Poor Jack

[Larry Klaaren]

I am a veterinarian. The main point I want to make her, is that people should have a pre-plan for night emergencies. If your vet doesn't see them, know which clinics have a good reputation and what their typical charges are. There is a huge difference in how well emergency clinics are stocked, and how well the veterinarians are trained. Your regular veterinarian will probably be pretty willing to give you his or her view. In our area, the fee just to admit the pet and for the exam ranges from $150 to $500. If you just drive up without an idea, you may see more fee than you care for. Just a thought.

I see a lot of trachea wounds in these night attacks. It could have been a coyote, but I have never been able to rule out a raccoon. Coyotes generally attack and carry away. Racoons are usually fighting to defend themselves, or else they are rabid, but in either case, they usually don't carry away. Raccoons really put up a vicious fight, but if the other animal runs away, that's usually the end of the fight.

I always advise people to give it a little time, and then decide what they want to do.

Larry

[Larry Klaaren]

One more thing. Some Emergency Clinics close during the day and all the pets have to be taken to a regular vet, which means a transger every twelve hours until the pet is recovered. Others are able to keep animals on IV or oxygen etc. without a transfer. Just another reason to make a plan before you are in an emergency.

Obviously in the first line of the previous post, I meant to use the word "here" rather than "her".

[Rick Potter]

Peter,
They are outside dogs. Here in SoCal, it's not as cold as elsewhere. I let Molly in on the enclosed patio last night, and she really wanted to be back outside, but I am being careful for a few nights in case the coyote comes back.

Larry,
Great advice. In our case, we have a 24 hour vet clinic about three miles away. They were very helpful, but not too hopeful on the prognosis, so we had Jack put to sleep. I wondered about the raccoon also, but I guess we will never know. Molly, the 15 1/2 year old lab slept through the whole thing.

If I may ask, what do you think off animal health insurance?

Rick P

[Larry Klaaren]

If I may ask, what do you think off animal health insurance?

Rick P

I don't deal with the money side that much. I know there are a couple of companies that the bookkeepers and receptionists do not care to work with. I do know that some do not reimburse all costs, just ones they deem necessary and then only a set price per procedure. Some of our clients are really satisfied, but it depends on the company. If you have a relationship with a vet, ask there. Typical costs vary around the country, and some insurance plans may be better suited for your pet and the way the clinic operates. As far as I know, you always pay up front and they reimburse you, not the veterinarian. From mu my perspective, they cause a lot of extra work and time, because I have to do my record keeping, then fill out a separate record to send to the insurance company. They more than double my charting time. But for the client it can be really good deal. Just start before you have a pre-existing condition.

Sorry I took so long to answer. Our computer crashed and I spent a lot of time transferring files from that hard drive to backup thumb drives, and all of that.

Larry

[Wayne Lovell]

I hope you can find comfort in the fact that you gave him a number of good years he would not have had without you.

[Shawn Pixley]

Peter,
They are outside dogs. Here in SoCal, it's not as cold as elsewhere. I let Molly in on the enclosed patio last night, and she really wanted to be back outside, but I am being careful for a few nights in case the coyote comes back.

Rick P

Rick,

Again I sorry for your loss. I think that you are wise to be cautious with the coyotes. When we lived in Ojai, we'd hear and observe the coyotes around the neighborhood. They are creatures of habit. The tried looking in our yard once. The caught sight of our 105 lb all muscle lab and looked for easier prey. You may want to consider a friend's big dog to deter them from seeing your place as a drive through.

[Jim O'Dell]

It always hurts to lose a pet. We lost our second Irish on the operating table due to a theft from our back yard during her third surgery, and almost our first one during the same theft. The one we lost was only 9 months old and was a surprise Christmas gift from me to my wife. Since that episode, our dogs are basically inside dogs. They sleep in our room and often in our bed, just so we know where they are. Not everyone can do that, but it is a priority for us now. I haven't seen any coyotes here, but we have raccoon, turkey and deer, and the backyards across the street backs up to ranch land, so I'm sure coyotes are around. Jim.