Tweet
Smew is a 14 years old Long-Hair Dachshund who loves swimming. She is the one on the right in the picture.
A few weeks ago my wife decided that Smew should have a routine blood test as part of a wellness checkup before having a dental procedure.
The blood test alerted our vet to high calcium levels, and so he checked Smew out for any growths or tumours which might be causing her glands to raise calcium levels, and when he found nothing he put her through more intensive blood tests and the calcium levels were even more worrying.
From experience the vet knew that a a tumour on either of the para-thyroid glands in the throat can be a cause of high calcium levels, and since such levels can lead to serious illness, kidney failure and more he suggested that we let him refer to a veterinary specialist who carries out surgery to correct such cases.
We agreed and took little Smew to the veterinary hospital, where extensive screenings, scans and x-rays identified and located the tumour for removal.
The specialist decided that he could carry out the operation, received our instruction to proceed, and in a two hour operation removed the 'hyper para-thyroid' with the tumour completely.
The problem with such a removal can completely reverse a situation, and where this gland had been flooding Smew with dangerous levels of calcium the absence of it would cause her calcium levels to crash in to a deadly dangerous deficit. Nursing staff had to begin to medicate Smew with Calcium tablets in order to try and stabilise her.
After two days of intensive care we were told that Smew could come home, but we had to give her calcium tablets four times every day, with blood tests every few days so that our vet could reduce the calcium delivery, until after three weeks of steady balancing little Smew was safe one more.
From the beginning of this situation and right through to its happy end, veterinary staff and friends had all asked or needed to know whether we had insurance for little Smew, but we were in a safer place still than insurance could offer. About four years ago Smew's Insurance premiums had risen sharply because of her age. My wife and I had opened a bank account just for veterinary bills and after we had built up this account slightly we ended the veterinary insurance plan and just paid the same price as the monthly premium payments straight in to this account. And so by now this account was very strong and we didn't have to worry about the hospital bill.
Insurance is a great support and relief for pet owners faced with the huge bills that such operations cost, but until the Insurance company has approved the claim everything is on hold and that is a really stressful time. We are clear of all that now, and so we didn't have to fill out any forms, or need to rely on anybody else to say 'Yes'. Thank good ness for that.
After this operation the specialist told us that Smew mustn't be pushed to go out walking, or running around etc..... but my wife laughed and replied that Smew does 'lazy'!
Smew doesn't do much these days, she snoozes through the night, and between morning, midday, afternoon and evening meals and treats... she snoozes. Smew is a snoozer, and even demands a place on my wife's pillow on cold nights.
The thing is, Smew just makes us happy. Long may she continue to do so.
THE GIRLS.jpg
A few weeks ago my wife decided that Smew should have a routine blood test as part of a wellness checkup before having a dental procedure.
The blood test alerted our vet to high calcium levels, and so he checked Smew out for any growths or tumours which might be causing her glands to raise calcium levels, and when he found nothing he put her through more intensive blood tests and the calcium levels were even more worrying.
From experience the vet knew that a a tumour on either of the para-thyroid glands in the throat can be a cause of high calcium levels, and since such levels can lead to serious illness, kidney failure and more he suggested that we let him refer to a veterinary specialist who carries out surgery to correct such cases.
We agreed and took little Smew to the veterinary hospital, where extensive screenings, scans and x-rays identified and located the tumour for removal.
The specialist decided that he could carry out the operation, received our instruction to proceed, and in a two hour operation removed the 'hyper para-thyroid' with the tumour completely.
The problem with such a removal can completely reverse a situation, and where this gland had been flooding Smew with dangerous levels of calcium the absence of it would cause her calcium levels to crash in to a deadly dangerous deficit. Nursing staff had to begin to medicate Smew with Calcium tablets in order to try and stabilise her.
After two days of intensive care we were told that Smew could come home, but we had to give her calcium tablets four times every day, with blood tests every few days so that our vet could reduce the calcium delivery, until after three weeks of steady balancing little Smew was safe one more.
From the beginning of this situation and right through to its happy end, veterinary staff and friends had all asked or needed to know whether we had insurance for little Smew, but we were in a safer place still than insurance could offer. About four years ago Smew's Insurance premiums had risen sharply because of her age. My wife and I had opened a bank account just for veterinary bills and after we had built up this account slightly we ended the veterinary insurance plan and just paid the same price as the monthly premium payments straight in to this account. And so by now this account was very strong and we didn't have to worry about the hospital bill.
Insurance is a great support and relief for pet owners faced with the huge bills that such operations cost, but until the Insurance company has approved the claim everything is on hold and that is a really stressful time. We are clear of all that now, and so we didn't have to fill out any forms, or need to rely on anybody else to say 'Yes'. Thank good ness for that.
After this operation the specialist told us that Smew mustn't be pushed to go out walking, or running around etc..... but my wife laughed and replied that Smew does 'lazy'!
Smew doesn't do much these days, she snoozes through the night, and between morning, midday, afternoon and evening meals and treats... she snoozes. Smew is a snoozer, and even demands a place on my wife's pillow on cold nights. The thing is, Smew just makes us happy. Long may she continue to do so.
THE GIRLS.jpg