I started using Kansas State's CollVetMed Tchng Hospl Small Animal Clinic with Bess.
I was growing increasingly dissatisfied with our vet. I'd been taking Bess repeatedly to "Dr. Stump" -- who had great dogside manners with owners -- and he'd been giving her penicillin shots saying she was digging in the yard and that was creating the bleeding toenails.
But a child psychiatrist colleague & wife came to dinner at our home and Bess (as usual) was schmoozing them (as she did any new person) and I mentioned that Bess had some crumbling toe nails on a paw. Dave lifted up the paw, sniffed it, and said it was caused by a fungal infection on the toenails. (Which was true.)
When shortly later Dr. S. found breast tumors and wanted to operate, I decided to take Bess to K-State instead. They found the cancer had metastasized to her lymph and so did a radical mastectomy PLUS a partial lymphectomy.
Bess was 7 and lived 7 more wonderful years.
We did all of our "vet-ing" with them after that. I figured if "Dr. Stump" had operated, he wouldn't have caught the metastasis problem and Bess would have been gone within a year.
So when I got Puff, I headed back to K-State.
We've been there many times -- Puff's not that unhealthy, it's that I'm concerned (MUCH more so her first year).
A few times, we've gotten bad or mediocre advice; BUT most of the time they've been great (and my costs are less than in Topeka). They're especially convenient for us -- it's a 55 mile trip, mainly interstate, and it takes 60 minutes.
Our usual vet noticed a bump on the outer edge of Puff's (L) eyelid about a year or two ago. It stayed just a bump until about 6 months ago when it started growing. Itgot about 1/8th inch (3 mm) wide and about 1/4" long (6 mm), a dark chocolate color as is the "mascara she lines her eyes with." ;D
I called KSU-CVM in early January and got an appointment for today at 2:30. The opthamologist wasn't sure (understandably) without first examining her whether they could remove it the same day or whether Puff would need an operation that would need her to stay overnight.
Puff got a thorough opthamological exam -- for internal pressure, eyes dilated and peered into with an scope, for tear production, etc. Very similar to what I got before and after a cataract operation (except they didn't ask Puff to read an eye chart and didn't give her dark glasses to wear after).
The opthamalogist said it appeared to be a papilloma (wart, skin tag) but possibly it was an adenoma. She suspected it was not malignant but we couldn't be sure without a pathology lab check.
Our options were to have it surgically cut off without anesthesia or to use a fast acting anesthesia and do a CO2 laser surgery; the latter would destroy any basal cells contributing to it. I could skip the pathology evaluation or (more $$) have it done as I wished.
Since the examining doctor had called in a 4th year vetmed student to assist me in holding Puff still for the exam, and then called in another, and then yet a third to hold Puff still for the exam and the preliminary tests -- would you believe that Puff does not submit very docilely for such exams? -- I thought, hey, why not go with the laser and anesthesia and maybe avoid any stray marks of Zorro all across her head? ;D
Puff doesn't like being separated from me but had no choice on a leash. She disappeared through the door, shooting me a backward glance that asked where had she gone wrong, why I was forsaking her to these people?
They called my cell phone an hour later and told me I could pick Puff up. When I saw her, it was as if the growth had never been there -- no sign of surgery, bleeding, nothing.
The bill:
Exam, Opthamology_________________$ 75.00
CO2 Laser Eqpmt fee__________________67.00
Sedation SA protocol__________________14.00
Histology Path H&E biopsy______________36.00
Formalin Tube (FA)____________________00.50
================================
Total______________________________$192.50
BTW, they also trimmed all of Puff's nails (no charge) while she was zonked.
An advantage of a SVM/CVM Teaching Hospital is that they have the most advanced equipment and the specialists. I am well pleased.
Typically, on most visits, Puff is weighed as we check in, then we're met by a 4th year vetmed student who gathers the needed information -- symptoms, how long, changes, diet, activities, etc., and takes vitals (pulse, respiration, BP, temp) -- and then gets the DVM. The DVM reads it, asks questions, takes vitals again, and then either prescribes or takes the dog off for brief treatment.
For those of you who want to consider using these wonderful resources, here's a link to the websites of those CVMs/SVMs in the USA and Canada.
http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vetnet.html
I haven't counted but I think a little over half of these allow client referral while less than half require a referral from a vet.
(My hunch is that which is which is mostly a supply and demand thing. The school or college needs enough different cases to use for training their students. If they're located away from population centers, they'll usually be more permissive in order to bring cases in and also there will be fewer vets who give them flak for competition -- and the reverse.)
I was growing increasingly dissatisfied with our vet. I'd been taking Bess repeatedly to "Dr. Stump" -- who had great dogside manners with owners -- and he'd been giving her penicillin shots saying she was digging in the yard and that was creating the bleeding toenails.
But a child psychiatrist colleague & wife came to dinner at our home and Bess (as usual) was schmoozing them (as she did any new person) and I mentioned that Bess had some crumbling toe nails on a paw. Dave lifted up the paw, sniffed it, and said it was caused by a fungal infection on the toenails. (Which was true.)
When shortly later Dr. S. found breast tumors and wanted to operate, I decided to take Bess to K-State instead. They found the cancer had metastasized to her lymph and so did a radical mastectomy PLUS a partial lymphectomy.
Bess was 7 and lived 7 more wonderful years.
We did all of our "vet-ing" with them after that. I figured if "Dr. Stump" had operated, he wouldn't have caught the metastasis problem and Bess would have been gone within a year.
So when I got Puff, I headed back to K-State.
We've been there many times -- Puff's not that unhealthy, it's that I'm concerned (MUCH more so her first year).
A few times, we've gotten bad or mediocre advice; BUT most of the time they've been great (and my costs are less than in Topeka). They're especially convenient for us -- it's a 55 mile trip, mainly interstate, and it takes 60 minutes.
Our usual vet noticed a bump on the outer edge of Puff's (L) eyelid about a year or two ago. It stayed just a bump until about 6 months ago when it started growing. Itgot about 1/8th inch (3 mm) wide and about 1/4" long (6 mm), a dark chocolate color as is the "mascara she lines her eyes with." ;D
I called KSU-CVM in early January and got an appointment for today at 2:30. The opthamologist wasn't sure (understandably) without first examining her whether they could remove it the same day or whether Puff would need an operation that would need her to stay overnight.
Puff got a thorough opthamological exam -- for internal pressure, eyes dilated and peered into with an scope, for tear production, etc. Very similar to what I got before and after a cataract operation (except they didn't ask Puff to read an eye chart and didn't give her dark glasses to wear after).
The opthamalogist said it appeared to be a papilloma (wart, skin tag) but possibly it was an adenoma. She suspected it was not malignant but we couldn't be sure without a pathology lab check.
Our options were to have it surgically cut off without anesthesia or to use a fast acting anesthesia and do a CO2 laser surgery; the latter would destroy any basal cells contributing to it. I could skip the pathology evaluation or (more $$) have it done as I wished.
Since the examining doctor had called in a 4th year vetmed student to assist me in holding Puff still for the exam, and then called in another, and then yet a third to hold Puff still for the exam and the preliminary tests -- would you believe that Puff does not submit very docilely for such exams? -- I thought, hey, why not go with the laser and anesthesia and maybe avoid any stray marks of Zorro all across her head? ;D
Puff doesn't like being separated from me but had no choice on a leash. She disappeared through the door, shooting me a backward glance that asked where had she gone wrong, why I was forsaking her to these people?
They called my cell phone an hour later and told me I could pick Puff up. When I saw her, it was as if the growth had never been there -- no sign of surgery, bleeding, nothing.
The bill:
Exam, Opthamology_________________$ 75.00
CO2 Laser Eqpmt fee__________________67.00
Sedation SA protocol__________________14.00
Histology Path H&E biopsy______________36.00
Formalin Tube (FA)____________________00.50
================================
Total______________________________$192.50
BTW, they also trimmed all of Puff's nails (no charge) while she was zonked.
An advantage of a SVM/CVM Teaching Hospital is that they have the most advanced equipment and the specialists. I am well pleased.
Typically, on most visits, Puff is weighed as we check in, then we're met by a 4th year vetmed student who gathers the needed information -- symptoms, how long, changes, diet, activities, etc., and takes vitals (pulse, respiration, BP, temp) -- and then gets the DVM. The DVM reads it, asks questions, takes vitals again, and then either prescribes or takes the dog off for brief treatment.
For those of you who want to consider using these wonderful resources, here's a link to the websites of those CVMs/SVMs in the USA and Canada.
http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vetnet.html
I haven't counted but I think a little over half of these allow client referral while less than half require a referral from a vet.
(My hunch is that which is which is mostly a supply and demand thing. The school or college needs enough different cases to use for training their students. If they're located away from population centers, they'll usually be more permissive in order to bring cases in and also there will be fewer vets who give them flak for competition -- and the reverse.)
I'm glad your dog's surgery went well. Once you find a good vet, they're worth their weight in gold!
