Chief is sick...Update, he has parvo. (Ratsicles)

 So glad your sweet boy is back where he belongs!

I think I'd call the credit card company as well.  THEN I think I'd call the state and complain about this vet -- you'll probalby have to submit it in writing but man, I SURE would.

 I am so glad he's home and recovering

However it is terrible what the vet's clinic has done and I understand that you might be overwhelmed but I would call visa and report the vet - they have endangered your pup and acted without consent

Sending our healing vibes ................ 

 I'm so glad Chief is home and back with his goats.  Boy Goat looks happy to see him too.

I'm seething mad at that vet for doing this to you, and to Chief.  I would definitely do something to defend yourself.  Thats just rediculous. 

OMG, what an IDIOT. I agree that I'd dispute the bill. He had NO RIGHT to treat Chief without permission!!  That is dangerous, and stupid. What if Chief had an ivermectin sensitivity (Emma certainly does...)? Or vaccine reactions? He could have killed your dog!!!!

 

That's awesome that Auburn will be able to treat all three dogs. Let us know how it goes. Emma's glad she gets to keep her blood, but she would have brought it for Chief and his buddies, if they needed it. She might have even brought some of her favorite liver treats, too. 

jennie_c_d

OMG, what an IDIOT. I agree that I'd dispute the bill. He had NO RIGHT to treat Chief without permission!!  That is dangerous, and stupid. What if Chief had an ivermectin sensitivity (Emma certainly does...)? Or vaccine reactions? He could have killed your dog!!!!

 

Chiming in late on this thread, though I have been following it.  I wanted to say that I'm very glad that Chief is OK so far. My thoughts have been with you. It sounds like you've been having a tough time over all, I know its hard to deal with things when everything bad happens at once!

I wanted to add something after I read your last update. As far as I'm aware it is illegal to give vaccinations/shots/immunizations to a pet without the owners written or verbal consent. ESPECIALLY in this situation, it is totally unacceptable. You can't change the past, but I WOULD raise a stink about paying for those unasked for dangerous  vaccines. If nothing else to help future people from being taken advantage of and possibly having their animals DIE from this type of blatant malpractice. 

If necessary you can get a lawyer to write them a letter explaining legally your rights vs. their rights etc. A lawyer letter tends to hold a lot of weight, and is taken much more seriously then your personal correspondence or chastising of them.

 

It sounds like you've been having a tough time over all, I know its hard to deal with things when everything bad happens at once!

Ugh, everything bad really IS happening all at once right now. The day before Thanksgiving, our "good" car (which is really only "good" in comparison to our other car) broke down and we were stranded on the side of the road for a couple of hours. We're supposed to have roadside assistance with our insurance, and we learned the hard way that there are no tow trucks as far out in the country as we are so we had to call my parents to come pick us up and then spend the rest of the day trying to find someone who could tow our car.

So, we were left carless, because my other car was already broken down. We had to scramble to find a family member who could fix THAT car on short notice, so we would have a way to go- because the car that broke down the day before thanksgiving, no one could even LOOK at until the Monday after and we needed a way to go. Long story short, we can't get our "good" car fixed until the 15th(she needs a new distributor), and had to spend all of the money we put back for xmas to get the crappy car fixed. It gets 10 miles to the gallon, while our "good" car gets almost 30- so we hadn't budgeted for that much gas. So we had to take money out of the animal's vet fund to buy gas for my stupid Jeep. Until the 15th...DH has to drive 2 hours to work and 2 hours back every day, in a car that gets 10 miles to the gallon, for the next 2 weeks. It's kinda killing us. OH, and, icing on the cake, because my jeep has been broken down for so long the registration is expired. We have not had one single spare second to go get it renewed this week. So we've been driving with tags that expired 6 months ago for a week now, praying that we won't get pulled over.

Then, on Thanksgiving day, my mom and my aunt a horrible accident on their way to my house. The cruise control on my mom's Jeep Liberty stuck, her car freaked out, and she ran off the road, spun around in mid air, and hit a telephone pole at about 60 mph. Her car was totalled, and there was a good couple of hours on Thanksgiving day when I wasn't sure if my mom or my aunt was dead or not- we couldn't get any info and had no car (the jeep wasn't running yet) and no way to go and see what the hell was going on. My mom is fine, just MAJORLY banged up, but my aunt got hit on her side and the airbag gave her a really, really bad concussion. Thanksgiving day was spent in the emergency room wondering wether my aunt was going to be alright or not. But my mom is waiting for the insurance to pay out on her car before she can get another one- so we've been having to run errands for her, take my sister where she needs to go, and help her around the house since she's still really messed up physically for the past week. We ended up not even having thanksgiving dinner this year, by the time we got to my mom's from the emergency room that night most of the food was ruined.

Then I come down with the flu and start having some issues with my other health problems as well and have spent the last week going back and forth from doctor's visits. Because Josh is in the air force(getting out in January, thank god), I have to go to doctors on base. We live 2 hours away from base. So, we have to drive 2 hours there and 2 hours back to get to our appts. Did I mention that DH acts like a dying baby when he's sick? Yeah, so I've had to see to him too, on top of being sick myself.

My dad is also getting married soon and I'm trying to help him organize that. Ugh.

So then Chief gets sick, on top of everything else we've got going on. Plus, you know, I still have to find time to feed and pay attention to my 10 zillion other animals. Sigh. So yeah, that's why it takes me so long to respond to this thread. I intend to call the vet and throw a fit over what he did, but I just plain don't have the time or money to pursue it further right now. I've already called to have the charges on our credit card held. Now I just have to get hold of the vet, who is majorly avoiding my calls.

I'm sure the vets just decided that since your dog had parvo, you had probably never vaccinated him, and if they asked then you'd say no and if they waited they'd never see him again and then he'd never get any of his shots and would get sick again. So I'm sure they were trying to do what's best for Chief (considering he has this terrible owner who doesn't even bother to give him his shots and keeps him outside all day),

I'm sure that's EXACTLY that happened. When they asked if he had been vaccinated, it was clear that they didn't believe me. He doesn't wear a rabies tag because he lost it running around in the woods somewhere, but I could have brought in his records if they'd asked. They didn't come out and say it, but as we were leaving him there to be hospitalized one of the tech's said, in the most condescending tone possible, "This is why it's important to get your dogs vaccinated." Every time I told them that he WAS vaccinated, the just got quiet and gave me sour looks.

They seemed to know what I was talking about when I told them he was an LGD, but they didn't seem to like it. They kept making comments on how he had burrs in his coat and how he smelly he was (I'm sorry, he'd been puking his guts out and squirting poop all over the place for the past 24 hours. Should I have had him professionally groomed before bringing him in?) and when they found out he had to stay they kept making comments about how "spoiled he was going to be" and how "he was going to get to sleep inside where it was WARM!"

The whole staff really liked him (probably because they thought he was abused or something) so when we came to take him home none of them would really speak to us, but they all wanted to hug chief and tell him goodbye. All of them made comments along the lines of "Aww, do you have to go back to sleeping in the mud now?? We're so sorry, Chief."

For the record, Chief is probably the most content, balanced dog I've ever met and was ecstatic to be back with his goats. He has 3 dog houses, and a heated chicken coop, a kennel, and a heated barn to sleep in if he wants to. I don't think it gets much cozier than sleeping between two big warm horses in a pile of warm straw in a heap of his beloved goats. Yeah, we torture him. Someone please help our dog.

But yeah, anyway, we're going to raise hell about being charged for potentially dangerous, unnecessary treatment that we never authorized. I'd be satisfied with just an apology for treating us like idiots and dog abusers and effectively accusing us of lying about our dog's vaccinations, but I guess getting the money we paid for those unnecessary vaccines back would be good too.

I would do more than make a stink. Research the laws in your state with respect to service estimates. I believe that it is illegal to go over an estimate without your consent. Contact the vet board within your state - check your state government website to find it. You can also file a complaint there - which you really should because that will get the vets attention. Those complaints stay on file and anyone can look them up.

Don't just threaten and complain - back up your complaints with action. 

P.S. Make sure you have those vaccination records of his handy so you can prove he was vaccinated. 

Wow, you kept your cool much better than I would have.  I mean, after EVERYthing else they want to make condicending comments on the dogs care, when they have NO IDEA what it really is and THEY endangered him with the heartworm/vaccination stuff!  Oh no....I'd have probably lost it.

I would deffinately be following the advice on here and make a complaint against the vet and try to get some money back (you should have to pay for them to endanger your dog).  Legal action is probably what that vet needs to get their act together.  I'm SOOO MAD for you.

SUPER glad Chief is feeling better.  You could tell he looked happy to be back with his goats.  I know its hard hearing stuff like that from the vet (and techs) but just remember you know you take good care of your animals, and we know that too.  We're hear for you to vent to and lean on, and we're always ready to send good/healing/calming/helping vibes your way.

Sorry the past few weeks have been tough (biggest understatement ever? probably) but you'll pull through.  Best of luck/wishes/prayers for you and all your animals.  (Sorry so long)

First - So glad to hear that chief is home with his goats.

Second, I am so livid just thinking of the way you have been treated by this vet. Not to mention their treatment of Chief!

I would have gone nuts on the folk at the vet clinic and agree with everyone else to report this clinic to the state vet. I would also trot my butt back in there with all previous vaccines paperwork, etc. and show them that he was vaccinated, ask why they didn't contact your first and demand the charges be revoked right then and there.

And, since I am probably not nearly as nice as you, I would bring photos of his goats, housing, etc. to teach them what a LGD does, and maybe a copy of the breed standard so they can see that you have a dog that actually does what he was bred to do. I would also ask about their interactions with him and what the * bleep* they thought they were doing since he is a working dog.

I've been following this thread and keeping your family in my thoughts throughout. I'm so glad to hear that Chief is back home and on the mend and that you'll be able to get care at Auburn.

 But I, like the above several posters, am just INCENSED for you over how you were treated by the vet. I am probably the most militant "dogs belong inside the house" person you'll ever meet but even I am reasonable enough to know and understand that certain canine jobs require the dog to have a different housing situation, and that the dogs bred explicitly for those jobs like it like that. Chief is a working dog and the people at that vet are, in a word, just completely ignorant. There is a huge world of difference between a pet dog chucked outside to live by himself and neglected and a working dog who lives among his pack in a comfortable, clean, well-maintained environment that just happens to be out of doors. And I would have absolutely lost my marbles if, on top of being terrified for my dog's life, it had been repeatedly and blatantly insinuated by the people giving him care that I was an unfit guardian.

You would think that a vet out in the country would understand the phenomenon of the working farm dog, and that a LGD does absolutely zero good unless it is where the stock is at all times. Sheesh. I can't stop ranting! Brittany, if I were you, once you get the rest of your life calmed down to just a moderate level of insanity, I would do everything possible to teach those people a lesson.
 

Just curious to why you didn't take cheif to the vet that vaccinated him? I missed that somehow in the other posts. Did this vet have a section on the sign in sheet that says "regular vet" so you could put where you usually take him. If they did, it makes it makes it much worse what they did because they could have easily called over there and confirmed what you said. To be frank Brittany, I think you made a mistake by paying for it. If you hold all the charges on your card, you will not be paying for the other care given. It probably would have been better to insist on the charges being taken off at the time instead of paying it all and dealing with it later. It's neither here nor there I understand as it is already done. I don't think honestly that you will have any pull with the "they went over the estimate" stuff. I've never seen a doctor or a vet stay within the estimate, it's just that an estimate. If I were you, I'd focus on the part that is blatant malpractice (the vaccination without consent). That will make you seem more reasonable and IMO more likely to get the issue remedied and hopefully protect others from the same plight. I think it's an important lesson for everyone here too reading your story in regards to the perils of going to multiple vets. If you do do this, it's important to keep an envelope with ALL your dogs vaccination/procedure/medical information in one place so you have it all handy if you vet shop.

 Can I please have their address?  I've got a mind to go in there and discuss this with them personally and by that I mean with the back of my hand.  I can't seem to stop thinking about this.  Perhaps if we all wrote them letters.... grrr... I dunno, this just irks me.  Imagine...taking your LGD in with you at night...cause maybe the coyotes will take the night off....yes that makes perfect sense...well I suppose you could always bring the goats and chickens in too...and the rabbits and everything they need to be happy and comfy in there....heck while you're at it, maybe just build a big bubble around your property.  THAT'S IT!  You're a bad person if you don't build a bubble.... oh and next time your dog gets parvo, swing by the groomer's on the way to the vet.  sigh...I'm just ranting now.  Ignore me.

 BTW: Crusher says he would love to live with goats and never be tied up, and be allowed to sleep in the mud if he wanted to.  AND HE AINT EVEN AN LGD!!!!!!!
 

Hang in there. Just from the law of averages, it's going to get better.

 

ottoluv

Just curious to why you didn't take cheif to the vet that vaccinated him? I missed that somehow in the other posts.

To explain (and that was a good question) I *think* from talking to Brit -- the first or 'regular' vet she took him to is the one that DIDN'T DIAGNOSE PARVO the day before.  Despite the fact that Chief had diarreha there, and parvo poop smells ... well exactly like PARVO poop.  That particular vet was young and pretty inexperienced and SHE was so agog at the idea that Chief was an LGD that she spent the entire time lecturing Brit about the evils of "outside dogs" having a cruel life that she literally didn't really examine the dog.  She simply told her to fast him and bring him back in a few days IF there was still a problem.

So this is the 'other' vet in town (neither of which are very good vets -- and she's known that but she's in a very rural area and has pretty well no choice).  In rural areas of the South, often people at vets (and rescue workers) get so used to trying to educate the common population that it IS necessary to bring a dog inside under usual circumstances (because it can be SO the 'norm' down here for some people to chain a dog to the tree or have a 6' X 2" kennel that is a dog's LIFE.  So vet workers get pretty gnarly about trying to convince people to not make the dog be an "outside dog". 

But an LGD is different -- it's an entirely different concept.  These people simply judged Brit wrong and have no listening skills. 

That and the fact that Brit and her husband haven't lived there really long anyway -- and in a lot of these areas you just "ain't folks" if you aren't FROM there.  And if you are military -- you're further judged.  Unfortunately. 

I'm not defending the vet -- but I'm sure that's what happened.  I tend to be the worst old battleax on the block with stuff like this and they'd probably have to scrape themselves off the ceiling by the time I got done with them.

But Brit ALSO has to be careful -- she can *not* go off on these people too badly simply because they are the "only game in town".  It's a difficult situation to be at the mercy of two BAD vets that are the only vets within a couple of hours' drive.  So she honestly can't alienate them totally.  Much as I know she'd like to -- she's got other animals that may need vet care in a hurry ... so she can't burn her bridges, so to speak.

I'm not disagreeing with anyone here -- just offering what may be an explanation.  Heaven knows, Brit isn't sitting around eating bon bons and reading True Story Magazine for something to do these days.