My Sheltie needs oral surgery :(

[Love My Zons]

I empathize with you.
Caleb had a dental cleaning and an extraction done last year and although he was only 5 years old then I was extremely nervous due to his cardiac issues. His regular vet checked with his cardiologist and they reviewed the anesthesia protocol for him. I trust his regular vet and cardiologist but I still was totally stressed out and when I was called about 2 1/2 hrs after I dropped him off my stress level went through the roof until the tech told me that the procedure was completed and he was OK. Best to go with your gut and get a 2nd opinion.

It's a painful decision weighing heavily on my shoulders. He is not in pain, he eats just fine. I cannot put my finger on the 'why' with this place but I cannot stand the thought of leaving him over an hour away and running back again. The specialist uses this practice to do the procedures there. If something were to happen- they have no overnight vets. At NC State they do they are 24 hour emergency. I didn't like how the place I called to book the appt said right off the bat there was an $85 consult fee. We went, we paid. I am alittle miffed about that seeing we spoke to this Vet for 10 mins and I wasn't then comfortable at all with the discussion, felt it to be a complete waste of time and nothing was really said that made me feel good or at ease it wasn't really discussed at to how they do this etc. Oh and also, Cappy has a trachea issue, if you press or pull on a leash he coughs. So whoever has to sedate him has to know of this!

So I had the appt for Sept 12th and cancelled due to no gas stations having any gas a day before the hurricane was coming. I couldn't drive 160 miles round trip with 190 miles to empty and no gas stations in sight with gas until the next day.

So I re-booked it and today, no call, no text confirming so I said screw it and I am just not showing up. I cannot book an appt at one phone # and call the Vet hospital like the last time and they had no idea of my appt I was cancelling.

So onward to seek another opinion, and specialist to see if in fact it really has to be done in the first place!

 

[Love My Zons]

The day has come. My heart was sad this morning dropping my most precious boy off at NC State.

He's having dental surgery to remove a cyst from his jaw. I hope he doesn't lose his lower canine or any other teeth in that area.

It has taken time to get him in there since the consult in Nov. I just decided to use the College due to their top notch Vet School since this fell into a specialty surgery. Cost was lower then a Vet who specialized in this who was even a graduate from there!

Will update on my boy later today after he's back home! ♡

 

[webchirp]

 

[Clueless]

Prayers up

 

[Love My Zons]

Well, the Vet called. He has to loose 9 more teeth! Some are dead roots or never became teeth/exposed pulp OMG he just had a dental in August and xrays why was this not seen all this time?!. He had a dental in August 2014 and lost a few teeth then too. I am very heartbroken he has to go through this! I am angry that whomever had him for 6 or 7 years provided NO CARE to him for this. Shelties are sometimes pre-disposed to just poor teeth needing cleanings more than others. I am just sad over this and hate every minute he's not here. Will update again later, the bill just went up another $300 to $600 from the low and high end estimate.

Well, he will be home later today- I am off tomorrow too to just be with him and the birds. I am off today, heading out now to get things so I do not have to leave the house at all tomorrow.

 

[Love My Zons]

Just a disclaimer here before anyone is wondering or wanting to ask why this took so long to have done.

My waiting to have this done was not waiting. We scheduled with a specialist in Sept and between the hurricane a day before the appt, I cancelled. Rescheduled for Oct then still didn't have a good feeling of the referred specialist it was 40 miles away. So I just was not comfortable! I asked for a referral to NC State Vet school, had to schedule a consult for Nov, then booked this date being the earliest. So I want to be clear that my waiting was not detrimental to his mouth, teeth, etc.

Just the way it had to happen with referrals and he was not uncomfortable, drooling, bleeding etc. etc. and thankfully this cyst did not break his jaw or get any larger and it is NOT looking cancerous.

 

[nu2birds]

I completely understand and feel your pain. I went through this just one month ago.........in fact, Bobo has his post dental follow up today at 11. They took everything, his teeth were pretty bad. He is doing great now, I call him my every ready bunny! He only needed pain medicine for three days and was running around and eating like normal! That's him in my profile picture. They are pretty resilient. My bill was $1200, but I absolutely love and trust my vet, todays follow up is free, just part of the whole dental thing. My older Standard Poodle, who has past now, he had a lump on his gum that DID turn out to be cancer, but he was twelve years old and they think it was a metastasis from a primary source in his abdomen. Let us know how everything went! The first night home is a little rough for them, but by tomorrow he should be way more with it and in less discomfort.

 

[Clueless]

No worries @Love My Zons! Anyone that has an ounce of sense knows you love your animals dearly.

 

[Sarahmoluccan]

I'm so sorry you and Cappy had to go through all of this!!

 

[Love My Zons]

No worries @Love My Zons! Anyone that has an ounce of sense knows you love your animals dearly.

You just never know who may read that and see the timeline. But you got that right I love each and everyone of my babies so very much.

Thank you!

 

[Love My Zons]

I'm so sorry you and Cappy had to go through all of this!!

It's over and he is home. He's very out of it. The pain med is opioid lol so he's high as a kite.

The oral mass is to be believed just a cyst. It really doesn't seem to be believed it's anything more. Histology will be done on a few tissue samples. In the process, my sweet boy lost 9 teeth! There were some dead roots, some had to go around the cyst. His these other teeth were missed on xray during his summer dental, I have no idea.

But my gut instinct was CORRECT. The specialist wanted $1700 on their estimate with no added costs for more xrays or extractions. We ended up $100 over the orig estimate from the other Vet!!

I would have been in a mess with the other, OR back for more surgery later!

Thanking my gut instinct bigtime that the thoroughness, the professional follows up, calls, emails with the Vet school cannot be beat!

Whew we can all rest now!

 

[Love My Zons]

Here he is. Feeling no pain he is so drugged up. He has not moved from the same spot he's at for 2 hours. He is trying to fight off falling asleep.

Bless his sweet heart!

 

[Sarahmoluccan]

Awww he's so handsome. I'm glad he's through the worst of it

 

[Clueless]

Poor baby....

 

[Love My Zons]

Awww he's so handsome. I'm glad he's through the worst of it

Yes! I have stressed over this for months! Just subjecting him to it was it really necessary and such. I tortured myself with this. It will be the last time for any dental work, and with his age, there will be no other surgeries for him either, ever. I cannot see why others choose to remove begnign fatty Lipomas, older dogs get lumps. If he ever is diagnosed with any cancers..........there will be No chemo, just a blessed, calm zen like life here with lots of love for the rest of his senior life and the BEST care I can give.

Poor baby....

I know he's literally making me feel bad trying to stay awake when I just want him to sleep!

 

[Sarahmoluccan]

It will be the last time for any dental work, and with his age, there will be no other surgeries for him either, ever. I cannot see why others choose to remove begnign fatty Lipomas, older dogs get lumps. If he ever is diagnosed with any cancers..........there will be No chemo, just a blessed, calm zen like life here with lots of love for the rest of his senior life and the BEST care I can give.

I totally understand where you're coming from. My old dog Bitsy is so lumpy in his old age. I worried about one being cancerous but what you can do. He's an old dog now if he did have something you have weight the quality of life he'd after treatment. I noticed he's been slowly down quite a bit. His latest thing is he can no longer make it up to my bed without assistance. It's so sad to see pets age but even though it's hard at the end I still rather go this than to never had have them at all

 

[taxidermynerd]

Hugs to your baby. Roxie had to have surgery too (spay, chip and mass removal) so she's in the same boat. Although at least your baby doesn't need a cone (Roxie has one of the soft ones) Roxie sends her kisses to both of you!!!

 

[Love My Zons]

Hugs to your baby. Roxie had to have surgery too (spay, chip and mass removal) so she's in the same boat. Although at least your baby doesn't need a cone (Roxie has one of the soft ones) Roxie sends her kisses to both of you!!!

Thank you and healing prayers to you and your baby! No cone required, he has stitches in a few places in his mouth so this pain med seems to really have doped him up even after the after effects of the anesthesia too.

He was out for a bit, now he's up and fighting the sandman again. I have it on video, I wish I could upload it.

 

[Love My Zons]

I totally understand where you're coming from. My old dog Bitsy is so lumpy in his old age. I worried about one being cancerous but what you can do. He's an old dog now if he did have something you have weight the quality of life he'd after treatment. I noticed he's been slowly down quite a bit. His latest thing is he can no longer make it up to my bed without assistance. It's so sad to see pets age but even though it's hard at the end I still rather go this than to never had have them at all

It's what we do for loving them. I will never subject any of my dogs to chemo as seniors. A young dog possibly, depending on the quality and quantity. Every situation can be different, I just take their care as it comes.

 

[Love My Zons]

An Update for my boy. We had our recheck on Tuesday and everything is healing nicely. He's back to his normal self. The histology results on the cyst was just that a cyst there is NO CANCER present!

So we rejoice and praise the good lord above!