Moonsmom

Wednesday thru Sunday for me. Works out good. There's a family of groundhogs living under my little house, (which is inside the hounds' yard) and they're digging up my wildflowers around it trying to get them. So, I got someone that is going to set up Save a Life Traps but it'll be a lot easier with the Kimmie and Gumpy trying to get in the area or barking poor "Beulah' and her family. With luck, by the time we get back; they'll have been safely transported to their new home in a conservation area. And meanwhile... we'll be having fun in SUNNY Gettysburg!

I put my two greys on with Healthy Paws in October of last year. My friend uses Trupanion and is very happy with it; but I chose HP simply 'cause I liked the deductible better. But I think either is good. My girl came up an injury in February that required some Xrays and treatment and basically came out almost that what I'd already paid out for her premiums I got back on the claim. My vet's office does the claim filing for me; though I have the app on my phone for it and it's so easy to check the status of the claim. I've called them questions and they've been very helpful and nice explaining anything I needed to know.

Have you asked your vet if they'll do a home visit? Or, if there are any transport services available? We have a service here that is service by Vet Techs that have a "pet ambulance" which set up with oxygen and equipment to transport pets from home to the vet; or from the vet to another location for more critical care. But they also do things like come just for dressing changes or to help with care after surgery; or if a problem arises and you can't manage to get your animal into your vehicle. It's pretty awesome alternative to having to put more stress on a sick or injured pet.

Kimmie jumps immediately in on the command of "Hup!" Took her about 3 days to learn that. Gumpy? He's been with me 2 years and 4 months. A year ago he FINALLY learned that after Kimmie gets in that if I say "Hup!" to him he slowly puts his front paws on the edge of the open tailgate...looks at me proudly..and waits for me to boost his butt up. He's learning... slowly. Very slowly...taking his time.

Insurance is frustrating! I had VPI for a very short time for one of my bridge hounds. The first claim I submitted they informed me that they needed ALL vet records from every vet he'd ever seen before they'd consider the current claim. Now I've been trying to decide which company to go with for my current hounds; and have a friend who is very happy with Trupanion.....but... from what I've been reading it seems like she's in the minority. I just signed on with Healthy Paws for both my houndies. They're healthy; but one never knows for sure when one will get sick or hurt.

Another "cone of shame" along with her towel? Are they color coordinated, at least? I trust that she hasn't lost any more staples?

Sounds like she's doing very well... despite the lost stitch and having to get the staple. But no big swelling afterward? Poor Kimmie looked like had a golf ball size swelling the first couple of days... which did get smaller each day; but..she'd yelp when she'd move position. And no dissolving sutures; while our vet, (female) was taking them out, (we stopped counting at 25), the tech and I who were holding Kimmie all felt like we had sympathy pains! Is she peeing okay?

I'm glad she had a good rest and I hope you got the same rest! I think the first five days were the worst; poor Kimmie so swollen that I'd wince every time she'd slowly turn and walk away from me. But it'll all be so worth it in the end...no more constant discomfort. Keep us posted.

I think you and Clarice will both see a difference! The first year or so after I adopted Kimmie she had the UTI's but not always was a urine test run; and as I recall she initially wasn;t licking so much at first...though she was scooting a lot on the grass and always seemed to be trying to squeeze out more urine. My vet that I was using at that time didn't seem overly concerned ad didn't recommend anything like ultrasounds. But... hope came to us in a chance consult with Dr. Couto. As I began to describe her scooting, the discomfort she exhibited.. etc'; he took her off for an exam. When he returned he showed me diagrams and explained the "malformation" and about the surgery. He said that my vet at home should be able to do it and told me their office could contact him. He even emailed me several times later to see how things worked out. BUT..my then vet at home apparently didn't agree. So... I went back to the vet which I'd used previously and had just opened a new practice of his own. The surgery was done there but by a visiting surgeon with my new vet observing. We just chatted again about last week as it's not one they've seen often there. And he also had mentioned that Kimmie still had a piece of the hymen remaining that the surgeon had removed that he felt might have been also irritating to her. I know how you feel...she had gotten quite grumpy sometimes; and, well, when it got near the time of the surgery and we realized the wipes weren't working her privates were making me wince with pain when they'd swell up. I didn't want to take her out to expose her anything! I also vaguely remember... I had to do cool compresses on her the first few days.

Kimmie had her's done last summer. We'd tried the wipes and that..oh, I forget the name; that powder that sorta puffs on. But she was miserable; especially as the weather got warmer. She came home after surgery with the cone on but really didn't seem to mind it the first night. It was the next day that she got frustrated with it; not because was trying to lick but she couldn't drink with it on. So I spend most of that day hanging right with her; also so I could take her out to potty. THAT was what really made me feel bad for her...she let it be known it HURT! I didn't want to use the muzzle to keep her from licking; I was concerned the friction of it would just irritate the area more. So I tried one of those blow up ring collars which didn't do much. Then my neighbor brought over hers and we tied them together with bandanas and that gave enough bulk so the effort seemed too much for Kimmie to bother trying to lick. Though I imagine the drugs were making her pretty dopey anyway. What our big issue was... it was 4th of July weekend and Kimmie hates fireworks...and she won't eat or drink when she gets stressed. And the $%#@# neighbors started early with them and kept on going. She wouldn't eat... drink.. couldn't get her meds into her; if I got her outside to potty; she try then freak 'cause of the fireworks...but wasn't drinking enough. I got her over to my Vet early the next morning and after getting fluids and shots for pain she had a good recovery. And since then.....Not one single issue.. no more licking...no more scooting along the grass; no more peeing at random! All is good!

Oh, Patsy... I've been cringing every time I think about it! Even going to into the vet; feeling miserable with nausea and her little "tush" swollen she still manages some happy tail wags. Again today she got more injections and more fluid; and as we left one tech cheerfully said, "only another 8 days till stitch removal." Maybe it's real good thing that our hounds don't browse the web and look up medical stuff in advance like people do!

Five days post surgery and she ate today.. and the swelling is going down. Yesterday started out with a small breakfast; she took her meds but as the day went by she refused to drink anything, peed only twice, (with pain and yelps and small amounts.) Then the various neighbors around started with the fireworks; the big bangs, and then some idiot then kept blowing his car horn. She paced..she shook.. the usual that she does during a thunderstorm or fireworks but much more panting. Refused food and meds and water. I tried to keep her where it was most quiet.. but I've never seen her look so distressed. She finally fell asleep when the noise stopped.. but again this morning she refused breakfast, wouldn't drink,, and just wanted to head back to the door when I took her out to pee. I called the vet's office and the vet tech was in and told me to bring Kimmie in so she could take a look at her. She spoke to the vet on the phone and they decided giving Kimmie some fluids, a shot for nausea and another of antacid. An hour later, we were settled back home, where she drank... peed.. and ate breakfast..and took her meds. And napped... and napped some more.. And ate dinner! Tomorrow morning it's back to the vet for her scheduled recheck, and switch to another antibiotic if she still needs to be on one. I think she's finally getting past the worst of this ordeal.

Friday evening and our patient is not a a happy girl. She did finally eat dinner last night; (first full meal since breakfast on Tuesday). Ate a good breakfast this morning; but has onlly peed once since 10pm last nite. He called at 3 today just after she finished..and I told him she was drinking and eating. He said keep up the cold compresses; that the swelling should go down in the next day or so. Well... since then she's refused everything... no water, no food,won't take anything. Got the Meticam into her.. and the 3 pm dose of tramadol.. but still have to get that antibiotic into her. Poor thing... the neighbors are back to setting off fireworks again; only this time they have 2 other houses in the neighborhood doing the same. Thundershirt; (we call it the "power cape!" and 45 minutes of cuddle time, (along with some cool compresses) and she's asleep. Sigh.