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Any vets here? dog question (1 Viewer)

prosopis

Arizona Chupacabra
I have a three year old Catahoula leopard dog who is my best friend. 

6/3/22 trouble standing up and looks to be in pain. At same time he had a rash in groin area. I feel the rash is a red herring but I am including it in case it isn't.

6/6 Getting worse. I had to lift his backend up for him to stand. I started him on Cosequin plus MSM for what I guessed was a joint issue. Also gave him benadryl for rash. I also started an antifungal spray on rash after advice from a vet tech. Also bought aspirin for dogs which seemed to help.

6/25 finally get into vet. I tried to get in when this started but this was soonest they could get me in. They wanted to do xrays $250.00 and valley fever blood work $200.00. I really cannot afford any of that so I ask for option 2. Option 2 was Gabapentin 100mg prn for pain and Carprofen 100mg. Carprofen is a non steroidal antiinflammatory.  This was almost a miracle as he was back to himself and I was pretty happy.

7/4 We go to the Grand Canyon and camp. He was still on Carprofen at the time. We had a blast and he was fine. Did a fair amount of hiking. Dog had a blast. Every time we go he is like a celebrity there. I had three requests for photos with him and people just love seeing him and talking. It's really pretty cool. He is an awesome girl magnet which would be better if I wasn't married but I do what I have to do.

7/16 He has been off of Carprofen for 3 days and starts acting sore again. Today he is having a hard time getting up. I call the vet who says they need to do bloodwork and xrays which I still can not afford. I asked if I could just keep him on Carprofen which they won't do unless I get bloodwork. I have contacted various places for quotes on bloodwork to see if I can get it done cheaper. He is a rescue dog and I have contacted animal control where I adopted o see if they can help but so far, nothing.

I am starting to think about bringing him to Mexico where I believe I can get this done way cheaper but I am pretty nervous about crossing the border with an animal. I know others who have done it so I need to talk to them for the details.

Anyway, do we have anyone here with knowledge about this kind of situation? Another option I have thought of is getting Carprofen from Mexico which I think is doable without an rx. The best I can tell is that if I do that there is concern about kidney damage.

 
honestly, having a pet means having a financial obligation, sorry.  i would investigate pet insurance.  for now, i would see if there is a veterinary school in your area that may be willing to help.  i would get the blood work and x-rays and see if they have a payment plan.  however, valley fever seems a reach.  also, taking your dog hiking while on carprofen for lameness seems counterproductive.  your dog needs rest and limit activity and walks.  if you have a pool or deep tub see if you can have your dog walk in it for therapy.  

 
Pet insurance won't work this late in the game. Whatever he has is now a pre exsiting condition and insurance won't pay. I would plead with the vet for a payment plan.

 
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honestly, having a pet means having a financial obligation, sorry.  i would investigate pet insurance.  for now, i would see if there is a veterinary school in your area that may be willing to help.  i would get the blood work and x-rays and see if they have a payment plan.  however, valley fever seems a reach.  also, taking your dog hiking while on carprofen for lameness seems counterproductive.  your dog needs rest and limit activity and walks.  if you have a pool or deep tub see if you can have your dog walk in it for therapy.  
I get it but there is financial obligation and then there is financial obligation. I am not sure where the line is drawn. I will say I could have gone to college if my I had all the money my mother spent and spends keeping cats alive. I just can't go there.

I agree about the hiking in hindsight. He was just so happy and showed no sign of injury or pain. I honestly thought we had cured him and this whole episode would be a thing of the past. A while pack he had a bad reaction to what we think was a scorpion bite. Really scary couple of days but it is over and done with. I was assuming this would go like that. 

 
I had to put a great dog down way before his time due to a slipped disk causing causing spinal cord damage that led to him login all strength and control in his hindquarters. At the time the only real treatment was the very expensive surgery that basically would’ve had him dragging himself around with a little cart for his backside. That was like a 5k option in the 90’s, and with my mom being a single parent with two in college,  that wasn’t going to be feasible.

That said, at least get the x-rays. You have to find out if there is physical damage, then assess what the next steps are.

 
Am I reading this right that you don't want to pay $450 to make sure your best friend is ok, but you have the money to travel across the border, take vacations, etc?   $450?  Am I missing a comma somewhere?

 
I get it but there is financial obligation and then there is financial obligation. I am not sure where the line is drawn. 
I know the will sound a little offensive and judgmental, but you really shouldn’t have got a dog if this amount of money is already making you question whether it’s “worth it”. Dogs get sick, injured etc and once you take them on they are your responsibility.

 
We had an older dog who recently passed where I already notice similarities in treatments and meds. 

In our case, it was our vet who recommended X-rays too late. Gab is a nerve agent and my old man was having issues with his back and the Gab made him almost drunk woozy. Backed down to half the dose so it wouldn’t make him stumble and make it worse. Vet finally added Carpro because it wasn’t just a nerve thing but swelling as well. Said the foundational drug is Carpro and then Gab is additive if necessary. Both are available via human pharmacy in generic form to keep costs down. 

That said, since our (former) vet was certain it was just age and likely a slip that cause a back issue, they hadn’t advised X-rays. Had a fall in front of us where we took him to the ER and sure enough they found a mass near his spine, but was too late for any options. I wish we’d have known sooner so we’d at least have known and had the choice. 

I’d at least get the X-rays done so you’re making a sensible financial choice and so your dog friend gets the appropriate treatment and doesn’t need to suffer through any unnecessary treatment. 

 
Am I reading this right that you don't want to pay $450 to make sure your best friend is ok, but you have the money to travel across the border, take vacations, etc?   $450?  Am I missing a comma somewhere?
I don't have $450.00 and I live less than 100 miles from the border. Many who live here go over the border for meds and dental work. I have one friend who took their dog across the border for surgery. I think he paid $150.00 instead of the thousands they were charging here. I am just more than a little paranoid of taking my car and dog across the border. If the grand canyon is the vacation you are referring to, I am a car camper/hiker. I have cancelled my next planned camping trip due to this problem and the cost of gas.

*I feel silly explaining myself

 
We had an older dog who recently passed where I already notice similarities in treatments and meds. 

In our case, it was our vet who recommended X-rays too late. Gab is a nerve agent and my old man was having issues with his back and the Gab made him almost drunk woozy. Backed down to half the dose so it wouldn’t make him stumble and make it worse. Vet finally added Carpro because it wasn’t just a nerve thing but swelling as well. Said the foundational drug is Carpro and then Gab is additive if necessary. Both are available via human pharmacy in generic form to keep costs down. 

That said, since our (former) vet was certain it was just age and likely a slip that cause a back issue, they hadn’t advised X-rays. Had a fall in front of us where we took him to the ER and sure enough they found a mass near his spine, but was too late for any options. I wish we’d have known sooner so we’d at least have known and had the choice. 

I’d at least get the X-rays done so you’re making a sensible financial choice and so your dog friend gets the appropriate treatment and doesn’t need to suffer through any unnecessary treatment. 
Thank you for the reply.

My vet is primarily concerned with valley fever vs hip displasia. This is why they want to do x rays and bloodwork. I have a call in to a place that I have heard is more affordable. I am also calling PACC where I rescued him from to see if they can help. I will hopefully know more later today. 

 
Thank you for the reply.

My vet is primarily concerned with valley fever vs hip displasia. This is why they want to do x rays and bloodwork. I have a call in to a place that I have heard is more affordable. I am also calling PACC where I rescued him from to see if they can help. I will hopefully know more later today. 
Do one (either X-rays or bloodwork) first so that you can eliminate some things - if the X-Rays show an injury then the bloodwork is not necessary and vice versa.

 
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I don't have $450.00 and I live less than 100 miles from the border. Many who live here go over the border for meds and dental work.
You're not really looking at medical procedures here though - these are more tests - and whether that's a lot of money to you, they're not really very expensive (generally speaking) - $250.00 and $200.00, so not sure how much you'll even save when you factor in travel expenses.

When people go to Mexico or Asia for medical and dental procedures we're usually talking way more expensive procedures to start off. 

 
I don't have $450.00 and I live less than 100 miles from the border. Many who live here go over the border for meds and dental work. I have one friend who took their dog across the border for surgery. I think he paid $150.00 instead of the thousands they were charging here. I am just more than a little paranoid of taking my car and dog across the border. If the grand canyon is the vacation you are referring to, I am a car camper/hiker. I have cancelled my next planned camping trip due to this problem and the cost of gas.

*I feel silly explaining myself
I’m trying my best to be sensitive here, but…It’s your best friend. Find a way. $450 is not much money given the circumstance...you’re not gonna find much better of a deal. Pet care can be expensive, just how it is.

My true take on this is you know $450 is just tests to figure out what is actually wrong. The medicine, treatment, surgery will likely be exponentially higher and you are subconsciously just avoiding that reality (and needing to make that decision) and hoping for a quick miracle band aid. 

 
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Hey man, I have used scratchpay in the past when an emergency arose and funds were short. I remember it seemed pretty painless financially if I remember correctly.  It did help me get treatment for my dog. Hope your buddy is OK.

https://scratchpay.com/

 
That price for Xrays is reasonable.  I had to pay $600 for stomach xrays when we thought our dog ate her dog tag.  Sucks.  Honestly, it sounds like you've been very lucky avoiding vet expenses to date, especially with a rescue.  Expenses like this really need to be part of any household budget that includes animals.  

 
If your car stopped running and the repair cost $450, what would you do?

If the answer is you'd find a way then do the same here.

If you'd, really, truly be destroyed by $450 expense it might be time to think about rehoming your dog.

 
[not a Vet]

our dog woke up one morning and did kind of a "drunk walk" with her back legs going out to do her business, and came back inside in great pain (panting heavily, crying out when we touched her side/back). took her to local ER Vet and they prescribed Gabapentin and Carprorfen...twice daily each...and then 6-8 weeks of strict crate rest as they suspected IVDD. we saw some improvements in the next 48 hours: not in pain, able to walk normally, etc. out of an abundance of caution we took her to see a neurologist who confirmed an IVDD diagnosis, and gave two options: continue the strict crate rest for a full 8 weeks, or MRI+Surgery to repair any slipped discs, etc. in her back. while we do have pet insurance, the $9k price tag was a bit of sticker shock so we went the conservative route. over the span of two months, she spent literally 23.5 hours a day in her pen/crate and we carried her outside to pee & poop and carried her back inside when finished. didn't allow her to walk more than 10' when outside. thankfully, she seems to have recovered (it's been about a month). 

maybe strict crate rest and the meds would be enough to get her through this episode? 

as others have already said: better to find a way to get diagnosis & treatment from a Vet, even with the out-of-pocket expense. GLGL

[/not a Vet] 

 
I called a clinic that was recommended to me and they can do the x rays for $140.00, maybe a little more if sedation is needed. What a crazy difference in  price. The x rays at my vet were going to $450.00. I found that when I called to confirm the $250.00 price. I asked if there were any other possible charges. She then tells me sedation is an extra $200. and that is the only way they do it. Just insane, I was at PACC today as well to see if they could help. When the people there hear what is being charged they all roll their eyes and stammer about it. I did receive help at PACC financially as I qualified for a program they have. Now the problem is that I cannot get him in until Aug 29. Since covid and all that came with it this is how it is all over town. The only vet you can see quickly is the ER vet and that will not go well. They did tell me to call every day around 2:00 to check for cancellations and I will do that.

Meanwhile the dog is in discomfort or pain? He struggles to get his back end up but he gets it there. If he is super struggling I lift him up. I may just do that everytime instead of letting him push it. I am not sure which is better. I have also put a call into our vet and requested more of the anti-inflammatory he did so well on. I am hoping she will show us some mercy and fill the script. If not I am pretty sure I could get this in Mexico with no rx.

 
I called a clinic that was recommended to me and they can do the x rays for $140.00, maybe a little more if sedation is needed. What a crazy difference in price. The x rays at my vet were going to $450.00. I found that when I called to confirm the $250.00 price. I asked if there were any other possible charges. She then tells me sedation is an extra $200. and that is the only way they do it. Just insane, I was at PACC today as well to see if they could help. When the people there hear what is being charged they all roll their eyes and stammer about it. I did receive help at PACC financially as I qualified for a program they have. Now the problem is that I cannot get him in until Aug 29. Since covid and all that came with it this is how it is all over town. The only vet you can see quickly is the ER vet and that will not go well. They did tell me to call every day around 2:00 to check for cancellations and I will do that.

Meanwhile the dog is in discomfort or pain? He struggles to get his back end up but he gets it there. If he is super struggling I lift him up. I may just do that everytime instead of letting him push it. I am not sure which is better. I have also put a call into our vet and requested more of the anti-inflammatory he did so well on. I am hoping she will show us some mercy and fill the script. If not I am pretty sure I could get this in Mexico with no rx.

I'm not sure why this popped up in a "similar thread" so I clicked on it and read it. Was curious if you had an update. I'm not a vet, but I work for a very large animal health company and am really in-tune with the industry.

A lot of folks are saying "if you can't get an appointment, get a new vet." It's not that easy everywhere - Vet staffing is WAY down. Clinic appointments are so back-logged. They can't get help to keep up with the historical pet ownership rates, much less the "Covid puppy boom" that drove pet ownership up so high...so it's not always easy to get an appointment - especially one at low cost.

@prosopis - any update on your dog's condition? I'm hoping they were able to find the root cause vs. just treating with anti-inflammatories via NSAIDS (Rimadyl, Gabapentin, etc.) or something like that. That's really only a temporary fix.
 
I called a clinic that was recommended to me and they can do the x rays for $140.00, maybe a little more if sedation is needed. What a crazy difference in price. The x rays at my vet were going to $450.00. I found that when I called to confirm the $250.00 price. I asked if there were any other possible charges. She then tells me sedation is an extra $200. and that is the only way they do it. Just insane, I was at PACC today as well to see if they could help. When the people there hear what is being charged they all roll their eyes and stammer about it. I did receive help at PACC financially as I qualified for a program they have. Now the problem is that I cannot get him in until Aug 29. Since covid and all that came with it this is how it is all over town. The only vet you can see quickly is the ER vet and that will not go well. They did tell me to call every day around 2:00 to check for cancellations and I will do that.

Meanwhile the dog is in discomfort or pain? He struggles to get his back end up but he gets it there. If he is super struggling I lift him up. I may just do that everytime instead of letting him push it. I am not sure which is better. I have also put a call into our vet and requested more of the anti-inflammatory he did so well on. I am hoping she will show us some mercy and fill the script. If not I am pretty sure I could get this in Mexico with no rx.

I'm not sure why this popped up in a "similar thread" so I clicked on it and read it. Was curious if you had an update. I'm not a vet, but I work for a very large animal health company and am really in-tune with the industry.

A lot of folks are saying "if you can't get an appointment, get a new vet." It's not that easy everywhere - Vet staffing is WAY down. Clinic appointments are so back-logged. They can't get help to keep up with the historical pet ownership rates, much less the "Covid puppy boom" that drove pet ownership up so high...so it's not always easy to get an appointment - especially one at low cost.

@prosopis - any update on your dog's condition? I'm hoping they were able to find the root cause vs. just treating with anti-inflammatories via NSAIDS (Rimadyl, Gabapentin, etc.) or something like that. That's really only a temporary fix.
I jst found this out for my dog. We are part of the dog hospital network (for better or worse) and its been tough getting apoointments
 
I jst found this out for my dog. We are part of the dog hospital network (for better or worse) and its been tough getting apoointments

Yeah - it's getting really bad. Pet ownership is at record highs, pet spend is at record highs....meanwhile vet visits are lower than this time last year due to supply.
 
A lot of folks are saying "if you can't get an appointment, get a new vet." It's not that easy everywhere - Vet staffing is WAY down. Clinic appointments are so back-logged. They can't get help to keep up with the historical pet ownership rates, much less the "Covid puppy boom" that drove pet ownership up so high...so it's not always easy to get an appointment - especially one at low cost.
We've also found this out sadly. One of our dogs has a growth on its upper gum that looks painful and our best appointment was 3 months off (finally coming up next month).

We also recently took in a foster from a bad situation. Dog has some serious dental issues. Quickest appointment isn't till December (!). My wife's called practically all over the state of NJ to get something sooner to no avail.
 
A lot of folks are saying "if you can't get an appointment, get a new vet." It's not that easy everywhere - Vet staffing is WAY down. Clinic appointments are so back-logged. They can't get help to keep up with the historical pet ownership rates, much less the "Covid puppy boom" that drove pet ownership up so high...so it's not always easy to get an appointment - especially one at low cost.
We've also found this out sadly. One of our dogs has a growth on its upper gum that looks painful and our best appointment was 3 months off (finally coming up next month).

We also recently took in a foster from a bad situation. Dog has some serious dental issues. Quickest appointment isn't till December (!). My wife's called practically all over the state of NJ to get something sooner to no avail.

Sounds like a good industry to get into.
 
I called a clinic that was recommended to me and they can do the x rays for $140.00, maybe a little more if sedation is needed. What a crazy difference in price. The x rays at my vet were going to $450.00. I found that when I called to confirm the $250.00 price. I asked if there were any other possible charges. She then tells me sedation is an extra $200. and that is the only way they do it. Just insane, I was at PACC today as well to see if they could help. When the people there hear what is being charged they all roll their eyes and stammer about it. I did receive help at PACC financially as I qualified for a program they have. Now the problem is that I cannot get him in until Aug 29. Since covid and all that came with it this is how it is all over town. The only vet you can see quickly is the ER vet and that will not go well. They did tell me to call every day around 2:00 to check for cancellations and I will do that.

Meanwhile the dog is in discomfort or pain? He struggles to get his back end up but he gets it there. If he is super struggling I lift him up. I may just do that everytime instead of letting him push it. I am not sure which is better. I have also put a call into our vet and requested more of the anti-inflammatory he did so well on. I am hoping she will show us some mercy and fill the script. If not I am pretty sure I could get this in Mexico with no rx.

I'm not sure why this popped up in a "similar thread" so I clicked on it and read it. Was curious if you had an update. I'm not a vet, but I work for a very large animal health company and am really in-tune with the industry.

A lot of folks are saying "if you can't get an appointment, get a new vet." It's not that easy everywhere - Vet staffing is WAY down. Clinic appointments are so back-logged. They can't get help to keep up with the historical pet ownership rates, much less the "Covid puppy boom" that drove pet ownership up so high...so it's not always easy to get an appointment - especially one at low cost.

@prosopis - any update on your dog's condition? I'm hoping they were able to find the root cause vs. just treating with anti-inflammatories via NSAIDS (Rimadyl, Gabapentin, etc.) or something like that. That's really only a temporary fix.
He was diagnosed with Valley Fever. He was put on fluconazole which is not cheap. I have an appt in Feb to recheck his titre. He has good days and bad days. I really thought he would be better by now. Its hard to get an answer on how long it takes for him to get better. I am currently looking into getting a passport card so I can get his fluconazole in Mexico.
 
I called a clinic that was recommended to me and they can do the x rays for $140.00, maybe a little more if sedation is needed. What a crazy difference in price. The x rays at my vet were going to $450.00. I found that when I called to confirm the $250.00 price. I asked if there were any other possible charges. She then tells me sedation is an extra $200. and that is the only way they do it. Just insane, I was at PACC today as well to see if they could help. When the people there hear what is being charged they all roll their eyes and stammer about it. I did receive help at PACC financially as I qualified for a program they have. Now the problem is that I cannot get him in until Aug 29. Since covid and all that came with it this is how it is all over town. The only vet you can see quickly is the ER vet and that will not go well. They did tell me to call every day around 2:00 to check for cancellations and I will do that.

Meanwhile the dog is in discomfort or pain? He struggles to get his back end up but he gets it there. If he is super struggling I lift him up. I may just do that everytime instead of letting him push it. I am not sure which is better. I have also put a call into our vet and requested more of the anti-inflammatory he did so well on. I am hoping she will show us some mercy and fill the script. If not I am pretty sure I could get this in Mexico with no rx.

I'm not sure why this popped up in a "similar thread" so I clicked on it and read it. Was curious if you had an update. I'm not a vet, but I work for a very large animal health company and am really in-tune with the industry.

A lot of folks are saying "if you can't get an appointment, get a new vet." It's not that easy everywhere - Vet staffing is WAY down. Clinic appointments are so back-logged. They can't get help to keep up with the historical pet ownership rates, much less the "Covid puppy boom" that drove pet ownership up so high...so it's not always easy to get an appointment - especially one at low cost.

@prosopis - any update on your dog's condition? I'm hoping they were able to find the root cause vs. just treating with anti-inflammatories via NSAIDS (Rimadyl, Gabapentin, etc.) or something like that. That's really only a temporary fix.
He was diagnosed with Valley Fever. He was put on fluconazole which is not cheap. I have an appt in Feb to recheck his titre. He has good days and bad days. I really thought he would be better by now. Its hard to get an answer on how long it takes for him to get better. I am currently looking into getting a passport card so I can get his fluconazole in Mexico.
Down in Mexico, really? That reminds me... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWcw4mo2ndg
 
I called a clinic that was recommended to me and they can do the x rays for $140.00, maybe a little more if sedation is needed. What a crazy difference in price. The x rays at my vet were going to $450.00. I found that when I called to confirm the $250.00 price. I asked if there were any other possible charges. She then tells me sedation is an extra $200. and that is the only way they do it. Just insane, I was at PACC today as well to see if they could help. When the people there hear what is being charged they all roll their eyes and stammer about it. I did receive help at PACC financially as I qualified for a program they have. Now the problem is that I cannot get him in until Aug 29. Since covid and all that came with it this is how it is all over town. The only vet you can see quickly is the ER vet and that will not go well. They did tell me to call every day around 2:00 to check for cancellations and I will do that.

Meanwhile the dog is in discomfort or pain? He struggles to get his back end up but he gets it there. If he is super struggling I lift him up. I may just do that everytime instead of letting him push it. I am not sure which is better. I have also put a call into our vet and requested more of the anti-inflammatory he did so well on. I am hoping she will show us some mercy and fill the script. If not I am pretty sure I could get this in Mexico with no rx.

I'm not sure why this popped up in a "similar thread" so I clicked on it and read it. Was curious if you had an update. I'm not a vet, but I work for a very large animal health company and am really in-tune with the industry.

A lot of folks are saying "if you can't get an appointment, get a new vet." It's not that easy everywhere - Vet staffing is WAY down. Clinic appointments are so back-logged. They can't get help to keep up with the historical pet ownership rates, much less the "Covid puppy boom" that drove pet ownership up so high...so it's not always easy to get an appointment - especially one at low cost.

@prosopis - any update on your dog's condition? I'm hoping they were able to find the root cause vs. just treating with anti-inflammatories via NSAIDS (Rimadyl, Gabapentin, etc.) or something like that. That's really only a temporary fix.
He was diagnosed with Valley Fever. He was put on fluconazole which is not cheap. I have an appt in Feb to recheck his titre. He has good days and bad days. I really thought he would be better by now. Its hard to get an answer on how long it takes for him to get better. I am currently looking into getting a passport card so I can get his fluconazole in Mexico.
Down in Mexico, really? That reminds me... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWcw4mo2ndg
That would be a bonus to my over the border mission.
 

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