Po'ele aka Poopy.
Yesterday morning I was torn out of sleep by incessant wheezing and coughing. It did not stop and it was coming from the other side of my bedroom door on what is usually a very quiet Saturday morning. I open the door an I look down. I see the outline of my families little Chihuahua- Toy Fox Terrier. He is gasping loudly for breath. I turn on my light and squint at him. He begins to cough like he has something lodged in his throat. He looks up at me with sad old puppy eyes, still wheezing, and runs for my brothers doorway.
My little brother has woken up too. I look at his bedside clock. It reads 4AM. My first coherent thought is. This doggie needs a vet. My second thought... where am I going to find a vet at this hour? I do a mental checklist. Is he lethargic? Besides the cough, Po'ele seems to be okay. His tail is wagging and he's running around. Does his body look abnormal? Yep... he is the same skinny little pup he's always been. I ask my brother, who is his vet?
Needless to say I got a little angry when I heard his answer...
BUT FIRST... a Disclaimer. I AM NOT A VETERINARIAN. I once wanted to be one but I would rather cut open a consenting human than a poor animal that can't fend for itself much less TELL YOU WHAT IS WRONG. I admire and throw my hat off to Vets everywhere... it's not an easy job. So if any vets out there are reading this please feel free to respond. I would have asked Po'eles' Vet for his take but the poor man was so busy. So I will repeat myself... I am not an ANIMAL DOCTOR.
Also...
I am not a doctor. I am not a nurse. I am not a psychologist. I am not a counselor. I am not affiliated with any sort of health industry. You are reading this blog with the full knowledge that Pilialoha K. Nathaniel is not authorized by any school, institution or government to give health and medical advise. If you follow any advise in this blog it is at your own discretion and at your own risk. Okay? Nod if you agree. If you read anything past this paragraph that means you have nodded and you agree.
I asked my brother, "Who is his Vet?"
My brother says, "I don't remember when he was taken to the vet last. It's been YEARS." Oh man. I am tired and now angry. I bite my tongue as Po'ele begins coughing again and my brother bends down to pet him. "Pili," he says, "he sounds bad. I've never heard him like this."
He continues, "I think we used to take him to the Vet at the Mililani Town Center"
"It closed down last year." I say. "Well, keep an eye on him." I take out my handy dandy iPhone and search, "Vet in Mililani" Two pop up. Both open at 8AM. It is about 4:30AM right now and Po'ele doesn't sound like he's going to make it another three-ish hours. The coughing is longer and more frequent now. I type in "24 hour Vet" and, THANK PUPPY HEAVEN, one pops up.
I call them and a wonderful man named Chris picks up. I let him know what is happening and he suggests that we bring Po'ele in right away BUT that the walk-in fee is $135.00 before 7AM and $77.50 after. I cringe at the price difference. I'd like to say I would do anything I could for this doggie, and while that is true... you still have to be financially responsible.
It was nearing 5AM and Po'ele was not getting any better. I come up with a solution. I tell Chris, "I am going to bring Po'ele in just so we are all there should he get worse."
Friendly Chris says, "Good. In that case I can have a technician do a preliminary check on your dog when you get here." Chris takes our info and pleasantly hangs up.
I turn to Kepa. "We are going now. Wake up Mom and Dad and YOU tell them what is happening." My Mom emerges. I am too tired to ask why Po'ele hasn't been seeing a Vet regularly... but I think I already know the answer (I'll come back to that). She asks if she should come. I just say no. At this moment I just thought Po'ele had something stuck in his little doggie throat.
Kepa and I jump in the car with a now excited Po'ele (he loves car rides) and drive over to the VCA Animal Hospital in Pearl City.
The facility is large and clean and we are greeted with a fresh pot of coffee and Chris the receptionist. He takes our information and calls the technician out. She is not nearly a nice as Chris as the first thing she asks me (rather harshly) after picking up Po'ele is, "Why is he so skinny?"
I don't blame her for being harsh. I want to be harsh with my parents and with my brother. All I can say is, "He eats and he eats a lot." We give her a review of the morning. She looks at Po'eles' gums, asks us to wait here and takes Po'ele behind the "employees only" swinging doors. Kepa and I sit. Chris reemerges and explains to us that since Po'eles' gums looked pale the technician decided to put him immediately into the oxygen tank.
About an hour later at around 6:30AM a new smiling technician comes out. She explains that the 7AM Vet will see Po'ele and she will come and get us when he is done. Chris calls us over. He has an INVOICE in his hands. All I see is the bottom line. $2000-$3000 dollars. I remember that it is a small price to pay for Po'ele and our families Happiness. He explains that this is just an estimate and the Vet will be able to explain in better detail. There is something wrong with Po'eles heart. He tells us that the doctor has already administered a shot for Po'ele that will hopefully take care of Po'eles breathing problems.
I look at Kepa. His normally easy smile is strained, his eyes bleak.
The technician comes out and takes us back into one of the rooms. She gets all Po'eles' info from my brother. I did not know that Po'ele is almost 10. She leaves and Doctor Luis M. Ho, the Vet comes in.
Without Po'ele.
"Po'ele has CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE. (Go HERE for more info) He is stable and in GUARDED condition." He explains the shots he's given and how he has already treated Po'ele. He says one thing that sticks in my mind.. and proceeds to explain the cost analysis and what he needs to do to
"ANIMALS CANNOT TELL US WHAT IS WRONG WITH THEM." He then proceeds to explain the cost analysis and what he needs to do to properly diagnose Po'ele and to HOPEFULLY extend his life in comfort.
He pushes for A LOT of work to be done and by the time he is finished I am not surprised that the cost is going to land between $2000 and $3000. I am about to tell him to go ahead. I can see my brother sink lower and lower in his chair and I feel so bad. But then Doctor Ho says two key things... "Even with all this treatment he MAY BE BACK NEXT WEEK." In other words.
He may not make it.
AND... "At his AGE and with how far the Heart Disease has progressed, you may want to think about PUTTING HIM DOWN."
My heart stopped. This was not a decision I could make. This was NOT a decision I wanted my seventeen year old brother to make. I needed to call my parents...
I am going to stop this story here and skip over the really really sad parts because, lets face it, we have all been there. Losing a family member is hard. Saying goodbye to someone is hard. My parents came and we visited with (very scared) Po'ele in his little oxygen tank. My dad left for work and my mom and I left my brother with Po'ele to speak with Doctor Ho.
Doctor Ho kindly repeats everything he said before and looks to my Mother for his next course of action. I look at my Mom. My heart sinks a little. I know she and my Father would have talked. I am guessing that in light of the options before them they talked of the most humane action if Po'ele was in pain.
I ask her, "What did you and Dad decide?"
"Your Father and I decided no treatment."
The Doctor looks a little floored. I reiterate what he said to him and to my Mom. Just to make sure we all know the implications. I ask the good Doctor, "There is a chance he could have a comfortable life right? Without all the tests? What do we need to do to take him home?"
The Doctor says he can give Po'ele another couple of shots, three different medications that he will have to take for the rest of his life and a promise from us that we will bring him back in if he gets worse and for a check up in a week." That is exactly what we do.
The bill ended up being $409.09. The cost of Happiness is very little indeed. We brought Po'ele home. My Father was happily surprised to get kisses from his dog when he got home. Today he is his regular little happy old-man puppy-self. No more walks for him though and he needs to take his medicine.
Po'ele has had a long and awesome life with my family. He is loved and cared for. YES... I was a little angry that he had not been taken regularly to the Vet for check-ups. And where does a middle class family get the extra $200 or so dollars to take their dog to the Vet twice a year? In this failing economy, it is hard.
Can I say that Po'ele wouldn't have gotten sick if he'd had yearly check ups? No, I can't. I am sure a Vet would tell you it would have helped. I can say this, though, it is our RESPONSIBILITY as pet owners to take OWNERSHIP of the COMMITMENT we made when we took on a pet. I fully realize that life happens and financial hardships happen... and when they do please ask yourself, "Am I doing the best of my abilities and the best possible thing for my pet."
In life, sometimes the best thing is to try harder. Sometimes the best thing is to say goodbye. I am glad we didn't have to say goodbye.
Aloha and tummy-rubs,
Cousin Pili
Good Morning Midnight, Welcome Home.
The Hawaiian word for Midnight is Po'ele.
PS... HUGE thanks to Doctor Luis M. Ho and the entire staff at VCA Animal Hospital. Thank you for giving us more time.
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