This is the long and frightening story of how I nearly had to euthanize my dog Buddy due to inexpensive treatment options being ignored in favor of more expensive tests and surgery instead. If it were not for the caring and wonderful staff at Inver Grove Heights’ Southview Animal Hospital my fun-loving and happy dog would be gone and my family would be without one of the warmest and most friendly animals to ever walk the planet just because $45 in medications do not add up to the hundreds of dollars in surgeries/tests several other vets required prior to attempting the inexpensive therapy we ultimately utilized to save his life.
Starting back nearly a year ago Buddy began developing a small dry patch on his nose. Originally diagnosed and treated as a formidable fungal infection by our vet of 7 years at Palomino Pet Hospital, the treatment never really resolved the issue. While we had him treated several times for the problem over the next few months Buddy never seemed too bothered by the issue so we let it go. However, beginning in November 2010 what was originally nothing more than an unsightly scabbing of his nose grew to engulf the entire end of his snout and eventually spread to create bloody and crusty lesions on the bridge of his nose, his eyes, chin, mouth, ears, and neck. He was clearly in pain and his personality began to change as well. Our happy, active dog began to spend most of the day curled up on the couch. Things had taken a turn for the worse and we decided to bring him in again.
It was at this visit that our vet said that he could continue administering the treatment he had been using or we could test for a veritable smorgasbord of potential ailments . He suggested an allergy test, a thyroid test, a biopsy, along with several others. We knew that we could lay out hundreds of dollars for just one of those tests and be no closer to an answer. After talking it over we decided to get a second opinion.
Our next attempt came at Apple Lake Animal Hospital. After our experience at Palomino Pet Hospital I began doing extensive research online and determined, 95% at least, that Buddy’s issue was a condition called Discoid Lupus, an auto-immune deficiency disorder. After explaining the situation and all that had been done in the past up to and including my unprofessional diagnoses and our financial situation, we were told that they agreed that he had an auto-immune problem, but said they would require an expensive biopsy in order to confirm the diagnosis and determine a course of treatment. The vet explained that the biopsy would narrow the list of possible auto-immune disorders into the teens or low twenties and would give them a much better shot at properly treating my animal. I left the appointment in tears knowing full well that the biopsy was out of our acceptable price range for something that wouldn’t even include the cost of actually treating Buddy’s problem.
Over the next few days I called around to other vets in the area. The only one to answer my question agreed with Apple Lake’s assessment, a biopsy would be required prior to any other therapy. Soon after this, following a particularly nasty episode of Buddy rubbing his face on the carpet to scratch at the infected lesions around his eyes and nose that we decided our only option would be to let Apple Lake Animal Hospital know that since we could not afford the biopsy we would need to put Buddy down unless they were willing to treat him empirically with medication. We hoped that the vet at Apple Lake would be willing to give medication a try knowing the alternative. We were surprised and saddened to learn that the vet who had seen Buddy refused to give him the drugs and cited several reasons why it would not be an acceptable course of action without the biopsy.
Without much left to do I called my father to break the bad news. My father works for a facility which employs a number of veterinarians–one of whom is his boss. She did some research on Lupus in dogs and called several other vets who agreed that in ANY auto-immune disorder the absolute first option, prior to any surgeries or biopsies, is to try hefty doses of oral steroids to see if the immune response can be limited. Once the lesions are eliminated the dog is slowly backed off the dosages to see what level needs to be maintained to keep the animal healthy. Following her research she suggested I continue my search to find a vet who would treat Buddy in the way we wanted.
Energized I decided to give it one more day and I talked to my coworker who runs a cat rescue. Figuring she may have connections with the dog world and knowing it couldn’t hurt at this point I asked, with tears welling up in my eyes, if she could help us save Buddy. Seconds later she began furiously writing down the names of metro animal hospitals, individual veterinarian names within those hospitals, and phone numbers to call. The list was topped with Southview Animal Hospital–it was her top pick because they are willing to do whatever they can to treat animals within clients’ budgets and in her experience they are not inclined to view expensive treatment options as the first and only course of action. She called ahead and told them the situation and that I’d be calling. I followed up about 30 minutes later and they asked me to have Buddy’s records sent and that they’d be waiting for us. On arrival the looks on the faces of those in the office, both animal owners and experienced vets and techs, were of horror. Buddy did look absolutely terrifying with his bloody, puss filled eyes and nose but I kept telling him and myself that we’d save him.
And save him we did! Within three days of beginning treatment of steroids Buddy’s face had dried up into white scaly skin. Within 30 days he was acting like himself again–playful, happy, tail wagging; something we hadn’t seen in weeks. Within 60 days he was 98% healed with only a tiny bit of pink on the tip of his nose remaining. His nose was wet again, his eyes were nearly free of lesions, and we were out all of $145 over three office visits and two steroid pill refills something which would have likely been the outcome following the pricey estimates we’d received elsewhere. Not only were the treatment options less expensive but so were the office visits–approximately 50% as much as what we were charged elsewhere.
The vets and staff at Southview Animal Hospital saved my dog and my soul. My dog is my second child and he means the world to me and many of those who have met him. Southview Animal Hospital has gained a patron of their services for my entire time in Minnesota and I cannot express my feelings for what they have done for us any more strongly than they deserve every single person’s business even though they are several miles further away than many of the other local vets here in the South Metro. Please support the vets who are willing to go the extra mile and ensure that your animal isn’t unnecessarily euthanized because you cannot afford expensive surgery when viable alternatives exist for a fraction of the cost.
Southview Animal Hospital
32 Mendota Rd
Inver Grove Heights, MN 55077-1122
(651) 455-2258
Feel free to look through the possibly disturbing photos of Buddy’s recovery beginning on December 20th and ending through February 9th on Flickr here.
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February 10th, 2011 at 7:24 am
Awesome post. I’m often frustrated at how our vets treat our animals, or over treat. Years ago our dog ate a track ball and it became stuck in his large intestine. He was lethargic, vomiting, runs, wouldn’t eat, drank copious amounts of water. Took him the emergency vet where I was told we were in for lots of blood tests and such, and if those tests were negative they would xray the dog and see if perhaps he had a blockage. Knowing the dog like I do, and seeing what he eats, why don’t we do the xray first and skip the cost of the blood tests.
They wouldn’t do it until I got kind of pissy and suggested that they were there to seel me services I would pay for. They Xrayed the dog and low and behold, there was a perfectly round object in his gut.
You know, country vets aren’t like this. This is a city thing I’m convinced. Last week I got a card from my vet saying it was time for my dogs “older dog” EKG”, heart check tyroid etc. I’ve never heard of an EKG for a dog. Apparently they do stints and cholestoral etc. I’m not doing it becuase he’s a dog. I wouldnt’ pay $2000 for a stint for a dog.
This is a great example of too may people asking “Can We” and not “Should We”.
February 10th, 2011 at 7:31 am
Bill, I was sorry to read that Buddy had been unwell. I know how difficult a situation like that can be. Bravo to you and Kim for your persistence in getting the care Buddy needed. Finding caring and concerned folks to help you through that difficult time is a blessing. The fact that Southview Animal Hospital listened to what you needed, worked with you to care for Buddy and provided top notch service along the way earns them major kudos.
I’m glad Bubby is feeling better and is on the mend.
February 10th, 2011 at 8:10 am
Bill,
Very happy that you guys were able to come up with a treatment that both worked for Buddy, and your wallet. Too many people today just take a diagnosis and treatment at face value, and often don’t get a second opinion.
I believe it’s partly because you love Buddy as much as any other part of your family, but also, because you’re a huge PITA and do your diligence and research and don’t put up with outlandish answers to things.
While I have a vet a mile down the road from me, I believe I will give Southview a call next time one of our furkids needs some care. Judging by how some of your rave reviews have attracted new business to metro businesses, I can only think this tale with a happy ending will do the same, not to shovel people thru a door, but to inform people about a business that truly cares for it’s customers/patients in this case.
Here’s to many more camping trips and bean bag days with the Budster!
February 10th, 2011 at 8:16 am
Tim, congrats on your 200th comment!
February 10th, 2011 at 8:18 am
While I don’t currently have any pets, I have heard lots of stories from coworkers and friends that ended up taking their beloved pets to vets in rural Minnesota as the cost for spaying and neutering was a lot cheaper than any vets in the Twin Cities. I’m really glad to hear that Buddy is doing so much better and that Southview Animal Hospital received such high marks from Bill.
February 10th, 2011 at 8:31 am
I’m glad to hear Buddy is doing well. From my experience, steroids are a borderline miracle cure for dogs.
February 10th, 2011 at 8:34 am
I wished that I would have known about Southview when I was dealing with two of my dogs. Jasper had cancer, but was misdiagnosed before they figured it out. I paid a small fortune in tests when there really wasn’t anything that could be done but put him down. That was the saddest day in my life. And then to get a bill for over $1,000 on top of it was a slap in the face. Blitzen dislocated his hip this summer jumping off the deck. His hind leg got caught between steps and it just popped out. The vet was unable to replace into the socket. I had to fork out $2,000 for a surgeon from the UofM to rebuild the joint with surrounding muscle tissue. He is as good as new now, but it was a lot of money to spend. Had it been our oldest dog, I think I would have put him down. He would have had a hard time rehabilitating the leg with his arthritis. will check Southview out next time I am in need of a vet. I know that they do services for Last Hope where I rescued my most recent pups.
February 10th, 2011 at 8:36 am
Wow, the lesions on the photos look so painful. His eyes, though, are just wonderful, so trusting and kind and I’m so glad he’s better. We feel the same way about our dog so thanks for the very useful information.
February 10th, 2011 at 8:38 am
Go Buddy! I am sooo happy to hear he is doing better. We don’t have pets right now but I will definitely remember this post for when/if we do so we will go there only.
February 10th, 2011 at 8:39 am
I’ll have to keep that vet in mind. We may be switching – our current vet trys to hit us with all kinds of stupid tests and shit for our older cats, and I’m getting tired of it.
Very glad to here your dog is doing better, I remember seeing some distressed tweets from you a couple of months ago.
February 10th, 2011 at 8:51 am
the honorable sank is correct comparing city vets to country vets. we use a local vet in rosemount for the usual shots and pills because of convenience. however, anything ‘big’, i take my dogz to watkins or kimball. they’re the same group. it’s worth the savings to head out there. the last deal was a spaying for our younger dog who retired from the ring. rosemount wanted 300+ for the operation, watkins slightly over 110. brought her in at 0800 and out at 3. a good job and quick recovery. they were recommended by our breeder/groomer.
the current deal we have is a acl tear with our older dog, 14 yrs. the city wants 800 for the fix. so far we haven’t decided to have it repaired or go with pain meds. i have not called watkins to see what the price would be. reading the posts, i’ll do it later on and let everyone know.
bb
February 10th, 2011 at 9:24 am
I have lost humans in my life that hurt less than losing one of my dogs.
That said, really good to hear you have avoided this for your dog. Good looking little dude (particularly post treatment).
You bring up an interesting conundrum regarding how we have to balance a lot of things when making tough decisions about the pet. How old is the pet? How much will it cost? Will the (expensive) tests bring a result of a happy healthy pet? How attached are the kids to the pet? What will our house feel like if we do lose him or her?
There is little right and wrong when faced with these. I have seen people spend thousands on a pet only to lose it at a young age anyway, and also have seen that work out. As well, it is hard to keep away the thought that a “new” one might only be a few hundred bucks when you have fallen in love with the current one.
Having had to make the hard decision to put down one of my old and best friends a year or so ago, I don’t wish those days on anyone.
February 10th, 2011 at 9:27 am
Fucking Dogs.
I don’t know what I would do if my dog were in that situation. I have little money and no way to access more than a couple hundred bucks in credit. But I would do almost anything for that dog.
But, my vet has been good. He doesn’t offer up things the dog doesn’t need and addresses concerns in a realistic way. Jeff had a big bump on his leg that I was worried about. The doctor took a tiny sample and cleared it as fine. Cost like $50. I’m okay with $50 for piece of mind about my dog.
February 10th, 2011 at 9:48 am
Great story. We use a vet in Apple Valley, and have had no issues, but I will switch to Southview based on this.
February 10th, 2011 at 9:58 am
One of our cats came from Southview. They are good people.
So glad you had a happy ending. :)
February 10th, 2011 at 10:02 am
Yay Buddy! So happy he’s better!
February 10th, 2011 at 10:05 am
Glad to hear that Buddy is doing better and that Southview has been so helpful to you. I will keep them in mind for the future with my animals.
February 10th, 2011 at 10:21 am
Dogs are expensive.
I’ve yet to leave a vet without forking over $160 bucks.
That seems like the entry fee: walk through the door- pay $160.00
Doctors bill you, vets nope it’s cash on the barrelhead.
Glad your guy is doing better.
February 10th, 2011 at 10:22 am
Glad to hear that Buddy is going to be around for a while!
I think this is a great example of asking questions, searching for answers and networking to find solutions. And, of course, questioning authority, which is a concept not foreign to Bill. :)
February 10th, 2011 at 10:28 am
Interesting post. I have been through a lot with my little dog and my vet in Apple Valley has always been good, but will keep this in mind if I feel like changing at some point. My dog is only a little over 2 years old and it seems like things for him go wrong on the night and weekends. The emergency vet hospital is outrageously priced, but I am not sure if there are any other options. I’ve had him there twice–once he got attacked by the neighbor’s rottweiler and needed to be patched up to the tune of $500 and just last Thanksgiving, he picked up a piece of bird bone someone had thrown in their yard (who does that anyway–grrr) and it got stuck and they originally quoted me $1800 for emergency surgery (YIKES) which I pulled out the plastic for, but about an hour after I got home they called me and told me he had thrown it up while prepping him for surgery. That little episode ended up costing me about $800 when all was said and done.. Love that dog though–not sure where I would draw the line at paying vs. putting him down–I think it would be a large $$ amount! Glad your dog is doing better. He has the eyes that melt your heart :-)
February 10th, 2011 at 10:40 am
There are some relatively fair priced insurance plans out there that are probably not a bad idea for those that can’t afford a major outlay but equally can’t picture losing their pet.
I priced mine at about $35 per month and that included a $100 deductible and covered routine exams and medication. That is the best plan with the lowest deductible, with other plans much lower.
Now, I don’t normally spend $520 per year on my dog for care, but knowing that he would be covered at 90% of the cost if he were to have a major accident is a nice to know thing I am thinking. I am going to consider it.
February 10th, 2011 at 10:56 am
GREAT POST! I am so glad to hear that Buddy is all better. I really appreciated the way that you wrote as well. You put the facts out there and your feelings as well. I have often wanted to do this when I’ve had either an outstandingly good customer experience or the opposite. Bravo!
Good boy, Buddy! Good boy!
February 10th, 2011 at 11:06 am
Southview is great. They are reasonable and don’t push you into unnecessary treatments, like flea medication in the winter (not gonna happen in Minnesota). Being a poor journalist married to a poor archaeologist, I appreciate their attention to my pocketbook and would totally trust them to do the same in an emergency situation.
Glad you found them.
February 10th, 2011 at 12:27 pm
I’m so glad that your dog is better.
You don’t need to explain your love for your dog; I cried for days when my son’s gecko died. (A gecko? you might question. It would watch tv with my son, and come over to the glass to visit when we were nearby, so sure, a gecko.)
Makes me wonder how often this kind of “medicine” is being practiced on people, too.
February 10th, 2011 at 1:00 pm
My wife makes sure I don’t have pets. She is allergic to cats and dogs. My sons missed having pets as they were growing up, though my Dad has always had dogs, and so has my Brother. So when visiting Grandpa or their Uncle they always played. (when young, they would spend at least one weekend a month and a good two weeks during the year and gradpa’s out in the sticks of MN)
My oldest is currently house sitting for his aunt who has 2 big dogs and he is loving the companionship of some nice big dogs.
I’m glad you could find a vet that has some actual knowledge (what I call “street” knowledge). They knew the options, they understood the constraints, and they gave their best shot within the available options and constraints.
Shockingly, that is uncommon with people today in general. From auto mechanics, furnace repair all the way up to specialist doctors I have been shocked at how few seem to be interested in actually taking a moment, thinking about a problem, and applying their expertise. Instead, they just appear to throw a dart at a wall that is heavily weighted toward me paying more for something I may or may not really need.
February 10th, 2011 at 1:06 pm
Some have mentioned to me that the reason that vets tend to over test rather than over medicate may be because they fear reprisals from angry owners whose animals may die from the incorrect medications/dosages.
Some others claim that Lupus is pretty rare in dogs (from my research online–and no I don’t believe everything I read on the web–it would appear that it’s more common than people may believe), and thus it’s no surprise it wasn’t immediately recognized.
1. I knew the risks and I was willing to take them when we made the decision to have him try empirical treatment. If a waiver for services is required to avoid lawsuits well then that should be a mandate to proceed.
2. Two vets who I would have assumed saw enough dogs to come across this before were clearly unprepared for it and had I not brought up the possibility of Lupus, they may not have ever even considered it to be an auto-immune disorder. However, the original vet that treated Buddy at Southview had seen the disorder before and had already treated it–even though she, is in my estimation, fairly young.
Hopefully that clears up some of the questions which, while not asked here specifically, may have been floating around in your heads.
February 10th, 2011 at 1:29 pm
Having just lost our 14 y.o. big puppy I was completely striken by a word used in the sympathy card sent by our vet (who was unfortunately out of town when the decision had to be made… that in itself broke my heart even more). He said we had been wonderful GUARDIANS of Guinness.
You and your family upheld that role perfectly with Buddy. We have to advocate for our pets and trust that gut instinct when you just know what you’re hearing isn’t right. The vet mentioned above was our third and it is his problem-solving approach that sold me from day 1. How great to have found that for Buddy and any future pets to join your family.
So glad you can continue to enjoy your pal.
February 10th, 2011 at 4:54 pm
Yay! I love an animal story with a happy ending! So glad you get more time with your healthy, happy Buddy. My daughter and her boyfriend chose Southview Animal Hospital after interviewing a bunch of vets before they adopted their puppy last year. They are extremely happy with the care their dog has received, and she’s had a couple of weird things happen that could have been blown out of proportion by a vet who wanted to make a little extra money, but instead, she’s received reasonable treatment that cured what ailed her and didn’t break the bank. Southview has been really great.
February 10th, 2011 at 8:47 pm
Bill, you DO have a heart!!! Anyone who loves their dog is all right:)
We had a wonderful dog named Basil for 14 1/2 years. He had some tumors for the last several months of his life that we chose not to treat. He was old and already disheartened about not being able to chase his frisbee anymore. To subject a 100-year-old to extensive surgery that would only extend his life for a few months seemed like cruel torture. We didn’t want him to spend time alone in a cage at the hospital, frightened and in pain.
When he was younger, his paws became inflamed and bloody. The vet did allergy tests and prescribed allergy shots. We began them, only to see that he was lethargic for days after each one and only normal for a day or two before the next shot was due.
We researched nutritional options and began giving him flax oil and quit the shots. He never had paw problems again.
Buddy, good to have you with us. You and your fellow dogs have a lot to teach humans about big hearts and unselfishness.
February 11th, 2011 at 9:38 am
Awww, poor Buddy! I was crying the entire story and then cringing at his pictures. Ahhh, what a nightmare but thank goodness for Southview! I will keep them in mind when we get a dog. Unfortunately my family’s black lab didn’t have a facility that would treat her as needed years ago and she was put to sleep. I didn’t get to say goodbye, being at college, and I too felt the pain that so many pet owners face.
February 11th, 2011 at 10:27 am
I have been waiting for an LL story about a great area vet since our sweet 13-year-old dog died last June. The Burnsville vet we used prescribed thyroid meds for weight that made our otherwise healthy-but-plumper dog not eat or drink and eventually die. When we told the vet about this significant change in appetite, he gave some lame explaination that the meds were throwing off his metabolism and that we should INCREASE the dosage. Our last vet visit was on a Friday; he said to come back Monday morning if our dog was still not eating and, sadly, he never made it that far.
Watching our dog that last weekend lay there, feeding him pedialyte with a syringe, there was no question we should have found a new vet years before. Our vet had been habitually overbilling us for inflated “geriatric exams” and tests and the staff shamelessly tried to upsell services at every interaction. We hadn’t been comfortable with that vet for years but we stayed. Our dog’s final descent began with a routine annual visit. We’ll never forget the horrible experience and will never return.
So thanks Bill for sharing this story about Buddy’s care and wonderful rebound! We’ve been looking for a vet for our cat that others respect and highly recommend. We will absolutely bring her to Southview Animal Hospital.
February 11th, 2011 at 10:33 am
LLR, I’m so sorry to hear about your pet’s rapid decline due to poor treatment. I am a big softy for dogs and that broke my heart just as much as the trials of my own animal :(
That said, you brought up the upset for geriatric testing. Part of the estimate for Buddy’s biopsy at one of the two other places mentioned included similar testing. My dog is 8 and while he wasn’t in the greatest of shape on the day I brought him there, he’s basically a horse and runs just as fast and as far as the first day we got him and now with the steroids he’s probably even more beastly so even at the time, with tears in my eyes due to the cost issues, I’m just not sure why the vet would have tried to sneak that in there knowing full well cost was a HUGE factor. Apparently they just cannot help themselves.
Again LLR, I’m so sorry to hear about your dog. I hope that a future animal will receive the treatment you desire at Southview and I’m glad that our mutual misfortunes can help find people better care elsewhere.
February 12th, 2011 at 10:19 am
I can’t tell you how grateful I am for this post. I’ve been wrestling with this issue myself for some time. Our female lab has struggled with chronic ear infections and nothing the vet does seems to prevent the recurrences. She’s just wrapping up a round of steroids-the first time we’ve tried that. It’s made a difference, but I know that it’s only a matter of time before the cycle repeats-unless I seek a different vet. Thanks for a great post!
February 12th, 2011 at 9:08 pm
Amy the Mom, I urge you to look into supporting your dog’s health instead of treating the symptoms. There is a supplement called The Missing Link which works wonders.
February 12th, 2011 at 9:18 pm
I’m also going to keep Southview in mind. I have an adopted yellow lab with crazy allergies (which, ironically, Palomino Pet Hospital was the place where I was finally able to get a real allergy test to figure out what was causing so many problems). My ‘normal’ vet kept prescribing medicines and ridiculously expensive food and all sorts of things, but for a LONG time didn’t believe the allergy possibility. Turns out, Daisy’s allergic to poultry (I swear, all dog foods have chicken in them, even the “Lamb and Rice” ones), fish mix, carrots, oats (also in A TON OF dog foods), etc, etc. She’s a little high maintenance, but she’s damn cute and cuddly and a super great dog.
Not gonna lie though, I shelled out a shit load of money to get to where we are now. I’m just glad she’s healthy again.
February 16th, 2011 at 12:10 pm
Wow! I’m just catching up on blogs from vacation – this is an inspiring story. I’m so glad you were willing to do the research to figure out what needed to be done to save Buddy.
February 28th, 2011 at 2:07 pm
[...] BillWallace I read a blog called Lazy Lightning which blogs about the south metro. The writer shared a great story about Southview Animal Hospital in Inver Grove Heights that might be of interest – Southview Animal Hospital Saved My Dog’s Life | Bill Roehl [...]
June 15th, 2012 at 10:02 am
While we welcomed a new member of our family, Buddy was in his own hospital with a blocked intestinal tract. We invested more than $700 in his care but could not afford the surgery, especially with a new baby. They’re going to use this as an opportunity to help train a new vet on staff. While there are no promises this is one AMAZING vet and if you haven’t already used them you should start now.
THANK YOU!
June 15th, 2012 at 10:25 am
That’s great news! I hope they get your dog back in working order!
Been a weird dichotomy watching you celebrate one thing while worrying about this.
Best of luck.
June 15th, 2012 at 5:57 pm
Southview is a great place. I know a number of people who’ve had good experiences with them. Glad to hear about this and hope Buddy makes a full recovery.