This week, I figured I would share the full story on the dog we adopted as an early Christmas present for our kids.
As I mentioned, life has been pretty crazy for my family this fall.
It’s been a bear really.
A great idea…ish
When Robyn’s family adopted a puppy several months ago, her husband JM simultaneously told me I should adopt one too – and that adopting a dog would be a terrible idea.
He just didn’t want me to blame him.
But given the fact that my eldest daughter has been begging, pleading, bargaining, and nearing an emotional breakdown for a pretty long time because she so wanted a dog…
And the fact that I kind of wanted a walking/hiking buddy for myself…
And my husband J and I were still contemplating a good family Christmas present that would help us continue to embrace a more minimal lifestyle…
It seemed like a great idea at the time.
We decided to go ahead and take the plunge into puppy parentdom.
And we decided to make the entire thing a surprise for our kids.
And they were SO surprised. It was amazing.
Meet Bear
OK, so I apologize for the terrible pun at the beginning, but our new puppy, Bear, has been kind of a bear to care for since we got him.
But his adorable-ness makes up for any trouble, truly.
This little sweetheart, adopted through a rescue service from Tennessee (where there are allegedly homeless dogs on every corner), came with a whole host of problems.
The trouble begins
After being home with us for just one day, we knew something was off.
He was diagnosed with kennel cough and pneumonia and was struggling to breath.
To compound matters, he was diagnosed just as we learned that Claudia was taking a turn for the worse and I had to leave immediately for New York. Thankfully my awesome family members were able to swoop in and help with the dog and the kids as the puppy needed a trip to the veterinarian and a round of antibiotics.
But then it got better!
Oh wait, no it didn’t.
Bear also ended up with a mountain of digestive issues.
Three parasites, in fact.
He required additional medications and specially prescribed food.
The poor little guy was suffering, though he was still very happy and playful, and the expenses were adding up quickly.
These health issues continued for the first two months as we tried different foods and medications to try to resolve the issues.
If you’ve ever dealt with anything like this, you know that there is a scheduled course for the antibiotics and a period without medication before you resume antibiotics again.
But wait, there’s more…
Shortly after we thought we were getting a handle on his digestive issues, my husband and I set off on a date.
Bear was in his crate while we were out.
All seemed well.
But then the next morning, something was very wrong.
Bear couldn’t stop vomiting.
We immediately took him to the veterinarian, who prescribed anti-nausea medicine and fluids and sent us home with instructions to go to the animal hospital if things got worse.
Well, they did. At 1:00 a.m.
Off I went to the pet emergency room, and after an ultrasound, they determined that he had an intestinal blockage caused by a piece of fabric in his stomach.
We were told Bear would likely need surgery – an $11,000 surgery – but that they would monitor him overnight.
By the next morning, we finally received a bit of good news. It seemed that Bear was passing the foreign material in his stool.
It turned out to be the remnants of a knotted rope toy. The brand new toy that had fallen apart days before while we were playing with him and that I had immediately discarded. Or so I thought. Apparently one knot escaped.
This is when I learned that it is in fact true that labradors eat everything. (We were told that Bear is part lab by the rescue).
And I also learned that rope toys are apparently the most dangerous. I have since discarded every rope toy or potentially destructible toy.
Anyway, Bear had to remain at the animal hospital for the day while they continued to monitor him.
I was able to pick him up that evening, and after an only $4,000 bill (which suddenly sounded great in contrast to the $11,000 surgery we narrowly avoided), we took him home with yet another prescription diet.
As a side note: if you ever own a labrador or part-lab, you should absolutely get the pet insurance. That investment I made was the only saving grace in the entire saga.
The (positive) ending
After all of these challenges, we are finally on a non-prescription (and more reasonably priced) food.
I’ve added doggy digestive enzymes and probiotics to help him recover from the aggressive rounds of antibiotics.
Bear seems to be really happy and we have learned a lot about keeping him safe! We are very cautious about leaving anything around the house (which inspired massive purges like the one in my son’s room) and particular about the toys we use.
We’ve also been working with a dog trainer since he is estimated to be 70 pounds once fully grown. Bear will definitely need to have proper manners when we go hiking!
And we have already been hiking a ton. He is a great companion and a wonderful snuggle buddy when we return home.
I think my oldest child has learned a lot about responsibility and how much work pets truly are too.
The takeaways? If you decide to get a puppy, either dedicate a hefty financial safety net savings account to him or her, or invest in the puppy insurance. Or maybe both!
Share your happy – or harrowing – pet stories with us! Leave a comment below.