Aw, sh**...

[calic0cat]

Took my dog to the vet today because she's been off her feed and her teeth and gums looked like there might be a problem. Well, there's a problem alright. More than one, in fact.


(1) One tooth is probably dead and a second one is questionable; her teeth all need cleaning and she has gingivitis.

(2) She has a Grade 3 heart murmur (moderately serious) - she did not have a heart murmur previously. May have been caused by the infection from her teeth; it's not uncommon for such infections to get into the blood stream and affect the organs. It also may be plain old degenerative heart disease.

The heart murmur makes teeth cleaning and extraction complicated since dogs have to be anaesthetized for dental work. The tests that were recommended prior to doing so would cost anywhere from $350-$480 - just for the tests (blood work, X-rays (teeth and chest), EEG, etc.). The dental work itself would run an additional $380-$480.

My dog is 8 years old - not particularly old for a small breed - but she already has hip dysplasia and a back problem that she's on Metacam (an NSAID) to control the pain from. And she's on estrogen to solve urinary problems. I could very well pay for all the tests only to find out that she can't have the dental work because she's not in good enough shape for it; her heart may not be able to handle it or side effects from her medication may be to blame. Metacam and estrogen both have side effects from prolonged use which can be fairly serious (including organ damage or failure and/or a weakened immune system). Or I could choose to have the dental work done without the tests and just take a chance on her dying (even with the tests, it's not 100% guaranteed that she'll be okay). Either way, it's a *lot* of money with no guarantees.

So I'm not getting any of it done; I'm going for the palliative option instead. She's on antibiotics to clear up the gum infection and I'll have to try to improve her teeth a bit myself with assiduous brushing (she *loathes* having her teeth brushed; it's not a fun job) and maybe some gum massage for good measure. The vet upped her dosage of Metacam, at least temporarily, to help with the pain/discomfort. And she's temporarily on a diet of canned food (she usually gets dry but it's too hard to chew right now). The bill was still $90 just for the antibiotics, dispensing fee, examination fee, and office call. :P Once the antibiotics are gone, it's going to be a case of "wait and see" - I may end up risking the dental work sans tests or I may just let it go, depending how much her mouth seems to be bothering her.

Not a good day... *sigh*



Oh, BTW, I've posted another J/B pre-slash Sentinel ficlet over on sentinel_thurs. It's the sequel to "Light"; you can read "Knowledge" here.

Comments

[mad-about-yaoi.livejournal.com]

~hugs~ So sorry to hear about your fuzzy babe. Having a sick pet is just as frustrating/upsetting as a sick child. Ours just had a double ear infection on top of digestive tract worms, and she was just pitiful until the (also very expensive!) medicine kicked in. I hope your plan of action is effective (I know how awful canine toothbrushing is, too!! GAH!), and that your pup is feeling better soon!

[arielhime.livejournal.com]

*huggles you tightly* I'm sorry to hear about your dog, luv *hugs you more* I'l be praying for her and for you!

[klingonpoo.livejournal.com]

*hugs tight* I'm sorry to hear about your dog. I hope she's feeling better soon! *more hugs*

[traveling-storm.livejournal.com]

We always brush our dogs teeth after hearing something similar a few years ago. We start them doing it as pups and they grow up expecting to have their teeth done (plus we get them toothpaste that tastes fairly good to them). ^^ Make it a cuddle time - prop your pup on your lap (or as close as you can get if she's a big'un) and let her taste the stuff. She might hate having her teeth done because they hurt, and brushes can hurt more. Use a soft clean cloth and massage her teeth and gums (as though you were playing with her) - that's how we got our terrier to stop hating dental time so much.

Not trying to be preachy, just my 2 cents is all. ^^ Hope everything works out okay!

[sharona1x2.livejournal.com]

It's tough to know what the right thing to do is. I think you're doing the best for her that you can, while causing the least amount of discomfort. I hope it all works out okay. *snugs*

[sunhawk16.livejournal.com]

Ouch. Little fur-balls can run into some money, can't they? I remember a couple of years ago, when I first started seeing ads for pet insurance, thinking it was the dumbest thing I'd ever seen.
After my last vet vist with the cat... I'm starting to understand! O.o
I hope this all works out ok. *hugs*

Best Wishes

[aggie-june.livejournal.com]

I wish you the best on your dog - 8 is very young for a small breed. Cleaning the teeth yourself may be more effective. It's scary how much trouble a bad tooth can cause in animals and humans. I have a releative who ended up with a lot of cardiac damage as a result of a bad tooth. My little Lhaso was 17 when he passed on.

I can understand the dental/vet bill problems. I have a horse who has had approximately $800 dental work done so far. But it prevents the colic every spring - which is much more expensive. I have a 'Tina' jar that all my Mom's and my spare change goes into. It's paid for most of the surgery.

Name's Donnyr

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