When I posted about the rash on Sampson’s stomach, I asked you, “How do you handle it when your vet tells you something but your gut tells you something else?”

In your responses some of you said, find a new vet. 

While I am not opposed to finding a new vet (she’s the second one I’ve had with Sampson) I really do like and trust my vet.

As it turns out, my vet was right about the stomach rash not being a side-effect of the Meloxicam.  She was right and I was wrong.

Since I asked your opinion, I wanted to share with you the conversation I had with my vet during Sampson’s visit on Thursday night, which only reinforces to me, exactly WHY I love my vet so much.

After she diagnosed Sampson with a bacterial skin infection on his stomach, we discussed some other issues weighing on my mind.

 

 

 

Meloxicam and it’s side-effects in dogs.

My vet says Meloxicam has different side-effects in humans than it has in dogs.

It has been used for over ten years in dogs, in countries all over the world; blistering is NOT a known side-effect. 

It is hard to get the correct dose of Rimadyl (another anti-inflammatory) in a dog Sampson’s size.  However, he is the perfect size for dosing with Meloxicam.

Dental Cleaning

I read an article in Reader’s Digest a few months back, it was called “50 Things Your Vet Won’t Tell You.”  I fully planned to write a post about it, but it just never seems to come together.  One of the things cited in the article said, many vets still perform procedures they know are painful without making your pet comfortable first.  Me being me, you can imagine that I freaked out. 

Sampson just turned eight, he’s getting to the age where dental cleanings are recommended. I wanted to be sure when the time came, that he would not be in any pain or discomfort.

She looked at his teeth and said he has relatively little tartar, but he does have the beginnings of gingivitis.  She would recommend a cleaning before it gets too out of control.  She’s having surgery on her shoulder at the end of the month, and will be out of commission for a few months. 

We agreed we will schedule his cleaning for spring.

I asked her about anesthesia and whether they put the dog out, proper pain medication etc.  I explained about the article I’d read.

She told me she knows of vets that simply hold a dog down and clean its teeth and she does not agree with it.  Her practice is on top of current recommended pain medications, she assured me he will be fully anesthetized and properly medicated for pain relief.

Vaccination

Sampson is due for his Leptospirosis at the end of the month.  The vet we saw two weeks ago said it would be fine to give him the vaccine a bit early.

Once we suspected he had an infection I decided I wouldn’t give him the vaccine if his immune system is compromised. 

I was fully prepared to do battle.

I told my vet, I don’t want to give him his Lepto vaccine if he’s fighting infection.

She said, I agree. Let’s have a recheck in two weeks, we can make a decision then.

I’m really in agreement with you, if you don’t mesh with your vet, if you aren’t comfortable with the answers or the service they are giving you, you should definitely find another vet.

But sometimes, sometimes they are right.

Oh and here’s a picture of Sampson’s tummy after a couple of days of using Aloe on it.

 

I think it looks a little bit better.  What do you think?

 

Sampson has a bruise on the inside of one of his back legs. I noticed it right after the last time he was at the vet, but figured since he is scheduled for next week, I will simply keep an eye on it, to make sure it’s fading.

Having seen him bulldoze his way through trees and shrubs, I assumed he whacked himself good.

When I popped a peek at it Sunday night, I noticed he had a number of red bumps on his underbelly. Hubby said, they look like blisters.

To which I said, I’ll check the side effects of the Meloxicam tomorrow and call the vet to see if it can wait until next week.

Sure enough one of the severe side effects of the Meloxicam is, you guessed it, blisters.

(Just for the record, I worry.  So the safest bet for me is NOT to check side effects when first beginning a medication, if I do you can be sure a symptom will somehow manage to manifest itself.  I’ve had to carry this philosophy over to the dogs or I’d be a constant mess.)

First thing yesterday morning I placed the call to our vet.

When our vet called back she said, blisters are a known side effect in humans but not in dogs. She wants to make sure it’s not a skin condition so we changed his appointment from next Wednesday to this Thursday.

After I took my lunch I decided that Thursday is just too long to wait, so I called the vet’s office back, but they couldn’t fit him in any sooner, unless of course the condition gets worse.

So I asked, well is there anything I can do for him In the meantime to make sure he’s not uncomfortable? Our vet said put aloe on it.

It doesn’t seem to be bothering him, because we haven’t seem him scratching or licking at it.

But it sure looks awful.

 

 

What do you think about him having symptoms of a side effect but being told it’s not the same for dogs?  Is it merely coincidence?

Just because it hasn’t happened in dogs, does not mean it can’t, right?  I intend to bring that point up on Thursday. 😉

How do you handle it when your vet tells you something but your gut tells you something else?