My Poor Scruff Is Sick. RE-CHECK UPDATE 2/2/107 PG 3

[lizbud]

Great news about Scruff. Maybe when he's feeling 100%, you can
post more pictures of your boy. He's a cutie.

[Reachoutrescue]

Great news about Scruff. Maybe when he's feeling 100%, you can
post more pictures of your boy. He's a cutie.

Okay, here you go!! Major cuteness overload!! Oh, my date was a day in advance on my camera, sorry!

Scruff is hearing something outside. He loves to jump on our window ledge and let everbody know "THIS IS MY HOUSE"!


Here he is listening to the noise outside now!


Scruff on his favorite spot on the couch with is rope.


As many times as I tell him not to, he still eats the snow off the table!!


Again with the snow!!


Here is my best guy, just looking so handsome!!


I hope you enjoyed the pics. More soon. Thanks again everybody!!

[borzoimom]

Can you take scruff back in for a recheck to make sure this is gone?
Loved the pictures!!!

[Reachoutrescue]

Can you take scruff back in for a recheck to make sure this is gone?
Loved the pictures!!!

I did. The vet said that as long as he is urinating there is no need for surgery. We just have to monitor him. I have to give them a urine sample too, as I posted in post #30. I really do hope all is okay.

[lizbud]

Scruff looks like a big fella in his pictures. he has an adorable and very
expressive face. Hi Scruff.

[dukedogsmom]

I am so glad he's ok and he didn't need surgery! He is a very cute dog. Loved the pics. Give him some PT love from all of us.

[kuhio98]

Tracey ~ I'm so glad that Scruff is doing better. More of the IMOM website is back up and they are not accepting applicants until January 26th. But, they do have a list of other organizations that may be able to help -- should you need them. http://www.imom.org/fa/

[Joannie]

Try carecredit.com. Joann

[Catlady711]

I called Purdue, they said it would range from $1100 to $2300...Ouch. I know I need to get this done...I am trying so hard to find somewhere some what cheaper. I don't have $1100. Another vet about 1 1/2 from me that said the surgery would be between $800 and $1100.

Why do they give such big window on prices?

Vet prices can vary a great deal, from hospital to hospital, even within the same town.

The reason for surgeries they give such a wide range is, until they actually get in there, they never know for sure what they're going to run into. Even with all the best x-rays, lab results, ultrasounds, you can still never predict everything or how long it will take (vets many times charge based on time taken).

As to why one hospital is different priced from another by such a big degree has to do with overhead (ie. equipment, utilities, payroll, taxes etc.). A hospital with 4+ vets, a large building, state of the art equipment which they may still be paying for, late open/weekend hours, full service grooming/boarding, and many employees (particularly ones with specialties) are mostly always going to cost alot more. Since they have more bills to pay out, and offer more services, they have to make that income back somehow and it's the clients that pay for it.

A 1-2 doctor general practice with a small building, several year old basic but paid for equipment, shorter hours open or no weekends, don't do boarding/groooming, and have less staff are usually less expensive becaue they have less overhead to pay for. However they usually have to send extensive lab work out and may refer you somewhere else for x-rays, ultrasounds, or late night ER's etc.

Of course that's not accounting for those vets that are out just to get rich quick, which unfortunately, just like in human medicine, sometimes happens.

[krazyaboutkatz]

Tracy, I'm so glad to hear that Scruff is doing much better and that he won't need surgery. Hopefully it wasn't a stone at all but just a UTI.

[Reachoutrescue]

Well, I took Scruff's urine sample to the vet today. They called me about a half an hour ago with the results. There is bacteria in his urine and some signs of crystals. The crystals can form into stones they said. So Scruff is on an antibiotic called Primor for the bacteria and was put on an all wet food diet. They want me to hydrate him as much as possible so he can push the crystals out. Another urinalysis will be done in ten days to see if everything is gone. If it is not, then he will be switched to a different brand of food that breaks up crystals. Last resort, very last is surgery. But we are going to try everything to avoid that. Let's just hope this works!!

[Reachoutrescue]

I brought in a urine sample for a re-check on Scruff. The vet called and said Scruff's crystals are gone. He still has a high white blood cell (I didn't know they can check that with urine), so they are refilling his Primor. They beleive he has some kind of infection still going on. I updated them on his diet. They said that feeding him a Raw Diet is great. Especially adidng in the Missing Link Vitamin Supplements. I am so glad he is getting better. I just hope this infection gets cleared up soon!! Thanks everybody for your help and advice.

[borzoimom]

Sounds great- keep him on the cranberry too.. At least a half a capsule with each meal- or a whole one at night when it is in the system the longest..

[cyber-sibes]

Great news! Give your handsome boy a hug from me. Your situation is a good reminder that it's a good idea to sock a little away each paycheck...just in case! (writes note to self)
The suggestions about finding a vet clinic at a college is a good one- when my cat got a major blockage and had to have a section of his colon removed, there was no way I could afford it either. (I was laid off at the time) My vet directed me to the vet clinic at Ohio State, where students did the operation for about 25% of what the vet quoted. They did a fantastic job, too - my cat lived for another 12 years!