Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

Tell me am I wrong

38 replies

happychappy · 12/12/2011 13:33

I have to beagles, one girl and one boy
They have been together for over 2 years and no puppies. So oh well never mind. Anyway last week she was a bit odd. Cuddly (more than usual), nipples a little bit bigger than usual male not sitting on her as usual. A bit less greedy than usual. I thought she might be pregnant. A neighbour who breeds looked and said probably very early though. So off I go to the vet who reckons she sick with a very serious urine infection, needs scans and blood tests. I have never been to this vet (new to the area). Whats more he thinks her infection is something beginning with P and means she will have to be spay.
I am gutted but also very shocked didn't expect that especially before Christmas.
He gave her some antibiotics.
She doesn't have a temperature and is just a bit cuddly. Not very sick. She doesn't want to go out because its cold, she doesn't like the cold (never has done).
She was fine all weekend and fine today. I'm supposed to go back but I don't believe him.
A. because no temperature or trouble peeing
B. She's only put a little weight on
C. She's more or less the same as usual just a little odd.

Am I wrong not to take her back to vet and think her was a money grabbing little git. He wanted my card details almost immediately and the five minutes I was in there he racked up a bill of over £200.

OP posts:
haddock1976 · 12/12/2011 13:45

Did the vet say pyometra? If he did then you need to take her back to the vet now otherwise she'll die and quickly. Even if it isn't as severe as pyometra and is just an urine infection, to leave her untreated is cruel and unkind.

If you don't believe him, pay for a second opinion. Don't leave your poor dog to suffer. Angry

FaverollesWithBoughsOfHolly · 12/12/2011 13:49

There is so much to say about your post, but I'll stick with saying get her back to the vets to be treated and spayed.

ChickensThinkYouCanGetStuffed · 12/12/2011 14:08

We nearly lost my childhood bitch to pyometra. It gets bad very, very quickly. Please take her to a vet ASAP.

ChickensThinkYouCanGetStuffed · 12/12/2011 14:11

BTW, there isn't always a temperature with pyometra. Check out the wiki page.

CalatalieSisters · 12/12/2011 14:26

Don't just leave it. Have some tests already been done? At least get the result of those tests. Anyway, just going back for a second visit to see if she has improved shouldn't cost anything of itself: the first visit usually incurrs a consultation fee that covers you for the follow-up visits, so there will only be further expense if she needs further treatment.

Also, have you given thought to having her spayed regardless of whether or not she has this infection? If you don't like paying vet bills you presumably won't want to just drift into a pregancy.

Original poster
happychappy · 12/12/2011 14:28

Symptoms

The most obvious symptom of open pyometra is a discharge of pus from the vulva in a Female that has recently been in heat. However, symptoms of closed pyometra are less obvious. Symptoms of both types include vomiting, loss of appetite, depression, and increased drinking and urinating.[6] Fever is seen in less than a third of female dogs with pyometra.[1] Closed pyometra is a more serious condition than open pyometra not only because there is no outlet for the infection but also because a diagnosis of closed pyometra can easily be missed due to its insidious nature. Bloodwork may show dehydration, increased white blood cell count, and increased alkaline phosphatase. X-rays will show an enlarged uterus, and ultrasound will confirm the presence of a fluid filled uterus.[4]

She has none of these symtoms other than slight loss of appetite. He did no bloodwork or scans. Just poked her and said it was that. How did he know?

OP posts:
ThunderboltKid · 12/12/2011 14:34

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn at poster's request

Original poster
happychappy · 12/12/2011 14:39

no his entire examination was a poke and a prod and that from that she had pyometra. she needs a blood test to confirm and a scan and then would need to be spay. The cost was £35 but the rest of the stuff was another 200. I went away not trusting him. He didn't really even look at her properly.

I think I will, problem is we are proper country and he's the nearest vet by about 8 miles. Plus subsequently Ive heard nothing but bad things about him

Ive had dogs most of my life and she just doesn't seem sick, odd but not sick

OP posts:
CalatalieSisters · 12/12/2011 14:44

Well, then I would go back for a follow-up poke and prod and take it from there. If she is fine it will cost you nothing more, but if she is not then you can decide with the vet which of the further interventions she needs. Don't just leave it.

Original poster
happychappy · 12/12/2011 14:45

Thats what id thought I do but with other vet. There are 2 in the practice

OP posts:
multipoodles · 12/12/2011 14:49

Having owned a bitch with closed pyo I can't stress enough how you need to get this bitch seen again by the vet and pretty damn quick. Closed pyo will KILL as symtoms can be missed by a busy family. With our bitch she had finished her season for about a month, her only symptoms were excessive drinking & weeing (sign of infection in any dog), sleepy and off her food. I spotted the signs and she was spayed immediately. Seeing how subtle all the signs were I was alarmed as it could easily have been missed, then the uterus bursts and dog is dead :(

Why do you apparantly want puppies? Are your dog and bitch health tested, KC registered, Suitable pedigrees? If running together all the time how on earth would you know when mating takes place, when pups are due, when to look for any problems in labour?

If you are worried about costs now, whelping could possible give you a much larger bill not to mention the worry of lossing your bitch and finding suitable homes for puppies. Spaying is what you need, not puppies and I hope your bitch get all the veterinary treatment she needs and soon.

ditavonteesed · 12/12/2011 14:49

if the £200 included spay that isnt so bad, it cost me £180 to get cherry spayed. I get the feeling from your posts you were hoping to be told she is pregnant, sorry if this is nnot the case. she should be spayed, why would you keep an unspayed female with a male dog?

elfyrespect · 12/12/2011 14:54

Are you saying you don't even want her to have the blood test and scan?

Scuttlebutter · 12/12/2011 15:19

FFS. Your vet is NOT charging you £200 for a checkup. They are charging you £200 for a checkup followed by drugs, with further tests and treatments for a potentially fatal, serious illness. Do you have insurance for your dog?

Please get your dog back to a vet asap. Sad

coccyx · 12/12/2011 15:26

I am going to be honest and say that I think you are being a neglectful owner.
Pyometria can soon turn nasty and cause death.
You seem more worried that vet may need to spay and you will have no puppies.

wildfig · 12/12/2011 17:38

like most hounds, beagles are very stoic little dogs and will endure a fair bit of pain before making a fuss (hence their use in vivisection Sad) so just because she's not acting 'sick' doesn't mean to say she isn't. If she has pyometra, you need to get her treated now - it can be grim.

The possibility of pyo was one of the many reasons I decided to have my bitch spayed - Google it.

KnickersOnOnesHead · 12/12/2011 20:56

Am I wrong not to take her back to vet and think her was a money grabbing little git. He wanted my card details almost immediately and the five minutes I was in there he racked up a bill of over £200.

And you are not a money grabbing little git (as you so politely put it) by letting your bitch have puppies??

Hmm
GlitterySkulls · 12/12/2011 21:02

what knickers said- wish mn had a like button.

BeerGrinchPotter · 12/12/2011 21:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

IfYouSeeKaySanta · 12/12/2011 21:06

Pyometra kills. A closed pyometra can have very few symptoms until it's too late for treatment to be effective. I wouldn't be taking any chances if it were me and I'd be seeking a second opinion or at least authorising the tests to have it ruled out.

I really can't fathom your thought process here. Your priorities appear all wrong to me as a dog owner.

JollyJinglyJoo · 12/12/2011 21:08

When was your bitch last in season? The incidence of pyometra in unneutered bitches is around 23%, and it can be fatal- that is the reason your vet wants to do further tests to rule it out. It's not always obvious, and far better to catch it at the start, rather than waiting until you have a very very sick bitch who is now toxic and in whom a general anaesthetic and op is far far more risky.

I try to keep my opinions on people breeding their pet dogs to myself, but I feel I need to point out that breeding dogs is a HUGE responsibility, and should never ever be a case of putting a dog and bitch together without having a real in-depth knowledge of the breed, breed problems and lines. I had 2 beagles and I would never have bred them for several reasons

  1. Even as an experienced vet, I do not know enough about the breed- I don't show, don't know the ins and outs of the dogs on the circuit, line problems etc. That is only known by someone who spends a huge amount of time involved with the breed they love and has spent years getting to know individual lines, seen 5th generations etc
  2. Beagles do have some genetic problems, which should be looked into before breeding.
  3. If you bring 8 puppies into the world you should be prepared to take responsibility for them if it doesn't work out with their new owners. Sadly, beagles are a very difficult breed and quite a few of them DO get returned to the breeder.
  4. I would not have put my bitch through the physiological strain of pregnancy for my own gain

It may be that your bitch has a false pregnancy. Or a pyo. Or it may be that she is pregnant. But you NEED to know which. If she isn't pregnant, I would seriously look into getting her neutered, for her future health

Inthepotty · 12/12/2011 21:19

There's so much I could say about the whole situation- however I will sit on my little hands and just add this.

We had a rescue bitch when I was 8 or 9, who one evening was a 'bit off', sleepy, cuddly, drinking lots. My mum was a vet nurse at the local practice, she rang her vets just for reassurance- vet said to bring her in ASAP, "it may be just a water infection, maybe soemthing else.."

I rememeber my mum shouting us over the road (we lived 100 yards away) to 'come and say bye', our bitch had closed pyo. They spayd the very next morning she was so desperately ill they didn't think she'd live.

Happily, said pooch went on to live a life of luxury until she was 17, when the very same vet went to my mums house (shes now retired) to PTS. I went too, and he said 'god, we nearly lost this pup, if you'd left it any later it would have been too late'.

Please please go back to the vet!! It was about 3/4 hours from us noticing a few symptoms to getting Bon to the vet.

Hope this all makes sense?!

Mibby · 12/12/2011 21:32

Pyometra kills. Very quickly and painfully. The 'poking and proding' was probably feeling to see if the uterus was enlarged or fluid filled or tender for the dog. Its the first step in a proper diagnosis, before blood tests and scans. FFS take the dog back to the vet, or to another vet, tomorrow. shes your pet and she needs you to take care of her

FestiveFriedaWassailsAgain · 12/12/2011 21:41

The animal welfare act covers 5 main duties a pet owner has -

The five welfare needs

This means pet owners are now legally obliged to care for their pet properly - which most owners already do - by providing these five basic needs:

somewhere suitable to live

a proper diet, including fresh water

the ability to express normal behaviour

for any need to be housed with, or apart from, other animals

protection from, and treatment of, illness and injury.

IMHO if you fail to get this dog treated adequately, you are neglecting it. If you are not happy with the vet, see another practice if you must, 8 miles to travel is very little. I don't know a great amount about pyometra, but I know it can be fatal, and the prevention of it is one of the main reasons why you should get a bitch spayed.

Your poor dog Sad

coccyx · 13/12/2011 09:34

Whats the update on the poor bitch