Doggie parents whose furkids have hind leg problems?

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  • LaComadreja14
    LaComadreja14 Posts: 277 Member
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    I don't think it is fair for you to call people who are concerned about the welfare of your pet "mean".

    I'm glad that there are people who are making you feel better, but my opinion is not likely to change.
    My opinion is your dog deserves a better owner. Yes, pets are expensive. But they are not a right. In a way, they are like infants...not quite capable of giving themselves the proper care they need when something goes really wrong. They need us to do that. I would go into debt for my pets. If your credit is such that you can't even do that, this dog needs a better owner.

    Thank you so much for explaining that to me, because I am too much of an idiot to know that my pets can't take care of themselves. I am taking him to the vet tomorrow. I have been operating under a vets advice since it happened- what part of that arent you people getting?
  • LaComadreja14
    LaComadreja14 Posts: 277 Member
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    Wow, normally I do not respond when things seem to heat up, but really? I don't think anyone was rude, or in any way trying to make you feel like a "bad mom"...I think everyone offered the best advice that they could, but since we are not vets, we all advised that I vet would be the best option.....
    I did see that you were taking him to a vet, and I do understand that sometimes things just prevent us from being able to do what we really need to do. Luckily I have a vet that is open on Saturdays. and we also have an emergency vet, even though its quite expensive. Please do not take our suggestions as an attack on you, as you could see, most that have responded are animal lovers, and would only want your little guy to be better......

    Someone telling me "just don't" in refrence to having children isnt rude? Yea thats pretty rude, IMO.

    We have an emergancy vet and they want $335 just to walk into the exam room. I cant afford it.

    If I knew I was inviting a *kitten* storm I wouldn't have even posted in the first place


    Then call in sick to work and take him to the vet,are you at home now or posting from work.Because IMO if you have the time to keep this thread going for the past hour you can take an extra hour on lunch and take your dog to the vet

    I am at work, posting between patients. I cant just leave work because I don't have a patient this instant, there are rules to fallow and a patient could come in at any second needing his/her blood drawn. So as much as I want to go, I can't- the whole point of making the thread in the first place was in hopes to find people to keep me calm while I am sitting here cursing the fact that I am not at the vet. I am here when I should be there and if I could be there, I would be there.. and if I don't talk about it with someone, I sit here waiting for a patient and I just keep going over the what - if's and driving my self nuts about the entire situation.
  • Qarol
    Qarol Posts: 6,171 Member
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    Thank you so much for explaining that to me, because I am too much of an idiot to know that my pets can't take care of themselves. I am taking him to the vet tomorrow. I have been operating under a vets advice since it happened- what part of that arent you people getting?
    Oh, we get that. What we don't get is he's been in pain for two days, going on three. What we don't get is why you try to justify that your reasons are good enough. After my dog's back surgery, nothing seems expensive anymore, especially your $335 ER charge. And that kind of debt is absolutely worth it to me.

    Your vet is giving you advice based on the fact that you won't bring him in (yet). I bet the vet is secretly hoping you would have brought him in sooner, like two days ago.
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
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    Thank you so much for explaining that to me, because I am too much of an idiot to know that my pets can't take care of themselves. I am taking him to the vet tomorrow. I have been operating under a vets advice since it happened- what part of that arent you people getting?
    Oh, we get that. What we don't get is he's been in pain for two days, going on three. What we don't get is why you try to justify that your reasons are good enough. After my dog's back surgery, nothing seems expensive anymore, especially your $335 ER charge. And that kind of debt is absolutely worth it to me.

    Your vet is giving you advice based on the fact that you won't bring him in (yet). I bet the vet is secretly hoping you would have brought him in sooner, like two days ago.

    Exactly this.
  • LaComadreja14
    LaComadreja14 Posts: 277 Member
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    If you just want peace of mind, call your vet on the issue. They'll know his history and may be able to suggest or prescribe some medication that will work better than the medication you have until you get him in.

    If you can't take a day off, take a few hours off. Or take him during lunch.

    Also look into carecredit.com - it's a low interest credit card for medical emergencies for people and animals.

    I already have and I am doing what I have been told, by them, to do- yet I am getting told that I don't deserve to have my baby... because I am doing what my vet said to do. My first opportunity is to take a few hours off tomorrow because I have patients schedualed in the AM not in the after noon and the doctor doesnt see patients tomorrow. I have to ask her and if she says yes- I just have to get my boss to clear it. She has been in with patients all day, so I havent been able to ask her yet.
    I will go check out creditcare.com- thank you.
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
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  • LaComadreja14
    LaComadreja14 Posts: 277 Member
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    I had the same problem last month with my puppy lilly she is a pug cross.
    I contacted the vet and was told to rest her for two days if she wasn,t any better to take her to the vet which i did the vet thought she may of broken her leg after sedation and x-rays they found nothing wrong but they think she had ligament damage they gave her antiflamatrys and after one dose she was back to normal.:0)
    Just a thought to as you said fiancees are difficult have you thought about getting pet insurance?
    I,m currently paying 20 pound a month on pet insurance to cover vet bills when i need them thats for lilly the dog and phoenix the cat.
    Its worth while as this cover covers me for 75 pound excess fee and the rest the insurance pays out for up to 4000 a year.
    Hope this helps i feel for you as i know how heartbreaking it is to see your baby,s in pain.

    Thank you so much, I am considering pet insurance actually. I am trying to find the best one, which one do you have?


    I have a trail of pet insurance from AKC, if your little guy is registered with them, you might want to check into it...once the trial runs out for Freya, I plan to at least get her the wellness plan, which would cover any accidents and illnesses, and there is only a $100 deductible....♥


    He is CKC registered, I didn't even know that the AKC had pet insurance- I wonder if the CKC does. I am going to have to look into that, thank you.
    I like the sound of "covers any accidents and illness" with only $100 deductible- thats really nice. Good to know, thank you :)


    Hows pet insurance going to help you if you dont even have the time to get him to the vet?

    I am trying to get a half a day off tomorrow to go to the vet
  • LaComadreja14
    LaComadreja14 Posts: 277 Member
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    Yep, and they have all kinds of plans, the wellness plan is the cheapest, I think its around $30 monthly, but when you look at how much one vet bill could be, its totally worth it....

    Wow $30 actually isn't bad at all
  • LaComadreja14
    LaComadreja14 Posts: 277 Member
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    He is CKC registered, I didn't even know that the AKC had pet insurance- I wonder if the CKC does. I am going to have to look into that, thank you.
    I like the sound of "covers any accidents and illness" with only $100 deductible- thats really nice. Good to know, thank you :)

    There's two CKC's. The Canadian Kennel Club that's a real registry, and the Continental Kennel Club that's pretty much a puppy mill only registry and worth about as much as the newspaper you'd use to potty train a puppy. :frown:


    He is Continental Kennel Club and I didn't know that about them, actually. My grand father got him for me when I graduated high school. I met the breeder by chance (at petsmart, she recognized him) about 6 months after I got him.. she didn't seem like the puppy mill type but I guess you never know...
  • LaComadreja14
    LaComadreja14 Posts: 277 Member
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    My dog, Tequila, is a five year old male chihuahua who has never had hind leg problems before in his life, my grand father got him for me when I graduated high school, he was 4 months old at the time so I know his full history. He is about 9lbs and mostly muscle.

    Sunday when I took him out to potty at 11:30a he was fine. All day he was normal, didn't hurt himself or anything but when I went to take him out around 2:30p he sat up but couldn't walk. At that point I couldn't really tell if it was his back, hips or legs that were bothering him. I went to pick him up and he started crying, long story short I had to hand feed and water him. I gave him 1/4th a pill of tramadol (I checked to make sure it wasnt expired) that I have from when he hurt his front paw + a glucosamine treat and he was able to move around a bit but not 100%. I gave another 1/4th tramadol and glucosamine treat in the am (12 hr intervals) yesterday and he was pretty much himself when I got home from work. I went to get some groceries and hit traffic so I was about 13 mins late to give him his next tramadol and he had regressed pretty badly, again barely able to walk. Even after I gave him the tramadol, it appears that it's worse at night than during the day, though with how he was acting last night I have pretty much pin-pointed the source of pain to be his hind left leg. He is eager to eat/drink and when he has his tramadol and has been walking around outside for about a minute he seems more reluctant to stop, but I guess he knows his bounderies because he will head to the stairs. Stubborn thing doesn't want to be carried up them, he wants to do it himself and will try to do it faster (which hurts him) when I try to pick him up near the stairs.

    I can't wait to get him into the vet and see whats going on but I need some peice of mind.. someone to talk to about it I guess..... Given his age + lack of injury to hind legs I seriously doubt its athritis. Given his breed (CKC registered Chihuahua) my first assumption was luxating patella but symtoms don't seem to fit, he has never stuck his leg out straight behind him nor had a limp and the pain *seems* to be located more toward the hip than the knee cap- however his knee cap kept cracking last night whenever he tried to move around. When the pain is in full swing, he simply will not move because when pain is in full swing and he attempts to move it hurts him like hell and when I try to pick him up it hurts him, he crys and crys when he moves on his own or is moved. When he sits down he either sits pretty much directly ontop of his hind left thigh (when tremedol is wearing off) OR when tremedol is in full swing, he sits with his legs set much wider than before (to my understanding this is indicitive of hip dysplasia) and I looked up videos to see how dogs walk with luxating patella and not one looked at all like how hes moving around when he is able to..... but when I watched a video of a dachshund with hip dysplasia it looks exactly how he walks around.

    So I was wondering if anyone has any words of support/advice ... information..... things I should mention to the vet or look for.. (I already checked his paws by putting them knuckle down when hes standing and he corrects them immediately) anything on hind leg problems/ living with luxating patella/ living with hip dysplasia... pictures of your pets who have hip problems/ luxating patella/ hip dysplasia


    Thank you so much,
    Bella & Tequila

    My granddog Lulu .. a toy chihuahua was diagnosed with degenerative disks just this summer. She's 3 yrs old. She too was having some issues with inexplicable yelping, for seemingly no reason at all. Sometimes all you would have to do is walk into the room and she would yelp. She was prescribed some medication (I can't remember what it was), and has been fine since. The vet said although uncommon in such a small dog that has never experienced a back injury, it is not unheard of, and further thought it may be genetic.

    There are all kinds of neurological diseases, syndromes and conditions .. to many to rule out on an internet forum. A veterinarian is the only one that can get to the bottom of this.

    On the yelping- He isnt *that* bad, thank goodness... but I will definately write that down and talk to the vet about it.
  • sitstaygimmeeakiss
    sitstaygimmeeakiss Posts: 130 Member
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    He hasn't been to the vet because I can't get off of work- I have vacation/sick time but know one knows how to use the system in my office and my boss hasn't sent anyone to learn yet, therefore I haven't even been able to get off for anything. Not to mention, I can't afford it this very moment, a series of emergancies (car problems on my car and fiancee's + finacee had to go to hospital w/o insurance) wiped out my savings account.

    Since I already have pain meds I was advised to just give him the pain meds until I can get him to the vet, since I only have two left I will most likely beg the doctor whose office I work in to let me go tommorrow since she doesn't see patients wednesday, only I do and usually only in the AM. I just needed some support and some people to talk to- some kind of explination that can ease my mind till then. Guess I looked in the wrong place- awesome guys thank you so much for trying to make me feel like a bad mom when I am doing the absolute best I can. I wouldn't be giving him tramadol w/o being advised to because its a powerful drug and I don't feel comfortable making that kinda call on my own.
    He can walk with tramadol, when it is putting out full affect- he walks almost 100% fine (he is a funny boy who likes to stand on his hind legs a lot, even with pain meds he isn't doing that so its not 100% affective, but it certainly helps). He isn't paralyzed just in pain. Like I said, I can't wait to get him to the vet- which means that I am taking him to the vet, not ignoring it hoping it gets better.

    I have two dogs (both now on the older side of life), both rescue dogs. My oldest & biggest passed away about a year ago (- and I still miss my Shiloh :(. Well, while my littlest is most likely either a long-haired chihuahua - or a papillion, or mix - I haven't had experience with this particular problem.

    What I do have is plenty of experience in not having the money for vet visits, and the stress it caused my dog(s) - and, of course, me. No one can fully understand unless they've been there. Things change - when I got my dogs my money situation (or lack of) wasn't like it is now.

    Vets (at least ALL in this area where I am) require payment up front. Not everyone has charge cards or the ability to put money aside for an emergency, (more so now w/this economy - I was ahead of the game a LONG time ago!) My oldest suffered for the longest time because I just didn't have the money for a vet visit. (I resolved the problem later by just making the appt & dealing with it after - that's all I could do for my dog!)

    I *will* include your little guy in my prayers, though. Prayer works - and I have a long history of successful prayer outcomes for my animal companions!! :happy: :) Boy, I could tell you stories, including about my lost cat way back when my now-adult kids were teeny!

    Hope all will be well for your little guy!!
  • sonjavon
    sonjavon Posts: 1,019 Member
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    Sorry to hear that your little guy is hurting. What you're describing sounds a lot like the hip dysplasia that one of my foster dogs had - he was a pekingnese. We put him on Rimadyl and Tramadol - then started him on Missing Link, a supplement for joints. After about a month we were able to wean him off of the Rimadyl and Tramadol completely and he did great on the Missing Link.

    Obviously you know that he needs to see the vet and I'm sure you'll get him there as soon as you can. I have 3 dogs of my own and foster for a local rescue. I AM the person who sacrifices everything for my dogs (and everyone elses too...). That being said, I don't think that waiting a couple of days is going to kill your dog. I have another foster dog who ruptured her CCL in her knee - even AFTER getting the diagnosis - we still had to wait for a week to have her seen. We kept her on pain meds and calm until she could have the surgery. Keep your dog as comfortable as possible and don't allow him to jump or go up and down the stairs.... even if that means crating him. You don't want to make a bad situation, worse. On the plus side -in the event that this is simply a soft tissue injury - the rest will help and you might see an improvement even before getting him to the vet.

    Keep in contact with your vet and let them know if there are any major changes. Also, I would recommend looking into Care Credit... it's an awesome way to help make sure that money is available for any health emergencies (animal or human).

    Take care, good luck and keep us posted.

    That is such a relief to hear, I was under the impression that if it is hip dysplasia he would have to be on meds forever. I hope that IF it is hip dysplasia we can get him to that point to. You have no idea how much better that makes me feel, omg. Also, I want to thank you for your understanding. A long with our finanical issues, I co-run a ferret foster group and I feel bad because I haven't been able to help the other founder as much as I would like to. I just can't wait for our finances to get back in order.

    Tequila is a big one for ripping up his beds, the more he likes a bed- the worse shape it ends up in. Luckily I have a few of his old ones in a closet and so he has 4 beds (and his favorite of my pillows) strewn around the living room to snuggle up with when I'm not home (I am hoping it keeps him more interested in laying down than attempting to jump on the couch if he feels up to it at any point). When I am home, even when he wants to be moving around- I try to keep him in one spot as much as possible because I don't want things to get worse... and luckily, even with meds in full swing he hasn't tried to jump onto anything or climb anything.... yet. (or rip up any beds for that matter) He trys to stand on his hind legs still but almost always decides its a better idea not to. When he does achieve it, I put his paws back on the ground- he doesn't need anymore strain on his back muscles.

    I think I looked into care credit before (it was some kind of credit card the emergancy office was offering) but the intrest rate seemed scary to me... if push comes to shove- I will do it, I just hope push doesnt have to come to shove. Thank you again for your advice and understanding

    Care Credit actually has a low interest rate. We are looking into it ourselves... we have the dogs and a 13 year old (very active, injury prone) son - it just seems like a good idea. LOL

    Some dogs DO need to be on meds forever with hip dysplasia - in this guys case his liver values began reading very high due to the Rimadyl - so we decided to try him on lesser and lesser doses and before long... tried him without it. It was an awesome outcome.

    Do you have a heating pad? You might try setting it to low (when you're around) and letting Tequila rest on it - the heat might help it feel better.

    Being in rescue, I have seen what the economy is doing to people and their pets. It's easy to tell someone to find a new home for their pet if they can't afford to take care of it - it's a lot harder to actually find a suitable home for a pet.

    Oh... and I'll tell you this... I've had my 13 year old son back and forth to an Orthopedic Surgeon since July... he tore the collateral ligaments in a finger during baseball season and has REinjured it no less than 5 times since. Everytime we THINK it's healed... something else happens. After the last time of going to the ER and then showing back up at the surgeons office he looked at me and said, "OK mom, I need to give you some advice... save yourself some money... stop going to the ER when he injures this finger. Unless he's bleeding - it's not necessary to go to the ER. Call me, we'll get him in within a few days and it'll be ok. Most of the time what people consider an emergency rarely is..." SO - if an Orthopedic Surgeon doesn't think it's imperative for me to run to the ER when my son reinjures his finger and can't straighten it .... it's probably not necessary to run to the ER vet when your dog starts limping and is in pain. I take my dogs to the ER vet ONLY if it's obvious that he needs immediate help (like when a foster dog bit part of my dogs ear off...).

    It's hard to watch our pets (or kids) in pain... but we all have to do the best we can and I believe that you are.
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
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    He hasn't been to the vet because I can't get off of work- I have vacation/sick time but know one knows how to use the system in my office and my boss hasn't sent anyone to learn yet, therefore I haven't even been able to get off for anything. Not to mention, I can't afford it this very moment, a series of emergancies (car problems on my car and fiancee's + finacee had to go to hospital w/o insurance) wiped out my savings account.

    Since I already have pain meds I was advised to just give him the pain meds until I can get him to the vet, since I only have two left I will most likely beg the doctor whose office I work in to let me go tommorrow since she doesn't see patients wednesday, only I do and usually only in the AM. I just needed some support and some people to talk to- some kind of explination that can ease my mind till then. Guess I looked in the wrong place- awesome guys thank you so much for trying to make me feel like a bad mom when I am doing the absolute best I can. I wouldn't be giving him tramadol w/o being advised to because its a powerful drug and I don't feel comfortable making that kinda call on my own.
    He can walk with tramadol, when it is putting out full affect- he walks almost 100% fine (he is a funny boy who likes to stand on his hind legs a lot, even with pain meds he isn't doing that so its not 100% affective, but it certainly helps). He isn't paralyzed just in pain. Like I said, I can't wait to get him to the vet- which means that I am taking him to the vet, not ignoring it hoping it gets better.

    I have two dogs (both now on the older side of life), both rescue dogs. My oldest & biggest passed away about a year ago (- and I still miss my Shiloh :(. Well, while my littlest is most likely either a long-haired chihuahua - or a papillion, or mix - I haven't had experience with this particular problem.

    What I do have is plenty of experience in not having the money for vet visits, and the stress it caused my dog(s) - and, of course, me. No one can fully understand unless they've been there. Things change - when I got my dogs my money situation (or lack of) wasn't like it is now.

    Vets (at least ALL in this area where I am) require payment up front. Not everyone has charge cards or the ability to put money aside for an emergency, (more so now w/this economy - I was ahead of the game a LONG time ago!) My oldest suffered for the longest time because I just didn't have the money for a vet visit. (I resolved the problem later by just making the appt & dealing with it after - that's all I could do for my dog!)

    I *will* include your little guy in my prayers, though. Prayer works - and I have a long history of successful prayer outcomes for my animal companions!! :happy: :) Boy, I could tell you stories, including about my lost cat way back when my now-adult kids were teeny!

    Hope all will be well for your little guy!!

    If she couldn't afford it yesterday, how will she afford it tomorrow? I understand what you are saying, but I don't quite understand how it applies in this case.
  • rbryntes
    rbryntes Posts: 710 Member
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    He is Continental Kennel Club and I didn't know that about them, actually. My grand father got him for me when I graduated high school. I met the breeder by chance (at petsmart, she recognized him) about 6 months after I got him.. she didn't seem like the puppy mill type but I guess you never know...

    Puppy mills can exist in the next door neighbor's house. They often do not "seem" like the puppy mill type because there is no puppy mill type.
  • Sublimely_Self_Righteousreused
    Sublimely_Self_Righteousreused Posts: 935 Member
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    Please, make every effort to make getting your dog to the vet happen. If you were in tremendous pain, you would take off work despite your company's dysfunctional system, and get medical treatment. Your dog would chew it's own leg off for you if it had to. All he (or she) needs is a simple visit to make them comfortable. Please give that to him (or her).
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
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    Please, make every effort to make getting your dog to the vet happen. If you were in tremendous pain, you would take off work despite your company's dysfunctional system, and get medical treatment. Your dog would chew it's own leg off for you if it had to. All he (or she) needs is a simple visit to make them comfortable. Please give that to him (or her).

    She's going tomorrow. Don't worry. It's only been 3 days.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    I shake like a leaf and have issues with my wrists/hands where muscle spasms cause me to drop things- a lot. I need to see a dermatologist, worse yet- I need to see a neurologist and yet I haven't been.
    And you're a phlebotomist?
  • livnlite
    livnlite Posts: 520
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    I have a big dog, a Rottie/Shep mix. He's 8 years old. He was limping and not wanting to walk a few months back too. Apparently he had sprained his leg when he jumped off the bed. He WILL NOT wear a brace or any such thing on his leg so it took some time to heal. He occasionally limps now from time to time. Hopefully that is all that is wrong with your little guy. I would try to get him to the vet as soon as possible though to get him checked out and then you can be at ease knowing what is really wrong.

    Also, if you have not already, check his toe nails. My Rookie is a real turd when his nails get too long or if he has a broken one. He doesn't like to walk much until it is filed.

    It's possible, since he is getting older and he likes to jump off of things... including the dining room table (he'll get up there to sniff around for crumbs and when someone comes in the room he will jump right off. He likes to climb anything he can find and will jump off when he gets caught.
    I checked his toe nails because he tends to chew them and occassionally he will chew too far down but they're all fine. Also, usually if he chews too far down he will limp but not yelp/try not to use the leg.
    My uncle has a JRT who is about his size and they are both the type of dogs who like to walk around on their back legs and hop around on their back legs- she was just at the vet about two weeks ago with the same symptoms as Tequila, vet said it looks like she's been too hard on her back and is having authritis... but she is also about 10 y/o I believe. It is still possible that he has done something to his back though.

    I am curious as to why he chews his nails. Excessive chewing or licking typically indicates they are experiencing pain. That is definately not normal.
  • LaComadreja14
    LaComadreja14 Posts: 277 Member
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    He hasn't been to the vet because I can't get off of work- I have vacation/sick time but know one knows how to use the system in my office and my boss hasn't sent anyone to learn yet, therefore I haven't even been able to get off for anything. Not to mention, I can't afford it this very moment, a series of emergancies (car problems on my car and fiancee's + finacee had to go to hospital w/o insurance) wiped out my savings account.

    Since I already have pain meds I was advised to just give him the pain meds until I can get him to the vet, since I only have two left I will most likely beg the doctor whose office I work in to let me go tommorrow since she doesn't see patients wednesday, only I do and usually only in the AM. I just needed some support and some people to talk to- some kind of explination that can ease my mind till then. Guess I looked in the wrong place- awesome guys thank you so much for trying to make me feel like a bad mom when I am doing the absolute best I can. I wouldn't be giving him tramadol w/o being advised to because its a powerful drug and I don't feel comfortable making that kinda call on my own.
    He can walk with tramadol, when it is putting out full affect- he walks almost 100% fine (he is a funny boy who likes to stand on his hind legs a lot, even with pain meds he isn't doing that so its not 100% affective, but it certainly helps). He isn't paralyzed just in pain. Like I said, I can't wait to get him to the vet- which means that I am taking him to the vet, not ignoring it hoping it gets better.

    I have two dogs (both now on the older side of life), both rescue dogs. My oldest & biggest passed away about a year ago (- and I still miss my Shiloh :(. Well, while my littlest is most likely either a long-haired chihuahua - or a papillion, or mix - I haven't had experience with this particular problem.

    What I do have is plenty of experience in not having the money for vet visits, and the stress it caused my dog(s) - and, of course, me. No one can fully understand unless they've been there. Things change - when I got my dogs my money situation (or lack of) wasn't like it is now.

    Vets (at least ALL in this area where I am) require payment up front. Not everyone has charge cards or the ability to put money aside for an emergency, (more so now w/this economy - I was ahead of the game a LONG time ago!) My oldest suffered for the longest time because I just didn't have the money for a vet visit. (I resolved the problem later by just making the appt & dealing with it after - that's all I could do for my dog!)

    I *will* include your little guy in my prayers, though. Prayer works - and I have a long history of successful prayer outcomes for my animal companions!! :happy: :) Boy, I could tell you stories, including about my lost cat way back when my now-adult kids were teeny!

    Hope all will be well for your little guy!!

    Thank you so much for your understanding and your prayers. I am so sorry for your loss, it can be one of the most difficult things in the world to deal with- I will keep your family and Shiloh in my prayers as well.
    I have been to several vets in my area and in my old area, all require payment in full (even some of the most caring/understanding vets I've had)- I thought that was just how things work. I just got permission to leave half a day tomorrow (it coast me a red bull to put the doctor in a good mood before I asked, and written permission from her for my boss- got both so I am going, I was so happy I almost cried) and then I read your post and I went to google maps. I think someone else mentioned a vet that lets you do payments- I seriously have never heard of such a thing.
    I went onto google maps to check out other vets in my area and see if I could find one that did payment plans. I didn't see anything on anyones websites- I will have to call a few but I did find a vet who is, apparently, amazing and because she is so close to the college she is flexible on prices/payments (people even said that she has the lowest prices they've seen at a vet- one of the people who said that was "in the military and move around a lot")
    I am nervous about trying a new vet but I need to find one I really like, the one I have now was supposed to be only a temporary vet because we moved so far from Tequila's original vet. The vet I just learned about has tons of reviews- all of them talking about how wonderful and understanding of a vet she is (which reminds me of Tequila's original vet, who has many similar reviews) and how knowlegable and helpful her staff is as well.

    I don't know how I have never heard of her before (this isn't the first time I am searching for vets in the area and apparently she's been there over 20 years) but I am going to give her a shot tomorrow, she sees patients on a walk - in basis, but I am going to call and explain the situation to see if I can get an apointment. If not I guess it isn't too big of a deal but I would like to get him seen as soon as possible. Now that I have permission to go tomorrow, I feel like a giant weight has been lifted off of me. Thank god <3 Cross your fingers for us and thank you again for being so caring
  • LaComadreja14
    LaComadreja14 Posts: 277 Member
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    He is Continental Kennel Club and I didn't know that about them, actually. My grand father got him for me when I graduated high school. I met the breeder by chance (at petsmart, she recognized him) about 6 months after I got him.. she didn't seem like the puppy mill type but I guess you never know...

    Puppy mills can exist in the next door neighbor's house. They often do not "seem" like the puppy mill type because there is no puppy mill type.

    That is a good point, I am glad I know that now. Thank you. I don't plan on (and never really did plan on) getting a dog directly from a breeder again, but if by some means it does happen again- I am glad I know that. I will steer clear of CKC stuff because I do not want to promote puppy mills. Now I wonder about Tequila.. I thought if this does turn out to be hip dysplasia (to my understanding) that is pretty rare for a chihuahua and kinda weird.... but now that I know that about the CKC it makes more sense... back-yard breeders aren't exactly known for honesty or for breeding responsibly. Do you have a link where I can read more about it, if for nothing more than sheer curiosity?

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