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Hello everyone! I realized that the old veterinarian/vet school thread died so I figured I would make a new one, since I am a vet myself. Anyone is welcome to post in this thread, however please remember this forum rule: quote:DO NOT TRY TO USE THIS FORUM TO REPLACE YOUR VET - the answer will be that you need to see your vet. This is because you need to see your vet. Why would you trust random internet weirdos over someone who's actually seen your pet? Feel free to ask about the veterinary field or discuss your work if you are in the field. I'll be 100% honest, I am thinking about changing careers and I did post in e/n about this. It's a tough job. The hours are long and sometimes you don't get lunch. Clients can be very stressful to work with. Animals can be very stressful and even dangerous to work with! There are good sides to it though. You can save lives and you can really impact people's lives by keeping their pets healthy and treating them when they are sick. Pets are becoming more and more seen as family members more than "just an animal." This can be good or bad for the people and the animals involved depending on the situation. Another thing I would love to discuss is pet insurance. There are many companies and many plans available. I have heard good things about PetPlan but have yet to sign my dog or cat up (much to my chagrin as I just had to take my dog to ER last night for eating something he shouldn't have. He's fine but I had to apply for care credit). If anyone has experience with or recommends any particular plan let me know. EDIT: due to the coronavirus veterinary care has been harder to get. I know I have been busy seeing clients from other places that have closed. If you have any general questions I am happy to answer, and I am willing to at least triage (determine severity) for specific questions to let you know if you need to be seen by a vet or not. I'm willing to do this for free so please don't sue me if your dogs leg falls off or something. People who have Banfield Wellness Plans can also use their Vet Chat service and there are other telehealth services out there as well if you want really specific advice or possible rx of medications etc. I hope all the work from home folks are enjoying their extra time with your pets. Please stay safe. Dixville fucked around with this message at 21:21 on Apr 19, 2020 |
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Dec 6, 2019 19:32
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Vets are assholes for the most part. They treat pet owners like morons and have huge egos while actively loving up, a lot. Petplan is good, Embrace is good, Nationwide is good. That's about it.
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Dec 6, 2019 20:48
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I'm sorry for whatever happened to make you feel that way. The truth is that veterinarians are human. They make mistakes like anyone. They also can't always control whether their treatment actually works or not. Just as an aside veterinarians also have a significantly higher suicide risk than the general population, probably due in part to our access to lethal means (drugs) but mostly because of the stress of the work. Well we're off to a great start I think!
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Dec 6, 2019 21:05
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Dixville posted:I'm sorry for whatever happened to make you feel that way. The truth is that veterinarians are human. They make mistakes like anyone. They also can't always control whether their treatment actually works or not. You're welcome for the answer. You definitely fit in with them. Don't self euth or trip over your own victim complex. (USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST) (USER WAS BANNED FOR THIS POST)
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Dec 6, 2019 21:49
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Ignore the rear end in a top hat. I’m a crazy cat lady, and my idiots mean the world to me. So thanks for saving lives, and my one cat’s wiener. I don’t know how you can endure all the pain you must witness.
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Dec 6, 2019 23:14
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Ignore the guy with the telltale avatar and rap sheet to back it up. Got any happy or funny stories? I had to take a cat in for urinary blockage this past summer and it just so happened the vet got a brand new ultrasound machine up and running that day. The vet got to use it on said cat was just giddy about this awesome new piece of equipment. It was like watching a teenager with their first car.  Edit: The cat's bladder issues were resolved and he's doing great. Well that's my vet story, thanks for reading. Fabulousity fucked around with this message at 09:52 on Dec 7, 2019 |
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Dec 7, 2019 02:00
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I have had friends work for vets that are unethical and will decide how much to charge you based on whatever stupid reason, or just play Solitaire and do as little work as possible. I don't know how those people exist are hopefully now that we're in the social media / Yelp era they get called out. One of the more frustrating things I can't figure out how to help with is getting people low cost veterinary care. The local vets often object to animal shelters offering low-cost services to the public other than s/n, shots & microchips. A shelter I worked at did have a public clinic at one of our facilities but then people were like "I don't wanna drive to that neighborhood" :facepalm: so I dunno. Anybody do low-cost services in your community?
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Dec 7, 2019 08:13
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Yeah Fluffy Bunnies is just on ignore for most of us, I think. I used to work as a vet assistant and I get the suicide rates thing. I quit because the veterinarian I worked for was a toxic shithead, but if he hadn't done it in I know that being worn down by the clients and by all of the euths I would have eventually quit on my own. Thankfully the vet I used to work for is retired and his clinic is now owned by a vet who seems to have empathy and know her poo poo. I wish the best for everyone who works in this type of profession. It's a pretty thankless job. The animals are scared so they bite you and scream. The clients are scared or assholes or idiots so they threaten and scream. And I'm pretty sure I saw more animal abuse and evidence of abuse working as an assistant than I would have ever hoped to have seen in my life. And that was only three years of work at a very small place! Here's a good story from when I worked. So one sunny summer day we get a call, and the client is concerned about his dog having the shits. We ask him to come on in and we'll see how we can help. The owner is an older gentleman and the dog is an English bulldog who seems unconcerned about the condition of his poops. We run an exam on him and outside of his intestines being noisy, we don't really detect anything about him. We offer to run a stool sample and test it to see if he has parasites and in the mean time give him Pro Pectalin and tell him we'll let him know how we'll treat it once we get the results back. We're small enough that we don't have in-house lab stuff, so we prep the sample to ship it out that night and expect results the next day. The next morning we get a phone call from the owner, saying that he thinks he solved the problem. The guy is laughing his rear end off, so it was a little difficult to understand him at first, but he said that his dog 'shat it out, so it's fine now'. When I asked him to clarify, he goes on to describe that his dog pooped out a mostly undigested rat that morning. Thankfully, that was pretty much all there was to it. There was some follow-up care but that was it. Dog somehow ate a rat that wasn't poisoned and got the shits. Edit: What is it with old business owners playing solitaire in their office? That's what my old boss did. It completely baffled me. As for low-cost, I worked in a relatively wealthy city, so the only deals like that were through the shelter. If you were a foster you could bring your animal to us and we would bill the shelter but that was about it. Chaosfeather fucked around with this message at 08:17 on Dec 7, 2019 |
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Dec 7, 2019 08:14
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Lmao at solitaire. I do dick around on the forums if things are slow (like right now... Oh god I shouldn't have said that now an emergency will come in for sure) I have heard of/seen bad vets. Like I said, we are human and some humans are just lovely. Like when I was in school the radiology prof told us about a vet that had one x-ray of a foreign body that he would show people, say their dog needed surgery, and then just cut them open and sew them back up. That's the very worst I ever heard. Apparently he died of a heart attack while shopping at a mall so at least it's not happening anymore. I really really hope... As for happy or funny stories, not really any funny ones I can think of unless you're into really dark humor but one of my happier moments was seeing a dog walk and run around after being previously paralysed in the back legs, after I did acupuncture on their spine. That was really cool. Edit - yes there is a local low cost clinic called Animal Samaritans. It's nice that people have another option but sometimes they are trying to get a low cost major surgery or something when they really need a specialist if anything so that is one downside, those type of clinics just aren't equipped for more complicated issues. I have no problem with them being "competitors" and I actually did a lot of volunteer shelter work in school. I guess some vets object but that's kind of dumb, mostly people that do thise clinics just flat out can't afford typical vet prices so it's low cost or nothing, not low cost or your clinic. Dixville fucked around with this message at 18:23 on Dec 7, 2019 |
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Dec 7, 2019 18:09
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My partner is a veteranarian and she works really hard. I love her. That's my vet story. She's not a fan of these forums but she used to be all about VIMS back when she was in general practice.
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Jan 2, 2020 21:53
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Tortilla Maker posted:My partner is a veteranarian and she works really hard. I love her. What's VIMS?
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Jan 3, 2020 01:15
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Charles posted:What's VIMS? VIN, duh.
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Jan 3, 2020 02:53
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VIN is really good. Wish it wasn't as expensive as it is but generally it ends up being worth it. Saved me so many times when I was by myself early on and wasn't sure what to do about something. One time I flushed a thorn out of a dog's cornea using instructions from there. I don't think I would have gotten it out otherwise so I saved them a trip to the ophthalmologist.
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Jan 3, 2020 17:24
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Tortilla Maker posted:
BTW did we finally permaban the people with the DVAngel names or whatever? I haven't posted in PI in 10 years because of worthless people like them. They chased away a lot of good posters.
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Jan 3, 2020 23:17
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I'd like to learn about pet insurance; I've adopted a few older dogs and the vet bills really do pile up but I feel as if the insurance wouldn't cover a lot of the stuff I'd like it to.
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Jan 4, 2020 01:29
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Dixville posted:VIN is really good. Wish it wasn't as expensive as it is but generally it ends up being worth it. Saved me so many times when I was by myself early on and wasn't sure what to do about something. One time I flushed a thorn out of a dog's cornea using instructions from there. I don't think I would have gotten it out otherwise so I saved them a trip to the ophthalmologist. Mozi posted:I'd like to learn about pet insurance; I've adopted a few older dogs and the vet bills really do pile up but I feel as if the insurance wouldn't cover a lot of the stuff I'd like it to. Slugworth fucked around with this message at 02:30 on Jan 5, 2020 |
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Jan 5, 2020 02:24
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edit: nm, I'm sorry
JacquelineDempsey fucked around with this message at 00:39 on Jan 20, 2020 |
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Jan 20, 2020 00:32
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JacquelineDempsey posted:I'm typing as best I can while sobbing, but I don't have messages on here right now, but if you wanna email darkmagenta69@repeatxdu.com I'll see what I can do to help you out E: and this is against this subforum rule #3 sorta-ish but not really but LAB isn't gonna shoot you for it.
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Jan 20, 2020 00:40
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JacquelineDempsey posted:edit: nm, I'm sorry Best of luck to you, and my condolences.
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Jan 20, 2020 04:04
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As for Rule 3: Oh, no, I wasn't trying to shill for donations! I know that's a no-no across all the forums (except that one guy in GBS who gets away with it for translating manga? The gently caress's up with that?) I was just wondering what options or advice anyone could give me. Thanks for the support. As re-payment for your kind words, here is a video of the fella in question. His name is Fitz, but my nickname for him (well, back when he was fat) is Tubby. I found a record in the thrift store one day of a kid's story called "Tubby the Tuba" and sampled the hell out of it. Also there's a brief tribute to other pets I have known. Enjoy, if you like cute pet pictures and goofy music. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dktoM5UiqW8 I'm in a bit of a better headspace today and will call the local no-kill shelter (now there's some irony: "hey I know you don't put down animals; where I can that done for free" aaaaaugh this sucks). Maybe they can save me some phone calls and point me towards a sympathetic vet. Thanks again, y'all.
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Jan 22, 2020 23:13
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My cat has a fractured pelvis. She apparently had a hip/pelvis injury before I even adopted her, and she (I) re-aggravated it by tossing her gently off of the couch for the millionth time (she landed awkwardly and skidded into my radiator). Give her activity level, this was an absolute inevitability, but I still feel very guilty. Before you all tell me to go to the vet, the fractured pelvis diagnosis came from a vet/radiologist team, and the next step is the orthopedist. Hooray. 
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Jan 24, 2020 21:08
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YeahTubaMike posted:My cat has a fractured pelvis. She apparently had a hip/pelvis injury before I even adopted her, and she (I) re-aggravated it by tossing her gently off of the couch for the millionth time (she landed awkwardly and skidded into my radiator). Give her activity level, this was an absolute inevitability, but I still feel very guilty. Don"t beat yourself up with guilt, YTM. I had no idea my Pusp had kidney failure until the time I shooed her gently off the couch and she just plain flopped on her side instead of doing the "cats always land on their feet" thing and I took her to vet. Cats are stupid good at hiding their illness/pain, they are stoic as gently caress. Wishing all the best for you and your kitty.
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Jan 24, 2020 22:04
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This is gonna be rambly bc its been stressing me out for awhile and Im nervous :,( I may have even posted this months ago elsrwhere idk anymore I am scheduling my dogs single leg Tplo surgery, long overdue, after a period of having to save up the money for it and the first surgeon having to take medical leave. I looked around a LOT before I found another vet I like, but now the original surgeon is back and I am not sure which to go with for her surgery. I am going to schedule consults with both and base it off that. Any suggestions on what I should look for/ask? I like both vets so far. One is offering a generous discount to do this after seeing me get denied for a few charity foundations online. The other initially offered a generous discount as well because they had gotten a grant for $400 to them for other dogs needing the procedure in the future. This is the one where the surgeon took medical leave, they offered that donation before he left and now I am not sure they will offer it. At this point money isnt the main factor I just feel so awful thinking about how scary this procedure will be for her and knowing how absolutely painful and long the recovery will be. It breaks my heart. I know she isnt happy with the current lifestyle of doing nothing endlessly bc we used to be very active. But just thinking about how much pain she will be in after the procedure.... I also have a very small fear of something going wrong during surgery, like she gets an infection from it or the anasthesia has an issue or heart issues during it, or just anything going wrong. Im  worry
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Jan 26, 2020 12:01
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ANUSTART posted:This is gonna be rambly bc its been stressing me out for awhile and Im nervous :,( I may have even posted this months ago elsrwhere idk anymore As far as recovery goes, ehhhhhh, I'm not saying it's a walk in the park, but they're on good drugs for a week after surgery, and after that, even during the healing process, it's gonna feel better than it currently does. As to complications, they'll have her on antibiotics afterwards as a precaution, and will also likely use an intraoperative antibiotic like cefazolin as well. Poor reactions to anesthesia happen, but if her preop bloodwork looks good and she doesn't have any preexisting conditions, the odds are on her side. Not in any way trying to suggest you're wrong to worry, just being supportive.
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Jan 26, 2020 18:18
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No I appreciate it, that all is comforting to read  Thank you. She is probably hurting more now than she shows so I am hoping the recovery is overall less bad than current pain. I know she will be happy to get out again. Definitely hope she gets good medicine after. No pre existing stuff just 7 years oldish.
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Jan 27, 2020 00:53
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Is there a preferred canine daily earwash? My 6-year old Chocolate Lab had a hell of a time with his ears last year (infections which led to hematomas which led to surgeries and a mild scare with anesthesia) but after 9 months, a few thousand dollars, and a loving drum of Claro I think we've got it licked. My vet has had me using straight apple cider vinegar, and specifically undiluted, but it doesn't seem to break up the crusties (what looks like old earwax and clotted blood). He'll sit nice and still for q-tip missions but I'd rather have something that will knock it down without risking pushing the debris farther in. I'm still keeping a couple doses of Claro around in case I get even a whiff of infection or gooeyness again, but we're 15 days out from the last dose and things are still looking nice and pink (other than leftover crusties). Beach Bum fucked around with this message at 23:36 on Jan 27, 2020 |
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Jan 27, 2020 23:30
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Mozi posted:I'd like to learn about pet insurance; I've adopted a few older dogs and the vet bills really do pile up but I feel as if the insurance wouldn't cover a lot of the stuff I'd like it to. Then learn about it. It's nebulous. It's like asking someone what car you should buy. Bippie Mishap fucked around with this message at 01:39 on Jan 28, 2020 |
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Jan 28, 2020 01:35
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Beach Bum posted:Is there a preferred canine daily earwash?
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Jan 29, 2020 04:37
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Slugworth posted:I wouldn't recommend it as a daily cleaner (and I'm assuming you don't plan on daily cleaning long term), but Cerumene is fantastic for breaking up ear wax. For maintenance cleaning long term, I like TrizUltra+Keto as it has an antifungal ingredient that helps cut yeast infections off at the knee. I'd agree with this. Cerumene and similar squalene/oil based cleaners work well for thicker wax. Triz based cleaners are especially good when you are treating an infection with antibiotics. You may already know this but generally you want to wait a while after applying claro or osurnia to ears to actually clean them. The leave in stuff can get washed out by cleaners
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Jan 30, 2020 04:02
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Slugworth posted:I wouldn't recommend it as a daily cleaner (and I'm assuming you don't plan on daily cleaning long term), but Cerumene is fantastic for breaking up ear wax. For maintenance cleaning long term, I like TrizUltra+Keto as it has an antifungal ingredient that helps cut yeast infections off at the knee. Poor assumption  The daily vinegar rinse was specifically recommended by my vet.Dixville posted:I'd agree with this. Cerumene and similar squalene/oil based cleaners work well for thicker wax. Triz based cleaners are especially good when you are treating an infection with antibiotics. Re: Claro application, I was told to leave the ear alone (other than observation) for 10 days after application to let it do its thing, which is what I did. I do appreciate you checking on that I'm pretty sure at least half my Google calendar reminders are somehow related to dog ears  Thank you both so very much, I greatly appreciate your advice. I'll definitely back off the daily application of anything to the ears, pick up some Cerumene for the crusties, and the TrizUltra+Keto for the maintenance cleaning. What kind of schedule would y'all recommend? Twice a week or so? I definitely don't want this coming back because of how much of a bear it is to treat.
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Jan 30, 2020 10:53
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Beach Bum posted:Poor assumption If we are taking more generally though, I'd say the most frequent maintenance schedule I've seen suggested is once a week cleaning, with spot cleanings done as needed (after a swim, etc).
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Feb 1, 2020 04:53
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I just did some research this afternoon and signed up for Pets Best insurance, with the wellness plan add on. I should be filing my first claim shortly and will let the thread know how it goes!
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Feb 8, 2020 01:35
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Her surgery went fine, as far as I can tell! They didn't give her good meds out the door (only gabapentin wtf) so I had to go back the day after when she clearly was in pain, and she has been doing great since :, )
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Feb 8, 2020 14:54
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JacquelineDempsey posted:Don"t beat yourself up with guilt, YTM. I had no idea my Pusp had kidney failure until the time I shooed her gently off the couch and she just plain flopped on her side instead of doing the "cats always land on their feet" thing and I took her to vet. Cats are stupid good at hiding their illness/pain, they are stoic as gently caress. First of all I'm sorry about your Pusp, and second of all thank you! My cat is recovering from surgery now, and considering her constant attempts to climb things, I think she's recovering pretty well.
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Feb 15, 2020 18:06
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sigh, I think the kitten I adopted two weeks ago is having complications from being spayed or something. There’s a sizable bump on the surgical spot that isn’t going away and tonight I saw a yellowy vaginal discharge. Taking her to the vet right away.
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Feb 20, 2020 09:38
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Paperback Writer posted:sigh, I think the kitten I adopted two weeks ago is having complications from being spayed or something. There’s a sizable bump on the surgical spot that isn’t going away and tonight I saw a yellowy vaginal discharge. Taking her to the vet right away. Oh god I was afraid that last sentence wasn't gonna be there. Thank you
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Mar 1, 2020 06:51
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Also i hope kitty is okay
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Mar 1, 2020 06:51
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Getting reimbursed for the majority of a dental cleaning today. I got Pets Best with the wellness plan (which was why I chose this insurance). Since it reimburses a good chunk of annual wellness visits and meds, it just about pays for itself.
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Mar 12, 2020 12:22
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Light-hearted question. I used to use a Bordatella vaccine that smelled like banana. That was a long time ago though. Anybody ever use that & taste it? :P
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Mar 12, 2020 21:36
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Charles posted:Light-hearted question. I used to use a Bordatella vaccine that smelled like banana. That was a long time ago though. Anybody ever use that & taste it? :P You might be thinking of dewormer? Pyrantel pamoate is often banana flavored.
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Mar 12, 2020 21:45
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