My dog's at it again!

I can't believe it's almost been a year since I blogged but better late then never!  Unfortunately, what I've learned today feels like Déjà vu and has to do with my beloved doggie Gucci a 12 year old minpin who is the centre of mine and my husband's universe.  She is considered family and we will do anything to keep her happy, safe and healthy.  Our little pup hasn't been feeling well over the last couple of months and I've noticed a few changes in her routine that couldn't be ignored. 

We found out late last year that she has early signs of arthritis and cataracts which we are prepared for but lately she has been restless & whiny when trying to go to sleep & she's been wheezy and snotty.  I also noticed a couple more growths on her body, one on her back and the other on the left side of her rib.  She has also had difficulty eating, has bad breath even after a dental cleaning and she keeps putting her foot in her ear (but I see no sign of anything?)  She's been drinking and peeing twice the amount than she used too and she always wants to eat (more than she did on a regular day that is).

She has battled with tumours, cysts and fat deposits all her life and she has beat periodontal disease at the early age of only 3 years old!  We've spent a fortune with dental cleanings, biopsies and surgeries, all with the hope that she would get better.  So far, she's lived a wonderful life even under these health issues. 

Today I decided to take her to the vet for a geriatrics visit (can you imagine?!? they have this for dogs! lol) The vet said the symptoms are so broad that it's difficult to diagnose anything until she goes in for blood/urine analysis because she "looks" great.  She doesn't have the classic symptoms of "Cushing's disease" or kidney failure but we don't want to rule anything out.  He did notice however, that her left pupil is completely dilated and won't close... he also saw a line that runs across the back of her eye which concerned us both.  Unfortunately, I lost my job in January 2013 and $$ is tight so my husband and I are trying to find ways to cutback so we can pay to have her see a dog eye specialist for further diagnosis. Why does it always have to be complicated!!

Also....why is it when you want something urgently done, the animal doctor always ends up going out of town and you are left with despair and stress until they return to give you the results?!? SHEESH!  This is the 3rd Vet clinic I've tried and it seems they are all the same!

So me and my little goo-goo finally came home and I gave her some nsaid's to keep her comfortable and we'll wait and see what if anything they find.  Then it's off to the  eye specialist! I guess a vacation is out of the question this year but she's totally worth it!!

So I'm sure your asking yourself... What on Earth did I learn today?!? Well........ what I've learned is that pets are not cheap and I kick myself for not buying that pet insurance when my client way back in 2001 told me so!  I never thought we'd have so many issues with our little dog but clearly that is not the case.  Also, when you make the choice to see a Veterinarian be prepared for the sticker shock as well as the extra expenses that could come out from their findings!

I did learn something from the last time this happened... Should they find something wrong with our dog, I will first ask them what they think it is and what would be accomplished if I pay hundreds of dollars to find out exactly what's wrong with Gucci.  Then I'll ask, should it be this or that, what sort of treatment options do we have and is it even worth pursuing... I don't want to waste another $500+ to learn absolutely nothing!  If its something incurable or even worse deadly, I want to do whatever it takes to keep her comfortable until the creator chooses to take her.

Pray for her that it's something as simple as allergies and she will continue to live a happy, healthy and long life! :)

 

Never think surgery is simple & always go with your gut!

Our doggie Gucci is a miniature pinscher (minpin) who is nine years of age and has had two lumps/cysts growing on her backside for two years now, and for two years we've been asking that the vet remove the lumps, and for two years they've come back saying that it's no big deal and to leave the lumps alone as the scar would be worse than the cysts.  Well... those lumps kept growing and the vet kept coming back with the same answer until finally the cysts started to bother our dog Gucci and effect her walking. 

At this point the vet listened and agreed that it was time for the cysts to come out as they were causing pain and had tripled in size.  Needless to say, not pretty to look at.  We were given the impression that the surgery would be quite simple so even though we had planned to go away this long weekend we agreed to do the surgery before the trip.  Well, things weren’t so “simple” in the surgery and it didn't work out the way the vet had hoped so our dog has come back to us pretty much butchered and her body now looks even worse then when she had the cysts. Instead of bumps, she has indentations!  So we've had to cancel our long-weekend get-a-way to take care of our little doggie that is now in a lot of pain, is still bleeding and trying to recover.

So, what lessons have I learned from this ordeal you ask? #1 – ALWAYS go with your gut and do what YOU think is the right thing to do and don't just take the "professionals" opinion or at least get a second opinion!  #2 - don't believe it when they tell you the surgery is not a big deal and NEVER plan anything like this before a trip!..

I pray our dog will come out of this better than before the cysts and that she will be able to run around like the crazy pup that she’s always been!