Thanks again!
A thank you
Moderators: Pike Ridge Beagles, Aaron Bartlett
-
samlyn0001
- Posts: 265
- Joined: Wed Apr 30, 2003 7:42 am
- Location: New Hampshire
- Contact:
A thank you
Luvbeags I want to thank you for coming and posting under the beagle health site. It sure is nice to have someone from a vets office who can help us folks out from time to time. Just needed to let ya know.
Thanks again!
Thanks again!
Ridge Runner Beagles
http://www.geocities.com/samlyn0001
http://www.geocities.com/samlyn0001
Hey Samlyn, no problem. My boss HATES computers! He has had his practice since the sixties and even hates the computer we use for patient files!
I never claim to know it all, and even though I work behind the counter I HAVE been on the other side as well. (As the client)
How I got my job at the veterinary hospital was my Beagle was REALLY sick, he was only 13 months old, and I had just got him as a six month old. So, I was a new beagle owner.
He didn't want to eat one night, but I thought once not eating wasn't a big deal. When I went out to check on him early the next morning, he was in a seizure laying in a pool of vomit, poop, and urine in the corner of his kennel. At that time, we had him in an above ground kennel. I have NO idea how long he was in the seizure, he could have been having them all night...
I called my friend at 9 at the vets office and told her I have NO money but my dog was very ill. She had me bring him in, and the only way to try to save his life was to run tons of tests. You can NOT treat if you don't know what you are treating!
I agreed, thinking I would sell my car to save my dog.
The vet was easy on me, despite the fact I was willing to do everything to save my dog. (I think the vets KNEW he was dying, but they didn't want me to loose hope) so they did some preliminary tests and sent him home with me with an IV bag and a urine bag attached, and tons of medications. He never regained conciousness. We were told to take him to the local emergency if he got worse, but the endless seizures had fried his brain.(we didn't know that at the time, I just wanted him to live so bad)
He took a turn for the worse, but hubby and I knew he wouldn't even live long enough to make it to the emergency hospital, we knew the way he was breathing he was dying. Crying, we both held onto him as he passed away in our arms.
He was gone, and we still get a tear in our eyes to this day, he was a heck of a hunting dog, and a beloved pet, and a best friend to us and our lab.
But I wanted answers but couldn't afford it. The veterinary hospital got my OK to send his body off for an autopsy because of his sudden weird death. It cost a lot of money, but we did it. We never got a definative answer on his death, even with the autopsy, but I'm still glad we did it. They did find vestibular problems in his brain, and a few areas of malformations of the blood vessiles. A theory was he had pressure on his brain that controlled a major organ, like his liver or something, and so it caused the organ to not function properly allowing certain blood products to become toxic because they weren't filtered out. Another theory was an organ went bad, allowing the toxins to build up and that caused the seizures, but that wouldn't explain all the vestibular problems seen on his autopsy.
But, at least I knew he wasn't poisoned, contageous, and it wasn't hereditary (genetic)
Then, I still had the vet bill, even though I had no dog. I went to the vet to speak to him about the dogs death, and he jokingly said he would tell my friend (who worked for him) I could work off my bill. He was joking, but I took it serious, and applied for a job. The next week I started working nights cleaning poop and scrubbing. I worked off my vet bill, went through college, and I continue to work at the vet. My job to "get me through college" stuck. I have a degree in something kind of different (biology) but prefer to work with animals. The folks at this office touched my heart. I can only hope to do the same for our clients. Remember, I've been on that side of the counter too!
ps, my poop cleaning is now voluntary instead of mandatory!
I never claim to know it all, and even though I work behind the counter I HAVE been on the other side as well. (As the client)
How I got my job at the veterinary hospital was my Beagle was REALLY sick, he was only 13 months old, and I had just got him as a six month old. So, I was a new beagle owner.
He didn't want to eat one night, but I thought once not eating wasn't a big deal. When I went out to check on him early the next morning, he was in a seizure laying in a pool of vomit, poop, and urine in the corner of his kennel. At that time, we had him in an above ground kennel. I have NO idea how long he was in the seizure, he could have been having them all night...
I called my friend at 9 at the vets office and told her I have NO money but my dog was very ill. She had me bring him in, and the only way to try to save his life was to run tons of tests. You can NOT treat if you don't know what you are treating!
I agreed, thinking I would sell my car to save my dog.
The vet was easy on me, despite the fact I was willing to do everything to save my dog. (I think the vets KNEW he was dying, but they didn't want me to loose hope) so they did some preliminary tests and sent him home with me with an IV bag and a urine bag attached, and tons of medications. He never regained conciousness. We were told to take him to the local emergency if he got worse, but the endless seizures had fried his brain.(we didn't know that at the time, I just wanted him to live so bad)
He took a turn for the worse, but hubby and I knew he wouldn't even live long enough to make it to the emergency hospital, we knew the way he was breathing he was dying. Crying, we both held onto him as he passed away in our arms.
He was gone, and we still get a tear in our eyes to this day, he was a heck of a hunting dog, and a beloved pet, and a best friend to us and our lab.
But I wanted answers but couldn't afford it. The veterinary hospital got my OK to send his body off for an autopsy because of his sudden weird death. It cost a lot of money, but we did it. We never got a definative answer on his death, even with the autopsy, but I'm still glad we did it. They did find vestibular problems in his brain, and a few areas of malformations of the blood vessiles. A theory was he had pressure on his brain that controlled a major organ, like his liver or something, and so it caused the organ to not function properly allowing certain blood products to become toxic because they weren't filtered out. Another theory was an organ went bad, allowing the toxins to build up and that caused the seizures, but that wouldn't explain all the vestibular problems seen on his autopsy.
But, at least I knew he wasn't poisoned, contageous, and it wasn't hereditary (genetic)
Then, I still had the vet bill, even though I had no dog. I went to the vet to speak to him about the dogs death, and he jokingly said he would tell my friend (who worked for him) I could work off my bill. He was joking, but I took it serious, and applied for a job. The next week I started working nights cleaning poop and scrubbing. I worked off my vet bill, went through college, and I continue to work at the vet. My job to "get me through college" stuck. I have a degree in something kind of different (biology) but prefer to work with animals. The folks at this office touched my heart. I can only hope to do the same for our clients. Remember, I've been on that side of the counter too!
ps, my poop cleaning is now voluntary instead of mandatory!