I just don't get it!

Well, I just made a post a couple of days ago about my dog eating chicken bones and was worried. But I didn't think it was an emergency, at least not yet, so I posted in hopes of hearing if others had had the same thing happened, and what happened. I guess I wanted support and to hear what I hoped to hear...to watch him and see. Meanwhile I called the vet and they said to watch him and if he acted abnormally, to call back. He acted fine and it's been a couple days and he's still fine.

Now, if he were pooping or vomitting blood, if he acted like he was in distress, pain or lethargic, you bet I would have been driving like mad to go to the vet.

If he ate rat poison or anti-freeze, I would not be writing on a dog forum. I'd be rushing to the vet.

He's twisted muscles before, been limping for like two days and I waited to see if he'd improve, which he did. Dogs sometimes play roughly and hurt themselves, get minor cuts, twist their "ankles" just like people and I think it's silly to go rushing to the vet for every little thing.

So, I think it's a judgement call.

I agree but a lot of people just need the confirmation. It makes them feel better about their decsion or they don't know any better. At least they are asking and a thread like this will maybe cause some people to not feel comfortable posting questions about their dogs health.

I posted about Gunnar but already had a vet exam in the works but I wanted the support of other chazzers.

Doberluv,
I was excluding you when I was typing. You thought something MIGHT have happened but he wasn't showing any symtoms of distress. We're talking about obvious very serious symptoms that call for a run to the emegency vet, like including obvious pain, blood, lethargy, etc. etc.

I agree. I understand like it your dog got cut or has some minor problems but otherwise it's to the vet, to the vet, to the vet vet vet!!!!!!!

For sure, definitely a judgment call. But if it HAD been serious enough that a visit to the vet was in order, we wouldn't have known until AFTER. You were simply worried and wanted confirmation from us-nothing wrong with that. But we also know you to be a very responsible dog owner.


That's what we Chazzers are here for-support. But when it is obvious that your dog is in need of serious vet attention, the vet should be sought and THEN let us know what's going on.



Conincidentally.. my post was not aimed at either of you two. It was just a rant. I belong to two other forums that are not as uhh, well, responsible as this one.

What she said. ^

double post

I had posted on another board about stuffing my dogs kong with treats and she ended up eating part of the kong. I wasn't asking for advice but boy did I get some. Some were like don't wait, get her to the vet asap for xrays. Well it's the black kong and that will not show up on the xrays anyhow. I was waiting to see how she was, watch her poop and stuff. Well luckily she pooped it out and was fine. Not lethargic or anything. My breeder friend told me to hold off as well.
I also believe its for validation and to see if anyone has had the same problem or experience.

But your dog was fine otherwise... that's the point. If there are serious problems and side affects... the vet!

I've posted many times about different things before... no harm in that at all.

By the way, where are you in the EB? I'm in Fremont.

I'm in Alameda.
I forgot to metion the topic was about keeping your dog occupied while you're gone and she ate the kong while I was sitting right here. All of a sudden the kong sound stopped so I looked and saw her eating it. I mentioned it at the time cuz I couldn;t believe she ate it.

She needs the next size up!

Glad all is well with her.

Tee hee.....or she's super smart and decided that it's easier to get the treats out of the hole when there's a bigger hole!

I'm wondering if freezing the kong w/pumpkin in it had anything to do w/her being able to chew it off. I haven't froze any since and haven't had her even come close to chewing a piece off.. Regardless she is never alone with it.

I think that a lot of " emergency " posters are young members who feel their dogs should be vetted but their parents are " Let's wait and see " . So , they worry and come to their Chaz family . Had I posted the Saturday evening that Chip didn't really want to eat his supper and I didn't like his eyes , but he showed no other problems , I'm sure everyone would have said ... "see how he is Sunday ". Sunday he again seemed fine , but refused all food and treats . Monday morning off to vet ..... Wednesday put to sleep. You HAVE to know your dogs !! That's why I worry so much about outside dogs .....how do you know !!!

Grammy, you nearly gave me a heart attack! For a second my mind switched Ollie's and Chip's names. But, you're right.
RIP dear Chip.

I would spend whatever is needed for my dog, but in Canada the goverment covers a big majority of medical expenses, so when it comes to paying for medical expenses to a vet people do not want to pay for it. I guess they think they do not pay for there own health care, why pay for a dogs? Of course we pay for it in taxes, but many people just don't think about it that way.

I honestly don't know what can be serious and what is not with a dog. I never grew up with dogs, was around them much, learnt about them etc. Charlie is my fist dog. Obviously I know what blood means and to bring a dog to the vet, but other things.

For example. Charlie was throwing up one time the night before and then in the morning, he went outside to poo and started yelping like crazy. huh? Of course I took him to the vet, yea... they wanted to keep him for a few nights for observation and perform a million tests without even checking the basics. Wanted me to pay 600$. I would pay anything to help my dog, but the vet never checked for any basic stuff or did blood wor, and I am not rich! I turned them down, we started a bland food and it turns out I was right he was constapated/dehydrated and freaked out when he could not poo.

Its experiences like that that make people not want to bring there dog to the vet. Thankfully there are many vets to choose from here, unlike doctors.

But it's an owners duty !!! My Monday and Wednesday visits with Chip ran me $800 ( Tuesday was the 4th of July ) Monday were XRays ( showed large mass )and bloodwork ....Wednesday was ultra sound( which showed him riddled with cancer ) and the " finally passage " and cremation . This dog was full of fun and playing with my 12 year old grandson all week !! Cancer hit EliN's Yogi the same way . Retrievers are stoic dogs and don't show pain except through their eyes. You HAVE to know your dogs !

OMG Grammy don't scare a person like that!!! :yikes: I read your post wrong and thought you were talking about Ollie!

Oh I agree..my parents are the same way too ...but that has changed some since we got Lizzie

Good post Grammy...so many good points.

I hear ya there Misti....I can see if someone isn't very familiar with dogs, they may be very nervous everytime the dog eats a little grass and throws up. I think nothing of it....(just please don't do it in the house) I think it's a very normal thing for dogs to do once in a while.

And Buddy'sparents....I know what you mean. (thank you) I've seen lots of posts that made me go....:yikes: :yikes: Like...."My dog has been pooping bloody diarrhea and throwing up for 2 days and he won't eat or drink and doesn't raise his head off the ground." (Ok...just a tad of an exaggeration) But things almost as horrifying. It's like, "GET OFF THE COMPUTER AND GO TO THE VETS NOW!!!!"

I get a little paranoid about blockages and bloat. Dobermans are such wimps when it comes to stuff like that. So, I'm always watching him. And I also have heard that most dogs, but Dobes as one breed in particular can be very stoic and not show that they're in pain...at least not always obviously. It's a preservation instinct. So, it can be hard to tell with some things. Since we don't speak the same language, it can be very worrying sometimes when it's not something super obvious...like with Grammy and her dog. I'm always worried I won't notice something when I should have. Oh well....*sigh* ....such is the way with dog ownership.

I totally agree - it's validation. I think it can also be worry and stress, especially when you can't get in to see a vet right away. Not sure where everyone is located, but out here in the midwest, vets can sometimes be hardto come by, or not be open, or the vet has taken time off, or... ugh, trust me, I've run into these problems. My normal vet is 30 miles away, opens at 9:30am, and is closed Sundays and Mondays.

The emergency vet in town is for just that - dire emergencies. I've only taken one dog there - Rumor. Rumor looked like she was bloating, and I rushed her to the vet... only to have her puke up food and water in the parking lot. I took her in just in case, and they took her temperature, felt her tummy, get her information.... and the bill was still huge.

Other times, I trust myself more than the vet. I've seen too many dogs die at the vet's office ("ohhh, all the techs went to Applebee's for lunch, so no one was at the clinic to watch the dog", or "Ooops, the vet was tired so he went home early - we thought the dog would be fine overnight, alone, no supervision") Sorry guys, doesn't cut it with me. I'd rather closely observe my dog and rush to the ER vet if things go for the worse... not risk their lives by placing them with an oft-clueless crew for every little thing.

Gosh, aren't we just terrible? When Ronin broke his toe, I called the vet to make an appointment... once the vet found out which toe it was, he told me that the only thing to do would be to keep him from rocketing around the house... nothing was going to leep that toe still, so I might as well forego the vet visit and the fees, and that he'd drop off some anti-inflammatories on his way home (at that time, he lives less than ten blocks from me). Worked out great.

My vet trusts me, so he'll tell me what I can do at home BEFORE rushing a dog off to the vet. Now if it was a serious thing, they'd be off to the vet faster than you can say Bob's Your Uncle... but the little stuff... nah.

I like this thread, cause we can all agree here! Last time I told someone on here to run to the vet, I got called a stupid b**ch. I had perhaps been a little harsh but the woman had a dog in her house frothing at the mouth and pooping blood! I was like, "What are you doing on the internet? You should have been at the vet's by now." She didn't like my attitude, I guess.

But, Jeez! Sometimes it's just so OBVIOUS!

Once I posted cause Hudson was shaking his head a bit too much. It was when I first had him, and we'd already been to the vet 3 times in 3 weeks. I didn't know if shaking your head was serious in a dog. When I was told by more than one person to go to the vet cause it could be an ear infection, I ran right over there and got that confirmed and got the meds. So yeah, in that case I waited, like, 2 extra hours, but Hudson was otherwise in totally fine spirits and not showing other symptoms.

To me, pooping blood and vomiting at the same time means, go directly to the VET! Do not pass GO, do not collect $200! LOL