Do vets know what they are doing?

[michelle hsieh]

I recently had to experience one of the most traumatic occurrances that will happen to all pets, the death of a loved one. What i'd like to get information and advice on is how its affected me negatively towards animal hospitals and veterinarians even. One day about three weeks ago, I received a call from my sister. One of my beagles, a seven year old lemon and white with hazel eyes had all of a suddenly became paralyzed. Here's a little background: My dogs are taken to the vet about twice a year, are fed only dry and healthy dog food once a day (with numerous treat dispensed in the interim), are walked twice a day and get a trip to the park (weather permitting) on the weekends. We have a 2 level house with a decent sized back yard. These two beagles lived there until a few weeks ago when my sister moved out to a suburban area with a bigger back yard and could not bare to be parted from him. Basically, the vet could find no indications within his physical health or even in the blood tests. He was not obese, rather in fact was extremely healthy dog. The vet could find no reason so he was sent to the hospital. The next day he was released even though he could not even move an eyebrow (We had to get him diapers and a wagon). The hospital vet said that we could continue feeding him solids and liquids normally, whenever he could pry his mouth open that is. I was not there to ask the questions, I was there to see him for only twenty minutes; while trying to feed him, he choked (or did his lungs collapse?) and we rushed him to the hospital again. End result--I saw his tongue turn blue, his eyes glaze, and felt his last heart beat. I am bitter over this, I have questions about the veterinarian education of pets when they permit a hapless owner to take a paralyzed animal home....without even knowing what the reasons are (although they suspected that he had come into contact with racoon saliva, which supposedly only paralyzes the vocal chords). I now currently have feelings of intense regret and remorse. Was it my fault, should i not have been feeding him? If i had, I should have known how to do the heimlich and cpr.... I knew none of these things) If a dog becomes paralyzed in mid-leap, with no prior medical illness history, perhaps the hospital should've been more cautious in letting him go. What is the use of taking my remaining dog to the vet? Now I have to contend with my own neurosis and nightmares and a ghost that frolics near me everyday.