those things that their owners were so unaware of, that terrifies me! not for the fat that these things happen but that their owners didnt even notice untill that point, abesseses smell terrible! how do you NOT know, my dogs mouths get carefully checked once a week, if there was even any redness or tenderspots it would be off to the vets to take a better look.
fleas? how do you NOT notice fleas, i can see how it might be difficult on a long haired dog, but i have daily belly rubs with my pups and just dont understand how one wouldnt at least notice an excess in itching. if i noticed my dogs exsessivly itching, the first thing id do is check for fleas and then if no fleas allergies woudl come to mind.
and i realy dont understand how a severe heart murmur could go unnoticed!?
mabe im just overly hands on with my dogs daily my dogs are poked and prodded, checked all over for odd lumps and bumps, weekly they get thier mouths checked i check their fur, their ears, their eyes and anal glands, once a month they get a bath with an even my hands on is even more intense, theres not an inch of the outside of the dog or an inch of the insides i can check (ears, mouth) that issnt checked.
mabe im more confident becuase ive worked as a teach and very closly with vets, but still things like a tooth abcess would be caught before it even became an absess...i understand being carefull as we as humans dont have x-ray vision, but there are somethings that you just have to wonder, HOW did the owner miss somehting like that?
heck vixie had a tiny absess (felt about the size of a mosquitoe bite) and we were off to the vet imediatly to make sure it wasnt a tumor.
i guess i sould have noticed then, when the vet was actually suprised that id found it so early...
*shrugs*
as i said, for a dog with pre existing conditions, or older pets once even twice a year checkups and such fine. but were comfy with our protocall.
Toscas mom, thats in interesting point about once a year being good enough for you therefore good enough for your pets. i wonder if there a corolation, i personally DONT have yearly physicals (cept gyno due to existing conditions).
even as a kid, i never whent for yearly, we whent to the dr if there was something wrong. but ive noticed her in the USA people are much more health consious (sometimes to a point of insanity) as compared to what it was like back home in the UK, in the UK you go to see the dr if theres something wrong...and i feel much the same for a pet, im comofrotable with 3 yrly unless other sighns show.
DOBERLUV, dont EVER think your a bad mommy! you are a wonderfull mommy!!!