I am very blessed and very fortunate. I have had many wonderful animal companions over the years, going all the way back to when I was extremely young and had no sense of what it takes to care for an animal. Dogs have always been my first choice, but I have had cats, birds, turtles, and more. I remember the early times they broke my heart by running away. Soon I learned it took more than an occasional pat on the head or walk around the block to care to be a true friend to them.
It seems we always had mutts. Mutts don't seem to require much care veternarian-wise anyway. I think if they were lucky, they got their shots and licenses, basic bargain food at the supermarket and scraps from the table. They seemed to do okay I guess. I wonder now if their lives might have been "better" had we pampered them more. Years passed and as an adult I had a wonderful collie, several cockers, a couple shiz-tzus and mixed breeds and more. I now have three little friends, Tater Totte, Ching Ching and Miquelito. There is also a ten year old cat named Nina who enjoys a life of her own in our house.
Recently Tater and Ching have both had some very serious health challenges. Tater has anal tumors which are presumed malignant. Ching has a disgestive disorder that causes him to stop eating and drinking become dehydrated and malnourished. Now I am fortunate. I have insurance that pays some toward these illnesses. But there are still many out-of-pocket expenses that cannot be recovered. Yet I am compelled to do what I can to make their lives (and by association, mine) better. Yes, I am fortunate, blessed, even privileged to be able to bear the expense. And, yes, some other things are sacrificed...but ultimately it seems worth it, at least to me.
I know they are "just dogs", getting older, maybe not anything more than Pavlovian creatures motivated by food and comfort. But whose to say we humans aren't basically the same? So I make decisions based on what facilitates health and well being while not being extravagant and wasteful. I could have done surgery for Tater, but that would have cost as much as a small Mazda, put her through lots of pain and discomfort and probably not have extended her life much anyway. So mild chemo is the option and right now she is doing well. And Ching has been getting intravenous fluids, anti-biotics and tender care for a week now at the vet's. He is coming back to life. Both are about nine. Where do you draw the line? And sadly, money is a strong influence. Again, I am fortunate to be able to meet the costs without going without.
So what is the price of love? That is the question I answer every day these days. It seems to me that what we do for love ultimately defines who we are and the quality of ovr lives. God bless the animals who depend on us. And God guide our decisions in what we do for them.
