Heres just one example of why pets in childrens bedrooms are not a good idea (and why a vet fund is a great idea). Here is a Doyle, a big old boy that arrived just 3 days ago. He had been a childs pet and lived very happily in her bedroom. Unfortunately sometime ago Doyle developed a lump, this was overlooked/ignored by the child. There could be any number of reasons for this - they didnt understand it was a problem; scared to tell parent thinking they would be blamed for not taking care of him properly; knowing the family was short on money and not wanting to be another problem. Whatever the reason was Doyle didnt get vet treatment, it would have been a simple consult and some meds at this stage probably costing around £30-£35. When another family member pointed out the issue (far more advanced by this time, possibly months after the issue began) I was asked to see him - of course I said he needed vet treatment and probable surgery to remove the now enormous lumps. A variety of reasons why vet treatment was not an option were given so I offered to take him on and get him treated asap. 3 days passed and I assumed that the piggy had somehow made it to a vet as I had not been contacted again. I was wrong. The owner brought him to me and said I was hoping to find him dead in the cage this morning but he seems to be ok I explained that was because he was not ill, but in need of vet help, he was not about to drop dead just yet. So next morning he saw the vet. The initial aim was to lance and drain the abscesses and to treat with flushing and antibiotics to reduce them enough to be able to surgically remove so the wounds could be closed properly. Once he had the area shaved and local anaesthetic applied and then opened up a little it became obvious that the abscesses were aged and the contents very thickened (capsule and pus) and it was not possible to deal with them that way. He then had a GA and they were fully removed, so now he is an open wound management case. ABs, pain relief, manuka honey and daily cleansing regime plus a few more small satellite capsules to come out once they are ready. This procedure not only cost a great deal more (over £160) but also subjected Doyle to a traumatic and life threatening op. His wounds will take a great deal of post op care for weeks before he will heal, no doubt he will also be in a lot of discomfort for much of that time. The moral of this tale is please do not make your child responsible for an animals well being, it is not fair to place this on any child, please remember you are legally and ethically the owner and carer. Please please look over your pets regularly and act promptly should you find a problem it save lives, time, money, heartache and pain.
Posted on: Tue, 19 Aug 2014 08:44:49 +0000
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