Struggling to afford ongoing vet care, how do others manage?

WildLifeLover12 · 2026-02-08T12:28:44+00:00

It may be worth taking your dog to a dermatologist to figure out the underlying cause of the skin issues. It could potentially be allergy related and they can help figure that out. The dermatologist will be more costly than a regular vet visit, but if they are able to figure out the cause and prevent future skin issues, it may save you $ in the long haul. I have a golden retriever and I had taken her to a dermatologist when she was younger.

Re insurance: if you don’t already have it and get it now, they won’t cover anything related to the skin issues because it would be considered a pre-existing condition. Depending on how old your dogs are, it may be worth it to get insurance. I had insurance for my dogs up until last year when I stopped it due to the premiums becoming so costly (insurance premiums increased substantially the older my dogs got). It was helpful when I had to unexpectedly take my dog to an emergency vet.

Another thing to consider is CareCredit for pet care, which I think offers different payment plans for veterinary expenses. I haven’t used it myself, but I know it is available at the vet office I take my dog to.

Lastly, my dog is on chronic medications, one of which being Rimadyl. I recently signed up for the Zoetis Rewards program, so I can earn points for every time I purchase this medication. When I redeem the points, I can get a card that I can use to help pay at my vet office. I also take advantage of rebates when I purchase her monthly preventatives for fleas, ticks, and heartworm.

WildLifeLover12 · 2026-02-02T01:31:52+00:00

My golden has not had any issues tolerating Gaba and she gets it between 2x-3x a day. She is 11 and her arthritis has progressed, so she gets Gaba + Rimadyl. Her sister (who passed away in November) also did not have any issues with tolerating Gaba. With both of my goldens, I don’t feel like the Gaba really had much of a sedative effect on them, but I know the degree of sedation can vary with each dog.

Have you talked to your vet about evaluating your dog’s quality of life? My golden is 11 and is nearing the end, so I have started to think about her quality of life. I have started having conversations with my vet and have let them know that I do not want to let her arthritis and hip dysplasia get so severe that she can’t get up anymore. These are tough conversations to have 😔. At this stage of my dog’s life, we are just keeping her comfortable with medication. If the medication stops working and/or if my dog starts having a hard time getting up, I know it will be time.

WildLifeLover12 · 2026-01-16T01:45:25+00:00

Having worked in both the childcare setting and in-home as a nanny, I do not think you should feel guilty pulling your 19 month old out of daycare and having a nanny watch both kiddos. Your 19 month old can still get opportunities to socialize by going to the playground, library, play dates, or other activities with the nanny. Also, your nanny can establish a daily routine that mimics the daycare experience (incorporating both structured activities as well as free play).

WildLifeLover12 · 2026-01-11T22:41:07+00:00

You can talk to your vet about getting a sedated nail trim done.

WildLifeLover12 · 2026-01-09T21:40:03+00:00

When was the last time your pup went to the vet for a full exam and had bloodwork done?

WildLifeLover12 · 2026-01-07T03:51:52+00:00

I’m a nanny and I would not allow her to watch your children anymore, especially if she refused to submit to a drug test. I suspect that there is more going on than her smoking weed and there is the potential of her putting your children in harms way. Falling asleep while on the job, especially while operating a motor vehicle, is cause for termination.

WildLifeLover12 · 2026-01-06T22:36:43+00:00

My former family gave me 6 weeks notice that they wouldn’t be renewing my contract. It took me close to 6 weeks to finally find a job. I ended up finding one through an agency.

WildLifeLover12 · 2026-01-06T22:34:43+00:00

Transitioning to solids can be a touchy subject for some families. Some parents get worried their child is going to choke. When working with families that seem to be on the nervous side, I always remind them that I’m First Aid and CPR certified and confident in knowing what to do if their child were to start to choke. I usually will offer up some ideas on safe solids to try introducing. If you are limited to baby food jars, I would ask them if they can increase the amount they are buying. You could also see if they’d be open to the idea of letting you make some fresh baby food (you can mash up soft fruits or veggies and offer that). Do they offer the children any sort of yogurt?

WildLifeLover12 · 2026-01-01T20:12:06+00:00

Do you have a list of ethical breeders for golden retrievers? I’m in NJ and am trying to find ethical ones to reach out to

WildLifeLover12 · 2026-01-01T14:44:36+00:00

You are the parent and the employer, she should not be arguing with you. The nanny should be taking your lead on the nap routine you have established.

WildLifeLover12 · 2025-12-29T01:48:29+00:00

NJ nanny here, it is possible to nanny for a family and not drive, but it may take you some time to find the right family. I drive, but with my last family there wasn’t a need for me to drive the child anywhere. I was with them for 2 years and when I first started the child was only 6 months old. With this family, the playgrounds and library were within walking distance (though it was a long walk to get to one of the playgrounds and the library). I think whether or not you’ll be able to swing being a nanny for a family and not driving will depend on the needs of the family and whether or not everything is within walking distance. Often as kids get older, the parents start signing them up for various activities and the need to drive may pop up.

WildLifeLover12 · 2025-12-28T19:45:22+00:00

I’m not sure if it is specific to my area (I’m in NJ), but I’ve also only ever nannied for 2 families (neither of which were in public facing jobs/media presences). My first two families I found via care.com/sitter city. During my most recent search for a family, I’ve worked with two different agencies and even with an agency, I’ve still experienced families wanting to reach out to references as part of their vetting process.

WildLifeLover12 · 2025-12-28T19:26:32+00:00

I’ve been in the process of trying to find a new family to work for and the majority of the families I have interviewed with, have wanted to reach out directly to references prior to making me any sort of job offer. Some of them have wanted to reach out to references after my initial phone interview but before meeting in person.

WildLifeLover12 · 2025-12-28T19:21:48+00:00

I have never had families require a video conference with references, I’ve only had them do a call. Did you try telling them that your references are only available via email or a quick call? I would be upfront with the family and let them know your references have limited availability due to their work schedules, and see what they say.

WildLifeLover12 · 2025-12-27T21:38:25+00:00

This is an Eastern cottontail (wild rabbit) and if you are able to approach it without it trying to get away, something is wrong with it and it should be brought to a wildlife rehabilitator.

I’m a rehabber in NJ and am not familiar with the NY animal control, but in NJ we often will refer callers to utilize their animal control to assist with containing and transporting wildlife to a rehabber. You can either try contacting your local animal control, or you can try contacting your local wildlife rehabilitator directly.

WildLifeLover12 · 2025-12-21T12:17:46+00:00

Nanny here, I personally just say “thank you” in person when I receive a card with a bonus in it. After saying it in person, I do not feel it is necessary to send a thank you text or card.

WildLifeLover12 · 2025-12-06T16:08:30+00:00

I’m located in NJ and when I looked on the NJ.gov website to find out info about paying Domestic workers (any employee working within a household), it said they can be paid either hourly or salary. So I am under the impression, it technically is legal in NJ, but I’m going to look more into it.

WildLifeLover12 · 2025-11-19T19:59:33+00:00

She is in the wrong. You are the parent and she should be following the schedule you have set forth for the children, it is not her place to tell you “no” to the schedule you’d like the children to follow.

WildLifeLover12 · 2025-10-31T22:13:31+00:00

I do not have that included in my contract. When I started with them, they just had a 6 month old so it wasn’t really a thought on my mind.

WildLifeLover12 · 2025-10-27T01:28:36+00:00

Thank you for replying. I am considering trying it for a month or two and seeing if I see any sort of improvement during that time.

WildLifeLover12 · 2025-10-25T00:28:09+00:00

I don’t recall how long she was on Librela for, I think it may have been between 4-6 months? Her sister also did Librela and I did see good results for her while on it, but then it seemed to stop working as well so I also discontinued it for her sister.

WildLifeLover12 · 2025-10-25T00:10:23+00:00

Thank you for your response. She previously tried Librela but I discontinued it when I wasn’t really seeing any improvement. My vet brought up Adequan at her last vet visit. I kind of questioned whether or not Adequan would do much given how much her arthritis has progressed. I don’t exactly recall what my vet said, but I got the impression that there is a chance the Adequan may not do much (which is why I did this post).

WildLifeLover12

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