Emergency Emergency

On Monday night I get a panicked messaged from a foster home that the dog they were fostering attacked one of their dogs and 2 of their dogs are injured. WHAT THE HELL?? Was my reaction this foster dog has been living there for a few weeks. Well turns out he wasn't living all that peacefully with the one dog and things just came to blow on Monday night.

The foster dog is now under evaluation with a rescue friend. We will see what decision we come to with him. He has a VERY strong prey drive and has killed cats... hence he is in rescue right now... he was was adopted as a puppy and returned for killing cats.

The two dogs that he attacked both went to the vet on an emergency visit yesterday morning at the tune of $360.

THEN yesterday I go to a dog shelter who wanted me to evaluate a JRT mix. I evaluate him and they say if you don't take him he is getting put down tomorrow. OMG REALLY! I was on my lunch break from work and he SMELLS! Ok, fine. So $90 for a dog that has nothing but vaccinations (not rabies) and was wormed once. Great deal... LOL! It is going to cost me over $100 to him neutered and rabies. Come on people we are a non profit. We don't have money pouring out of our wallets.

Then yesterday around 7:30 I get a phone call from a foster home that the dog they are fostering has been sick. We talk a bit and decide the dog will go to the vet today b/c we are both worried about her.

I worked with the Pits for a few hours with some basic training as I do every night. OMG They make me so tired. I love it but they make me tired b/c it is like watching a toddler. They don't know anything so you don't want them to do something bad or something that will hurt them and I have to "watch" so closely so I can catching them trying to potty and make them go outside. UGH! LOL!

When I went to put the Pits to bed in their crates mom dog Jessie the JRT had a baby she was giving birth too. So the puppies starting arriving around 9:30pm last night and this morning we had 4.

THEN at Midnight the foster home called me to say that the dog that wasn't feeling well is now pouring blood from her back end. I got up, picked her up and took her to an emergency clinic... but let me tell you about that.........

I called one emergency vet.... lets call that one 57. The lady answer the phone and I said "HI, my name is Amy and I have a rescue dog in a foster home and the foster home said she is pooping a lot of blood. What do I need to do to bring her in?" The women said "it is $99 just to walk in the door." I said "Ok that is fine I don't care." She then said "then from there it is going to be 100's and 100's AND 100's of dollars" I said "OK. Well I really don't have an option do I?!" She said "I am just letting you know it will be 100's of dollars." She acted like she didn't want me to bother coming in.

That rubbed me the wrong way so I called West Park Animal Hospital. I really like them and they have always helped me out when needed it and done a really great job.

Of course the lady that answered was very nice and I told her what was going on and my most recent experience with 57. She said yea, I have heard they aren't very nice there so don't worry it isn't just you. We both laughed. She said they close at 1pm and neither of us were sure I could make it on time. The roads were kind of bad with this slippery slushy rain / snow combo that was coming down. She said she had internet access and would look for another place for me.

She suggested Animal Clinic Northview. She came me the number and I called them. The lady on the phone was very nice and said come on in.

I got there and they were nice. Then the vet came in, looked over the dog and said "Ok we have a few options. We can keep her, put her on IV fluids, medication and run blood work. That is going to start at $700." Mind you I am paying over $100 to just walk in the door.

I said "this is a rescue dog and we are a non profit. I am just looking to get her through the night so I can take her to my regular vet."

he said VERY snotty "I am just trying to give you all the options and that is why I am telling you price."

now keep in mind I told them when I called and when I was there I am a rescue... blah blah blah just like I told 57. So really you are going to start with a $700 option! Whatever.

I said "WOW ok!" and just rubbed my head! I was seriously tempted to put the dog in a crate and walk out. JERK! He said it very nasty.

I paused for a minute and said "How about this. Let's give her IV fluids b/c she is clearly dehydrated and some medicine just to get her through the night. is that an option? would that be ok?"

I did want to seem like an a-hole and tell the many who spent 7 years in vet school what to do but come on I didn't fall off the turnip truck yesterday! My vets are WAY AWESOME and tell me stuff and how to handle things and I pay attention when they do stuff so I am not an idiot. I understand he doesn't know that so I did phrase my question / statement so that I didn't come off like a I know more then you person. I hate those type of people.

His response was "Yes that should get her through the night. Lets do that." He asked if i had any (don't know the spelling) medicine at home. I said no I think I am out. So he gave her some of that and a sub q fluids and off we went home.

I was in bed by 2am.

THEN this morning I had to take the dog to my regular vet so they could figure out what is going on with her. I left her there for them to run tests and put her on IV.

OK AND NOW GET THIS!!!

I just received an email that a women has a lab/boxer mix female and a male boxer neither are fixed and yesterday the female gave birth to 11 puppies. The women didn't know the dog was pregnant. Clearly someone needs to tell her where babies come from!

So now I am looking for an emergency foster for 11 puppies and a mom.