Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did he really need to be sedated for an x-ray? Is he especially anxious at the vet? I just took my dog for an ekg and no sedation was used.

All dogs are sedated for scans.

It is the only way to get them still enough to scan their abdomen for blockages.

Whoa — my dog was x-rayed after eating something he shouldn’t have and no one said a word to me about sedating him. I wouldn’t have said yes to that because they were only double checking that he still had anything in his stomach. We weren’t concerned about blockages because we knew what he’d eaten wouldn’t cause a blockage.

Anonymous wrote:...if I just didn’t take him there he’d have been fine. And his diarrhea only lasted a day anyway so the whole thing was totally useless.

Again, not trying to be mean to you, OP, but... It's your right (and responsibility) as an owner to know how to run some basic diagnostics for yourself. Regular annual exams, incl. a fecal float, and consistent heartworm/flea/tick preventatives keep you pretty clear of most problems. Dogproofing your house and crating your dog when they're left unattended prevents ingestion troubles. A minor spot of red blood in stool (not dark/black "coffee grounds" looking), once, is something to flag for follow up, not panic about. So if you don't have evidence that your pet got into something problematic, or reason to suspect illness, your options are time or expensive labs/x-rays etc. and it's usually okay to wait.

Next time you think your pet might be ill, try this:

Is your pet...

1) willing to eat regular food
1a) willing to eat a favorite snack
2) drinking water
3) urinating/defecating on a normal(ish) schedule
4) sleeping regularly (not too much)
5) behaving normally (not panting, shaking, whining excessively, liplicking, etc.)

If your pet passes all those, you're probably fine to just wait. Make notes. Take photos of anything that seems off, document and observe. White rice and canned pumpkin (or dried: https://www.chewy.com/diggin-your-dog-firm-up-pumpkin-super/dp/877430) cures a lot of tummy troubles. Beyond a limited diet, a few days of monitoring is usually enough.

If your pet fails those, seems distressed, is agitated and unable to rest, or the opposite (can't be roused, won't engage, seems checked out), you might be dealing with an emergency. Know how to check some basic vital signs (temp, capillary refill/pinch test) and gently "pat down" your pet if you suspect pain/tenderness to try to figure out what may be going on.

When things are truly an emergency, you'll know. There's no ambiguity. Things are just WRONG. Not "I think this might be a problem..." it's a PROBLEM. If it's not that, you probably have more time than you think, and the more information you bring your vet, the better chance you have of a successful outcome without a burdensome bill.

Anonymous wrote:

Also, as far as relying on google for information, you need to realize that there is virtually nothing you will google relating to health issues with a dog that the recommendation is not a vet appointment. You will go broke as a dog owner if you run to the vet for everything google tells you to run to the vet for.

This is an important point for modern dog owners to consider. Previously, dogs were mostly owned by people who needed them for work (herding, protection, retrieving, etc.) While the dogs were cared for, and important investments, and loved, they weren't coddled and monitored obsessively the way city/apartment pets are. Minor problems were mostly left to resolve, with extensive care reserved for obvious injuries/illness (and then, only for particularly valuable animals; many were simply put down if they'd become dysfunctional beyond the owner's caregiving abilities). Learning some basic animal husbandry and first aid is a critical part of being a responsible owner. Yes, blood in stool is something to flag for follow up, but it's not necessarily an emergency. Is the animal still eating, drinking, urinating and defecating, willing to play, resting comfortably...? If so, this isn't likely to be an emergency. And even if it is, you need to go into that situation knowing what you reasonably can do/can afford to do for your animal (unless money and time aren't concerns).

I'm not knocking OP for caring, and it's also fine to wait and see for a LOT of pet ailments. Learn what the major risks are for your animal's breed (bloat, for example, is a time-sensitive issue that is truly an emergency), and what the signs and symptoms for common critical issues might be. But if your pet is still very much themselves, just with some minor weirdness... your vet's probably going to either LITFA with minor supportive care like IV fluids, or suggest expensive diagnostic imaging that might temporarily soothe your anxiety... until you get the bill.

It's not them "fleecing" you (at least, not most of the time), so much as a difference between human healthcare (which is a whole scam and a half!) and animal care.

Anonymous wrote:This is a common side effect to sedating old dogs. I can’t see they are going to waive the fees.

This, same with humans BTW. Sedation is no joke and should not be taken lightly.

Anonymous wrote:I've come to the conclusion that veterinary medicine is a lot of guess and test and a ton is unknown. There aren't rigorous FDA approved trials like there are for humans, there's a huge range in the biology of even just dogs let alone other species, and there's been far less money spent on research. It's the wild wild west of medicine. You can expect human-like outcomes.

This isn't some big revelation. My own vet used nearly these exact words once to me explaining that since dogs can't speak, a lot of veterinary work is guess work.

Now that your dog is fine and they didn’t find anything you’re annoyed you spent so much money. I get it. My dog ate too much chocolate once and we had a three thousand dollar bill when they vomited it all up at the vet but we didn’t know if there was more. So they were observed overnight. Nothing was done. You make the decisions with the best knowledge you have and it was reasonable at the time. It just didnt work out that way.

My guess is that you are absolutely liable to pay the bill as part of the policies you signed. Of course, I didn’t read them but I hope you did.
I hope your pup is better.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People bring their dog to the vet just because they have diarrhea?

Why would they want to x ray for diarrhea? Try diarrhea meds first

Not even meds. White rice and pumpkin puree.

Did you even read the post? OP was worried they had eaten something. It was to rule that out.
I’m sorry, but this is just what happens like with people and medical procedures. You have sticker shock. Your dog is old and didn’t handle sedation well. It sucks but I don’t think they are at fault. After reading your post, I don’t believe “all the people at the vet admitted they messed up”. No. No they did not say that.

Agree. "Hindsight is 20/20" does not mean "we shouldn't have sedated the dog." It is saying that knowing it doesn't handle sedation well, we wouldn't do it over that way.

I once watched a horse die from a sedation. Perfectly normal horse had some hives, vet injected a medication to treat the hives, the horse's heart stopped, it took about three steps and fell over dead. The horse was five or six, extremely talented, six figure animal.

It was traumatic but not exactly an error. It's a rare side effect. The owner still had to pay the vet bill. Sometimes you are unlucky, get pet insurance if it bothers you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People bring their dog to the vet just because they have diarrhea?

Why would they want to x ray for diarrhea? Try diarrhea meds first

Not even meds. White rice and pumpkin puree.

Did you even read the post? OP was worried they had eaten something. It was to rule that out.
I’m sorry, but this is just what happens like with people and medical procedures. You have sticker shock. Your dog is old and didn’t handle sedation well. It sucks but I don’t think they are at fault. After reading your post, I don’t believe “all the people at the vet admitted they messed up”. No. No they did not say that.

Anonymous wrote:Did he really need to be sedated for an x-ray? Is he especially anxious at the vet? I just took my dog for an ekg and no sedation was used.

You don’t need the dog still for an EKG

Anonymous wrote:Did he really need to be sedated for an x-ray? Is he especially anxious at the vet? I just took my dog for an ekg and no sedation was used.

All dogs are sedated for scans.

It is the only way to get them still enough to scan their abdomen for blockages.

Did he really need to be sedated for an x-ray? Is he especially anxious at the vet? I just took my dog for an ekg and no sedation was used.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People bring their dog to the vet just because they have diarrhea?

Now OP knows. Doesn't excuse the vet doing unnecessary work.

Op here I was trying to be responsible. I saw a drop of blood in it and googled what to do and it said go to vet. I really was trying to do right by him and give him the best care.

I would take my dog to the vet for that.

Sorry, I said rice and pumpkin. I missed the blood part. I would have taken him, too.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People bring their dog to the vet just because they have diarrhea?

Why would they want to x ray for diarrhea? Try diarrhea meds first

Not even meds. White rice and pumpkin puree.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People bring their dog to the vet just because they have diarrhea?

Now OP knows. Doesn't excuse the vet doing unnecessary work.

Op here I was trying to be responsible. I saw a drop of blood in it and googled what to do and it said go to vet. I really was trying to do right by him and give him the best care.

I would take my dog to the vet for that.