When a person in our care becomes extremely ill, it can be emotionally exhausting to go through the process of diagnosing the problem and seeking treatment. It can be even worse when the patient is a pet. When a person we love suddenly becomes dizzy or can't breathe normally, they can at least tell us what's wrong. A sudden, severe symptom in a pet, such as seizures in dogs, can be considerably more mysterious.
Many people who have never owned a pet trivialize the emotional bond that pet owners forge with the pets in their care. While most pet owners would certainly be more traumatized by a sudden illness in a human, the bond with a pet is still very real and still highly emotionally compelling. They become a part of our families and our lives; we love them with a purity of emotion uncomplicated by the realities of relating to another person.
Losing a beloved pet is traumatic, especially for older people whose pets might be their closest and most constant companions. Because of this, seeing a pet having a seizure can cause some owners to panic. Even short of outright panic, our inability to communicate verbally with animals causes many people to overreact to an animal's distress.
Most veterinarians are animal lovers who genuinely have the best interests of the animals they care for at heart. Most veterinarians who run animal hospitals are there to help, not to overcharge or take advantage of a pet owner's distress. However, there are exceptions to that rule, and when an owner brings a pet into the veterinary office who is experiencing severe symptoms (such as seizures) they will often be willing to spend far more money than they should if the veterinarian counsels them to do so.
For example, seizures can result from a wide range of causes. On one end of that spectrum are severe neurological and cardiovascular disorders that require intensive and expensive medical care. On the other end of the spectrum is a wheat allergy that is treated by changing dog food. A veterinarian can begin with tests for the most conditions, or he can rule out allergies with a simple test first.
A vet who starts with the least threatening conditions runs the risk that a life-threatening condition will worsen while he's wasting time with allergy tests. One who starts with the most severe conditions quickly increases the bill total with expensive and complicated diagnostic procedures.
For some pet owners cost isn't an issue; they just want their pet to be well. For most of us, however, cost is an issue, and the bill can easily swell beyond our ability to manage it. Unscrupulous doctors offer credit applications right there in their offices. But many who can't or won't use credit for veterinary bills end up with an incomplete diagnosis and a pet who is no healthier after the trip to the vet.
Tragically, because cost forces many pet owners to abandon veterinary treatment before the diagnostic process has been finished, many pets suffer needlessly. By far the most common causes of seizures in dogs are diet-related. When pet owners know this they can adjust their pet's diet and get him healthy again.
Many people who have never owned a pet trivialize the emotional bond that pet owners forge with the pets in their care. While most pet owners would certainly be more traumatized by a sudden illness in a human, the bond with a pet is still very real and still highly emotionally compelling. They become a part of our families and our lives; we love them with a purity of emotion uncomplicated by the realities of relating to another person.
Losing a beloved pet is traumatic, especially for older people whose pets might be their closest and most constant companions. Because of this, seeing a pet having a seizure can cause some owners to panic. Even short of outright panic, our inability to communicate verbally with animals causes many people to overreact to an animal's distress.
Most veterinarians are animal lovers who genuinely have the best interests of the animals they care for at heart. Most veterinarians who run animal hospitals are there to help, not to overcharge or take advantage of a pet owner's distress. However, there are exceptions to that rule, and when an owner brings a pet into the veterinary office who is experiencing severe symptoms (such as seizures) they will often be willing to spend far more money than they should if the veterinarian counsels them to do so.
For example, seizures can result from a wide range of causes. On one end of that spectrum are severe neurological and cardiovascular disorders that require intensive and expensive medical care. On the other end of the spectrum is a wheat allergy that is treated by changing dog food. A veterinarian can begin with tests for the most conditions, or he can rule out allergies with a simple test first.
A vet who starts with the least threatening conditions runs the risk that a life-threatening condition will worsen while he's wasting time with allergy tests. One who starts with the most severe conditions quickly increases the bill total with expensive and complicated diagnostic procedures.
For some pet owners cost isn't an issue; they just want their pet to be well. For most of us, however, cost is an issue, and the bill can easily swell beyond our ability to manage it. Unscrupulous doctors offer credit applications right there in their offices. But many who can't or won't use credit for veterinary bills end up with an incomplete diagnosis and a pet who is no healthier after the trip to the vet.
Tragically, because cost forces many pet owners to abandon veterinary treatment before the diagnostic process has been finished, many pets suffer needlessly. By far the most common causes of seizures in dogs are diet-related. When pet owners know this they can adjust their pet's diet and get him healthy again.
About the Author:
I enjoy writing about dogs and their health. For a good informational starting point, I recommend Cory's Story: A story of canine seizures.
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