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When to take pets to the vet.
Posted by helen
When to take pets to the vet. January 27, 2021 06:06AM |
Admin Registered: 18 years ago Posts: 7,920 |
Our 13 month old little dog Star become very unwell yesterday. She started the day a bit off, didn't want to go for a walk and wasn't very interested in her breakfast.
At dinner time she ate some of her food and then started vomiting. After a few hours and quite a few vomits with accompanying lethargy and no interest in water, we took her to the after hours vet. After a few hours there and Parvo virus (she has been vaccinated) ruled out, she came home with fluids and anti nausea on board.
By 10.30 this morning she still had no interest in water and I was worried that she would become dehydrated, phoned our local vet who said to bring her in.
I am sure I don't need to tell you that her 2 vet visits and time at the vets today has cost an eye watering amount and now I question whether I over reacted.
What would you do? How quickly would you seek medical help for pets?
I realise that after hour vet service is only in cities so I guess that makes the options different.
She is definitely part of our family and we would be heartbroken to lose her. It seems she is improving as the day goes on which is why I am questioning whether I was too dramatic....
Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 01/27/2021 07:03AM by helen.
At dinner time she ate some of her food and then started vomiting. After a few hours and quite a few vomits with accompanying lethargy and no interest in water, we took her to the after hours vet. After a few hours there and Parvo virus (she has been vaccinated) ruled out, she came home with fluids and anti nausea on board.
By 10.30 this morning she still had no interest in water and I was worried that she would become dehydrated, phoned our local vet who said to bring her in.
I am sure I don't need to tell you that her 2 vet visits and time at the vets today has cost an eye watering amount and now I question whether I over reacted.
What would you do? How quickly would you seek medical help for pets?
I realise that after hour vet service is only in cities so I guess that makes the options different.
She is definitely part of our family and we would be heartbroken to lose her. It seems she is improving as the day goes on which is why I am questioning whether I was too dramatic....
Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 01/27/2021 07:03AM by helen.
Re: When to take pets to the vet. January 27, 2021 07:23AM |
Registered: 18 years ago Posts: 5,388 |
Re: When to take pets to the vet. January 27, 2021 07:38AM |
Registered: 18 years ago Posts: 195 |
I think you did the right thing Helen. At this time of the year the heat can cause doggies to become lethargic, and I have just read on our local village facebook page that a member's dog had the same symptoms as your doggie, and the vet told her dogs are allergic to a lot of diffuser oils, member removed diffuser, dog recovered.
Re: When to take pets to the vet. January 27, 2021 08:52AM |
Registered: 13 years ago Posts: 2,228 |
You didn't over react, those symptoms are concerning.
The weekend before last we had to have our beloved 14.5 year old girl put to sleep on a Saturday afternoon, I'm still awaiting the bill, we had her cremated, and it followed an urgent Saturday morning appointment, I expect it to be a bit expensive, but you pay because they are family hey?
Definitely consider things like essential oils, new pest sprays, flowering plants. Most commonly our dogs had those kind of symptoms if they'd got into the compost bin, and that was just a wait it out thing, but I'd still always get them checked out.
The weekend before last we had to have our beloved 14.5 year old girl put to sleep on a Saturday afternoon, I'm still awaiting the bill, we had her cremated, and it followed an urgent Saturday morning appointment, I expect it to be a bit expensive, but you pay because they are family hey?
Definitely consider things like essential oils, new pest sprays, flowering plants. Most commonly our dogs had those kind of symptoms if they'd got into the compost bin, and that was just a wait it out thing, but I'd still always get them checked out.
Re: When to take pets to the vet. January 27, 2021 09:26AM |
Registered: 18 years ago Posts: 2,411 |
Re: When to take pets to the vet. January 27, 2021 08:51PM |
Admin Registered: 18 years ago Posts: 7,844 |
Re: When to take pets to the vet. January 27, 2021 09:31PM |
Registered: 18 years ago Posts: 5,388 |
Re: When to take pets to the vet. January 28, 2021 12:13AM |
Admin Registered: 18 years ago Posts: 7,920 |
Thanks for your responses, it has made me feel better regarding our near $800 spend - ouch!
The costs were in part due to the emergency vet disagreeing with out medical pet book and didn't think her Parvo virus was current so insisted she be tested. Our regular vet was very surprised at this. The rest of the fees were blood tests, fluids etc...
I perhaps could have kept and eye on her for longer but knowing how quickly they can deteriorate I erred on the side of expensive caution.
Hopefully it averages out over the years with lots of good health ahead. eek.
The costs were in part due to the emergency vet disagreeing with out medical pet book and didn't think her Parvo virus was current so insisted she be tested. Our regular vet was very surprised at this. The rest of the fees were blood tests, fluids etc...
I perhaps could have kept and eye on her for longer but knowing how quickly they can deteriorate I erred on the side of expensive caution.
Hopefully it averages out over the years with lots of good health ahead. eek.
Re: When to take pets to the vet. January 28, 2021 03:06PM |
Registered: 13 years ago Posts: 2,228 |
Re: When to take pets to the vet. February 02, 2021 01:39AM |
Admin Registered: 18 years ago Posts: 7,920 |
Re: When to take pets to the vet. February 04, 2021 07:25AM |
Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 653 |
Re: When to take pets to the vet. February 04, 2021 08:23AM |
Registered: 12 years ago Posts: 3,422 |
I'm presently wrestling with the decision about whether to take our four year old, strong and healthy, tabby in for his annual checkup, worming and de- fleaing. It's not really the cost that puts me off, more that he is incredibly anxious and the trip to the vet will be a misery for all concerned. I'm putting off making an appointment because I can't even be sure if a time of day when we can find him and put him the cat cage.
How important do you think it is for a healthy moggy to be wormed and checked once a year? He's an outdoors cat, sometimes sleeps under the bed during the day but roams outside all night.
How important do you think it is for a healthy moggy to be wormed and checked once a year? He's an outdoors cat, sometimes sleeps under the bed during the day but roams outside all night.
Re: When to take pets to the vet. February 04, 2021 09:35AM |
Registered: 16 years ago Posts: 1,979 |
You can do the flea/worm yourself with a combined spot treatment. It also covers ticks and lasts 3 months. Bravecto Plus, you can buy it online much cheaper than the vet.
[www.pet.co.nz]
Our 3 cats are outdoor cats that eat rodents regularly, so we worm ours every 3 months without fail. I'd say that yes, a cat should be wormed at least once a year, if not more if they go outside and eat other creatures. I do a flea treatment every 5-6 weeks all year. Sometimes in winter I might miss a month or two, but I try not to. I hate fleas.
Unless he's poorly or has a history of health complaints, I wouldn't take your cat for the yearly checkup. I haven't taken in our 12 year old moggy for a 'checkup' since she was about 3. She goes when she is sick or injured, which is next to never.
On the other side of the coin, we have two 5 year old burmese cats, and we have pet insurance for them. One of them is a roamer and gets into various tangles which result in abscesses. The other one is more a homebody but has a congenital issue with her left sinus which results in her left eye getting infected regularly. I can rarely claim for these issues though as the policy has a $120 excess. I insured them before I'd even picked them up from the breeder so they would be covered for any possible congenital issues, and I'm glad I did. My thinking was that I could always cancel it, but you can't take it out coverage as easily once your cat has been diagnosed with problems - just like people insurance.
We are insured with PetPlan and I view insurance for pets as 'catastrophic coverage'. For us it's there for major accidents or illnesses where we otherwise may have to chose to euthanise due to cost, not so much the day to day. Money is not so free flowing for us that we'd be able to afford out several thousand for vet care should the need arise. I'd hate to have to make that decision. Our 12yo cat was insured until she was 10, then the premiums went up, the coverage went down, so I cancelled. I'd suggest avoiding Pet N Sur for that, and other, reasons.
Others may not have a budgetary limitation, and in that case maybe it's worth chancing the odds
I agree with CarolynC that dogs do seem to be a bit higher needs when it comes to medical care.
[www.pet.co.nz]
Our 3 cats are outdoor cats that eat rodents regularly, so we worm ours every 3 months without fail. I'd say that yes, a cat should be wormed at least once a year, if not more if they go outside and eat other creatures. I do a flea treatment every 5-6 weeks all year. Sometimes in winter I might miss a month or two, but I try not to. I hate fleas.
Unless he's poorly or has a history of health complaints, I wouldn't take your cat for the yearly checkup. I haven't taken in our 12 year old moggy for a 'checkup' since she was about 3. She goes when she is sick or injured, which is next to never.
On the other side of the coin, we have two 5 year old burmese cats, and we have pet insurance for them. One of them is a roamer and gets into various tangles which result in abscesses. The other one is more a homebody but has a congenital issue with her left sinus which results in her left eye getting infected regularly. I can rarely claim for these issues though as the policy has a $120 excess. I insured them before I'd even picked them up from the breeder so they would be covered for any possible congenital issues, and I'm glad I did. My thinking was that I could always cancel it, but you can't take it out coverage as easily once your cat has been diagnosed with problems - just like people insurance.
We are insured with PetPlan and I view insurance for pets as 'catastrophic coverage'. For us it's there for major accidents or illnesses where we otherwise may have to chose to euthanise due to cost, not so much the day to day. Money is not so free flowing for us that we'd be able to afford out several thousand for vet care should the need arise. I'd hate to have to make that decision. Our 12yo cat was insured until she was 10, then the premiums went up, the coverage went down, so I cancelled. I'd suggest avoiding Pet N Sur for that, and other, reasons.
Others may not have a budgetary limitation, and in that case maybe it's worth chancing the odds
I agree with CarolynC that dogs do seem to be a bit higher needs when it comes to medical care.
Re: When to take pets to the vet. February 04, 2021 02:25PM |
Registered: 13 years ago Posts: 2,228 |
I don't think it's necessary to take an other wise healthy animal to the vet, do the worming/flea treatments yourself.
Once a cat is 10-12 years old then a yearly check of bloods, hands on assessment etc is a good investment.
When our kids were little and we were on a budget, with 5 cats,and 2 large dogs, we paid $10 weekly so we built up a credit to allow treatment to happen as required.
Once a cat is 10-12 years old then a yearly check of bloods, hands on assessment etc is a good investment.
When our kids were little and we were on a budget, with 5 cats,and 2 large dogs, we paid $10 weekly so we built up a credit to allow treatment to happen as required.
Re: When to take pets to the vet. February 04, 2021 09:20PM |
Registered: 8 years ago Posts: 607 |
Yes agree Griz, we do the worm and flea treatment ourselves routinely. We put out cat in the cattery whenever we are away which requires up-to-date annual vaccinations, so he gets a check-up at the same time. Last time we were advised to have his teeth cleaned, and while quite costly, we were convinced of the benefits.
I know what you mean, TPANDAV about making appointments and then not being able to find the animal when it's time to go. They seem to know what's going on...
Regards,
Barbara Anne
I know what you mean, TPANDAV about making appointments and then not being able to find the animal when it's time to go. They seem to know what's going on...
Regards,
Barbara Anne
Re: When to take pets to the vet. February 04, 2021 10:22PM |
Admin Registered: 18 years ago Posts: 7,844 |
I, deflea my cat every 4 weeks (Advantage $13) and every third month use a flea/worm combination (Broadline $22). As I go on holiday every year, she has to have an annual vaccination before being allowed into the cattery and she gets an all-over check at the same time ($80). I haven't got pet insurance because I wouldn't spend enough on these regular treatments to make it worthwhile. I've always had cats with access to the outdoors and only ever had one run over and killed. However, my Burmese cat lived to the ripe old age of 18 and for the last 3 years of his life suffered from kidney disease. The cost of his medication was about $24 a month. Insurance for all these years of owning cats would have been horrendous for very little return on qualifying claims.
The biggest cost for me with my current cat was the $129 fee I paid the SPCA as she was a rescue cat, but for that price she came to me micro-chipped & registered, spayed, vaccinated, deflead and wormed and with a small amount of food to last her a few days - would have been a bargain at twice the price and not claimable in insurance, anyway!
The biggest cost for me with my current cat was the $129 fee I paid the SPCA as she was a rescue cat, but for that price she came to me micro-chipped & registered, spayed, vaccinated, deflead and wormed and with a small amount of food to last her a few days - would have been a bargain at twice the price and not claimable in insurance, anyway!
Re: When to take pets to the vet. February 05, 2021 04:21AM |
Registered: 13 years ago Posts: 2,228 |
Barbara Anne, I totally agree with you on the teeth cleaning, the bacteria in the mouth can easily travel and can cause problems with the heart, so it's well worth getting them cleaned. I'm sure our old dog lived as long as she did because we took good care of her teeth, we had to put her to sleep due to spinal problems, but to the end she showed no signs of liver/heart/kidney problems like old dogs often do. (Interestingly I see they are now linking gum disease and Alzheimers, with the bacteria that cause gum disease being found in the brains of sufferers!)
Re: When to take pets to the vet. February 05, 2021 04:52AM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 3,660 |
Re: When to take pets to the vet. February 05, 2021 08:56AM |
Registered: 13 years ago Posts: 2,228 |
Re: When to take pets to the vet. February 05, 2021 10:00AM |
Admin Registered: 18 years ago Posts: 7,920 |
Tpanndav our cats lived to 17 with only about 1 vet visit during that time.
We did flea and worm treatment as recommended, on the occasion we forgot flea treatment we ended up having to flea bomb the house.
Otherwise all was well and they had no need of medical intervention. No teeth cleaning at all.
We have an 11 year old Spoodle and he has never had his teeth cleaned.
He goes to the vet occasionally if needed and is up to date on immunisations.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/05/2021 10:02AM by helen.
We did flea and worm treatment as recommended, on the occasion we forgot flea treatment we ended up having to flea bomb the house.
Otherwise all was well and they had no need of medical intervention. No teeth cleaning at all.
We have an 11 year old Spoodle and he has never had his teeth cleaned.
He goes to the vet occasionally if needed and is up to date on immunisations.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/05/2021 10:02AM by helen.
Re: When to take pets to the vet. February 06, 2021 01:04PM |
Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 653 |
The best thing I've done for my cats' teeth is to force myself to be disciplined about what I give them. They get no dairy no matter how much they might like it as it's that I think is the worst culprit for tartar on the teeth. I'd love to treat them to some yummy cream from time to time but I have to remind myself it's for their own good. My current cats are ten and their teeth are lovely - I've never had them cleaned. Like Helen my cats, who are all allowed outdoors, have all lived to at least 18 so I'm really not convinced of the necessity of regular health checks.
With regard to worming, I was never sure if it was necessary but my vet told me fleas and worms are connected (the fleas harbour worm eggs in their gut) so I worm mine every three months as he advised. I give my cats Advocate for fleas, but although it and other all-in-one flea treatments say they treat fleas and worms, they don't treat tapeworm which is the most likely worm for cats to get, so I buy a separate worming tablet.
With regard to worming, I was never sure if it was necessary but my vet told me fleas and worms are connected (the fleas harbour worm eggs in their gut) so I worm mine every three months as he advised. I give my cats Advocate for fleas, but although it and other all-in-one flea treatments say they treat fleas and worms, they don't treat tapeworm which is the most likely worm for cats to get, so I buy a separate worming tablet.
Re: When to take pets to the vet. February 06, 2021 11:44PM |
Registered: 17 years ago Posts: 3,660 |
Carbohydrates are very bad for human teeth (sugar, flour, potatoes, corn, pasta, rice, grains, cereals, fruit sugars, etc). When I ate a very low carbohydrate ketogenic diet for six weeks, tartar build-up on my teeth completely ceased.
The same is true for cats (and dogs). The "fillers" in the cat food - wheat, corn, oats, barley, rice, etc - are bad for the cat and not what the cat would naturally eat. That's why some of the dry cat food says "grain free".
Most cat food is full of carbohydrates. One of the reasons is because it's cheaper than meat (ii.e. more profit).
This article discusses it: [feline-nutrition.org]
The same is true for cats (and dogs). The "fillers" in the cat food - wheat, corn, oats, barley, rice, etc - are bad for the cat and not what the cat would naturally eat. That's why some of the dry cat food says "grain free".
Most cat food is full of carbohydrates. One of the reasons is because it's cheaper than meat (ii.e. more profit).
This article discusses it: [feline-nutrition.org]
Re: When to take pets to the vet. February 07, 2021 12:33PM |
Registered: 13 years ago Posts: 2,228 |
I've never fed my cats dairy either, but more because it doesn't actually agree with the feline gut, with nasty smelly consequences.
And I agree, cats don't need fillers in their food, in the wild they get small quantities of grain as that is often in the tummy of their prey, and they clean their teeth on the boney/gristly bits. I used to work in a pet food factory, and can tell you that most tinned cat food is largely lung, ground meat and bone, liver, spleen, with trachea added (and the occasional worker's finger!), so alright in small quantities but I feel better to supplement with some muscle meats as well. The lumps you see in the tins of food are something called "reformed meat" a process that uses a gelling agent to clump ground product together... a lot of the more expensive products (single serve sachets) are almost exclusively reformed meat in a stock. My cats have always licked the stock off, and left the reformed meat so I don't bother with those either.
I still think it's worth getting teeth looked at around the age of 10 or so, both for cats and dogs, just because of the link with heart/kidney/liver disease, and at that age a general anaesthetic is still tolerated quite well, and done at that age it doesn't usually need to be done again before the pet dies. Did you know that gum disease is a risk factor for post partum infection of the placental site?
And I agree, cats don't need fillers in their food, in the wild they get small quantities of grain as that is often in the tummy of their prey, and they clean their teeth on the boney/gristly bits. I used to work in a pet food factory, and can tell you that most tinned cat food is largely lung, ground meat and bone, liver, spleen, with trachea added (and the occasional worker's finger!), so alright in small quantities but I feel better to supplement with some muscle meats as well. The lumps you see in the tins of food are something called "reformed meat" a process that uses a gelling agent to clump ground product together... a lot of the more expensive products (single serve sachets) are almost exclusively reformed meat in a stock. My cats have always licked the stock off, and left the reformed meat so I don't bother with those either.
I still think it's worth getting teeth looked at around the age of 10 or so, both for cats and dogs, just because of the link with heart/kidney/liver disease, and at that age a general anaesthetic is still tolerated quite well, and done at that age it doesn't usually need to be done again before the pet dies. Did you know that gum disease is a risk factor for post partum infection of the placental site?
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