 Vet Blunders
We lost our little guy yesterday.
The first thing I have to say is how much it hurts.
My entire purpose for being here is to tell you that I trusted the vet to be in charge, and how to avoid the suffering we have to endure today.
I also blame myself for not being more direct about the care he recieved over six years.
One would think that the vet would have realized the need for a checkup over this time period. I also blame myself.
It's so easy to think that because your yorkie acts happy all is well. It's their nature to be full of life under any circumstance, even when they are very sick.
Last thursday we noticed his eye had more fluid than normally. We scheduled an apointment for saturday. By saturday he was worse and just laying around.
The vet says his heart is enlarged, give him these water pills and start the heart medicine. "He'll be fine"
Last evening we rushed to emergency and three hours later he was gone.
The blood work said he had diabeties, pancreitis,kidney failure, and congestive heart failure. How and when did he get so sick internally?
There where very small signs that did not linger and he got better. like many of you we dissmissed this as normal. He got better right? Wrong!
He was sick and getting sicker and we didn't know it.
Like most of you we rejoiced when he was well, when in fact we know now he was actually a very sick puppy.
I'm so angry now that we missed something, some small sign. We of course would have done anything if we knew he was this sick. No amount of money would have been spaired for his health if only we knew.
He was only being treated with Atopica for skin allergies, but that required office visits before the treatment.
We knew we provided above excellant care for spunky and yet he couldn't tell us he was sick. Please don't think you know your yorkie so well that you'll know they are sick. They may seem like your kid but they can't talk.
All animals have a built in mechanisim to deal with pain. Somehow they mask these issues. Prevention on your part is the key.
That is the whole point behind my being here today.
I have read the many questions about small signs of sickness.
PLEASE do not ignore any of them. I'm not saying for you to run to the vet every week. But I am saying you should require annual (semi-annual)checkups or bloodwork as soon as you can.
Had we known this, Spunky would be here now. Instead I'm crying at the loss of my buddy, and mad at myself for not pushing the vet in a direction I thought he should have known to go.
Our mistake is trusting the vet to be in charge, to be take care of things automatically.
Because they (vets) know they are not cheap, I believe most hold back on what should really be done and instead give us the cheapest way out so we'll come back. We all are guilty of choosing $$ over care.
Shame on them and shame on me for participating.
Get a checkup now, don't wait and assume because he is happy that he is well. Require a blood test that can reveal a lot of information early on. If found early most issues can be addressed and you'll still have your Yorkie.
Miss you &
Love ya Spunk!
If Spunky isn't in heaven when I get there, then I must be in the wrong place.
See you then buddy |