Almost impossible to find a vet

[snoozy]

So Kebab the Corgi has started peeing blood, so naturally I try to get an appt for him with a vet. His regular vet is closed for annual vacation. I called 6 other vets, only to find that either they have no time for the next 2weeks, or they aren't accepting new patients. You'd think they were hair stylists or something! Finally I got a positive response from one place, and I hope they turn out to be a good fit and can fix his pee problem. There is the option of the emergencyaanimal hospital, but it isn't quite an emergency (yet), since Kebab is unbothered and chases balls and bunnies as per usual.

[grannyg]

The vet in our town sold out...so we have to go 40-45 miles or more if we need one....

[momo]

A friend of mine was just telling me the same thing yesterday. He had to go to 3 vets until he could find one to see his sick dog.

[hmsteader71]

How is Kebob doing now? We are blessed that our two vets get us in immediately.

[snoozy]

Finally found a vet and Kebab was diagnosed with bladder stones, and we have to feed him prescription food ($$). And he seems to be fine now. Hopefully he has peed/will pee them out.

[countrymom22]

Jul 8, 2021 16:15:42 GMT snoozy said:

So Kebab the Corgi has started peeing blood, so naturally I try to get an appt for him with a vet. His regular vet is closed for annual vacation. I called 6 other vets, only to find that either they have no time for the next 2weeks, or they aren't accepting new patients. You'd think they were hair stylists or something! Finally I got a positive response from one place, and I hope they turn out to be a good fit and can fix his pee problem. There is the option of the emergencyaanimal hospital, but it isn't quite an emergency (yet), since Kebab is unbothered and chases balls and bunnies as per usual.

In my area it isn't just the vets.  Try getting a doctor appointment for anything that doesn't require a trip to the ER and you're going to wait 2-4 weeks!

[Woodpecker]

Yes, that’s true here, getting a doctor appointment, especially a specialist takes weeks here too. Since I fell two weeks ago on my already injured shoulder with tendonitis, I can’t get in until day after Labor Day.

I can’t start P/T until I get the script from the orthopedic doctor, so am basically a sore one armed mad woman!!!

[snoozy]

So Kebab the Corgi injured his foot yesterday while on a walkie with my husband. He tried to staunch the bleeding while driving to the emergency animal hospital. Gets there and of course the place is locked and you wait in the parking lot. He waited for over an hour and the receptionist paid him no attn, though she knew he was out there. Blood all over. Nice random person in the parking lot brought him a towel, another some water. After a long time the vet assistant/receptionist says we're swamped, just go home and we will put you on the at home waiting list. So he brings home our little doggie, and we manage to get his foot bandaged and eventually the bleeding stops. I still had his cone of shame from when he had surgery before, so he hasn't been able to mess with the bandage, but still we have had to redo it several times. We can't see if it is a cut from glass or metal it if he split his digits or what.

I called the hospital and she said there are 25 prospective patients on the home waiting list. I tried the other emergency vet further away, and they are swamped as well. All other vets are closed until Monday, of course. Most of them would likely have told me they aren't taking any new patients anyway, but still, you'd think someone would decide to be closed on Wed-Thur instead and be open on Sat-Sun.

So no text until 9am SUN, to tell us they hope to get him in sometime today. It is now Sunday evening. Finally I get a call, they are just checking in, they don't actually have any time to see him. She notes that he hasn't peed since yesterday, because he can't really stand. She hopes that this will nudge the triage person to see him as urgent enough to allow in.

Probably I will go first thing tomorrow morning to the nice vet who took him in when he had his bladder problem, when every other vet's office didn't care that he was peeing blood. And he loves that place. They are closed on wknds, otherwise we'd have taken him there first.

This vet situation is really dire. I think what we are seeing is the result of all the boomers aging out of the workforce. So that we are still consumers of services, but fewer people are providing those services.

I just hope Kebab's paw doesn't get infected.

[Tallpines]

Duplicate

[Tallpines]

Hoping your pup gets the attention he needs soon!
🙏

[snoozy]

Finally got Kebab in to the vet hospital at 1:30am MON. He had ripped three claws/nails up. I sat out in the parking lot for two hours while they bandaged him up and all.

Brought him home, got him settled, then he wandered downstairs (because his foot was anesthetized and he couldn't feel it and he was dopey), pooping here and there. So we got up to put the little plastic bootie on his foot to protect from water, and Bill put him outside to finish his ablutions. Two minutes later, he went out to fetch him, and he was gone. Like nowhere to be seen. How could he have gone anywhere?? So we're out with flashlights calling and looking, and finally I found him wandering behind the compost bin. Like an Alzheimers patient wandering off. He is still very dopey and subdued. But at least he peed and pooped, and his paw is properly bandaged, though they want the bandage off in a few hours.

[mogal]

Would he do his business if walked on a lead?

DH just read me an article about a woman who fell into a geyser at Yellowstone while trying to rescue her dog. She's still in a medically induced coma, has had 4 surgeries for skin grafts from cadavers and a long road to recovery. The last comment DH made about it was "Why wasn't the dog on a leash?"

Hope he is better by now. One of our vets used a reversal drug that brought our dog around very quickly without that dopey/groggy stage. It was especially helpful since the dog was a nearly 100# German shepherd who could then get herself back into the truck to come home.

[snoozy]

Right now heis not walking. Last night (actually at 4am), he was oblivious to any pain. I put him out in his yard and walked a way for a few minutes. He didn't attempt to walk, but sort of settled into a sit like a slow loris. So I brought him in and placed him in his bed, where he has been since. He is awake, but seems very depressed, as people are when they are waking up from tranquilizers.

[mogal]

Poor puppy.

[countrymom22]

I'm so glad you were finally able to get a vet to see poor Kebab. My brother's dog started having seizures and they couldn't get anyone to see him for 48 hours. Thankfully the seizures had stopped but the poor dog wouldn't eat and was very lethargic. He has since had lots of blood work, 2 ultrasounds and needs to see a doggy cardiologist. And my brother and SIL are in the middle of a move to SC from NJ. The vet shortage is real and not just in rural counties. My vet, who has 7 vets on staff, stopped taking new clients more than 5 years ago. I was so afraid that when we put our old man Beau down almost 3 years ago, that I was going to lose our vet since we didn't have any other pets at that time. Thankfully they told me that once we are established clients (I've been using them form 28 years now), we would remain clients unless we told them otherwise. That was a big relief!

Hope Kebab recovers quickly and completely!

[Maura]

Sorry you all had to go through this. I hope you learned something from the experience. Anything. There are two vets that I use. I used to use a third (holistic) vet but she has retired or there would be 3. One vet place has already been sold to a a youngster, so that is still going. One vet is a husband and wife with one doing small animals and the other doing livestock, but either can do both. I think the husband/farm vet is semi retired now.

[mogal]

It's not so difficult to find a companion animal vet around here but finding someone who does livestock, particularly small ruminants, is a real challenge. The University of Missouri vet school is available if you have a fortune to spend. However, the last I heard, due to Covid, they weren't accepting many patients. I'm sure that won't bode well for the education of the students paying big bucks to go there.

[snoozy]

Kebab is doing a bit better now. I set him outside and was out there a bit hoping he would pee or poop, but when he didn't, I came in to put his breakfast together, but left the door open. Kebab walked in on his own in anticipation of breakfast, which he gobbled up including his medications. The door is still open, so I'm hoping he will get up to use the bathroom on his own if I go on about my day as usual.

[Woodpecker]

We had one Vet in town for many years. He closed up during the pandemic sometime & hasn’t come back. Our luncheonette is closed for good, also since the pandemic.

One new store opened, a pickle store, pickles and nothing else. I’m familiar with his barrel pickles, he’s still manufacturing about 15 minutes away. Sells to big restaurants, deli’s , etc.

When our Boxer , Jade was out on the deck napping on a summer day with her pal Elmer , I called them both to come inside. They always both came when I called, but this time Jade didn’t. I went out to see her & she was looking up at me, but didn’t get up. I called my son and he came home , called the Vet, she couldn’t squeeze Jade in, so told my son to call an emergency vet about an hour away. As my son was talking, Jade closed her eyes and she was gone😢

We don’t know what happened to her that day. Both my son & I have suspicions about the builders that were working on the new mini McMansion next door. It was just too odd, the way she passed so quickly. She was only 6 years old & such a sweet, strong loving friend.