and it is my turn to open the bottle of wine

[GrannyJen]

Max, my 13 1/2 year old Gentleman, became very distressed.

He has always been the most placid, calm, ever so gregarious gentleman, you could imagine him in a gentleman's club in a plush armchair wearing a smoking jacket and sipping his scotch....

Except over Christmas he started to become ever so clingy...

January he was pacing, panting, in clear distress. His arthritis is bad, hip displacement severe, but his pain regime was holding, but no longer.

We feared brain tumour, we feared dementia, our sleep for the last three weeks has been shattered by him pacing and panting all night long.

It, so far, appears to have been pain. We have changed his baseline medication. Now, a miracle drug has surfaced, one that at last seems to be working, and one that costs 50p a pack from sainsbury's

The blood tests are clear, quite superb for an old boy of his age, the x-rays clear. after beating our heads against a wall, amantelin, tramadol, NSAID's like metacam.... paracetamol has calmed our old boy down wonderfully. For the first time In three months he is no longer constantly panting. He has stopped pacing. Separation anxiety is diminishing. Last night he slept peacefully, first time in weeks.

Fingers crossed.

 

[Perfectos]

Take the Smoking Jacket off him and move his armchair further from the fire, & more scotch

 

[AlisonF]

What a great age. And I hope many more years to come with all your love and support xx

 

[Ladymuck]

Lovely to hear you have managed to ease his pain, must be such a relief for him and you! x

 

[GrannyJen]

Lovely to hear you have managed to ease his pain, must be such a relief for him and you! x

Instinct takes over

All the very expensive drugs from the vets,

a quick google, dogs can tolerate paracetamol, 10mg per kg of weight, try it on Max between the amantelin and brilliant effect!!

 

[Dr-Snickers]

Hope you’re both able to rest easier now!

 

[GrannyJen]

Hope you’re both able to rest easier now!

Max certainly is.

All those ever so expensive, vet prescribed, drugs and a plain old pack of Sainsburys paracetamol proves to be the miracle drug.

Well the old gentleman is quiet now, sleeping a lot, no longer frantically panting, and two nights running now we have had a full nights sleep.

Bless him.

 

[Dr-Snickers]

Bless! Glad he’s resting up; question is, are you resting too?

Thank god they haven’t come up with a veterinary licensed paracetamol! My vet explained that as soon as there is a licensed animal product, they have to stop using the human one.

When my much loved cat developed hyperthyroidism, they had to prescribe the veterinary equivalent drug at £100/month, instead of the human option, which they had previously used for years, which would have cost a few pounds. That’s purely drug companies creations a product to make money and not improving quality of care.

Hope you’re having a nice Friday night.

 

[GrannyJen]

Bless! Glad he’s resting up; question is, are you resting too?

Thank god they haven’t come up with a veterinary licensed paracetamol! My vet explained that as soon as there is a licensed animal product, they have to stop using the human one.

When my much loved cat developed hyperthyroidism, they had to prescribe the veterinary equivalent drug at £100/month, instead of the human option, which they had previously used for years, which would have cost a few pounds. That’s purely drug companies creations a product to make money and not improving quality of care.

Hope you’re having a nice Friday night.

Thank you, xxx

I am resting, with a very nice glass of Burgundy although I think that like veterinary medicines Burgundy has now been priced to the point where we must seek something less inspired by the label and more inspired by common sense.

My old gentleman is almost back to being his old self, quiet, calm, devoted and with an insatiable appetite for French fries. He hates chips, loves fries.

 

[Dr-Snickers]

Thank you, xxx

I am resting, with a very nice glass of Burgundy although I think that like veterinary medicines Burgundy has now been priced to the point where we must seek something less inspired by the label and more inspired by common sense.

My old gentleman is almost back to being his old self, quiet, calm, devoted and with an insatiable appetite for French fries. He hates chips, loves fries.

Well enjoy that Burgundy and your placid friend x

 

[Joker 1299]

Go Max! Benn is two and a half and has osteo-arthritis in his elbow, bless him. He is on Loxicom (Metacam) daily which seems to keep it in check but if (when) he overdoes things, half a paracetamol daily for a few days takes away his pain.

 

[Karlos]

Thank you, xxx

I am resting, with a very nice glass of Burgundy although I think that like veterinary medicines Burgundy has now been priced to the point where we must seek something less inspired by the label and more inspired by common sense.

My old gentleman is almost back to being his old self, quiet, calm, devoted and with an insatiable appetite for French fries. He hates chips, loves fries.

A smooth rich Malbec perhaps!!!!! Glad you seem to have got to the bottom of it Jen.

 

[GrannyJen]

Go Max! Benn is two and a half and has osteo-arthritis in his elbow, bless him. He is on Loxicom (Metacam) daily which seems to keep it in check but if (when) he overdoes things, half a paracetamol daily for a few days takes away his pain.

My old terrier, Rocky, lived to be 18 sustained by metacam.

Great stuff if the pet can tolerate it, sadly Max can't. However the "wonder" drug is working miracles. Another calm night and this morning even more signs that the anxiety is diminishing. He's quite content to curl up in his favourite corner now even when we are out of the room whereas a couple of days ago he couldn't bear to be alone!

 

[GrannyJen]

A smooth rich Malbec perhaps!!!!! Glad you seem to have got to the bottom of it Jen.

Max is not keen on Malbec

He's always been a beer man, Pedigree of course.

 

[AlisonF]

My old terrier, Rocky, lived to be 18 sustained by metacam.

Great stuff if the pet can tolerate it, sadly Max can't. However the "wonder" drug is working miracles. Another calm night and this morning even more signs that the anxiety is diminishing. He's quite content to curl up in his favourite corner now even when we are out of the room whereas a couple of days ago he couldn't bear to be alone!

Pleased to read this. Was about to ask how Max is today / was last night.

 

[Velma's Dad]

Yes hope Max is doing well.

And another selection of doggie drugs in the VD household today. Yesterday our 5 yo working cocker discovered that pheasants can bite (well, the rusty barbed wire fence she tried to get through did anyway). 5-inch gash down to the muscle, general anaesthetic for god knows how many stitches and now back at home drugged up and 'rest' for two weeks - not a mode spaniels really recognise.

But veterinary practice has moved on since her last encounter. The 'cone of shame' has now been superseded by the 'doggie baby-gro of ridicule'. We can only assume from the price on the vet's bill that they aren't sourced from a sweatshop in south Asia.

 

[GrannyJen]

Yes hope Max is doing well.

And another selection of doggie drugs in the VD household today. Yesterday our 5 yo working cocker discovered that pheasants can bite (well, the rusty barbed wire fence she tried to get through did anyway). 5-inch gash down to the muscle, general anaesthetic for god knows how many stitches and now back at home drugged up and 'rest' for two weeks - not a mode spaniels really recognise.

But veterinary practice has moved on since her last encounter. The 'cone of shame' has now been superseded by the 'doggie baby-gro of ridicule'. We can only assume from the price on the vet's bill that they aren't sourced from a sweatshop in south Asia.

Oh my goodness!!

I hope recovery will be complete. Rusty barbed wire is dreadful stuff.

 

[vwsween]

Clever, talking about the drugs and the wine bottle.

 

[AlisonF]

Yes hope Max is doing well.

And another selection of doggie drugs in the VD household today. Yesterday our 5 yo working cocker discovered that pheasants can bite (well, the rusty barbed wire fence she tried to get through did anyway). 5-inch gash down to the muscle, general anaesthetic for god knows how many stitches and now back at home drugged up and 'rest' for two weeks - not a mode spaniels really recognise.

But veterinary practice has moved on since her last encounter. The 'cone of shame' has now been superseded by the 'doggie baby-gro of ridicule'. We can only assume from the price on the vet's bill that they aren't sourced from a sweatshop in south Asia.

Slight thread hijack - I bought mine online for ca £20 each. Needed spare to be able to wash them...

 

[WelshGas]

Our old Collie Cross, Jet, of questionable parentage, was liberated from the local dog rescue centre, following inscesent pressure from our 5 children. The centre said he was at least 2 yrs old then. He lived to be 19.5 yrs old. Despite being insured for all that time his only vet visits were annually for his vaccinations. Just didn't wake up one day. Still chasing Squirrels the day before.
Now we have Mad Max my sons ginger Tom. Definitely the master of the household.

 

[Velma's Dad]

Despite being insured for all that time his only vet visits were annually for his vaccinations.

We've never insured ours and Betty has cost us about £5k in 5 years... including £732 yesterday. Oh well.

 

[Amarillo]

We've never insured ours and Betty has cost us about £5k in 5 years... including £732 yesterday. Oh well.

Meg’s broken leg was a major cost (~£5,000 from memory) last year, she also suffered an £800 gash after chasing a squirrel under barbed wire.

But proper vet insurance is also expensive, and the insurance companies are more or less guaranteed a healthy return on premiums paid.

Self insure if you can afford the loss. Insure if you cannot afford the loss.

 

[andyinluton]

If you are going to insure, ask your vet who to insure with.

Our Cockapoo had a bad reaction to a general anaesthetic which ended up with her after 2 local vets had seen her, being referred to the the RVC with a £8k vet bill.

We were insured via Sainsburys, all the vets we saw said they are great as they always pay up & only took an excess off us.
They warned that if we had been insured with some of the less reputable companies, we would have had to pay ourselves & try & claim it back.

Our premiums now are still only £250 a year, I don't think they will be making any money out of us on this policy.