Tag Archives: vets

Type of Care Vet Schools Can Offer Your Pet

Yesterday I wrote about vet schools perhaps being an alternative to costly vet procedures. Something I quickly realized was that vet schools aren’t just like regular vets with cheaper prices. Most require referrals from your current vet. At least when you’re dealing with more specialized cases, like surgeries. However, this wasn’t always the case. Vet Schools’ Veterinary Services Some vet schools, like Virginia Tech’s Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine and Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, provided primary care services just like a regular vet practice would. Their “full service out-patient preventive health care” services included vaccinations, spaying and neutering, … Continue reading →

Vet Schools: An Alternative to Costly Pet Procedures?

Thursday we had our meeting with the specialist to see about Murph’s paw. Turns out he needs surgery. A very costly one at that, upwards of $3,000. Drat. Thursday I ran into a girl I used to play volleyball with. We got to talking about our dogs and I mentioned Murph’s malady to her. She said, “You know what an alternative to that might be?” My heart glimmered with hope that she might know of something else we could try to heal Murph’s paw because she’d perhaps been through something similar. Alas, that wasn’t the case. (Which is good for … Continue reading →

Tabby: Even the Best Vets Goof

When I very first found Tabby in the middle of the road, the vet I rushed her to was great. It wasn’t our family vet because I wasn’t near them. I was only a couple miles from Banfield Pet Hospital, and, not knowing how bad off Tabby might be, I decided just to go to them. However, in the three months since we’ve had her, a couple of their initial observations have proved wrong. Room for Error I’m not trying to impugn anyone’s character here. That’s not the point. Mistakes happen. And in this case there was room for error. … Continue reading →

National Pet Week

Not only is this week (May 6-12) designated Be Kind to Animals Week, it’s also National Pet Week. The American Veterinary Medical Association and the Auxiliary to the American Veterinary Medical Association started it 26 years ago, in 1981. Together, their goal is to “promote responsible pet ownership, celebrate the human-animal bond, and promote public awareness of veterinary medicine.” They even have a website dedicated to the week. It’s chock full of both useful and fun information. Under the Pet Health Care, tab they provide a plethora of complimentary downloadable brochures. (In both English and Spanish.) They have 20 pamphlets … Continue reading →

Tabby Gets a Clean Bill of Health (Finally!)

She’s been spayed, suffered mastitis, and endured an erupting pus incident. Regarding that last mentioned drama, it took the better part of the first day for the pus to eventually slow to an occasional trickle. By the next day, the lesion was only leaking a little bit every now and then. But Tabby’s spirits remained high, and she was as loving as she’d ever been, if not more so. Murphy, who Tabby’s adopted as her dog, didn’t know what to think when she was so sick two weeks ago. He’d come in to check on her with me and look … Continue reading →

Tabby’s Second Emergency Trip to the Vet

Okay, this little cat is causing my heart a lot of trauma. First there was the way I found her, then there was her spay surgery, where I not only learned she had been pregnant but which led to complications. Then yesterday there was “the rupture.” The Red Spot: Tuesday 9:45 a.m. After her bout with mastitis last week, Tabby rebounded beautifully over the weekend. By Monday she was almost completely back to normal. Tuesday morning a tech from Dr. Singleton’s office called to check on Tabby. I told them she was doing fine, then reached down to pet her … Continue reading →

Tabby: One Very Sick Cat

I’m anxiously waiting for a call from the vet this morning. Tuesday when I brought Tabby home after her spay surgery she was fine. She hopped right out of her carrier and walked around almost like nothing had happened. But that was the trouble. While I was upstairs preparing her room so I could keep her confined for a few days per vet instructions, I had forgotten about the door from the laundry room to the garage I’d left open for Mr. Meow earlier that morning. He likes to sometimes go exploring out there, and after what I put him … Continue reading →

Tabby Gets Spayed

Well, the procedure was yesterday and today Tabby was free to come home. (She had to stay overnight at the vet’s so they could monitor her and administer pain medication if necessary.) I was surprised when I opened her cat carrier and she popped right out. She seemed a little dazed, but more than happy to be home. I was happy to have her home too. I worried about her like crazy all day Monday. I know it’s a pretty standard procedure, but even those can run into snags from time to time. I was so relieved when Dr. Singleton … Continue reading →

Tabby’s Trip to the Vet

Our family vet was closed Wednesday, but first thing Thursday morning I called and they were able to get us in that afternoon. We scheduled a pregnancy test and vaccinations. When we got there, I explained the saga of Tabby to Dr. Singleton: how I found her, how she’s wormed her way into our family, and how we plan to keep her. But I also expressed my concerns about her change in behavior towards our other cat, Mr. Meow. I admitted I feared she might be expecting, but I wasn’t sure because the first vet I had taken her to … Continue reading →