Tuesday 27 January 2015

Today and Yesterday


Advanced warning!  Readers may find the second photo distressing as it is a close up of Gizmo's neck after the session with the vet yesterday.

I keep telling myself  'think nice thoughts'.  Doing so I can transport myself back to a beach in St Lucia 27 years ago.  The palms were swaying and I was sipping a Pina Colada from a coconut shell.   Carefree days looking out to the ocean, the pitons in the distance.........

Back to more recent events. Yesterday was another stressful day and my anxiety level was through the roof.  We took Gizmo back to the vet for our scheduled appointment.  Just before I put him in the carry basket I noticed that some of his stitches were missing, once again leaving a gaping hole.  Back at the vets he stapled the hole together and wrapped up Gizmo's back leg with a bandage to prevent him from scratching the stitches/staples out.  We were told that if it opened up after this time they would have to operate again.

This 're-consultation' and treatment cost an additional £91.57.  The bandage application excluding materials alone was £24.00.  Am I going mad?  We were with the vet for a maximum of 10 minutes and 5 minutes of that was spent with him taking Gizmo to another room to staple his neck.  It is not so much about the money (although we can't really afford these costs to go on much longer) it is more about the greed and lack of empathy that infuriates me most of all and the misdiagnosis in the first place (sprained leg) which has allowed the situation to escalate. 

The photo above is Gizmo today lying on my bed this morning.  He can't walk properly with his tightly bandaged leg and keeps trying to shake it off.  He was snoring when I took this photo and he must have been dreaming too as his whiskers were twitching.


This photo shows how he looked after seeing the vet yesterday.  How the hell did the vet expect all the stitches to stay in when they were so sparse in the first place?  I wonder how much it costs 'per stitch'!  Anyway I hope the staples hold out until out next vet visit on Wednesday evening.  I am scared that Gizmo will catch the staples on something and am paranoid if I can't see him for a few minutes in case he is scratching behind the furniture where I can't get access to him.

This recent experience has put me off having a pet ever again. 

9 comments:

  1. You and poor Gizmo have had an awful time of late, I'm really hoping that everything stays in place and that he can now heal, I feel so sorry for him. I have to say I'm not impressed with your vet, it's a shame that they didn't recognise the problem in the very first place, they should also have realised he was bound to scratch and have taken the appropriate action then instead of leaving it but all that said it doesn't change what has passed and hopefully this is the beginning of the end.
    May I suggest you go out and buy yourself a bottle of Malibu and make yourself a large piña colada!!!
    V x

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  2. Your poor little pet
    deserves a new vet!

    Is there a complaints procedure that could help?

    xx

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  3. I missed your posts about poor Gizmo. The vet costs are outrageous, especially as the problem was overlooked at the start. I hope the wound heals quickly and well and very soon.

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  4. I suppose they couldn't give Gizmo one of those collars to stop him scratching as his wound is exactly where it would sit around his neck. Vets bills are very high - it costs us £25 and a bit a month for one of our cat's medication. I do hope he manages to keep his stiches/staples in - it is going to be a long process but he will heal eventually. Poor Gizmo he needs lots of cuddles and lots of sleep to help him recover. Take care both of you.

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  5. Hello Simone,

    I agree with Rosie's comment, he should have had a collar put on, I know it would annoy him but at least he couldn't get at it. Sending good vibes your way to Gizmo.
    Simone, just think of those trees swaying in the breeze.

    Happy days.
    Bev.

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  6. We changed vets because we felt the care was more cost driven than anything. Lucky for us and the cats we've managed to find one locally who are much more empathetic. I hope Gizmo is now able to fully heal his wounds.
    Hugs to you both.
    Lisa x

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  7. Poor you, Simone!!! Not to mention, poor Gizmo!!! I do feel that when we are placed in an emergency situation with our pets and receive a huge bill, what choice do we have? That is an absurd amount of money for a few minutes's treatment. Of course it only adds to your stress level!
    Take some deep breaths and we'll all send positive thoughts that Gizmo heals quickly and does NOT scratch at his stitches again!!! xxx

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  8. Oh Simone, I wish I lived closer to you, to give you support. Poor Gizmo looks so sore. Hugs to you
    Julie xxxxxxxx

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  9. Don't even get me started on vets. Ugh. They make us feel so powerless. Even the good ones. I think about all that we went through with Holden and it makes me so sad. If you are unhappy with the treatment you receive maybe you should look for another vet. (Makes me think of one time when we called the vet to make an appointment and they asked which doctor we wanted to see and my husband answered, "James Herriot." The receptionist was not amused and didn't get the joke). We kept going to the same vet for years, seeing various doctors in the practice, some of whom were really not very good. I'm mad at myself for putting up with it. Finally we went to another practice when the vet misdiagnosed one of our greyhounds with a rare bone disorder when in fact he had corns. I was so glad to get a recommendation from the greyhound rescue group of a good vet to go to. In our current area I'm still not convinced we have a good one. I'm a little skeptical after all the things we went through over the years. I guess time will tell.

    As for how expensive it gets... yes, but what do we do? When Holden had pneumonia and had to stay in the emergency clinic I'm glad both my husband and I had good paying jobs.

    Wishing Gizmo a speedy recovery... oh how hard it is to see our beloved friends unwell. And I hope you are finding ways to cope, too, Simon. Take good care.

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