Very Sick Dog - Can Anyone Recommend Good Vets

[cmsally]

Sorry have essentially copied what I wrote from pets forum, as would like any recommendations on good vets.

Have been to Ban Ma Maew (sp?) on Om Muang - CM Land

They are good but really diagnosis is inconclusive which is really frustrating.

Either ehrlichiosis or some kind of circulation disease but vet seems a bit non descriptive on that one which is very frustrating.

"I have an 8 yr old Golden Retriever and she is in a bad way.

We think this is what she has but it doesn't show up on the tests. But then I have read and vet says test is not always conclusive.

She did have it once before about 2 yrs old but recovered quite quickly.

This time it seemed to happen quite quickly but is in a really bad way.

All her blood count seemed to be OK apart from slightly low red blood cell numbers.

Tick disease test came back negative but then apparently quite likely as she is so sick and this the second time.

Am at my absolute wits end and just don't know what to expect. Have been putting her on drip at the vet for 4 days now and taking home in the evening. She eats as long as you hand feed her and seems often quite hungry but breathing really laboured with no energy. She also has some retinal bleeding and her eyes must have hurt yesterday as she flinched when you put your hand near her head.

Today that seems to be better. She does seem to be a bit better today than yesterday but then the day before yesterday was better still. So its up and down and don't know what I should do and if to expect the worst or just a lengthy period to get better.

At the moment she is on Doxycycline (sp?)"

Anyone have any recommendations or experiences?

[elektrified]

Hi cmsally, what vet did you see at Baan Ma Ka Maew Hospital? We swear by Dr. Piyapong (Mor Aaa). He taught at CMU for many years. We do not see any other vets there. He also has a small clinic in Sansai but is not there very often. He takes care of our old golden retriever and has for 10 years now.

[isanbirder]

When I lived in Chiangmai, I used to take my dogs to the Small Animal Hospital on Cholpratan Road. If there is any problem with diagnosis, the ajarns from CMU vet dept are on call.

[Mitker]

In case you couldn't check all the posts, here is the one I wrote from my own (but limited) experience.

Good luck with your dog.

Posted 2011-07-18 20:37:07

My experience.

After my dog was it by a car, I decided to go the expensive way of surgery to increase recovery chances (my former dog had the same karma in Europe so I though I knew what I would go through. My mistake..).

- First stop (unspeakable incompetence): a private vet clinic in Hangdong (pretending to make your animal happy) run by a former student from CMU - graduated "with first honors". She suggested the (expensive) surgery. Total mess: insert of inadequate parts on the fractured bones and poorly treated wound. Result: dog returned with infection and lose screws and parts inside the body!

- Second stop (good spirit but no final solution): the vet clinic run by the CMU along canal road: they diagnosed the dramatic post-surgery condition of the dog, gave me some recommendations and pills but refused to keep the animal until the infection would be controlled(!), even with an deep open wound...

- Third stop: the saver! Upon recommendation, I went to Chotana private hospital (Superhighway close to Lotus Kamtieng, Nord of the city). At that point I was already considering euthanasia seeing how much the animal was suffering and pitifully crawling for weeks yet, while the wound was widening. The owner is a basically pragmatic vet who has experience in Thailand and extensive trainings abroad. He immediately understood the case, explained me with X-rays how awful the first job had been done (also confirmed later by a vet friend working at Chula who got the XR) and accepted to take the dog into custody, warning me that we had to hope the infection hadn't reached the bones yet and that it would take some time. He immediately discarded the idea of a new surgery.

I went there often to visit the dog. The wound slowly healed and his nice team was patiently taking daily care of the animal. His rates are also very reasonable and he is an intelligent, nice person to discuss with. It's not a glamorous barbie place and you won't find teddy bears in the window but that's not what my dog was needing.

After a few weeks, I could take the dog back home and it slowly started to walk again, painfully at first. But now, a couple of months later, you hardly notice anything. I would never have believed it.

What a pity I didn't go there in the first place. Thanks Sir.

[barefoot1988]

In case you couldn't check all the posts, here is the one I wrote from my own (but limited) experience.

Good luck with your dog.

Posted 2011-07-18 20:37:07

My experience.

After my dog was it by a car, I decided to go the expensive way of surgery to increase recovery chances (my former dog had the same karma in Europe so I though I knew what I would go through. My mistake..).

- First stop (unspeakable incompetence): a private vet clinic in Hangdong (pretending to make your animal happy) run by a former student from CMU - graduated "with first honors". She suggested the (expensive) surgery. Total mess: insert of inadequate parts on the fractured bones and poorly treated wound. Result: dog returned with infection and lose screws and parts inside the body!

- Second stop (good spirit but no final solution): the vet clinic run by the CMU along canal road: they diagnosed the dramatic post-surgery condition of the dog, gave me some recommendations and pills but refused to keep the animal until the infection would be controlled(!), even with an deep open wound...

- Third stop: the saver! Upon recommendation, I went to Chotana private hospital (Superhighway close to Lotus Kamtieng, Nord of the city). At that point I was already considering euthanasia seeing how much the animal was suffering and pitifully crawling for weeks yet, while the wound was widening. The owner is a basically pragmatic vet who has experience in Thailand and extensive trainings abroad. He immediately understood the case, explained me with X-rays how awful the first job had been done (also confirmed later by a vet friend working at Chula who got the XR) and accepted to take the dog into custody, warning me that we had to hope the infection hadn't reached the bones yet and that it would take some time. He immediately discarded the idea of a new surgery.

I went there often to visit the dog. The wound slowly healed and his nice team was patiently taking daily care of the animal. His rates are also very reasonable and he is an intelligent, nice person to discuss with. It's not a glamorous barbie place and you won't find teddy bears in the window but that's not what my dog was needing.

After a few weeks, I could take the dog back home and it slowly started to walk again, painfully at first. But now, a couple of months later, you hardly notice anything. I would never have believed it.

What a pity I didn't go there in the first place. Thanks Sir.

did they eventually did a new operation to fix up the loose screws? thanks for sharing the experience, i was looking for a regular vet for my cat as well

[cmsally]

Hi cmsally, what vet did you see at Baan Ma Ka Maew Hospital? We swear by Dr. Piyapong (Mor Aaa). He taught at CMU for many years. We do not see any other vets there. He also has a small clinic in Sansai but is not there very often. He takes care of our old golden retriever and has for 10 years now.

Thank you, must admit though haven't noticed vets name, too busy concentrating on the dog!

It has been the same vet every day since Tuesday, and we've been there every day! I don't think I've noticed any others there, although one day there was another man who looked like he would be another vet and a few people seemed to know him, but only saw him once.

This evening I will check names!

Today the dog seems a bit better although still no strength to walk well. She did seem a bit more interested in all the other four legged creatures in there though whereas yesterday she was pretty out of it. Another blood test being done today and left her on the drip for the day to give her some extra fluids.

Hopefully tonight she'll walk to the car. Fingers crossed!

[Mitker]

In case you couldn't check all the posts, here is the one I wrote from my own (but limited) experience.

Good luck with your dog.

Posted 2011-07-18 20:37:07

My experience.

After my dog was it by a car, I decided to go the expensive way of surgery to increase recovery chances (my former dog had the same karma in Europe so I though I knew what I would go through. My mistake..).

- First stop (unspeakable incompetence): a private vet clinic in Hangdong (pretending to make your animal happy) run by a former student from CMU - graduated "with first honors". She suggested the (expensive) surgery. Total mess: insert of inadequate parts on the fractured bones and poorly treated wound. Result: dog returned with infection and lose screws and parts inside the body!

- Second stop (good spirit but no final solution): the vet clinic run by the CMU along canal road: they diagnosed the dramatic post-surgery condition of the dog, gave me some recommendations and pills but refused to keep the animal until the infection would be controlled(!), even with an deep open wound...

- Third stop: the saver! Upon recommendation, I went to Chotana private hospital (Superhighway close to Lotus Kamtieng, Nord of the city). At that point I was already considering euthanasia seeing how much the animal was suffering and pitifully crawling for weeks yet, while the wound was widening. The owner is a basically pragmatic vet who has experience in Thailand and extensive trainings abroad. He immediately understood the case, explained me with X-rays how awful the first job had been done (also confirmed later by a vet friend working at Chula who got the XR) and accepted to take the dog into custody, warning me that we had to hope the infection hadn't reached the bones yet and that it would take some time. He immediately discarded the idea of a new surgery.

I went there often to visit the dog. The wound slowly healed and his nice team was patiently taking daily care of the animal. His rates are also very reasonable and he is an intelligent, nice person to discuss with. It's not a glamorous barbie place and you won't find teddy bears in the window but that's not what my dog was needing.

After a few weeks, I could take the dog back home and it slowly started to walk again, painfully at first. But now, a couple of months later, you hardly notice anything. I would never have believed it.

What a pity I didn't go there in the first place. Thanks Sir.

did they eventually did a new operation to fix up the loose screws? thanks for sharing the experience, i was looking for a regular vet for my cat as well

At that time, both vets checking the X-rays recommended not to do anything. They even wouldn't have recommended the first surgery given the type and location of the injury and told me a new one might have worsened the situation. From what I understood, the expected evolution is that the body would eventually cover (calcify) the loose screws, turning them harmless. Today the dog is walking normally, seemingly painless, only on 3 legs when running fast.

[Beetlejuice]

Don`t mess about anymore, take your dog here without any further delay:

http://www.chiangmaiplaces.com/154-small-animal-hospital

For me, this is the only vets in Chiang Mai.

[Tywais]

Did they run a liver test, if so what were the results?

[muchogra]

cmsally, I hope your 8-year old Golden Retriver get better soon.

Mitker, please clarify if Chotana private hospital (a clinic?) is on the super highway. If it is, is it before Tesco or after? Before the super highway meets up Chotana? Thanks.

[cmsally]

Did they run a liver test, if so what were the results?

No just blood tests twice now. He seemed to think that from blood test , liver and kidneys OK.

Slightly low platelets and red blood cells which comes with ehrlichiosis .

Slightly better in herself but still can't really walk and is very tired. This is 4th day on doxycyclin.

Do you think I should ask for specific liver test.

[Tywais]

Did they run a liver test, if so what were the results?

No just blood tests twice now. He seemed to think that from blood test , liver and kidneys OK.

Slightly low platelets and red blood cells which comes with ehrlichiosis .

Slightly better in herself but still can't really walk and is very tired. This is 4th day on doxycyclin.

Do you think I should ask for specific liver test.

I suspect they may have done one when they did the blood workup as they can do it from that, but might want to ask if they did just to be sure. Our GR had severe low red & white blood count and the liver test was so high it couldn't be measured. GR are prone to cancers including liver and that test would help eliminate that as a cause. Assume full xrays were done? Also GRs are prone to enlarged hearts, as many large dogs are, and xray would be good to clear that also.

[Dante99]

Have they checked for heart worm? I once had a dog with similar symptoms and it was heart worm, so if they have not tested for it, you might request it be done or ask why they have eliminated it as a possibility.

[Robbogeordie]

Another thumbs up for "Chotana private hospital" - Chotanavet Animal Hospital just past Tesco Lotus on the Super Highway.

Dr Pongpao has looked after our dog for 8 years and he saved one of our cats after a botched operation at another vets near us in Maejo.

Chotanavet is owned and run by Dr Pongpao - T: 053-215333. He's a nice guy,diligent and a good communicator who thoroughly explains his suggested treatment/prognosis and speaks excellent English. He is very experienced in all aspects of pet healthcare and specializes in orthopaedics.When you go to his clinic your pet will be treated by him as he is a sole proprietor.

His website is here: http://chotanavet.com/

I hope your dog recovers cmsally and receives the best treatment wherever you take her.