Ahh well time for another trip to the vet

Nothing bad, just the regular medication review so we can buy another prescription and get sold some more blood tests.

This weekend I had another cluster. First time for a while really. The seizures were unpredictable as ever. Most of them were the jump up and run blindly into walls type. These are the worst as getting mum or dad to catch me before I clatter into things is almost impossible. I flooded the living room by knocking over a full mop bucket that was stood by for the seizures.

Dad had to work from home as I started having seizures through Monday and into Tuesday night. So on Tuesday night I was so hyper I was up and down stairs constantly. Then pacing around the bedroom until Dad finally gave in and took me downstairs and stayed with me. All I wanted was him to be there so I could sleep. I don't think he slept too well on the sofa as he then took the day off to catch up with some sleep.

As we'd run out of tablets dad had arranged a visit to the vet on Tuesday anyhow. So I got a bath before we went and then he had to help me into the new car. So much for it being a bigger car. The rear floor is higher off the ground and that means the roofspace is also a bit lower. Dad has to help me in because it's higher.

The vet played their usual game. Wanting us to have blood tests for kidney performance, but more importantly KBr and epiphen levels. We know this is just a money making scheme for them as quite often we never get any results. Or when we do everything is at the right levels and as high as they can be. So I can't have any more medication even if  they wanted me to. The tests are pointless.

So dad played the game too. Oh, dear we ran out of tablets and I never had any this morning. So the vet can't do a blood test if I've missed my tablets (which I hadn't).

I also continue to be on half the dosage that the vet prescribes. I've been on the half dosage for 6 months now and there is no difference in the regularity or length of the seizures. All that's happened is I'm a bit more steady on my feet. The most important difference is we now don't pay the vet so often for prescriptions and consultations as the tablets last twice as long - I'm sure they'll cotton on at some point.

But by way of demonstration we ordered 1 week of tablets from the vet to cover me until the online ones get shipped. Here's how the prices worked out:

Price per tablet
30mg Epiphen - vet price = £0.50, online price = £0.10
60mg Epiphen - vet price = £0.53, online price = £0.14
325mg KBr - vet price £0.66, online price = £0.31

So for the price of ONE weeks medication from the vet I could by two and half weeks worth online. In just one week we save £35.62 over vet prices.

It's been a while

It's been a while ... and that's a good thing. For some time now I've not really had much to write about. Since getting back on the medication in February I had a couple of seizures last month that we thought were the start of a cluster, but were just single episodes. It's not until this week when things started to go a little south. But then again that may be down to running out of tablets. So annoying.

Dad got two prescriptions for me last month. He talked nicely to the vet and they wrote two separate prescriptions thinking that we'd then be able to buy one months medication and then renew the following month. So rather than laying out two months of cash he'd be able to spend monthly to lighten the load.

Well, you know how the best laid plans go. Dad placed the order for the second month and paid for them. As there was no major rush left the postage as second class. So Friday last week things are getting tight and still no tablets. Well turns out that the legislation has changed (or so we are told) so that a prescription must be filled within 28 days of writing, which is impossible for monthly amounts. So whilst the order was accepted nothing was shipped as they are waiting on a new prescription. Communication failure! We are not mind readers :(

So Monday there are no Epiphen tablets and it takes a day off work to go get another prescription and some tablets to last until the ones we're waiting for get shipped.

Of course this means Monday a seizure starts. Maybe a one off? Sadly not. Wednesday there were a few seizures and then sometime Wednesday night/Thursday morning I have the seizure that scrambles my brain. It reverts me back to a puppy state. Dad says it "puppyfies" me. I lose my house training and I'm all wired and hyper. Add to that not wanting to be left alone dad ends up sleeping on the sofa (well lying on it whilst I keep waking him up) so I can be in the same room.

It's hard to say for sure if it's related to missing some tablets or it's coincidental. But it is annoying that we end up unsure. It's cost dad two days off work this week as he's was far too tired to go in today. Not that I noticed because I'm busy being bouncy and wanting attention and putting my nose in everyone's face :)

Back to the Vet

After the vet phoned dad with the results of the blood test - no big surprises, the KBr and Epiphen levels are well within the therapeutic range. The vet also said she was reluctant to increase my dosage on either drug as I'm taking a relatively high dose already. The risk is we then start getting negative side affects that outweigh the required effects of the drugs anyhow.

So the outcome was another blood test. This time a more general set of test to investigate liver and kidney function. Just to be sure that they are metabolising the drugs properly to make sure that even though the drugs are in my blood that my body is making proper use of them. As the vet is otherwise at a loss as to why the drugs aren't as effective in seizure control as she thinks they should be.

So we got there in plenty of time even though dad left late. When we saw the vet it was the same routine. They took me away from dad and off into a back room to take the blood. They had some trouble getting enough as they wanted quite a bit for these tests. So they took some from my neck too. So I have a nice bandage on my leg for an hour and a shaved part on my neck.

I'm sure dad wonders why they take me out the back to take blood, maybe he thinks they're vampires?

Edit: Here's what they shaved on my neck!

At the Vet

Blood test day!

We got there in plenty of time and sat in the waiting room, which was pretty empty. Dad weighed me (50.4kgs) and the chart on the wall said "Is your dog the correct weight?". Looked up R for Rotweiller and is has Male 50kgs, Female 38.5kgs... hmm, do I look fat? No way am I 10kgs+ over weight.

Whilst at the vet I lay on the floor waiting, behaving as good as I always do. A young lad of about 8 years old showed  an interest in me and dad said he could come say hello and that I was friendly (if his mum was OK with that). He came over and gave me a great big fuss. I lay my head in his lap and rolled onto my back whilst he stroked me. Who's the big bad scary Rottweiler then?

I think the vet must have a special note in dad's file, like "Smart Arse", or something. They were really nice and made doubly sure they explained everything - it's only a blood test! The vet bill is itemised to death too. I suspect because he complained about never getting the results.

Here's the items on the bill, each with individual prices, have they been reading my blog?

1. Battlab Bromide
2. Phlebotomy Procedure
3. Courier Collection
4. Lab Consumables
5. Interpretation and reporting
6. Battlab Phenobarbitone Levels
7. Courier Collection
8. Interpretation and Reporting
9. We will 'phone' you with the test results

So does that look like a sarcastic invoice or is it just me? lol. Not that we're bothered how it is meant, we're only interested in the results and how they are interpreted. For all that it came in as expected to the best part of £85 (£28 worth of interpretation, the rest in lab fees etc.)

But remember dad's a smart arse? Well the thing is he remembered when we got home that although they have the blood and they are going to interpret and report - they didn't ask when my last dosage was, so how are they going to know how to interpret the results without that important bit on information? It wasn't done deliberately as some kind of trial, dad just didn't think about it until tonight. I guess we need to call them and give them that info.

Winning

Following on from Yesterday dad and I got a good nights sleep. Maybe that has something to do with my Diazepam and dad's exhaustion. Still feeling spaced out like first day in rehab, but a whole lot better than yesterday.

Dad got up to give me the last of the Diazepam this morning and found I'd left mum a big pile at the bottom of the stairs (don't know why it was for mum, but dad didn't want it). This isn't unusual as after a cluster and I'm in recovery I lose some of my training and forget how things work. Like going upstairs right now is out of the question, and getting in the back of the car - my favourite place in the whole world - needs some help.

But the good thing about this morning was two breakfasts - winning! Dad gave me my tablets and breakfast, then let me out. Then when mum got up for work she gave me breakfast too, and I didn't waste any of it.

Later we went off to the vets and dad had to lift me into the back of the car. I couldn't figure out how to get in. At the vets he had to help me out to as it seemed awfully high in the air.

The vet checked me over and spoke with dad and we arranged to go back next week for a blood test. The irony of which isn't lost on dad, since the previous Friday he refused to have one done at our usual vets because a) they aren't cheap, b) no one reports any of the results and c) the medication hasn't changed since the last three blood tests.

So the vet was very nice and I really think they must hate the Internet because it gives everyone access to so much information. The vet said they could do blood today, but dad asked about the effect of the Diazepam on the results as "Diazepam increases the serum levels of phenobarbital" and Epiphen (phenobarbitone) falls into this category. So instead we're going back on Tuesday night.

The vet also said she wasn't charging us for this visit, which was nice as it really was a flying visit. In, quick listen to my chest, a chat with dad and out again in 5 minutes.

So things are definitely looking positive. I'm in my usual recovery situation, timid, a bit confused and slow, but as expected. This being the biggest scariest most stressful episode, but not unique - we still remember back to January 2010, when we thought the Epilepsy had run it's course then too.

Tough Times

Last night and today are taking their toll on both me and dad. Every couple of hours I have a seizure followed by a period of being totally unresponsive. Dad would try to rouse me and I'd just lay there and not move. He had to really persevere to get me up and moving. Offering some of mum's lemon drizzle cup cakes is what did it. I was so hungry for them I'd almost take dad's fingers off.

This morning the seizures were still coming, but at least I'd be responsive afterwards. So dad thought it best to take a trip to the local vets - we haven't been to a local one for years as I usually go to the one where dad works. They checked me over and after talking with dad have gone for adding 40mg of Diazepam three times a day, with 10mg of rectal Diazepam if it's needed.

Within an hour of getting home I went off into another seizure. So although when I went to the vet I was bright eyed and a bit hyper active this cluster isn't over yet.

We've got an appointment to go back to the vets on Friday to follow up on how things are going.

Same Old Thing

Just lately we've pretty much just got on with being happy. Trying to put the seizures to one side and just focus on doing what I do best, sleeping, eating and slobbering.

It came around to the time when I was due another trip to the vets to get my quarterly prescription, and it also came around that dad was taking some more time off work. But this was just a bluff and so a few days before the vet visit and his time off I had some random seizures. Totally unexpected and no announcement or signs. Just on Wednesday night lying there sleeping  then boom into a full on seizure. Then nothing for another 24 hours. Then the same again a one of seizure.

The trip to the vets was a sad day on Friday. I tried not to notice a few pets went into the room with their humans and the humans came out alone and crying. Such a sad time to see peoples left alone.

At least we managed to get out of having a blood test at the vets. The vet said it's been a while since we had one and maybe should do one to be sure. But they seem to just ramp up their bill and not once have they actually given us the results of the tests without dad having to phone them and ask. So really does seem pointless if they aren't going to do anything with them.

They also never ask about or record my weight - dad makes a point of asking to use the scales each time to see if I've put any weight on or lost too much. But I'm fairly good these days 47.6kgs this visit. So usually up and down by a few kilos depending on the seasons. Mum feeds me up in the winter.

Dad ratted me out to everyone in the reception area too, how embarrassing. The receptionist came into the room and gagged, then with her eyes watering from the smell asked which one was responsible - dad immediately pointed to me.

Time to Splash the Cash

Turns out it's that time again. Time to go pay for the vets Audi again.

This month we'll need another prescription drawing up and that means a trip to the vets. Because they won't do repeat prescriptions without seeing me and getting a consultancy fee. So dad makes the booking and we arrange to go in.

The good thing about it is that I get a day out. Dad takes me to work and I get to stay with him all day. Dad's got a new boss who's moved into the offices with him and this is the first time I'll have met him. I got in and did my usual sniff around then just lay down behind dad. It was probably an hour later before dad's boss even realised there was a big dog in the office. Well it didn't cause a scene or anything. I was as well behaved as usual and kept myself to myself all day until dad took me to the vets.

We got there and the first thing dad did was weigh me - 48.3kgs, so I've lost a kilo and a bit. Which dad thinks is good. I'm a bit trimmer and could probably do with losing another one really. This wouldn't have been so bad, but right after I got off the scales they bought another dog in who'd gained a bit. Right away there was a new member of staff who piped up that she was the vets new nutritional expert. Not bad, but I felt bad for the lady owner. The nutritionist was very condescending and the lady was really embarrassed. Good job she didn't start on dad - I think they might have refused to see me if he'd got fired up!

So we get our compulsory £1 per minute, 20 minute consultation. Thankfully the vet decided it's not necessary for a blood test. I've had a few now where they don't even bother giving us the results. We just go in and let them do it to get the prescription. The prescription is our only goal in this. A blood test just means more cash and times are tight.

After the consultation we get the bill for £20 and then another £20 for the prescription. I think the vet should really be wearing a black and white stripey top, an eye mask and have a bag marked swag. It's day light robbery to charge for time and then for signing / writing something that was done within that chargeable time.

Blood Test

Well it's come around to renew my prescription. This means the vet wants to take their pound of flesh, well blood tests at least. So dad took me into work with him for the day.

The weather today was too warm for me. I panted a lot as we walked down to the vets. As dad had given me my tablets at 7am they had to fit me in earlier than they wanted. The blood needs to be taken within 6 hours of taking them apparently.

The vet decided to call another nurse in to help with me. Dad doesn't really mind as they should take whatever precautions they feel needed to jab a big scary Rottie like me with a needle. But what makes it funny is when the nurse grabs me by the head and the vet jabs me in the neck, I go for the attention. I melted onto the floor so I was lying down waiting for a fuss. The vet and the nurse couldn't then take the blood from my neck, so I've now got a shaved patch on my forepaw where they had to take it from.

If they just let dad hold me then there wouldn't have been any fuss. But then they wouldn't have had anything to laugh about either.

Good news with my weight though. It's down to 49.85kg (109.9lbs). That's a huge drop of about 3kg in 3 months. Even though mum and dad have cut my food back it still gets bulked up with kibble, I still get treats - but tonight I also raided the grill and ate four sausages that Blaine had left so I could get at them. That means I get the other four for breakfast now, my slobber wins every time!

So cute, I'm so Jealous

Dad took me out for a walk round the park late on Sunday night. It wasn't dark as we're supposed to be near the middle of summer - you wouldn't think so from all the rain we had today!

As we were on our way back a guy with a young rottie on a lead walked up to us. Dad didn't put me on the lead or anything and the guy came over and asked "How do you get her to walk so well off the lead?" - as if he has anything to do with it! I'm just good all on my own.

So dad and the guy got talking and turns out that "Maisy" was 9 months old and was going to the same school I went to. Now I'm not an unfriendly dog, I just don't really get all the bouncing around and chase me games. Sure it was nice to say Hi, but Maisy just wanted to bounce around and play - kids huh!

Dad said Maisy was a very nice looking dog and gave her some fuss. They talked about training techniques and I just sat there being good as they talked. I get a bit jealous when Dad pays attention to anyone but me - it's not just dogs. If he talks with mum I have to put myself in between the two of them just so I'm not ignored.

Hopefully we'll meet up with Maisy again. They said I might be a calming influence on her young exuberance.

As it's prescription renewal time dad phoned the vet and they explained that the last blood test for KBr levels didn't work out and they wanted to retake them. So we did that trip to the vets last Thursday. Just as before I sat there the vet jabbed me with a needle and I didn't even show that anything was going on.

So they said call us on Monday for the results. Dad didn't do that as he was busy Monday, so called on Tuesday - only to be told to call back on Thursday as they're not returned yet. More delays. Good job dad planned a little ahead and planned on getting the prescription two weeks before the tablets ran out this time.

If they aren't ready Thursday that means we get into a pickle about ordering on-line and allowing shipping time. I'm beginning to think that because we don't pay the vets extortionate drug prices they decide to make our life difficult.

Why is Everything Always So Last Minute?

After going to the vets at the only time they had available on Wednesday, we thought it was a bit tight for the tablet deadline. Ideally we wanted in on Monday, but Wednesday was what we got.

That meant getting the on-line order placed on Wednesday, hoping they shipped on Wednesday (but realising that the appointment was at 14:40 meant catching the post would be lucky). That would mean that by choosing next day delivery we'd get them Thursday - but should we miss the post it would be Friday for sure... right? Well we even managed to get the address set for dads work place so there would be no problem with someone needing to be home to sign for the delivery or if there was a problem getting them through the letterbox.

Well nothing ever goes that smoothly and to plan. Turns out that the tablets were shipped on Wednesday (Hooray!), but only as regular first class post - not next day as required (Booh!). So they didn't show up on Thursday. And on Friday at 14:00 they still hadn't arrived :( That means we'd run out of KBr over the weekend!

Now that may not sound like a big deal. But we're now at the longest period without a seizure to date! Running out of drugs then having a seizure would just be typical. Then we'd be all frustrated and angry about it being the lack of drugs to blame.

So dad calls the vet and arranges to get a weekends worth of KBr to see us through until Monday and a little more "just in case". So 21 tablets from the vet, just got to go pick them up and pay. At least there's some good news, there's no prescription charge as they are supplying the drugs. Bit of a swizz if you ask me. But it's been a while since we bought vet drugs, but it's an emergency so we'll just do it.

21 x 325mg Potassium Bromide tablets comes to £6.56 which works out at about 31p per tablet. I need 6 of these a day, 3 in the morning and 3 in the evening. Now compare this to the price we pay on-line for exactly the same drug. 15p per tablet! Less than half price.

You can easily see why we must buy drugs on-line and not from the vet. For 3 months worth of KBr and Epiphen we just paid around £150, which works out at £50 per month. Now if we were to buy this from the vet this would double to £100 per month. An absolute scandal. There is no possible way that a vet can justify these kind of mark ups in price for drugs when they are charging and making money for their services.

Back to the Regular Vet Visits

Dad took me into work again today. It was the first time in ages since I've been there. At first I wondered where we were going as it's unusual to get up so early and leave the house without breakfast!

Once we got to work dad gave me my breakfast. Just as usual these days I polished the lot of in one go. Mum and dad reckon I've turned into a normal dog now. Since the last set of seizures I now eat anything and everything. I'm always on the scrounge and have also been bad in going in the kitchen bin for scraps. Up until the last seizures, even when offered something, I'd let it fall to the floor to give it a sniff before deciding if I want to eat it or not. Now I don't seem to be so fussy. If it's being offered or left lying around, I'm eating it!

We saw the vet in the afternoon. Dad walked me down there which is always fun. Dad 'fessed up about weaning me off the drugs and me having a big seizure. The vet wasn't too harsh, but dad said in future we'll stick to the drugs and talk to him first next time.

It's still not a fun day for dad's wallet. £91 for blood test and £150 for 3 months worth of drugs. Still at least by buying them on-line we're still paying effectively half what the vet wants to charge for their drugs!!!

Taking blood was as easy as ever. The usual shaved off patch and I was so good I almost offered him my paw to let him do it. Even with the needle in there's no reaction and I sit there all good  and looking like butter wouldn't melt in my mouth. We'll find out early next week if I'm on the right dosage of Epiphen and KBr.

As good as I am, whilst dad's writing this I'm going in the kitchen bin for scraps!

WTF?

Sorry I've tried as hard as I could not to resort to expletives on this blog. Tried very hard to reign myself in and moderate my language - and been as inoffensive as I could be. But I'm sorely tempted to have a burst of profanity driven by frustration and disbelief.

Why? Well I knew it was too good to be true. You may remember that the vet generously offered to help save me some money by combining my prescriptions into one [here]. Well today was prescription day, so I figured let's go for the big one and get a prescription for 3 months that covers the two medications - Epiphen and KBr for the bargain price of £12. So dad turns up to collect it and they say that'll be £18... same old price!

When queried they said they couldn't do it for the single price, dad must be mistaken. So who saved money here? Not us. The vet now used one piece of paper, not three. The vet signs one signature, not three.

I GIVE UP!!! I SURRENDER!!! RESISTANCE IS FUTILE,

ASSIMILATE ME NOW AND GET IT OVER WITH!!!

But life goes on. It's summer and that means good times. I prefer it a little cooler so I can laze around outside, but summer means long grass. When dad takes me out in the park it's the highlight of my walk. It's not even close to being in the woods, but it's still great fun.

There's two areas in the park where the grass grows long and wild and I just love to go running and hunting in it. I guess it tickles my nose and smells nice because I just bounce around in there snuffling through the long tufts and hopping around like a deer.

If you've seen Jurassic Park and recall the scene with the Raptors in the long grass, then that's all you can see of me when I'm in there. Just the grass parting as I race around having a blast.

Blood Test Results

Dad spoke with the Vet on Monday to find out the results of the blood test. It came back all good. A little elevated from the norm, but to be expected given the tablets I'm taking.

In a way it's good to know things are OK, but in another it means there's nothing jumping out screaming "This is what causes the seizures!" If only there were a straight forward answer.

I had some fun yesterday. Showing off what a big, bad scary dog I am. We had a visit from a couple of Sky TV engineers, who came out to install a new Sky+ HD box.

They turned up at the door, so dad and I went out to the gate to say hello. I bounced around and barked as loud as I can. They had a strange look on their faces... like they weren't quite sure of me.

Dad said I was friendly and that they'd be fine, so I woofed some more, just to make sure they could see how friendly I was. As they went around the house installing cables they'd stick their head into the room and ask gingerly if it was safe to come in. By that time I was bored with them and just lay there ignoring them.

As they were coming and going between their van and and the house they left the back door and gates open. Normally that wouldn't be a problem, but postie hadn't been yet. When the letters hit the mat I was off like a greyhound, out the door and gates to go say Hi to the postman. Dad came charging after me to call me back in... one day I'll catch up with him and say hello properly.

At the Doctors

Dad took me into work today. That's a sure sign that I'm gonna be poked and prodded by the vet later. Especially as I didn't get any breakfast before we left for work.

On the way in the car I got sick. Dad said it looked like whipped egg whites as I'd not had any thing to eat. I managed to slip over in it and got it all over me before we got into the office. Dad wasn't too impressed as it made me very smelly through the day, bleurgh! He tried to clean me up as best you can with a paper towel and water, but the smell stayed behind.

We went out into the town centre at lunchtime. Thursdays are market days and the town is full of people. I was on my very best behaviour and walked good as gold by dad's side. I think dad likes taking me into town on Thursdays. He thinks it's much easier to walk through the crowd as they seem more eager to move out of the way when I'm with him. It must be the smell?

At the vets I got a good going over, ears, eyes and gums etc. It's all very confusing as they try to make me stand where they want. I wish they'd make up their minds - so I just lie down here and let them get on with it.

The vet couldn't find anything wrong - and the "bobble head" didn't show itself, so we're going to have to try to catch it on camera. The vet's going to talk with a specialist, even if we can't afford to go see them ourselves, just to get some additional advice.

They took some blood to send off for a liver function test, so we should get some results next week. They also asked about vaccinations... dad politely skipped the issue for now. No doubt he'll be talking with them about it later though.

I also got weighed again. I tried all the lady like tricks of one foot on the floor and leaning on the wall, but didn't get away with it. I weighed in at just over 45kgs, which is an improvement, and more like what I should be.

Dad treated me with his leftover chicken tonight, just as a way of praising me for being so good all day.

Why Are Things Never Straight Forward?

It's been a bank holiday weekend so dad's taken me out for plenty of walks in the woods. Mind you I've been that hyperactive a few really long walks have been needed to wear me out a bit.

Dad ordered a repeat prescription from the vet last week. It needed to be a little earlier since the KBr dose has been increase and the current tablets will run out quicker. The vet needs 24 hours to get them ready so after calling nice and early on Tuesday, they'd be ready on Wednesday lunchtime, right? Erm, No. Turns out they wont be ready until after 3:30pm, which means it'll be a push to get the order shipped the same day... I'm beginning to think the vet's trying to make things difficult because we order online.

But then when dad goes to collect the prescription there's a little surprise - or two. The receptionist asks if there's any reason they write out 3 prescriptions each time, KBr and the two sizes of Epiphen. Well no there isn't. I order all of them from the same place. The next sentence you can figure made dad scratch his head quite a bit. "Well next time we'll write just the one prescription then. Which will save you some money."

Huh? Had they misheard me when I asked if they could do this on my first visit, but was told they weren't able to do that? Well dad wasn't going to argue... how very strange.

But surprise number two was almost as funny. Dad reminded them that they had over charged us on the last prescription by £6 and they could use that credit this time. Turns out they'd already used the £6 credit on the last visit! So it went to pay for the Pro-Kolin+ without us knowing.

Well that's just sneaky. So I write how reasonable the cost of £14 was (link here) and then find out it was actually £20. Just bloody typical!

But the upshot is the online drug company played a real blinder. Dad called them up and sent them the prescriptions and they counted, packed and shipped the drugs same day. With first class post they arrived next day. I know I don't use this site for advertising, so just consider this a thank you to Pet Drugs Online.

Looks like dad's going to have to make another call to the vets though. Over the weekend I've developed a worrying shaking of the head. It's like I get a bit starey and rapidly shake my head from side to side a little. Mum calls it "Bobble head" as it's like one of those little toys if they were shaking their head saying "no". It doesn't last long and I usually snap out of it as soon as someone says my name, but it is worrying.

Makes us all think there's more going on in my head than what causes the Epilepsy.

Well next weekend auntie Caz goes over the hill. Apparently she's on the down hill side, so dad says. I think that means she's 40. I know, I know, you're all saying "What, again?" So hopefully the weather will be as good as this weekend - who knows maybe I'll get her to take me to the woods?

How Irritating - Eczema

Today dad decided it was best to drive all the way into Loughborough to get the vet to have a look at my paws. The irritation has finally shown itself as an inflamed pink patch on the inside of my toes. So all this slurping my paws was for some good reason.

The vet took a quick look at my feet and decided it was Eczema. Probably caused by some allergic reaction to a chemical in or around the house. He said it's not unusual this time of year with people planting and growing things, using pesticides and fertilizers. So finding the cause could be quite difficult.

The vet prescribed a weeks (7 days) dosage (1 x 5mg, twice a day) of a corticosteroid called Prednidale/Prednisolone. He also preceded it with an injection to kick start the effects.

The vet explained it acted as an anti-inflammatory and that although I currently take an Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory (NSAID, Previcox) the two can be used together as the Prednidale targets a different area and that the Previcox is very specific in its treatment.

Dad asks the questions and gets a lot of useful information from the vet. They seem very open and keen to discuss specifics, so dad tries hard to get as much detail as he can. He's no vet, but if you get the information, even if you don't understand it (and dad really doesn't), you can take it away and go rumage around the internet to get more help.

So digging around later dad find a wealth of information regarding possible side effects so now we know what to look for.

What dad also found out is that it is an immunosuppressive drug. So I guess the allergic reaction should also be lessened because of this feature.

As I'm about due another bout of seizures this really couldn't have come at a worse time. Now we wont know if these new tablets or the injection will have had any impact on my seizures. Maybe it'll cause me to go into one, delay it, who knows? But whatever it does, it means a change which we can't account for.

Well with all these drugs it looks like entering the 2012 Olympics will be out of the question. Any sample I'd give would be sure to cause the testing machine to blow a gasket!

A Full and Exciting Weekend

This weekend's been great. Well, more from last Wednesday onwards really.

Dad took me in to work again on Wednesday so I could remind him to call the vets about my blood test results. The vet said that unless I have any more seizures they don't need to see me as the results show that the KBr (Potassium Bromide) levels are within the therapeutic range. They are on the low end of the scale, so we can increase the dosage as required. Which I'm not at all sure about. The fact is that the seizures have occurred every three-four weeks and the drugs don't seem to be doing anything.

On Friday dad finished work early and was home just after lunchtime, not mine - his... I don't get lunch. We then went on a great long walk for about two hours all around the canal. I got a bit bored and just plodded along behind dad for much of the way. It's just too much like exercise and not enough trees to hunt squirrels in.

Saturday was different as dad took me to Doggy Disney and I made up for squirrel hunting by running off and chasing as many as I could, real or imaginary!

When I got home mum and dad fired up the barbecue and cooked me lots of nice lamb and chicken. I let them have the left overs as I was too full to manage all of it.

One thing I neglected to put into my blog last week was Dave and Grandma, Ian and Anita came over for a barbecue on Sunday. One of the things that made it especially memorable is Grandma did the driving and Dave got pretty squffy on wine, an as yet unheard of event. The other thing is they are getting married later in July this year. I think that should be just enough time for me to get my outfit and a peticure.

Mum bought me a nice new collar. It's very, very pink and apparently glows in the dark! I wore it to work on Wednesday and one of the guys that works for dad made a comment "How gay is that collar?" Now, I must agree that whilst not exactly a politically correct statement, I can think of no other way to express just how gaudy and... well, pink that it is.

But the highlight of the weekend has been mum and dad taking me out for a walk around the canal again. This time they stopped at a pub for a swift pint, or two. So I got to take a break and lounge for a while.

On the way we met my friend "Horsey" again. I went over to say Hi and catchup with all the horsey goings on. She came right over to the fence and put her head out the gate to give me a big sniff. I tried to get her to chat a while but seems she was just happy to munch the plants whilst I gave her a big kiss. Tastes kinda funny for a dog though.

KBr Bloodtest Day

Today's the day I got to visit the vet again and get a blood test to check the serum level of the KBr (Potassium Bromide) in my system.

11:00 We saw a lady vet that hadn't met me before. She was nice and friendly, but as most are when they first meet me, a little wary of my size. I can't blame her, it must be quite regular they get a nip from those a little more scared than me, and with my jaws and teeth a nip would be a serious offence.

She went to take me off into another room away from dad to take some blood, probably to put me in a restraining cage to do so. Dad just laughed and said it shouldn't be a problem that mostly when I get blood taken he just holds onto me, just in case.

So off she went to get the clippers, vial and syringe (the only word that "does" rhyme with orange). When she came back dad held me and she shaved a patch on my leg. Dad put some pressure on the inside of my elbow and she stuck in the needle and took some blood. Not a whimper, twitch or so much as a reaction what so ever. I could tell dad was impressed.

We'd also had to get some of those pesky things that wind dad up so much... prescriptions. This time we needed three so £12 for the first, then £6 each for the other two. Once we get balanced on the serum levels I'm hoping we can get to the point where we can get a 3 month prescription as this is proving costly each month. Even though we'd phoned them in and ordered the prescription the day before they weren't ready. So dad had to go back after work to collect them.

But... there was some good news. They'd over charged us. Turns out that the Epiphen prescription, whilst there are two of them - one for 60mg tablets and one for 30mg tablets - they consider this one prescription. So now we're £6 in credit with the vet. Can anyone guess just how long that will last?

We'll have to wait until next week for the results of the test.

Whilst in the waiting room there was a cat in a bag! I was trying hard to get it to say hello - I've never been so close to one before. It kind of ignored me as it was very sleepy - I suspect that had something to do with the vet.

I also got weighed and whilst I'm a lady and would never disclose my weight, dad will no doubt tell you I'm now 47kgs, up from 43kgs last time the vet weighed me. I guess the barbecue sent me over. Dad's now put me down to half a tin of food in the morning and evening, from half in the morning and a full one (1200g) at night. He'd like me down to 44-45kgs. Not at all fat, in fact mum and dad like the way I look, but dad would like me a bit leaner to stay healthy.

Tonight - 16 March 2009

I guess this is a relatively old article now as the program was a week ago. But having watched the Tonight program - "Undercover Pets" on my "Generic Digital Video Recorder" I thought it worthy of a mention.

The program could have gone into much more than it did. I appreciate it focused on those vets deliberately fleecing their clients, or just plain abusing them. Most of the program seemed to deal with the issue of where a number of vets "played the system" and charged for unnecessary treatment.

The most interesting aspect for me though wasn't the abusing and bad behaving vets, but the savings claimed by buying drugs online. It really is true that huge savings can be made, and I've ranted on this before (see here) - but what the presenter completely skipped is the fact that even making these savings online will require you to pay a prescription fee. A fee that could heavily outweigh the savings.

My recent treatment suggested I take on some more Diazepam for emergency use. So rather than take 1 box of 5 10mg rectal tubes the vet recommended double that, to use 2 x 10mg at each episode. I guess dad fell into the trap of accepting the easy solution and not having found them at the regular online pharmacy, ordered the 2 boxes.

They said it would be a week before they had them in stock, which wasn't an issue as I still had a while before my next cluster, if it followed the current schedule.

So today dad went to collect the Diazepam. I guess he should have got the price first as they came in at £63.98, £31.99 for each box of 5. There was a thud and some smelling salts involved. But Dad being dad still took them and paid, after all he'd made the deal and ordered them.

After emailing the online pharmacy they said whilst it wasn't available online as it wasn't in their usual supply, they could source exactly the same product, with only a one day turnaround for £13.44 per box of 5!!! So even if we paid £12 for a prescription the total would be £38.88 (£13.44 x 2 + £12) a huge saving of £25.10 - and the vet still makes £12 out of the deal.

Now remember that the consultancy which recommends these drugs is being paid for. So now to get a prescription - which is just putting into writing what has been said in the paid for consultancy, I must now pay again. Which in real terms makes the consultancy £20 + £12. But now take a step back as this isn't a one off £12.

In my case I need 4 prescriptions - 1 for Epiphen, 1 for Potassium Bromide, 1 for Previcox and 1 for the Diazepam - and I need to pay for each and every one of them! Sure I get a discount from the £12 on each subsequent prescription (they aren't always at the same time so mostly £12 a time), but now I'm paying more for prescriptions than I am for consultancy... still a saving overall, but surely the RCVS must concede this is a foul practice?

Is this why pet insurance cost are rising?

Now what other industry could practice like this?

Let's say you have a car and it has a problem - you're no expert so you take it to a mechanic. The mechanic charges you £50 to look at your car and says you need 4 new tyres and some oil and he can supply them for £500. So you go and find the same brand tyres and oil and can buy them for £250. But the laws says you can't buy them unless the mechanic writes you a note - and he's going to charge you £100 for the note for your tyres and another £50 for the note for your oil.

You still have made use of his technical ability, his qualifications and knowledge - but you paid him for that. Do you think the car industry would survive, would the consumer stand for it? So, why is it different with pets? Because we are emotionally attached and in most cases will pay whatever to keep our loved ones with us, that's why.

There is a link to my current pharmacy on this site. I have no affiliation and make no revenue, nor make any gains from your clicking the link. It's there only to open your eyes and offer up a place for you to start.

So next time - THINK BEFORE YOU BUY. Don't rush into taking your vets offer before you've checked online for the product your vet is offering. Not only can you save money but you could even learn more about the medication and question why the vet has prescribed that particular product. Something cheaper or with less ill effects may be available. The Internet is a wonderful resource that is free to use - so invest your time to save your money.

Bear the Rottweiler (as featured on the Tonight program) what a gorgeous dog and so fortunate to have Tamara Baker his owner so driven to do everything she could for him. We're sorry for your loss and know that Bear has nothing but love and gratitude for your efforts.