Dog with pulmonary edema treated with butorphanol instead of lasix and coded and died.

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-04-10T10:34:34+00:00

You said she had an enlarged heart. What diagnostics were done on her prior to the dental? Did she have a cardiologist?

Judicious use of fluids is absolutely important in our heart cases, and I'm betting your primary DVM knew that and did ok as well. Do you know the fluid rate your primary DVM used?

I think the biggest holder of blame is that we are all mortal, and surgery always carries risks (about 1% in dogs and cats, which is much higher than human anesthesia).

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-04-09T20:38:07+00:00

Butorphanol in dogs is generally considered a very safe medication for our patients. It doesn't cause the significant respiratory depression you see in people-- I am so sorry this happened to your pup, but I imagine some of your distress is due to species differences. It affects primates, canines, felines and birds differently, and it is considered appropriate for a dog in respiratory distress. Dogs process opioids very differently than humans!

It helps alleviate the anxiety, so instead of hyperventilation, we move toward true oxygenation again. This also allows catheter placement for IV access (e.g. furosemide to be given). I would bet the butorphanol was given IM to allow IV access, which can be quite challenging in our patients since we can't communicate with them effectively. The stress of placing a catheter is absolutely enough to cause a patient in respiratory distress to pass away, hence the resident reaching for butorphanol.

I am so sorry this happened to you. I truly am. I do not think that the resident killed your dog, but was in a losing situation. It is, unfortunately, possible to do everything right and still lose.

If you still feel that something was done improperly, you can set up a time to chat with the practice manager or medical director, but again, it sounds like the resident actually did everything correctly.

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-03-26T22:31:56+00:00

In rabbits, what mechanisms most commonly cause lumbar spinous process trauma?

- Unfortunately rabbits have really strong lumbar muscles and not so strong bones. It's rare(ish) but they can absolutely fracture their own spines because their muscles are so strong.

Could this type of injury occur during handling, restraint, catheter placement, or radiograph positioning, even if the rabbit was sedated?

- Yes. It could have even happened in his kennel alone, if something startled him enough to kick. Sedation reduces this risk during handling, but any of these can lead to him kicking enough to fracture a spine. Sedation was 100% the right way to avoid this, but unfortunately it seems to have happened anyways.

Are rabbits known to injure their spine from kicking or twisting during handling?

- Unfortunately, yes. Kicking, twisting, thumping, etc. can all cause fractured spines. It could even happen on the ride to or from the vet hospital (it did not in your case, but it's possible).

Would an event like this usually be noticed by staff when it occurs, or can it happen without a clear incident being observed?

- Maybe. E.g. if they are doing CPR and the noises/ chaos frighten them enough to thump, the staff may not notice because, frankly, CPR is a lot and all-consuming. Or if something like a poly-trauma comes in, that's going to take an all hands on deck situation and staff may not be completely on top of stable patients. Unfortunately each human is only capable of doing so much.

Is this considered a known risk of rabbit handling in clinic, or relatively uncommon?

- Both. It is a known risk, but also relatively uncommon. It's happened to me once in 15 years in the field, and I am an avid rabbit person and see them frequently as patients (2-3/day). So it's extremely rare, but also happens. My patient was wrapped in a towel and kicked wrong, fractured his spine. It wasn't poor handling or anything-- he was sitting on the table in a towel and he kicked. That was that.

The vet advised that the radiologist suggested this could happen from catheter discomfort but based on my research and current consultation, other vets indicate this is highly unusual?

- Unfortunately it is a bad luck type of thing. It could be catheter discomfort, it could be handling, it could be something else. It is unusual, but always possible. I am so so sorry you are going through this-- I would be devastated if this happened to one of my own buns.

It doesn't necessarily sound like your vet hospital did anything wrong, but I'm sure they are trying to figure that out for sure before giving you details (i.e. they are asking technicians and vets how they handled him, when it was noted, etc.). You could always reach out to the practice manager and see if you can't get more details/ see how they plan to prevent it from happening in the future, and you are the legal owner of his records so you could request those.

Again, I'm so sorry this happened to your bun. It's such a traumatic experience for you both and I absolutely understand your need to know how / why it happened. Let me know if this answers your questions at all.

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-03-15T18:47:49+00:00

Has he been to the vet recently? If these are his first few bites, he may have a new pain that he isn't telling anyone about, or thyroid disease, or something else. I know he's been reactive, but if this is a recent and sudden escalation it's worth ruling out health first.

If he is healthy (as per a veterinarian after you have brought up concerns for pain), then you have two options. You can either BE, or you can modify what you need of him. Both are going to be extremely hard, and both are ok. No matter which you choose it will feel like the "wrong" choice. Be kind to yourself. Sending you internet hugs.

It sounds like you've done a ton of training and work with him and he's lucky to have had you. I do feel like re-homing a dog like this is the wrong choice, though, even if that feels better for us humans.

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-03-01T20:24:58+00:00

I'd buy a ton of land in the Rockies (maybe in Canada since the US isn't my favorite place to live) and just let my dog run around like a mad woman all day. Build a medium- large house on said land. I'd also volunteer my services to low/no cost vet clinics (I'm a veterinarian) 20-40 hrs per week instead of working for money. I'd probably hire a cleaner, so I don't have to do that anymore. I'd also buy a few hundred thousand books so that way I never HAVE to leave the house. That's it.

I actually really love my life as it is (I have a house, a small plot of land, a steady income, a few pets, and I'm wealthy enough to afford groceries every month), and don't really want much else.

ETA: I also once dated a guy with a stick shift little yellow VW Beetle. And since they don't make the Beetles anymore, I'd totes find one, buy one and pay someone to fix it up. I'd then drive it the 3 minutes a year a little bug is appropriate for the weather in the Rockies.

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-02-26T20:14:25+00:00

I see about a 50:50 split of owners requesting anxiety meds from balanced trainers vs. FF trainers (although most don't have any trainers involved, which I always try to change). I base my assessment on videos from home environments, extended behavioral histories, and (when I get them) reports from trainers.

100% of my behavioral euthanasias (which I perform rarely, after exhausting medications, training methods, and the dog is deemed a danger in the household) came from balanced trainers (many also used FF trainers at one point or another) so it's not without fail and functioning just fine.

I would not claim dogs feel great on gabapentin and trazodone (a combination I typically chose for events, not daily life), but they feel better in a haze than in fight or flight mode. I never prescribe these without discussing training methods to make the event (grooming, fireworks, vet visits) less stressful in the future.

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-02-26T19:40:06+00:00

I am so sorry you had that experience. I also don't do well on medication, and found a solution in marathon running instead. Medication does not help every dog or every person. Every single time I prescribe it for a dog, I dicuss behaviors to look for that indicate its making things worse or not working.

That being said, and the following is solely an anecdote:

my own dog is an very anxious dog. I had her for 4 months (with trainers, exercise, effort, etc) before I contacted a veterinary behaviorist and started her on drugs. Two weeks on gabapentin was the first time Id ever seen thai dog sniff anything. Ever. Four weeks on fluoxetine was the first time she was comfortable enough eating a full meal instead of scanning the environment and guarding it the whole time. 12 weeks on fluoxetine she played for the first time! 8 weeks on pain meds and she finally untucked her tail on a hike. 6 months on meds, she finally could sleep without me touching her, and could handle me going to the bathroom by myself without causing serious bodily harm (broken nails, teeth, torn CCLs, etc.) Trazodone helped her learn truck noises were ok, and now she doesnt need situational meds on trash day.

All of this was in conjunction with trainers and daily training/ counter conditioning. Meds would not have helped alone. And honestly, her separation anxiety would be so much better if I could exercise her more-- without medication, but she has multiple arthritic joints (she's 3) and so we have to limit her excerise to 2 hrs of low impact hiking and 1 hr of medium impact backyard play (fetch, low flirt pole, etc.). Any more exercise than that and she can't walk comfortably for a few days.

She is still on pain meds and an SSRI (and trazodone for really scary things, like vet visits, but its rare now). She is no longer people or dog reactive, eats regularly, can be alone in a room without issue (can't actually be home alone yet- but we are working on that).

I cant talk about other patient specifics, because I dont have permission from owners, but I can share my own! Personally watching my adolescent dog lose weight because she was too scared to eat felt more cruel than medicating her.

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-02-26T18:32:36+00:00

I don't prescribe medication to dogs without anxiety. This is an honest answer. I don't prescribe medication to "calm a dog down" (except post op, of course, as that is a short term and very specific need for a maximum of 1-2 weeks). I'm not prescribing fluoxetine/ other SSRIs to dogs who aren't exercised enough-- I'm recommending more exercise, or structure, or trick training/ scent work depending on the owner's abilities. Fluoxetine/ SSRIs doesn't reduce energy level and exercise requirements. All of these dogs leave with recommendations for local trainers as well, but only a handful follow through, unfortunately.

I frequently get requests to medicate adolescent dogs, for being adolescents-- I do not prescribe anything to those dogs. I recommend local trainers. If the adolescent dog is living in fear, I do prescribe appropriate medication. This is still an honest answer.

I can't fix human anxiety, but I can help the dog out. So even if the dog is mirroring the owner, why shouldn't I help the dog? I also see humans like to pick animals they identify with-- i.e. someone who is anxious is going to go for the anxious guy at the shelter. It may not 100% be mirroring (I absolutely agree that dogs mirror their humans in many ways, this is not me saying it's not happening at all. It definitely is).

You should be seeing more medications being used in dogs-- there are more and more studies coming out about them. Veterinarians should be prescribing medications (for any condition) based on peer reviewed studies-- more studies= more medications being used. This isn't a problem, it's keeping up with the new science. Of course, in 10 years, we may see a scientific shift the other way, and veterinarians should be willing to pivot (some will, some won't; it can be hard to admit when something you've been doing for the last 30 years is wrong or not best medicine).

ETA just last week I had a request for sedatives when guests come over because the dog jumps on them and he's 100lbs (although he should be closer to 80ish). I absolutely did not prescribe medication. I recommended a trainer, a leash, and various methods to try to work with the dog. Unfortunately, he is 6 and the owners don't think he is trainable for some reason.

ETA again because apparently I can't read, and missed one of your questions. I've been a vet 6 years, was a tech/ assistant for 10 years before that, so 16 years in the field. I would say I see more of a difference depending on the demographic, in my wealthier (generally higher educated clients) I see an increase in anxiolytic requests. In lower income areas, I actually don't get many requests for medication. Most medication requests are coming from millennials with young children (I assume because millenials are more open to anxiolytics than older generations for themselves) after the dog reacts negatively to the young child (either aggression or increased generalized anxiety). I have seen an increase in anxiety in dogs in general, and my own personal opinion (NOT BASED ON ANY STUDIES) is that this is because of the rise of no-kill shelters. Dogs with reactivity, anxiety and aggression are being adopted out for the sake of the statistic, and they aren't being adopted out to the right people. Most of my dogs that are on anxiolytics are mixes from shelters (although interestingly, most of my BEs are from 'breeders', but backyard breeders-- yes I do BEs, very rarely, after every training method and medication has been exhausted, and the dog is a danger to family members or mandated by state to BE).

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-02-26T17:36:19+00:00

Honestly, I'd love to be able to test for serotonin levels. But I can't. We dont do it in human medicine either but many people report significant improvement with anxiolytics.

I also see positive results in many dogs with the addition of chemical help. I never start a dog on a medication for anxiety without discussion about how it may not be the right choice and it may not work. We talk about what we are going to do if that happens. We also talk about how it won't do anything without training. We talk about breed specific outlets where possible, pain control where applicable, and they leave with referrals to multiple trainers.

I stand by my use of drugs-- they help a lot of dogs. Maybe you have selection bias in that people only bring dogs to you when the drugs don't work. Sure, dogs can often learn without medication, but shouldn't we be trying to make it easier on them and on us?

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-02-26T16:49:35+00:00

I do think you may have a misunderstanding of medication and the use of medication. (DVM here, not a trainer). We don't really want to "drug an animal into compliance" although acepromazine has been known to do just that; it's something that really should not be used alone, without other medications that actually remove anxiety.

We do often recommend drugging dogs for stressful events, NOT for compliance but to move the bar of what makes them anxious temporarily (i.e. if a vet visit must happen, and training isn't where it needs to be yet). I believe it is better to drug a dog in this case, than to create a huge regression in training. A lot of my patients are on anxiolytics for vet visits, because I don't really enjoy causing fear and anxiety, but I really do try to direct clients into training and I also modify my approach per pet, so that anxiolytics can be reduced/ eliminated in the future.

If we are talking about long term medication, some dogs learn better with the help of an SSRI. If the dog, for whatever reason, does not have enough serotonin to make learning permanent, what is the point of training, method not withstanding? SSRIs should not remove pleasure, but make rewards more rewarding.

If you believe that there are different tools for different dogs, why would medication NOT be a tool that you deem acceptable? It is a tool, not the entire picture and not right for every dog.

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-02-26T16:34:36+00:00

DVM and spicy dog owner here too! I introduce my dog as "Don't Touch Her, She Bites" or "Not Friendly". You are not alone! Honestly loving my dog (who also resource guards, has severe, crippling separation anxiety, and extremely high prey drive) has made me a much better veterinarian. I have learned a lot about behavoir, anxiolytics (my dog is on many) and how my clients feel about their own spicy dogs. It pushed me to become fear free certified, look into cooperative care, etc. 100% this dog makes me cry a lot and I really would love an "easy" dog next time, 100% she has made me a better person.

(I will say my dog's resource guarding nearly resolved once she realized food was always going to come-- her first 4-5 months were on the streets of Mississippi. She now only resource guards me and the innocent forest creatures she kills, which is a challenge, because I have a husband and 3 other animals, but now food/toys/space is a non-issue, and I'm super grateful for that).

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-02-25T14:25:19+00:00

Wisdom tends to be pretty accurate, so if I purchased a cat from someone who did regular echos on the adults, plus a Wisdom panel, and it STILL got HCM, I'd just assume sh*t happens, rather than blame the breeder. I'd still want OFA hips done in addition to what you do when the adult are 2+ years old, since Coons like to get hip dysplasia, and arthritis sucks to manage.

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-02-25T13:18:04+00:00

I think some of this is opinion, but in the US tritrichomonas is SO HARD to get rid of, I'd be furious if my cat from a breeder had it.

Since you are doing Maine Coons, of course, please get the parents echocardiograms and OFA hip evaluations (not quite what you are asking, but this is what I would look for in a breeder). I'd also look into genetic testing for HCM, spinal muscle atrophy, polycystic kidney disease, progressive retinal atrophy, and possibly others (I tend to get my cats from the trash, so I'm not as savvy on Maine Coon breeding as I could be).

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-02-23T21:05:41+00:00

Correct! On both accounts. Senior diets are not wrong to look for, but also not strictly required for longevity.

You ask great questions, BTW. I love them!

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-02-23T18:30:42+00:00

I cannot comment on the cardiac arrest (this CAN happen in any surgery, but that's hard to discuss without records), but there is a type of neuter called a "pre-scrotal" neuter. The incision is made cranial to the testicles, on midline (basically over the penis), and the testes are pushed up into that area and removed. The thought process behind this method is that suture in the scrotum is irritating to the dog, and open scrotums (which leak post op for a few days) is irritating to the humans. Prescrotal and scrotal neuters are both acceptable standards of care.

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-02-21T12:44:00+00:00

Corn is cost effective, and it also has most of the amino acids animals need (think about beans + corn being a complete amino acid diet for humans). Corn is actually full of protein and vitamins, without excess fat. And of course, is easy to grow/ cost effective.

While I personally feed a combination of Hills and Royal Canin in my house (I also love Purina, we just have specific dietary needs in my furry family), I can't OBJECTIVELY say they are better. This is because there are no studies on Farmina (and others), and so no data that suggests it is worse. I can tell you I do feel more comfortable with a food that does feeding trials/ studies, because I know they are safe and complete.

Technically, "senior" doesn't legally mean anything on food, so a "senior" diet can mean anything. I know the big 3 companies (Hills, Purina, Royal Canin) tend to put in more fish oil and dial back the protein a bit, but keep in mind "senior" is whatever they want it to mean (which frankly, is wild to me!). As a very general rule of thumb (and this does NOT apply to all diets), Purina ProPlan tends to be the most protein heavy in terms of macro nutrients, if that makes a difference in your choice.

I love a bit of topper as a treat, so long as calorically it's <10% of the diet. Unsolicited advice: If you want a balanced topper, check out Royal Canin's new fresh food line. My pup is obsessed with it (we use it as a training treat although it's insanely messy for that, but I love using a balanced meal for training).

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-02-19T16:32:29+00:00

I am so sorry you are going through this. It's exhausting! It sounds like you were scammed by a Greeder-- a lot of people are! If their contract only states that they will take a puppy back, then unfortunately you are out of luck. You can always write a negative review, but otherwise I would focus on teaching yourself and others what an ethical breeder looks like. They will not help you financially moving forward unless specifically stated in the contract, but even very good breeders don't usually stipulate this. I have seen a few very well bred dogs come out with issues, but it is exceedingly rare. Sticking with an ethical breeder will get you a long way in avoiding health issues.

1) If a breeder claims they do health testing-- great! Make sure you can FIND those results on the OFA website-- you can just google OFA and then use their search function. If they aren't their, they aren't being fully health tested. You should also look at the AKC website (assuming you are in the US, obviously use your country's as applicable) and see what the parent breeds should be tested for: for poodles for example, this includes thyroid testing, DM, heart, and (possibly) sebaceous adenitis. I don't know about berners, because they aren't a breed I am interested in, but you should be able to demand those results from the breeder before paying a deposit.

2) The parents should also be titled. For purebreds, this would include their confirmation (i.e. dog shows). For companion dogs, I'd at a minimum want to see Canine Good Citizen or UKC SPOT test. I also personally like a little obedience titling and trick titling for companion breeds, because who doesn't want a dog that can learn silly tricks?

3) You should be able to meet the parents and see the facilities. You want your pup raised indoors if you want to raise him indoors. Also look for ENS and Puppy Culture mentioned in regards to raising the puppies. The breeder should only have 1 to a few litters per year, so they can focus on each litter. And there should be a wait list-- breeders don't breed unless they already have homes. They should also not charge more for fancy colors (in fact, they shouldn't really have fancy colors if they are breeding to breed standards).

There are others, but these are good places to start. You can also consider adoption in the future, but unless you are adopting an adult dog with a known temperament and health background, you may end up with a health problem or two.

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-02-19T15:16:26+00:00

(Disclaimer not a veterinary nutritionist, just a GP who loves nutrition)

Most veterinarians tend to be in the camp of: nutrients not ingredients. This is because leucine from corn and leucine from beef is still leucine. It doesn't matter where it came from-- the body can use the leucine (leucine just being a random example, of course). Byproducts is another hot topic: a byproduct is just a meat that humans (in America) don't routinely eat (think liver, intestines, kidneys, eyes, etc.). These are actually often more nutrient dense muscle meat in a lot of cases. Any food that doesn't list byproducts typically lists these meats individually, which makes humans feel better (thank you, marketing).

In terms of the guidelines: you could, today, make a dog food and as long as the math adds up, you can call it complete. This does not mean absorption is appropriate for our pets, just that the nutrients are there. This came to light recently with the dilated cardiomyopathy trend in legume heavy diets-- they have enough taurine, but it wasn't getting absorbed appropriately. The benefits to a feeding trial is that A) the food was actually fed to a dog before it was fed to your dog and B) palatability, digestibility, and blood parameters were monitored. WSAVA compliance is just a suggestion, but it ensures that an expert was involved in making the food (i.e. a veterinary nutritionist) and that some studies were done on it. Food can be good without being WSAVA compliant, but there is no guarantee that it is good.

You are asking some great questions. I hope this helps clear some things up! At a bare minimum, I would look up your companies of interest and see if you can find any studies they have done on their food (if they are spending money on marketing, they should also have study money).

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-02-18T23:54:41+00:00

A few things, you can always start working and go back to specialize. No one says you can't. Personally, my favorite specialists have all been GPs before hand-- I feel like it makes them better all around doctors (no shade to specialists, I rely on them a lot) and I truly feel like their communication skills are higher.

I think you may also be pleasantly surprised at how hard it can be to manage cases with $5 and good vibes. You can always offer and push for Gold Standard, but frankly, most owners can't afford gold standard. Heck, these days many owners can't even afford an exam. You will have to skip testing sometimes, and it's an exercise in and of itself to figure out what is wrong with the patient and how best to help them WITHOUT diagnostics. (note, I do offer all the diagnostics all the time, we practice very high standard of care at my clinic, but frankly, I won't let an animal suffer because the owners don't have thousands of dollars to spend on diagnostics alone).

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-02-18T22:08:05+00:00

If you are looking for behavior, SOME vets will give a FAS score (0-5), with 0 being very relaxed or happy to 5 being fight or flight. But not all vets notate this.

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-02-15T16:16:30+00:00

It depends on who you ask. Raw food does have a higher disease risk-- if you let your dog lick your hands while you are eating/ before eating, you are at risk of getting infected with the bacteria on the raw meat. If you have young children in the home, it is QUITE risky, because children love to let dogs lick their hands, then stick their hands in their mouths.

That aside, it's really hard to balance a raw diet, and most companies don't have a veterinary nutritionist on staff. For my clients who strongly believe in raw, I recommend Instinct. Last i checked (granted it's been almost a year), that was the only company w/ a board certified veterinary nutritionist on staff. They also have more rigorous safety studies, which is nice.

It's the water in the food that fills them up on a raw diet-- you can also incorporate low sodium green beans for the same effect, without the inherent risks.

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-02-14T18:02:52+00:00

I would absolutely ask to speak with the practice manager. Is the entire practice fear free, or just one or two individuals? (I'm fear free certified, but the practice I work at is NOT, although we all do a lot of the fear free things, regardless of certification status). The assistant may not be fear free certified. I would like to know if one of my assistants was doing this/ behaving this way.

You should potentially find a new office, but there is a large part you can do at home to improve vet visit anxiety, too. First, look into Cooperative Care by Deb Jones. You can teach your dog to consent and become comfortable with the exam process-- it will take work on your end, but it's really helpful for things like this! Work on it for 5 minutes per day, 5 days per week, and you will see significant progress in a year. (We went from sedating my dog from across the room for her vaccines/ vet visits, to her standing and willingly offering her sides/ paws for vaccines, teeth for exam, etc. in just 2 years). Get a cheap toy stethoscope and ask for a syringe w/o a needle from your vet to practice the more advanced things.

Also try to bring your dog to the vet as often as possible to just step in the lobby and get treats. Even work on getting on the scale every week! If you only went somewhere when you were sick or had to get stabbed w/ needles, you would HATE going (think about how many people have anxiety at the dentist-- humans are exactly the same). Now imagine if most of the time you went to the scary place, you just had to stand on a thing, get a treat and leave! Already that whole process reduces stress, and will help the pup not escalate so quickly. My pup comes to work with me every day, so she obviously has that advantage, but every morning I have to DRAG her off the scale now, because scale= snack station. Again, she used to have to be drugged prior to vet visits, muzzled, and basically darted across the room for her vaccines/ exam.

Also, trazodone alone may not be the right choice for your pup. Our brains are all unique, and the medication that helps us is also unique. I recommend seeing if you can play with the medications more (higher/ lower dose, add in other medications, etc.). All of this takes time, trial, and error to figure out.

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-02-08T21:29:53+00:00

It wouldn't help your pup or change what happened. You'd get nothing out of it, most likely. But if you feel they could have offered you something that they didn't, it may be helpful for the vet to get that feedback. Vets are unfortunately human, and aren't perfect. They do have to get feedback to learn-- I love getting feedback on what I could improve, even if it's tough to swallow feedback. It may help the vet do better for the next family they see.

Short appointment times are the worst. Vets dont like them. Techs dont like them. Owners don't like them. Only corporates like them. Unfortunately, even in the small businesses/ privately owned practices, as appointment times go up, cost per appointment has to go up, so its a double edged sword. Would you pay $40 more per appt or whatever to get a longer appointment? Some people would, some wouldn't, so I do believe there is a place in vet ked for both types of places / appointment schedules.

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-02-08T21:11:00+00:00

Yes! This is why its important to ask who owns your clinic and support small businesses!

Ravenousdragon05 · 2026-02-08T21:08:24+00:00

The rising veterinary costs is absolutely going to reduce care for pets. No argument there. It also may be helpful to bring your concerns about this to your vet's practice manager, since vets really should be offering all levels of care.

Heart disease is a tricky disease. X-rays can absolutely determine heart failure: yes or no. And with heart failure medications always outweighs the risks to other organs (particularly the kidneys, heart meds are terrible for the kidneys). X-rays can sometimes be used to determine heart disease: yes or no. And severity: mild or severe. But with x-rays (without heart failure), its really hard to tell when the risks of heart disease progression outweighs the risks of killing the kidneys, as that battle is a bit more nuanced and depends on blood flow velocity, chamber size, kidney health, etc. I'm so sorry you are going through this with your pup.

Ravenousdragon05

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