Cancelling or changing a cruise for a sickness in the family...dog?

[3DobermansDZS]

Hmm..I wonder how many laughs I would get with RCI about cancelling/changing a cruise because of a sickness in the family....dog. :eek:

 

Facts:

We are scheduled to set sail on Oasis on Sept 1st -7 weeks and 4 days from now with my DH, Mom and Dad. We have planned and looked forward to this cruise since April (I know that is not as long as most plan, but it sure does seem long!). Our flights are booked through RCI's Choice Air roundtrip from ATL. Final payment has come and gone. We have trip insurance through RCI.

 

Now, a little background and the latest drama:

The DH and I are 25 and have been married 2 years. We do not have "human" children, but instead have 3 dobermans who are most likely more spoiled than some children (hence the s/n). Last year (the weekend we closed on our first house we had built) our "first born dog" Diesel tore his CCL (ACL in humans). Without thinking twice we spent the $4k to go to a specialized orthopedic vet 2 hours away in Atlanta for the surgery to fix him (The surgery is called a TPLO- they cut off the top of his tibia and rotated it to change the angle then fused the bone back together with a metal plate and screws and the only option for a dog of his size, age and power). It was a long 12 weeks of confinement and recovery but he healed beautifully and after 6 months my "vicous" 96-lbs Doberman was back to his 100% self doing his favorite thing- chasing birds and butterflies around the back yard. This alone confirmed that we made the right choice in doing the surgery so he could return to his youthful quality of life.

 

Flash foward to this past Saturday- we noticed he was limping again on that same leg. We thought he was begining to reject the metal implant they used in surgery (they told us this was a possibility and it would have to be removed should it occur). So we took him to our regular vet as soon as they opened Monday to get x-rays done and sent to the ortho vet for review determining what was next.

 

Well, yesterday I recieve a call from the ortho vet. He had good news and bad. After reviewing the x-rays he determined the metal plate was fine and not the problem. The problem is that he had fractured his patella. So we rushed him up to Atlanta last night and spent another hunk of cash equivalent to a really nice cruise for the surgery to fix this- again, I was told he is too big of a dog, too young and full of power for this to ever heal on his own. He was in surgery for 3 hours today but the vet says everything went smoothly and he is happy with how it looks. (I had been a nervous wreck all day waiting to hear news and probably annoyed the vet staff to no end calling every 2 hours for an update while he was waiting to go into surgery/in surgery/and post surgery- I don't see how you parents handle this!) We can pick him up tomorrow and start the recovery process again!

 

The Problem:

He has pins, titanium rods, and wires spanning the entire length of his leg on the outside to immobilize the knee while it heals. This will come off by week 6 which puts us dangerously close to him being boarded when Sept 1st comes around. Remember, we leave in 7 weeks and 4 days.

 

I have no idea what we are going to do. If all goes well we may be able to board him with our vet who can monitor him closely and keep him confined as the recovery protocol states, but it makes me so nervous to leave him as of right now. The only trusted dog-sitter I would leave him with, my mother, will be on the cruise!

 

I don't know where to go next. Should we cancel the cruise now or wait and see how he improves over the next few weeks. We will speak with both the ortho vet and our regular vet tomorrow when we pick him up, but when I spoke with him today and yesterday the cruise was in the back of my mind.

 

So, with the novel I just wrote. What would you do? Any helpful advice, insight or ideas would be really appreciated. I just ask everyone to kindly spare me the "I would've put the dog down" comments as it was not an option and I've gotten enough of those from family, "friends", and coworkers. How could you do that to a dog this cute?

[Classynfun1]

Oh Shelly, I feel for you! I think you should play it by ear and see how he heels! I would be in the exact same place if this happened to any of our three pugs! Keep us posted...

[Illyria]

If you can board him with your vet, that sounds like a pretty good option (Your dog may be your "baby" but he'll manage a week without you, really :) ).

If you can change the cruise without a financial penalty - that's a good option too; I certainly wouldn't do it if it means a financial hit (you've spent enough money already...) If you can re-book for a later date, you might be happier with this added peace of mind.

 

Canceling the cruise - again, if you can do it without financial penalties, but do you really want to give up your vacation?

 

My boyfriend's rottweiler had the CCL surgery last year, so I know exactly what you're talking about. Fortunately, she didn't have the secondary fracture but she had an infection that put her on a 6-week regimen on antibiotics a month after the surgery. On the bright side, once that whole mess fully healed up, she's basically good as new :)

[seaofwonder]

Awww, what a cutie. As a dog mommy myself (and I have spent thousands as well during illnesses) I can completely understand. Given that you are 7 weeks out, I would personally hold tight and see how the healing goes. You are already within final payment, so I don't think you can cancel anyways without a mess of penalties.

 

Personally, I would probably leave him at the vet for recuperation....if you can't trust your vet, who can you trust? In fact, it is probably the best place to board him post-rehab.

[paul.ed]

Hi

 

Sorry about your dog. In the UK we have boarding kennels where someone looks after your dog whilst you go on holiday. Do you have them in the US? As that maybe an option for you.

 

Paul

[Galaxa]

Hi

 

I would also wait and see how he heals.

 

Leaving him with the vet seems a good option as he knows best what to do.

 

Hope everything turns out well and you can enjoy your cruise. Fingers crossed.

[melbur]

I have been in your very shoes - with the same ACL surgery 5 weeks before a 2 week cruise. We were this close to cancelling until we found a live in pet nanny who we now use every trip we take - she provides in home care, where we felt our furbaby would be more comfortable. The best decision we made. I hope you can find someone like that in your area.

[Loves_Dogs]

No laughs from me. The first time I scheduled my Valor cruise I canceled because my dog Bear was diagnosed with lymphoma. I spent thousands of dollars taking him to chemotherapy and while he did go into remission, I was scared to leave him. He was very attached to me and I knew that any extended time away would be hard on him and I would have just worried the entire cruise.

 

Chemotherapy bought him 9 good months and he was able to enjoy another Fall, Winter and Spring. He loved the snow and it was a snowy winter, he had a blast. I re-booked my Valor cruise shortly after he passed and was so glad that I postponed it. Anyway, I understand you not wanting to leave a sick dog.

 

I wish I had an answer for you. Unfortunately I don't. Only you can answer if you would enjoy your cruise or would you be worried the entire time? Will this be hard on your dog or is he one that boards easily? Can you cancel right now without penalty and book later?

 

Very sorry for you and your beautiful dog. It is a tough position to be in. Hope he heals quickly and no more injuries. There is no wrong choice here. I am sure whatever decision you make will work out. Good luck to you!

[Maimou]

Cat mom here. If the vet's environment is one you feel suitable, that would be a reasonable option. (My gravely ill kitty was cared for by her specialist, who is part of a multispecialty clinic here in Tampa that also is a 24 hour emergency room, with docs/techs on site 24/7. I was able to call several times a day for updates.)

But if you can find an experienced pet nanny to live in, that would be wonderful. He'll be home and relaxed, and have a new friend to keep him company!

(But then, all us pet parents know that rescheduling is definitely not off the table! Just hope you don't have to!)

Best wishes with that sweetie. He looks like pure mischief!

[goose30]

Cancel the cruise. You will not enjoy yourself if you go

[Heidils]

Another empathetic pet owner here who had to contend with leg surgery. I'm a wreck about my dogs when we plan to go away. The only way I feel comfortable is to have a friend or dog sitter (that I trust) stay at the house. My dogs wouldn't survive in a kennel. They would shake the whole time, and since they both are prone to seizures, I just couldn't do it.

 

If your dog is comfortable being boarded with your vet, it's a good place to be. My vet actually gave me some names, (when we were having a hard time) for pet sitters. Is that an option for you? Perhaps your dogs recovery time my be faster. Seems like you deserve a cruise.

 

Hope all goes well.

[PattyG12]

I'd play it by ear too. You have 7 weeks and even if he's not 100% when you go, the vet will take care of him. After all this, you NEED this trip too!

[CCJack]

No laughs from me either. Just my opinion but I think a pet nanny is not a good idea I would much prefer my recovering dog to be boarded at a vet especially if staffed 24/7. Ours is and you may want to see if you can find one that is staffed 24/7. The dog may actually be better off boarded than home with you. Vets know how to handle these things. Confinement in a kennel may actually be good and many dogs like the comfort of a cage when they are stressed. A good vet will insure they get exercise etc. My other advice is if you end up cancelling try not to fret over the $. Although it is a lot, everyone has things happen in their life that costs an unexpected few thousand $. These things don't happen frequently but when they do best not to worry and just move on.

[mp2010]

I feel the same way about my three bassets in that they are my children!

 

If you can change the date of your cruise, I would do so. I do think leaving him at your vet while on the cruise would be a good idea though. After boarding our dogs with kennels or leaving with friends a few times, we decided to ONLY use our vet for boarding because they are the only ones I trust to look after my children.

 

I do hope he recuperates quickly and that you are able to make your cruise (if not in September, then postponed a bit)!

[LEtue]

Hmm..I wonder how many laughs I would get with RCI about cancelling/changing a cruise because of a sickness in the family....dog. :eek:

 

Facts:

We are scheduled to set sail on Oasis on Sept 1st -7 weeks and 4 days from now with my DH, Mom and Dad. We have planned and looked forward to this cruise since April (I know that is not as long as most plan, but it sure does seem long!). Our flights are booked through RCI's Choice Air roundtrip from ATL. Final payment has come and gone. We have trip insurance through RCI.

 

Now, a little background and the latest drama:

The DH and I are 25 and have been married 2 years. We do not have "human" children, but instead have 3 dobermans who are most likely more spoiled than some children (hence the s/n). Last year (the weekend we closed on our first house we had built) our "first born dog" Diesel tore his CCL (ACL in humans). Without thinking twice we spent the $4k to go to a specialized orthopedic vet 2 hours away in Atlanta for the surgery to fix him (The surgery is called a TPLO- they cut off the top of his tibia and rotated it to change the angle then fused the bone back together with a metal plate and screws and the only option for a dog of his size, age and power). It was a long 12 weeks of confinement and recovery but he healed beautifully and after 6 months my "vicous" 96-lbs Doberman was back to his 100% self doing his favorite thing- chasing birds and butterflies around the back yard. This alone confirmed that we made the right choice in doing the surgery so he could return to his youthful quality of life.

 

Flash foward to this past Saturday- we noticed he was limping again on that same leg. We thought he was begining to reject the metal implant they used in surgery (they told us this was a possibility and it would have to be removed should it occur). So we took him to our regular vet as soon as they opened Monday to get x-rays done and sent to the ortho vet for review determining what was next.

 

Well, yesterday I recieve a call from the ortho vet. He had good news and bad. After reviewing the x-rays he determined the metal plate was fine and not the problem. The problem is that he had fractured his patella. So we rushed him up to Atlanta last night and spent another hunk of cash equivalent to a really nice cruise for the surgery to fix this- again, I was told he is too big of a dog, too young and full of power for this to ever heal on his own. He was in surgery for 3 hours today but the vet says everything went smoothly and he is happy with how it looks. (I had been a nervous wreck all day waiting to hear news and probably annoyed the vet staff to no end calling every 2 hours for an update while he was waiting to go into surgery/in surgery/and post surgery- I don't see how you parents handle this!) We can pick him up tomorrow and start the recovery process again!

 

The Problem:

He has pins, titanium rods, and wires spanning the entire length of his leg on the outside to immobilize the knee while it heals. This will come off by week 6 which puts us dangerously close to him being boarded when Sept 1st comes around. Remember, we leave in 7 weeks and 4 days.

 

I have no idea what we are going to do. If all goes well we may be able to board him with our vet who can monitor him closely and keep him confined as the recovery protocol states, but it makes me so nervous to leave him as of right now. The only trusted dog-sitter I would leave him with, my mother, will be on the cruise!

 

I don't know where to go next. Should we cancel the cruise now or wait and see how he improves over the next few weeks. We will speak with both the ortho vet and our regular vet tomorrow when we pick him up, but when I spoke with him today and yesterday the cruise was in the back of my mind.

 

So, with the novel I just wrote. What would you do? Any helpful advice, insight or ideas would be really appreciated. I just ask everyone to kindly spare me the "I would've put the dog down" comments as it was not an option and I've gotten enough of those from family, "friends", and coworkers. How could you do that to a dog this cute?

 

Shelley, as a dobie mom your story really hit home for me! Two years ago I cancelled a cruise 2 weeks before sailing in order to spend time with my dobie girl (also a red) before I had to put her down due to cancer. Sent my cabin mates mom on the cruise with her - in my place. My dogs mean the world to me too and if I were you I would cancel and not look back.

 

Like others have mentioned...it is so hard to leave them. Even if Diesel is healed well enough to go to the kennel you will be worried about taking him and probably won't enjoy the cruise. I am fortunate enough to also have a wonderful dogsitter/housesitter now so it is a little easier to leave them.

 

I hope Diesel is doing better soon!!!! He is just beautiful and I love the natural ears :) He reminds me so much of my Baylee and I hope you enjoy him for many years to come :D

[NJcruisenewbie]

Since you're planning on boarding your dog with your vet I don't see an issue with leaving on your trip as planned. My answer would be much different if you were simply having a dog sitter come in a few times a day to walk/feed them.

 

We had one of our pets get sick right before going on our cruise last month so I know what it feels like to be conflicted. Luckily we had very caring friends looking after them so we felt ok leaving.

[ggo85]

We are in a similar situation in having two "girls." A couple of years ago, one of ours tore her ACL. She's a much smaller dog than your doberman but was older (age 8).

 

After talking with the vet, we actually scheduled her surgery for a few days before we went on our 10-day cruise. Lest we seem cruel, the vet said that she would recover much better at the vet's b/c she would need a lot of care (cold packs, "Victorian collar," lots of meds -- and she would be in some pain). They would be in the best position to keep her quiet, make sure she got whatever she needed to recover, etc.

 

We made sure she was healing well before we left (she was) and called daily while we were away. She did great. By the time we picked her up, her wound was largely healed, her collar was off, she was off her meds and basically just needed us to start working on getting her walking again. Two years later, all is well -- she was a whole new dog after the surgery (just in case we didn't liked the old one!:D)

 

I would say that, if you trust your vet and if your dog is on the mend, you should board your "kid" at the vet and go on your vacation. The vet techs know how to take care of a recovering dog and you can rest assured that, if anything goes wrong, your dog is in the very best place to be when it happens.

 

Arrange to call each day to get a progress update. You should be fine.

 

BTW, as for whether RCI will be sympathetic. If you have travel insurance, you should be ok. If you don't -- being very honest here, they won't care a bit. A number of years ago, we almost had to cancel when my husband had unexpected major surgery and we weren't sure he'd be well enough to travel. The response: too bad, so sad; you should have purchased trip insurance. (It was, of course, the ONE time we hadn't). He made it ok but it was a lesson to us that, w/o insurance, the cruise lines don't care -- at least in terms of seeing any refunds.

[emdia43]

Our 13 yr old mutt had the TPLO when he was 11, and he really needs the opposite side done.... After consulting with his Ortho Vet we have decided not to operate on him again, he is very 'old' and would not tolerate it as well.... he limps, but does everything he needs to do,so....

 

I would not have any hesitation in leaving him with a Vet in his post op period - who better to look after him? I would not consider canceling the cruise ...

With a face like that he's going to be the favorite wherever he goes :)

[masterbaker]

With his history, the only option I would choose is Vet boarding.

[crazy 4 cruising]

No laughs here either. I am glad only pet lovers seem to have posted. I only have "fur" babies, so I feel for you. To be honest, I am not sure what I would do. Have you already made final payment? If so, I would call RCCL or your TA and find out exactly what the penalty is to cancel or move now. It does sound like boarding with the vet would be a great option tho, at least you know he is under great care. I have a 14 year old with declining health and the folks that take care of them watch hiim closely and know to take him to the vet if need be. Just dawned on me, I should let my vet know when I leave!! Good luck to you. I also love the natural ears, not sure I have ever seen a dobie with natural ears.

[bplazo]

Boarding him with the vet seem the best idea. I do not think that I would cancel the cruise.

[MelLG]

What a sweet dog :)

 

Just a note that your trip insurance may not cover this type of cancellation. As a fellow mom to a furbaby, I understand that money is not the only issue at hand but wanted to mention it. I agree with other posters that boarding with your vet may be the best option. And if you can check in with your vet during your trip, hopefully that will give you some peace of mind so you can enjoy the vacation.

 

Good luck to you! We are leaving this Saturday to sail on the Freedom Sunday, and I know I'm going to cry when we drop our furgirl off. She's staying with a trusted friend but we will miss her terribly.

[kc320]

As a "mom" to 4 cat's I can totally understand your concern....2 years ago I had a new kitten who had a number of medical issues...2 weeks before my cruise she required twice daily medication...even with the next door neighbor there to take care of her I was a nervouse wreck...so much so, that my sweet niece who is a nurse tech offered to come in twice a day just to give her the medicine...

 

I think if there is any way possible to reschedule your cruise a few weeks without a major cost I would...you know in your heart of hearts you will worry...even with your baby being boarded at the vets...if you can't...then leaving him at the Vet is a good option...Good luck with your decision...we Pet Lovers know it won't be easy whatever you decide!

[hal2000]

I sympathize -- we've had to leave for trips with sick pets at home (cats) and it's really hard.

 

What we've done as much as possible is to hire someone as a housesitter while we're gone -- we've often used college students (or recent graduates), who seem the most willing to move in for a week or two -- if you don't know someone, maybe a neighbor or friend would have recommendations? That way there's someone to notice any medical issues, and to keep the animals company. [Plus there's the side benefit that someone gets the mail, makes sure the house is OK, etc.] It tends to run about the same cost as boarding the animals.

 

Good luck -- it's tough when pets aren't doing well.

[kyriecat]

I'm a cat person but have been in a similar situation. I don't know how well your dog does in a boarding situation. I have an older cat (16) who is going through aging issues - thyroid problems, arthritis, renal problems. She is on a variety of medications and IV fluids and requires quite a bit of care. We considered boarding her when we took a short trip last month, but she has been a house cat all her life and gets very upset when taken from her home environment. My vet recommended leaving her at home and getting a sitter. He has an assistant who does home health care for pets. We had her come by the house morning, noon, & evening to give my cat her medications and fluids.