Great News about an apointment!

So happy! The new vet is able to get us in tomorrow afternoon! Also I heard back from a person with the Cavalier Recsue USA and she was able to recommend a slightly closer neurological clinic that is very good with Cavaliers. It is only 190 miles away! And even better news is that they can get us in within a week once they receive the referral from my vet! So happy things are finally moving! I'm taking print outs about SM & PSOM to the new vet and the vet knows I'm bring in a Cavalier pup showing signs of SM so she has had some time to research it. *Fingers Crossed that we can get the right treatment and answers quickly*

That's great news Shannon - good news too about the neurology referral. Let us know who it is please, we can add it to the list.

It's really helpful to go to someone with experience of dealing with the condition.


Remember when you go the vets that they are there to provide a service to you, and you can therefore go in and politely request that they do the referral.

Keep us posted - we are thinking of you both

That's great!! So glad you're going to get in quickly. Will be thinking about you.

Prayers for your baby

Great news hopefully you will soon have the answers and a proper diagnose to what is going on, so that they can get her started on some type of treatment. My heart goes out to you, it is never fun waiting to see what the outcome holds for your precious cavalier. Let us know how things turn out, with you in thoughts and prayers! Keep us updated:updte: Take care.


Blessings,
Pamela

VERY Frustrated with today's appointment! The new vet was an older gentleman who was very set in his ways and very ruff with my poor pup. He did take the time to listen to my concerns and look over all the SM information. But Flash & I both left fairly traumatized! I spent over 2 hours there.

He looked poor Flash over from top to bottom. Flash screamed endless as he prodded in and around his ears. He said he ears "looked" great even really deep down near his ear drums. Poor Flash was sooo upset with this but it only got worse.

He did check and empty Flash's anal glands. He said they were pretty gunked up so that would cause all the scooting. Recommend they get checked at least once a month. Flash again screamed the whole time but I would have too!

Then for the worst part. He checked movement in the legs and all but during this the assistant flipped Flash on his back and held him down. Flash screamed the whole time. Several minutes. I interrupted them and told them I was VERY concerned the way they were holding him down on his back with his neck kinda pulled up in a odd uncomfortable looking position may be seriously hurting him especially if he is already sensitive with his neck! They were both very rude in the fact he was FINE and just didn't like being put in a submissive position. Poor Flash screamed and screamed! I was so upset and I nearly cried! I was so concerned with Flash screaming I'm not sure what all the vet was checking... his back legs and boy parts I think? When the vet finally set him up he tried to check his rear legs with him standing but poor Flash was trembling so bad he couldn't tell anything.

Then the battle began! He agreed that it sounded like Flash has some kind of neurological issue going on..... But DIDN'T want to refer me to the A&M clinic i wanted! We spent a good 30 minutes going back and forth. I was nearly begging and he was very stern and set in where he wanted to send us. I finally caved after 30 minutes of this. I figured any specialty clinic is better then the luck of the last 2 vets we have seen. He is sending us to a local specialty clinic to see an internal medicine doctor who deals with a "small" number of neurological cases. I even called the clinic myself before caving in with the doctor. They DON'T have a neurological department let alone a neurologist.. but they do MRI's. The new vet "assured" me this clinic is the best around and the doctors here are just as good at the A&M clinic. He said I'm just going to waist my gas and time driving all the way up to see a neurologist and the neurologist is way more expensive. (I don't believe any of it...) If this clinic doesn't help me I just may go back to the vet screaming.....I was nearly screaming when I left... GRRRRRRRRRRR The good thing is they will be seeing Flash on Tuesday so if they can't help me I have only wasted 5 days.

BTW: I never would have thought... my vet charged me a referral fee.... seriously do all vets charge to do a referral? He already poked me for the office visit, anal gland emptying, & fecal... I'm really surprised they charged me to make a 5 minute phone call that I wasn't even happy with.

Oh dear, I feel traumatized just reading your description of the vet appointment. :yikes I would definitely be worried about getting mixed up in a 'good ole boy' network, and would try any other means to get to a neurologist!!!!!

Are you absolutely certain that you need a referral to A&M? You might want to call them, explain the situation, and see if you can't just make an appointment to take him there.

Now you also might want to work with your puppy to get him over the traumatic vet appointment. You will need to focus on relaxing yourself and giving him treats whenever possible while at the vets to help him think it's fun to go to there. The university may be able to help you de-traumatize him too, if you explain what transpired.

I'm not much help to you tonight I'm afraid; if someone did that to a puppy of mine there's no telling what I'd do! :-X

PS: I would try to find out who I could report him to. He didn't even give you the referral to the neurologist!

How awful! Do not return to that vet, and wouldn't see any specialist he recommends. I might try calling tomorrow, and explaining that you have thought about and are would really prefer to go to A&M for the neurologist. Over the phone you may be less susceptible to being bullied. You will probably have to pay for another referral, but you can drop by and pay it after you get what you want, and without bringing poor Flash back there.

Another avenue you might try, request a copy of the vet's notes and see if A&M would accept Flash with just the notes and no formal referral. They may want you to pay for the records, $10 would be the highest they should have the audacity to charge though.

As for helping poor Flash get over his experience one of the vet's at CSU will allow clients to schedule non-appointments where all they do is let the animal acclimate to the exam room-by the having them eat a really high value treat, like a whole chicken breast, then the will stop in and pet them for a minute and talk to them. He hated how stressed animals got at vet appointments, and found this really helped.

Good ideas, Soushiruiuma, about requesting the vet's notes and having a non-appointment.

The vet school we go to offers the same type of non-appointments to their clients. Perhaps A&M will let you have an initial non-appointment, then a rest in the waiting room, followed by a real appointment.

GREAT news!
I called the vet clinic this morning and requested to speak with the other vet that works there (she wasn't in yesterday). I explained how rude the other vet was and how he bullied me into the local specialty clinic. I explained why I was so unhappy I was with the referral. She looked over our file, put a note in there that I NEVER want to see the rude vet again and is going to call me back with a referral to the board certified Neurologist at A&M. =) Flash & I both are feeling much better this morning!

That's great to hear that the referral has been sorted. Hate to think you went through such an ordeal for nothing.