A Hard Decision

In December 2008, I brought home a fluffy French Bulldog named Clive. He stole my heart the first time I saw him. With Shawn in school, working late hours and weekends, I wanted a dog in the house to keep me company. I didn't like being alone. I knew getting a pet was a big responsibility, and I researched and studied Frenchies. I knew full on that they come with allergy problems, breathing problems, and sometimes require extra care. At the apartment, Clive didn't suffer any allergy problems that couldn't be fixed with a little benadryl. I loved having him run around, acting all spastic, and cuddling with his fluffy self on the sofa.

Then in 2009, we found out we were expecting a baby. This of course was not a planned thing, but life happens. So my extra money started going to a savings account for Jeanne. Shawn and I decided we needed to move into a house so we would have more room. We found a nice little rent house with a great backyard for Clive to run around and play. Soon after moving in January 2010, Clive started having allergy issues. He would break out in hives constantly. So I decided to do allergy testing on him, and wouldn't you know it, he was allergic to every plant, grass, flower in our backyard. So I put him on an allergy serum. One shot a month wasn't so bad. It seemed to be working well until this last summer/winter.

Clive had a bad allergy attack in the summer of 2011, so I brought him to the vet and got him on some antibiotics (his itching/scratching caused a skin infection). $300 at one appointment. In November, it was time for his semiannual checkup at the vet. >$300 for all his shots, heartworm med, and flea medication. A week or so later, I had to bring him back because he had another flare up. Another $300. Then in December, he had the worst flare up I had seen on him. >$400. So in two months, I had put >$1100 in vet bills on my credit card. The money was hard, but what was worse was Clive had to take 3 pills twice a day for 3 weeks. He was totally not himself when he was on the medicine (**Note: I know what most of you are thinking. He is a just a dog. Well you are WRONG. He was my pet. I knew how he acted. The meds totally changed his attitude.)

So after the New Year, I talked with Shawn and we came to a heart-wrenching decision. I felt like Clive was suffering, so I called the breeder I got him from. I explained that I didn't have the money to continue him on medication if he got the flare ups, but more importantly, I didn't like having to put him on the medicine in the first place. I didn't know if when we move for residency, that it would be any better for his allergies. So, I moved Clive back to Texas this past weekend. It was hard to put him in her car and watch him leave (**Again, if you never had a PET that you were responsible for, you don't know what it feels like, so no snide comments). I miss him, but I know he is doing just fine. She breeds and raises Frenchies, so he is frolicking with his family. I will miss his sweet, squishy face for a while.