I just need to vent. Our dog, Bingo, a yellow Lab, has been vomiting since Thursday. Our vet said "give it a few days" so we did. Today we took him to the emergancy vet clinic, so far it's cost $550.00 for them to treat the symptoms. IVs, xrays, poking here and there. They have no idea what has caused the condition or what the condition is other than he's vomiting. He only eats dog food and no people food so I know that's not it. I don't mind paying but I like to think for that amount they could give me some idea of the root cause. Posion, rabies, dioxin like that guy from the Ukrane or something. At this place it's this test is X amount of dollars, do you want us to do it? Yes or no. What am I supposed to say, no? They told me I could take my chances and take him home. What would my 10 year old say if Bingo didn't make it through the night. There is no compasion at this place. Of course, it's Sunday and it's the only place around. I bet these people are the first to bitch about the cost of auto repairs. At least they can be given the root cause in most cases. Like hey, you haven't changed your oil in 15K miles and your engine blew up.
Emergancy pet care.
- Thread starter flyor
- Start date
SUcks about yoru dog. and probably the smell and your rugs coudl be inbetter shape. I dontknow what coudl have caused anything, but we used to give our dog half childrens chewable tylnol which madeher feel a lot better, dontknow if itll help with vomiting though, but might make it feel a little better. just wrap it in some bolonge (sp?) or sumtin.
LOL
flyor said:
LOL
K
KEJ
Guest
Flyor, I'm sorry to hear your pup is having troubles. I hope you get him straightened out soon. It sucks when we're over a barrel, but with veterinarians and our loved ones, that's so often the case. Hang in there, and when he's all better you'll start feeling like the reaming was worth it.
KJ
KJ
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NorCalDiscoII
Guest
Since you are venting, here's something to consider - most animal hospitals, like the ones that treat people loose money. Last year it cost us almost $2K to pay for "emergency fixing" our two cats who had a bad reaction to a routine shot the day prior at our vet (they bled and vomited from every hole imaginable for two days). Financially timing was bad, but, like you said, what are you going to say "no"? Luckily we trust our vet 100%, so we don't question the $$. What's more is a month later we pull up in a brand new Lexus to a stop light next to our vet in a 20 year old tiny Toyota packed with family - so again, we don't question how much it costs anymore.
Hope your doggie gets well
Hope your doggie gets well
sorry to here about your dog. i just went through the same thing with a cat, it was vomiting for a couple of days so took it to the vet, $300 later found out it had gotten in some antifreeze and there wasn't anything to do. hope this isn't whats wrong with your dog but the animals can't tell them whats wrong so they have to keep testing until they run the right one
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barefoot
Guest
flyor,
yea, vets costs are just as bad as rover repairs at the dealership. my chocolate english lab and partner in crime "tubby" who i have had for 4 years was hit by a car and killed last week. i miss him terribly and would give any amount of money to have him back. i guess what i am trying to say is that it could be worse! i sincerely hope everything works out for you two! keep us posted!
yea, vets costs are just as bad as rover repairs at the dealership. my chocolate english lab and partner in crime "tubby" who i have had for 4 years was hit by a car and killed last week. i miss him terribly and would give any amount of money to have him back. i guess what i am trying to say is that it could be worse! i sincerely hope everything works out for you two! keep us posted!
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KEJ
Guest
Anthony, I'm sorry to hear you lost Tubby. That's tragic and incredibly painful. Sure puts our daily problems into perspective, doesn't it? I wish you the best as you recover from your loss.
KJ
KJ
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chemist44
Guest
Tell me about it!
My choc lab was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. The vet said if we amputate the front leg and give chemo, the dog will live a few years or more...if not it will be dead in a month. After the amputation, the dog was not healing, and required another surgury. Then the dog started vomiting, and they did exploratory surgary. So, $5000.00 later, we have a nice tripod. We are going to change her name from Hannah to Plasma, in memory of the TV we almost had. Good luck!
My choc lab was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. The vet said if we amputate the front leg and give chemo, the dog will live a few years or more...if not it will be dead in a month. After the amputation, the dog was not healing, and required another surgury. Then the dog started vomiting, and they did exploratory surgary. So, $5000.00 later, we have a nice tripod. We are going to change her name from Hannah to Plasma, in memory of the TV we almost had. Good luck!
I'm so sorry and I hope Bingo gets better soon!
You can actually give a dog a child's does of Emetrol or generic Anti-nausea medicine. My aussie, Mika, had an upset stomach from eating soft food once and I gave her some and it helped. Just give them one spoon-full, but you will probably have to force-feed it b/c it's Cherry flavored!
Also, just FYI for everyone, they make a pet-safe Antifreeze now.....we should probably all switch!
Good luck.
You can actually give a dog a child's does of Emetrol or generic Anti-nausea medicine. My aussie, Mika, had an upset stomach from eating soft food once and I gave her some and it helped. Just give them one spoon-full, but you will probably have to force-feed it b/c it's Cherry flavored!
Also, just FYI for everyone, they make a pet-safe Antifreeze now.....we should probably all switch!
Good luck.
I miss Maggie, my walking buddy who died 15 months ago the day before her 16 birthday. Kezar our special needs golden has always been lame (Bad front legs, bad hips) she's really struggling these days with the colder weather. Shes only 9 and a half.
I'm worried for her and hope she'll make it through the winter. It all happens too quickly. We're about to replace a sofa that I realized after we ordered was always the one Maggie slept on. She had her spot at one end, I had mine. That realization choked me up.
I'm worried for her and hope she'll make it through the winter. It all happens too quickly. We're about to replace a sofa that I realized after we ordered was always the one Maggie slept on. She had her spot at one end, I had mine. That realization choked me up.
Accidentally stepped on my 7 week old Walker Coonhound puppy last Wednesday night and broke his right ulna and humorus bones. Talk about going from hero to zero in about a second. I'd surprised my kids (8 yrs and 5 yrs old) the previous Saturday with the pup.
Anyway, I was home alone with the kids and Doc (the puppy) when the accident happened. Kids were fresh out of the tub and in their nightgowns, so I called my wife who was at a girlfriend's house for a little holiday get together. She can home and took Doc to the emergency vet clinic for a look. I knew it was broken already, and she had him in their care within 30 minutes of the break.
$186 all total and a great experience, considering the circumstances. X-ray confirmed the break, and the Dr. sedated him long enough to set and splint the arm and prescribed a mild sedative (even quartered the tablets for us) for Doc until he could be more comfortable.
So the moral is, not all vet clinics and emergency providers are out to get your wallet. Of course the cause of my crisis was obvious whereas yours and many others are symptomatic of some hidden internal issue. Tests are expensive, and necessary. Sounds like none of us here has vet insurance, that explains a lot too.
I image anyone who works as an ER vet or technician does so out of love of animals, not money. I got a call at work the following day from the vet who tended to Doc. He called to tell me he's seen worse and for me not to beat myself up over having broken the poor things leg. I thought that was a nice touch.
Anyway, I was home alone with the kids and Doc (the puppy) when the accident happened. Kids were fresh out of the tub and in their nightgowns, so I called my wife who was at a girlfriend's house for a little holiday get together. She can home and took Doc to the emergency vet clinic for a look. I knew it was broken already, and she had him in their care within 30 minutes of the break.
$186 all total and a great experience, considering the circumstances. X-ray confirmed the break, and the Dr. sedated him long enough to set and splint the arm and prescribed a mild sedative (even quartered the tablets for us) for Doc until he could be more comfortable.
So the moral is, not all vet clinics and emergency providers are out to get your wallet. Of course the cause of my crisis was obvious whereas yours and many others are symptomatic of some hidden internal issue. Tests are expensive, and necessary. Sounds like none of us here has vet insurance, that explains a lot too.
I image anyone who works as an ER vet or technician does so out of love of animals, not money. I got a call at work the following day from the vet who tended to Doc. He called to tell me he's seen worse and for me not to beat myself up over having broken the poor things leg. I thought that was a nice touch.
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syoung
Guest
My dog had to go to an emergency clinic after she hit a minivan- yes, SHE hit the van instead of the other way around. Anyway- yes, the people were cold and very quick to take payment (no credit cards or checks- ATM is down the street). Payment up front before she could spend the night. I think the reason for that is people rack up a bill and stop payment on the check or chargeback if the animal dies or the cost outweighs their love.
Troubleshooting a dog is a lot harder than a truck and takes a lot more school. The equipment is a lot more expensive too. Heck, many people doctors washed out of vet school- so it must not be easy. I've never met a poor vet though-
Troubleshooting a dog is a lot harder than a truck and takes a lot more school. The equipment is a lot more expensive too. Heck, many people doctors washed out of vet school- so it must not be easy. I've never met a poor vet though-
Vet school is more difficult to get into then most other programs I kear. I spoke with a retired vet and he said that now the field is dramatically changing with the advent of frontline and other topical anti-flea and anti-tick medicine. Before the advent of these products, most people brought their pets in for skin issues derived from these pests, but now - that's not the case anymore. That, and the fact that a lot of vet hospitals are equiped with the same equipment in hospitals for humans - and you know the cost of healthcare there.
Anyhow, there is pet insurance out there. I've used Veterinary Pet Insurance for many years and they've followed through with my claims. Its kind of expensive, but when you consider a few hundred dollars a year for insurance on your pet, the alternative is thousands of dollars out of pocket like many of the experiences on this post. And what are you going to say "no". I spent 3500 dollars on my dog's surgery, and there was no hesitation.
Anyhow, there is pet insurance out there. I've used Veterinary Pet Insurance for many years and they've followed through with my claims. Its kind of expensive, but when you consider a few hundred dollars a year for insurance on your pet, the alternative is thousands of dollars out of pocket like many of the experiences on this post. And what are you going to say "no". I spent 3500 dollars on my dog's surgery, and there was no hesitation.
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campbell
Guest
Kinda long...Sorry...
The things we do for our pets? A somewhat funny story now, but not at the time?
I guess it was about 2 months ago, time has sort of run together. Our 2.5 year old yellow lab had been acting ?funny.? By ?funny? I mean, not herself. Lethargic, heavy breathing, that sort of thing. She would also twitch every few minutes. Like a muscle spasm. She also seemed to be in pain, which she has never shown in the past. I called the vet (who we no longer see BTW) around 7pm that night and he informed me that it was not an emergency and he would see her tomorrow. She had just had her yearly shots and I was concerned she was having a reaction to one of the vaccines. The vet had given her a new vaccine. Some may have heard of it. It is a two year vaccine for Parvo and two other viruses I can?t remember. Anyway, our vet was not concerned, which ticked me off. I called my uncles girlfriend who is a vet and she told me to give her a Benedryl and see how that did. It helped a little, but that may have been my wishful thinking. Around 9pm things seemed to be right back to lethargy and trouble breathing. At that time my wife and I decided to take her to an animal emergency clinic about 1 hour away.
We set off, hazards flashing. Yes, hazards flashing, to the clinic. On the way people are getting out of the way for us, and I even passed a cop going about 75 in a 55 who didn?t pull us over. I have no idea how he would have reacted had he pulled us over to find out our hurry was our dog. Some people just don?t understand.
So about 40 minutes later (at legal driving speeds it takes an hour), we arrived at the clinic. The vet that night was awesome and understood our concern. She ran some initial test and could not find anything. At that point she too thought it was an allergic reaction, but asked us if we wanted to continue with different test. X-rays, blood work, ect. . She wanted to rule out an intestinal blockage, ect. We simply said to do whatever it takes. This dog is our child, our only child. We didn?t care what it was going to cost. $500 later we had exhausted the tests that she thought would help. Nothing was abnormal except for a slightly elevated WBC. She gave her some pain meds and antibiotic and we got home about 12 midnight.
After about a week, our lab was back to her normal, lively self. I didn?t think twice about the cost of the trip, and wouldn?t even if it were $5000. Call me crazy, but she?s worth ever bit.
The things we do for our pets? A somewhat funny story now, but not at the time?
I guess it was about 2 months ago, time has sort of run together. Our 2.5 year old yellow lab had been acting ?funny.? By ?funny? I mean, not herself. Lethargic, heavy breathing, that sort of thing. She would also twitch every few minutes. Like a muscle spasm. She also seemed to be in pain, which she has never shown in the past. I called the vet (who we no longer see BTW) around 7pm that night and he informed me that it was not an emergency and he would see her tomorrow. She had just had her yearly shots and I was concerned she was having a reaction to one of the vaccines. The vet had given her a new vaccine. Some may have heard of it. It is a two year vaccine for Parvo and two other viruses I can?t remember. Anyway, our vet was not concerned, which ticked me off. I called my uncles girlfriend who is a vet and she told me to give her a Benedryl and see how that did. It helped a little, but that may have been my wishful thinking. Around 9pm things seemed to be right back to lethargy and trouble breathing. At that time my wife and I decided to take her to an animal emergency clinic about 1 hour away.
We set off, hazards flashing. Yes, hazards flashing, to the clinic. On the way people are getting out of the way for us, and I even passed a cop going about 75 in a 55 who didn?t pull us over. I have no idea how he would have reacted had he pulled us over to find out our hurry was our dog. Some people just don?t understand.
So about 40 minutes later (at legal driving speeds it takes an hour), we arrived at the clinic. The vet that night was awesome and understood our concern. She ran some initial test and could not find anything. At that point she too thought it was an allergic reaction, but asked us if we wanted to continue with different test. X-rays, blood work, ect. . She wanted to rule out an intestinal blockage, ect. We simply said to do whatever it takes. This dog is our child, our only child. We didn?t care what it was going to cost. $500 later we had exhausted the tests that she thought would help. Nothing was abnormal except for a slightly elevated WBC. She gave her some pain meds and antibiotic and we got home about 12 midnight.
After about a week, our lab was back to her normal, lively self. I didn?t think twice about the cost of the trip, and wouldn?t even if it were $5000. Call me crazy, but she?s worth ever bit.
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syoung
Guest
I once had to drive my stepbrother and his Chesapeake Bay Retriever to the vet in a blizzard... The dog crawled under a barbed wire fence and sliced its back open from the neck to his tail all the way to bone. He held the dog together (literally) and put a towel on him and I drove that little Renault Fuego like Mario Andretti-
400 stitches later, dog is fine- but a little stiff. Same dog was later shot in the head with a 22 by a trespasser. Dang dog won't die though- he just acts a little strange around loud noises.
400 stitches later, dog is fine- but a little stiff. Same dog was later shot in the head with a 22 by a trespasser. Dang dog won't die though- he just acts a little strange around loud noises.
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KEJ
Guest
Sus, I've been beating the drum for low-tox antifreeze on Discoweb for a year. It is NOT, however, safe, it is merely safER. This means it's still toxic, but it takes more to kill. We've been using it in everything we own, including our farm tractor, and it's worked perfectly. Mike from ECR told me they've used it for years in everything they have. They lost a pet to antifreeze poisoning and made the switch. In our case our pets were poisoned by a neighbor who poisoned six pets on our street before we pieced it all together. We lost one and saved one, but it was a difficult recovery. We did all we could to make the case, and animal control was very diligent, but they never were able to prosecute. Four days after the Sheriff's Department went to question the perps, they listed their house for sale and moved to New Mexico. Works for me, the pricks.
Today was a bad day at Blackrock for us. I was bringing the horses in from their pastures and one of my old guys had a grand mal seizure and died at my feet. At least it was fast, he was dead within minutes. He was a good old boy and had taught countless little kids how to ride. Gorgeous little horse, too. His loss is going to leave a big hole in our barn.
KJ
Today was a bad day at Blackrock for us. I was bringing the horses in from their pastures and one of my old guys had a grand mal seizure and died at my feet. At least it was fast, he was dead within minutes. He was a good old boy and had taught countless little kids how to ride. Gorgeous little horse, too. His loss is going to leave a big hole in our barn.
KJ
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syoung
Guest
Karen- sorry to hear about your horse... always really sad to hear about stuff like that.
I suppose if I had farm equipment I'd use the friendlier antifreeze just in case the ol John Deere 1010 blew it all over where the animals are. Since I have my drain/flush work done at a shop where it is disposed of properly I don't really see a reason why it matters.
Maybe I'm missing something?
I suppose if I had farm equipment I'd use the friendlier antifreeze just in case the ol John Deere 1010 blew it all over where the animals are. Since I have my drain/flush work done at a shop where it is disposed of properly I don't really see a reason why it matters.
Maybe I'm missing something?
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KEJ
Guest
Steve, thanks, it sucks to feel this way. As for the antifreeze, it matters because vehicles leak so often. Antifreeze is VERY toxic. Only a lick or two will kill a pet, and only a little more will kill a person. Over 100 people a year die in this country from antifreeze poisoning, many of them kids. It is estimated that over 50,000 animals die every year, too. Antifreeze is supposedly very sweet, so very palatable. I even saw a Court TV case (I never watch that stuff, but caught it flipping channels) where a woman was on trial for poisoning her husband by putting antifreeze in his iced tea. It's bad stuff, and since there is a viable alternative (I use a Prestone product) it seems like the worst stuff could be phased out, but I see no evidence that is happening.
As careful as we are, I found out today I have a coolant leak. My Disco was towed into LR Alexandria AGAIN over the weekend, since the engine had no power and my service engine light was flashing. My husband checked the plug wires and thought they were tight, but they told me today one was still loose and fouling the plug. Anyway, I was having my 30K service done a little early since it was there, and they told me I had a leak of coolant, which floored me. Ends up, it was burning before it hit the ground, but it chilled me just hearing it. I have a similar oil leak, sigh. All that is being fixed and my CD changer is being replaced, all under warrenty. I hope this gets me through winter without further trouble.
KJ
As careful as we are, I found out today I have a coolant leak. My Disco was towed into LR Alexandria AGAIN over the weekend, since the engine had no power and my service engine light was flashing. My husband checked the plug wires and thought they were tight, but they told me today one was still loose and fouling the plug. Anyway, I was having my 30K service done a little early since it was there, and they told me I had a leak of coolant, which floored me. Ends up, it was burning before it hit the ground, but it chilled me just hearing it. I have a similar oil leak, sigh. All that is being fixed and my CD changer is being replaced, all under warrenty. I hope this gets me through winter without further trouble.
KJ
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syoung
Guest
I suppose it would make sense if it works 100% as well and doesn't cost a fortune. The newer Rovers have a warning about using a specific coolant, so I suppose one would need to get 'blessing' from LRNA in regards to warranty coverage etc. I can't get them to ever put ANY statement in writing about what is/isn't acceptable on ANYTHING.
As toxic as it may be- they still use ethylene glycol to de-ice planes... they spray that crap all over. I wonder how they (if they) reclaim it somehow.
As toxic as it may be- they still use ethylene glycol to de-ice planes... they spray that crap all over. I wonder how they (if they) reclaim it somehow.