I started workings at a vets office about 3 weeks ago-I'm in training but doing most of everything. It is in the heart of Tampa, so I see a lot of crazy/interesting people, and a lot of people who just don't care. I learn to appreciate the ones who do care. However, just in the last three weeks, I've seen at least 15 heartworm positive dogs, there is usually at least one a dog a day that comes up positive. None of them have taken up treatment.
Particularly though, on Friday, three cases in a row that really almost drove me crazy. All three are totally preventable.
First one was a chow who was kept outside, had been coughing/hacking and been lethargic. Was he on heartworm (HW) prevention? No. So, hw test is in order, and it comes up positive. Give her the estimate on treatment ($950) and she says its her sons dog and leaves. If they had paid the $8/month or whatever for it, the dog would not be on death row. So eventually the dog will pass on, or be brought in in a horrible state and put down.
Second one was a Rott/Golden mix or something. She's had the dog for it's whole life, it's 11 years old, not spayed...claims the dog is coughing a little and has blood in the urine (UTI). Is the dog on hw prevention? No....the dog tested positive for heartworms last year, and was actually treated for it ($900+), but she is not on hw prevention again. Oh, yeah, and she has been licking under her belly and her nipple is somewhat enlarged. Okay...get the doc in, the poor thing has ulcerated masses in it's breasts-turns out to be breast cancer, she will probably have about a month before things get really bad. Owner opts to put her down right away. If the dog had been spayed, she wouldn't have gotten breast cancer. It probably had hws again too.
Third was an overweight chow. Dog has been lethargic, hasn't been eating. Go to hold it for a temperature, and I start to feel itchy. Whatever, leave the room, come back to get the dog to pull blood, and notice there a lot of fleas falling off the dog as he's walking ...we go to pull urine, pull his penis out, and his penis is WHITE. The dog has so many fleas that it is anemic. Owners can't afford a blood transfusion, so they opt to capstar (pill that kills fleas) and treat their yard and see if the dog will make it. If the owners had just gotten some frontline and been more vigilant, there wouldn't be a problem.
I feel so bad for these dogs. We are responsible for their health, they cannot take care of themselves. A lot of things that happen to these dogs, can be totally prevented. And people that bring a puppy in that has parvo or something, and say welllll the person who gave it to me said it had shots.....
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