I was going to post this in "Ask a Mustachian", but I was able to find a dozen posts that already covered my exact questions and concerns, with lots of thoughtful discussion on all angles of these types of decisions.
So, I really just need to vent/confess how ridiculous my life has become that I have committed to spending between $7,000 and $9,000 on surgery for my dog over the next few months.
Holy shit, that's a lot of money. I feel guilty as hell that I am not only not able to save this money, but it's going towards something that is objectively selfish and trivial. By spending this money, I feel like I'm looking every poverty-stricken El Salvadorian family right in the eye and saying "hey, I know I could support your entire family for a year, including housing, food, medical care, and everything else you need, but I decided to spend it on making my dog's legs work instead".
So, feel free to ridicule me, tell me I'm an asshat, or if you're in a good mood maybe commiserate with me and share tales of your own similar situations so I don't feel like I'm the only idiot who has shamelessly thrown away their savings for their furry friends.