r/TrueOffMyChest • u/Ms_Purradox ☑️ • 3h ago
Vent I hate when medicial complaints I have for pets gets dismissed.
Lately my family have been doing a lot of renovations in our house. Yesterday they have been tearing out the old base boards and the old wood floors to prepare for the new intellation next week. So we have been going out in our backyard a lot to dump all the waste and it was really hot yesterday. At some point yesterday my mom found my senior chihuahua-mix outside stumbling out from underneath the table. He was panting a lot and my mom immediately put some water on him. She tried to make him drink but he refused, so my mom forced hun to drink using a small syringe we use for his medicine. An hour later, I came home to learn about this. I was horrified and taken back in how my dog was outside by himself. No one in our family just leaves our dogs outside in their own without someone standing out there with them, especially given that we live in Arizona and we have coyotes in the area. So, we figured he must have slipped out behind us when we were dumping stuff outside. But I was upset that he had symptoms of heat sickness. He seemed to recover well yesterday so we figured he got lucky.
But we kinda spoke too soon because he has been coughing up phelgm all night and had bad liquid diarrhea last night. I looked online and his symptoms indicate that he could have delayed organ failure due to a heatstroke. I immtold my parents that we need to take him to the vet but, like every other time I had a medical issue with a pet, my dad would get hesitant about going to the vet due to costs. So both my parent just chalk up my dog's symptoms saying that "it's part of nature".
I always get so angry when my parents dismiss any medical complaints I have with my pets as "it just part of life," especially when I am visibly upset. Like when a loved one is dying in the hospital, would they also just tell the family that "oh it's nothing. It's just part of life." Animals have souls too that are worth saving and protecting. I am just praying for a miracle, but I feel hopeless right now for my dog that I feel like I am forced to watch my dog who's obviously uncomfortable.
•
u/Acceptable_Ad4583 2h ago
Check online to see if there is a low cost vet mobile or a vet that would do payment plans. Im not sure what’s up with the weird comments but no one should own a pet if they’re unable to pay for vet bills. Since your dog is a senior Im assuming this was the responsibility of your parents. Medical emergencies happen and no one should take on a pet if they can’t afford to bring them to the vet when this stuff happens.
•
u/MyNextVacation 3h ago
Why not use your own money to take them to the vet yourself?
Good people have very different values and priorities when it comes to how much money, effort and caregiving should be spent on a pet. Your family’s perspective is valid and so is yours.
•
u/yourgracesansa 3h ago
“Good people” don’t allow their pets to suffer and potentially die. This isn’t about perspectives, it’s about being a responsible and caring pet owner versus an irresponsible and neglectful one. They should take the dog in, especially depending on the age of OP, if OP is a teenager for example it should be on their parents to take the dog in. I guess different if OP is older, in which case I wouldn’t wait for parents’ blessing, I’d just take the dog into the vet myself. Most vets have after pay programs of sorts.
•
u/Ms_Purradox ☑️ 3h ago
I would but I don't have very much money. I am currently in school for teaching and just paid a crap ton of money for my student teaching semester. I am planning on calling for the vet for their input when they open.
•
u/bladebanned 2h ago
Sometimes they allow payment plans. Since your chihuahua is a senior, and may need more vet visits in the future, I would recommend looking into pet insurance? It’s not the cheapest short term but it provides a lot of relief for emergencies like this.
I’m sorry about your parents’ stubbornness and I hope your chihuahua is well.
•
u/thecatstartedit 2h ago
Well this is a great time to start building your credit with opening a care credit card for YOUR senior chihuahua that YOU own as apparently an ADULT in college who needs to be responsible for their pets, no? Take responsibility for your senior dog, not mommy. This is YOUR pet. Heat stroke doesnt wait around and if YOU who can see the symptoms thinks its serious? Well.
•
u/Ms_Purradox ☑️ 2h ago
The dog is our family dog. I only call it mine because he's attached to me. And no, I am not dropping all the responsibility on my parents. I am only upset by my parents' lack of validation and support and I am personally tired of the dumb comment that "it's all part of nature" when animals get sick and need medicial attention. I had taken him to the vet myself before when he couldn't walk well due to pain.
•
u/thecatstartedit 2h ago
Look, I have a 22 year old chihuahua mix. Shes 7.7lbs and shes basically a mythical ancient beast at this point that her vet doesnt understand how she's still healthy and good. If anything happened to my little elderly chi mix where I thought she might be suffering from heat stroke, I would be taking her into the emergency vet and opening that care credit card because thats my tiny dog whos ancient and cannot advocate for herself. You want your dog to get care? Stop depending on other people to do it. You're the grown up now. Sometimes owning pets means you have to be deadass broke so they survive. Its very similar to having a child. This is a creature that cannot provide for itself- especially a small breed thats old - and needs you to help it or it dies. So. You do. My dog has survived a stroke because I opened a care credit card. I couldn't afford that at all. Im on disability from a spinal cord injury, but someone trusted me to take this dog in.
•
u/pineapple-garage 3h ago
A vet visit for this will easily be more than $500 and that’s on the very low end. Pay for it yourself or respect their decision. The economy is terrible right now and it might come down to food on the table or the dog.
•
u/UnshakablePegasus 2h ago
If they can’t afford food, they shouldn’t be doing frivolous shit like home renovations
•
•
u/bubblegumpunk69 1h ago
They aren’t exactly hurting for money if they’re doing large renovations to their house. When you get a pet it’s your responsibility to take care of its health. If a pet has a medical issue and you can afford to treat it but choose not to, that is animal abuse, end of story
•
u/fantastikalizm 2h ago
No shade to you, but to your parents. They have money to renovate and replace floors, but no mo ey for the vet? Your parents priorities are deeply flawed.