She is our beloved pet dog. She is an 11-year old Terrier mix. She was a pound puppy, and we adopted her when she was only around 8 weeks old. She is a great dog. She is gentle with kids, very protective of our home and family, and rather lazy and low maintenance.
A few months ago, Taylor developed a bad cough. We were dreading the diagnosis, because a chronic cough in an old dog is often a symptom of heart worms, or some heart or lung infection. Taylor was functioning well in spite of the cough, so I put off the dreaded vet visit a little while. I blamed finances, but part of me really didn't want to face the end of her life already.
We saved up the money for the vet bill, so I decided to call and make her an appointment. The lost-cost vet clinic where we normally take her for vaccinations referred us to a full-service clinic up the road.
I hauled 5 kids and 1 dog into this new vet clinic, ready for the worst. I was dreading the diagnosis. I was dreading the pressure to give all kinds of very expensive treatments and procedures to a very old dog. I was dreading having to explain it all to the children.
It turns out that my experience with this vet clinic was fantastic! I will now be a regular customer, because I was just that impressed. The staff were friendly right from the start. They requested basic information in advance, and settled us into an exam room right away. The vet tech greeted the kids and talked to them about their dog, just like he talked to me. I was impressed that he included the kids in the whole visit. He asked some questions and collected some data on Taylor's overall health.
I spent a few minutes trying to explain to Jersey #4 that the dog has to see a dog doctor, not her pediatrician. The whole concept of a veterinarian (a dog doctor) was intriguing to the kids. They started drilling me for details of what kinds of animals a veterinarian can treat. They then had to clarify which kinds of animals were treated at that particular clinic (after we established that giraffes do not come to the clinic, but remain at the zoo).
The veterinarian entered the room with a friendly greeting as well. He asked questions and listened to Taylor's lungs. He was very clear spoken as he explained the path of tests and treatments that he wanted to take. He was very reasonable in requesting the simplest of tests that would rule out the most, up front. I liked his style. I agreed to have her blood drawn for a heart worms test, and also to have a chest x-ray taken. The vet was very honest about the diseases and infections he was suspecting, and what needed to be ruled out before any treatments were started. I like that style for my our human health care needs, so it was really nice to have that same experience with the veterinarian.
I really appreciated when the vet tech asked my permission to trim the dog's nails. I have had experience with a vet clinic adding procedures and treatments on their whim, without consulting me, yet still giving me the bill. This vet clinic was very good about securing my authorization before beginning any tests or treatments. It was to my advantage that they offered to trim her nails, because she is an excitable dog who is difficult to trim.
I was so relieved when the veterinarian returned with a non-fatal diagnosis! The heart worms test was negative. He showed us the chest x-ray, which revealed a normal-sized heart, and healthy lungs. She has no visible tumors or growths. He suggested her cough is a result of bronchitis. He gave me a prescription for an antibiotic with steroid, and assured me that the medication should make a very noticeable difference in less than a week. If not, I needed to bring her back in. While he was saying good-bye, the veterinarian asked the kids if there was no school today. When I explained that we home school, he smiled at the kids and said well then this outing was a lesson today. What a great comment.
I was so pleased with the level of care and with the diagnosis. Even though veterinary costs seem so expensive, I did not feel troubled by the bill. I had authorized every test and treatment, so I knew what to expect when the bill arrived. While I wrote out the check for payment, one of the vet techs complimented the children's behavior. I had to chuckle, because a split second after her compliment, Jersey #5 climbed onto the dog scale to weigh himself. So, I praised the older kids for their behavior, and joked that we were still training the toddler.
We left the clinic with our wonderful old dog, thankful to have more time with her. I tried giving her the first dose of medication in a piece of bread, as the veterinarian suggested. The kids enjoyed watching her eat the entire piece of bread and still drop the pill onto the ground. So, I had to break out a hot dog and stuff her pill inside. That worked. It looks like she will get to enjoy a hot dog treat twice a day this week.
A few months ago, Taylor developed a bad cough. We were dreading the diagnosis, because a chronic cough in an old dog is often a symptom of heart worms, or some heart or lung infection. Taylor was functioning well in spite of the cough, so I put off the dreaded vet visit a little while. I blamed finances, but part of me really didn't want to face the end of her life already.
We saved up the money for the vet bill, so I decided to call and make her an appointment. The lost-cost vet clinic where we normally take her for vaccinations referred us to a full-service clinic up the road.
I hauled 5 kids and 1 dog into this new vet clinic, ready for the worst. I was dreading the diagnosis. I was dreading the pressure to give all kinds of very expensive treatments and procedures to a very old dog. I was dreading having to explain it all to the children.
It turns out that my experience with this vet clinic was fantastic! I will now be a regular customer, because I was just that impressed. The staff were friendly right from the start. They requested basic information in advance, and settled us into an exam room right away. The vet tech greeted the kids and talked to them about their dog, just like he talked to me. I was impressed that he included the kids in the whole visit. He asked some questions and collected some data on Taylor's overall health.
I spent a few minutes trying to explain to Jersey #4 that the dog has to see a dog doctor, not her pediatrician. The whole concept of a veterinarian (a dog doctor) was intriguing to the kids. They started drilling me for details of what kinds of animals a veterinarian can treat. They then had to clarify which kinds of animals were treated at that particular clinic (after we established that giraffes do not come to the clinic, but remain at the zoo).
The veterinarian entered the room with a friendly greeting as well. He asked questions and listened to Taylor's lungs. He was very clear spoken as he explained the path of tests and treatments that he wanted to take. He was very reasonable in requesting the simplest of tests that would rule out the most, up front. I liked his style. I agreed to have her blood drawn for a heart worms test, and also to have a chest x-ray taken. The vet was very honest about the diseases and infections he was suspecting, and what needed to be ruled out before any treatments were started. I like that style for my our human health care needs, so it was really nice to have that same experience with the veterinarian.
I really appreciated when the vet tech asked my permission to trim the dog's nails. I have had experience with a vet clinic adding procedures and treatments on their whim, without consulting me, yet still giving me the bill. This vet clinic was very good about securing my authorization before beginning any tests or treatments. It was to my advantage that they offered to trim her nails, because she is an excitable dog who is difficult to trim.
I was so relieved when the veterinarian returned with a non-fatal diagnosis! The heart worms test was negative. He showed us the chest x-ray, which revealed a normal-sized heart, and healthy lungs. She has no visible tumors or growths. He suggested her cough is a result of bronchitis. He gave me a prescription for an antibiotic with steroid, and assured me that the medication should make a very noticeable difference in less than a week. If not, I needed to bring her back in. While he was saying good-bye, the veterinarian asked the kids if there was no school today. When I explained that we home school, he smiled at the kids and said well then this outing was a lesson today. What a great comment.
I was so pleased with the level of care and with the diagnosis. Even though veterinary costs seem so expensive, I did not feel troubled by the bill. I had authorized every test and treatment, so I knew what to expect when the bill arrived. While I wrote out the check for payment, one of the vet techs complimented the children's behavior. I had to chuckle, because a split second after her compliment, Jersey #5 climbed onto the dog scale to weigh himself. So, I praised the older kids for their behavior, and joked that we were still training the toddler.
We left the clinic with our wonderful old dog, thankful to have more time with her. I tried giving her the first dose of medication in a piece of bread, as the veterinarian suggested. The kids enjoyed watching her eat the entire piece of bread and still drop the pill onto the ground. So, I had to break out a hot dog and stuff her pill inside. That worked. It looks like she will get to enjoy a hot dog treat twice a day this week.
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