Straydog UPDATE posted FRIDAY 5/2/03 at ~8:00 p.m. CT

Pat's Daily Dog Log

FRIDAY MAY 2 2003

Our vet bill is sky high again at $7,000+

     How has our vet bill gotten so high again? Because we are a No-Kill dog shelter. We do not euthanize dogs who come to us sick or with any type of handicap. We do not euthanize dogs with bad hips or leg problems. We care for them.

     We make sure that all dogs and pups we take in receive the medical attention they need to bring them back to good health again. We have every dog and puppy vaccinated, and when they are old enough, they are spayed or neutered. We have them treated for all health problems: parvo virus, mange, heartworm disease, cancer and all other health problems. To give every dog and puppy this type of medical care is extremely expensive, and this is the reason our vet bill is constantly on the rise.

     We also take in a new desperate dog every time a dog is adopted out, and this brings another jump in our vet bill as we provide the medical care for the new arrival.

     We have many dogs here who are now in their senior years. We've become a sanctuary to many furry fellas no one wants. They are well cared for here, and they are loved by all of us. Taking care of the older dogs is expensive too because of the many health problems that begin with advancing age.

     Giving good medical care to all the dogs and puppies at our Happy Home for Strays is a basic part of our mission. If you would like to help us pay our vet bill, please see the address to our vet clinic, or the address where you can send donations to our shelter near the bottom of this homepage.

Here is an example of today's vet bill increases:

Mama Laura and Rosie are brought home from vet clinic this morning, and Happy is rushed to the vet this afternoon

     Laura and Rosie, both young females, had their spay surgeries yesterday, and this morning I brought them home from the clinic. (Now we owe the cost of two more spay surgeries.) The two dogs are doing just fine, the doctor told me when I picked them up. Once home from the clinic Rosie's little puppies happily ran over to greet their mommy, and Laura's adult son, Jesse Bear, was glad to see his mom too!

This afternoon Happy is rushed to vet clinic (another unexpected vet expense)

     Happy is about 10 years old and is sort of a Beagle Hound mix, a sweet happy dog who has hip dysplasia and a thyroid problem that is kept under control with medication.

     Happy also takes medication for her achy hips on the days when her arthritis flares up. She usually gets around very well, even tho she does have a slight limp at times. But this afternoon she could barely get up from a lying position, which is an abrupt change in her physical capabilities, and I was so worried about her I called the doctor, who suggested we bring her in.

Guy takes Happy to the vet clinic while I hold down the fort

     Since I still had payroll to figure and checks to write for the employees who were about to leave for the day, I was really glad that Guy was here and able to take Happy to see the doctor, although I would have liked to be there for the examination too. But the doctor said he would call me with the results of his examination, and Guy would fill us in on how the examination went too.

Dr. Morton called me after he saw Happy

     Dr. Morton called about 6:00 this evening saying that the x-rays that he took of Happy's hips and knees show her to have severe arthritis in her left knee along with severe hip dysplasia in both hips. About the only part of both of her legs that is not affected very much is her right knee. The doctor said to keep Happy on the medication needed for pain along with the medication to rebuild and strengthen her joints. He said we will just have to take it a day at a time. We'll certainly be increasing the whole grains and vegetables in her diet too, as these foods have helped all the dogs with bone and joint problems.

     Shortly after Dr. Morton's call to me, Guy arrived back at the shelter with Happy, and now she is settled back in her kennel with her best buddy, Rover.

Big Adoption Day planned for tomorrow at PetsMart in Plano with dogs and puppies!

     Tomorrow is our big Adoption Day at PetsMart, and we'll be taking a total of nine of our furry friends (puppies and adult dogs) for this Adoption Day event. We're all hoping for beautiful weather, and we're hoping to find wonderful homes for many of the pups and dogs!