I am getting so angry about the ignorance of my local vet, but because of the closeness of the cancer surgery I have to stick with this awful practice for the time being.
When I took Rebel in for his 3 monthly check up a couple of weeks ago she found he had a throat infection, so treated it with antibiotics, giving us a return appointment for last week and only giving 14 days supply of Frusemide. When we went back last Thursday Rebel was having an awful day. I suspected atmospheric changes due to the high winds combined with the very cold weather were causing the problem.
When we got there the very good nurse/receptionist usually always there had been replaced by a surly disinterested young woman, who seemed to dislike both people and animals. After waiting over an hour, with Rebel in obvious distress, we were called in to see the vet, who quickly told me she has recently arrived from Poland and instructed me to 'speak slowly, in short words and very clearly please'!
By this time Rebel had taken an instant dislike, was tense and was howling. She said I must keep him still while she listens to his heart. I told her this had been checked 2 weeks ago and that he was there to check the throat infection had cleared and to be prescribed a further 3 months of Frusemide on monthly repeat. She insisted that he did not need more Frusemide and that the usual vet had only prescribed 2 weeks 'because she must have wanted to get him off it.' The atmosphere in that room was becoming hostile.
I told her of Rebel's worsening SM and that I thought he should have Gabarpentin. She said 'What is this syringomyelia? We do not have this in my country!' I curbed the urge to ask what she was doing over here then and suggested that she read his notes, adding that a cursory look at his MRI pictures shows CM, a syrinx between C1 and C5 and curvature of the spine. She didn't want to view his history, reluctantly going into his records to see the MRI results, then telling me the syrinx is minor. OMG!!!
She said she did not think he needed pain relief or any other medication. She could not understand why he needed Frusemide. I had problems understanding what she was saying, being torn between keeping Rebel still and hearing over his howling. The door was then opened and clearly I was expected to go through it and out. I collected and paid for the consultation and took the bottle of Frusemide. When I got home I saw that she had only given 2 weeks supply.
So I did what they do on the tv shows - I 'phoned a friend with experience of the condition. She agreed that this is all wrong. She has an unwanted supply of Gabarpentin which I can try and another experienced friend has e-mailed me a suggested treatment regime. By Friday morning the winds had dropped, although it was still quite cold, but Rebel was back to his normal laid back self.
If I had any doubts about atmospheric changes affecting SM, they were dispelled during the very long conversation I had with a fellow exhibitor at LKA yesterday. She has a dog of similar age to Rebel, but with probably more advanced symptoms. She has been using Gabarpentin successfully for some time, but now thinks some further pain relief is required for her dog during atmospheric changes. She thinks I am right to use it for Rebel.
I know that I must change vets. There is no way I will take my other dogs there and have decided on a surgery across town where I know that Rebel will get the considerate and informed treatment and care that he needs. I also know that I have the right to complain about the circumstances in the present surgery, but I am not in a position to cope with any more hassle, so I will take no action.
Since I seem to have become Rebel's temporary physician I wonder whether anybody more experienced could tell me whether I should administer the Gabarpentin on a regular twice daily basis or whether I should in fact only need to use it when adverse weather conditions are forecast.