Saturday, January 2, 2010

Chiro, New Vet, and Acupuncture

This week was very busy trying to schedule appointments. Bug saw Cheryl on Wednesday. His head was out. Hello, noise sensitivity! She also felt that his iliopsoas was as tight as it has been for some time. John and I were thinking about this and we think it might be from bunny-hopping through the snow. Either way I will start to pay more attention to it.

We were able to schedule an acupuncture appointment with Anne Murphy who works with Sterling for this coming Wednesday. When I spoke to her I only mentioned the bicipital tendon and the Lyme+ status, but I know the acupuncture will also be very useful to Bug's iliopsoas. Given it is unlikely we will be herding again until late winter/early spring I am hopeful between the time off and the acupuncture Bug will be in awesome shape.

Thursday we saw the new vet and the visit was a huge success. I am so happy (at least right now) with my decision to change.

My biggest concern was Ike and his rabies vaccine. I explained that I was very concerned about vaccinating him given his reactivity. New Vet's solution: We will do the rabies titer on him and if his titer is high enough, given his reactivity, she will write a letter to the town for me. Happy dance!!

We also did a 4DX on Ike because since he tested Lyme+ 5 years ago (and was treated) none of the vets in the interim have done a 4DX or suggested a C6. We did the 4DX and it tested strong positive - so we sent out blood work for the C6. I am really curious what his antibody level will be and if it has anything to do with how odd he has been acting. We also took blood from Bug for his 6 month C6 follow-up.

I also asked specifically about tartar. Neither dog has much given the diet I feed and the fact that I do some brushing, etc. However I was curious if she knew of anything that worked. New Vet suggested Vetzlife Oral Care Spray. It has Grapefruit seed extract, Grape seed extract, Thyme oil, Neem oil, Rosemary oil, and Peppermint oil in it. I decided to try it. I am going to ask Dr. F but I do not think that Ike can use this because it contains peppermint oil and mint is a very strong homeopathic antidote. So, Bug will be the guinea pig. Has anyone out there used it?

With all the diagnostics it was an expensive visit, but I feel it was worth it. I am so relieved to be working with a vet who doesn't roll their eyes at me (literally!) and is willing to explore other options (like the rabies titer).

10 comments:

penni said...

So glad you found someone who has more than a 5-diagnosis capability, and a huge list of (false) beliefx about various breeds. It should be a pleasure to work with your new vet. That's a great way to begin the new decade.

Sam said...

I have a similar tartar removing product. I haven't used it much on Marge, but I did notice great improvement in my cat's teeth. I should really start using it again. My one concern is that the product I use does have a small level of alcohol.

Holly said...
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Holly said...

I am so glad you like the new vet and I am hoping you will have a great relationship with them.

Blue said...

Glad to hear that the appointment went so well. I didn't realize a letter from a vet would work in place of a rabies vaccine. Good to know!

Sara said...

Your new vet sounds great. I am going to have to ask my vet to titer my dogs for rabies, especially Misty. I'm sure she has plenty of antibodies at her age.

I've used the vetzlife gel on Misty, who has a lot of dental issues. It works, but I don't get results like the photos shown in the testimonials.

Nancy said...

It sounds like you had a very successful visit with your new vet. I am glad you made the change.

Diana said...

Im so glad you found a vet you like. Diana

Katrin said...

That is terrific news on the new vet. I am so glad you got on well with her!!! I hope that you enjoy the entire clinic staff as well

Cat, Tessie, & Strata said...

Hooray! :)

How does 'VetzLife' differ from 'PetzLife' spray? They seem to be the same thing but one must be purchased through a vet? We sold it at EFP, it was very popular.

At Strata's dental appointment, the doctor told me that if you aren't brushing every 24-48 hours it's basically pointless in terms of tartar build-up because it begins to harden after 24 hours. She actually tells clients not to bother brushing if they aren't going to do it that often because it's basically a waste, in her eyes.