A couple of lessons from my Chihuahua’s congestive heart failure

(If you could see my face in this photo, you’d see I shared pretty much the same expression because for a few hours there, it was touch and go. The doctor actually made it clear to me that – depending on her prognosis – I might be saying goodbye to the old man.)

View WebMD’s 25 Most Popular Dog Breeds and Their Health Issues

The great news is that although Sparky was diagnosed that night with congestive heart failure, he’s been responding well to “triple drug therapy” for the past few months – and the doctor says it’s going to buy him some time. The not-so-great news is that the price of buying his pills is about $130 every time I get the three medications refilled.

I tell you this not to explain that Sparky is a burden, but to remind prospective pet owners that furry new family members inevitably ring up medical bills just like we humans do. An ER visit for congestive heart failure can (and in Sparky’s case DID) exceed $1,000.

How does this help you? It helps because

1. Before you choose a pet, you can fairly easily research whether the breed of dog that appeals to you is prone to certain conditions.
2. You can then decide whether you’re ready to deal with those conditions before you adopt. (I have a friend who loves German Shepherds and continues to adopt them, despite the fact that they are prone to a host of problems that includes as hip and elbow dysplasia.
3. You can research whether any or all of your dog’s prospective conditions is covered by pet insurance and then make the decision whether or not to buy coverage.

Again, I’m not telling you all of this people should make decisions about adopting certain breeds depending on whether they’ll have high potential health costs. I’m mostly telling you this because I believe that adopting a dog blindly – with no thought about care and costs – can turn a potentially great situation (adoption) into really unhappy situation for both you and your pet.