Journey Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 with my 8 year old JRT (Jack Russell) female. It's about 89 degrees here right. Dog has been in the AC all day. My daughter just took her next door to a garage sale and she came back and said the dog passed out. She said dog was acting fine, she was doing this coughing thing that she does (kind of reminds me of an asthma kind of sound) then my daughter thought she was going to be okay, then all four legs stiffened up and her head just dropped and she fell over. Then my daughter picked her up (and the dog had diahrra) and was rubbing her throat and yelled for someone to bring some water. Another garage sale shopper put the dog in their car where it was cool, at this point she was starting to come around but not to her normal JRT self, then they brought her some water, which she didn't want so they put her in the garage on the cold concrete with wet towel over her and she seemed to be fine. All of this happened within about within 2-3 minutes. I checked her gums and they are pink. She's home now and is panting a little hard. She seems to be okay (she's playing with her ball right now but i"m not having her chase her ball). I'm wondering if she had a seizure. My daughter said when the dog passed out, it felt like her neck swelled for a second, which I'm not sure really happened). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotSoObvious Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 It sounds like a seizure to me. Although, was she on a leash? If she was making the choking sounds (my dog does this sometimes when she pulls on the leash), is it possible that your daughter was yanking too hard on the leash and deprived her of oxygen? That's the only other thing I can think of, although the diarrhea doesn't really fit. I'd be taking her to the vet, pronto. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journey Posted July 23, 2011 Author Share Posted July 23, 2011 It just so "happens" (God is so good) that we are going to look at a horse tonight that our vet has for sale so I am going to ask him about it then. I'm not sure what they can do to see if it was a seizure. I admit that I don't have thousands of dollars to find that out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Was she on a leash and collar? The coughing concerns me, there shouldn't be coughing all the time in a healthy dog. It could be a collapsing trachea, and if it shut down enough the lack of oxygen could cause the dog to pass out. Or it could be congestive heart failure. Or it could be just normal reverse sneezing, and it had nothing to do with anything, and it was a seizure. But coughing plus passing out to me, in a JRT, as a vet tech, says heart problem to me. There are GOOD meds for congestive heart failure, and they are not expensive. This should be checked out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 It just so "happens" (God is so good) that we are going to look at a horse tonight that our vet has for sale so I am going to ask him about it then. I'm not sure what they can do to see if it was a seizure. I admit that I don't have thousands of dollars to find that out. Um, I really hate to sound crass...but are you saying you have the money to buy a horse, but not the money for medical bills for the dog you already have? Besides, there really are not any tests done for seizures, other than bloodwork, so not a ton of expense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mooooom Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 if she does that all the time, it is probably what our trainer called backwards (or reverse) sneezing. You can google it - the first time I heard/saw it, I thought it was an asthma attack (I have a cat w/ asthma, I know what that looks like). It is supposed to be harmless, but maybe it could have contributed to lack of oxygen, if, for instance, her leash was also pulled tight at the same time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 maybe bloat, too much water and heat dont mix Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journey Posted July 23, 2011 Author Share Posted July 23, 2011 ktgrok...yes, that is exactly what I mean. I do not have thousands of dollars to spend on any of my animals. I am single mother and while my daughters and I love our animals very much, my daughters are very well aware that there is a limit to what I will pay if one of our animals encounters a very large vet bill. I am more concerned with feeding my children than having invasive tests done on one of our animals that may or may not show anything. Sorry if THAT sounds crass but that's the way it is in our home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2cents Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 Personally, I would have taken the dog right to the vet. Behavior like that is not at all normal (the passing out) and there is no way I would delay seeking medical intervention. My pets are like my children and I just couldn't wait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journey Posted July 24, 2011 Author Share Posted July 24, 2011 I talked to my vet tonight and we told him everything that happened and he didn't see the need to rush the dog to the emergency vet. He did say to bring her in sometime next week for blood tests. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 Was she on a leash and collar? The coughing concerns me, there shouldn't be coughing all the time in a healthy dog. It could be a collapsing trachea, and if it shut down enough the lack of oxygen could cause the dog to pass out. Or it could be congestive heart failure. Or it could be just normal reverse sneezing, and it had nothing to do with anything, and it was a seizure. But coughing plus passing out to me, in a JRT, as a vet tech, says heart problem to me. There are GOOD meds for congestive heart failure, and they are not expensive. This should be checked out. my rat terrier does this All The Time (the coughing) and she has since she was a pup. The vet explained the collapsing trachea to me but she couldn't find that on an X-ray. I don't know anything about seizures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 if she does that all the time, it is probably what our trainer called backwards (or reverse) sneezing. You can google it - the first time I heard/saw it, I thought it was an asthma attack (I have a cat w/ asthma, I know what that looks like). It is supposed to be harmless, but maybe it could have contributed to lack of oxygen, if, for instance, her leash was also pulled tight at the same time? I've seen you-tube vidoes of that and sometimes my dogs get that as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 I talked to my vet tonight and we told him everything that happened and he didn't see the need to rush the dog to the emergency vet. He did say to bring her in sometime next week for blood tests. I just wanted to add that while my dog does that "coughing" thing, and I do believe reverse sneezes also occur, I've never had a dog pass out on me. I'm having a hard time with ALL my animals, in the house AND out in the barn, in this heat. I'd say if it's extremely hot to only let your dog out to go to the bathroom. My rat terrier DID suffer a concussion when she hit the tailpipe on my parked Suburban while chasing a small animal, and I was shocked when I called the vet and she told me that yes, my dog's sticking out to the side like a kickstand was completely normal since she smacked her head. :lol::lol::lol:Wholdathunk that a dog's leg sticks out to it's side when it suffers a concussion? :lol::lol::lol: I think I had to change my pants after that call.:tongue_smilie: Sorry. I hope I made you at least smile.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 (edited) ktgrok...yes, that is exactly what I mean. I do not have thousands of dollars to spend on any of my animals. I am single mother and while my daughters and I love our animals very much, my daughters are very well aware that there is a limit to what I will pay if one of our animals encounters a very large vet bill. I am more concerned with feeding my children than having invasive tests done on one of our animals that may or may not show anything. Sorry if THAT sounds crass but that's the way it is in our home. I understand not having money for expensive vet bills. I very much do. I just didn't understand having thousands of dollars to buy a horse with then. If money is too tight to pay for the dog's vet bills, I don't understand how there is money to buy a horse, which is a huge expense. That is what I was trying to understand. i'm sure there is a logical explanation. How is the dog now? Acting normal? If there is loss of appetite, or any lack of energy, or exercise intolerance I'd hit the vet to have a listen to the heart, and palpate the trachea. If it is the trachea you can induce a cough by squeezing on the neck area gently. If it is the trachea causing the problem switching to a harness instead of a collar really is vital. I hope it is nothing serious! And I really don't think it will be horribly expensive. The blood tests look for liver issues, and maybe electrolyte imbalances, but the heart will probably just be listened to, and the trachea, like I said, can be palpated manually to elicit a cough. prayers for your pup. Edited July 24, 2011 by ktgrok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daisy Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 (edited) I understand not having money for expensive vet bills. I very much do. I just didn't understand having thousands of dollars to buy a horse with then. If money is too tight to pay for the dog's vet bills, I don't understand how there is money to buy a horse, which is a huge expense. That is all. She was just going to look at the horse. Maybe she has no intention of buying it and just wanted to take her kids to see the horse. Or maybe it is a work horse for their farm. Do we really have a clue? She mentioned it because it was the reason why she'd be seeing the vet tonight. I don't think we can assume by her post that she is planning on spending thousands of dollars on anything. We just know what she ISN'T going to spend thousands of dollars on. Edited July 24, 2011 by Daisy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MistyJ Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 : ( Sorry to hear. We just lost our JRT to suspected Valley Fever. We had spent about $400, we knew we were losing her, and the next step was hundreds of dollars more in diagnostic tests. Every family has to decide where to draw the line. We rescued her, gave her 4 good years, spent a *reasonable* amount, for us, well, too much for us actually, trying to save her. I think a family's decisions are very personal regarding how much to spend on an animal's care. I did read up on JRT's while she was sick, and they are prone to congestive heart failure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindyg Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 I had a beloved Sheltie (very heavy coat) get heat stroke once. It was very frightening. We're all blessed by air conditioning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 sounds heat related . . . might be seizure (not uncommon, and not necessarily an emergency if they are short lived) . . . might be heart related . . . I'd keep her cool, keep checking her gums, take her into an ER vet if anything else weird occurs . . . and take her to your regular vet Monday morning even if she's doing fine until then. Meanwhile, keep her cool and well hydrated until you have her checked out by the vet next week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer3141 Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 A dog who passed out on me would be a dog who visits the emergency vet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 She was just going to look at the horse. Maybe she has no intention of buying it and just wanted to take her kids to see the horse. Or maybe it is a work horse for their farm. Do we really have a clue? She mentioned it because it was the reason why she'd be seeing the vet tonight. I don't think we can assume by her post that she is planning on spending thousands of dollars on anything. We just know what she ISN'T going to spend thousands of dollars on. You are right. It was a knee jerk reaction, after spending so many many years in the veterinary field. I can't tell you how many times people couldn't afford much needed veterinary care for their pet because they were buying a new puppy. I became very much in favor of spending your money on the animals you already have, rather than spending it on purchasing new ones. This may not be the OP situation, and I apologize. I also think it is a moot point, because I don't think this situation will be thousands of dollars anyway. Hopefully it isn't something serious. And if the dog is breathing well, not coughing, and looks good the emergency vet really isn't needed. Nothing can be done over the weekend if it is seizures, and if it is the trachea keeping the dog off a collar will help. We never medicate for seizures unless there are multiple ones anyway. If they are less than one per month we usually avoid meds entirely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journey Posted July 24, 2011 Author Share Posted July 24, 2011 I want to try to answer some of the questions from some of you. tgrok...the horse we went to look at last night was not for us. It was for a friend who has a therapy riding program. My dog's vet just "happened" to be the one giving the horse away. I don't believe in conincidences and I believe the Lord had His hand on this situation with my dog to happen exactly when it happened. So, no that particular horse was not for us. Yes, we do have two horses. One was given to us about 6 years ago. We recently did purchase another one. We got him for a steal, way below what the seller was asking for him. I am the first one to admit that I spend alot of money on my animals, especially my horses, but my daughter is an excellent rider with a great deal of talent. She pays for her horse by herself, I support the older one. I do believe that this thing that happened with my dog (who by the way means more to me than anyone will ever know) is heat related as it happened a couple of years ago, also in the summer time. Even though this dog is very special to me (all of my animals are but this one has a special place in my heart) I simply cannot spend a great deal of money on them. If one of the horses colics, my girls know that I will not have him/her operated on. $5000 or more is money that I don't have. The Lord has graciously blessed us with our animals and I do and will continue to believe that He will sustain us/them. I will say that we have had some large animal vet bills that I did pay but I do have my limits. Tgrok, you know what's kind of ironic? When we went to look at that horse last night, owned by a vet, he was in horrendous condition. (let me say that I love this vet as a small animal vet, he is very thorough and knowledgable) but the horses on his property were in less than good condition. It was then that I commented to my daughter and friend....why is it that vets are the ones who seem to take the least care of their animals? This is not the first time I've seen veterinarian owned animals in pretty bad shape. In case anyone is wondering, we did end up taking this particular animal only because we felt sorry for him. He was grossly underweight, feet were miles too long and he has not had his shots in 3 years and who knows when the last time he was wormed. Very sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micheller1 Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 Just saying...discrepancies like this are why the OP was questioned in the first place. Regardless, glad the dog is ok. That's so rude - i spend a lot of money on my animals too but if faced with an extremely expensive surgery i'm not sure I could do it. I love love my animals but in the end, feeding my children and paying my bills are very impt as well. I think maybe we are attacking the OP for no reason and looking for reasons to find ill in what she says. I mean I think overall we understood her point. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vettechmomof2 Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 Tgrok, you know what's kind of ironic? When we went to look at that horse last night, owned by a vet, he was in horrendous condition. (let me say that I love this vet as a small animal vet, he is very thorough and knowledgable) but the horses on his property were in less than good condition. It was then that I commented to my daughter and friend....why is it that vets are the ones who seem to take the least care of their animals? This is not the first time I've seen veterinarian owned animals in pretty bad shape. In case anyone is wondering, we did end up taking this particular animal only because we felt sorry for him. He was grossly underweight, feet were miles too long and he has not had his shots in 3 years and who knows when the last time he was wormed. Very sad. This is rarely the case that I have seen. Most often veterinarians are left or have critters abandoned to them because others could not/did not want to keep them or care for them. Then vets and staff try to keep them going. (yes, sometimes for years)I have worked for many vets and have not seen a problem with their care of critters. I have many critters and provide wonderful mental health care as well as physical care. Every person has a different financial cost value,that I completely understand. I would recommend to follow up with this on your dog though because terriers are prone to congestive heart failure and the passing out is a common occurrance for that. If the heat by you is anything what is is by us right now then no walks except inthe early morning or late at night right now. Whether it will be a short walk or not. Remember that not only is the heat a potential problem the ground will be very hot and you could hurt the dogs feet quickly. Hope it all turns out well for you and that the new horse gets the care it needs at your friends. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarlaS Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 Just saying...discrepancies like this are why the OP was questioned in the first place. Regardless, glad the dog is ok. A lot of money (good quality kibble, heartworm meds...) and a great deal of money ($5000 unexpected surgery) can be two very different things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journey Posted July 24, 2011 Author Share Posted July 24, 2011 I'm not sure why I keep commenting on my own posts especially to those of you who think I'm not fit to own animals. I guess it's because I know me, I know my animals and I know my financial limits. I have seen far too many cases where people decide to spend all of their money on their animals and either they or their families or homes suffer from it. IE...these people, kids, homes are dirty and smelly....but their animals are taken care of, sort of. I don't agree with that. If any of you saw my animals you would see that all of them big and small are very well taken care of. None of them want for anything. I try to spend my money (for them) on things that will benefit them. IE...we just spent over $1000 for a saddle for our new horse because the old one didn't fit him properly. Now I know there are people that wouldn't go to that length and they would put any saddle on their horse and be fine with it...BUT...to try to alleviate any future back issues for our horse, I am willing to spend a great deal of money up front. The grain that our horses are on is very expensive, but I use this grain because it has all of the nutrients they need to sustain and gain and stay healthy. Everyone gets their Spring and Fall shots, teeth done annually, feet done every 5-6 weeks, wormed regularly, dogs get their shots when they need them....so you see....I take very, very good care of my animals on a day to day basis, which is much more than I can say for alot of people. I'm sorry if some of you don't think my priorities are where you would like them but I'm pretty fine with my decisions. Oh and my kids are well fed too, because that's pretty important to me as well. So, for those of you who understand where I am coming from and who feel the need to stick up for me, I greatly, very much appreciate it, I am grateful to you that you get it. Oh, I forgot to add....that with this heat, my horses each have two fans in their stalls and they are brought in when the weather is too hot, they are hosed down several times a day, we have a huge sprinkler in our pasture, their water buckets and troughs are filled with cold water all day long....does that make me a better pet owner in your eyes?:rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 Every person has a different financial cost value,that I completely understand. I would recommend to follow up with this on your dog though because terriers are prone to congestive heart failure and the passing out is a common occurrance for that. If the heat by you is anything what is is by us right now then no walks except inthe early morning or late at night right now. Whether it will be a short walk or not. Remember that not only is the heat a potential problem the ground will be very hot and you could hurt the dogs feet quickly. Hope it all turns out well for you and that the new horse gets the care it needs at your friends. :) this is true about the heart. My rat terrier is on medication. If your vet wants to do an echocardiogram, that will be expensive, I think 300-400, but the heart medications are cheap, cheap, cheap. If you can plan in advance, they likely will track the progress of the heart disease, should your dog have it, with annual echocardiograms. At least I know to prepare for this and time it right so that it's not when we have the annual barn call or the annual dog/cat vaccinations. It is well worth the money and a very cheap fix aside from the echo. I was told that exertion could cause my dog to pass out for a short time. I'm really wondering if your dog does have a heart issue. Even if the exertion was just excessive panting due to the heat. Your vet will know if it's the heart just by listening to the heart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journey Posted July 24, 2011 Author Share Posted July 24, 2011 Denise thank you for your post. Believe it or not, I am always worried about my dog's heart. My daughter has a mild heart condition and my mom has heart issues so it is a huge concern for my family and my dog (this particular dog) because she always wants to run, run, run. She LOVES rocks and balls and always wants me to throw them for her. She runs so fast and it always worries me, so we totally tone it down especially in this heat. Like right now, we're in the house and it's cooler today but she has her dadbern ball and wants me to throw in constantly! Her dad died of a heart attack but her mom (we rescued them) is 14 and in better shape than you and me! So, I will talk to my vet about the echo and listen to what he has to say. When we were talking last night, he didn't mention anything about her heart, it was more of an epilepsy thing he was concerned about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 I'm not sure why I keep commenting on my own posts especially to those of you who think I'm not fit to own animals. I guess it's because I know me, I know my animals and I know my financial limits. I have seen far too many cases where people decide to spend all of their money on their animals and either they or their families or homes suffer from it. IE...these people, kids, homes are dirty and smelly....but their animals are taken care of, sort of. I don't agree with that. If any of you saw my animals you would see that all of them big and small are very well taken care of. None of them want for anything. I try to spend my money (for them) on things that will benefit them. IE...we just spent over $1000 for a saddle for our new horse because the old one didn't fit him properly. Now I know there are people that wouldn't go to that length and they would put any saddle on their horse and be fine with it...BUT...to try to alleviate any future back issues for our horse, I am willing to spend a great deal of money up front. The grain that our horses are on is very expensive, but I use this grain because it has all of the nutrients they need to sustain and gain and stay healthy. Everyone gets their Spring and Fall shots, teeth done annually, feet done every 5-6 weeks, wormed regularly, dogs get their shots when they need them....so you see....I take very, very good care of my animals on a day to day basis, which is much more than I can say for alot of people. I'm sorry if some of you don't think my priorities are where you would like them but I'm pretty fine with my decisions. Oh and my kids are well fed too, because that's pretty important to me as well. So, for those of you who understand where I am coming from and who feel the need to stick up for me, I greatly, very much appreciate it, I am grateful to you that you get it. Oh, I forgot to add....that with this heat, my horses each have two fans in their stalls and they are brought in when the weather is too hot, they are hosed down several times a day, we have a huge sprinkler in our pasture, their water buckets and troughs are filled with cold water all day long....does that make me a better pet owner in your eyes?:rolleyes: I just want to make clear, I admitted I had a knee jerk reaction, and that I didn't know all the details, and apologized. It was me jumping to the conclusion that you couldn't afford a vet bill (any vet bill) for this animal, at the same time saying you were going to buy a new animal. I'm glad I misunderstood, and it was that you would provide reasonable bills/money for the dog, and were not purchasing another animal. It was my fault for assuming. I have experience seeing many many many people that can't afford the shots or basic emergency visits for their pets, but keep buying/aquiring new ones at the same time. I lumped you in with that group of people, and the information you provided now shows you are very much NOT in that category. I truly apologize, and will try not to jump to conclusions like that again. You sound like a very good pet owner, and I'd be happy to know you as a friend or as a client. I hope your JRT turns out to be fine, I'll say a prayer for him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 this is true about the heart. My rat terrier is on medication. If your vet wants to do an echocardiogram, that will be expensive, I think 300-400, but the heart medications are cheap, cheap, cheap. If you can plan in advance, they likely will track the progress of the heart disease, should your dog have it, with annual echocardiograms. At least I know to prepare for this and time it right so that it's not when we have the annual barn call or the annual dog/cat vaccinations. It is well worth the money and a very cheap fix aside from the echo. I was told that exertion could cause my dog to pass out for a short time. I'm really wondering if your dog does have a heart issue. Even if the exertion was just excessive panting due to the heat. Your vet will know if it's the heart just by listening to the heart. I also want to say, that although an echocardiogram is the best choice, if one can't afford it, or doesn't have access, heart failure can be very well managed with just the meds and yearly x-rays. The x-ray is no where near as good as the echocardiogram, but a good vet can manage, and can keep the dog on the right level of drugs. Dogs do very well on them, and as others have said, JRT's are prone to heart issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 That's so rude - i spend a lot of money on my animals too but if faced with an extremely expensive surgery i'm not sure I could do it. I love love my animals but in the end, feeding my children and paying my bills are very impt as well. I think maybe we are attacking the OP for no reason and looking for reasons to find ill in what she says. I mean I think overall we understood her point. :glare: I think the confusion, on my part at least, was that it sounded like she was saying she couldn't afford a massive bill for this animal, while also saying she had the expendable income to buy a horse, all at the same time. There are many of us that would feel the moral choice was to make sure you can afford the medical care of your current animals before taking on the financial burden of additional animals. I think that is fairly reasonable. However, the OP has clarified that that wasn't the situation at all, and I apologized for misunderstanding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 I also want to say, that although an echocardiogram is the best choice, if one can't afford it, or doesn't have access, heart failure can be very well managed with just the meds and yearly x-rays. The x-ray is no where near as good as the echocardiogram, but a good vet can manage, and can keep the dog on the right level of drugs. Dogs do very well on them, and as others have said, JRT's are prone to heart issues. of course I was never told of that option. I would tend to opt for that since there has been NO change in the past year while on the medication and the heart still sounds the same - AWFUL. I tend to find only vets that want to take you for everything that you can. I only have ONE vet willing to work with me and accept that I do all vaccinations that I can. And they're ok with it. I've lost multiple thousands of dollars due to vet's greed. Sorry. This angers me. I never knew that about the x-ray, and the vet is definitely one to have you do everything under the sun and pay thousands of dollars and if you don't, you shouldn't own the animal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted July 24, 2011 Share Posted July 24, 2011 of course I was never told of that option. I would tend to opt for that since there has been NO change in the past year while on the medication and the heart still sounds the same - AWFUL. I tend to find only vets that want to take you for everything that you can. I only have ONE vet willing to work with me and accept that I do all vaccinations that I can. And they're ok with it. I've lost multiple thousands of dollars due to vet's greed. Sorry. This angers me. I never knew that about the x-ray, and the vet is definitely one to have you do everything under the sun and pay thousands of dollars and if you don't, you shouldn't own the animal. I'm so sorry. The "standard of care" is the echocardiogram. It really is much better, and gives you a real view of what is going on with the heart. The x-ray is no where near as good...it can tell you if the heart is enlarged, and there are some measurements you can take, but you can't tell which area of the heart, or if there is a valve problem, or how well the heart is pumping. So the test that is recommended is an echo. However, there are vets that will give you your options. I happen to work with a few, one in particular actually, who will say listen, I'd advise an echo because of blah blah blah. Now, we could do an x-ray, if you can't do the echo, and it won't give us as much info, but it's a start. And he would also say, if you can't do even the x-rays lets try some blood pressure meds and see if it helps, because it won't hurt. And he will treat symptomatically. The problem is that a vet can be sued for not adhering to "standard of care". If your dog dies, and he didn't do an echo, he could be sued, even if the client didn't want the echo. Also, they are trained not to "xray the wallet", in other words, to treat all clients alike and offer the best care available, otherwise they are doing a disservice to the person that does want the echo. It gets messy, and a lot of vets really stumble in this area, and not on purpose and not out of greed. It really is out of wanting the best for the animal. At least that has been true with the vets I have known. They also, on the other hand, have to make a living, have to pay their staff (who work for CRAP wages), and have a very high overhead...much much much higher than a human doctor's office. (human doctors don't keep the same level of diagnostic and surgical equipment in their office, they script out diagnostics and perform surgery at a hospital). So it's complex. Please don't feel you wasted the money. It gave you the best information possible. However, if you can't afford it, then tell the vet that. You should be able to keep on the meds without the echo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vettechmomof2 Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 I'm so sorry. The "standard of care" is the echocardiogram. It really is much better, and gives you a real view of what is going on with the heart. The x-ray is no where near as good...it can tell you if the heart is enlarged, and there are some measurements you can take, but you can't tell which area of the heart, or if there is a valve problem, or how well the heart is pumping. So the test that is recommended is an echo. However, there are vets that will give you your options. I happen to work with a few, one in particular actually, who will say listen, I'd advise an echo because of blah blah blah. Now, we could do an x-ray, if you can't do the echo, and it won't give us as much info, but it's a start. And he would also say, if you can't do even the x-rays lets try some blood pressure meds and see if it helps, because it won't hurt. And he will treat symptomatically. The problem is that a vet can be sued for not adhering to "standard of care". If your dog dies, and he didn't do an echo, he could be sued, even if the client didn't want the echo. Also, they are trained not to "xray the wallet", in other words, to treat all clients alike and offer the best care available, otherwise they are doing a disservice to the person that does want the echo. It gets messy, and a lot of vets really stumble in this area, and not on purpose and not out of greed. It really is out of wanting the best for the animal. At least that has been true with the vets I have known. They also, on the other hand, have to make a living, have to pay their staff (who work for CRAP wages), and have a very high overhead...much much much higher than a human doctor's office. (human doctors don't keep the same level of diagnostic and surgical equipment in their office, they script out diagnostics and perform surgery at a hospital). So it's complex. Please don't feel you wasted the money. It gave you the best information possible. However, if you can't afford it, then tell the vet that. You should be able to keep on the meds without the echo. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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