Roxy visits the vet
Our dogs love going to see the vets because treats are involved. They are expert at adopting soft, pleading-eyed, irresistible expressions and their tactics are always successful.
On Monday, it was Roxy’s turn to visit the vets. She had done something to her right hind leg and was intermittently limping and whimpering. It didn’t affect her appetite, and she was not in great pain, but one of her toes was sitting at a strange angle. It transpired that she had split the nail, and it had to be removed.
When Barry returned without her, Gilbert was most disturbed, looking at the porch door and crying softly from time to time. He cheered up when he went out for a walk, and came home, panting, damp, and pleased with himself.
Roxy’s homecoming in the afternoon was greeted with enthusiastic sniffs and tail wags. The nail had been split down to the quick and had to be removed under general anaesthetic. It is a quite common occurrence. She has come home with antibiotics and painkillers and is now sporting a multi-coloured bandage and a disposable glove over the paw. She won’t be out walking for a while yet.
Roxy looks rather untidy as her winter coat is being shed.
A close-up reveals that the bandage is patterned with little pink pigs with curly tails.
It is only when you have animals that you realise how expensive medical procedures are, both for animals and humans. As an indication, the cost for this process was £523.00. Drugs are extra!
There is no NHS for animals. It is wise, therefore, to have pet insurance to cushion the blow.
Lilly is being spayed on Monday, who knows what that will cost.
ReplyDeleteDeep breath and know that you are doing the best for her. 😺😸
DeleteI like the first photo as Roxy looked as if she was getting a beatnik look. You're lucky you caught that before it got infected as a friend of mine has a German shepherd and he had the same thing happen two weeks ago and it became severely infected. They were afraid he was going to lose his leg. The bill for that was over $600. Those of us that have pets really have to be diligent and it is expensive, but boy we love those pets. Hope this heals quickly.
ReplyDeleteInfection can set in so readily. Roxy has antibiotics for two weeks. Your friend's dog was lucky.
DeleteThings may have changed, and ok,it is 26 years since we have had dogs, but when I looked at pet insurance back then, it was not good value. Perhaps it is viable to buy now.
ReplyDeleteAnd poor Roxy. I hope her bandaging can come off soon.
DeletePet insurance pays for basic care but has not kept pace with the expertise and advances in veterinary medicine. The top tier covers £12,000 annually. That was not enough when Jellicoe was so ill.
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ReplyDeleteOh, poor baby! That must have been painful, so I'm glad the vet got her fixed up. Her pig bandage is adorable!
ReplyDeleteThe bandage has been replaced this morning with a purple one with black and white cows!
DeleteLovely doggies to have a loving family. Hope Roxy heals quickly.
ReplyDeleteThank you. It looks as though it's going in the right direction.
DeleteGosh Janice - poor Roxy ... but at least she'll get better now ... and how horrific for the bank balance!! Glad you've got insurance ... cheers to you both and 4 legged ones - Hilary
ReplyDeleteThank you, HIlary. Pet insurance is like house and car insurance - you hope you never have to use it, but it's there 'in case.'
ReplyDeleteIt seems your whole family have been experiencing the care of the medical professions in one form or another!
ReplyDeleteHope you all remain fit and well from now on.
Obviously, it was our turn! 😁
ReplyDeleteOur little friends receive the best health care
ReplyDeleteThey do!
DeleteAw, poor Roxy, That must have hurt. Glad she's all fixed up now and that's a pretty fancy looking bandage she has. Pet care sure is expensive.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly is expensive, but she's worth it.
DeleteWe trust that ALL SHALL BE WELL (and all shall be well and all manner of things shall be well).
ReplyDeleteThank you. I've always liked that quotation from Julian of Norwich. 😀
ReplyDeleteSounds very painful for Roxy! May she heal well. I know what you mean about vet charges. When one acquires an animal, one has to be prepared for the eventual bills...some expected and some unexpected!
ReplyDeleteI think many people don't take such costs into consideration, which is a shame.
DeleteVet costs for animals are as expensive as humans -- same equipment, drugs, etc. That's why I have no pets now. Simply can't handle vet and other costs. I find pet insurance only covers the most dramatic procedures that I wouldn't put my pet through anyway.
ReplyDeleteThere is an excess which we pay and it increases with the age of the animal.
DeletePoor Roxy, a sore toe is a hard thing to put up with. But she appreciates all your TLC. Vet charges are astronomical, that is one of the reasons I do not have any pets any more.
ReplyDeleteIt makes us appreciate our NHS even more.
DeleteOuch! Roxy, I hope you heal quickly. (Here in the States, vet bills are out of sight, too.)
ReplyDeleteShe's healing well, but cannot go out in the woods for a while yet.
DeleteWe'll certainly do whatever is needed for our beloved pets. One of the benefits of cat fostering is that the shelter picks up the cost of vood, litter, and vet visits
ReplyDeleteThat's good. I'm sure the shelters are very happy to have people like you looking after their animals.
Delete'food', not 'vood'
ReplyDelete😂
DeleteMy kitties are terrified to go the vet. They even freak when the groomer comes to trim their nails. Treats don't seem to make a difference for vet or groomer visits.
ReplyDeleteWe have found that most cats don't like going to the vet. There have been one or two exceptions. My daughter's Lenny is one - he just loves all the attention.
DeleteRoxy's visit to the vet highlights the unexpected challenges of pet care, especially when it comes to medical costs. It's a reminder of the importance of insurance for our furry friends to help manage those expenses.
ReplyDeleteI wish more people would consider the overall costs of owning a pet.
DeleteI am happy it was something they could fix and sorry for the pain and expense too. looks so cute in her sock, hope there is no cone involved. having spent a little over 2000.00 dollars on one big dog in the past 2 months, I do understand the cost
ReplyDeleteNo cone of shame, fortunately. They do make the animals so depressed.
DeleteRoxy has the face of an angel, rather , what an angel might look like in my mind...Thank you for taking such good care of your pets. There should be more of you around. Our oldest son put well over $20,000.00 dollars into their dog's health. another reason to talk myself out of pet ownership.
ReplyDeleteThe costs soon mount up, because veterinary care is as good as, and in some cases, better than human medical care.
DeleteThis tells me yet again that dogs have such sweet souls. Gosh, $750? I remember our vet bills and they were always high but for the love and comfort of our furry-family, worth every penny. Lovely to know yours enjoys going to the vet. I wish Roxy speedy healing and I do hope you are recovering also.
ReplyDeleteThey are worth every penny for the joy they give.
DeleteYes, vet bills are not cheap.
ReplyDeleteThe family members who have dogs and cats do have insurance.
May Roxy heal quickly... and hope you are recovering well too.
All the best Jan
Thank you, Jan. She's doing well.
DeleteWishing Roxy a speedy recovery!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kirsten.
DeleteOh dear, poor Roxy! Such a shame there is no NHS for animals, though. The medical costs can be exorbitant! xxx
ReplyDeleteThere are the PDSA and Blue Cross for those who really cannot afford the bills.
DeletePoor luv, I bet it was painful for her and worth the cost to get it fixed every time.
ReplyDeleteDogs don't complain so we have to keep a close eye on them. They also can't tell the vet how they're feeling.
DeleteThat is quite a snazzy bandage! Olga also loves visiting the vet for the treats. In fact every time we walk past the office she pulls to go in!
ReplyDeleteWe bought insurance for Olga when we first got her, and we kept it for a year, but the premium went up so much in the second year that it didn't seem worthwhile. Since then we just pay for whatever comes along.
A lot of people have a separate savings account for veterinary treatment. We have insurance to cover the big things. For example, we had an epileptic dog, and also three who suffered life-threatening gastric torsion, and one with meningitis. I'm coming back in my next life as a veterinary nurse . . .
DeleteI bet Roxy is much more comfortable by now. I remember the cost of vet treatments, I used to take Lola several times a year for shots for migranes and her allergic dermatitis where she scratches great raw patches into her skin. Then I found some "home" treatments that worked, now I only take her tice a year to get her "manicure". I had pet insurance for my previous cat Angel, because he loved to roam outside for a couple of hours a day, but I stopped paying when he disappeared (got stolen from the yard). Lola lives inside so I don't see any need for the insurance.
ReplyDeleteMy middle daughter's cats suffer from skin ailments - mostly stress-related, I think.
DeleteHow awful that Angel was stolen - not knowing what happened is terrible.
Is a split nail a rare thing or fairly common? I'm glad Roxy is on the mend.
ReplyDeleteI find the cost of vet care too expensive for my income and it makes me sad because I would like to get a senior cat from a shelter but I just can't take the chance. My cats' care last summer was an expense I can't repeat. My son has looked into insurance and says it doesn't seem designed to help much.
Apparently, split nails are quite common, but this is the first one we've experienced.
DeleteBest wishes for dear Roxy's speedy healing!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Stephanie.
ReplyDelete