Ever Had To Bite Your Tongue?

Re: Ever Had To Bite Your Tongue?

Lauren Innes Bsc(hons) , RVN — Tue, 29 May 2012 18:08:18 GMT

so glad it's not just me! my parents had a goldie boy who was insured as a pup (thankfully as he had a FB resulting in resection of huge portion of his intestines) but they cancelled the insurance after a couple of illness free years. At 12 years old he got a testicular mass, I took him to work with me and he was castrated had a crappy recovery, but was ok in the end. I suspected Cushings for literally years but they wouldn't go to the vets until one day he was really off, unsettled vomiting, etc so I dragged his sorry ass to the vets and what did they find? CUSHINGS! GRR! So massively overweight goldie (i'm talking 56kg at his worst) on vetoryl, no insurance? makes for one very skint SVN! OA aggrivated by extreme fatness brought on by bakers dog food, table scraps, cheese choccy biscuits BLOODY grapes!!! It's amazing he lived to 14! I bullied them into weight loss and meds and his latter years were much more comfortable.

New pup now, as my gorgeous Ruadh left us last summer, and he is on a proper dog food. No table scraps. No doggy treats. neutered at 6 months. microchipped, insured and vaccinated. Healthy happy well trained boy! Hector the labrador is a far cry to the over weight spoilt mess my Ruadh became.

I'm glad that they finally realised that I know what I'm talking about, I'm just sad that my poor old Ruadh went through what he did.

I like the fact that friends turn to us VN's for advice, and its nice that we can offer assistance even though it's often 'go to the vet!' :D

Re: Ever Had To Bite Your Tongue?

Caro Laithwaite VN — Mon, 28 May 2012 08:33:33 GMT

Problem solved if we tell them we are going to set up as dog breeders they will listen to every word we say it is unfailable

Re: Ever Had To Bite Your Tongue?

natalie.c — Sun, 27 May 2012 18:08:56 GMT

I know exactly what you mean! I'm constantly telling my parents how important it is to insure the cat, but they keep ignoring me, they think I'm just being paranoid. They seem to think they know better, even though I'm the nurse in the family!

Re: Ever Had To Bite Your Tongue?

Emma Elliott — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 18:56:38 GMT

My Mum got a new kitten and was asking advise, she then ended the conversation with and I quote

"I have an appointment with the Nurse at our local vets tomorrow, will see what she says"

After 11yrs experience I didn't seem to be saying what she wanted to hear lol

Re: Ever Had To Bite Your Tongue?

Emma Barty — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 10:14:33 GMT

Aaaaaalll the time, and on a wide variety of subjects from flea and worming treatment through to breed dispositions via why-would-you-even-THINK-that? Thankfully, on the flipside, I also have friends who actually take my advice (or, at least, don't whine to my face about it! *g*), and my parents have gotten over trying to blag free consultations for their friends' pets when I'm visiting them. Mostly.

Re: Ever Had To Bite Your Tongue?

StMongo — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 17:41:29 GMT

my husband's parents are just as stubborn. they had a yorkie for years and constantly fed her all sorts of table food. no surprise that she died of pancreatitis despite my telling them to stop the scraps. they get a new dog, bring it in for shots, and i asked my dr to go over very thoroughly with them the dangers of table food. he does, but every time I have to go to their house, they're feeding her from the table. what the hell is wrong with people??

Re: Ever Had To Bite Your Tongue?

Anonymous — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 08:05:23 GMT

i just tend to say what i think to them. if they look at me shocked i just tell them i'm not saying it for you but for your pet. If they have asked my advice before and not listened, i dont give them advice the next time saying well i told you last time and you did f**k all about it. so why should i tell you this time. i know it may sound mean but at the end of the day if they ask your advice and do nothing, why should you keep giving them advice.

Re: Ever Had To Bite Your Tongue?

Mark Walsh — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 13:34:56 GMT

My sister looked at me stunned when I told her not to give her westie cooked lamb bones.

Re: Ever Had To Bite Your Tongue?

Siobhan Steven — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 05:04:55 GMT

I have had some success:

I moved in with house mates who alredy had a Pug. They had taken her as a rescue, 10kg BAS etc....she had lost 4kgs by the time I moved in which is great, but airways were terrible. I bide my time and then mentioned the whole brachy dog airway problems and low and behold they took my advice on Sx, and most importantly which surgeon to go to. Unfortunately this dog was doomed and even though they did their best she ultimately died from heat stress. Now they have a Pug, she is one year old, they insured her as soons as they got her, her airways were done when she was de-sexed. She is up to date with vacs, worming and on great food. The leanest fittest Pug I've ever seen. though we don't live together any more if there are ever any worries they contact me for my thoughts and as I usually tell them to take her to the vet (depending on problem ) they always do...I usually even get a photo ent to me...

Now, why then, with this success when I advise my Mum to do anything with her cats does she totally ignore me, or even argue with me? Huh?!

Re: Ever Had To Bite Your Tongue?

Mac Feather — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 19:56:13 GMT

My particular 'favourite' was a girl I knew,rather physically frail after various traumatic incidents in her life. She got a c.p.l cat and was advised to make sure windows etc were kept shut till the cat settled in. Totally ignored that advice and I went through the routine of advising her to report cat as missing to petlog etc. Her response was oh well I will just get a dog then!

So she got a G.S.D puppy - parents not hip scored but 'its pedigreed so thats the same thing,right?'

Unfortunately the dog has been pulling her off her feet as time has gone by. Advised various bits and bobs including trying a halti. All advice flatly ignored as she wanted to 'train the dog by her voice'. Then months later she goes to a 'man who nows about dogs' and after paying him sweetly she gets a halti................

The last I heard poor dog was up for rehoming...............

Re: Ever Had To Bite Your Tongue?

rachel w — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 19:00:59 GMT

I have to bite my tongue when visiting my bfs mums house her and her partner think all vets are out to make money vaccines are a waste of time and we could be injecting water for all they know!! Their last dog was showing all the signs of cushings but they wouldnt take her in to be treated, theyve just got a new puppy not had it vaccinated, just had a parvo pup die on me this morn was so tempted to send them photos to say vaccinate ur puppy, it wont be neutered or propably wormed and will prob end up like their last dog living outside :(

On a brighter note my mum just told me "i wish id listened to you" about having her dog castrated as at 11 has just been castrate due to a tumour and hes not been great post op so hard not to say well if he'd been done at 6mths.....

Re: Ever Had To Bite Your Tongue?

Sarah Birkin RVN — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 11:05:09 GMT

All the time with my friends and family. so frustrating. At one point i said quite loudly at my previous bf's house 'what is the point of becoming a vet nurse if no one will take my advice when asked?' They had a jack russell who was suffering with allergies and had started to loose his hair and was always scratching at the bald patches, which then became infected. They wouldnt take him to the vets and sought advice from the local pet shop instead who told them to put these herbal drops into his water... sighs..... In the end when his parents went on holiday I took him to work where he was prescribed with abx to treat the pyoderma and fed him a different diet, within two weeks his fur was coming back and was scratching less. My bf's mother was furious but I didnt care at least for those two weeks he was better - and after all that I think they saw the light and realised that maybe, just maybe, I might be talking sense!!

Re: Ever Had To Bite Your Tongue?

Julie-Anne Wilson — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 09:14:28 GMT

My brother asked me about Alaskan Malamutes and Korean Jindos, after checking them both out I advised him not to get the dog since he had a young child. So he went out and bought it, paid a fortune for a mongrel (another thing I told him not to do).

I told him to have her neutered at 6 months, the dog is now a couple of years old and, to my knowledge, still unnuetered.

He had a "professional" dog trainer out to help with her numerous behavioural issues (one of them being that she'll lean again his kid and sort of pin her to the couch), he then proceeded to tell me I was doing something wrong with my dog when we were out walking together.

He never picks up after her.

She sleeps on their bed because she cries and howls if they leave her downstairs. I told him that if he'd done it properly as a pup instead of giving in to her (I told him this WHEN she was a pup when he asked me about it), she'd be fine with sleeping downstairs. Now he says he can't do it because it might wake the kid up.

I am now refusing to give him any advice about her after he phoned me and described what sounded like a pyo and I told him to take her to the Vet(also pointed out if he'd done what I said re neutering, she'd be fine). Never did find out if he did or not 'cos he ignored all my texts asking how she was.

Re: Ever Had To Bite Your Tongue?

Katie Mansfield — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 09:06:07 GMT

Told my brother not to get his girls rabbits cos I personally don't think they're good pets for kids. Bro's not an animal person and nor's his partner. After 2 mths one of the bunnies was PTS due to broken hind legs after my 5 yr old niece had been "disco dancing" with it.

My mum insists on giving the dog cups of tea to prevent him getting distemper. Apparently during the war there was an outbreak and my nan gave all their dogs tea and they were fine.

K x

Re: Ever Had To Bite Your Tongue?

chanel clydesdale — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 03:23:38 GMT

[quote user="Kim"]

I have to bite my tongue with my parents all the time. I try my best to give them advice about their cats and my dad just does what he wants in the end. What cat needs to have a slice of Brussel Pate on toast for breakfast......? My dad simply said "she really likes it and if I don't make her slice she is constanly meowing around my legs until she gets it" Very frustrating , they apparently know bets though.....

[/quote]

My parents are exactly the same. My dad feeds all his dogs 2 slices of bread every evening when he comes home from work and allows them to finish off the rest of his evening coffee!! Worst part is that my dog has been staying there for the year as I have taken a year out and when I went home at x-mas, my prior healthy energetic collie had turned into a little fat slob. Needless to say I hit the roof and cried my eyes out.....It was very nice of my parents to take ihm for the year but when you out your trust in someone you kind of expect them to do their best!! I have to bite my tongue all the time 'cos at the end of the day I should be greatful I guess....

Re: Ever Had To Bite Your Tongue?

Kim — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 18:47:56 GMT

Re: Ever Had To Bite Your Tongue?

Emma Bartlett — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 08:22:41 GMT

Yes......i spent hours discussing the pro's and cons of getting a GSD, friends were told to let me know if they were serious and i would try and find them a good breeder. They turn up on my doorstep a few weeks later with a 12 wk old puppy which bit my hand when i went to stroke him - good start! Over the next few months i kept voicing my concerns about the dogs gait, lameness and lying down to eat. They registered him with the practice i was working at and i persuaded them to have his hips x-rayed before he was castrated.......they were the worst my vet had seen in 25 years and my friends decided to have him put him to sleep, after us recovering him so they could say goodbye AND they didn't even stay with him, they left me to do it.....i was so upset at having to hold him while he went to sleep and really angry at them for putting me in that position after the hours i had spent discussing the very reason we ended up putting this dog to sleep

What a nightmare position we are in.......you give all the advice and get ignored, it is so frustrating!

Re: Ever Had To Bite Your Tongue?

Jacquelyn Smith — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 06:57:21 GMT

Oh caro, that's awful. I do think a lot of these dogs which 'attack' it is in the training and the owners not the breed. Not even on the same level, but recommended a friend not to get 2 male rabbits, on the grounds that they are likely to fight when they reached sexual maturity. I was right. The rabbits were rehomed on gumtree within the year, so her and her now wife, naturally, went out and got a labrador puppy. I fell out with her as she didn't like it when I told her that pets are supposed to be family members not trading cards. I would have been more professional about it had I not known her for 10 years.

Re: Ever Had To Bite Your Tongue?

Caro Laithwaite VN — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 23:09:28 GMT

Worst case l have had or dealt with...

Me to cousin
Me - Do NOT get a Douge de Bordeaux you are a retriever slobbing round the house, untrained, likes kids easy going.
Her-No D D B are so sweet with all those wrinkles
Me- They need proper handling and training

Aprox 18 months later the dog was PTS and her 10yr old daughter was having plastic surgery to her face.

Re: Ever Had To Bite Your Tongue?

Alison Clare Hickman — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 16:03:50 GMT

Then again, it was a cold day so at least my hand kept warm for a bit..... eurk!

Re: Ever Had To Bite Your Tongue?

Alison Clare Hickman — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 16:01:37 GMT

The worst one ever was when I felt obliged to pick up their dogs doo-doo (with an inadequately sized tissue) as they just walked off and left it... and I quote... "leave it, it's biodegradable"... on a PAVEMENT. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!!

Re: Ever Had To Bite Your Tongue?

Suze — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 14:42:01 GMT

Have had friends who have asked me about which breeds to get and then just go and get 1 advised against because it was so cute! Next comes my advise to INSURE which isnt always listened to either......