Got a lab mix form the pound when it was an 8wk old puppy. he was sick and I stuck a ton of $ into him to make him healthy. a year later I find out that he has demodex mange and may never be able to be off ivomectin. It would cost at the bare minimum $7500 over 15yrs assuming he makes it that long to keep this dog on the border of healthy. I want to get rid of him and get another dog. 7500 goes a long way. Fiance is in love with the dog and threatens to leave... The dog over me... not acceptable AND not acceptable to spend 7500 on a dog!

OPINIONS PLEASE!!!!!

I know it is hard to see a member of the family go but that is a lot of money. you could buy a damn good trained dog for that. Dont know if demodex is painful but that would be one of the first things I would look at. I would not want to put a dog through pain just b/c my fiance in in love with the dog.

2 birds with 1 stone!!!

Get rid of dog and fiancé.

Just my $.02

With the 7500.00 you will save on dog, and uncapped amout you will save on fiancé, you could by the baddest dog around.

Uncle J

Fiance isn't going anywhere...

7500 will get you a dog that can fly a fighter jet. Or a salve that you have to apply daily.

Sounds to me like that poor pup needs to go on his final hunt. to bad for that at my house the wife ranks right behind the dog. Heck so do the kids. LOL

$7500.00... www.mailorderbrides.com

Swamp Ninja'd quick

you started it

Is the demodex that bad? I've had a couple buddies with dogs that had it. They may have a break out once every year or two. Usually a $75 dip would clear it up, sometimes a follow up a few weeks later if needed.

The vet I go to says they have discontinued the dip (they can't even get it for their own use)... which was the one thing that seemed to work pretty good. If it was a case of giving him a dip it wouldn't be an issue.

Damn, that sux. The dip seemed to work pretty well, from what I have seen. Wonder why they are not using it anymore. Have you tried contacting another vet just to get a second opinion? You never know, maybe the brand they use is no longer around and they just don't know something else is available. You would hope they would know, but its worth a shot. Other than that, I don't know what to tell ya. The dog has got to go if he's gonna be that expensive...

Yeah, you will but the point is that this dog will be 2-3 times as much as an average healthy dog... But then again you can't put a price on love and he deffinately fills that void.

7500 is the cost of the medicine only. that does not include his routine vet visits, food, vaccines etc. I have a lot of training into this little guy... so much that he is one hell of a good dog... just can't come to terms with the added costs...

Did you try to call several other vet's to see if anyone is still using the dip? You never know...Unless you try.

I'll call around tonight.

i have had several dogs with demodex it is a heridetary type of mange that does not spread from dog to dog contact. there have been no records that it has spread from contact. I think your vet is wrong because i know of some dogs that have recently been dipped within the past couple months. usually the dogs that have it break out a couple times a year and you put some ivomec in them for 60 days and it will clear them right up (Get dosage from vet). some dogs dont show signs for several years then all of a sudden something triggers it and it shows up. then you treat it and it may not show up for another couple years. i would say keep the dog and the fiance.

IMO a good dog is priceless In the last 2 years i spent oover 3000 on my one lab to have both her rear knees fixed she tore both Acls. Is it alot of money yeah but I have no kids and those 2 labs are me and my wifes kids so to speak. If I had to spend 50,000 to fis her and keep her around even a few more years I would. If it was a kid would you even question keeping them healthy. I doublt it thats the way I look at anyway. They are family and count on you to take care of them

Ivomec is atually really cheap. Go to a local farm supply store and you can buy it right over the counter. Check the % and make sure it is the same strength as you are getting from the vet. The vet must really be sticking it to you. Here is a really good supplier if you cannot find one locally. http://www.revivalanimal.com/store/p/27 ... 41_a_7c273

Tell the finance you cannot afford it and she needs to help pay for it.

If it's a good dog, and you and the wife love him, then it's kinda like having a kid with special needs, you gotta do what you gotta do. Seek the cheapest treatment that works, and move on, just one of those things. Would your wife get rid of you if you had diabetes or somethin'?

Yeah... Think I'll start looking around for the Ivermermectin at the local animal supply store. Should be able to take care of him with that for a lot less than what the vet is charging.

I take what vets say with a grain of salt, my dog got hit by a car and the vet said that it would take 2500 to put pins in his hip and leg and he would never be a field dog......he was very wrong. I didn't spend the money and the dog swims and runs like the accident never happened.

Well... The ivermectin wasn't working as it had in the past... he began chewing up his feet terribly bad and ended up getting them infected. The last month or so he had a cone on 24/7. I had to do what I thought was right... he was put to rest today.

In memory of my late best friend Bandit. I love you buddy, rest peacefully.

I'm sorry to hear that it didn't work out man. I did not think demodex was that bad. Guess some dogs have a worse reaction to that others. Again, sorry for your loss.

Sorry to hear it.

Yeah, bandits situation was a bit different than a lot of dogs. He was found running along side a road as a very young pup... not exactly sure how old he was... maybe 6-10 wk. He was malnourished, and had coccidia and round worm along with D. mange. We got rid of the coccidia and round worm but the mange just kept persisting. We treated him for a year and two months on the highest dose of Ivermectin his body would take. The mites must have grown some tollerance to the ivermectin and because of his situation when he was a pup he must have had a compromised immune system. So... he couldn't control the mites on his own and the med was beginning to not work as well. We gave him the best of the best. EVERYTHING, gun training, food, family... ect. He just couldn't shake the mite thing. once he began chewing his feet up and living life with the cone I didn't think he was living the quality of life he should have.

Thanks to all you guys that took the time to come up with suggestions. I looked into everything and feel that I made the right choice even though it was extremely hard to do.

We're gonna get another pup when we think the time is right but for now we will always remember him.

Thanks guys.

Sorry to hear the news... But, you must remember that he is in a better place.

Sorry to hear about the dog its a terrible thing to loose a pet.

Sorry to hear about Bandit.

Man sorry things did not work out with the dog. It is always hard to loose one. I lost one a few years back. Had her tied to the boat went into the camp to take a dump when I came back she had jumped over and drowned.

Sad.