Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Too Hard to Resist....

That is what got me into this predicament to begin with...Brock, my French Bulldog, was too hard to resist. We only went to Petland to LOOK at puppies and then buy from a reputable breeder. Yeah right!! Once you see their puppy-dog eyes and smell their puppy-dog breath you are in deep doo-doo!

I've owned dogs before and I know better! Still...pregnant and living alone...I could not say no when my husband bought our little Frenchie to keep me company until the weekends. Aargh...just a year has passed and the vet bills and frustration has piled up. Our Brock has allergies beyond belief! The cost to maintain him at a manageable level of discomfort is more than $200 per month. I'm not sure I'm ready to give up frivolous spending to keep my dog somewhat happy. Maybe if he didn't smell from the yeast that wont leave his body or if he didn't scratch so much that he has no hair in a lot of places then I would consider growing my roots out and not picking up every cute dress/outfit in Avery's size at every store I walk into. I wish it wasn't so black and white. He's either unbearably sick or perfectly healthy. When he is perfectly healthy he is on medication that he can't be on long-term due to more side effects.

So we are faced with a few black and white decisions. Keep Brock-Don't Keep Brock, Give him to someone who will keep him medicated-Put him to sleep, Stop medication and live with it-Keep medicating him and hope he doesn't die from the side effects of the major meds he is on.

Then...when I went back to Petland to find out what they were going to do about his warranty I was told nothing could be done because the store owner was new. This makes sense in a tiny way but at the same time- Petland is still a corporation and they should uphold the warranty if the animal they sell is still alive.

Well today I was called and told that I could choose any replacement puppy I wanted. So I have to decide if I want another puppy to raise- and if so what kind? Do I want to stay with the Frenchie Breed or let my husband choose? I really only like Frenchies and Boston Terriers.... If we get a new pup will we really feel better about getting rid of Brock? Do we keep Brock and have the new pup as a back up in case Brock dies? There are too many scenarios and not enough guaranteed outcomes.

The biggest issue is that a replacement puppy is too hard to resist....OH MAN...there it is again...too hard to resist...

1 comment:

Torres is the last name... said...

Well, first do you even trust that the "replacement" puppy is going to be healthy? You thought that Brock would be healthy, and look how things turned out.

Such a hard decision. Did you talk to the vet? Would Brock be better if he was put to sleep? Is he enduring alot of pain? All those dumb questions that you think you know how to answer, but then your emotions get tied up into them. Its so hard! I've been there with my dog Izzy. She was fine, could have kept her around longer with meds, but eventually it would still get worse. So do I prolong suffering for her, the good days and bad days, just so I can keep her around? Or do I do what is better for her and just prevent her suffering all together.

If you do go and put Brock to sleep, try if you can to go in with him during the process. (I'm starting to cry now...) Its hard, but I wouldn't have traded it for anything. Well, I don't know if I could say that, but it definitely helped me in my grieving process.

I'm so so sorry Sarah. Ugh, it really is a tough decision.