Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with veterinarian

Dog disease-Mange

pakora1 — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 13:46:04 -0800

Family dog overseas has the disease Mange. Need more information around a possible cure for it. Our family dog overseas has Mange. He is a purebred German Sheppard, 8 years old, male. He got this around 2 years back and my family has been trying to get rid of the disease for awhile with no luck. The poor thing suffers a lot as he cannot sit for long periods without itching. We have tried acid baths (the ones recommended by vets) and other medicines available in Asia but with no luck and also these damage the liver as far as we know. Although he is not in the severe condition as you may see some of the dogs in the link given above (he still has a good coat of hair) he still needs regular medication.

Since this is Asia we are talking about and the facilities/medicines available there I am now on a hunt for a solution in USA. Some questions below--

Has anyone had any experience with this?
Do you know if there is a cure?
What kind of veterinarian specialist (if any) should I consult?
What exactly is a Tick doctor as it relates to a veterinarian?
Any links to knowing more on it?

The goal is to see if there is anything out there that we can try and havent done so far.

Thank you.

My cat may have been misdiagnosed. Time to find a new vet?

aecorwin — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 12:43:53 -0800

Back in July, my 11 year old cat was tentatively diagnosed with possible early renal failure. This past Saturday, however, she had another round of bloodwork and urinalysis...the results of which indicated her kidneys are probably fine! Needless to say, I'm very happy about this. But the more I think about it, the more it seems like the clinic folks jumped to conclusions way too quickly based on too little information. Am I off-base here, or is it perhaps really time to explore other local veterinary options? This past July, the vet informed me (following one of Nikki's "senior wellness" appointments) that her urine was very dilute, and that in combination with BUN and creatinine at the higher end of the normal range, this indicated compromised kidney function.

The working assumption going forward was that Nikki was in the early stages of feline chronic kidney disease (which basically always progresses to renal failure over the long term). She was prescribed aluminum hydroxide powder (a phosphorus binder) which I duly mixed into her food. Meanwhile, I was told about future possible treatment options: ACE inhibitors, appetite stimulants, and ultimately subcutaneous fluids.

Fast forward to last week. After several days of observing Nikki repeatedly refuse food, I got worried that either she had a dental issue of some sort or was experiencing a sudden progression of her assumed kidney disease. So I made an appointment to get things checked out.

(I should probably note that Nikki does have a history of gastrointestinal issues, including frequent vomiting, constipation, random bouts of poor appetite, etc. She is also an extremely picky eater. This all "fits" with CKD, but obviously it fits a bunch of other conditions too, including plain old hairball trouble, etc.)

Of course, being a cat, Nikki managed to magically regain her appetite the day before her appointment...but since it was still such close temporal proximity to one of her "DO NOT WANT ANY OF THE FOODS" episodes, and since I figured it was about time to check the status of her renal functioning, I kept the appointment.

And this is about where things started getting weird.

During Saturday's exam, the vet made several comments that had me going, "huh?", most notably one about "possibly starting subcutaneous fluids sooner [within the next few months, most likely] rather than later". I am, of course, fine with learning to administer sub-qs if any of my cats end up really needing them...but it was alarming to hear it being suggested as a near-term thing in response to my merely noting that sometimes Nikki got constipated.

Bloodwork was performed, and I spent a full two days bracing myself for bad news. What I got, however, was news so good I momentarily wondered if I was dreaming when I heard it!

Basically, said Ms. Vet., Nikki's urine was "perfectly concentrated", and her kidney values looked wonderful. Apparently her prior results (with the dilute urine, etc.) were most likely a fluke. Of course I was thrilled to hear this!

That said, I was told to keep giving the phosphorus binders. Which I now don't understand at all given I looked at her July results again and her phosphorus was normal!

This means my cat was prescribed a treatment and given a probable diagnosis of a chronic disease based on what looks to me like way too little information.

I feel very stupid for not realizing this back in July, but I was all wrapped up in trying to "avoid being in denial" and "not second-guess people who know better than I do". At this point I'd have to say I'm pretty concerned about continuing to take my cats somewhere that jumps to a rather serious conclusion due to a single test, and then tells me to keep treating her as if she has this condition even though they themselves acknowledge that "her kidneys are apparently working well". I'd at least think they'd want to do a differential diagnosis to rule out something like, say, pancreatitis, but they haven't mentioned anything of the sort.

Anyhow...I know that when it comes to doctors, whether for self or for one's companion animals, it is beyond okay to shop around and try different clinics for ANY reason, even if it's something as silly as "I don't like the decor in the waiting room".

But I really wanted to ask this question for the sake of determining whether what I'm seeing with this clinic is typical of most clinics, or whether I have real reason for concern. Maybe I'm expecting too much attention to detail?

I am not a vet, but if I were a vet, and one of my patients came back with weird urinalysis results, the first thing I'd do would be to schedule a second urinalysis, perhaps this time with specific instructions re. whether the cat should eat or drink beforehand, etc. I would certainly not prescribe any medication until I was more sure of what we were dealing with. The fact that none of this (basic?) investigation was performed or even mentioned makes me nervous. And I just want to get a sense of whether that nervousness is justified before I uproot my cats from this clinic and go elsewhere.

Can't find Dr. Doolittle, and the cat won't talk.

VikingSword — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 17:47:49 -0800

Cat illness - what to do? A couple of years ago, Louis (pic) a neighborhood cat, possibly anticipating Romney talking points, semi-adopted us (wife+me) - he's a freeloader outdoor cat that comes in to eat and get medical treatment, but does no work around the house, except when he marks the territory as his (and then the work of cleanup falls to us). It is our understanding that he's about 11-12 years old.

March of last year, the lymph nodes under his jaw were swollen - on both sides of the neck, symmetrically. The vet prescribed anti-biotics, and Louis recovered well. He also got a bunch of vaccinations that were considered prudent.

January of this year, we had him operated upon to take out a skin abscess(?) that was not healing for a long time. It was a lump/growth right behind his left front shoulder blade - the lump finally broke through the skin resulting in blood/plasma discharge that Louis would continually lick. When this did not heal after months, we decided to take it out. The abscess/lump was not biopsied to see if it was cancer or whatnot, but he recovered very well, though it was a challenge to keep him indoors for a couple of weeks. When he was brought back to have his stitches taken out, his vaccinations were re-upped.

Last Friday evening he came in for dinner as usual, and we noticed that the left side of his face was significantly swollen - the size of a large golf ball - stretching from under his eye to the neck area. His appetite was not affected, and as usual he ate heartily.

Saturday morning we took him to the vet. The vet examined him - the swelling is a hard mass slightly above and below the jaw, basically hugging the jaw on one side. The vet couldn't tell the origin of the swelling, but speculated it might be a tooth abscess or possibly an infection from a cat fight. However, as long as the swollen mass was hard, he could not operate to "drain" it of puss. He recommended warm compresses and antibiotics on schedule and a return visit Monday (today). The cat also got an immediate anti-biotic shot and had his blood drawn for analysis.

Over the weekend, we kept Louis indoors, but his appetite was uncharacteristically gone - he hardly ate or drank at all - and he was very enervated, sleeping and hardly moving for 20+ hours. He got all his anti-biotics on schedule, and a couple of warm compress treatments, though we stopped the latter as he was very uncooperative with those.

Sunday evening the swelling was significantly down from his face overall, but the hard mass remained, now concentrated and more distinct around his jaw.

Monday morning (today) we took him back to the vet. Upon examination, the vet said that the mass was still hard and therefore he could not operate to "drain" any possible puss. He said the blood lab work came back normal, including normal values of white blood cell count. He said that there are three possibilities:

1)Tooth abscess.

2)Infection from cat-fight.

3)Cancer.

He wants us to continue with the warm compresses and the anti-biotic regimen, and come back Friday. If by Friday the swelling doesn't go away and the mass doesn't soften, he will have to perform a biopsy on the mass.

Louis seems back to his old self as far as appetite and behavior goes, (though possibly 5% less lively - hard to say).

However, once we got back and started thinking about the whole thing, we were left with questions - hence this post.

Basically, we want to know if having the biopsy is a good course of action come Friday, assuming the swelling does not go down or soften. Putting him under anesthesia is always a risk and we'd like to avoid as much of such an ordeal, as possible, unless there are clear medical benefits or indications.

What will a biopsy tell us?

Of the 3 possibilities outlined, can one diagnose #1 - tooth abscess - without a biopsy? Perhaps through an X-ray (does an X-ray also involve putting him under?)? How does one diagnose a tooth abscess in a cat (the vet looked inside his mouth but couldn't tell anything other than that Louis has the teeth of an elderly cat - and yes, we've been brushing his teeth every couple of days the past few months).

Possibility #2 - infection as a result of a cat fight. What does a biopsy do for us here? Doesn't it make sense to let the antibiotics take their course first and thus eliminate/confirm the "infection" diagnosis through the swelling either disappearing or not? What does a biopsy buy us here? The key, it seems, is to eliminate possibility #1 (tooth abscess) as a source of the infection through some other means (X-ray?) first so that the tooth can be taken care of instead of continuing to cause problems once the antibiotics treatment stops. But either way, shouldn't we give the antibiotics time to work before we do a biopsy should that fail? Also, if it's an infection that causes that much swelling shouldn't the white blood cell count have been elevated?

Possibility #3 - cancer. If it's cancer, presumably the swollen mass itself is not the cancer, because it's highly unlikely to have sprung that big from one day to the next. Therefore presumably it's a swollen lymph node in response to cancer. But if it's a systemic response, then why is it not a bilateral swelling, instead of just on one side? If a biopsy is conducted on the mass - presumably a lymph node, per the reasoning above - would that indicate what kind of cancer it is, or would it merely tell us that it's some kind of cancer and that would be a prelude to a hunting expedition to find where the cancer may be in the body.

As a result of this non-veterinary speculation, our first instinct is to wait on the biopsy - because come Friday, it would be only 1 week from the start of the swelling - until the antibiotics have a chance to work... a full course would be something like 10 days. Also, push to find some non-highly invasive way to try to ascertain if it's indeed a tooth abscess (X-ray?). If we eliminate the possibility of a tooth abscess, and the antibiotics don't work within 10-14 days, perhaps only then put him under for a biopsy? However again, what does a biopsy give us here?

Thoughts?

Smelly cat, smelly cat, is this an emergency?

xenophile — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 09:42:26 -0800

Veterinarian-filter: My 11-year-old kitty, Ryoko, has very bad breath these days and I think she has a gum infection. The soonest my vet can see her is Friday afternoon. She's eating fine and full of energy, but as an overprotective cat mom, I wonder if there's anything I should do in the interim so the problem won't get any worse. Do I need to worry?

Need a vet on the west-side of Manhattan

ThePinkSuperhero — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 12:16:08 -0800

I need a veterinarian in Manhattan (Washington Heights, UWS or Inwood preferred). Please come inside if you have a good one. A few thoughts:

*This is for a chihuahua and a grey tabby cat. We moved from Queens and want someplace closer to home. Easy access from A/C or 1/2/3 trains very important.
*I would prefer one that is not outrageously expensive for routine visits, shots, etc., though I'm not willing to sacrifice quality care, of course.
*One that does boarding for small dogs and cats would be nice.

the canine's incisor

roger ackroyd — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 10:13:52 -0800

I have an older dog whose front tooth is loose enough that I can wiggle it with my fingers. I'm taking him into the vet tomorrow, but before I do, I'm wondering: is it possible for the vet to remove a dog's tooth without putting him under anesthesia?

Dog hair everywhere! Except on my dog :-(

halogen — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 13:36:12 -0800

Yesterday, I picked up my 18-month-old pit bull-type mix Chance after three weeks of boarding. His coat is in bad shape in he is shedding unimaginable amounts of hair. What's the best approach to get him healthy again? Unfortunately, we couldn't find a friend to petsit for our long-ago planned wedding and honeymoon trip, so we had our dog boarded at the best-reviewed kennel in the region for the duration of our trip. I'm certain that they took great care of him – they took more interest in him than any of the other kennels we visited before the trip, he got loads of playtime, exercise and individual attention while there and seemed overall happy.

Here's the problem: his coat is very dry, he has dandruff, and he is shedding like crazy. I can see his pink skin underneath his coat in some areas. I brushed him with a rubber Zoom Groom for half an hour last night and almost an hour today, and tons of hair came off, as in enough to stuff a pillow. The kennel also bathed and groomed him just before I got him back, and showed me the mountain of hair that came off him with a Furminator-type blade.

Bathing: Normally, he doesn't have a dog odor so I bathed him as needed when he managed to get into mucky ponds, for example – about every 2-3 weeks – with shampoo for sensitive skin that left his coat soft and incredibly good-looking. He smells a bit like dog kennel now despite getting a bath a couple of days ago and I wish I could bathe him, but won't if it will make his skin even worse.

Nutrition: I fed him mostly raw food (meaty bones and blended herbs and vegetables) with occasional grain-free kibble before. His coat was great and shedding was easily to control with a bit of brushing every other day. I switched him to Orijen Regional Red, which is supposed to be one of the best foods on the market, a couple of days before going away. While boarded, he got kibble, a frozen raw chicken drumstick and treats every day. I started supplementing with fish oil today. Should I stick with Orijen or right away revert to his raw meaty bones diet? A mix of both? I have tons of the dry food left, and it wasn't exactly cheap. He likes it a lot, too, and it is much more convenient for training than raw meat for obvious reasons.

Skin: I took him for a check-up just after adopting him, and his vet said that he has very sensitive skin, so he eats a grain-free diet and has a prescription spray for the occasional rashes he gets. The kennel gave him antihistamines a few times when they noticed irritated areas. He is happier than usual when he gets brushed, so I suspect his skin is itchy as well, but he doesn't scratch himself much. His lips seem dryer than usual. Do I need to take him to his vet, or is that an issue that can be resolved through nutrition and just the fact that he is back home, getting all the love and attention he thrives on?

Weather: He had about a week of heavier shedding when the weather in Seattle got warmer in June, but nothing even close to this. It's been hot here the last couple of weeks, and the kennel owner said that many of the dogs are shedding heavily despite cooling indoors. However, she seemed a bit surprised by the amount of hair coming off of Chance.

Stress: The kennel owner said that it was common for dogs to lose hair while boarded (I lost a ton of my hair when I moved to a different country for a while last year, so much that I had to see a dermatologist!). In addition to the anxiety of being away from home, he may have found the presence of other dogs nearby quite stressful since he is a very reactive dog with poor impulse control (we're just getting started with training). I realize stress is likely contributing to the hair loss, but could it also account for the severe dryness and dandruff?

Behavior: Chance is happy, elated to be back home with us (lots of face licking) and gets decent amounts of exercise. He eats and drinks water normally, responds to commands and plays well – so hopefully there is no underlying health problem.

He's my first dog and I've only had him for since May, so please forgive me for how long and anxiety-ridden this question is. Any advice is much appreciated!

Passport, check... But where do I store my cats?

Because — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 04:28:10 -0800

Any recommendations for pet boarding in Birmingham, UK? (Bonus: good vets.) My husband and I are going on vacation for a week and a half, and I need a place to put my four lovely cats while I am gone. One of them is hyperthyroid and takes pills twice a day. I've never had to board my cats before, and I have no idea what to look for. So, does anyone here know of a good pet boarding place in or near Birmingham, England? I am rather fond of the beasts, after all. And if not, any tips on searching a place out from people who have done it before would be most welcome.

Also, recommendations for a good local vet? I've always found vets by recommendation before, and I kinda have no one to ask around here but you, Metafilter. (I do so love you, Metafilter.)

I cannot find, somehow, most of my cat photos. So two of them will have to remain a mystery for the moment. But here is Skinny D'Amato, the hyperthyroid kitty and my Firstborn Son. And here is Beauregard, pleased to be assisting with a little light renovation. Forgive my terrible, terrible photography.

The kitties, they thank you!

Buy one neutering, get one free?

Keter — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 07:09:55 -0800

CatFilter: My family recently inherited a bushelful of cats, including quite a few kittens who are getting to the age wherein they need to be fixed lest they start producing more (inbred, in this case) kittens with each other! There are a lot of cats, however, and minimal funding with which to fix them. Does anyone have any recommendations for the cheapest spayings/neuterings in the Northern Virginia area? Thanks!

What to do about my dog's mouth problem??

GastrocNemesis — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 18:06:59 -0800

My adult dog lost a tooth a couple weeks ago after chewing on a Nylabone. I took the bone away, and was planning to make an appointment for cleaning/ scaling in a month or so, when I could afford it. Today I found another tooth and now I'm more worried that this is something that can't wait. Help please! My dog (a small rescue mutt who I think is about 7 years old, I've had her for 5 years) has always had bad breath. I mentioned my concern about it to her vet before and he just looked at her teeth and said "Actually they don't look that bad to me, you could get them cleaned if you want but I'm not worried." So I didn't worry too much about it, I'd been meaning to get her teeth cleaned soon but hadn't gotten around to it yet.

I make it a point to give her only dry dog food and dry crunchy treats so as not to make her breath worse. Same with bones, I used to give her rawhide sometimes but chewing them makes her kind of gross and stinky so I stopped giving them to her. When I was at home a few weeks ago, my mom bought some stuff for her including a Nylabone. She's had those before, so I figured it would be ok and let her chew on it. A couple days later I noticed one of her front bottom teeth was gone! I took away the bone and planned to schedule a vet appointment for her to get a cleaning soon, like in July. (I'm a student and currently in-between loans now, I can barely even pay my own bills until I get my next loan in July.)

But today, just now, I found another one of her teeth that had fallen out, and I'm really worried about her. (Front top tooth, if it matters, the same side/spot as the other one that fell out.) Now that I think of it, her breath has been kind of worse than usual lately, although it's bad most of the time so I wasn't sure whether I was just imagining it.

She hasn't seemed to be in any pain as far as I can tell- she eats normally, no bleeding, the tooth didn't have any blood on it, etc. That's why originally I figured it could wait a few more weeks- I thought it was maybe just a random thing, mostly caused by the Nylabone. Now I'm concerned there's something more serious going on. I'd take her to the vet this second if I wasn't flat broke, but I am. I don't know what to do.

So my questions are:
-If I keep an eye on what she's chewing (that is, don't let her chew anything but food basically) will she be okay for a few more weeks? Is there anything I can do to help her right now (like, will brushing her teeth help or exacerbate the problem?) Is it possible the second tooth was also mostly loosened by the Nylabone and just took a little longer to come out completely? (Like I said the two teeth she lost were a top and bottom one in the same spot, presumably the spot she was using to chew. So hopefully the other teeth in her mouth are not in immediate danger of falling out.)
-For those of you who have experienced this, what was the outcome and how much did it cost? Is it likely that she will need to get more teeth removed or might this be something reversible? Are there any signs/ symptoms I should be on the lookout for that would indicate that this is getting serious and she needs immediate treatment?
-If this is something that really can't wait, are there any vets that offer payment plans or billing, in Chicago? I know the answer is probably no, but I can't imagine that I'd be approved for CareCredit. My credit sucks at the moment. I guess I could beg her previous vet to work out some sort of billing with me, but I'm hesitant because he was the one that dismissed my concerns in the first place. Plus, I've moved since then so it's a good 45 min to an hour away. I'd been planning to find a new vet. I do *know* a vet in the area that I've done some freelance work for, but have never taken my dog to him- would it be inappropriate for me to ask him to help me out in some way? (E.g. Maybe he'd consider working out a billing plan with me and in return I'd do some work for him for free, or something, I don't know.) I don't know what the etiquette would be on that sort of thing. I could maybe ask my parents to spot me if it's a true emergency (I'm not sure if it is?) or if it was only going to be $100-200 (but I expect it's going to be a lot more than that.)

Any other helpful thoughts or suggestions? Thanks.

How can I get my cat to eat his prescription kidney food

davisnot — Thu, 10 May 2012 21:54:43 -0800

My cat has to eat a special kidney friendly diet. How can I encourage him to eat? He has early stage kidney disease. He is meant to eat both dry food (for the calories) and wet food (since the extra moisture is good for him). Both are prescription diets that are lower in protein and other things that aren't hard on the kidneys.

I have tried heating the food, adding water, mixing the dry and wet food. The thing that helps the most is feeding him by hand but it's still a struggle to get him to finish his food, and his vet does not want him to lose any weight.

For those of you who have had a cat with kidney problems, what helped stoke their appetite? I take it that the prescription food isn't very tasty.

Need recommendation for veterinary oncologist in Bay Area

dogmom — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 19:50:29 -0800

Anyone have a recommendation for a veterinary oncologist in the Bay Area? Not Sage/VMS in Campbell... Right now I feel like Sage/VMS in Campbell is taking advantage of the fact that I am scared and worried and will do anything for my dog by over charging me.
For example: Sage took a set of x-rays 4 hours after my regular vet did (and provided them with the films), and charged 3x as much. They started an IV and catheter for an ultrasound (and were unable to explain why an IV and catheter were needed for an ultrasound) and charged $200 for these things. I believe they care more about my wallet than my dog.

If you can convince me they are the best and it's worth it, please do. Otherwise, do you have any recommendations for a veterinary oncologist in the Bay Area? We are in San Jose, but willing to drive to anywhere within driving distance. I am by no means rich, but my pets mean the world to me and I am willing to do whatever I can to keep them healthy. I would just rather spend $500 toward chemo than unnecessary IVs and x-rays.

Am I overreacting to my dog's bad vet visit?

Elly Vortex — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 13:33:29 -0800

I had a negative experience when I took my dog to the vet. Am I overreacting? Should I give the vet another chance? I recently moved to a new town, and needed to find a new vet for my GSD-mix, Thunderdog. I asked around my work, and went with a vet that was recommended by a few of my staff members.

I suppose that Thunderdog and I were lucky in that, in our old town, we had a really great vet. Thunderdog had some problems early on with food (super picky eater, didn't care if she practically starved!), but the vet helped us find food that she would eat and got her all of her required nutrients - and was all-natural and based on a dogs natural diet, to boot. (For the curious - it's Orijen). Thunderdog also has had ongoing problems with her anal glands. She needs them expressed every three months or so, or she'll start doing the butt-scoot thing and will be kind of stinky. It was about 3 months since her last vet trip, so I figured that'd be a good way to meet the new vet and introduce him to Thunderdog (and her butt).

Things did not go as planned.

The new vet was very friendly, but when trying to get at Thunderdogs anal glands he and his vet tech gave it one little half-assed (ha) attempt to hold her steady. He then said, "I'm going to give her something to calm her down". "Okay," I said, not thinking much about it. A needle appeared out of nowhere, and he gave her a shot in the leg. Almost immediately, Thunderdog began to stagger around the room, whining, and bumping into things. "What did you give her?" I asked, alarmed. "Just something to calm her down," he said. Then Thunderdog stumbled, fell to the floor, her legs shook, and then she was still: eyes open, tongue hanging out on the floor.

To say that "I lost my shit" would be an understatement. "Holy fuck, what did you do to my dog??" I shouted, then burst into tears. I had no idea he was going to knock her out.

He then was very apologetic, and explained that with larger dogs he would often use the drug (forgot the name of it) to "calm them down" so that they would be more relaxed. Since Thunderdog was already out for the count, he and the vet tech expressed her anal glands, clipped her nails, and then gave her another shot to wake her up. I was on the floor with her, petting her and trying to pull myself together.

In the awkward time between the second shot and when she actually came back to life, the vet asked me what kind of food I fed her. I told him about her early food trouble and that we were happy with Orijen. He then gave me a lengthy pitch for Science Diet, which - as far as I know - is the dog food equivalent of McDonalds. Lots of fillers, grain and corn, not much in the way of meat (mostly meat by-products).

And then - then he started telling me about how great invisible fences were. he got out a brochure and explained how they work. I asked if it was a shock-collar sort of thing, he said yes, "But that's the way they learn". He seemed to have forgotten that I live in an apartment at the moment and don't even have a yard. Not only that - but I know a lot of dogs (I'm one of those annoying Dog Park People) and very few have shock collars. It's not something I'd ever considered. I think they're kind of cruel and it's also just not in the cards right now (hello, apartment). I'd like a house with a fence, of course. Maybe next year. Anyway.

When Thunderdog came to and was able to walk, we paid up and got the hell out of there. Thunderdog was a zombie the rest of the day. She just sat in her chair and looked out the window, kind of like a person who isn't all there. She was like this for about 8 hours (the rest of the day). I called my previous vet and asked how they had handled her anal gland expressing in the past. She said that she and a vet tech would just hold her and another vet tech would do the dirty work. No drugs! She was surprised that the vet had given Thunderdog something that knocked her out.

A few days later I got a letter in the mail from the vet: handwritten, on a card. He was very apologetic and said that he would like it if we would give him another chance. Thunderdog has been fine since the visit, but we're coming up on another three months and I think I saw her do the butt-scoot across the floor. One other thing of note: I do live out in the sticks, so there aren't a lot of vet options.

I can't decide if what the new vet did to Thunderdog was appropriate. I'm second guessing this because, well, maybe my old vet was just the most awesome vet in the world and not every vet can stick their fingers in a German Shepherd's butt without help. Is it normal to knock a dog out before doing that?

And, perhaps he was just trying to fill the awkward silence with chatter. Just because he's a social doofus doesn't mean he's a bad vet. He did seem apologetic when I freaked out, and the apology letter he wrote was really nice. Also, I live in a rural area where the majority of large dogs are working/hunting dogs...the vet may have not known that she's my Sweetheart, not my Hunting Accessory.

So, tl;dr:

What the new vet did - knock Thunderdog out, give me sales pitches while I was obviously upset - appropriate?

So maybe he's a social doofus, and I don't have a lot of choices for vet care. Do I go back to him and lay out some ground rules for Thunderdog's care, or do I find someone else?

Thank you all, from Thunderdog and myself.

Cat I take my cat on the train in Japan?

ZeroDivides — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 22:57:19 -0800

Can I take my cat in a cat carrier on the subway/train in Japan? My cat is sick and my regular, walking-distance vet is closed. I am looking at taking her to an emergency vet, but it's pretty far so I'd be looking at taking the cat on the train for a few stops. Is that allowed? Do people do this? I can just take a cab there but it will be pretty expensive.

It would be on a line operated by the East Japan Railway Company, if that makes a difference.

What do I need to ask the vet about my puppy's seizures?

myShanon — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 23:00:09 -0800

My puppy had a seizure (her second, I think), what questions do I need to ask the vet when I take her to the appointment on Friday? Short version: 7month old mini daschund/min-pin mix, has had all shots, currently has worms (suspected tapeworm). Had a seizure when she was about 6 weeks but the vet at the time said it was nothing to worry about. Second seizure happened this weekend, over 5 months later. Internet research points to low blood sugar/crash as the most likely culprit but I want to be sure she's getting the right treatment. Other than describing both incidents to the new vet, I have no idea what to say during the appointment, or what questions I should make a point of asking? (story/details on both seizures below) Saturday morning at about 430am River woke me up twitching violently. I jumped to the light and pulled back the blanket to find her laying in a puddle of urine, her entire body shaking and twitching, her neck twisted at an odd angle (sort of bent back and to one side, I honestly thought I'd rolled over in my sleep and broken her neck at first), then she started screaming and her body went stiff. A minute later she was limp and unresponsive, glassy eyed. After a few minutes she started to show awareness. Less than 15 min after I woke, she was active, bouncy, covering me in puppy kisses and wanting to snuggle.

I made her get up and walk around for a few minutes while I remade the bed, then she curled up and went back to sleep. I was the one who stayed awake until sunrise crying, heh.

I have no idea how long it went on before I woke, though I sleep poorly and wake easily so probably not long.

I believe this is actually the second time this has happened, however the first time I did not actually witness a seizure. At that time I was still with my ex, and he insisted she be kept in her crate at night. She was about six weeks old and had just started her first round of vaccinations the week before.

As in the more recent episode, I woke around 4am to her screaming. Not just puppy cries, but loud, high pitch wails of pain or fear.

I rolled out of bed and opened the crate to see her laying limp on the floor of her crate. There was a hard black bit of feces stuck and I gently removed it before bringing her out of the crate and taking her into another room where I could turn on the light.

She lay limp in my arms, completely unresponsive, her eyes blank and glassy. I tried to stand her up but her legs immediately crumpled and she fell to the floor. Another piece of feces came out, less dark, more rubbery in texture this time. She cried when it came, and after it was done... more came. Each time moving toward normal color and texture. I held her so that she was standing until it finally stopped. I really didn't want to have to put her through bathtime after all of that.

A few minutes after that was over her eyes started to clear and she seemed confused by my holding her in the middle of the night, started giving me frantic puppy kizzes and nuzzles. Within minutes she was up, bouncing around, wanting to play fetch with her favorite rope.

So while I never saw the seizure the first time, much of her behavior in this recent incident matches up with how she was that first time.

We did take her to the vet shortly after the first incident for the second round of vaccinations and I described what had happened. The vet assured me it wasn't a seizure and insisted it was nothing to worry about. The vet told us all that happened was she probably had an impacted bowel and when the constipation finally resolved it hurt at first, and thats why she behaved so oddly.

I was willing to believe this at the time, as I did a lot of research based on what she told us and found that many puppies in their first few months are prone to dehydration and constipation because they don't drink enough, so I switched her to food designed for small breed puppies with sensitive stomachs (Nutro Natural Choice) and when she occasionally showed signs of constipation would give her a bit of canned pumpkin as a treat.

However with this second incident 5 months later I'm inclined to believe that the vet blew us off, and will be taking her to a different vet the day after payday. She has worms, I suspect a tapeworm (little wriggly rice looking worms), and while she's in for treatment on that I'll discuss both incidents with the new vet and see what they think the best course of action is.

But I'm scared.

Why is my dog wheezing?

ORthey — Mon, 30 May 2011 14:54:25 -0800

YANMV - What is my dog doing in this YouTube video? Is she OK? (Apologies for bad sound). My dog Wynette has been making this occasional wheezing/huffing/hiccupping sound recently. The sound is terrible in the video, but essentially each sort of "lurching" movement is accompanied by a huff of air. It'll last for 30 seconds to a minute or so, and I've seen her do it maybe 10 times. She's a healthy, 35 pound mutt with some food allergies who eats or chews most everything she can get her jaws on.

My theories:

- Hair in her throat (she's shedding and licks the floor all the time).
- Hiccups.
- Some sort of doggie crying.

I'm more than happy to take her to the vet if this looks like a problem, and I love my vet, but they charge $50 for a quick visit and I'd rather keep the money if it turns out to be explainable and not concerning. I can also give them a call, but they always encourage me to come in, and they're closed today and a bout of brief panic made me think to ask the Hive before tomorrow.

Thanks for any thoughts you may have!

I'm fine hearing that I'm just a crazy cat lady

amarynth — Tue, 03 May 2011 07:35:45 -0800

We had to put one of our cats to sleep on Saturday. Now that I've had a couple of days to think over some of the things that the vet at the emergency clinic said, I'm wondering if our regular vet is giving our pets the best care. Sweet Jane was 14 and a half, and about two years ago, she was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, which was controlled through medication. A few months ago, she started scratching at a spot over her eye and wouldn't leave it alone. My boyfriend took her in to see the vet, who thought it might be from an ear infection and sent her home with ear drops (which ended up making her deaf, a usually rare side effect of the medicine which is more common in geriatric animals) and an antibiotic ointment. The wound healed, but then she started scratching again and it came back. My boyfriend took her in again, and this time they gave her an antibiotic shot and a steroid shot.

Later, we noticed that she was breathing really rapidly, and since the vet was closed, we took her into the emergency clinic. The vet took one look at the cut above her eye and said, "That is not normal, that will need to be biopsied." As soon as she saw that Jane had been given a steroid shot, she said that most likely the hyperthyroidism had led to a heart condition, and then the steroid shot sent her into congestive heart failure. X-rays then confirmed heart failure.

After weighing her age, existing health problems, and the cost of treatment, we made the very difficult decision to have her put to sleep. When we were talking to the emergency clinic vet about it, she reiterated that even if we treated her and she made it through the weekend, once she was stable, the sore above her eye would have to be biopsied and that her hyperthyroidism most likely led to a heart condition that would need further treatment. Now I'm wondering why my vet didn't seem as concerned about the sore after having seen it twice, and why she decided to give a steroid shot knowing that Sweet Jane had a condition that often causes heart problems. This isn't as serious, but I also wonder why she would prescribe Jane a medicine that could cause deafness in geriatric animals. She never told us the possible side effects of the shot or the ear drops. She's been our vet for 14 and a half years (since Jane was just a tiny kitten), and her practice is very state of the art and very expensive. She is wonderfully warm and I've always liked her personally.

Am I over-reacting because I'm distraught and looking for someone to blame, or should we be looking into going to another vet? Is it crazy and completely inappropriate to contact the vet at the emergency clinic and ask her if she's comfortable giving her opinion of our vet?

Help me talk to my vet.

nprigoda — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 03:48:41 -0800

How do I tell my vet that it's time to stop trying to diagnose my cat, and help him have a peaceful end? Looking for a possible script to follow. My cat, after a long and happy life, has been having health problems lately and we brought him to see our local vet. Before visiting the vet, my husband and I discussed what lengths (procedural and financial) we were willing to go to treat our cat before making the final decision.
At the first visit, we ended up going above our discussed limit, but things were going very quickly, and it was really beginning to look like it was going to be our second last vet visit ever. :(
Now the vet has called back, saying there is some question regarding her initial diagnosis, and they would like us to bring our cat back for further testing. One part of the testing is not extremely invasive (it's a chest tap, to remove possible fluid which may also be a tumor) but it is invasive enough that our skittish cat will be very, very unhappy.
When speaking to the vet about this, and expressing my feeling that the multi-organ nature of his illness leads me to think that it is most likely cancer (which the vet agreed was the most likely diagnosis), she continued to push the additional testing.
We are not willing to perform these tests when the outcome will most likely be the same. We would like to say goodbye to our little guy while he is still the cat we remember, and before he is in any more pain.
My problem? I can't say this to my vet. I've always caved under pressure, and she is very convincing. What I need is a script to follow, when making the appointment and while talking to the vet that will make it clear that we feel we are making the right decision.
Thank you for your help during this difficult time. I hope you understand the lack of photos, but trust me, he's a very sweet guy.

How long is a Maltese dog pregnant?

lynnie-the-pooh — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 15:11:40 -0800

How long is a Maltese dog pregnant? I was wondering how long a Maltese dog is pregnant, and also, at how many weeks would a veterinarian be able to confirm that the dog is, in fact, pregnant?
Thanks.

Please help our poor, sad dog.

bonobothegreat — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 20:22:37 -0800

Any idea what is causing my dog to chew her back feet, all of a sudden? In the last couple of weeks, our 11 year old female lab has started licking and nibbling the edges of her ankles and rear feet. They are now raw and bleeding. She's been on thyroid medication for about 3 months without noticeable side effects (but I've read that itching can be a side effect). We carefully dry salt residue from her feet after walks. We'll be taking her to the vet soon but can't imagine what he'll do apart from putting a bucket on her head. She's had hot spots in the past that he's treated with an antihistamine injection. Is this likely to be the same kind of thing?

Anybody else have any experience with this situation?

He's a very good boy !

lobstah — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 14:04:05 -0800

My best buddy, an Australian Cattle Dog named "Willie Nelson" has Cushing's Disease , and will require medication for the remainder of his life (he's 14). The prescription is for Vetoryl (trilostane 60mg), and through my Vet it's $100, but he said he would be happy to write a Rx for an online provider. I see prices as low as $67, but I want to make sure Willie is getting just what the Dr. ordered. Which online provider do you use? which ones do you avoid ?

Cat dental care in San Francisco

firemonkey — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 23:02:30 -0800

About a year ago, the vet at the San Francisco SPCA told us our cat needed to get her teeth cleaned (and possibly have some teeth extracted) and that it would be almost $1000. We know we need to do this, and were wondering if there are cheaper (but still good) alternatives available in San Francisco. Our cat is now 7 years old. We tried to communicate to the SPCA staff that cost was an issue, and asked if there was any way we could pay in installments or if there were any other options. We were told we had to pay for the whole procedure upfront, and the only financial assistance we were offered was some sort of credit card with a slightly lower interest rate than average. I love organizations like the SF SPCA, but the lack of payment options really surprised me and seems kind of seems at odds with their mission. In any case, we want to be responsible pet owners and do the right thing, but we also have medical and dental bills of our own! What other options are there in San Francisco? I have also heard that anesthesia-free cleanings are cheaper, but I'm not sure if that is what is best for my cat. Any help is appreciated!

Help save a dear four-legged friend!

peewinkle — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 15:10:58 -0800

SE Wisconsin: Does anyone know of a veterinarian in the Milwaukee/Racine/Kenosha/NE Illinois area that can remove a dog's tumor on a payment plan? A dear friend of mine has a cancerous tumor. Her owner doesn't have the $1100 up front to pay for the surgery to have it removed. They live in Racine, but he can drive anywhere. The owner has a job and makes decent money, but has no credit cards... The dog is a sweetheart and is family (obviously). He is trying to sell his beloved motorcycle to come up with the money, but there are no buyers in this economy. The regular vet is unable to perform the surgery, and the only other place we know of demands ALL the money up front (he can make a substantial down payment, and is willing to sign the title of his motorcycle/truck over- whatever it takes!)

Does anyone know of a veterinarian around Milwaukee/Chicagoland that would be willing to work out some sort of payment plan?

Any other ideas are also welcome; obviously, time is of the essence!

Thinking of a tail in a cast makes me giggle.

Talia Devane — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 18:26:33 -0800

Is there a veterinarian on the house? Bella, seen here, stuck her tail out a car door as it was closing. Big yelp, no blood, I can feel a lump about halfway down. She's also carrying it straight down which is not normal. So I'm pretty sure I just broke the poor girl's tail. I have administered 3 baby aspirin based on a weight of 45 lbs to bring down any inflammation and to control any pain although other that the carry she seems not to mind it.
What do I need to watch for while it heals and can I expect her tail to resume it's formerly horizontal posture?
More pictures of Bella, Romero, and their cat Lucy are at Flickr. And of course, please guess the breed.

Please vet a vet for my cat.

orange swan — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 12:26:53 -0800

It's getting to be time I took my cat Trilby to the veterinarian for his first annual check up since I adopted him last October 30th. But first I have to find a vet. Can anyone recommend a good vet in central or west end Toronto?