I had a golden lab that never learnt what a porcupine was either. She got so that she just sat there and let me pull them out of her face. The broken ones were the worst to remove. She made it to 11 years old some way or the other. When I lost my one dog I lost over 20 pounds before I could even eat a meal again.
Damn Porcupines AGAIN, post 167... Nos decided to kill one... PICS POST 49
- Thread starter Jay
- Start date
Yup, if you can't afford a dog don't own one.
Sure hope your dog makes out alright....Sounds like your vet sure will....What a shyster!
We have had to take two dogs in at the same time. Would have done the extraction myself, except there were many hundreds of quills and a good portion of them were in the dogs mouths and down their throats. The cllinic billed us just over two hundy for the procedure on the pair of killers.
You might think about finding a new vet that charges by the quill and not by the hour...
We have had to take two dogs in at the same time. Would have done the extraction myself, except there were many hundreds of quills and a good portion of them were in the dogs mouths and down their throats. The cllinic billed us just over two hundy for the procedure on the pair of killers.
You might think about finding a new vet that charges by the quill and not by the hour...
I know how you feel Jay. My dogs are a member of my FAMILY also.
I imagine that there is a price that is too steep for me to justify paying, but I never want to find out what that price is...
One time, when my border collie was a pup, he used to travel in the big truck with me all over North America. We were in Toronto on Easter weekend, when he got into and chewed an entire 500ct bottle of ibuprofen.
I called the "Emergency vet clinic" in Mississauga and paid them the afterhours holiday rate to have them induce vomiting and flush his stomach with charcoal. That was a quick $2400 touch. I couldn't fault the dog. It was my fault. I should not have left the bottle where a teething puppy could get to it. He shouldn't have had to pay the price for my stupidity.
As an aside to this story, I never did pay the full bill. When the work was done (no quote before commencing...) they told me the price. I simply said "keep the dog" and started to walk out of the clinic (completely bluffing, of course).
They chased me down in the parking lot and cut the bill to $400.00, which I gladly paid.
Thank goodness they didn't call my bluff, because I'd have caved right away...
Here's to a speedy recovery for your pup.
I imagine that there is a price that is too steep for me to justify paying, but I never want to find out what that price is...
One time, when my border collie was a pup, he used to travel in the big truck with me all over North America. We were in Toronto on Easter weekend, when he got into and chewed an entire 500ct bottle of ibuprofen.
I called the "Emergency vet clinic" in Mississauga and paid them the afterhours holiday rate to have them induce vomiting and flush his stomach with charcoal. That was a quick $2400 touch. I couldn't fault the dog. It was my fault. I should not have left the bottle where a teething puppy could get to it. He shouldn't have had to pay the price for my stupidity.
As an aside to this story, I never did pay the full bill. When the work was done (no quote before commencing...) they told me the price. I simply said "keep the dog" and started to walk out of the clinic (completely bluffing, of course).
They chased me down in the parking lot and cut the bill to $400.00, which I gladly paid.
Thank goodness they didn't call my bluff, because I'd have caved right away...
Here's to a speedy recovery for your pup.
- Location
- Prince Albert, Sk
Well this one is for they guys giving Jay a hard time for spending Jay's money on Jay's dog.
IT ISN"T YOUR FRICKEN DOG!!!IT ISN"T YOUR MONEY!!!
I have pulled quills before, sometimes a vet isn't nearby sometimes they are.Once the quills are out the hounds act like nothing happened!
Dogs are resilient , NOS will be at it again within jumping outa the truck at home.I have no worries there and neither should Jay.
IT ISN"T YOUR FRICKEN DOG!!!IT ISN"T YOUR MONEY!!!
I have pulled quills before, sometimes a vet isn't nearby sometimes they are.Once the quills are out the hounds act like nothing happened!
Dogs are resilient , NOS will be at it again within jumping outa the truck at home.I have no worries there and neither should Jay.
LuckyStrike
CGN Regular
- Location
- Vancouver Island
where do U fella's get your pets?
Quote:
Originally Posted by aletheuo
The day I put anything more than $200 into a pet is the day I give my head a shake. One bullet costs about $0.55 if you reload, dude. Lesson learned.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hometownhero
Agreed. I think $50 is to much to give to a vet for a pet. If he wont learn get rid of it and get one smarter.
I never knew Wallmart sold dogs made in China????
Ohh wait ... Maybe you guys are buying gerbils, not hunting dogs???
sheeesh!
Quote:
Originally Posted by aletheuo
The day I put anything more than $200 into a pet is the day I give my head a shake. One bullet costs about $0.55 if you reload, dude. Lesson learned.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hometownhero
Agreed. I think $50 is to much to give to a vet for a pet. If he wont learn get rid of it and get one smarter.
I never knew Wallmart sold dogs made in China????
Ohh wait ... Maybe you guys are buying gerbils, not hunting dogs???
sheeesh!
Guys! I hear BOTH sides of your arguments & I agree with them! Given the circumstances things might go either way... But, in this case, Nos is getting the surgery AND, I'm unfortunately at the mercy of ONE of only TWO After Hours Emergency Vet Clinics in the city of Ottawa... I sure miss my country vet Dr.Gordon Stinson in Harvey NB... He'd have fixed Nos up for much much less...
Unfortunately, Nos needed anastetic to remove all the quills, there's no way you'd be able to remove them all. And, I have pulled quills before, it's not that big a deal. The big deal this time is the shear quantity & location of all the quills. Ugh...
The Vet said they would take pics before starting... If they did, I'll post them here with an update. As I type this, Nos has been in surgery for 4.5 hours... UGH
Cheers
Jay
And, here's the little porcupine killer retrieving on the Ottawa river... Ya, he's got drive! And today, it got him into trouble!
Unfortunately, Nos needed anastetic to remove all the quills, there's no way you'd be able to remove them all. And, I have pulled quills before, it's not that big a deal. The big deal this time is the shear quantity & location of all the quills. Ugh...
The Vet said they would take pics before starting... If they did, I'll post them here with an update. As I type this, Nos has been in surgery for 4.5 hours... UGH
Cheers
Jay
And, here's the little porcupine killer retrieving on the Ottawa river... Ya, he's got drive! And today, it got him into trouble!
Commend you for looking out for your buddy. All I would add is to check out a few other Vet clinics. Maybe one that is a little more rural. Unless the quills are really bad I have a very hard time believing that you are being quoted a fair price. My dad was a vet and a couple hundred bucks was all that was charged. I don`t think things have changed that much in 15 years. Maybe double what it used to cost........but 2 K....eeeyikes.
Good luck and I hope everything works out for you.
What do you think your dad charged you out at? Once the dog has to be put out the price goes up fast. I have no problems with a vet making money if I am willing to pay.
My dog took 45 minutes to stitch up after being put out, plus x rays to make sure no air in the chest cavity, plus antibiotics, plus pain medication, plus a "free" followup to get the chest tube taken out. It adds up fast.
badgreenbird
Regular
- Location
- Dawson Creek, BC
I consider all my pets to be members of the family. Damn cat has cost about $1500! current lab has bad knee ligaments. vet said it could be fixed for $3000 plus a trip to Saskatoon...and no guarantee the other leg wouldn't go (which it did). We've decided to 'manage the pain' with occasional medication...just don't have that kind of cash lying around. He's only 4, but we're aware that he might not make it much past 10. Wait & see, I guess.
My previous lab had one run-in with a quill pig...on the prairies of Alberta! I pulled them all by hand (none in the throat, luckily) and he took it like a champ. Luckily, porkies are really scarce around here and the current dogs haven't had any run-ins.
My previous lab had one run-in with a quill pig...on the prairies of Alberta! I pulled them all by hand (none in the throat, luckily) and he took it like a champ. Luckily, porkies are really scarce around here and the current dogs haven't had any run-ins.
- Location
- East of Home, West of the Rest
Of all the money I've wasted on cars, guns and other silly hobbies, none of it compares to the money I'd spend on my dog. And not a penny would be wasted on him. Sorry for your dog Jay, but you're a good soul for sticking by him.
No doubt.
My beagle was treated in Caledonia. There is little secret that Six Nations and Caledonia have little love lost between them as neighbours, but in my case the vet did alright.
I am sure it was that country vet nature of the practice kept things cheaper.
I've had some luck with a porcupine, a prong collar, a check cord, and an e-collar set for stun. Once they learn that porkies will turn them on their heads (e-collar) they will soon learn to leave well enough alone. We had a little set back this spring but I think we are back on track.
I disagree on the shoot every porcupine you see philosophy based on 2 points. A well bred VDog will retrieve everything you shoot (ouch!!!$$$) and you will likely hunt public land where you haven't had a chance to eradicate the porcupines, so teaching avoidance is a better policyz
I disagree on the shoot every porcupine you see philosophy based on 2 points. A well bred VDog will retrieve everything you shoot (ouch!!!$$$) and you will likely hunt public land where you haven't had a chance to eradicate the porcupines, so teaching avoidance is a better policyz
