Posts
Well, Fips had his Fifteenth Annual Physical on Saturday and passed with colors just about to the top of the mast.
I took Fips to Sally-the-Valley-Vet in part because I didn't feel like taking up two days to drive down to Moraga to see Craig Smith, but also in part because I am annoyed at Smith for having charged a $35.00 "lab technician fee" to draw a vial of blood. I asked the receptionist/file technician why such a fee was charged and she said "Well, it actually requires technical expertise to decide how many vials might be needed and where to ... " "Stop it," I said, "Just stop it. I'll call in June to set up an appointment." {click}
Smith is a good vet. I trust his judgement and he's gentle with dogs. Fips likes him and I trust Fips' judgement too. I'd be happy to visit him again, at least for a routine exam; but, unfortunately, Smith has jumped on the screw-you-for-service bandwagon. Last visit we discussed taking an X-ray. He wanted to charge an extra $150.00 to anesthetize Fips on the grounds that dogs move around. I reminded him that both Fips and Rosco have had plenty of X-rays that only required being held by a "dog-holding technician". I forewent the X-ray. It's a shame, but the United States has reached that point where it has become an organism that consumes itself.
And so.... we drove the hills and ravines of Butts Canyon over to Sally's place. It was warm but there was a shady spot I could park and leave a hurt and disappointed Rosco in the car while I took Fips inside for his check up. Sally was on the phone, and after chasing the cat from its sleeping pillow Fips poked around exploring the premises.
Fips has been showing no signs of anything and has in fact continued to be pretty perky... at times extraordinarily perky for a Senior Dachshund. I told Sally that I basically just wanted to run a comprehensive blood test since that last one was two years old; and I wanted his eyes and hind legs checked.
I was pretty sure his eyes were ok, because the other day, while sniffing air on the field, Fips espied a cat about 100 yards away and started barking at it. And, as it turns out, his eyes are still OK except for some old age clouding, which is what he had last year.
Fips' heart is also OK. He continues to have an irregular rythm, which Sally characterized as slight. Making a rasberry sound, she said she had a cat who lived for a number of years with a heart beat that sounded likie a spluttering exhaust.
Sally detected no "neurlogical deficits" in the hind legs. On the other hand, the symptoms I described about a sloppy leg on turning or stepping back did sound to her like a slightly pinched nerve, although it could conceivably be arthritis. In any case she did not think there was much to be done at this point (which was Smith's recommendation as well).
We also discussed Fips being on previcox. I explained that the Clearlake Vet had suggested puting Fips on anti-inflammatories as a prophylactic measure to prevent the further growth of spurs on his vertebrae. Sally did not put much truck in that theory and suggested I consider taking Fips off previcox.
Sally drew one vial of blood herself and said she would call me on Monday when the results were in.
She called this afternoon to report that everything checked out fine. Fips' blood cells read out as a tad anemic just as he was two years ago, leading her to think this might be his normal. readout. His liver reading (134) was "just slightly" elevated and, in view of this, she wants me to take Fips off the previcox for 10 days. If he shows no signs of pain or arthritis then it's not doing him any good and I might as well save some money. If he does warrant being put back on the drug, then at least it wasn't affecting his liver very much.
About a week ago, I started giving Fips night-time back and hip massages which I might as well continue and which if nothing else add up to the Life of Reilly for him. Rosco gets them on alternate nights and although he doesn't moan and sigh as much as Fips does (such a mensch) he gets very still which is the way Rosco communicates his contentment.
Smith is a good vet. I trust his judgement and he's gentle with dogs. Fips likes him and I trust Fips' judgement too. I'd be happy to visit him again, at least for a routine exam; but, unfortunately, Smith has jumped on the screw-you-for-service bandwagon. Last visit we discussed taking an X-ray. He wanted to charge an extra $150.00 to anesthetize Fips on the grounds that dogs move around. I reminded him that both Fips and Rosco have had plenty of X-rays that only required being held by a "dog-holding technician". I forewent the X-ray. It's a shame, but the United States has reached that point where it has become an organism that consumes itself.
And so.... we drove the hills and ravines of Butts Canyon over to Sally's place. It was warm but there was a shady spot I could park and leave a hurt and disappointed Rosco in the car while I took Fips inside for his check up. Sally was on the phone, and after chasing the cat from its sleeping pillow Fips poked around exploring the premises.
Fips has been showing no signs of anything and has in fact continued to be pretty perky... at times extraordinarily perky for a Senior Dachshund. I told Sally that I basically just wanted to run a comprehensive blood test since that last one was two years old; and I wanted his eyes and hind legs checked.
I was pretty sure his eyes were ok, because the other day, while sniffing air on the field, Fips espied a cat about 100 yards away and started barking at it. And, as it turns out, his eyes are still OK except for some old age clouding, which is what he had last year.
Fips' heart is also OK. He continues to have an irregular rythm, which Sally characterized as slight. Making a rasberry sound, she said she had a cat who lived for a number of years with a heart beat that sounded likie a spluttering exhaust.
Sally detected no "neurlogical deficits" in the hind legs. On the other hand, the symptoms I described about a sloppy leg on turning or stepping back did sound to her like a slightly pinched nerve, although it could conceivably be arthritis. In any case she did not think there was much to be done at this point (which was Smith's recommendation as well).
We also discussed Fips being on previcox. I explained that the Clearlake Vet had suggested puting Fips on anti-inflammatories as a prophylactic measure to prevent the further growth of spurs on his vertebrae. Sally did not put much truck in that theory and suggested I consider taking Fips off previcox.
Sally drew one vial of blood herself and said she would call me on Monday when the results were in.
She called this afternoon to report that everything checked out fine. Fips' blood cells read out as a tad anemic just as he was two years ago, leading her to think this might be his normal. readout. His liver reading (134) was "just slightly" elevated and, in view of this, she wants me to take Fips off the previcox for 10 days. If he shows no signs of pain or arthritis then it's not doing him any good and I might as well save some money. If he does warrant being put back on the drug, then at least it wasn't affecting his liver very much.
About a week ago, I started giving Fips night-time back and hip massages which I might as well continue and which if nothing else add up to the Life of Reilly for him. Rosco gets them on alternate nights and although he doesn't moan and sigh as much as Fips does (such a mensch) he gets very still which is the way Rosco communicates his contentment.
After Sally hung up, I went over to Fips and held his fuzzy wuzzy nuzzle in my hands and told him that he was a Big Champ. I don't know how much of all this he puts together, but he definitely understands that I am happy with him and that makes him feel secure which, in addition to not feeling bad about anything, chalks up to feeling pretty good.
Imagine... Sue's Runt... still perky and healthy at 15. I'm tempted to give her a call.
.
No comments:
Post a Comment