Dog seriously ill, due to go to Australia on Sunday

[77788r]

My dog has become seriously ill in just a few days, she's having an operation on Wednesday next week and we've been told there's a 75% chance of success of her surviving the operation. If she doesn't have the operation she would likely have less than a month to live.

I am due to fly to Australia on Sunday for 2 weeks. The holiday cost me thousands. The travel insurance won't cover a cancellation or change in dates for a pet, and the pet insurance will cover £1000 which is better than nothing.

I feel devastated. It is a huge sum of money, I've saved up and done so much planning and preparation and I feel sick at the thought of it just going to waste. It was for a big birthday. The operation is also thousands of pounds, so this whole situation is costing nearly 6 months of salary for me. I also feel sick at leaving my dog, not knowing what the outcome of the surgery is gonna be or knowing if it's the last time I'll see her. I've spoken to family and friends who think I should go, aside from the family member who would be looking after her while I was away - they said it would be wrong for me to go and they would never consider going themselves.

I don't think I'll go but it hurts so much, I'm so upset at the timing of it all

Are you suggesting fraud

I did try when we got our dog and it was surprisingly hard to find - the closest I got was a pet insurance policy that covered up to £3000 for holiday cancellation. I had to use it and they tried to get out of paying (don't they always? had to get them to go back to recorded conversations) They changed their offering to no longer allow it the following year.

Goodness go. Your partner will be with them.

As an aside. I don’t really agree with treating pets for cancer. Before all the corporates moved into veterinary care it wouldn’t have happened. And the cost to insure animals is now sky high. So much so that it’s prohibitive for people to own them.

If it were me in her place, I wouldn’t have much of a holiday even if I went (not that I could imagine going in a similar situation). I would be too anxious about the dog to enjoy myself and devastated if the dog died while I was away and I chose a holiday over a faithful friend.

So veterinary care has advanced following medicine's trajectory and you begrudge this? Why on earth do you not think dogs should be treated for cancer - often life-saving or life-prolonging veterinary care? What a strange and callous opinion.

No need to mud sling. It’s just an opinion. They are animals not humans. I know someone who put her dog through two rounds of chemotherapy for goodness sake. Now people can’t afford to get basic insurance for ridiculous treatments like this. It happened when they changed the law about who go own vets art practices. Not because of vetinary care suddenly had lots of advances. Because of corporates now taking over and rubbing their hands with glee at the money they can make.

My dog would come first. I have lost a girlfriend over him. Iv have cancelled festivals over him. Lost holidays over him. He has and always will come first. He’s my world

Don’t go. Don’t leave your sick dog for a holiday, regardless of the cost.

Actually the nhs is in the mess it’s in because people keep voting in terrible governments and it has been chronically underfunded and cut to the absolute bone. It’s nothing to do with people asking for a cheeky sick note because their dog is ill. Hope that helps!

This makes my heart fill up a bit because my Weimaraner has no interest in strangers to the point that she won’t even take food from them if I’m there ❤️

Not true at all. It was over 30-years-ago when my Rottweiler bitch suffered 3 major surgeries for cancer because I was young and didn’t have the confidence to stand up to a money grabbing Vet who kept telling me the right thing to do was more surgery. It was too much for her and I have bitterly regretted it ever since. I finally stood up to him and insisted he came to the house and put her to sleep in my arms. I find modern vets much more amenable to sensible discussions about what is best for the animal. It’s usually the owners avoidance of their own grief that leads to too much, or inappropriate surgery. As I said above, in 2012, my Standard Poodle bitch had a tumour removed from her foot, once the Vet had established as far as possible that the cancer had spread nowhere else. I was clear that when the cancer returned (as it would inevitably in an older animal), there would be no more surgery, only palliative care for as long as she had a good quality of life and I stuck to that. She was 11 when she had the surgery. It was 18-months before another tumour. That is a decent length of time in a dogs lifespan.

Your relatives who you are relying on are telling you not to go so I don't see how you can. It's not fair to them to have to go through the possibility of your dog not surviving. I used to board dogs and had a customer who brought their dog to me seriously unwell and literally ran out of the door to catch a flight to Australia before I could stop them. The poor dog deteriorated rapidly and despite seeking vet support I had to have her PTS. The customer delayed their consent to this for several days causing me considerable anguish.

I feel for you OP, that is really tough. If I think about it and my darling dog I don’t think I could leave them when they were ill, it would ruin the trip for me — and the guilt if anything went wrong and I wasn’t there. Money can be replaced, but your time with your beloved pet can’t.

@TheBoysAndTheBallet Clearly you don't have any understanding of animal's emotions or even human emotions. What an uncaring thing to say.

I agree with you.

What type of tumour? My staffy had multiple mast cell tumours removed and was fine.

If I were you I would go on the holiday. Your dog will be with your partner, her family.

If you want to be there, can surgery be booked for the day you're back? It sounds time sensitive, but is difficult to give an opinion without knowing a bit more detail.

She isn't sick though so that would be fraudulent

Shoot me down in flames. I would have the dog put to sleep and go on holiday to recover.
Sorry. Harsh but thats what I would do. Yes I've had dogs plenty. And I would still do that with the odds you have given.

No shooting down from me. I would probably do the same.

I'm amazed by how much some people sacrifice (financially and otherwise) for the sake of pet animals, putting themselves into debt, cancelling holidays, spending all their savings on veterinary treatments and operations etc.

I am not amazed. Some people (many thankfully) love their dogs and their lives are enriched by having that dog.

Me and DH have not gone on holidays when our dog was ill and lost the money the holidays cost. We don't regret our choice at all.

I would not personally even think for 1 second of going to Australia and leaving a dog behind that is going to have an operation. Whether the dog lives or dies I would want to be there.

From much of what I'm reading, seems that those who are practical but not unsympathetic to the situation are considered cold and without any empathy.

I'd suggest that those who criticise the practical replies might need to look out for their human selves, and connect with humans on the very same basis as they care for their dogs.

The OP (if she stays) is denying herself the trip of a lifetime, to be with those (humans) she loves for a very special gathering, losing lots of money that could be spent on enhancing her own life (holiday cost + six months salary for aftercare of dog??). I do wonder sometimes, although I am not unsympathetic.

I would go. Humans and loved ones far and near should trump animals any day. Those who do not agree must have a warped sense of humanity TBH or cannot connect with humans to the same level they can with animals.

Go on the trip knowing that your dog is with your partner - its other owner. This sounds like an important trip for you and you need to get away and put your needs first. Staying with the dog will not change the outcome. If the dog recovers, you will see it on your return. If it is sadly time for it to go, you know you have done everything for it and have given it the best life. Your partner should be encouraging you in this. Our dogs are important and they are family but they do not have the understanding that humans do which is why we treat them differently and end their suffering when they are terminally ill. Dogs have relatively short life spans. We lost ours after 16 years, just before Christmas. Everyone was upset but we took comfort in the life she had. This is the nature of life with pets.

The dog has a 75% success rate of making it through this op. Why would you have it pts....🤔

When I previously replied I didn't realise the relative was DP, presumably living in the same home as the dog. Can't believe s/he is not supporting the OP to have their lifetime holiday.

I don't see that the OP says the trip is to be with those she loves for a special gathering. Her post says it is for a holiday for a big birthday which I assumed was hers.

If she is going to see relatives that she has not seen for a while that makes it different and while I would still very much struggle to leave my dog I would want to see a relative especially an older one such as a parent.

I do care very much for the humans close to me but I also care very much for the pets I have chosen to bring into my house and look after for as long as they live.