I'm going to cut a very long story .

Last year our 6 year old (well he was 5 then) yorkie was diagnosed with diabetes and he also had ketonacidtosis (as a result of the diabetes- don't worry I don't expect you all to know all the conditions etc..it's not relevant to this post). Since that time, which was around August, we have paid quite a lot of money on him, not one penny has been done in regret. We love the bones of this dog and I am not afraid to admit it, there's something about him (even the vets love him..which is kinda handy considering how much he's in there!).

Anyway, this week something dreadful happened (non diabetes related) and the long and the short of it is, he IS okay now (sort of..getting there slowly). He is currently in a emergency hospital (he's been there 2 or 3 times before when he was first diagnosed with diabetes). Hopefully he'll be hope by Friday.

This is my problem: If I had a pound (the irony) for everytime somebody has said to me "I bet that cost you a lot" and strangely another one that keeps cropping up is "I bet you wish you could've gone on holiday with that". Er, no. I have actually lost friends (sort of....I just haven't really bothered since their remarks) over this kinda stuff. It appears so shallow to me.

The only way we are able to pay for this stuff is due to an inheritance given to us, otherwise I dread to think what would've happened.

What has prompted me to do this post is today, a family member said bold as you like: "Haven't you considered putting him down, it's all so expensive". I nearly hung up the phone. How I kept my cool i don't know.

I completely understand in this world there are people who are either not a fan of pets or also not a fan of parting with cash. i get it. But we got him 4 years ago as a rescue dog, we love him, we're being...good owners I guess.

It just kinda hurts me I think. Sorry guys, I'm just ranting!

Totally understand. People are so insensitive. I'm sorry your dog is poorly, hope he's back home with you soon. It's your right how you choose to spend your money and you shouldn't have to justify your choices.

One of my girls had a serious illness a few years back and she spent time in a vets hosp, it was touch and go. A guy I often saw walking the dogs asked where she was and I started to explain and he just said you should have had her put down. I walked away before I smacked him in the face. She recovered and had 3 happy healthy years before we lost her unexpectedly last christmas after 2 severe strokes.

Far to many people only want their dog as long as it's healthy and when it's not they have them PTS unnecessarily or just dump them. Would they tell a relative with a sick child that it should be killed? my dogs are like children to me and whilst I won't let them suffer I will do everything I can to look after them and keep them happy and well.

People can be very insensitive, but I don't think they mean to be - they don't understand, probably not pet owners.

I don't have a dog (anymore) but I have two cats that I'd give my last penny for. If a zombie outbreak happened, I'd die to protect them, which sounds silly typing it, but the two cats I have are almost like children to me (just noticed the above poster has sad the same about their dogs, which makes me feel less silly)!

You are being an excellent owner, and you know your dog better than anyone. You know that he's happy and well looked after and loved - which is all that matters. As long as you can afford it and it's your money, it's up to you what you do!

I congratulate you on being a good owner and taking in a rescue dog, in this day and age most people abandon pets at the slightest unfortunate event, which is really sad.

Thanks for your replies guys, it's just a shame I've had to find comfort from the online world but it's the best way of reaching out and hearing people's stories too.

Up until Sunday he was a healthy dog (despite the diabetes, he was actually at the vet last week for the annual boosters and they were saying how healthy he is etc after doing a few checks). It's taken us a good few months to get this stage i.e. glucose perfect insulin the right amount etc. What happened Sunday evening (and eventually needing hospitalized care) was (for once) non-diabetes related, but of course it's not as easy BECAUSE of the diabetes if that makes sense.

I have had my Grandmother (the family member!) comment and say things before regarding the expense. Whilst it's nobody's business, people seem to wait to ask how much it's all cost and then decide to express their judgement on it. I never give specific price figures but I wont' deny it's expenisve. It's f**cking expensive with the overnight stays etc but at present, I don't drive, smoke, drink and being able to actually say "yes" to potentially saving my pet's life is THE best thing money can buy. I love him enough to do it.

Another funny thing that really niggled me yesterday was a friend (who is an animal lover, I won't deny that, they have rescue dogs etc) said they were telling their parent about this latest ordeal of mine and apparently they said "I certainly wouldn't pay it!", but this person paid over three thousand pounds for a watch?

Don't get me wrong, fair enough, but when you look at it like that....I'd much rather my dog.

I'm just angry at the world lol! I'm okay really but the reactions between animals and humans are so different. So one-sided.

Some people are just insensitive. When my cat was ill, it took about 6 months and £700 to find out the cause. The difference between a pet lover and a non-pet lover-
My Dad (pet lover): Sorry to hear about the cat, Let me know if you need any help with the bills.
My ex-friend (non-pet lover): Just have her put down. You can always get a new one.

My cat was put down in the end, but her quality of life was fine up until about a week beforehand.

I can understand that some people wouldn't put their pets through surgery that wouldn't improve life much just extend it a little (I've done that myself), I can understand that for some people it's the difference between the mortgage/paying bills and their pet when times are hard. I'll never understand how callous some people can be.

Hope the little chap is back to full fitness soon.

It is just insensitive and people having different priorities, I know people who spend a small fortune on booze or cigarettes, IMO but obviously not theirs your dog is more important by far than those things but they wouldn't agree.

Some people don't understand OP, but fellow pet owners do. My boss, when my dog was diagnosed with cancer said "don't worry, he will be dead soon" .... and then wondered why I burst into tears. People can be a-holes.

I get a lot of people questioning me about my dog. Bella is 9 and a Hungarian Vizsla. She poisoned herself when she was about a year old by eating berries off a tree in the garden. She pulled through (just) but she has always been a skinny dog. She eats loads, but never puts on weight and you can see her ribs. I get told all the time that my 'whippet' need feeding up and she looks malnourished. SHE IS'T A WHIPPET plus its none of your business. Im just grateful that she is still my baby after almost dying.

I don't think there is anything wrong with a comment on the cost of it per se. I might do the same if a friend bought a designer handbag! But actually questionning someone's choice is a different matter. My border collie who just reached 16 was given 2 months to live over 2 years ago. But she is still here and happily enjoying a good quality of life. In fact the vets are amazed. She gets the best food and vet recommended supplements (in addition to lots of TLC). Plus some expensive meds. We aren't insured so we are talking arm and a leg.
Of course I could have holidays, new clothes etc if it wasn't for her. But without her, life would be empty. No contest.

I know it is galling to keep on hearing it but It's natural if people think that. If you wondered whether a dog you knew was being mistreated would you just tell yourself it was none of your business? I've passed the odd comment myself when a friend's dog has been piling on the weight. And I've had it back at me when my dog was poorly with liver disease and wouldn't eat. I'm sure even people who knew about her illness thought I wasn't feeding her properly.
I just took a deep breath and clarified - if necessary.

Thanks for your stories guys. Glad we're here and think on the same level.

I went to see him at the vet today, he's doing well, wanted to come home and did the "look back" as I left thing, which of course makes me even more determind for him to be back home (fingers crossed tomorrow or Saturday).

Vets have been marvelous.

On another note though: Since my dog's diabetes last year, I have genuinely began to see who my true friends and family members are (obviously I know who my family members are lol but I mean their thoughts and feelings etc) and I have to say, I have actually gone off of my own Grandparents purely because of some of the comments they have made. Sounds mean maybe but it's just the way it's gone.

For example my grandmother said she wouldn't even pay £100 for pet treatment let alone some of the pricey figures we've had to pay, so yeah, you can see how down-hearted it makes me feel, having said that, I'd choose him (my dog) every single time, I love him to pieces. He has helped me and I have helped him. I suffer with anxiety and more recently depression, so spending the days in when I have felt low but being with him is absolutely priceless, always makes me happy, some of the best memories even!

I have this all the time, even comments from the vets about her "narrow hips" and that I can "afford to let her put on weight" like I'm deliberately underfeeding her. These same vets who have diagnosed her with a high metabolism, what am I meant to do feed her 3 times a day and turn her into a couch potato or feed her 3 times a day and take her for long walks and let her sprint around the fields like she loves to do.

She's well loved, wormed and vaccinated and happy, so perfectly fine as far as I'm concerned

I don't think it helps some people have forgotten what a healthy weight dog looks like, several times I have come from the vet having been told my two are perfect weight only to have someone comment that they need a good meal ! Looking at their dogs I would suggest theirs could do with a few less meals !

I agree. I as told by my vet about the Labrador puppies used on Andrex ads. He said they are adorable cute puppies ... but they are overweight so they looks cuter. I am very conscious of not overfeeding my dogs. I always weigh out their food.

Because I've got greyhounds and a whippet most dogs look fat to me! My girls aren't super skinny but they are comfortably covered, the vet says they are a perfect weight. Racing greys are usually kept skinny. I do get fed up of people saying they don't like greyhounds because they're skinny - well actually the word is healthy!!!

Really hate to see fat dogs and I've recently seen a bulldog and a similar x in the vets, they laid on the floor and were so obese that their fat just spread out around them

I agree Mollipops that some people have lost sight of how healthy dogs of certain breeds should look. Too many treats and sharing their own food with them as well as giving them dog food.

I'm not sure treats and sharing food is the major problem we do it a lot but cut down meal sizes when they have extras, what worries me is portion sizes of commercial food, if I fed my chi the portions suggested she would waddle ! And the lab sized portions are more food than I feed Elsie in two days of three meals a day ! How they work them out I can't figure, even if mine were running free all day they couldn't use all those calories up.

My dog Dylan is across between a Spaniel and Terrier, he has a lovely personality unless you are a postman. Recently had him clipped very short, as he suffers from allegies. Hayfever for one and intolerances to certain foods makes his skin itchy and scabby. Still trying to work out which food sets him off. But when he has his full coat on in winter he looks very fluffy and curly coat, one person said to me he is too fat and he he has got to much fur on........... , He is not to fat as i have him checked out at the vets regulary and they say his weight is fine. But when that bloke said he had too much fur, I was lost for words. So i know where you are coming from OP as it is very frustrating when you are doing your best for your dog, and other just dismiss your actions. So hopefully your little chappy is feeling better soon. Get well wishes from Dylan.

I mean people who give them their food and a full portion of dog food too. I agree, if you give other food then you cut their dog food down. Ours would explode if I fed them the amount printed on the packs of dog food, it's absolutely ridiculous isn't it. They'd need to be on the go all day to need anywhere near that amount.

I struggled after my cat, Pepper, died, as it's the most profound grief I've ever experienced.

One gran died when I was too young to comprehend it, a grandad died when he was 98 - we weren't close and it was his time to go. Another grandma died and everyone was thoroughly relieved because she was suffering terribly.

My whole family were torn up about Pepper's death though, as she was relatively young and she meant so much to all of us. I had raised her from a kitten.

If money could have saved her, I would have spent my last penny. More than that - in the early stages after she died I felt like I could happily kill the kind of people who'd say 'only a cat' if I thought it would bring her back.

One of our animals recently had an expensive operation. Very expensive.

To avoid unwanted opinions about this (a) we have told very few people about it, and (b) we haven't mentioned the cost at all except to downplay it.

A lot of people aren't that interested in other people's pets' ailments ... and some people can indeed offer some tactless comments.

I think the only solution is to share news of these things only with people we are pretty certain share our own animal-loving instincts.

OP, your post shows the importance of (good) insurance. (Not being flippant).

Never found a good insurance none have ever paid out when we had a problem and I hear so many others having problems with insurances that leave them out of pocket with vet fees and still happy to take their monthly payments. Latest is lady who has had insurance with one company for 18 years never claimed a penny but her new puppy has a problem and they are wiggling out of paying her leaving her with only one choice return the pup. Sad all round IMO

I've had dogs insured for 30+ years and never had a problem. I think if you go with a good company (although it's not always easy to work out who are) and not the cheapest it's much better. I will stick to PetPlan in future, not cheapest but they have been brilliant when I've needed to claim and most vets will do a direct claim so you only have to pay your excess which is very important when it's a big bill. My boy has kidney trouble, recently developed epilepsy and had a perforate ear drum and they've paid out no problem. I do feel guilty claiming so much but they're all genuine major things.

Ah, I had two big (and almost instant) pay-outs - one for thousands of pounds' worth of emergency eye surgery, and because she was insured, they referred her to the best vet in the country (same for my other dog who developed a luxated knee cap - because the vet knew he was insured, they didn't do it themselves but tracked down a real specialist). So have had positive experiences.

That said, the premiums went up afterwards (Direct Line) - not much at first but slowly, over the years, got extortionate. But it bought her 10 more years of life. And I've since swapped to another insurer (Petplan) who are slightly dearer to start off with, but then don't have the dramatic hikes Direct Line did.

My dogs were always insured on the day they stepped through my threshold - but I had a terrible experience with them recently and so I threw my toys out the pram and now neither of them are insured. It does worry me, but I opened up a new online bank account and put money into it each month. There isn't much there yet, but I have about £1k saved in it and its growing nicely. I also have an empty credit card with about £8k credit on it to use if I really had to.

Basically I was with Halifax Pet Insurance and took out a whole of life plan. After a few years they stopped doing pet insurance (I believe they were sued by many people). They however recommended another insurer to take my dogs on and they were very reasonable ... for the first few years. I ended up annually swopping insurance companies trying to get the best deal I could for the most cover.

My Springer Spaniel ended up getting cancer and we lost him at the age of 10. My insurers refused to cover him as, when he was about 3months old he got a small cyst on his neck which needed to be removed. After testing they said it was nothing. Although I quoted everything to new insurers when I moved quoting from the old Halifax records (included grass seeds in paws to an adder bite) I forgot about this cyst almost 10yrs earlier and Halifax hadn't listed it on their paperwork. So - the new insurers refused to pay out. The vet said the cyst of 10yrs ago had nothing to do with his abdominal cancer and he fought my case with me. In the end I challenged their decision with the Ombudsman and the insurers finally paid out.

I was trying to mourn my beloved boy and was in tears for ages and very very low - but instead of being left alone and remembering my son I was fighting with insurers. It was a horrid time, and it put me off.

Yep, not being judgemental here but this is really the case. Well its no use bringing that up now.

But I salute you for taking care of your dog and not leaving him behind. I'm one of those who doesn't like euthanasia. I mean its just wrong.