Hello first time poster. Sorry for my typing errors I typed this not long after the event.
So my sister (22F) and I (22F) noticed our dog is acting different than he usually does. He’s a 14 yr old Shih Tzu named Teddy that my mom adopted from a family member while he was a puppy. During the past couple days he has started to have some really bad dry cough and heaving issues. My sister noticed it was worse last night and was up all night with him to make sure he didn’t choke on his cough or food. This morning while I was at work I get a text from my sister saying his cough is worse and so is his breathing. I have a friend whose parents are both vets so I messaged her dad to see if it’s anything major to be worried about. He said he has an opening the next day at 8:30 if we wanted to bring Teddy in. I told my sister about what he told me but I wasn’t set on making the appointment yet. So here’s where I may be the asshole. My sister kept me updated on how the dog was doing and I was starting to worry more about Teddy so I told my friends dad that we can bring him in at 8:30. His veterinary clinic is not the one we go to anymore due to it being expensive but he does know Teddy’s health history prior. When I got home from work Katie ambushed our mom about the appointment and how we made it. She went off at both of us saying we had no right to make that appointment and the reason why he’s coughing is because he’s old he’s fine. That’s when my sister snapped and said well you don’t seem like you actually care for him to notice a difference. Our mom the said that Teddy is her dog not ours and it’s like having someone else take your kid to the doctors office without you. I went in my room and had to lie to my friends dad on why we aren’t going to the appointment anymore. I know Teddy is old and he’s not gonna be around for much longer but it’s not right for him to suffer all because my moms excuse to us was “he’s old it happens”
So would I be the asshole for making an appointment?
NTA. Your mom sounds negligent. Saying “he’s old, it happens” isn’t an excuse to let a pet suffer. If anything, age is *more* reason to pay attention. You and your sister noticed changes, lost sleep over it, and took initiative when she didn’t. That’s love, not disrespect. You did the right thing.
NTA – take him to the Vet. Just because he’s old doesnt mean he should be suffering with a cough. It could literally be just a cold or something maybe got stuck in his airway.
Tell your mom I said to never, EVER, get another pet if she’s not willing to take care of it properly
NTA- I’m a vet (not a small animal vet) and you ABSOLUTELY. Did the right thing. Pup could have kennel cough or some other upper respiratory infection, or heart disease or something else. Never let a new sign go. I would have made an appointment and taken my own dog to my small animal vet with the signs you saw.
NTA and you should take him to the vet. Your Mom is in the wrong.
NTA. It’s funny how, if you treat things like a cough, pets get to be old for longer.
No one says “grandma’s hip is just broken, she’s old” or “his heart just skips sometimes, he’s old”. It’s very possible that Teddy’s cough is completely treatable with some antibiotics, or that whatever’s causing it is cheaper to treat *now* than it will be in a couple of weeks when he’ll need overnight care/intubation/fluids/etc. (Or worse, end of life care.)
NTA sounds like your mom would rather let Teddy suffer than pay for a vet appointment.
Don’t get pets if you don’t intend on taking care of the
NTA. They might be minimizing this out of fear or finance. But any breathing problems need to be checked right away. That is serious. I’m not sure why it matters who is going to take the dog in if he is that sick… maybe they are ready to let him go?
As a dog lover, I have to say NTA. Any time a pet is behaving very differently they should be taken in to be checked. Could be your mom isn’t ready to cope with the fact that Teddy won’t be around much longer. Take him to the vet so he isn’t suffering.
See if you can remake the appt. Your mom is being uncaring, who knows why. You are doing the responsible thing. Tell her he’s the family pet, not just hers. Do you walk him or feed him? Use that as proof that he’s your dog too.
Both me and my sister have taken him on may walks and I bathe him anytime he needed a wash. We both feed him and my sister is the reason why he started to eat again because we got different dog food to help with his teeth
I need to know what the “O” in AITAO means.
ESH. What the heck is wrong with yall? This went so out-of-bounds so fast. What is there even to lie about?
“Hey, talked to mom, we won’t make the appointment tomorrow, she says she has it handled, I’m worried though, thank you for your assistance”
This went to Defcon 2 cause y’all wanted it to
NTA. Persistent coughing can be caused by fluid around the heart (among other serious things) and is usually best treated immediately. Because he is older it’s wise to have him looked over to make sure he’s indeed fine, you might want to sit your mom down with your sister and have a serious conversation about why she’s so against having him looked at.