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How much easier it would be if vets had Dr. Dolittle’s ability to talk to the animals—when we took our pups in for a check-up, they could speak for themselves. Since that’s not the case, our dogs rely on us to act as their advocates in the exam room. In Dr. Nancy Kay’s ground-breaking book, Speaking for Spot, she provides us with the tools we need to do just that, relayed clearly and with gentle humor. We’re pleased to offer our readers a sample. Here are 10 tried-and-true secrets to making every visit to your dog’s veterinarian exceptional for you and the entire office staff. They also directly benefit your dog’s health—and nothing is more important than that. In most cases, the pedestal on which a veterinarian resides is a figment of the client’s imagination. I’m delighted that the profession is viewed favorably, but vets truly don’t deserve any extra helpings of adulation. So, before you arrive at the veterinary clinic, prepare yourself to “push” the vet off her pedestal. Remember, this is a simple mind-over-matter endeavor. And if your vet clings fast to her pedestal, consider choosing a different teammate! II: Thou shalt be present. When a dog is experiencing significant symptoms or is sick, it helps to have all the decision-makers present at the time of the office visit. If this is difficult to arrange, the person present should take notes, and even consider tape-recording the conversation with the vet. This is useful, since details inevitably get lost in translation—especially when traveling from spouse to spouse! Consider bringing the kids along (unless they will create a significant distraction), as they can be wonderfully uninhibited sources of information and keen observers of their dog’s habits. Lastly, turn your cell phone off before entering the exam room. A client who answers a call while I am discussing her dog’s health isn’t truly “there” with me. I clearly recall a nasty bite to my hand with no warning glare or growl to clue me in. As I stood by the sink washing my wound and muttering under my breath, the client had the audacity to inform me that the same thing had happened to the last veterinarian they had seen! I momentarily fantasized about biting her, but showed tremendous restraint. |
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i just found a puppy and kept her but i dont have a job how do i give her her shots that she needs?
Dogs do not projectile vomit they have to use their intercostal muscles to vomit, they do not have the strength in these muscles to expel vomit with force. Humans only projectile vomit following head injury.
Im sorry to hear of your loss but not all dogs on rimadly have the same tale. Rimadly isn't a wonder drug. It's an anti inflammatory. And rimadly is the only kind out there. There are a few other brands. Did you by chance give your dog otc meds like ibprofin or asparin? These kind of meds are ment for people, NOT PETS! If a dog is givin these meds in any amount, it can cause stomach ulcers and GI bledding. Then if you were to take your pet to the vet because its getting older, or hurt itself and needs some help chances are they will prescribe rimadly or another kind of anti inflammatory. Rimadly on top of OTC anti inflamatories can kill your pet. If you don't tell your vet what your pet has been given, then it's not her fault. Most vets will also do blood test before prescribing these type of meds especially if they are an older dog or have other problems. And don't belive everything you read on the internet. It the internet duh!!! Of course your going to find both good and bad opinions for everything.
I strongly concur to heed Bruce's warning. It WAS the rimadyl. I know I would still have my good Aidan, my beloved greyhound, if I hadn't been quite naive about rimadyl.
I just didn't question vets back then, nor treatments. Now, I do.
This was a very good article, by the way.
And, Bruce, your Tiger is included in my prayers tonight for the dearly departed, and for the ease and healing of your heart.
Believe me, Tiger forgives you. You did your best, with what you knew, at that time. Do forgive yourself.
IF YOUR OLDER DOG HAS ARTHRITIS,DO NOT GET RIMADYL FROM YOUR VET! IT KILLED MY DOG!
3 years ago in 2006,i took my dog 14 year old lab mix tiger to the vet because she was having stiffness and trouble moving around.the vet told me about this supposed wonder drug called rimadyl..she was prescribed chewable 100 mg tablets..within 2 days it was like she was a brand new dog.running,jumping off the 3 ft high wood deck in the backyard,i was elated.little did i know of the horror to come.on the day of her last dose 3 weeks later,she got up in the morning and started projectile vomiting yellow stuff out of her mouth 3 feet across the room.after working in nursing homes for 15 years,i knew what that yellow was,it had a smell to it..it was bile....i rushed her to the vet,only to be told half an hour later that"im sorry there is nothing we could do"...i left her at the vet that night not believing that a dog that was fine just the day before could possibly be dying this fast..how is that possible? when i went back the next morning i saw that they had put her in a holding cage on a cold concrete floor all night..i was doubly mortified..the vet wanted to put her down right then and there..i said no way,and took her home.the vet gave me 4 painkilling injections that would kill her,"the infamous put to sleep drug"..i took her home and the rest of the day and night put drops of water in her mouth..she kept trying to get out of the house and was smacking into walls and furniture and falling down and crying like ive never heard her do before..i raced around to every vet in town with her and not one vet would do a damn thing about her because she already had a vet who refused to do anything for her..i took her back home and laid her on my bed and i knew what i had to do..i had to give her the injections that would kill my buddy tiger..it was one of the hardest things i ever had to do..by this time she was spewing blood out of her mouth..i gave her 2 of the injections in her i.v. line that was still in her paw.within 45 seconds,her eyes rolled up in her head,her respirations sank to 4 breaths per minute and her heart rate flew up to 200+ beats per minute...within 2 minutes she was gone..my buddy of 14 years who honestly never had a health problem was dead..i spent all my money at the vet..i didnt even have $200 for cremation or $2-$300 for a necropsy (dog autopsy)..i had to take her to the local pound who took her stiff rigor mortis body away in a wheelbarrow to dump her in the dumpster like a piece of trash...a horrible horrible way for my friend of all those years to die..all because i wanted to help her arthritis..of course the vet says "it couldnt have been the rimadyl",it does not do that...i even called the maker pfizer i think and their vet dr.lavin said "there is no way it was the rimadyl"..mind you,this is a dog that had absolutely no problems until that time and the required blood tests she took when she was prescribed the rimadyl showed everything was fine...i punched in rimadyl on the computer when i got home and was shocked to see many websites devoted to rimadyl poisining in dogs..almost every story was an exact replica of what tiger and i went through,terrible stories from anguished "parents" like myself..the drug company has even had many class action lawsuits from pet owners about this exact same thing and has paid out millions ..if only i looked up rimadyl online before i gave her that garbage..i even contacted a animal lawyer who told me that "because i did not do a necropsy and she was "so old",that there will never be a way to prove it,so i have no case...i just wanted all you pet owners out there to know what i went through so you'll be informed and wont have to go through the agony of what she went through..thank you for letting me tell my story..i'll always love you my little tiger girl...