fainty_girl Posted December 9, 2013 Author Share Posted December 9, 2013 (edited) Thank you for your help everyone! I really appreciate it :). persephone, Jessie was growling when I was trying the tablets yesterday and this morning, and while she has never bitten me, I didn't want to push her to a point where she would bite me. Jessie's blood results haven't come into the vet yet, so I need to ring for them tomorrow morning. Today has been a very good day for Jessie...I was at work today, but my family said she was doing better and had perked up. When my brother was eating a hamburger she started eyeing off his food, so she had a taste of hamburger meat. I just fed all the dogs their dinner and Jessie actually ate! I am SO relieved that she is eating! I gave her mushy dog food (mixed with some water) with a bit of cooked beef mince (because she had a taste for hamburger meat, I cooked some mince just with oil and chicken stock). She ate normally, so I crushed up an antibiotic tablet and mixed it with more beef mince and she scoffed into it. She seems much more like her normal self, so I hope her blood results come back OK and hope that she continues to improve. I'll talk to the vet about everything tomorrow morning and hopefully they will have her results by then. As for the medication she is on: Yesterday she had a Meloxicam injection at the vet At home she is on: Cephalexin 600mg - one tablet, twice daily Meloxicam 1.5mg/ml 10mL - 1.5ml once a day (she started this today) It was an expensive trip to the vet, that's for sure! I must have jinxed myself the other week when I was saying in conversation how cheap it is for Jessie to get her nails clipped at the vet (she used to get sedated at another vet) but they are able to clip them without sedation at this vet. I was watching all of these people paying large vet bills and was considering myself lucky with Jessie. Edited December 9, 2013 by fainty_girl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nic.B Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 Thank you for your help everyone! I really appreciate it :). persephone, Jessie was growling when I was trying the tablets yesterday and this morning, and while she has never bitten me, I didn't want to push her to a point where she would bite me. Jessie's blood results haven't come into the vet yet, so I need to ring for them tomorrow morning. Today has been a very good day for Jessie...I was at work today, but my family said she was doing better and had perked up. When my brother was eating a hamburger she started eyeing off his food, so she had a taste of hamburger meat. I just fed all the dogs their dinner and Jessie actually ate! I am SO relieved that she is eating! I gave her mushy dog food (mixed with some water) with a bit of cooked beef mince (because she had a taste for hamburger meat, I cooked some mince just with oil and chicken stock). She ate normally, so I crushed up an antibiotic tablet and mixed it with more beef mince and she scoffed into it. She seems much more like her normal self, so I hope her blood results come back OK and hope that she continues to improve. I'll talk to the vet about everything tomorrow morning and hopefully they will have her results by then. As for the medication she is on: Yesterday she had a Meloxicam injection at the vet At home she is on: Cephalexin 600mg - one tablet, twice daily Meloxicam 1.5mg/ml 10mL - 1.5ml once a day (she started this today) It was an expensive trip to the vet, that's for sure! I must have jinxed myself the other week when I was saying in conversation how cheap it is for Jessie to get her nails clipped at the vet (she used to get sedated at another vet) but they are able to clip them without sedation at this vet. I was watching all of these people paying large vet bills and was considering myself lucky with Jessie. I am probably being over sensative atm as my oldest is 15 years old and I have spent close to $2000 on age related issues (which I did not need) in under 12 months. Bella is doing so well. It is a PITA though she is my world. You should have the bloods back by now. I would be demanding them or be on the doorstep early am. If Jessie is like my old kelpie Bella she is probably a tough and resiliant dog, which is even more cause for concern. My other two would let me know they are not well or have an itch etc immediately. When Bella was young I rushed her to the vet as she was unwell, she rounded up passing cars and was sitting on my back dash when the vet arrived after hours. The vet commented on her energy and said it was probably a false alarm. Bella had a temp of 42 and spent three days on Iv fluids and Ab's. She was really unwell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fainty_girl Posted December 9, 2013 Author Share Posted December 9, 2013 I am probably being over sensative atm as my oldest is 15 years old and I have spent close to $2000 on age related issues (which I did not need) in under 12 months. Bella is doing so well. It is a PITA though she is my world. You should have the bloods back by now. I would be demanding them or be on the doorstep early am. If Jessie is like my old kelpie Bella she is probably a tough and resiliant dog, which is even more cause for concern. My other two would let me know they are not well or have an itch etc immediately. When Bella was young I rushed her to the vet as she was unwell, she rounded up passing cars and was sitting on my back dash when the vet arrived after hours. The vet commented on her energy and said it was probably a false alarm. Bella had a temp of 42 and spent three days on Iv fluids and Ab's. She was really unwell. I'll be ringing them at 9am when the vet who saw Jessie will be working. I've never had to wait on blood results for a dog, but on Sunday I was told that they would be in late on Monday, but obviously they weren't. On the invoice it lists the testing as "Biochemistry, Haematology + T4". For Jessie's 30 minute visit at the vet it set me back $384...I was pretty shocked when they told me the amount, mainly because I didn't walk out of the vet with an answer as to what is happening (that is the nature of the beast, I understand). I'm glad that your Bella is doing so well :). I grew up with a beautiful kelpie X named Tammy and when she was 15 she went downhill all of a sudden when her kidneys went . So when Jessie was suddenly unwell it worried me. When Tammy passed away we adopted Jessie and she was meant to be "my" dog, but she had other plans and has had an incredibly strong bond with my mum since day 1. My mum had a horrible year going through cancer treatment and Jessie has been so great for my mum, she has been such a loyal companion and I was also worried for my mum when I saw that Jessie was unwell because they are so close. When my mum was recovering, Jessie stayed by her bedside all the time and was very protective, basically guarding my mum. Jessie is the definition of a velcro dog! My other dog that I have now is a Kelpie X and she has been a very expensive dog in comparison to Jessie, she is trouble on four legs! I am keeping my fingers crossed that Jessie's blood results will be ok. I'm relieved that she's eating again, so hopefully that is a positive sign too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Pandy Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 Re taking tablets. Try putting the tablet in the middle of a piece of camembert or brie cheese. No spitting that out - my two absolutely gulp it down and look for more. It works every time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 Glad she's eating ..it's always a worry when they don't ...and I hope you get some answers this morning . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nic.B Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 Fingers crossed for you and Jessie, dear old duck Jessie sounds a very special girl, I adore the oldies :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fainty_girl Posted December 10, 2013 Author Share Posted December 10, 2013 Jessie's blood results all came back ok! :) There was one result that was slightly higher than normal but the vet thought this could be due to stress, but other than that we just need to keep giving her medication and keep an eye on her :). If the same thing happens again the vet said she'd want to sedate her, but fingers crossed nothing else happens. Thank you for your help everyone :). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fainty_girl Posted December 10, 2013 Author Share Posted December 10, 2013 Just thought I'd update with a photo that I just took :)... Jess has got her appetite back and ate close to a normal size dinner and was eyeing off everybody's dinner. She was licking her chops after eating a piece of chicken... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 :) looking good :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redangel Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 ...having had dogs for many many years is it me or does the amount considered high by the OP seem overstated? Bloods are usually min $265.00 and factor in vet attendance I think it was quite reasonable. No offense but if you are concerned by a bill like that...factor in if it was a tooth root abscess or worse...? A typical visit to the vet in my area is $65 just to walk in and put the dog on the table. Factor in the costs of certain procedures such as speying, blood work, dental or usual maintenance procedures outside of illnesses Id say it was quite reasonable. I am pleased that the lovely lady Jess is feeling better and eating better.Seems like no dinner will be safe from now on lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nic.B Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Jessie is gorgeous! Love the licky tongue :laugh: Glad she is feeling better. Keep an eye on her after she finishes her ab's. The cost sounds fair to me with bloods, probably at a time you dont need the cost though! Bellas dental was nearly $900 all up (including the consult) though she had teeth removed, fluids, pain relife and pre anaesthetic screen etc. She recovered very well (shes an oldie too) so I was really happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavNrott Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Jessie is gorgeous! Love the licky tongue :laugh: Glad she is feeling better. Keep an eye on her after she finishes her ab's. The cost sounds fair to me with bloods, probably at a time you dont need the cost though! Bellas dental was nearly $900 all up (including the consult) though she had teeth removed, fluids, pain relife and pre anaesthetic screen etc. She recovered very well (shes an oldie too) so I was really happy. Good to hear Jessie is improving. That eye does look sore. That seems to be the going rate for a dental around here too. I paid nearly $900 for Bronson's recent dental, 3 tiny teeth removed, fluids, pain relief plus a check up one week later to ensure the sockets were ok and all was healing well. He didn't need a pre anaesthetic blood screen as he had recently had bloods done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fainty_girl Posted December 11, 2013 Author Share Posted December 11, 2013 ...having had dogs for many many years is it me or does the amount considered high by the OP seem overstated? Bloods are usually min $265.00 and factor in vet attendance I think it was quite reasonable. No offense but if you are concerned by a bill like that...factor in if it was a tooth root abscess or worse...? A typical visit to the vet in my area is $65 just to walk in and put the dog on the table. Factor in the costs of certain procedures such as speying, blood work, dental or usual maintenance procedures outside of illnesses Id say it was quite reasonable. I am pleased that the lovely lady Jess is feeling better and eating better.Seems like no dinner will be safe from now on lol. The blood test was $140. My dogs have never needed blood tests, so I didn't have any idea what the cost would be. I was surprised by the bill, but of course I don't regret taking Jessie at all. I've been pretty lucky with Jessie so far and previously she had only ever gone to the vet to be desexed when we first got her and for nail clipping. The vet is great with nail clipping, it takes the vet and a vet nurse (it used to take two vet nurses) to clip Jessie's nails and they only charge around $25. They are great at their job and I trust them. To give you an idea, years ago I took Jessie to our previous vet to get her nails done, but when it came to getting Jessie ready when they saw her behaviour they told us that she didn't need her nails clipped and they didn't clip them! So then I ended up taking her there at another time and she used to be sedated to have her nails done. On a family friend's recommendation, we heard about a different vet and we booked Jessie in to get her nails done there while under sedation. They discussed it and decided not to sedate her and said it wasn't necessary, and they used a method there to try and keep her calm. It has worked really well for Jessie and the staff there are great with her, even though she isn't an easy dog to handle & examine when she is afraid. Last year I had a $1500 vet bill for my other dog, so I understand that owning dogs is expensive. I am not concerned about paying bills for the dogs...it is my responsibility as their owner and I can afford to pay them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Anne~ Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 If you are still having probs giving medication, I'd buy some chicken or beef mince, place a half tab in a little bit of raw mince and roll it into a ball. It's easy to eat and raw meat is usually eagerly accepted by most dogs. I find you have to ensure the tablet is broken into small pieces though and it is less likely to be detected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fainty_girl Posted December 11, 2013 Author Share Posted December 11, 2013 If you are still having probs giving medication, I'd buy some chicken or beef mince, place a half tab in a little bit of raw mince and roll it into a ball. It's easy to eat and raw meat is usually eagerly accepted by most dogs. I find you have to ensure the tablet is broken into small pieces though and it is less likely to be detected. Thanks Anne :) , Jessie is eating again, so I haven't had any issues getting tablets into her. I've been crushing them and mixing them into her food and I bought her some more beef mince today because she loves it. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piper Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 In regards to the tablet taking and growling issue - once she is well again, I would be doing some work on desensitising her to having her mouth handled and teach her to take a tablet so that if you are ever in that situation again she will not be put through the additional stress . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fainty_girl Posted December 11, 2013 Author Share Posted December 11, 2013 In regards to the tablet taking and growling issue - once she is well again, I would be doing some work on desensitising her to having her mouth handled and teach her to take a tablet so that if you are ever in that situation again she will not be put through the additional stress . Thanks Piper, that is a good idea. To be honest, I could never have imagined Jessie not wanting to eat so I never had to force anything on her. She normally loves her food and spends a lot of time hanging out in the kitchen in the hope of getting some scraps. She did well with her dinner tonight and ate everything, but I had to feed her beef mince with a fork. I think the mushier food is still easier for her to eat, but she happily ate the mince when I fed it to her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fainty_girl Posted December 15, 2013 Author Share Posted December 15, 2013 (edited) Jessie's right eye looked a bit red today and it was a bit swollen below the eye , but it went down fairly quickly (probably took an hour). Her eye didn't look as bad as her other eye did last week. I tried to open her mouth to see if there was any pain (this is something the vet had me do last week) and Jessie didn't want to open her mouth very wide. I opened it to a certain point and then she resisted and growled. This morning she had her antibiotic in food and I gave her 1.5mL of Meloxicam, but tonight she wouldn't eat her dinner. Last week it was her left eye, now it was her right. It is so frustrating not knowing what is going on. I will keep a close eye on her and will take her back to the vet if she still won't eat. Edited December 15, 2013 by fainty_girl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redangel Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 (edited) Did the vet rule out possible tooth root abscess? Sorry to hear she is unwell again. edit add...my only experience of all over sore mouth was my Dobe, she had mouth issues aged 7...turned out she had Masticatory Myositis ... i hope Jessie is on the improve tomorrow for you. Edited December 15, 2013 by redangel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fainty_girl Posted December 15, 2013 Author Share Posted December 15, 2013 (edited) Did the vet rule out possible tooth root abscess? Sorry to hear she is unwell again. edit add...my only experience of all over sore mouth was my Dobe, she had mouth issues aged 7...turned out she had Masticatory Myositis ... i hope Jessie is on the improve tomorrow for you. Nothing was really ruled out, but when she was examined last week the vet had said the next step will be to sedate her to examine and x-ray her if she does not improve. Jessie wouldn't eat anything last night and I had no chance of getting antibiotics into her, but I put aside her food and she ate it this morning (the tablet was crushed in there) and I also gave her Meloxicam this morning. She was very tired last night and a bit lethargic, but this morning she has perked up and seems more normal. Edited December 15, 2013 by fainty_girl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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