Rufus tugged at our hearts and our wallets simultaneously

[walkonby]

Members of sc who have been there done that with Emergency Vet Clinics know only too well what happens to us when any of our furbabies fall ill. We sign the form at the desk willingly and we wave the white surrender flag in submission for them to " do their magic " to fix our babies!
Yeah, so it always happens on a weekend right? Always in a weird hour too ( 5:30 a.m. for Rufus, he is our Shih Tzu, my sweet smiling avatar )
Is it just me or do we all start talking to our dogs/cats asking out loud " what is it boy?/girl? knowing full well it will not help, but I just had to try in case this was the day he spoke!!

No luck, so off I went, and after taking an xray, drawing blood samples and giving Rufus some pain meds the vet gives a diagnosis of a heart murmur and bladder stones. The blood results are not all back yet, ( waiting on the pancreatic one still ) but Rufus has made some good progress since Saturday morning, which I am grateful for. Stayed on pain meds and also some OTC Antacid tablets too.
That nearly $900.00 clinic bill was charged to a CC, but I still have to follow up his treatment with our regular vet on how to get those stones out and what to do about his heart murmur?? An ultrasound is an option ( oh heck, only maybe another $500.00 there eh? ) that would give so many good answers on how to best proceed, but you know the hesitation over the price tag.

Oh yeah before anyone asks I DO NOT have Pet Insurance, so there goes that option.
I just wanted to make the thread to talk about it out loud, maybe some of you have had pets with bladder stones or a heart murmur and you might want to share what you experienced, it might help me decide what way I could look for treatment for Rufus, options are always nice.

Thanks in advance.

[Natalka]

I'm glad he's better, but it seems he has more to get through.

Would there happen to be a veterinary college anywhere within decent driving distance? I know here, it's at the university, and for some conditions they accept 'teaching patients' and waive or lower fees.

[walkonby]

Hmmm I have no idea?? I know Guelph is where students go to school to study to become vets, but that is a bit of a drive away. I might have to do my usual Google thing to find out, thanks Natalka.

[Andit]

Oh, poor Rufus. And his human.

WRT the heart murmur, my neighbour's pup was diagnosed last yr with an enlarged heart (not given much hope, she's still bouncing around happily thanks to some holistic things her owner is doing), the murmur is a symptom, not a cause. There could be all sorts of things causing it, it might not even be anything to worry about (if your vet hasn't noticed it in the past with regular check ups, it might be a blip). Did they mention the grade of the murmur? The higher the number the worse it is (4 or 5 are bad). Again, might be a blip.

I don't know much about bladder stones in pups. If they're like crystals in boy kitties, then an increase in water is required for Rufus (i.e., if you feed kibble, soak it in water, make it into almost a soup).

Pancreatitis (if that's an issue too, looks like it might not be) is usually a case of the diet being too rich for the pup and the organ not being able to break things down. Treatment is usually a bland diet and more frequent feedings (i.e. if he has breakfast and dinner, he'll also need a lunch and a bedtime snack - same amount of food, just broken down into smaller portions).

Usually the vet will get you to feed Hills brand dogfood. There's nothing wrong with it, but it is very expensive. Don't buy it through the clinic, try Petsmart or Pet Valu first. You can also make your own food for him, but leave that for a later date when things are calmer.


Oh & yes, I've been there, done that too. When Lily dog was about 2, my neighbourhood was not a very user friendly area - lots of riff raff around, including kids partying in the abandoned warehouses nearby. My goofy girl decided to sniff some grass - nothing unusual in that, she'd graze like a cow for hours given half a chance. Except, someone discarded some crack in the grass. Poor girl made it back home before the seizure started. At 7:30am on a Sunday morning, when no one I knew was around to give us a lift and no vet clinic was open, except the emergency one.

Long story short, $1500 and a private nurse who stayed up with her all night, stroking her bright yellow bandaged paw while the IV flushed out her system, my girl came home her same happy crazy self.

Note, in all my stays in hospital, I've never had a nurse hold my hand all night while on an IV drip.


Here's wishing Rufus a quick recovery.

[Andit]

Oh, and the info for the vet college at Guelph is:

http://ovc.uoguelph.ca/


I know they occasionally take pups into their programs. Not sure what their protocol is.

[walkonby]

Oh, poor Rufus. And his human.

WRT the heart murmur, my neighbour's pup was diagnosed last yr with an enlarged heart (not given much hope, she's still bouncing around happily thanks to some holistic things her owner is doing), the murmur is a symptom, not a cause. There could be all sorts of things causing it, it might not even be anything to worry about (if your vet hasn't noticed it in the past with regular check ups, it might be a blip). Did they mention the grade of the murmur? The higher the number the worse it is (4 or 5 are bad). Again, might be a blip.

I don't know much about bladder stones in pups. If they're like crystals in boy kitties, then an increase in water is required for Rufus (i.e., if you feed kibble, soak it in water, make it into almost a soup).

Pancreatitis (if that's an issue too, looks like it might not be) is usually a case of the diet being too rich for the pup and the organ not being able to break things down. Treatment is usually a bland diet and more frequent feedings (i.e. if he has breakfast and dinner, he'll also need a lunch and a bedtime snack - same amount of food, just broken down into smaller portions).

Usually the vet will get you to feed Hills brand dogfood. There's nothing wrong with it, but it is very expensive. Don't buy it through the clinic, try Petsmart or Pet Valu first. You can also make your own food for him, but leave that for a later date when things are calmer.


Oh & yes, I've been there, done that too. When Lily dog was about 2, my neighbourhood was not a very user friendly area - lots of riff raff around, including kids partying in the abandoned warehouses nearby. My goofy girl decided to sniff some grass - nothing unusual in that, she'd graze like a cow for hours given half a chance. Except, someone discarded some crack in the grass. Poor girl made it back home before the seizure started. At 7:30am on a Sunday morning, when no one I knew was around to give us a lift and no vet clinic was open, except the emergency one.

Long story short, $1500 and a private nurse who stayed up with her all night, stroking her bright yellow bandaged paw while the IV flushed out her system, my girl came home her same happy crazy self.

Note, in all my stays in hospital, I've never had a nurse hold my hand all night while on an IV drip.


Here's wishing Rufus a quick recovery.

Andit, wow!! All I could hear in your post was that someone had left CRACK on a front lawn and the cat ate some?? Oh my Lord! I appreciate all that other info too. The murmur diagnosis did not initially trouble me, as both DH and I were diagnosed as kids as both having one. ( weird eh? ) but I am going to investigate with questions when I take Rufus to the regular vet as to the actual severity ( or number as you said ) of his murmur.

He is 10 1/2 yrs old now and a murmur was never detected prior to this. We've had him since he was 4 months old. Oh my.....it is all about the waiting and watching. The Hill's Science Diet Food we had both dogs on that as well as 2 cats years ago, and it just about put us in the poor house so we stopped. Time to enter that world again I guess.

Oh, and the info for the vet college at Guelph is:

http://ovc.uoguelph.ca/


I know they occasionally take pups into their programs. Not sure what their protocol is.

Great link I will read the details fully to see if it can be a consideration. Thanks so much Andit.

[Purdee]

hope your baby feel better soon.
my little princess has heart murmur but like Andit said it's a symptom not a cause. She's a completely happy dog (at least i hope so 'cause she's spoiled rotten
i heard vet in the rural areas tend to charge less - maybe worth it to check them out.
i understand what you're going through. My male dog has already cost me $1600 and my princess cost me $1200 in medical bills. No, i do not have pet insurance.

[walkonby]

hope your baby feel better soon.
my little princess has heart murmur but like Andit said it's a symptom not a cause. She's a completely happy dog (at least i hope so 'cause she's spoiled rotten
i heard vet in the rural areas tend to charge less - maybe worth it to check them out.
i understand what you're going through. My male dog has already cost me $1600 and my princess cost me $1200 in medical bills. No, i do not have pet insurance.

Purdee I am making myself more worried wondering now what IS the cause if this murmur if the murmur is just a symptom? Does it mean he will have a heart attack or something? I have to stop letting my mind wander into " what if's " , still waiting on that stupid last blood test, they should have called me by now. ugh!!

[wolfwoman]

My pup H.R.H Princess Doodles has an enlarged heart which pushes into her lungs/windpipe making it hard for her to catch breath sometimes. She will hack, hack and then hack like she is yacking up a furball. Then she is good. But she has to take medications everyday to keep this at bay. The enlarged heart is a genetic condition that can't be fixed. What we do for our babies!

[ninna]

Speedy recovery Rufus!!

I have no stories to share. My dog does the usual dog things- hump the cat to dominate her, rip apart the compost pail as revenge for leaving her at home, defy gravity to chase squirrels and lately to tear off and bark at the noma moon ray that fell over in the garden last week. (yes. *sigh* She barks at the SAME noma moon ray every day like it's a new phenomenon).

*touch wood* but we haven't had to cross that bridge yet with the vet. The worst we had was when she got stung on the nose in the fall by a lazy wasp or bee and vomited everywhere. No...not on the floor where it could be easily cleaned....but other fun places like the couch, the loveseat, the chair, my bed, her bed. the kitchen chairs. If it was a place we wanted to sit and enjoy vomit-free, she found it.

(I think she was barking at the bee like she barks at the noma moon ray and the rocks she sees at the park so I suppose she deserved the stinging. The bee probably did it to make her shut up).

Speedy recovery Rufus! He sure is a cutie!!!

[beckie.c]

Ah yes, vet bills. I seriously think they should consider pets under personal heath plans, they are family too! I'm sorry to hear Rufus isn't feeling well, I hope he gets better real soon, it sounds like you are taking good care of him!!

No disrespect to Science Diet and the vet for recommending it, but if you decide you are going to spend that kind of $$ on food long-term, I think there are better options out there. Acana, Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers Soul, Eagle Pack, Innova, Taste of the Wild come to mind at that price point. If you can find a really good mom-and-pop type pet store with a really knowledgeable owner they should be able to give you lots of information on the food that they sell and the ingredients that are in it. Then you can compare your options and see what lines up best with the type of diet your dog should be on.

Some of the brands also have a frequent buyer program where you buy so many get one free... it's still expensive but every little bit helps!

I wish Rufus a quick recovery!

[walkonby]

Man! how long does it take the lab to finish that last blood sample??! It is now after 7:00 p.m. still no phone call from the clinic. It was Saturday when they took the blood. Maybe they sent the sample to their lab through the mail??

[hollyquaiscer]

WOB, I'm so sad to read this, poor Rufus, poor you. Our animals are our babies. I'm not sure about your area, but here in Calgary, in the NE, there is what they call a LOW COST vet. In just about every large city, there's usually one or two vets that have very low cost, mostly to promote the spay and neuter issue and allow people to keep their pets vaccinated on a regular basis. It would be worth checking into. My dd had her cat there when he got glass stuck in his paws. Poor little guy with 2 bandaged feet (actually comical watching a cat trying to get this STUFF off his feet), anyways, the quote from the first vet was over $500 with some sort of x-ray to see where the glass was/or was not. The quote and the price at this vet was $225 A HUGE difference, if the vet college doesn't work, which would have been my first suggestion too. I use colleges for hair, dental, and a few other things too, when I can.

I don't have pet insurance either, but have been really fortunate. Marley eats, (and has since she was 6 weeks old) Acana food. It's a really good holistic food and I know friends that have their pets on it as well that also have never had any issues. I've learned one thing over the years with dogs and cats, and that is that it pays to feed a decent quality of food. In the long run it pays off. Yes of coarse my Marley get more than her fair share of people food, including popcorn with all the butter...in fact she's so spoiled that she won't even eat popcorn unless it is smothered in butter, she just drops it on the floor and looks at you with those eyes.

I feel for you, because, no matter what the cost, I'd be spending it for Marley. Would I go into debt, YES, is that dumb.....most might say YES, but to me NO. She's as much a part of my family as are my dd's. I guess there's a limit somewhere, like if what she had was terminal, but otherwise I've used my cc, to ensure that she's always had her shots up to date, her license, her ear tattoo (when she was little), her microchip and whatever will be needed in the future.

Hopefully Rufus can overcome his ailments, perhaps with a major diet change, and a few other things. I wish you both luck hun and my heart goes out to you. I hope Rufus continues to feel better.

[TooCouponCrazy]

Aw, sorry to hear one of your babies is not feeling well.
It is so scary- and expensive. Hopefully he will be feeling better soon.
Lots of love and luck to you and your pup.

[walkonby]

WOB, I'm so sad to read this, poor Rufus, poor you. Our animals are our babies. I'm not sure about your area, but here in Calgary, in the NE, there is what they call a LOW COST vet. In just about every large city, there's usually one or two vets that have very low cost, mostly to promote the spay and neuter issue and allow people to keep their pets vaccinated on a regular basis. It would be worth checking into. My dd had her cat there when he got glass stuck in his paws. Poor little guy with 2 bandaged feet (actually comical watching a cat trying to get this STUFF off his feet), anyways, the quote from the first vet was over $500 with some sort of x-ray to see where the glass was/or was not. The quote and the price at this vet was $225 A HUGE difference, if the vet college doesn't work, which would have been my first suggestion too. I use colleges for hair, dental, and a few other things too, when I can.

I don't have pet insurance either, but have been really fortunate. Marley eats, (and has since she was 6 weeks old) Acana food. It's a really good holistic food and I know friends that have their pets on it as well that also have never had any issues. I've learned one thing over the years with dogs and cats, and that is that it pays to feed a decent quality of food. In the long run it pays off. Yes of coarse my Marley get more than her fair share of people food, including popcorn with all the butter...in fact she's so spoiled that she won't even eat popcorn unless it is smothered in butter, she just drops it on the floor and looks at you with those eyes.

I feel for you, because, no matter what the cost, I'd be spending it for Marley. Would I go into debt, YES, is that dumb.....most might say YES, but to me NO. She's as much a part of my family as are my dd's. I guess there's a limit somewhere, like if what she had was terminal, but otherwise I've used my cc, to ensure that she's always had her shots up to date, her license, her ear tattoo (when she was little), her microchip and whatever will be needed in the future.

Hopefully Rufus can overcome his ailments, perhaps with a major diet change, and a few other things. I wish you both luck hun and my heart goes out to you. I hope Rufus continues to feel better.

When I remember the he*l and heartache you endured trying to save Maggie's life I know I should be grateful Rufus is not really that ill, this is a situation we are facing and deciding how those damn stones will be removed ( I am hoping to avoid the surgical way ).
The low cost vets I have no idea if they even exists here, I know the regular vet we have has already followed up with a phone call because they got the info from the Emerg Clinic, but how would I say to them " oh I am going down the street to get it done for less " , then they might not treat my animals well next visit, or maybe they will drop me? I have no idea how vets work.
I am starting to wonder if I can just start " making " Rufus dog food myself ( like I know SnowInSummer feeds her Yorkie chicken breast cooked herself and some veg too ) because the cost probably would be less to do that?? I am unsure.

Aw, sorry to hear one of your babies is not feeling well.
It is so scary- and expensive. Hopefully he will be feeling better soon.
Lots of love and luck to you and your pup.

Thanks very much. The dog walking has gotten to be sort of sad because I have to take them out separately now. Rufus only makes it a short way to do his business and last night I had to pick him up and carry him back home as he would not budge off the grass. On the bright side Murphy LOVES running around like a wild and crazy guy off leash in a very secluded area for his turn! That makes me happy.