[Kratty]

This Town Hall Topic was suggested by Tom&King.


Veterinary Care

• What type of Veterinarian do you use and why? (Traditional, holistic), How often do you take your dog to the vet and why? (routine visits, emergency care)
• Are your dogs on the prescribed vaccination regiment they recommend? Do they get other vaccinations due to your environment surroundings? (Lyme disease, others)
• What tests do you get done on a regular basis and/or have you established baselines to monitor there health?
• How do you treat wounds/injuries of your dog?(minor injuries like cuts and scraps) Does the vet do it all or do you do some your self? Do you have any type of training in emergency care of animals? Where did you get this training?
• How much faith do you have in vets? (believe everything they say, take recommendations under consideration)

 

[joce]

*My vet is the same vet I have used for most of my dogs and my horse. He is a nutt about corgis so he is great to all my dogs and we often don't even have to pay for the visit. He is a just a larger animal vet who does home visits when needed. he is very no nonscence and if something will cost a ton and not have much effect he will tell you right then. (his place burned down a couple years ago and it sucked going to another vet,the other guy out here is just plain evil)I don;t do regualer check ups because I know jsut as well as the vet if something is wrong wiht one of them(not to sound full of myself).they go in when they get their rabies shot.
*My dogs do not get vaccinations anymore. they are all over five now and I'm more worried about cancer than them catching something. They get rabies still(I think every four years).
*If I notice something wrong I will go take the dogs in but I honestly have not had it happen once with any of my dogs. If I noticed something off I would take them in but so far they are the healthiest dogs I've ever had. (We had a golden mix when I was younger that we took in once a month and my grandparents peis are the same way so it seems like my dogs are the picture of super health)
*If my dogs get a cut or sore I take care of it. I figure if they let me do bandage changes at the hospital why can't I do it on my dog:haha: I've always said if they had to be hooked up to fluids I'd bring them home and do it to but I have never had a reason too. I actually had to call the vet yesterday because byron went running past me while I was holding the dremmel and got his eye! I called and he said if it was just a slight scratch to rinse it out untill it healed up,and thank god it already looks healed.
*I have a lot of faith in my vet,but not most others. Any one that reccomends science diet is useless,the ones that just seem like used car salesmen also need avoided and thats all I seem to find if my vet is closed. When my dad had my beagle she got heartworms. He took her infor treatment to the other vet in town and not only did they make her stay there almost a full week and go through four treatments each time,when my step mom said enough and took her to another vet they said she shouldn't have had any worms after the second treatment and that she definately didn't still have them like the first vet still insisted. He is also the idiot that told me byron would suffer if I cropped but he could do weekly or daily ear cleaings for me. Same vet office had my moms exs dog in for grooming and put her under(after he made sure they knew not to,even asked for a certain groomer who knew the dog) and she never woke up. He was gettting her groomed cuz his daughter was coming home and hadn't seen the dog in a long time. It was really sad and I cringe every time I hear people mention the place.

that was a little long

 

[Lexus]

[*]What type of Veterinarian do you use and why? (Traditional, holistic), How often do you take your dog to the vet and why? (routine visits, emergency care)I use a traditional vet. Just because I always have I take Lexus in for her annual vaccinations and that's it. Unless she has another problem crop up.
[*]Are your dogs on the prescribed vaccination regiment they recommend? Do they get other vaccinations due to your environment surroundings? (Lyme disease, others)Lexus is on the prescribed vacc. regiment, only b/c she must have it for the TDI requirements. My other dogs are 5 and 8 and they only go in for their Rabies, and that's it. They've gotten their DHLPP's for 5 years and I not concerned about them contracting anything either.
[*]What tests do you get done on a regular basis and/or have you established baselines to monitor there health?The only tests we do are the heartworm tests every other year and fecals yearly. Other then that, I was a vet tech, and like Joce, I know enough and know my dogs enough that I will know if something is off with them. As they get older (my older dog is 8 now, I will really watch her closely for any age related issues to crop up.
[*]How do you treat wounds/injuries of your dog?(minor injuries like cuts and scraps) Does the vet do it all or do you do some your self? Do you have any type of training in emergency care of animals? Where did you get this training?I will clean any small wounds myself, and bandage if necessary. I was a tech for a few years and had to deal with much of this, so I have confidence in myself to handle it.
[*]How much faith do you have in vets? (believe everything they say, take recommendations under considerationI don't care for the vet I have now, am in the process of switching, the clinic I go to houses like 5 or 6 vets and a considerable staff, and are clearly procedure pushers for more money. I don't like being treated like a fool, the vet I worked for was great and he wasn't like that. I've moved since I was there, and if it wasn't an hour and a half away, I'd still go there. I have a recommendation for a great vet fairly close to me and will be transferring there. So I'd have to say I take things under consideration.

 

[TomAndKing]

• 
  [*]What type of Veterinarian do you use and why? (Traditional, holistic), How often do you take your dog to the vet and why? (routine visits, emergency care)
  
  King sees a traditional Verternarion mostly because I dont know of any other type in my area. King goes monthly to monitor his condition, and i will continue to do that for as long as i can afford it. Once King is well, i will then only take king every three months for a checkup. I take King in if i notice any odd behaviours, and anything kind of wound that i can not care for myself.
  
  [*]Are your dogs on the prescribed vaccination regiment they recommend? Do they get other vaccinations due to your environment surroundings? (Lyme disease, others)
  
  King is on the prescribed vaccination regiment. I also have him vaccinated for lyme disease, worms, along with revolution for mite/flea control.
  
  [*]What tests do you get done on a regular basis and/or have you established baselines to monitor there health?
  
  So far King has had a general blood panel done to set a base line, i will do one every year to be on the safe side. I have also had the liqud gold allergy test done, along with a few other blood/mite/fecal tests. I will continue to do this yearly as long as I have king.
  
  [*]How do you treat wounds/injuries of your dog?(minor injuries like cuts and scraps) Does the vet do it all or do you do some your self? Do you have any type of training in emergency care of animals? Where did you get this training?
  
  Most of the time I will take king in to have his wound inspected, cleaned and bandaged. If a wound comes up that i have already had treated in the past(such as worn pads), i will treat it myself. Fotunatly, King will let me touch his wounds without any problems.
  
  [*]How much faith do you have in vets? (believe everything they say, take recommendations under consideration)

[/QUOTE]
I have ZERO faith in my current vet. I am also in the process of finding someone more sutable, and more familiar with this breed. I used to believe everything he said, but now i question everything and am actually have getting second opinions for everything that has been tested on already.

 

[Jedski]

• What type of Veterinarian do you use and why? (Traditional, holistic), How often do you take your dog to the vet and why? (routine visits, emergency care)
  Traditional, just through habit. Jeddah only goes for vaccinations once yearly. We have been fortunate, as she has had no need to attend for any other matter.
  
• Are your dogs on the prescribed vaccination regiment they recommend? Do they get other vaccinations due to your environment surroundings? (Lyme disease, others)
  Yes, Jeddah is just on the recommended vacs.
  
• What tests do you get done on a regular basis and/or have you established baselines to monitor there health?
  She is heartworm tested at her annual check-up, I worm Jeddah with an all-wormer every three months.
  
• How do you treat wounds/injuries of your dog?(minor injuries like cuts and scraps) Does the vet do it all or do you do some your self? Do you have any type of training in emergency care of animals? Where did you get this training?
  Only ever had to treat Jeddah for cane toad poisoning ourselves, flush out mouth with the hose - it's just something that you have to be familiar with in this area. Have bandaged a couple of leg scrapes, nothing major. No animal care training, just things you learn to do when your a mum!
• How much faith do you have in vets? (believe everything they say, take recommendations under consideration)
  Depends on the Vet. I've had a couple of dodgy experiences. I believe in giving people a second chance, but after that, move on! Very happy with the Vet I see at the moment. Have been going there for quite a while, it's a small clinic, which I much prefer over the larger "hospital" type.

 

[Dobe_Paws]

What type of Veterinarian do you use and why? (Traditional, holistic), How often do you take your dog to the vet and why? (routine visits, emergency care)

Seeing as I work for one, Ava does see an allopathic vet but she also has a homeopathic vet as well. She goes to the vet quite often but that's mostly so I can walk her on my lunch break. As for going there when she needs something, that's maybe a few times a year.

Are your dogs on the prescribed vaccination regiment they recommend? Do they get other vaccinations due to your environment surroundings? (Lyme disease, others)

Ava had her puppy vaccines and one again at a year old and never again.

What tests do you get done on a regular basis and/or have you established baselines to monitor there health?

I have a CBC, complete chem profile and urinalysis run on Ava once a year(all the animals for that matter) through one of the labs and I also have a thyroid antibody profile run during that time through Dr. Dodds.

How do you treat wounds/injuries of your dog?(minor injuries like cuts and scraps) Does the vet do it all or do you do some your self? Do you have any type of training in emergency care of animals? Where did you get this training?

Anything short of requiring anesthesia, I take care of myself. I do have emergency care training as part of my job. Thankfully, I've never had to use it for my own but it's nice to know it's there.

How much faith do you have in vets? (believe everything they say, take recommendations under consideration)

It depends. I've worked with vets who are awesome at their job and I'd put my complete trust in them, some who fall in the middle and others who I wonder how they made it through vet school. Because of this, I feel it's very important for people to educate themselves on certain matters that pertain to your animal's health so you, along with your vet, can make the best decision for them.

 

[LapDog]

What type of Veterinarian do you use and why? (Traditional, holistic), How often do you take your dog to the vet and why? (routine visits, emergency care)

We took Duchess to a traditional vet first...but then switched to holistic when she needed to get spayed and for her next rabies shot. We only take her to the vet for her rabies. We got a titer done so we will not be giving her anymore shots. We have never had an emergency with her so far, hopefully we never will.

Are your dogs on the prescribed vaccination regiment they recommend? Do they get other vaccinations due to your environment surroundings? (Lyme disease, others)

Again, Duchess will only be getting her rabies shot for now on. The only other thing is heartworm...just in case...

What tests do you get done on a regular basis and/or have you established baselines to monitor there health?

She is only turning a year and 10 months now so maybe in the future we will be taking her more often for checkups.

How do you treat wounds/injuries of your dog?(minor injuries like cuts and scraps) Does the vet do it all or do you do some your self? Do you have any type of training in emergency care of animals? Where did you get this training?

When duchess gets a minor scrape from maybe playing outside with coco, we will just dab a tiny bit of peroxide on it with a Q-tip. Not to much b.c peroxide can bleach hair. I only am certified for first aid on humans through a class I took in school.

How much faith do you have in vets? (believe everything they say, take recommendations under consideration)

We did not have any faith in the traditional vet...we buy organic food for ourselves so why not our dogs...then that led us into researching more about holistic remedies or treatment and vetcare. When our lab mix sprung his terrible allergies on us we made the switch to a holistic vet. When Duchess needed to be spayed we were able to be in the same room and then be there for her both when she went under the anesthesia, during the surgury and for when she was waking up from the anesthesia...they say they feel better with you there with them....comforted

 

[Molari]

I use a traditional vet but only for emergencies and rabies shots. I use this vet because they specialize in birds and they are close to where I live.

We went thru the normal puppy shots and rabies but the only thing I get now is rabies.

I have taken GKar off of all heartworm/flea treatment so I get him tested for heartworm once or twice a year. I treat most everything by myself unless it might require stiches then I will take him to the vet.

I look at vets as a resource but do not take everything they say at face value.

 

[Kratty]

* What type of Veterinarian do you use and why? (Traditional, holistic), How often do you take your dog to the vet and why? (routine visits, emergency care)

We go to a traditional vet, mostly out of conveinence. I would like to find a vet that really knows the breed but still is looking for one. We only go for routine stuff, yearly vacs, and tests, and if an emergency arises. So its only a few times a year.

* Are your dogs on the prescribed vaccination regiment they recommend? Do they get other vaccinations due to your environment surroundings? (Lyme disease, others)

We are doing all the recommended vacs, due these are required for our training classes and for borading reasons. We include the one for Lyme disease since its really bad around her with the over population of deer. Plus the heartworm test.

* What tests do you get done on a regular basis and/or have you established baselines to monitor there health?

So far we are doing the full thyroid panel and and full blood panel.

* How do you treat wounds/injuries of your dog?(minor injuries like cuts and scraps) Does the vet do it all or do you do some your self? Do you have any type of training in emergency care of animals? Where did you get this training?

Most minor wounds I am treating myself. I used to volunteer for a local rescue squad around here and learned how to treat alot of these issues, plus I still have lots of the equipment myself. I converted my trauma bag specifically for doogy care. It came in handy at the dog park a bunch of times. A liquid type bandage and clensing solutions works wonders. I was also certified as CPR/First Responder trainer from the Red Cross many years ago, which gave me alot more training.

* How much faith do you have in vets? (believe everything they say, take recommendations under consideration)

I really do not take the vets advice as fact. In my opinnon, the more testing they do, the more money they make. But I do take what they say and comapare it to what I learned about it too. These forums are great since we all probably have gone through it already. I believe you need to learn as much as you can about the breed including their problem areas and make a rational decision.

 

[snickerdoodle]

:dancing_b What type of Veterinarian do you use and why? (Traditional, holistic), How often do you take your dog to the vet and why? (routine visits, emergency care)

~I use a traditional Vet and My vet goes to the doc everyday with me. and generally the go in if anything seems out of order.

Are your dogs on the prescribed vaccination regiment they recommend? Do they get other vaccinations due to your environment surroundings? (Lyme disease, others)

~yes my Dobes get Lepto vaccine and lyme disease when we travel but not often.

What tests do you get done on a regular basis and/or have you established baselines to monitor there health?

~My dobes are/willbe tested yearly for OFA and Cerf Testing done every two years. I am Anal about my Dobermans health.

How do you treat wounds/injuries of your dog?(minor injuries like cuts and scraps)

~I clean them with peroxide. put triple anti biotic ointment on them for my horses.

Does the vet do it all or do you do some your self?
~I work for my vet so I do alot of it myself!

Do you have any type of training in emergency care of animals? Where did you get this training?

I am a Veterinary Technician at an Emergency 24 Hour Clinic!

How much faith do you have in vets? (believe everything they say, take recommendations under consideration)

~I have faith in my vet because she is my friend but i am very selective about who i believe. and who I dont

 

[Lexus]

~I use a traditional Vet and My vet goes to the doc everyday with me. and generally the go in if anything seems out of order.

Your vet goes to the doc everyday with you?

 

[snickerdoodle]

ugh... thanks lexus... my dobes. hence the medicine again GOD I hate morphine someone take it away

 

[Burns]

What type of Veterinarian do you use and why? (Traditional, holistic), How often do you take your dog to the vet and why? (routine visits, emergency care)

I am a Licensed Veterinary Technician and work for a feline-only practice. But I take Red there for physicals. I give vaccines at home since I do all the medical supply ordering for the whole hospital and can get the appropriate vaccines myself. When it comes time to neuter/prophylactic gastropexy, I will have to take him to another practice where my friend works since they are a mixed small animal practice. I will be able to watch and assist with the surgery if I want.

Are your dogs on the prescribed vaccination regiment they recommend? Do they get other vaccinations due to your environment surroundings? (Lyme disease, others)

I have given Red 4 rounds of DHPP, the last one with Lepto (DHLPP). He will need 1 more Lepto booster to ensure proper immunity. He also got his rabies vaccine at 16 weeks. I give all vaccines myself at home. I have not done Lyme or Bordetella since his risk factors are not high enough for these vaccines at this time.

What tests do you get done on a regular basis and/or have you established baselines to monitor there health?

Prior to neuter/gastropexy, he will have a full preanesthesia panel and vWD factor checked. Once he is 2 years old, he will have annual echocardiograms, screening labs, and thyroid panels. Once he is 8 years old, he will have annual abdominal ultrasounds in addition to the other annual testing.

It pays to work for a vet so I can have all this done for cheap!

How do you treat wounds/injuries of your dog?(minor injuries like cuts and scraps) Does the vet do it all or do you do some your self? Do you have any type of training in emergency care of animals? Where did you get this training?

Being a Licensed Tech, I am fully capable of treating minor injuries, though thankfully I haven't had to treat any yet (except a small cut on his ear from the bandages scissors during unposting...). If he had anything other than a minor cut/wound, I would have one of my vets I work with examine and treat him.

How much faith do you have in vets? (believe everything they say, take recommendations under consideration)

I have great faith in the doctors I work with. They are brilliant women. And having veterinary medicine experience myself, I an aware of most of the recommendations in regards to pet health.

 

[Julie W]

What type of Veterinarian do you use and why? (Traditional, holistic), How often do you take your dog to the vet and why? (routine visits, emergency care)

I use a wide variety of vets for different purposes. Most are traditional. I only go to the vet for something that requires medical attention beyond what I can do myself. I give my own vaccines.

Are your dogs on the prescribed vaccination regiment they recommend? Do they get other vaccinations due to your environment surroundings? (Lyme disease, others)

No, I give vaccines much less often than most vets recommend. I vaccinate my young adults every 3 years, and my seniors I don't vaccinate at all. I don't give lepto, but I do give bordetella (even to the seniors) due to occasional exposure to it at shows/races.


What tests do you get done on a regular basis and/or have you established baselines to monitor there health?

I get all of the genetic health testing done relevant to the breed.


How do you treat wounds/injuries of your dog?(minor injuries like cuts and scraps) Does the vet do it all or do you do some your self? Do you have any type of training in emergency care of animals? Where did you get this training?

I treat minor wounds myself, including stapling. I worked for Gary Wood DVM (a vetny cardiologist) for a few years as a tech and was trained on the job.


How much faith do you have in vets? (believe everything they say, take recommendations under consideration)

They aren't any more omnipotent than you or I. I listen to them, but to believe everything that ANYONE says isn't very realistic. Breeders will have a lot more breed specific knowledge than a vet.

 

[smurfette]

I use a foaming cleanser by "band aid" it's a no hurt formula. I use it for cuts and scrapes. Triple antibiotic ointment follows. My Dobe sees the vet atleast twice a year. She receives all available vaccines. she goes to a Banfield inside of petsmart. I was hesitant but gave it a try. They're excellent there.

 

[Lannie]

What an interesting topic. It's really nice to read how other people do things.

What type of Veterinarian do you use and why? (Traditional, holistic), How often do you take your dog to the vet and why? (routine visits, emergency care)

We us traditional vets simply because that's all that's available (as far as I know). I take my dogs in when they need to see a vet because it's something I can't handle myself, or if I need a diagnosis for a mystery problem. I don't do routine visits, and the only vaccination I do is rabies. I'm an alternative medicine practitioner myself (self-taught, not professional) and use this method on all of my animals whenever I feel it's feasible. Of course some things require more than I can provide, and that's when we go see the vet.

Are your dogs on the prescribed vaccination regiment they recommend? Do they get other vaccinations due to your environment surroundings? (Lyme disease, others)

Only rabies. Dogs over two years old don't need annual DHLPP vaccinations, so I don't do those. Also, as isolated as we are, they never come in contact with other dogs, unless it's during a trip to the vet. But you never know about rabies.

What tests do you get done on a regular basis and/or have you established baselines to monitor there health?

I have fecals done periodically, and if necessary, get the appropriate dewormer for them. They rarely have parasites, though, and in fact I just did this last week and they came up negative again.

How do you treat wounds/injuries of your dog?(minor injuries like cuts and scraps) Does the vet do it all or do you do some your self? Do you have any type of training in emergency care of animals? Where did you get this training?

Again, because of where we live, I treat most of this myself. It's 30 miles to the closest vet (and her I don't trust any farther than I can throw her), and 80 miles to each of two other vets who are decent, in my opinion. If someone was bleeding to death or had a broken bone, you bet I'd be hustling them to the vet, but for cuts, scrapes and general boo-boos, I take care of it myself. I got all my training at the school of hard knocks.

How much faith do you have in vets? (believe everything they say, take recommendations under consideration)

Not as much as I used to. It seems to me they're going the way of MDs. Too much programming from the drug companies. I question EVERYTHING, and if I don't understand it, I hound them until I do. I used to just say, "Oh, OK, whatever you say, doc." But not anymore. As a couple of previous posters have said, I think I'm better qualified to know when something is wrong, because I know them intimately and live with them day in and day out. I have no qualms about seeing them for something I have no experience with, and I do take their advice, but it has to be LOGICAL advice. If it doesn't make sense, well...

~Lannie

 

[Patches Mom]

Traditional vet same place 30 yrs+
Rabies this year may do the other shots myself to save monies due to where we live and going out on the scooter give the shots every three years.Would like to do the Titers but was told that costs allot more than the shots do???
I try to treat any wounds myself only go to the vets as a last resort due to the extra high prices.
I have no faith in the vets any longer they act cold & distance from the relation ship we once had.Last time I took Buddy in they know of our unusual predicament they could have done things different than they did.Just not sure any more.
I do think Drug Companies are behind some of the high prices they pay high prices to advertise on TV makes to drug prices go up.Same for people too they rather have people die than loose monies. Now some of the Drugs have been on the market for years & years what no generic drugs for dogs???? They have used dogs for years & years as Gina pigs for allot of people medical advancements why can not they give back a little to those on Fixed Incomes so they can keep their pets.
Sorry for the extra vent just the way I feel about it.

 

[Lannie]

Patchesmom, I'm with you. We're on a fixed income, too (disability), and it's not much. Even the GOOD vet that I like has one whole wall in her exam room devoted to a cabinet full of drugs. When I was a younger pup, they had those all in one cabinet in a room in the back. Now they want you to see all the drugs and ask for them.

~Lannie

 

[btrineer]

What type of Veterinarian do you use and why? (Traditional, holistic), How often do you take your dog to the vet and why? (routine visits, emergency care)

I am used both. I have been a head tech for many years, now retired from it. I do what ever I can't do at home, and I take them in to my Traditional vet when there something I cant do. When I have had other issues in the past I have gone to a holistic vet to help my dog with VF (Valley Fever) We used other antifungals besides fluconazole.

Are your dogs on the prescribed vaccination regiment they recommend? Do they get other vaccinations due to your environment surroundings? (Lyme disease, others)

We vaccinate our adult dogs every 3 years. Puppies stay on the puppy schedule. 8 wk, 12 week, 16, week, 20 week, than 1 yr, 2 yr 3 yrs than go to every 3 years. We do give bordetella every 6 months. No lyme vax, no rattlesnake vax, no giardia vax.
What tests do you get done on a regular basis and/or have you established baselines to monitor there health?

As puppies, I test for VWD and basic panels, Liver and kidneys. HWT (heartworm test every year. Blood panel before all dentals and SX. Dogs older than 5yrs old.

How do you treat wounds/injuries of your dog?(minor injuries like cuts and scraps) Does the vet do it all or do you do some your self? Do you have any type of training in emergency care of animals? Where did you get this training?

I do everythign myself at home. 3 years ago my GSD ripped off a patch of skin 5" by 7" section. I still dont know how he did it. Took him in had the piece that was hanging cut off. Than applied wet to dry bandages for the next few months until it healed. I was trained in CA at All Care Animal Referral Center right out of high school. Than Moved to Arizona where I was taking classes to become get my equine science degree, but changed to work on small animals. Over the years I have had some great experiance working on raptors, monkeys, and other exotic animals, besides all the domestic ones. My favorite is large aggresive dogs. They remind me soo much of horses.

How much faith do you have in vets? (believe everything they say, take recommendations under consideration)
After many years of experiance I have choose to primarly choose to work for vets that have graduated from Colorado or KSU. I like the way they practice, very conservative. Other vets from Davis and Purdue seem to always want to run test and it seems more to be about the bottom line (the bill) I do take everything under consideration.

 

[DobermanDobbie]

I use the same veterinarian since I had my first dog last 10 years ago. I am amazed with his ability to tame large and un-friendly dogs.