Hi
I'm sorry to hear that it's not gone well. I googled 'luxating patellas' just now to get a clearer picture of what's involved and what might be possible. Seems, from what little I know, that in your case surgery is the only possible relief. [I'm not trying to say that as an assesment, just as my take-away from the article I just read and your posts.]
At that point, it seems like it gets down to a question I've wondered about myself... Money VS. My Dog.
I've always told my Vet that, if it came down to it and Zena had something that he said would cost (my usual number for the discussion is) $10,000 that I wouldn't do that. I could, if I "had to". That's me trying to put some ceiling on what I'd pay to keep her alive.... But I've never been tested on that either.
Of course, money is different things to different people. I realize that there are many folks for whom a coupla thousand might as well be ten million. I'm not wealthy by any means, but I'm fortunate to have enough 'padding' that I could go out on a limb for medical care... but even still there's a limit somewhere and a place at which I'd have to say No.
That may be where you are now. We don't really know and I'm not asking. I only hope that I never have to be there.
I've worked one way or another since I was 16. I've also fucked away a lot of money on various stuff over the length of my life. From my perspective now, I'd say that a coupla thousand, over your lifetime really isn't that much.
I'm not trying to guess or judge how or where you spend the money that you have. Just thinking out loud. For me, for a couple of thousand even when I was working paycheck to paycheck, I think my decision would have been to try and save my dog. But that's only a decisoin you can make in the context of your job, your life and what other obligations you may have.
Outside of the traditionial time-payment options I really have nothing to suggest. But there may be sources available that others on here will suggest.
I've not tried this at all --- and frankly I'm amazed to see that it works and that people do it --- but have you considered some sort of crowdsourcing [I think it's called] ....where you basically as the Internet to donate money to your cause.
The decision of when or if we should put a dog down is a terrible one.
For me --- but again, untested as of yet --- I come up with two things:
and
Maybe, in the end, it's a question of whether or not they can still be a part of their/our "pack".
I can only wish you the best. It's an impossibly tough decision.