Hi all
I met up with a friend of mine today who i haven't seen since xmas. Anyway she was telling me about the health probs that she has had with her 4 year old british bulldog and her concerns about her vet, i told her that i would post a message here and see if anyone could adice...

The dogs name is Stanly, anyway about 4 months ago he climbed onto her sofa and began to scream in pain, she had watched climb up and didnt see him hurt himself so she wasn't sure why he screamed. But he then couldn't walk, she rushed him a late night vet who told her that he was fine and let him have a good nights sleep.
The following day he was still crying and still couldn't move his back legs so she took him to her vet who gave him an antiiflamtory jab and a painkiller and a course of tabs for 10days. The jabs helped but the tablets caused him to get ulcers so he couldn't take the full course.

He still now finds it hard to walk and can no longer cock his leg to wee, if he does he falls over. Her vet asks her to bring him in for a check up once  a week and has told her that stanly has a crumbling spine and servere HD, but he has never had an Xray.

Is it possible for a vet to tell this without running tests, he hasn't had any tests done at all.

I have told her to get a second opion for her own sake and more so stanlys sake, i sort of got the impression that the vet likes the consultation fee from her every week, the vet also told her that there was no point in taking out insurance because as he is a bull breed he would have lots of exclusions. I told her that this was C**p and that the only exclusions would be for problems that he had already had. But wouldn't includ problem he might get which is what her vet said.

What we would really like to know is can a vet tell what an animal has wrong by not running tests.

Thank you

Debbie

No he cannot, and if he suspects bone problems then a referal to an othopaedic speicalist woho will x-ray is the way to go.

Personally I would tell her to change her vets, ASAP. They cant diagnose something like that without further Xrays and tests, and I think is your own suspicion :)

I do think that the vet is just out for the fee once a week, IMHO. Go to another vets and see what they say. Your friend might possibly be surprised. Im shocked at your friends vet TBH. You out your trust and faith in these people to do the best by your animals, and they dont even carry out the proper tests. It makes me sick. Some of you may think that I was a bit strong there, but its how I feel.

Hope your friend gets it all sorted soon. Keep us updated :D

Ben

That was meant to say *Which I think is your own suspision* Cant type, lol, angry :)

Hope your friend gets proper treatment soon, there are a good may things it may be, but an x-ray is needed, you can't start treatment without a diagnosis.

I would suggest a referral to an Orthopaedic specialist ASAP. My Beardie/Border cross had similar symptoms and yes it was disc problems. He was referred to a specialist immediately but sadly too much damage had already been done. I would go for a referral NOW and I hope it will turn out well for your friend and her dog. Please let us know how it goes, I have a special interest/sympathy for this type of problem because of my Braid

                                                                       Anne

thank you all so much for your replys, i will phone my friend and let her know.
I had suspected that the vet doesn't have stanly's best interestat heart but i thought that i may be wrong because i have had probs myself with him in the past.
My cat died in terrilble pain after he had told us that he had run tests on her and that she was fine and healthy, we knew she wasn't but believed him. Then a few months later we took her back and again he told us that she had cancer that had spread and we would have to have her pts. My mum asked why he hadn't picked it up on the tests that he had run before (and charged us for) and he said "oh i didnt bother with running does tests".
So you see i was a bit worried that maybe i was seeing wrong when maybe there wasn't any, but after your replys i think that he is just a really bad vet.

Thank you again and i will keep you all posted.

Debbie