ERRRR, please tell me if I was rude!

[GretaJack]

I call my regular vet clinic that treats my dogs today about Tanner's fractured tooth. I asked them just for an estimate. She asked me if I though the tooth could be saved, I said no, looks like the pulp is exposed, blah blah blah, she will call me back. Great. Calls me back a half hour later panicked, doctor says it is an emergency, and that she is booked for today, I should take him up to the emergency hospital, if I don't want to do that I can drop him off and she will see if she can do an extraction later today with a pick up for tomorrow. I told the receptionist that was not necessary. Tanner doesn't even seem bothered by it. He is eating and drinking, chewing on bones and even playing tough o war with Jack. I would just like an estimate and to see when the first available (non-emergency) appointment would be. She said she would call me back. I told her that I left for work at 10:30 she said she would let me know well before that. She called at 11:45 am and left a bit of a witchy message that the Dr. would only be able to squeeze him in today if I was adament about not taking him to the emergency center. That today was my only option because the vet was leaving on Friday for vacation and did not have the availability to see him tomorrow. And she was going to be gone for 2 weeks and he really needed to be looked at and have that tooth extracted immediately and if I couldn't do that then I should just have the doctor I work for evaluate the situation.

Now, please tell me something. Is this really an emergency? If Tanner was not eating, drinking, or if he had an elevated temperature, was vomitting or diarrehia, or NOT being a pain in my ar$e I would be worried. But I am afraid that the doctor was put off by my insistance that I did not deem this an emergency. I am not really sure how long this has been a problem and I do know that he is uncomfortable when I am poking around his mouth but other than that he is fine. Still chews his bones, eats his rawhide, etc. Now, IMO, emergency hospital means that I feel that my dog is not going to survive without immediate treatment. A fractured tooth does not dictate an emergency to me. But I am afraid that my vet was put out by me "playing doctor" in this situation. Did I come off as a know it all?

Anyways, I do have Tanner scheduled for an extraction on Monday with one of the doctors I work for. I made it very very clear that unless I win powerball tonight, I am in financial ruins...

[pomlover80]

I have never had a dog need a tooth extraction before but I agree with you about it not being an emergency. I think you did the right thing. I wouldn't take Chopper if it was him and he was acting normal.

[Dax]

You do what you can when you can. Most owners would not even notice or by the time they did, their dog's face would be 3 x the size. I likely would not have noticed and I'm pretty much an Ariel groupie.

[Deb's Tiny Dogs]

My dog had a slab fracture and we never did anything about it because it wasn't bothering her and she had no swelling, etc.

Did you ask them to explain to you what was making this an emergency in their minds? I'd be curious to know.

[Blaze]

I don't think that was a rude thing to say, I'm sure if it was critical you'd know! I probably wouldn't have even noticed right away if it was Lilly in that situation and I wouldn't rush her in if I didn't think it was needed.
If Tanner was in danger you'd be the first person to notice! I think you did the right thing!

[msmkm]

GretaJack My sense of you is that you know your dog well enough to be able to determine if your dog is in pain/sick etc. Do what you think is right. I dont' think you were being rude and I can't imagine from the posts etc. I have seen from you that you would do anything to jepordize the dog's well being. Good luck on Monday. Keep up posted. You may want to consider taking the bones and rawhide away as a percaution, just incase he does further damge to the tooth.

[Dobified]

No you were not rude the owman at the vet's office was though.


If Tanner is not bothered by it then I would make an appointment then take him in. It obivously is not hurting him so why spend the extra money to go to the ER ?

[Trace]

You know your dog better than they do.

They are just trying to CYA. I am sure that they are so frightened of people suing them these days that they also go worst case scenario.

I also find that some of the (mainly) small animal vets offices tend to go overboard on their treatments.

I really miss my old farm vet that I had in CO - he was really great - he saw the horses and the dogs, and his motto was it if ain't broke don't fix it.

Good luck with Tanner - he is a very lucky dog to have you.

[chichi]

Ah, - sounds like just another vet trying to squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze the pocket book to me.

[GretaJack]

Thanks all! It is just that the message that was left was so rude and sounded a bit accusatory. Saying if I didn't want to do what the doctor was telling me then, well, screw you. And I have always loved my vet and respect them. And I will do whatever it takes to keep my babies healthy, even Tanner, LOL. But I just feel that they were a bit put off by my insistance of a non-emergency situation.