[Dailydrool] Stepping back

[Elizabeth Lindsey]

> Watch your dogs and understand what is normal for them, and never  
> ignore
> that cold, sinking feeling of dread when you begin to see something  
> off,
> something that you think is wrong. See your Vet. Better to err on  
> the good
> side than the bad.

And I'm going to add to Bev's sage advice a pearl of wisdom we  
learned the hard way and at our late Jane Basset's expense: If your  
gut tells you your vet isn't doing something s/he should or is  
heading down the wrong path, seek a second opinion.

We ignored our gut feeling that something was very wrong with our  
Jane, despite her vet's breezy assurances that all long-eared dogs  
have ear infections all the time. By the time we finally decided that  
our vet, whom we liked very much, wasn't treating Jane's situation as  
seriously as maybe she should, Jane's condition had gotten so bad  
that she couldn't chew any hard food and constantly drooled on one side.

Thankfully we asked for a referral to our state's vet school, which  
found a hidden infection deep inside her ear where the regular vet  
couldn't see with a handheld otiscope. By that time, the infection  
was so deep-seated that it was eating through her skull and the only  
way to get rid of it was to surgically remove the contents of that ear.

If we had trusted our gut, however, and sought a second opinion much  
earlier in the game, Jane might not have lost that ear.

It's good to act on gut feelings by heading to the vet and by seeking  
second opinions if the first vet doesn't seem to be able to clear up  
the problem within a reasonable amount of time. We know our dogs best  
of all and know when something is off with them.

Elizabeth