Today, Timber is 20 weeks old and we had a follow-up at the vet today regarding his health concerns. He weighed in at 45.2 pounds, up 1.2 pounds from last Saturday's vet visit. So, he's still gaining weight, has tons of puppy energy and loves to play and "talk" but his appetite is poor. He is still sneezing, has a runny nose which is off and on discolored. After over 3 weeks of being sick and on antibiotics, I'm not pleased with his lack of progress and recent decreased appetite which was never a problem until about a week ago.
At this point, the vet has not made me feel any better about what is going on with my little man. I'm not sure how much faith I have in the quality of care *undisclosed vet clinic name* has at this location after discussing how hit and miss encountering quality vets are at the varied *said clinic* locations per a family member in the veterinary field.
Which leads me to the need to search for second opinions and scout for fee differences. At this point, *said clinic* can only provide the option of running basic blood tests and urine tests as well as doing a basic nasal swab culture....all adding up to a hefty bill over $400. I love my little guy, but this is getting more expensive by the week. I can't decide if I'm over-reacting to the symptoms or if there is truly something going on.
An option the vet mentioned would require referral out to a animal hospital to anesthetize him and scope his nasal passages for possible embedded foreign bodies in his sinuses or worse, fungus. If it's fungus, it has to be addressed ASAP otherwise risk it spreading through the thin barrier of tissue and bone to the brain. For those who don't have pets, going to such lengths to determine a cause doesn't come cheap....I don't have an estimate at this point, but you can bet it will cost well over $500.
Needless to say I'm beside myself with concern and quite conflicted. Since I haven't been working, I've had to ask my parents to assist and that kills me since they've already done so much for me since I left Jamie and Timber is my responsibility. Here's to praying I get that job so I can provide for my dog's care for what I hope is nothing serious and easily treated. Losing my little guy would break my heart.
At this point, the vet has not made me feel any better about what is going on with my little man. I'm not sure how much faith I have in the quality of care *undisclosed vet clinic name* has at this location after discussing how hit and miss encountering quality vets are at the varied *said clinic* locations per a family member in the veterinary field.
Which leads me to the need to search for second opinions and scout for fee differences. At this point, *said clinic* can only provide the option of running basic blood tests and urine tests as well as doing a basic nasal swab culture....all adding up to a hefty bill over $400. I love my little guy, but this is getting more expensive by the week. I can't decide if I'm over-reacting to the symptoms or if there is truly something going on.
An option the vet mentioned would require referral out to a animal hospital to anesthetize him and scope his nasal passages for possible embedded foreign bodies in his sinuses or worse, fungus. If it's fungus, it has to be addressed ASAP otherwise risk it spreading through the thin barrier of tissue and bone to the brain. For those who don't have pets, going to such lengths to determine a cause doesn't come cheap....I don't have an estimate at this point, but you can bet it will cost well over $500.
Needless to say I'm beside myself with concern and quite conflicted. Since I haven't been working, I've had to ask my parents to assist and that kills me since they've already done so much for me since I left Jamie and Timber is my responsibility. Here's to praying I get that job so I can provide for my dog's care for what I hope is nothing serious and easily treated. Losing my little guy would break my heart.
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