[Jade]

I just need to vent a minute.

I don't understand how people can put their pets last on their priority list. These are animals who depend upon their owners for love, safety, and their continued health. I don't understand owners who self medicate for months, knowing that the underlying problem is likely something that will need surgery but yet 'surgery is not an option' so the animal continues to suffer. :bawl: Yet I know for a fact that some owners have just made large, personal purchases of $300+ while the animal is sick. I just want to shake people sometimes and ask them what their priorities really are.

Self medication without a prescription from a veterinarian for that specific animal after a physical exam is not only illegal, it's irresponsible IMO. Especially if the vet has never even seen the animal. Medications such as anti-biotics can greatly disrupt the natural GI flora and cause secondary problems. Continued use of an anti-biotic will also build up a resistance to the medication. If the problem returns after the medication is stopped, something is going on that the med obviously isn't fixing so the animal needs to be seen, you know? And not having the animal seen by a qualified vet only prolongs the suffering and illness of the animal. I don't get how people can overlook that.

Okay, vent over. :down:

 

[Pure14K]

ITA.....

1 question though... How can someone 'self medicate' without a prescription??? Are they giving their animals 'illegal' meds or something??? (Sorry, I've just never heard of that before)

 

[Jade]

Often owners will give meds that were prescribed for other animals in the household without taking the newly affected animal in to be examined.

For example, if I had Baytril here prescribed to Elvis for a tooth infection and then Geri developed bloody urine, giving the Baytril to her for that issue would be self medicating because this particular problem hasn't been diagnosed by a vet. It could be bladder/kidney stones or a bacterial infection, but the bacteria may not even be one that would respond to Baytril and the Baytril could do more harm than good. A urinalysis and/or a culture & sensitivities would be needed to decide which medicine to use or if it would do any good at all and surgery were the solution. This is why it's important to have an animal seen before giving prescription medications.

 

[Jodi]

Well said Jade, I totally agree.

 

[dappledoxie]

I sooo dislike that too!! I have only worked at a clinic for about a month now and I see it all the time!!! For example...Dr. says...Your dog needs it's teeth cleaned.... Owner says, how much will that cost!!?? Blah blah, then they end up just wanting to put the dog to sleep b/c they don't want to spend even 100.00!!! It's just nuts!! They'd rather their dog die than pay money for a dental, it's like they think dogs don't need that, they think it's only something for people... Arrgggg!!!

 

[lixx]

I totally agree. I drives me crazy when people try to fix the problem on their own. Esp. when they post "Emergancy...please give me quick fix solution.....don't have time or money to go to vet" Then why do you own a pet?

 

[Sassy]

I agree with you Jade, if the owner cant take the animal to a vet to get a diagnosis then they dont deserve to have the animal

 

[SharonM]

This is one topic I do feel strongly about ... I've known so many people who "can't afford it", and some people just shock me. I knew someone who dumped a sick cat out in the country saying "Someone'll find him". People that give their kid's left-over-from-an-ear-infection medicine to their sick doggie, people who let a cat die from a simple UTI because they can't afford the vet ... help is out there, and if the only help you can find is someone willing to take the animal off your hands - then give the animal up.
I "couldn't afford" Dutchy's vet bills his first year either ... but by God, I gave him a home and he was my responsibility. Between the Parvo, and the tumor he had removed from his head - I had a series of checks post-dated for over a year to my vet. If I had to eat chicken instead of steak, and TV dinners instead of pizza for a while, then so-be-it.
Everybody wondered why I didn't just "get rid of him". My answer was, as long as my bills are paid, and my pets and I aren't starving, it's all good. New clothes and shoes and all that can wait. I figure if I'd had a child with medical issues, I'd do the same. To me there's no difference. I'm just shocked at people that won't sacrifice anything for their pets.

 

[jmb9101]

I agree also...its just so sad when people wont get their pets help. For instance...half of the people on shows like Animal Cops or something...when a dog breaks its leg, and the people just let it hobble around for months...no human would expect to hobble around and hope it heals its self...neither should an animal.

 

[Candycane]

Oh geez, where to start? I also feel very strongly about this. When you make a commitment to a pet, you make a life long commitment to keep it healthy and happy. I don't understand how people can say that they love their pets so much but they refuse to take it to the vet because of money. IMHO, they probably shouldn't have adopted the pet in the first place...love doesn't pay the vet bills. Coming up with emergency vet money should be planned well in advance. And trust me, it doesn't take long to deplete the savings. When Syd was sick this last time, I had well over $1500 saved for such an emergency...that was barely enough to cover her bills...and that was only over a 4 month period! If you don't think you can save the money, at least figure out where you could get the money...a friend, family, maybe an insurance policy etc. And if all else fails, check with the vet to see if they do payment plans. If there is no possible way to come up with money in an emergency, I would re-consider getting a pet. As for routine visits, like UTI (not obstructed) and other infections, IMHO, there is NO excuse for not getting to the vet. You have to expect these kinds of visits...not expecting them is like not expecting a child to get a cold or the flu. The thing that really irks me is when people say that they can't afford to see the vet or have a procedure done and then take in new pets and/or are breeding the ones that they currently have. It happens time and time again...and it still upsets me every single time. I once had a dog "breeder" (in the very lowest sense of the word) email me and ask how long the dog should be in labor for and if it sounded like she was having problems. After reading over the email, I suggested a vet visit because it sounded as if the puppy were stuck and the female was exhausted. I went on to say that she might need a C-section. The "breeder" wrote back and said that she REALLY loved her dog but could only spend $300 on the dog so a C-section was probably out of the question. My first thought was, WHY is this person breeding if they don't have the funds to deal with emergencies like this...and secondly, HOW do you put a price on a pet?

 

[fstybrat]

Well said everyone... If you yourself were super sick would you take yourself to a dr? I bet you would... a pet is a life so what is the difference? There have been times I admit that I could't "afford it" when one of my animals were sick, & I mean truly couldn't afford it not just an excuse, I couldn't even afford to feed myself much less anything else (hubby unexpectedly lost a job & it was only temporary)... BUT that is when you turn to someone & ask for help if it is an option. Irregardless the bottom line is that when you take in a pet it is your responsability to care for them 100% If you can't than you shouldn't have the pet in the first place!

 

[Denise]

Some people still have that mentality that animals are a lower life form than humans and therefore do not get the priority they need from their owners. I know a few people who have that perspective and it angers me to no end. I guess these people are saying, "As long as the pet is healthy, everything is okay. If it gets sick, I simply don't have the time nor the money to take care of it". WRONG! Animals should be on the same level as a human family member when it comes to medical care.

 

[KaiyasMom]

I agree with everyone on this!! My dog is like my child (which I am having one right now). My family would always look at me dumb (like when I took my iguana to the vet) and ask why I was maternal with my animals . . . but to me they are more than a dog a cat or a turtle, etc . . . now I'll admit I've used betadine that I got to clean out cuts on my other animals (I got it for my ig's tail and then used it when another cut or scrape happened). But who would give something a prescription medication that wasn't prescribed to that animal for what was wrong??
Please tell me you are kidding about people leaving animals having broken legs??
That's soo awful . . . like I said in another post . . . when around Christmas my dog broke her leg . . . I took my Christmas money and got her leg fixed and pain medicine . . . etc. The vet was understanding about a budget and such but I still paid for it even though like you said . . . new shoes. Eating out, etc. . . had to wait.
How do people like this have children??

 

[Chinchilla_Girl]

I got into it last night with a 22 year old girl who had a chin with a watery eye for over a year because her "Mommy" wouldn't agree to her taking it to a vet...Umm...she is 22 years old! Why in the world would she have to get Mommy's permission? Turns out that this girl finally got her mom to agree to let her take it to the vet and supposedly the chin was supposed to go in today, but come on! It made me so angry! The girl wanted to know if it was really her fault and well, YES, it is! She just didn't know how to stand up for herself because in her family she was taught to do what she was told...How are these parents doing their kids any good if they don't teach them to fight for what they believe is right? The thread which is on another forum got closed by the mods because of "cultural differences"..What the heck is that supposed to mean? It wasn't cultural...it was that this girl was programmed to be a doormat! After the thread was closed, she PMed me and thanked me for kicking her in the butt and convincing her that sometimes families HAVE to disagree in order for the right things to be done. If it was a child with an eye infection and it was her child, would she wait a year for her mommy's permission? I told her it was just as cruel to do that to an animal as it is to do that to a child. I hope she actually got it and hope the vet visit goes in favor of the chin, but this being an ongoing thing for over a year, hopes are not high...

 

[KaiyasMom]

That is REALLY sad!!

 

[Crazy Chin Lady]

Chinchilla Girl, I remeber the thread that you are speaking of.

I always get the shaking of the head by my manager at work when I speak of my chinchillas. I asked him if it was ok to use the phone to call my vet and get an update on Snowball. He laughed and shook his head like I was joking. I understand he doesn't care for small animals, but for God's sake, understand that my chinchillas are my babies and I care a great deal for them.

I was telling my husband that I thought the vet bill for her was going to be expensive. But you know what? I didn't care how much it cost! We have money set aside and she's worth every single penny to get her better. Even if we didn't have enough, I know for a fact they have payment plans.

Working in a pet store you get the age old question of "will it require vet care?" Do you need to see a doctor? Yes, you do. So the pet will need to see a vet. I had a woman call me up to tell me about her hamster being attacked by her other hamster and it was bleeding. I thought she said a toe, so I told her to stop the bleeding and take the pet to the vet. She said no, it had a huge chunk of it's chest. I then told her to immediately take the animal to the vet. Her reaction? "For a seven dollar hamster?" I couldn't believe it. Seven dollars or two hundred dollars, it's still a pet that cannot immediately heal itself, it's HER responsibility to take that pet to the vet to get the injury taken care of. I know she didn't and it irks me to no end. She also said she'd just buy another one. Hell no. If you can't take care of the ones you have, DON'T buy another one.

There are many people in the world that do not deserve the love or companionship of an animal. I've seen many prime examples in my line of work.

 

[Tilt]

I totally agree. I drives me crazy when people try to fix the problem on their own. Esp. when they post "Emergancy...please give me quick fix solution.....don't have time or money to go to vet" Then why do you own a pet?

Though, what is someone to do if they HAD money and got the pet a long time ago, and now they've lost their job and can't afford pricey vet visits? What are they to do, I wonder?

 

[Tilt]

I sooo dislike that too!! I have only worked at a clinic for about a month now and I see it all the time!!! For example...Dr. says...Your dog needs it's teeth cleaned.... Owner says, how much will that cost!!?? Blah blah, then they end up just wanting to put the dog to sleep b/c they don't want to spend even 100.00!!! It's just nuts!! They'd rather their dog die than pay money for a dental, it's like they think dogs don't need that, they think it's only something for people... Arrgggg!!!

In that case, it's probably better if the dog isn't with them. If the owners are like that...well...at least if the dog is euthanized he won't be neglected by owners like that.

 

[Formula86]

roz - i think that if you can't afford the bills, there are other people out there that will take your animal and help it. lots of people will also donate if you just ask and are persistant.

i totally agree with all this! it's so sick. my neighbors next to me (the ones i hate. we'll call them the Sickos) have a new Mustang and a huuuge tv with picture in picture. however!, there little chi mix has (get this) no tag, no shots, is never secured (is loose on streets) and is unneutered because, ARE YOU READY FOR THIS?!?!, the dad wants to breed him!!! uuuuugh! this dog also gets like, NO human interaction. i think i have made up my mind to go speak to the police face to face. i will try and do it tomorrow if i can.

if you can't afford to have a pet, DON'T have a pet! and that $7 hamster comment is horrible! animals shouldn't be loved based on their monetary value.

and as far as the broken leg dog - i see that on Animal Precinct all the time. you know what should happen to those people? and i'm serious....they should have their leg broken and have to go without medical treatment for however long they left their animal without it. i am totally serious. sickos.

 

[veggiegirl]

I could never work at a clinic because of this issue. I totally believe that if you get a pet, you need to be prepared to pay for any medical attention that it may need. The attitude that people have about inexpensive pets sickens me too. I would definitely take my hamster to the vet if she needed to go. :sigh: