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-   Dog health - Ask members * If your pet is vomiting-bleeding-diarrhea etc. Vet time! (http://www.pets.ca/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=9)
-   -   When Does Your Pet Need to go to the Vet? (http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=5379)

heidiho February 12th, 2007 04:15 PM

I am not saying getting a diagnosis over the phone,but your vet would know better than anyone whether you should bring your pet in or not,...

Jellybean February 13th, 2007 10:36 AM

My reason for posting questions is to learn whether there are other people who have possibly gone through the same situation and can shed some light on my problem. I think this applies not only to pets but also to humans. I really appreciate hearing about the experiences of others; and if I can help them, I certainly will tell them about my experiences. :)

jackyboy February 16th, 2007 09:02 PM

that's exactly why i came to see if other pets had the same problem, but all i hear is stop being so cheap and stupid, thanks alot everyone looks like this isn't a very good site afterall! i probably won't be back:frustrated:

jesse's mommy February 16th, 2007 09:09 PM

Whoa buddy, calm down. You just don't get it that there are no vets here, only pet loving people. It would be unethical for anyone to try to tell you exactly what is wrong with your dog. Would you describe the sounds your car makes to a mechanic over the phone and expect him to tell you exactly what it is and how much it is going to be without him looking at it? Would you expect a doctor to tell you what's wrong with your own health over the internet without him seeing you? Would you like him to walk you through taking out your own appendix while he is on the golf course? Well, the same goes for your pet. We can't tell you exactly what is wrong with him, only a licensed professional can. :shrug:

jackyboy February 16th, 2007 09:14 PM

that's not what i'm saying. i just was put off by some of the responses i was reading about other peoples problems, some of them were down right rude, why would anyone want to post here?

Byrd February 16th, 2007 09:23 PM

[I]why would anyone want to post here? [/I]

Because we're fun, happy people, :D but we also get concerned for animal's welfare as they cannot look after themselves when it comes to illness or tell us exactly what's wrong.

Prin February 17th, 2007 12:38 AM

[QUOTE=jackyboy;375043]that's exactly why i came to see if other pets had the same problem, but all i hear is stop being so cheap and stupid, thanks alot everyone looks like this isn't a very good site afterall! i probably won't be back:frustrated:[/QUOTE]

Hmm... When you posted that, I had been one of the only ones to reply in your thread, and I never said anything about being "cheap and stupid", so I don't know where you're getting that. Serious problems can't be figured out on the net, whether you have money or not.

mummummum February 17th, 2007 02:34 AM

[QUOTE=jackyboy;375043]that's exactly why i came to see if other pets had the same problem, but all i hear is stop being so cheap and stupid, thanks alot everyone looks like this isn't a very good site afterall! i probably won't be back:frustrated:[/QUOTE]

Wow... I read through your thread about your dog's possible UT problem and can only say that this comment is completely uncalled for. No one came even close to saying anything like "cheap and stupid". You got solid, helpful advice and information> No one was rude or mean-spirited in their response to you. Getting advice you don't want to hear may be difficult but, it doesn't give you licence to accuse others of wrongdoing or ill will.

Jellybean February 17th, 2007 09:18 AM

Hi Jackieboy, I, too, read your posts, and I think the others gave you good advice. Apparently, none of them have had the same experience as you are having - just as the problem I am having with my dog's sneezing at certain times of the day, yours is an unusual problem. When the poster said you could save money by collecting the urine in a baggie, I'm almost positive he/she didn't mean to tell you that you were trying to avoid going to the vet.
You had already said you panned to see the vet. I think the whole thing is just a misunderstanding. Good luck! :)

Byrd February 17th, 2007 10:29 AM

[QUOTE=Jellybean;375318] When the poster said you could save money by collecting the urine in a baggie, I'm almost positive he/she didn't mean to tell you that you were trying to avoid going to the vet.
You had already said you panned to see the vet. I think the whole thing is just a misunderstanding. Good luck! :)[/QUOTE]

He had already posted the above statement before we said that.

As a single mom of a furkid I know how expensive it gets (there is definitely more month than money in this household), first thing that comes to mind for me is how to save as much money as possible. I know for a lot of other people that is the same problem. It's not advertised, but you can collect samples and take just them into the vet, as was mentioned in the other post, if they have a recent weight on the pet it should be fine. That being said, if it was a dire life, death, or damage thing I would not hesitate to take my dog to the vet, after all that's what Visa is for, right.

Jellybean February 17th, 2007 04:37 PM

:) [QUOTE=Sweetgrass;371806]I do believe some of the posts we see, (where we feel it is obvious a vet visit is in order), can be a pet owner trying to prepare themselves for what it could be, big or small, and hear from others who have gone through it so they are not alone and scared with the unknown.

Ofcourse there are those posts that are obtuse, but not all pet owners who post vet needed issues, are trying not to pay.

Kimmee[/QUOTE]

Well, whatever, I totally agree with Sweetgrass's post. :)

jackyboy February 19th, 2007 12:17 AM

i just want to say i did get some good advice on my thread and no one was rude, the comment i made was about other's that i read and before anyone had replied to mine. thank all who gave me advice:o

Grinner February 25th, 2007 12:26 PM

Baxters Health
 
THAT POSTING WAS JUST GREAT !!!!, as a new pet owner and have been very concerned about Baxters well being.

As a new member of this site i would like to say hello, Baxter has been vomitting for a few days now. once a day. It happen a bout a month ago and i changed his food, This is the Third time now. i made a change.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I will take ur advise.

GRINNER::)

ps If i make a few mistakes at first please let me know thanks

brandi.lea March 21st, 2007 09:23 PM

reply
 
What you say about people who cant afford a $1000 vet visit that they shouldnt own a dog is truly mean. What about people who cant afford health care but have a kid, are you saying they shouldnt have kids? I dont know about anywhere else but a vet visit here in calgary is not $ 25 for a check up its $80 and to do tests of any kind is about a minimum of $300 anything more technical is over $1000. So when you say when should you take your animal to the vet, for some people is when its absolutely necessary kind of like people without health care insurance, if you dont have coverage you dont go in for something like a cold right? The same goes with a animal we take it when it needs to not just because, unless you have lots of money, but most people dont even see the doctor once a year unless their sick so why should you take your animal once a year.

Prin March 21st, 2007 10:10 PM

You're in Calgary and you're comparing it to no medical insurance? What happened to Canada's medicare? :confused:

Anyway, if you can't afford a pet, how do you expect to care for it? Pets need more than love to stay alive. :shrug:

rainbow March 21st, 2007 10:18 PM

I agree. Everyone in Canada has health care coverage......even the unemployed living on the street. I would start a separate bank account for your pets. As Prin said....they need more than love to survive.

brandi.lea March 21st, 2007 10:37 PM

everyone here does have medical coverage but not everyone on this forum is canadian so people who arent have to pay everytime. its just a comparison. I didnt realize that a $1000 vet bill is nothing to other people. I am by no means poor, but when I have gotten bills like that from the vet I find them hard to handle. I dont believe that pets are only for the rich. That is all I am saying. Everyone has different standards and just becuase some people have money doesnt mean that the animal gets taken to the vet either, so sometimes love is better. I just think that people need to hear what they are saying, more then 50% of the people couldnt afford a $1000 vet bill just thrown at them, there are times when it is unexpected. I do agree that a savings account is good to help in those times, but lets not say that middle class people cant own a pet.

Prin March 21st, 2007 10:44 PM

I can't afford a $1000 vet bill, but I do.. It's a priority for me, so I will always have the money somehow to pay for whatever they need. And I'm by FAR not middle class.

If you make it a priority, it's not that big of a burden, IMO... Everybody I know who can't afford a treatment spends the money elsewhere. It's not that they don't have the money, they just choose to spend it on other things. If you don't have money to spend on an animal, don't get one. If you're going to watch it suffer because you don't think it's worth the money, don't get one.

It's not about rich or poor, it's about priorities.

Prin March 21st, 2007 10:45 PM

Oh, and if you talk to vets, they'll generally tell you that Americans who pay for health care are more likely to pay big vet bills than Canadians who are not used to paying for health. :shrug: But we're coming around. ;)

murnmum May 20th, 2007 04:00 PM

[QUOTE=sammiec;37610]But Spoiled, it doesn't cost anything to pick up the phone and ask! :D That's what I have a hard with. I just don't understand that. :p[/QUOTE]
I just called my vet and they wouldn't answer any questions without first getting $98.65 :mad:

shannonxj August 29th, 2007 12:26 AM

i go to the vet when my pet looks different and also i go to vets when there is a problem. :thumbs up

cknipp September 10th, 2007 09:09 PM

hi, i'm new here and have read alot of your comments. i'm from ohio and we have to pay alot for our insurance. insurance poor, i call it. i do what i can for the animals i rescue. should i leave a puppy in the middle of the night running down the middle of the road alone because i can't afford to pay a vet bill. no! i chase it down, even with it fighting me, and take it home and love it until whatever monster mistreated it, fades from her mind. it never goes away, but it eases. i try to find a way to spay her, even though i don't make alot of money, and get her her shots. she won't co-operate though. i have to find some way to knock her out so i can take her. should i have left the 6mn. cat stay on my electric pole so the dogs could chase him and possibly kill him? no, i neuter him and keep him in the house. how about the puppy someone said they would throw out of the car if they couldn't get rid of it? nope! i am a softie and hate to see animals suffer, but i also can't afford alot of vet bills. you said i shouldn't be a pet owner. sorry, but for some i am their last chance. so to those who are rude, i will keep taking care of them the best i can and for those who understand, thanks for the thoughts and this site to help.

rjesak September 18th, 2007 09:52 AM

This is an old post so I don't know if anyone's reading it anymore, but I understand having the question. The other day my cat had a bloody nose. I don't want to take him to the vet for a bloody nose - at least not until I know a little more about it. This is a good site to get some immediate information on what a bloody nose might mean (it turned out to be a boo-boo inflicted by his little sister).

If I had called my vet, I am 100% sure that they would have said they would want to see him to make a diagnosis. They're professionals and they have to cover themselves. Just think if the vet says "Oh, a bloody nose is no big deal. See if it goes away and call me tomorrow." and then something dreadful happened.

angrich October 18th, 2007 11:28 PM

i too am new here. i posted a question a few days ago about my cat.and yes you people are rude. not all of you are. i love animals but dont have enough money for vet bills. another thing getting animals fixed, if we all would get our animal fixed they would become extinct sooner or later. i think of my animals as my family(kids). would i want to get my kids fixed? noooo..
so people who think that go get yourself fixed...:frustrated:

clegge October 21st, 2007 08:29 AM

wanting to ask you a question my first time here
 
[QUOTE=MBRA518;32132]OK - people often get chewed out here for posting a problem (some warranted albeit - but some people just don't know what is serious and what is not).... so - when do you need to take a pet to the vet and when can you wait and see?

I'm a pretty experienced pet owner - so I'm probably more familiar with what's serious and what is not than many owners and I know there are many very experienced pet owners and rescue helpers on this board that will have some great advise also... so when does your pet need to go to the vet?

This is mostly from one of those dog shows on TLC but it is basically what I go by:

Throwing up is not abnormal for a dog - so you don't need to run to the vet every time your dog vomits UNLESS: it happens more than 3 times in 2 hours - or more than 6 times in 12 hours or there is blood in the vomit - if that is the case - go to the vet.

If there is blood in the poo or urine - or your pet has difficulty pooping or urinating - go to the vet

A cut or scrap on your pet should follow the same lines as for yourself - if the cut were on you - if you would clean and bandage it yourself - you can likely do that for your pet - however anything large enough to require stitches or if you can't QUICKLY stop the bleeding - go to the vet.

If your pet is hit by a car, or otherwise suffers a big trauma - go to the vet ASAP - even if it appears nothing is wrong, internal injuries sometimes can't be detected - especially if the animal is in shock

For physical soreness/lameness... if is bad enough that the animal will not/can not walk - go to the vet. For a mild limp - check the limb/area thoroughly for thorns, cuts overly tender spots, if any are found deal with them if you can - if you can't - off to the vet... if you can't determine what is wrong and it is MILD - give it a day, if no improvement go to the vet.

If your pet has an eye problem - eyes closed/can't open - puss, excess running of the eye or a foreign object in the eye that you can't easily remove (like a hair you can get out wouldn't be a big deal) Go to the vet - eyes are not to be messed with.

If your pet in suddenly sick or physically hurt with no explanation - go to the vet

If you are unsure what is mild enough of a problem to deal with yourself - discuss it with your vet - not the message board - most vets will speak to you on the phone or call you back if something is going on that you are not sure how to deal with.

You should also have an after hours number for your vet - be that an emergency on call service from you regular vet, or one in your area, if those are not available in your area - find out where the nearest emergency 24 hour clinic is and have that number near your phone as well.

I've heard it said that you should take your pet to the vet if it was something you would go to the doctor for... this is not always good reasoning - pets are not humans, something what is not that big of a deal for you can be deadly for your pet, and they can't tell you how much or were it hurts - people can. I know that I have taken my pets to the vet for things I wouldn't not have gone to the Dr for - but then I never go to the Dr other than reg visits unless I'm in real pain - that's my choice - I don't think it's fair to force that on my pets.

My female and i are going to the vet on mondat due to she is pregnant i think but she has a little dirarea and some discharge from other area watery/pinkish color she is eating a little as long as i feed it to her and she is really mopping around she is older so im wanting to know if there is something i can do for her untill i get her to the vets to make her feel better i have to clean her bacause it is hard for her to reach her behind any suggestions please

Earlj December 26th, 2007 05:44 AM

I think it's a little absurd to tell somebody who is trying to help their pet that they shouldn't have it. I suppose the pet would be better in a cage at the humane society, or living in a barn somewhere? If somebody asks for advice, the worst advice you can give them is "ask for somebody else's advice," in my opinion.

Charlene Ousey January 3rd, 2008 09:23 PM

People who don't phone a vet
 
I live in a remote remote community. I have to travel 100kms for a vet and the phone call is long distant. The internet is free. My dog has been limping for the past couple of days. By the first post I read, it appears I should take her to the vet. However, not everyone has the luxury of even knowing a vet let alone access to one. Thus, posting online asking other pet lover's who have experience and access.

Marilouwl January 29th, 2008 11:23 AM

I can't talk for everyone else, but concerning me, even if a call ten vets, they will usually all tell me that they have to see the animal in question. Half of the time I went for nothing, wich is upsetting because of my money problems (as someone else said, though, I think my cats are better with me than in a shelter even if I couldn't afford a 1000$ visit for now). I wouldn't spend money on other things and when I'll be able to save some money, I will first do it for them.

So, in my case, when something is far from being an emergency but still bothers me a little, I'll make some research on the net, ask a few questions in forums and call a vet. With all these different sources of advice, I can sometimes take care myself of my pets!

My other point is that some little problems appears at night or during week-ends. I don't know, but I'm afraid of calling an emergency vet because my cat coughed three times in a day! By getting information on "is it the first signs of something that could endanger the health of my cat in the future?" here I feel that I'm actually doing something to help my cat until I call the vet.

My last point, people are anxious when their pets are sicks and they might be seeking for support. Even though I call the vet and see her with my sick babies, I'm more than happy when people here are also trying to help me. I found interresting tips on how to introduce a new cat in my home, on pregnancy and delivering, on kittens, on how to help a cat heal a cold only by starting one thread where I was worried about my Maya sneezing.

Finally, even if there are goods reasons to ask a health question here, a pet owner should always go to the vet during the next 24 hours four a little problem that didn't go away. I've learned how important it is to save money for our animals too. I lost Maya in less than three days: she stopped eating, I waited 48 hours instead of 24 before going to the vet because I was hoping she would start eating again. When I went there she needed to be hospitalized (1000$) and I couldn't afford it. I took her back home and she died less than a day after even with all my efforts to keep her alive, even with all the medical advice the vet had given me, even with all the support and tips I got on this forum.

Why? Because I couldn't afford to keep her alive, because I waited to long before going to the vet. Please, never make the same mistake as me. Go to the vet as soon as you find something unusual about your cat/dog/pet. This could save their life.

woleary456 May 6th, 2008 03:27 PM

I work for an emergency hospital. On a daily basis I have people call and ask for advise and or ask how to treat at home.
Now here is the problem. I have had people call and describe a dying animal and when they arrive the pet is fine. On the flip side I have had people call and describe a healthy animal and then later call to tell me the pet passed away at home.
Now If I tell them the pet is fine, can wait till morning or how to treat at home and then the pet [B]dies.[/B] We'll I have to live with that. I have been doing this for over 20 years and my first and primary concern is the pet. So my answer is always the same. See a veterinarian.


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