Pet Forum / Miscellaneous / Animal Health / August 2005

I came home Monday and my 12yr old Bassett was laying around and wouldn't
move. Took him to the vet  he has gone to for 12 yrs after begging for an
emergency appointment (which I was assured was $100 up front) during regular
hours no less, and had him assessed. I was told he had a 105 fever, twice
normal heartbeat and some kind of stomach infection. I was told he was
critical and if I paid $365 up front, they would begin treatment to try to
save him. "If he makes the night" they tell me, we'll x-ray him and see
whats what.

Next day they call and say he's greatly improved and will not need x-rays.
They call this morning (Thurs) and tell me he's ready to come home...come
get him. I arrive and they greet me with another $100 bill and hand me some
medicines and a sheet of paper with instructions for administering meds.
When I ask what was wrong I am told "it's on the paper" and I ask to talk to
the vet and am told no, he's waaayy too busy, everything is on the paper. I
see I have eyedrops and ask what they're for and they don't know. Could the
vet call me? "We'll see" they assure me.

They bring my dog out and he looks like he's drunk and can barely walk. I
ask "is he ok?" and the assure me he's just tired...he just woke up. I bring
him home and read my instructions. Yippee. The diagnosis is he has
"enteridis" whatever that is and I have Flagyl and Dexacidin eyedrops (for
some reason) and I am to administer 2 Flagyl a day and eyedrops 2 times
also. The dog is lathargic (sp?) and drooling like crazy, not to mention
drinking water like nuts. I am *assuming* it's the medicine.

Can anyone tell me what the heck is enteridis, and what causes it? Should I
be worried my dog is still weak and acting strange, or is this a side effect
of the medicine and being so sick originally? Should I take him to another
vet for 2nd opinion? I really wonder if he was ready to come home, but at
$100 a night at the vet, I can't think they'd have put him out if he wasn't
ready? Ideas???
Thanks....