Saturday, July 28, 2018

Elderly or ailing dogs can be expensive

I'm happy to say that Angel's latest foray into acupuncture is going well.  (Further adventures in Canine Acupuncture) She can get up from the floor more easily and her muscles are less tight.

We stopped the laser treatments after only two visits because doing them after the acupuncture seemed to stress her rather than assist. 

But yesterday we did the treatment BEFORE the acupuncture.  It seemed to help relax her and let the acupuncture needles do their work more effectively.

Yesterday was her 12th acupuncture treatment.  And we are booked weekly for the next couple months.  I love that it gives her some respite from the pain and stiffness.  But it's pricey. 

One acupuncture session is $68, with my United Pet Care discount.  Add laser treatment for an additional $29.  Per week.

On top of that, she has developed an itching problem.  Neither Zyrtec nor Benadryl have helped so we are trying a shot that is supposed to last a month. For $120. 

Plus, she has these two weird sore spots on her back and shoulder.  The oddest scabs the vet or I have ever seen, all crumbly instead of flat.  One course of antibiotics helped, but not completely.  We thought they would go away on their own after that. 

They didn't. Topical antibiotics helped, but not completely.  So now we are going with a human antibiotic.  I looked it up on GoodRx.  $80 for 30 tablets. 

Of course, part of the reason treatments are so expensive is that I have large dogs.  The anti-itch shot dosage was based on her 104 pound weight.  As was the dosage of the antibiotic. 

Large dogs are just more expensive in general.  More food, bigger treats, higher dosages. 

But I love my large dogs.

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