> Just like the leaflet sent out by Birmingham City Council to their proud residents, showing a photo of Birmingham...Alabama woops
*snort* good grief!
I do wish they hadn't used that picture of the dobe. :-( the pic itself is bad enough, but with the giant chain collar too... *sigh*
As for the money side of it - that I can well believe! Seems to be pot luck - some people never have any trouble, some people have no trouble then lose their dobe all of a sudden, and others like me have trouble almost from the start! Just looking at my two dobes:
Remy - had him 5 years. He has colour mutant alopecia; hypothyroidism; and weight issues which means I've had to try him on Burns as nothing else will shift the weight. He bashed his shoulder two years ago and it took him 6 months to recover (which is what triggered the weight problem).
Soli - Oy. Where to start... hypothyroidism (and a bad case too); she lost a toe in June to suspected osteosarcoma, which turned out to be an as yet unexplained inflammatory problem with the tendon sheath. That cost just shy of £500 - and oh joy, it's now cropped up on the same toe on the other foot! Currently on antiinflammatories, which have made no difference. Next stop - another x-ray. She also has at least 12 lumps and bumps, some of which have suddenly started growing rather quickly. She had two bony lumps on her muzzle this time last year which needed an x-ray; also not explained in the end and cost a few hundred quid. She's also had a heart test (although that was free as part of a scheme) - that showed reduced contractility, which fortunately was put down to the hypothyroidism. Oh, and she has been incontinent since she was spayed.
I won't try and add it all up - I wouldn't dare :-P but in an average month they both cost me £45 in meds alone (some is claimable though).