So our family took home a beautiful 8wk old Chocolate female named Nala. Took her to our Vet for her 2nd set of shots and a wellness check up and he felt a hernia, but was concerned because it was higher up than usual, the chest. He called for X-Ray's and said he would call us the following day. Meantime, I talked to the breeder and notified them about the appt. So my wife gets a phonecall yesterday from the Dr. and this is what he said to her.... "She has a Diaphragmic hernia and it was big! Three fingers horizontal and two fingers vertical. It was possibly two hernias that formed into one. She may have an enlarged heart too but, he is sending it to radiology and a specialist doctor for them to look at better." He will call us tomorrow (6/21) to let me know what we should do. If she has surgery they will have to put a metal mesh in her because there is not enough muscle in the diaphragm area to keep it closed." The dr said that it's good that she is not showing any signs or symptoms (not eating or drinking, poop is not normal, and not being as active) She appears to act completely normal, so he said maybe it's not as bad as he thinks but, wants to wait to see what the specialist has to say. So I wait, we wait and today, My heart is BROKEN once again! The specialists said, Nala has this type of hernia... https://wagwalking.com/condition/hernia-between-the-pericardium-and-peritoneum. The cost will be $3200, I didn't think it would be cheap, but the part that hurts me the most, the specialists told my wife there's no guarantee that she will make it through the surgery! This hernia is congenital, yet the mother, nor the father have any history of it. The breeder is devastated as well and has even offered to refund most, if not all the money we paid, but that's not the point.... What am I going to say to my 12 year old son and 14 year old daughter if we do lose her? We just lost our 13 year old Black Female last August. Are you serious? I have to have the surgery done, but the $3200 hurts our pocket as well. Hopefully we can apply for credit to take care of the surgery. One problem that I'm worried about, in the link it doesn't really implement the high risk if not making it through the surgery, they talk about post op, but the specialists who will perform the surgery at We Talk To Pets Animal Hospital said nothing about overnight care, when this article above specifically stated it. Can anyone shed any light of hope for us?
I'm so sorry what a shock this must be. I'm not a vet and I don't have a crystal ball but I can tell you that no surgeon, human or veterinary, will give you a guarantee of success. In fact if a vet did give a guarantee they might find themselves in front of the veterinary board. Telling you that there is a risk of death with surgery meets professional practice standards. Some thoughts to take or toss. Although you're upset you're thinking very clearly. The cost is an estimate; ring them back and ask how many days of postoperative care is included in the cost. I would ask for details about postoperative care to make sure there is 24 hour staff with appropriate credentials and experience. Also ask if a licensed vet is on the premises 24 hours a day or if there is an on-call arrangement, how long would it take for the vet to get there. What are the specialist's credentials? Board certified in surgery? What about experience? Has he done this operation before? With what outcomes (generally)? Realistically speaking vets don't offer to perform surgery they believe will fail. You need some way to think through risk (risk=likelihood of harm, death) vs. benefit so ask what positives and negatives there are for your dog. Young and healthy are likely positives. Is there any benefit to waiting? Waiting until when? Why? What are the risks of waiting? Is the surgery intended to be curative (there is enough diaphragm so that with the patch your puppy can grow)? If you want more information I'd try the UC Davis Veterinary Hospital in Sacramento, unless there is a university veterinary hospital closer to you - I'm just guessing based on looking at the We Talk to Pets Animal Hospital website. Call and tell them you're looking for a (second?) opinion on a surgery for your dog. You can *probably* get an opinion and cost estimate via email or phone. It's usually quicker if you (personally) obtain and send medical records and x-rays. Can you try to negotiate with the breeder to help pay for the cost of surgery?
I’m so sorry to read this post. Thank you for high lighting the issues that you and your family are under. I really hope everything turns out for the best
@Athena gave you a very comprehensive post. I can only say that I helped in a op where the cat had his diaphragm ruptured and it was successfully sewn up. Your pup's op will be more comprehensive and complicated, ask the vet again what he really feel the outcome could be and if fairly optimistic I would go for it.
Did you buy your puppy in California? This forum member mentions a CA law where he got 150% of his purchase price from the breeder to help pay for orthopedic surgery: https://thelabradorforum.com/threads/elbow-dysplasia-surgery-recovery.21197/#post-323819 Check your contract from the breeder?
I’m so sorry to hear that you’ve had such a shock during what should have been a routine visit to the vet with your puppy. It’s good that the breeder is concerned and has even offered a refund. It might be worth discussing a contribution towards the surgery if necessary, as you obviously want to keep Nala. There have been breeders contacted by other forum members who have been far less interested when there’s been a problem. I hope all goes well. Do keep us updated.
I hope Nala will be ok she is gorgeous can you get a second opinion?it’s a shock for you all esp after losing your other dog x
So sorry to hear this news. It must of been a terrible shock. I hope everything turns out well for you all.
All of your kind words and information mean so much to me and my family! I will reply again later, specifically to any questions asked soon as I can. For now I just wanted to say THANK YOU ALL! I have since spoken to the Dr in Upland, Ca @ We Talk Pets and I feel more at ease. He answered many of my questions with no hesitation and is getting ahold of his specialist and another hospital in Ontario regarding face to face consultations. This morning we are taking Nala to the Dr. so he can: - give her 3rd set of shots - blood work (we will have results in Sunday) and also another test that he said will Tell us on a number scale of her Heart is possibly enlarged or not. I'm sorry, I can't remember the exact name of the test, but basically he had said if the numbers come back and says 900 to 1500 then her heart would be enlarged and pose potential higher risk during surgery. Anything below 900, that says her heart is normal. So, Blood work, 3rd set of shots, and the heart test will run us $225 today. As with any surgery whether us as humans or it being our Best Friends...we can't be promised everything will be ok, it's just not possible. It's only something we can pray and hope for. We are all individually different and so are our Best Friends we love so much. This time is full of so many different emotions, but the one thing I am not, is mad. Regardless of her condition, you would never know anything was wrong. Pounces on her toys like a cat, when I tell her "No", she backs up, looks at me and the barks like she's saying, "YES!!!" She barks at us every morning....530 a.m. Hey, I'm awake and I need to go potty!!! Then we come back inside for a quick nap in her kennel. 6:30 a.m., Hey, I'm hungry, Feed me!!! I'll keep you all posted soon as we're back from the Vet today. Thank you again for the replies.
***UPDATE on Nala*** We got the blood work results in and she looks to be in good health. The BEST part is, her HEART is NOT enlarged! So today 6/27 @ 9am, My wife, Nala, Dr. Raja (Nala's Vet) and myself have a consultation with Dr Concannon @ californiaveterinaryspecialists.com/ This is 1 facility out of 14 that we called that will perform the surgery besides Dr Raja's long time friend/colleague Dr. G. The cost involved including post-op care ( I think?) will run from $4500 to $5500 at the Ontario facility, didn't think it was going to be cheap. This facility is owned by VCA Corp. We are going to visit Dr Concannon to get an idea of everything involved, ask any questions that we may have, can it wait, must it be done asap. Give him the X-Ray's, blood work results, show him videos of how she acts in her daily routine and then let him see her. I will let you all know what came out of our consultation later today, positive thoughts! p.s. found out that Dr.G (Dr. Raja's Colleague) is a specialists surgeon that travels within a 200 mile radius, personally stated that he performs these exact type of surgeries on cats and dogs at least twice a month!
Well done! I can't speak to all the VCA facilities but we used one locally for an emergency with our cat and they did very well. When I recently researched adrenalectomy for the same (million dollar) cat, one of the authors of the largest case series was at a VCA practice so clearly they have solid specialty facilities. The local VCA facility participated in Care Credit. I'm not sure how this works. Best of luck and keep us posted
Our vet clinic was bought out by VCA awhile ago and we’ve been quite happy with the changes and staff they’ve brought in. good luck to little Nala!
So as a whole in the specific surgery she needs, the success rate is 80% out of 100% Pros include: how healthy she appears to be, very active, blood work results he had nothing bad to say. He did agree that not knowing what she had, she carries herself very well and we were a little distracted because she wanted to play really bad while speaking with each other. "If you want my whole hearted honest opinion, depending on the dogs age, how he or she shows symptoms or not, and obviously blood work... The surgery should go well, it's that if you don't have the surgery done that your playing a game of chance with your pet's life or possibly having terrible regret if you didn't take that chance if given the green light. I say this because Dr. Concannon said: - you could not have the surgery done and she could live a perfectly normal life. - there's that possibility, one day she's playing around and something could get tangled up inside, she could go from being just fine to having complications within an hour and it could go either way depending on how fast she gets treated. - lastly it could come and go, he couldn't predict the future. I told him we understood what he meant and right now considering her overall health....the pros are in her favor. I asked him what he would do considering the options? "If at all possible, I would have the surgery take place soon as I could (no more than 3 weeks to make a decision), If i didn't have the surgery done, then I would probably worry a lot throughout her life, hoping that she would remain ok." So our "Estimate" stated: everything included for the day of surgery and 2 days of Post-op care, totaling 3 days in the amount of $4000 to $5000. But does NOT include: - blood @ $450 per unit - additional post-op care beyond the 3rd day @ $400 per day - wellness check, 2 weeks after surgery is completed, nor any additional needed bandages, medication. Bottom line reads.... ***This is only an estimate, and any other charges to your estimate of Surgery will NOT exceed 30% for the low price and the high price*** So that means worst case scenario, final MAX costs could be $5200 up to $6500. We still are going to meet with Dr.G on Saturday and go over things with him as well. Till then, feel free to give your input. Thanks
I really don't know what to say. Are you insured and if so will that cover it? I would go for the surgery, because I would only worry if I didn't, but it is up to you. It is a terrible place you have found yourself in. My thoughts are with you. Hope all goes well on Saturday.
We unfortunately did not have insurance on her yet. According to what I've read and what the Surgeon said today, it has developing since day one. It would have been considered a pre-existing condition. Your right though, this is one of the hardest places to be in right now. She'sonly been exploring life for a short 12 weeks. I have to do what I can to try and help. I don't know how I would feel if I didn't and something happened to her.
I have looked for your go fund me for your pup, but can not find it. Are you in the UK? What is your pups name?
