My senior dog is suddenly showing worsening signs of twitching and shivering yesterday. Trying to get a slot at the vet’s this morning but I’m worried sick that there’s some neurological problem with her.
Update: Vet has seen the dog. My pupper has a fever and anemia, and is showing some odd reflexes with her eyes. They suspect she has some kind of inflammation, possibly neurological. She’s been sent home with NSAIDs and painkillers, and we’re on the schedule to see a neurologist. Hopefully her fever goes down.
Relatedly, Sage Veterinary Center in Campbell said that they will put us on a waiting list to see the veterinarian earlier than our scheduled slot in March, but they will CHARGE US $250 if a cancellation slot shows up and we want to take it.
This is all kinds of wrong. Not only is it just…DISTASTEFUL to charge someone money to backfill a cancellation, it creates a perverse incentive for Sage to not book anyone closer than two weeks, then miraculously produce a cancellation a few days later—tada! Free money.
I think I’m doing BOTH parties a service when I fill a cancellation: I get to see a vet sooner, and they get to get paid for an otherwise empty slot in their schedule. The fact that they charge money for this is greedy and unethical. Whom should I write to to complain about this? The Veterinary Medical Board? The Attorney General’s office? This should be regulated against.
@adr Imagine gouging someone who wants urgent care for their pets for an extra $250 for doing the business a favor. Disgusting money grab from vulnerable people.
Dog stayed the night at the hospital, and was given IV fluids and antibiotics. Her fever went down but came back up again. We’re waiting on the results of some more scans and tests.
I’m worried sick. Haven’t been able to relax or get anything done for more than a day. I have a bad feeling about this.
Doggy is spending another night at the hospital for observation. They gave her a steroid shot in the hopes of bringing the fever down and it seems to be working (slowly). Scans came back pretty inconclusive. It’s really puzzling and we don’t know why she’s having a fever.
Doggy is home! Steroids did the trick where antibiotics didn’t. The cause of her fever is not yet known, but at least we know it’s an inflammation, not an infection. She is tired but she seems healthy. We are waiting for more tests to come back because we still don’t know what is actually causing the fever.
I really hate the sensation of fighting serious illness. I feel waves of an overwhelming sense of doom and inevitability alternating with rational thought and just carrying on with my day (there are still work and chores to do after all).
I’ve gone through these periods many times, dealing with my own serious illnesses, and others around me. I went through it when my last dog became too old and sick to carry on. On the one hand, it’s just another part of life; you deal with it and you carry on. On the other hand, it is quite literally the end of the world.
@drahardja It’s the worst. What makes it so heart wrenching for me when one of our pets is ill is that you have to give them into care and can’t explain that you’re not abandoning them.
I hope she’ll get better soon and you can give her all the saved up cuddles!
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