O.T. Veterinarians what a joke.

Well Undoubtedly I'll be chastised here .for my opinion, but Like Rhett Butler said, "Frankly my dear I don't give a damn".

Just finished a letter to the Veterinarian, who supposedly was treating our pal Chino.Chino was lost to us,due to the ineptness of the vet who couldn't diagnose Cancer and Blastomycosis. The local veterinarian service we dealt with had x-ray and laboratory service overnight. When we took our friend to Blue Pearle in Blaine,Mn the first thing they did after paperwork was to x-ray Chino. X-rays showed great deal of cancer masses plus Blastomycosis in the lungs. Both could have been treated with chemo and antibiotics and probably the cancer could have gone into remission if caught in time. Well it damn sure wasn't. After depleting the funds ( Thousands of dollars) the local vet clinic had the gall to send us an additional bill of $244.00, which we will pay off in time. This is the second friend we lost to another local veterinarian who treated a loving little Dutch Shepherd with heart worm injection (heart worm was prior to our getting him) with a massive double dose of injected serum, when there should have been at least 2 weeks between the shots.That friend dying on the floor bleeding to death. A different vet tried to save him.We got him buried on the hill, as well as Chino and others. My son does alot of reading on medications and scheduled vaccination programs, that does great harm to doggies and cats. Over medicating depletes their immune system opening Pandora's box for a host of killing parasites of one kind or another. Once their immune system is gone, it can never be brought back. Been talking to a well known breeder of 43 years experience, and a piece of advice he gave to us was, "to seek out a hospital dedicated to the health of animals by breed only" Most local veterinarians treats all animals such as dogs, cats,bird, fish, ferrets,cows,pigs,horses, sheep,goats etc. Never specializing in one breed. They think one shot fits/cures all,never happens. Anyway, it will be a while before we will find another loving friend.

We also been looking on Pet finder.com at adoptable pets. What we found was a fee before adoption (which we find acceptable) to take care of vet bill,feeding, etc. What they demand after is a training program( mandatory) a fenced yard of 6ft high,and a host of other demands before they will allow you to adopt a stray pup.Plus the name of a veterinarian for a reference,what a joke for us, give them the names of vets who couldn't figure out what to treat, for a reference? Kind of like putting a cannibal in charge of a child delivery room.All they are looking for is a fast buck.This is from the local Humane Society. The reason I'm posting this is to help save you the heartache of losing your friend.Of all the pictures of your pets and kind comments, I beg you to look and research the medications/vaccinations your friends are subjected to. We found that rabies shots should be (first one) at 6 months. Follow up rabies booster at 1 yr- then follow the state law could be from 1 to 3 years then that is the end of that. Lepto shot is almost worthless- lasts only 2 to 6 months,and also depletes the immune system, it doesn't even cover all the lepto out there. The Frontline(what we was using), Advantix tick solution, does not stop ticks from giving diseases non related to Lyme's,it again weakens the immune system, plus it's a pesticide your pouring on your friend,think DDT.Certain core vaccines are fine, but the Lyme's shot is a no-no, it gives the pet arthritis,liver/kidney damage,and what else as this hasn't been tested for complications for later years. We're still doing alot of research, and if the good Lord is willing,we will have another Long haired Friend,to share our family with.
We will from now on, deal with U of Minnesota veterinary Clinic, plus we will have pet insurance, to help defray the cost.The U of Minn. specializes in veterinarian qualifications for each and every pet,not one serves all. Again PLEASE research and be particular to the qualifications of your vet,the love and kindness you receive from your pals require this. We have gained a great deal of knowledge from our new found friend who has raised them for 43 years.He also states " watch out for dry crunchies,canned dog food,milkbone biscuits, most of them are made from beaks,cow lips, intestines of animals,Euthanized animals, old rancid resturant grease,and slaughtering plants scraps that is maggot infested,and a host of other nice things to serve your nasty Mother in law,but not your pet.Corn,and filler grain and other fillers such as beet pulp etc are bad for the pet,Rice is good, and so is sweet potatoes fresh veggies from the garden ie beans peas,carrots,potatoes, use a little garlic,NO ONIONS,Beef,venison,is good for them,Big leg bones grilled or boiled to kill the bad bacteria(like ecoli), the burn on charcoal acts like a scrub brush for their teeth and insides.If you will eat it they can too,minus some things like chocolate,grape seeds etc.Garlic is good for them to a certain point to deter fleas,ticks, mosquitos,mites, plus it good for the immune system." We are learning more every day.If you spray your lawn and plants,like we do, for mosquitos and ticks,and garden bugs,roundup or other weed killer, PLEASE allow 24-48 hours to let your pet into that area,We did follow all the time frame for such insecticides, plus a few extra hours to make sure.
I hope you will please do the research for your and their benefit.

With warmest Regards, and I apologize for the long post.
Sincerely,
LOU,Victor& family.

My sister works at a vet office. The vet passed away last week. Which was very sad for the animals he treated. He treated each one. Like it was his own. Went over one day to take my sister out to lunch. Heard someone in the office crying. Sister told me it was the vet. He had to put a dog down that morning. Really tore him up. So they are not all bad. Some do care.

Lou I feel for your pain in losing a good friend/companion in Chino. I will have to defend the Vets in general. Yes there are ones that are better than others but in general they all are trying their best to treat your animal. They are treating a patient that can't tell them what hurts or where it hurts. That to me takes as much or more skill than a human MD. Plus we expect them to do this for a cost that is a fraction of what it would cost for a human.

I have owned animals all of my life. The hardest part is the fact they we will usually lose them. We impart our love on them and they care for us back. My dogs are always glad to see me. So losing them is hard but if we did not have any animals around think how much less we would have in life.

I can understand what your saying completely. When I moved to where I live now, 18 years ago, we had a good, old fashioned VET right down the road. He was the kind that cared about the animals more than the money. I mean how many Vets do you know that would tell you it's not worth spending, '$25 dollars for a shot for a 25 cent cat', or one that would go through the extra time and expense to both put in and take out a pin in a broken hind leg, for free...
(I had paid basically just for him to set it which was all I could afford at the time)? He was a good guy and the clinic is still very reputible, but based on experiences after the origional owner died tells me they are all about the money. I realized this when I took in one of my dogs who had a hige growth on her neck. They looked at it, told me it was a tumor (well DUH !!!!) and they could do nothing about it. Then they handed me a bill for $75....

Beyond that, my current and past dogs all live/live on a good medium grade, dry food along with table scraps to keep them healthy. As far as medicines they get the flea/tick/mosquito drops down the back when required. Beyond that, I honestly don't worry about then getting, or needing anything else. That said I have had at least one dog at all times, and at one time as many as 7 in the last 20 years. In that time I have had only one die from medical complications and that was the one with the tumor. All of the others died from old age, or some sort of accident.

I have the opposite problem my dogs have lived far to long my vet does a great job. Ask someone on here for a referral in your area.

There are three or four doctors at the clinic where we take our pets,but we let only one treat ours. He is very knowledgeable and caring, not only for the animal, but for the owners as well. Until we got Bubba and Sissy, (two pups whose mother rejected, and my daughter looked after them day and night, and pulled them through), I did not know about some of the things that they should not be allowed to eat, such as you mentioned chocolate and onions. My daughter has a leaflet with a list of such for referral. And the vet said that yes, they can eat most of the same foods that humans eat as long as it is not the fatty scraps and such. My daughter told him that if she wouldn't eat it she surely would not feed it to her dogs! We lost Sissy at a year and a half to kidney failure. Now Bubba, at almost six is showing signs of the same, but not to the danger point yet, although we realize that it is probably inevitable. So in the time we have, we will just love him and enjoy his company.

Billy, I know not all vets are bad,but my area seems to have an abundance of ignorant money grubbing pill pushing people. My OP was to try and inform those here to watch out for these type of vets, get a second or third opinion, and the tests that "show" what is wrong. Even if that means a different city to drive to. Certain vets push this nnalert or food on to animal owners to further their $$ intake, without the thought of well being in minds to pets and owners. Even though we posted what to read about, vaccines,flea and tick treatment,it will go unheeded. One should read upon Frontline and other flea and tick ointments to fully understand the danger they are putting their pet thru. Even some Vets are coming around to this danger that these products create for the pet. Dr Dodd DVM is listed on search with other Vets saying the same things we were told.Below is her link to some of her and other vets discussions about it.
I'm sure there are other vets who care,but how much do they care, and will that alone fix the pets suffering without correct diagnosis. The reputation hinges upon how much they have to send out to different animal hospitals. If they don't know whats wrong rather than being criticized for using outside clinical opinions and diagnosis, they will remain silent so they don't show their limited knowledge.

We had 2 good vets, but both left, leaving us with new,but not better vets,unbeknownst to us. I'll say again, don't wait till your pal is beyond medical help to find out if there is a treatment that will spare his life,and the diagnosis is correct. We understand that U of Minn is one of the finest,so that is where we will go, even for regular checkups. 200 + miles away means nothing to us for our furry pals health and well being.Plus all the right diagnostics and lab work done there without days or weeks waiting it will almost be instantaneous. When they say time is of the essence,thats exactly what it means to us.Hope you enjoy the reading to the link,POKE HERE below.
Regards,
LOU & Victor
Poke here

ShadetreeRet:

Put some Vinegar in your dogs water. DO NOT use "White" Vinegar, that's CHEMICAL Vinegar (diluted Glacial Acetic Acid). Use "natural" Cider Vinegar, and only just a couple of cap-fulls to a bowl of water. You'll be amazed at the results, I know I was.

Years ago when I worked in the Mines, all of our water for both the Mining Camp & the Mine was trucked in. Well, after awhile from drinking that water, I developed Kidney stones, and gravel in my Bladder. Since I love Kosher style Dill Pickles, I'd eat the pickles and DRINK the pickle brine which consists mostly of Vinegar and Salt. Within 6 weeks both my Kidney stones and the Bladder gravel were GONE, and my Kidney's were functioning normally, and I was feeling much better and invigorated. Amazing, but it works!

Doc

Lou:

If you want the easiest and SAFEST treatment for fleas & ticks for your animals, just put a couple of drops of Oil of Camphor on their fur. The fleas & ticks can't stand the smell and will leave your animal alone; also the animal doesn't like the smell so it won't be prone to licking it off.

Doc

LOU I understand. We have a local vet that I wouldn't take a dead snake to. I have one large mutt sleeps and eats all the time. One small yappy mutt.Likes to chew on everything. Plus two cats that ignore me except when it is time to eat.I would do anything it takes. To keep them healthy.

If you think VETS are bad try going to a Human MD for any problems !!!! Very few any more speak english so you can understand it. They come to this country for a short while and then move on.
I could tell you horror stories !!!!!!
I think I'd even rather go to the VET.
We have one old time VET left in my area. He will give shots reasonable price and won't try and waste your money treating an old animal.

Kinda hits home here. Our vet was fired ? We don't know why? New vet missed diagnosed a lump on my dog's head. I asked to have it lanced, she insisted it was a pea sized tumor. A week later it was the size of a golf ball, they then operated on it, found out that it was what I thought, a infected bug bite. Now it was a $800 operation. I went to another vet, she seems a lot better.

My Vet is a top notch vet & a friend.I Tell my wife if I get sick or hurt ,my first choice is to go to him!Although I'll have to say,i've watched him preg too many cows to have him do a prostate exam on me!!

I guess I just don't get it. "Pet insurance"? I like my dogs, I'm really grateful to my Pyrenees for the jobs they do protecting my sheep and goats, but they are livestock, not pets. I just looked at pet insurance prices and they seem to run $4-600.00 a year. I can buy a new dog of good breeding for that or a little more than that. Craigslist is full of pets you can get for nothing. As for spending it on a mutt or cat....sorry, it just makes no sense to me.

I mean no offense and understand some people just get a lot more attached to their pets than others. But I can't picture myself ever putting more than $500-750.00 into any dog, much less a cat. But then, I drive a $1K truck and but $10.00 jeans, so maybe it's just me.

Best of luck next time round Lou. I hope you find a better vet and a healthy dog this time.

Bret, I totally agree. Livestock = deadstock....it's a dog or cat or whatever, put here on this earth for a short while, and yes I have been thru this too, and get over it already! No sense spending money on a loosing proposition...and I believe all the pills in the world will more likely kill us, or them, sooner than later...it's a money making waste as far as I can see.
I have had 4 or 5 GSD's so far....watched one of them die on the hallway floor of a seizure at less than 2 yrs old. Had to have one of the best put to sleep because of a spinal column disease at 7 years old. Another was found dead a mile from here in a field of unknown causes, a young dog.
And one that lived a healthy 14 years with out the annual BS from a vets office. Finally had my vet come over one morning when it was obvious his time was up and put him to sleep very peacefully under the shade of my fuel tank, and I cried my eyes out over him when I buried him that day.

Once mine are a year old they never see a vet other than when he comes here to vaccinate my cattle. And that's another long story!!

This topic hits home with me at the moment. My little dachshund (first born son) is 13 and recently developed a constant cough. We took him to a new vet (we moved) and they gave him antibiotics for light infection. Never x-rayed or anything, but gladly gave us a bill for $75. It went on for about a week and never got better, but it did get worse. So, we took him to our old vet (1 hour away). The old vet sold out recently, but one of the vets working there was still there and had treated the dog many times. She x-rayed him and diagnosed with severe fluid buildup around the heart. She couldn't hear well enough to check for a heart murmur.

Anyways to make a long story short, after we were finished the wife went to the front counter for the bill. The secretary demanded over a $300 bill be paid right then and just kept going on about purchasing heartworm pills. Heck, heartworms are the least of my worries right now (vet said so also). This is an office I used for several years and have charged thousands of dollars to and always paid it off in a timely manner. Who has $500-$1000 just laying around to spend on a quick pet illness?? I went ballistic on them. Then they wanted me to leave blank checks for them to fill out every week for progress payments. I don't think so!!!! They have a really good vet there that treated my dachshund and brought him back from near death in the past (anemia), but the new ownership (head vet) is all about the money. I wrote them a nasty email stating how I was not amused at being treated like someone who wasn't responsible enough to pay my debt and how I had been a good paying long time customer. Needless to say, I am on the lookout for a new good vet for my animals. This vet is going to lose my pet and cattle business!

Inexpensive treatment for heartworms: Ivermectin Injectable solution. It can be obtained at just about any farm supply store. Cost is around $40.00 for 50 ml bottle. Dose for dogs: 1/10th ml/cc per each 10 lbs. body weight. Put it onto their (pet) food. Do not attempt to perform an injection (that is for cows and pigs only). I've used this for the last 20 years with excellent results (no heart worms).

P.S. When first obtaining a new pet, be sure to have an exam done be a vet to be sure it does not already have heart worms. It the pet checks out clean (for heart worms) or if it is already on heart worm medication, you're good to go.

We just put $325.00 into what was in essence no more than a hot spot. We were billed for 2 meds the dog either would not swallow or that we were unable to use, a spray, because it hurt the dog to the point he would bite and this was on the house dog Pyrenees. Attempts to return the partially used meds were met with negative results.

I don't have a real high opinion of vets either.

Lou, I know how you feel, it makes you get bitter. But one thing I want to let you know is that there are thousands of animals in shelters on petfinder. You don"t have to go thru just the rescues. Also don"t forget most places even ship these dogs on safe transportation systems set up for this kind of thing. I just don"t want you to get turned off to this type of dog saving site. A lot of shelters down south get beautiful dogs and pups and they still gas them in very short amounts of time. I think a lot of the demands these rescues have are just in the interest of the animals because they know from experience that there are a lot of bad people out there. So please don"t take it personal. You"re a great animal person.

You are right on.

I told the wife that we will have a maximum on any pet. $700 or so to save it's life, but that is it. No heroics to save an animal, nor am I going to spend more than a house payment to do it.

Bret, where do you find pets on Craigslist? Ever since they banned them with the exception of livestock I can't find any.

Is there some secret search I'm missing?

Thanx, Ron

Like I said I've had at least one dog, of more, of my own for at least the last 18 years. I have yet to have one develop heart worms, or have any other medical problems, except for the one that that developed the tumor which took her life, in all of those years.

In the community section on the first page under pets.

What Frank said Ron. My wife is one there 5-6 times a day window shopping. We've gotten a lot of "used" dogs off CL.

I figure critters only have so long a lifespan. And there's always more at the pound. It's never taken me more than 2 visits to find one that really likes me.
"Table scraps are OK as long as it's not fatty". Before World War 2 there wasn't such a thing as dog food, they ate the tablescraps.
Heat the bones to kill bacteria? Really? I guess some of the things my dogs have drug in over the years should have made them a veritable petri dish.
Of course, my dogs have always been primarily out-side, country dogs.
I'll spend a little on vaccines and such, but really, once it's their time, it's their time. Chemo for a dog? Sorry, no.
Lepto vac for a dog?
Lou do you live near a major population center? Sounds like a big city vet to me.