Last night I gave Demi a peanut. I expected her to chew it, but evidently she just swallowed it. She started coughing and I was afraid she was choking. After a minute, she was fine. But then the rest of the night, she had occasional bouts of coughing. I was afraid the peanut had gotten caught in her trachea.
By bedtime, she'd stopped coughing... and started wheezing. Only when active, though -- at rest, she was fine. First thing this a.m., I called my vet, but I couldn't get an appointment. He's a one-man show. This is the second time I haven't been able to get in during an emergency, so I called a different vet and went there.
The new vet is a clinic with 8 vets, the latest equipment, and a 24-hour vet tech available by phone. It's also closer to my new house than the old vet.
Demi was X-rayed and no peanut was found. The vet should me a web of capillaries that were stressed, she said, from trauma. She said that an 'event' had occurred -- meaning the choking -- but that Demi's trachea didn't show any distress and that the peanut wasn't there. It was so weird to see Demi as an X-ray! I was tempted to ask for a copy so I could frame it -- that wouldn't be weird, would it?
Ultimately, the vet gave Demi pills that are an anti-inflammatory with a low level of steroid in them and told me to watch her progress.
However, the vet also said that Demi has a grade 2 or 3 luxating patella in one leg. The old vet had also diagnosed grade 2 LP, but he said no surgery was necessary.
The new vet, however, said that the friction of the joint popping in and out would cause the bones to callus and enlarge, and if the knee is left alone then after a while Demi will be in pain and the results of any surgery at that point are not likely to be highly successful.
The vet pointed out that Demi is only 6 and has a lot of years ahead of her to go through with a bad leg.
Everything the vet said made sense to me.
The vet referred me to an orthopedic veterinary surgeon who has the latest equipment (an orthoscope (?) that enables him to work miracles, evidently). The surgeon's vet practice is called Veterinary Orthopedic Sports Medicine Group. Who knew that dogs needed sports medicine?!
Anyway, this surgeon will charge about $500 more than the regular orthopedic surgeon, but I figure once I'm spending $2500, I might as well spend $3000 and get the best. I'm not rolling in dough, but Demi is my little heart.
So I guess I'll consult with the doggie sports doctor and see what he says.
Does anyone have insight or comments about this situation?
Thanks!