Linus

My aunt and uncle have the sweetest little Beagle, Linus. He's pretty young still (about five years old or so), and was recently diagnosed with Lymphoma. He is currently undergoing chemo, and responding well, but I just feel so bad for him. He is the fourth dog that I know of to be treated for cancer. Back in 'the day', if your pet got really sick like this, it was just a death sentence, and the kindest thing to do was to have them put down once they became uncomfortable. Now, there are so many other options.

I think this aggressive treatment of illness in pets is a fairly recent phenomenom. I'm sure it is due, in part, to the fact that there have been so many medical advances in veterinary care that it is now a reasonable thing to consider when a pet gets sick. It seems like if you have a pet nowadays, it is a good idea to get pet health insurance. I was reading some statistics, and 2 out of 3 pets will develop a serious medical issue in their lifetime. Just as most (reasonable) people wouldn't willingly bring children into the world without health insurance, I would say that if you are considering owning a pet (or do own one), you should consider buying pet insurance. I know I would never want to be in the position of making a decision about my animal's care based primarily on what I could or couldn't afford.

Anyway, if you are the praying, meditating, well-wish sending type, keep little Linus in your thoughts.