Henry (our Jack Russell/Beagle mix) had surgery yesterday.
He went from stiff and sore to dragging his rear legs in the blink of an eye...terrifying.
No injury that we know of, no tumble off the couch. Nothing.
Off to our wonderful regular vet clinic.
Our vet sent us to a neurologist at PVSEC.
(If you are remotely near the Beaver and Pittsburgh PA areas...these vets are AMAZING. I went them to treat me!)
Xrays, bloodwork and an MRI later- herniated disc and material from that disc had migrated into additional disc spaces.
He was an excellent candidate for this surgery. 90-95% chance of total recovery. He's got a slim chance of a wobble in his walk, but Henry will consider that a pimp swagger and not a medical wobble.
After hearing these amazing odds from the surgeon, we gave the go-ahead.
He came through surgery with flying colors. Textbook.
He was moving his back legs while coming out of anesthesia!
Now, here comes the Reality part of this...and the PSA...
Estimate for diagnostics and surgery? 5 grand +..and then comes post-op care.
Henry is now the 5 thousand dollar footlong.
We all say we would do anything for our pets..and we mean it..but there comes a time when finances matter to most of us.
There is nothing quite so awful as discussing if you can afford to restore the use of your pet's legs.
If you can afford this, or must put them down because their condition will continue to degrade.
We all say we would do anything, but that isn't always possible.
If you know someone in this position, don't ever judge them. Please.
We were fortunate enough to pull this off, but we DID have that discussion. I cannot express how that made us feel, and I can't imagine being with people who would judge us for questioning if we could afford it.
We might be eating Ramen noodles formed into the shape of a Thanksgiving turkey, lighting the house with candlelight and setting fire to the coffee table for heat..but..we've got Henry.
He has to stay the weekend, but he will be coming home.
Raining terror and hellfire down on the household as he always does.
Thank God.
Henry, Hank the Tank, Round Mound of Hound:
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| He might be a little gray in the face now, but he rocks it like Sean Connery. |
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| As you can see, he lives a hard life. |
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Send a little love his way..
My heart is overflowing with love for Henry and you! He is adorable and I can feel how much you love him. I'm so happy the surgery went well and that he'll be home with you before you know it. *HUGS*
ReplyDeletesending a big sloppy kiss...and hugs...to henry! so glad to hear his surgery went well...now, if he can just stay relaxed...and heal.
ReplyDelete((i used to have a beagle...i used to have a jack russell...what a mix!!))
you can always get the turkey flavored ramen...gobble gobble.
Im crying here, Sam...he is so sweet...you got that Sean Connery thing so right on. I just want to kiss is lips in that last photo too. You are good parents...Now I gotta go blow my nose...
ReplyDelete- KAT -
I'm glad Henry came through surgery successfully and I hope he makes a full recovery! Good for him!
ReplyDeleteI've been in your very situation. Having pets sometimes means making hard decisions and they aren't always cheap. No judgment here.
glad for you and henry! i know a lot of folks wouldn't be able to do this. i'm glad you can. but i completely understand the decision-making process and sacrifices that go with it in both results.
ReplyDeletemy SIL spent $7k for amputation surgery and radiation treatments for her cat when cancer was discovered in his leg. sadly, within the year, the cancer returned and they lost him anyway. at least with a slipped disc, hopefully this will be all henry will ever need! (besides the rest of his life being spoiled rotten). :)
It is a bundle to spend but then he would do it for you I am sure of that.
ReplyDeleteHe looks a lot like our Jack Russell Terrier, Pepper Jax, we rescued from an animal shelter. Wow what a dog he is.
Sending love ya'lls way and so thankful for the good life Henry has. His sweet face reminds me of my own little doggie. <3
ReplyDeleteAwww, how can I not love someone named Henry. It was the name I chose for our boxer but after a week discovered that Rowdy suited him best, so we changed his name. I wish Henry all the best in his recovery and NO... I would never judge someone who cannot afford this type of surgery. Pets are expensive! and so is good pet care.
ReplyDeleteSending all our best to Henry!
Hugs and healing energies on their way. You do have a big heart to do this, and to consider the feelings of others who are unable to make enough sacrifices to afford such wonderful care.
ReplyDeleteDid you know there is a whole blog world of pets with disabilities?
Including pets who use "walkers" (actually rolling carts.)
If you need any suggestions or help with after care, I am sure if you reach out they would love to offer ideas.
Try to hold off with the reigning terror for a little bit, OK Henry?
I'm glad he's going to be OK, Sam. How scary that must have been for all of you. And, how fortunate it was that you could come up with the funds to swing the surgery. As much as I love my dogs - and you know I do - I don't know if I could come up with that kind of money.
ReplyDeleteNo judgey here!
ReplyDeleteI am the one who spent
$3,000 on my Siamese, Maverick! And that was in 1995!
And the 5 horses? Oy!
Hugs to Henry and You!
xo, misha
Aww, I love you and your gaggle of pups. So grateful that this was possible. I can imagine being in that situation, as we went through something similar with our 10 year old lab mix, Raven, this summer. (As you know.) It rocks your world.
ReplyDeletePraying for his recovery and y'all's (is that really a word?) peace of mind.
what a lucky little guy to have you! we spent about that on nigel during the course of last year, but lost him anyway. his diabetes had taking its toll...
ReplyDeleteglad to hear little henry is on the road to recovery!
Oh gosh, I don't judge on these things. We had a beloved golden retriever and I spent in the thousands to save him, and he still didn't make it. We're now more conservative about what we will do to save an animal, although we always have their best interests at heart and do what we can. It's a very hard decision.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad Henry is doing just fine, and personally, if you fix Ramen just right, it can be even better than turkey in my opinion ;-) Tomatoes parmesan garlic!
Awwww Sam, sending Henry all the love I can get to him right now and healing vibes too!
ReplyDeleteOh I hate that for Henry to have had that problem but I'm so glad that you were able to help him. I know how hard it is to make a decision like that. We had a chihuahua that broke her leg when she was 12 yrs old. I took her to the vet. Her little heart wouldn't have made it through surgery or so the odds weren't in her favor so I decided not to do surgery and let it heal on it's own. She had already been limping on that leg for years at different times because of an old injury playing with a toddler so she did just fine. Thankfully her injury was something that she could live with. She lived another 2 years after that.
ReplyDeleteGive Henry lots of hugs and kisses and make him King until he recovers fully! He is a sweet looking doggie!
I feel for you and your pup!
ReplyDeleteWe have a 10 year old Great Pyrenese and in the last year have had two surgeries (growth on eyelid removed; and two hematomas in his ears) that have set us back several thousand...
I know how you feel Sam.
ReplyDeleteI've paid for our vet's new surgery wing through the treatment my dog and cats have had over the years.
Personally, I'd sell a kidney to pay for treatment but it's a hard, hard decision to make for some. And heartbreaking for others.
Big hugs and fusses to Henry. He's deifinitely worth it.x
Oh, I know about being in that position. Very very very difficult. With the success rate for recovery being that high, I would totally do it too. I am very thankful that my vet lets us pay in installment whenever necessary.
ReplyDeletea little love ???.....here's a whole bunch of love !!
ReplyDeleteSending a lot of love Henry's way! I he has a speedy recovery!
ReplyDeleteOh I hope he is continuing to recover. I'm sorry that this happened to both him and you guys too.
ReplyDeleteIt's never an easy decision to make .... but with odds like that it does make the decision easier. We've been in that same position many times. We had a horse that we put 10k in and our JRT that passed on we put 4k in. But like you said. They are a part of the family.
I do tell my pony that his credit card has a $500 limit so he better stay healthy....lol! Kidding...sort of.
Hugs and Kisses to Henry....hope he is back to ripping it up real soon.
Just say the word, and I'll knock him up a little cart.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, that last picture - a dog with a pimp walk can't wear a tank top. Get him a leather coat!
Oh Henry get well soon. I do understand this more than you know living on a farm. I am so happy it worked out for you. He has the cutest brown eyes. Noodles instead of turkey oh well look at those eyes. Have a great Thanksgiving B
ReplyDeletePlease accept my delayed well wishes! Having gone through the 5 Grand+ surgeries/chemo/radiation with my older dog last year, I feel your pain. But Henry looks like he is recovering like the champ he is!!
ReplyDelete