I wasn't happy with Maddie this morning.
No bowel movement and not eating.
So I rang the vets for another appointment, got one for 10.20 am and finally got in to see the vet at 11.20.
I asked her to review the xray which was taken on Thursday and she told me she didn't have to as she had reviewed the xray that afternoon and knew that Maddie was impacted with faeces along her entire colon.
I was a little taken back and showed it as when I specifically asked the nurse two days ago , if Maddie was "impacted" I was answered with an emphatic no, she was "just constipated". I questioned the use of one aperient then and was reassured that everything was on course, and as I explained today, if I was told that Maddie was so seriously constipated I would never have taken her home when I did.
Anyhow I was in no mood for apologies or detailed explanations, all I wanted to know what was our plan right now.
After examining Maddie , the vet put her on a drip and planned to sedate her to administer a high colonic enema. Surgery has not been ruled out and I signed the consent form in case some sort of "debulking" was indicated.
I feel I have lost my confidence with the practice, especially with the problems and misdiagnosis we had with Albert a year ago, and aim to register the dogs and cat with another practice once all this is over. Hey Ho
The family are all coming over later to celebrate mine and Janet's birthday which is on Tuesday.
ps Thanks to Kim over at Golden Pines for her email and sound advice!
Oh john I feel angry on your behalf and maddie, poor little lass. My local vet (which thankfully so far I haven't had to take alfie to) was rubbish with my little hen, he gave me some antibio's but told me she'll probably just die (she did but not the point). Sometimes I wish I had trained to be a vet after school.
ReplyDeleteI hope they can sort out their mistakes and maddie is home and well and regular with you very quickly.
xx
Cannot believe the vet had you take her home the first time if it was that serious or at least have you bring her back the next day if nothing happened.
ReplyDeleteI would agree, changing vets is a good idea, poor Maddie!
I hope you can enjoy your Birthday celebration!
thanks you too!
ReplyDeleteI am sure the old girl will be ok, but if the vet had discussed the xray with me properly then I felt I could have fought her corner a little more than I have
Yes, fire that vet and find another. You are paying for their services! Lack of communication between the vet and staff is where a lot of problems are started. And due to that, poor Maddie is the one who is paying the price.
ReplyDeleteSorry if I sound a bit angry.
I have fired two previous vets due to lack of communication. My standards are high when it comes to my animals.
Will check back later to see how Maddie is doing.
Hugs to you and her.
Forgot to add, wishing you a very fun Birthday celebration. :)
ReplyDeleteOh no. I'm so very sorry, John. I hope Maddie comes home soon.
ReplyDeleteI would've have decked the bloody vet & nurse. Poor little doggy! Very best wishes for your birthday...xxx
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry and angry as well about the Vet. I hope that Maddie will be alright. I have had a experience like yours with a Vet only to have three kids (goats) die and still pay over 15 hundred dollars when the first Vet was wrong about what was going on and gave me the wrong medicine only to ring them up at 11 at night to meet me at the office and have the emergency Vet tell me the other Vet in his office was wrong. My point of telling you this is I do understand how upset you are right now.
ReplyDeleteAgain, I hope Maddie is going to be alright and hope you have a wonderful weekend.
p.s. I did stay with my Vet but the Vet I met in the Emergency room is the only one allowed to look at my animals now. He has done a great job since, communicating well and making sure my animals get the best care and treatment if needed. The other one is still in the office but only doing things like vaccinations on peoples dogs and cats now.
the over cheerful nurse just rang with an update.....they are keeping her in ...and apparantly she is "happy" with the company of two other dogs ...
ReplyDeleteMaddie hates most dogs!!!
I hate that that happened, we have some fantastic vets locally, but I have certainly felt the same way in the ER with my kids.
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday, by the way, mine is the day before.
Good to hear that Maddie's problem is finally being addressed. Nothing more frustrating than getting 'crossed' messages.....so important for us to be in charge of our pets' health.
ReplyDeletePoor little Madie she must feel awful but can't tell - Sam was like that with Glaucoma - in dreadful pain before we got it diagosed & treated Bless him.
ReplyDeleteKim is just the best.
We use two different Vets & I have had to take both to task at times & I'm not even a Vet !
Keep us posted
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ReplyDeletegrrrr at that situation :O(.
ReplyDeleteI hope Maddie gets better quickly, what is wrong with that Vet... good grief...
I don't blame you for changing vets, Have done it myself several times over the years.
I'd be good and p/o'd too. Good communication is invaluable. Do get a new vet when this is over. Is there any way that you can actually interview the new vet first, before you have to bring any of your animals in? Sometimes just a simple face to face about what you expect, and what the vet expects, can work wonders.
ReplyDeleteHave a very happy Birthday celebration.
John, you are too kind--I do hope you are on the right track with your Maddie! I know the frustration you can feel with vets--The vet I saw at the animal emergency with Tanner last weekend lost a lot of credibility when he didn't even read the chart and the information I'd provided about him. Anyway, I do hope your girl is better and I'm sending positive thoughts and prayers for her that she won't need surgery!!
ReplyDeleteLet us know!! ~Enjoy your weekend!!~
Happy Birthday, John and to Janet too! Enjoy your day!
ReplyDeleteI wanted to suggest that you give Maddie an enema, but I didn't feel qualified to give medical advice and hesitated. I used to give my dogs butter or olive oil to loosen them up and chicken broth, popsicles or ice cream to get them to drink. I would try out the simple remedies first.
A new vet in a new practice sounds like a good idea. Hope you have several vets to choose from. If there are several vets in a practice I always liked to ask them to consult each other on a problem. Stir the pot. Hope the enema does the trick.
thank you everyone
ReplyDeleteI hope by the time I am reading this that she is better.
ReplyDeleteI struggled greatly with our vet during MoJo's illness.
http://pollyspath.blogspot.com/2009/10/its-dogs-life.html
I have since requested a different vet for the rest of our animals.
Oh no, what trauma. We hope the poor Madster will get "cleared out" soon and things will return to normal.
ReplyDeleteWe think vets sometimes get compacted with their own cr**