DIANA REPUBLIC

“You have pet insurance?” people ask me smirking “Like health insurance for your dogs?”

My answer: Hell yes! And it is exactly like health insurance for dogs. And if you have any pets that aren’t goldfish you may want to look into it as well, Mr. Smirky.

I realize that this statement, among many statements made by today’s pet owners, would make the pet owners of my youth keel over in disbelief (think of what it does to all those awful puppy mill people who think of dogs as livestock). And insurance is really not such a luxury compared to the grooming and wardrobe budgets of the designer purse pooches.

The advances in veterinary medicine have brought with them advanced costs. Last year we spent around five figures on surgery for a ruptured ACL , cancer surgery and chemotherapy for Larry alone. And he did not have said insurance either because it was not available 11 years ago when he came to live with me or because I didn’t know about it. Mike is insured. Goose will be by the end of this week.

I grew up in rural New Hampshire with lots of dogs. We had nine at one time and they were most definitely not insured. They were indoor/outdoor dogs in that they had an insulated heated dog house and a run outside, but were totally allowed in the house as well. I don’t remember trips to the vet and maybe that is because it was a parental chore. I, however, am at the vet at least once a month with someone for a skin thing or an ear thing or a stomach thing.

Another glaring difference is the food we fed our canines. All my childhood dogs were fed Purina Dog Chow purchased in bulk at the feed store. Mike eats organic lamb and rice kibble from an independent pet store. Lucas, our highly allergic golden retriever, ate vegetarian dog food that we got from the vet. All of our dogs have dined on rice and boiled turkey at some point, but I know no one ever prepared dinner for the dogs of my youth in the kitchen.

Bob and I have had a total of five dogs live with us in the last ten years and with all that we have spent on their care, I believe we should have a wing named after us at our veterinary hospital. Our spoiled dogs have multiple dog beds on each floor of our house, yet Mike prefers the corner of the couch and Goosie has begun to sleep in bed with us. At any one time there are so many dog toys on the floor of our family room one could sprain an ankle getting to the remote, but I am constantly removing a shoe or a pillow from someone’s grasp. And no trip to PetSmart, Petco or any other pet store is less than a fifty dollar ordeal.

Today’s dogs don’t know how good they have it. They are spoiled and I wouldn’t have it any other way. If the dogs of my youth were around they would probably gripe about having to walk uphill to the water dish both ways, but then they would curl up in a dog bed with a nice Kong and forget all about it.