A few years ago, my sister Marylin’s peekapoo – a playful and affectionate dog named Oreo – went to the vet for minor bleeding in her mouth. Any issue involving blood is always of concern, but Oreo was only eight and in otherwise good health so it wasn’t alarming. Maybe she had eaten something that had irritated her digestive system, we had assumed.

The vet prescribed Rimadyl, an anti-inflammatory medication often prescribed for arthritis and other conditions.


Within a few hours, Oreo’s condition only worsened. She couldn’t eat, and was obviously in distress. From there, things got alarming. She became disoriented, unable to stand or walk without falling. Then hemorrhaging started. Yet the cause of her sudden decline proved a mystery.

We called local vets, hunting for one that could see her right away. That’s when we discovered a cruel fact of life for pet owners of modest means. If you can’t hand over a bunch of cash immediately, you often have no way to get your pet the medical care they need. Even in the worst emergencies.