Feel like an awful dog owner

[CleverQuacks]

I have a 1 year old shihtzu. About three weeks ago she stopped eating. I took her to the vet and they said she was having a false pregnancy and to just encourage her to eat little bits of her favourite things. Managed to get her eating little bits of ham, chicken, egg etc but only tiny bits (she usually loves her food). As things hadn’t improved I rang the vet again after a week and they just said it was still the false pregnancy and as she was eating little bits they weren’t worried.

Then on Saturday morning I got up and her cage, where she sleeps, was full of vomit. She was lethargic and obviously not happy. I took her to the vet and they said she was dehydrated. She was also still being sick. They said she needed to stay in for fluids etc.

She stayed overnight and they rang me the next morning to say she was a lot better so I could bring her home. Got her home but I knew she wasn’t right, just hiding under the sofa and refusing food. I rang the vet and had to really push them to get her back in. They wanted me to monitor at home.

Took her back in and they were reluctant to keep her. I had to argue with the vet and insisted they do some checks rather than just saying “false pregnancy”. Anyway, after a lot of pushing they did a scan on her tummy and found she has two foreign bodies in her stomach! She is having an operation now to remove them.

I feel awful, she has been in a bad way for three weeks. She must have been in so much pain and discomfort. Also feel bad that somehow she has eaten something that she shouldn’t. I should have watched her more carefully :(

[ekidmxcl]

You should not feel bad. Some dogs are mega scavengers and it’s incredibly difficult to stop them.

The vet is the one who should feel bad, saying any old bullshit to repeatedly get you to go away. You should be proud of yourself for pestering the vet until they found the real problem.

[MyDucksArentInARow]

You're not the awful one. If be changing vets. A dog gone off it's food for >24 hours should be seen if it's out of character. I get that in the current circumstances a monitor from home would be preferable for the vets. But you were monitoring and the outcome was you knew she needed to be seen. Good on you for pushing back at them and getting her seen.

[CleverQuacks]

Thank you both. The strange thing is she really isn’t a chewer but she has obviously got something she shouldn’t have. I am madly cleaning the house to make sure all little things are out of reach for when she comes home.

All I can say is thank god she is insured!

[BittersweetMemories]

You are not the awful one here.

I had the EXACT same situation as you with our dog, was definitely something very wrong with him but the vet kept fobbing us off and saying we were imagining it.

We eventually went to a different vet who identified a foreign body in the stomach and intestines but unfortunately, by the time this was discovered the blood flow had stopped and the intestines couldn't be saved so he passed... Poor baby. I wish more than anything that I had fought harder against the vet who kept telling me I was imagining it.

I raised a complaint with the RCVS which didn't come to anything but at least I did something.

[CyberPixie]

Was that vets4pets by any chance? I have a 1yr old chi who was very poorly with an injury to her shoulder. At the time we didn't know this, she must have knocked into something doing zoomies. Vets4pets told me it was a false pregnancy, let her suffer in pain for weeks, barely eating.
Took her to a different vets and they diagnosed her correctly straight away. She now suffers flare ups of stiffness and pain even though she's only 5. Maybe if they'd diagnosed her earlier she may not have continued with a permanent problem.
Vets4pets were even trying to convince me to give her a booster jab while she was there suffering, not eating, lethargic. Even started eating we can take her away from you if you don't let us give her a booster jab! Terrible vets

It's not your fault at all so don't blame yourself.

[CleverQuacks]

Wasn’t vets 4 pets. It’s actually a big veterinary hospital that does all of the out of hours care in our area. I am relieved that they have finally found the problem and hopefully she is on the road to recovery. I am so sorry to hear about your dog @BittersweetMemories. I think I will look for a different vet once this is over.

[BiteyShark]

Every time we took ours in when he was off his food or being sick they would ask is there any possibility that he has ingested something. Everytime I used to say no as he isn't that type of dog. Ummm until the day he was and he had to undergone emergency surgery .

Don't feel bad, you pushed as you knew something wasn't right and fortunately your instincts were correct.

Hoping for a good recovery

[ImAncient]

Oh no poor you. Some dogs are just like this. It’s your vet who I think has dropped the ball tbh. Is there any where else you can go? If you give a rough guide on where you are maybe someone on here can help find a different vet.

[CleverQuacks]

Thank you everyone. The vet says the operation has been successful and she is recovering well. She will stay there tonight for close monitoring and then hopefully may be able to come home tomorrow afternoon.

[BiteyShark]

That's good news.

[ImAncient]

Great news.

[ekidmxcl]

Pleased she’s doing well

[Yokohamajojo]

Our one who was fobbed off by our own vet for weeks, was eventually rushed to vet hospital where they found a bbq wooden stick which had done lots of damaged to his intestines. I still feel bad about how much pain he must have been in, went to our vet about 6 times and they just kept giving him pastes and said it was an upset stomach! He had 25%of one of his lungs removed and spent 8 days in intensive care, it was touch and go but he made a full recovery thank goodness! Not your fault, hope she recovers quickly!!

[Honeyroar]

You’re a good owner. You’ve fought her corner. I hope she’s soon better.

[DuaLipa95]

Aw bless you OP . How is your dog doing today? Did they tell you what it was she'd eaten?

[Scattyhattie]

Great news! Would definitely change vets, they are only ones who were lacking & thank goodness you did push for tests.

@CyberPixie Vets4pets is a means for vets & vet nurses to have ownership of a practice & given independent vets are all being bought out by big corporates it does mean they least have a vested interest in their practice doing well long-term.
The quality of service does depend on staff there, my friend has one and is an amazing, caring vet who'll never have the most successful business on profits or much life outside of work as the animals matter greatly to them.

[CleverQuacks]

Thanks for all your replies. She has been settled overnight but is still refusing to eat. It’s really not like her, she usually loves her food! The vet doesn’t want her to come home until she eats something so she is in for a bit longer. Hopefully today she will eat.

[BiteyShark]

BiteyDog was the same. Refused to eat and they didn't want him to go home.

After a couple of days they let him out overnight in the hope that it was the trauma of the vets upsetting him and I spent all night coaxing him to eat a little something which he eventually did in the early hours of the morning. I think sometimes the trauma, drugs and unfamiliar surroundings can put them off eating.

Fingers crossed she comes home soon.