Post # 1
Member
614 posts
Busy bee
We’ve had our little Yorkie dog a little less than a month. A friend found her, so she needed all the usual shots, checkups, etc. Since we got her, we’ve been to the vet probably 6 times. It’s located in Pets Mart, so it’s fairly convenient. But not convenient enough to go there ALL THE TIME!
1. Initial check up and shots. Made an appointment to get teeth cleaned in 3 weeks when she got her rabies booster.
2. Returned to enroll in their maintenance plan to hopefully save money. Brought the dog just for fun.
3. Dog got groomed. that’s not really the vet.
4. Ellie had bloody stool so they had us bring her in. Took tests but didn’t find anything. Loaded her up with medicines and said check back in a week. I said “she has a teeth cleaning appointment in one week.” they said “great, see you then.”
5. Returned 48 hours later because she hadn’t gone to the bathroom but ate a lot of food since she had bloody stool(TMI I know). They told me to come in. Nothing was wrong and she pooped. Thank goodness for free vet visits! Reminded me about my teeth appointment.
6. They called me 3x this week to remind me about her teeth cleaning today. I drove on ice to get her there at 7 am. After my husband took me to work in the truck and he drove far away to his work, the vet called me to tell me the vet clinic’s policy is not to put a dog under anesthesia for three weeks after a sickness like she had last week. So i had to reschedule her teeth cleaning for three weeks from now. But she’s sitting at the vet for 10 hours because I don’t have transportation.
I really, really wish they would have told me about this no-anesthesia policy before I dropped her off today. She can’t even go get groomed because she had a rabies booster shot.
Sorry for the long post. I’m just frustrated and tired of taking my dog to the vet. I’m not normally a take your pet to the vet all the time kind of person. Anyone ever dealt with this?
Post # 3
Member
10851 posts
Sugar Beekeeper
For about 6 months I felt like I was at the vet once a week. I think I was. I’m pretty sure I paid for my vet to buy a Lexus….
Post # 4
Member
3041 posts
Sugar bee
When I got my kittens, I felt like I was there all the time. The vet said 1 of them likely wasn’t going to survive. I kept having to go there for checkups & meds & tests & shots & then getting them fixed. But now they don’t have to go for a year so no visits for awhile & it feels good, cause it means they’re healthy :).
The vet should’ve told you they couldn’t do the cleaning when she got sick, but maybe they don’t always have to do the anesthesia to do the teeth cleaning. I think some vets can do it without it, depending on the dog. Once she’s done with that, she’s probably free from vet visits for awhile at least :).
Post # 5
Member
614 posts
Busy bee
Sigh. Came home from brunch yesterday and Ellie had an owie. She cried when she turned or jumped too quickly, and wanted to be curled up in a ball all day. She didn’t want to play or do anything she normally does except eat and go potty. I think it’s something in her shoulder because if you hold her a certain way it hurts her. We didn’t take her to the vet yesterday because we were out of town, but I’m probably going to take her today if she’s not better.
I feel like an overprotective parent…. But it’s hard to know what is bad and what is just normal stuff. 🙁 Sick of going to the vet!
Post # 6
Member
1058 posts
Bumble bee
ok, first change her diet. When I first got my dog I took her in for EVERYTHING, even after she threw up blood, it turns out she had a bit of gastrontitis, you know what it cost me? $400!!! Do you know what they did to help her? Put her on chicken and rice diet for a week. EVERYTIME I have ever taken my dog in for vet it’s always here give her chicken and rice for a week. So dumb. Trust me, get your dog Blue Buffalo food. If you don’t see a massive improvement then you may want to get a second opinion (different vet).
I am a dog mom of three dogs and trust me it has come down to diet 99.9% of the time. Dogs can’t handle corn and when they eat it, you will find you will be going to the Vet more than you need to.
Post # 7
Member
614 posts
Busy bee
@muckmoo I agree! I did some diet research and found out how bad some kinds of food are! She’s on Wellness wet and dry food–it’s ranked up there with Blue. The first 4 ingredients on both are meats, very little grains. She was on just the dry until she got sick, and she loves wet food so much that now we give her a mix of wet and dry.
I think her problem today is like skeletal or muscular. Maybe she ran into something or jumped funny. I don’t know. She’s such a sweetheart that it’s hard to see her sad and in pain.
Post # 8
Member
2867 posts
Sugar bee
I’ve renamed mine “Moneypit”. In the past 2 months:
She went to the vet for her annual checkup and shots – $200.
Then we took her to the groomer – $45
The NEXT day, she caught a tooth and pulled it loose (not out) we had to have it (and 3 others they found that were loose) taken out – $250
Just last week she broke off a nail to the quick and had to have it clipped down – $150
She’s paying for her next vet visit.
Post # 9
Member
1058 posts
Bumble bee
@Miss Damask: oh good, yes wellness is really good! Glad to hear it, I’m so sorry you are going through all of that, I hate seeing animals in pain, I hope your pup starts feeling better soon. Poor thing. 🙁
Post # 10
Member
2237 posts
Buzzing bee
I have a Wellness Plan with Banfield (the Petsmart vet) too, and I don’t know what I would do without it! I have three dogs two of which have allergy issues (and regularly need to go to the vet if they break out too badly) one who has hip issues (and needs to go to the vet regularly if he’s in too much pain) not to mention the fact that I have three dogs who play very rough with eachother and end up at the vet at least once a month for random happenings!!! On the receipts for the wellness plan it says like “Amount you’ve saved this year by having a wellness plan” or something like that, and apparently last year we save like 3 grand! Hahaha, 2 of the dogs got fixed and they got all their shots and about a bajillion visits. Dogs are expensive…but they’re worth it!
Post # 11
Member
41 posts
Newbee
How old is she? I have a yorkie mix and when he was younger he used to dislocate his knees regularly. The first time it happened he refused to walk on his leg so we took him to the emergency vet. As it started happening more often he didn’t really react to it anymore….Perhaps that’s what happened?
Post # 12
Member
614 posts
Busy bee
thanks for the commiserating guys! We have the wellness plan and it has nearly paid for itself in a month.
@petunia, she is 3, but we’ve only had her a month. The vet said her knees will dislocate–subluxing patella or something?
GOOD NEWS! I went home at lunch and she’s back to her spunky self. Playing with everything and even wanted a second walk to explore. So happy! Maybe she just pulled a muscle.
Post # 13
Member
6661 posts
Bee Keeper
Yeah I had to take my dog to the vet all the time at first, and of course she ate an oil pastel immediately once we were done with shots so we had to rush to the animal ER. I think I also paid for my vet to buy a lexus 🙂
Post # 14
Member
808 posts
Busy bee
@camrie: I completely understand how you feel! Our 9 month old (today!) shar pei Lola has been to the vets for the followng:
1) Cherry Eye- we weren’t sure what it was and were totally freaked out- $120.
2) Spay and Rabies- $100
3) Cherry Eye surgery along with a double ear inection- $550
4) Puncture wound- thought she might have been shot with a pellet gun, but it turns out her brother bit her while they were play fighting- $162
5) Take her in for her Bordetella shot, find out she has an eye issue and another double ear infection- $207
Thank God for the Care credit credit card with 0 % interest! I told the vet I want my name taken off the card and hers added to it!
Post # 15
Member
4137 posts
Honey bee
i always want to take our dog to the vet for every scrape and tummy ache, but fi is always the voice of reason. i’m definitely more of a worrier than he is.
but due to a week in icu and a few other accidents, i think our vet could have bought a hummer in the past year :/
Post # 16
Member
4137 posts
Honey bee
@Lolasmomma:i know! we finally paid our care credit off before the back interest set in, thank god!
