastopol, CA who runs what is essentially a puppy mill and a lot of her dogs have problems.<br />I know that they had pet insurance- and it saved them money, but they still had to pay out the nose. And at times, they didn't have pet insurance and they had to pay out the nose.<br />Pet insurance is a bit of a scam, but so is the vet industry since its pricing is largely unregulated.<br />I can't speak for anyone else, but I know that dogs are like any other member of the family- they're as close as we want them to be. I don't think it's wussy- I think it's a choice that our social status affords us.<br />I also think that it's good to love, even if if it's impractical; love generally is.<br />I suppose my point is that I think that pet insurance is not worth it because you're still charged a ton. Yes people do crazy shit to keep their pets alive and in some sense I think we kept my dog alive too long, but love is not always noble- although we'd like it to be and there's a lot to be said for maximizing your time spent with the animal/friend. I think one can't discount that.Mark Nemtsovhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01395078119904024032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5663097852292824738.post-89764059935077719482010-10-21T07:54:05.254-07:002010-10-21T07:54:05.254-07:00"People these days seem to think that dogs ar...<b>"People these days seem to think that dogs are actual family members or something..."</b><br /><br /><i>Dogs are family members</i> and I am surprised that you do not agree. That does not mean that they are family members of equal status and that they deserve expensive medical treatments. But, to think of your dog as only a "pet" would be an unconsidered conclusion. <br />As a dog owner, it seems obvious that nonhumans can have status of "personhood" and Dignan is no less an individual than any other family member. Indeed, he is a short-lived family member; and, it is for that reason that I would be willing to put him down at the first sign of large medical bills.<br />I do not think treating your dog as a family member is a ridiculous notion. How many other animals have to we co-evolved with for mellennia? <br />You're right that it makes more financial sense to start an interest-baring savings account for potential medical costs. Just don't paint a dog's elevated status as "family member" as foolish.Caitlinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07907640694733230477noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5663097852292824738.post-40943875072707655972010-08-23T19:28:39.345-07:002010-08-23T19:28:39.345-07:00I wholeheartedly agree. We had a black lab for 1...I wholeheartedly agree. We had a black lab for 13 years, she was a fabulous dog (despite the shedding) and my oldest boy couldn't image life without her.<br /><br />She started limping. I thought she'd stepped on a nail poking out of the deck or a rock or something. She did that something and would eventually come out of it. I hoped it would work itself out for quite a while -- over a month -- but it wasn't getting better. Finally, I took her to the vet because it seemed like it might be getting worse. Ended up she had bone cancer. Doc said that by the time it's visible via symptoms like limping, it's already spread to their lungs, so it's quickly spreading throughout her whole body. He gave me some pain meds and told me to make her comfortable and to make the call when it was time.<br /><br />We really wanted her to make it through Christmas, which was only about another month. So we medicated her, let the kids love on her for a while longer, but we made it clear she didn't have much time left and let them know they needed to start saying goodbye. <br /><br />I started Googling her condition, and I was amazed that there is a strong online advocacy from dog lovers to amputate the leg to the shoulder and thus reduce the immediate pain to help them live longer. Wow! They all acknowledged that the dog would only live a few more months after this highly invasive and very costly surgery, but their point was that it would feel less pain in its dying days. Wow! I felt it would be a disservice to my dog to put it through the trauma of such a significant surgery and life adjustment just to give her another month or two.<br /><br />I had asked the doctor when I would know when to make the call. He said I'd know. And I did. She lasted several months past Christmas and loved on our kids a little longer, but ultimately she made the call by giving up on trying to get around. So we put her to sleep, and it was very sad, but it was the best of her.<br /><br />And, like you've said, we now have a new dog. My oldest still loves that black lab and keeps her collar in his room. But the new dog is great, too, and he'll grow to love him as much. I honestly hate how short dogs' lives are because I know I'll have to put several to sleep in my lifespan. I've had to put down 2 so far (my black Lab's companion died a year later), and it's not fun, but it's life.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5663097852292824738.post-60175717637825503262010-08-12T10:16:54.146-07:002010-08-12T10:16:54.146-07:00no soulno soulUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16313396485774274055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5663097852292824738.post-74309769965770748242010-08-12T09:22:19.832-07:002010-08-12T09:22:19.832-07:00Did you name him Dignan because that was owen Wils...Did you name him Dignan because that was owen Wilson's character's name in Bottle Rocket? Please say yes.<br /><br />"Here are a few of the key ingredients, pole vaulting, laughing gas, hang gliding, choppers... come on!"schttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02133949499577299613noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5663097852292824738.post-73621791461211434812010-08-11T15:25:02.106-07:002010-08-11T15:25:02.106-07:00According to the author of this Web site, I should...According to the author of this Web site, I should think very carefully and ask lots of questions before I accept that diagnosis:<br /><br />http://www.tiggerpoz.com/Kendallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00520999544622845332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5663097852292824738.post-5347717169878697542010-08-11T15:11:47.159-07:002010-08-11T15:11:47.159-07:00if Dignan tore his ACL, would you put him to sleep...if Dignan tore his ACL, would you put him to sleep? ...no soulryedlinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420000729004538819noreply@blogger.com