Humane Society or Vet?

[chachi]

I think if your firm with your vet he may let you take her home. Im sure they would rather do the spay then lose the business. My vet likes to keep them overnight also but I told him I was bringing them home since no one was there to watch them

[lovespandp]

Originally Posted by maddiepie

Thanks for the replies. I have been asking around here at the office and such and everyone is like "Humane Society!" and I really didn't want to take her there. They also have labs and boxers that are 1000x the size of Maddie. I basically wanted some reassurance from you guys that taking her to the vet was the right choice

I think so. Also to HELP you to feel more comfortable, ask your vet questions, thats what they are they for. I had this one lady that was a wreck bc she had to spay her 3 lb female..she was almost in tears over it but in the exam room I told her to ask any questions she had, the Dr even went as far as showing her the treatment area and when she would stay until she was picked up!
I think things like that always help. It shows that us as a practice care about what the owners are going thru and are willing to go that extra mile to make them feel better

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by maddiepie

The problem I have with this vet office is that I have seen 2 of the doctors and they both kinda give me different answers about everything. One said she only needs flea protection, the other says to flea AND tick protect her; one said to remove dew claws at time of spay, the other said it is not needed; one said to microchip her anytime, the other said to wait until time of spay. So it is confusing

The problem is both vets may be right, it's just that they are giving you partial answers, for example, you don't have to remove dew claws, but many people recommend it because nail will need constant trimming, and if caught on something can cause major damage and pain. Also it's best done at time of spaying because anesthesia is required. You can microchip at any time, but some people just wait until spaying, why should they be subjected to the unnecessary pain of injection? I would not choose the vet, who insists upon an overnight stay with no one there, to me that's a deal breaker! Concerning the person who asked about the blood work, and why it was needed, she may have just been a receptionist, but if the doctor doesn't know why, I'd find another doctor, another deal breaker. With smaller breeds like Yorkies, the type of anesthesia used is very important, also since your dog is smaller than average, you would want to make sure they have the smaller tubes that are used for the procedure. The tubes are placed down the throat, and too big of a tube can cause other problems, and even damage the trachea. I believe that you will also want to take care of baby teeth at this time, and it would be great if your vet knew this. Too many vets don't recommend this, but those familiar with yorkies know this is necessary. You might want to find a vet that specializes in small breeds, they do have different needs, and it's important to find a vet you can trust, but in the meantime, you have Yorkietalk, and you can help train your vet to know Yorkies!

[lovespandp]

Originally Posted by maddiepie

I'm going to yellowpages.com as we speak! LOL..anyone know any good vets in mid-Missouri or the St. Louis area?

google like " best rated vet's in _____ your city..

[maddiepie]

In response to the teeth pulling: Maddie is 19 weeks old and still hasn't lost one baby tooth. The vet said that she probably won't lose any for awhile and it was more important to get her spayed before her first heat than to wait until her baby teeth are starting to fall out.

[Ellie May]

Originally Posted by maddiepie

In response to the teeth pulling: Maddie is 19 weeks old and still hasn't lost one baby tooth. The vet said that she probably won't lose any for awhile and it was more important to get her spayed before her first heat than to wait until her baby teeth are starting to fall out.

Which one of the three said this? lol
It is also important that she doesn't have to be put through two surgeries so close together because blood work and a day in the hospital may be necessary again. It is generally pretty safe to wait until six months to spay a Yorkie.

[chachi]

Originally Posted by maddiepie

In response to the teeth pulling: Maddie is 19 weeks old and still hasn't lost one baby tooth. The vet said that she probably won't lose any for awhile and it was more important to get her spayed before her first heat than to wait until her baby teeth are starting to fall out.

Now mine were done at 6 and 7 months and the vet pulled the baby teeth so they wouldnt have to risk going under twice. I would get another vet opinion

[Sookie]

Originally Posted by Ellie May

Well, i have a million questions for you and they may help you decide.

Do both places offer preop bloodwork?
How does each place monitor the pet while under anesthesia?
What anesthesia do they use?
Do they place an IV before surgery?
Do they offer pain meds?
Do they do surgery on a heated surface?
Who do you trust more if something were to go wrong?
Does your humane society do line spay/neuter, fasted paced spay/neuter, or do they take their itme on every animal?
Does your regualr vet have somebody there overnight watching the pups?
Who are you more comfortable talking about your concerns with?
Will they both pull baby teeth at the time of spay?
Are vaccines required for hospitalization that you don't agree with in either place?
Are the surgeries at the humane societ done by vets who have been practicing awhile or interns that have just gotten out of vet school?

I personally would never take Ellie to the humane society or shot clinic for anything. They have their place, but it isn't something I'm interested in. Her doctor knows her well and I trust her judgment. I know she knows what she is doing and I think it's the best choice for Ellie. Now if you can't stand your vet, I guess that's another situation entirely.

Very informative, thank you! I am going to cut and paste this for when I might need it.

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by maddiepie

In response to the teeth pulling: Maddie is 19 weeks old and still hasn't lost one baby tooth. The vet said that she probably won't lose any for awhile and it was more important to get her spayed before her first heat than to wait until her baby teeth are starting to fall out.

Why did he want to spay her before the first heat, do you have other dogs? I'm really not that familiar with female dogs, so I probably shouldn't be responding, but I thought they didn't have first heat untill after 6 months. Yorkies have problems with teeth, and this is especially true with tinies, sometimes they don't even have room for all their teeth. There is always a risk with anesthesia, and since you will need it for the teeth, I think I might want to get more information, on when to spay. I mean are there really that many pro's to extra early spaying?

[Sookie]

Spaying before the first heat almost negates the possibility of breast cancer.

[Ellie May]

If at all possible, she should be spayed before her first heat.
I do agree with that part.

If she is spayed before her first heat, the risk of her getting mammary cancer is less than 1%. If she is spayed before her second heat it is 8%. Anytime thereafter is is 26%. IMO, she does not need to be spayed at five months though. She could come into heat, but it is very unlikely that it will be before six months.

[BonBon]

Before you start researching vets, please read these two threads:

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/yor...erinarian.html

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/yor...-protocol.html

Don't be afraid to ask a lot of questions when calling to learn more about a vet. Crystal (Ellie May) gave me some great information and questions to ask when I was looking for a surgeon to do Chelsea's LP surgery. None of the vets I called seemed to mind my the mile long list of things I wanted to discuss. And if the person you're talking to doesn't know the answers they should get someone on the phone who does. If they can't, call the next vet. I found a wonderful surgeon who spent half an hour talking to me on the phone about my concerns - & I had never even met him! A truly good vet practice will make the time to answer your questions. Oh, and ask about their experience with small animals - your tiny baby will need different care than horses or even a great dane.

[maddiepie]

Hmmmm...what's the best way of going about finding a new vet? Can I like take her in for a check up or something? She already finished all her shots and when I call the vet's office I usually just get the receptionist. I don't mind shelling out the extra money for a first visit or anything- I will do anything to ensure that my baby is getting the best care she possibly can.

[Ellie May]

Originally Posted by maddiepie

Hmmmm...what's the best way of going about finding a new vet? Can I like take her in for a check up or something? She already finished all her shots and when I call the vet's office I usually just get the receptionist. I don't mind shelling out the extra money for a first visit or anything- I will do anything to ensure that my baby is getting the best care she possibly can.

Go on their websites, look at clients reviews on site like Insider Pages (but remember some clients rate low because the palce is expensive, so read the reviews carefully), get a list of important questions together and call and tell teh receptionist you would like to talk to someone about it. Then when you think you have found one, go for a check-up and see how you like the vet.

[maddiepie]

What about teaching hospitals? I am in town with the University of Missouri-Columbia vet teaching hospital. I know that they have specialists for orthopedics and such but didn't know if it would be a good option for overall care. This is more frustrating than choosing my own doctor!