# Advice on Pet Sitter's Request for An Advance



## heathpack (Nov 12, 2012)

I am a veterinarian but I live about 40 minutes away from my practice.  The hospital I work at is open 24/7 and I can board my dogs there when I travel.  One of the dogs does not really like the hospital setting, the other dog is happy anywhere.

We decided to find a pet sitter in our home town who could take the dogs into her home.  I asked another veterinarian who works in my town and she suggested one of her nurses.

We left the dogs with her for a weekend about a month ago and it went fine.  Now we are going away for 18 days and we asked her to pet sit for that time.  She said yes.  We leave in 8 days.

I have been away on business working on a very intense project.  I get a text from the new pet sitter this past weekend about how she really needs to replace her car and she has come upon a used car that would be perfect.  Can I advance her pay now so that she can get the car?

There is zero chance I would do that for someone I've known such a short period of time, so I told her "sorry, we cannot do that" and added that I was out of town on business (she mentioned she had tried to call me at home).

I am totally turned off by this.  First, I think she showed poor judgement in asking me when she does not know me well and could not predict how I would respond.  Second, I feel like she sounds like she's in a tenuous position financially and it makes me concerned to leave the dogs with her- I'm not sure what I imagine will happen, but somehow it doesn't seem right to leave the dogs with someone who's living on the edge.

I want to bail and leave the dogs at the clinic (I just scheduled with her under a week ago, so I doubt she turned anyone down because of us).  Mr. H thinks I'm over-reacting, it's enough that I said no to her.

Cost wise, it's the same for us no matter where we leave the pups.

What do TUGgers think?  I am over-reacting?

H


----------



## easyrider (Nov 12, 2012)

Pet sitter isnt a top tier occupation and this person might just need a little help. The person is just asking for an advance to help pay for their car and sounds legit. Since this person has been refered to you by a friend or associate it shouldnt be a problem, imo. If your not comfortable paying in advance just say no and leave it at that. 

So yes, your over reacting just a smidge.

Bill


----------



## amycurl (Nov 12, 2012)

I agree. She saw an opportunity in terms of the timing and probably thought that the worst that would happen is that you would say no. Which you did, and that's reasonable. 

But, as has been mentioned, she comes with good references and I am sure would take excellent care of your pups. I wouldn't necessarily pull the gig out from under her, esp. if she's taken the "no" well and hasn't pushed back or anything. Now, if she does push back or doesn't drop it, that would be a greater cause of concern for me.


----------



## JanT (Nov 12, 2012)

Heathpack,

I'm going to be the dissenting vote here I guess and tell you that I, too would be seriously put off by someone I barely knew asking me if I would pay her in advance for a job she hasn't done.  And because I would tell them "No" I would then worry if she would take good care of my dogs or not.  I would actually worry the whole time I was gone.

It would be one thing if you had used this person for a considerable amount of time and knew the dogs were going to really enjoy their stay with her.  It's another when you've only used the dog sitter once and she's asking for what I consider to be a big favor.  

In the end, I think you have to really think it through and decide whether having her care for the dogs would worry you enough to ruin the vacation.  

Whatever you decide, I know you'll decide what's best for the dogs.  It's very obvious you love them.  I wish more people worried as much for their pets as you do.

Jan


----------



## SDKath (Nov 12, 2012)

Well, my friend is a pet sitter in AZ and she told me that she had a "big job" meaning 2-3 weeks of petsitting and she asked for an advance so she could buy a present for her mom, who was turning 70.  I was surprised to hear that she actually got the advance but I think her perspective was that it was a big sitting job (and she knew the people from prior times) and that with the timing the way it was, she could get a couple hundred dollars ahead of time to get what she really wanted.  I didn't really see anything wrong with it (except that in our modern age of distrust, we really don't expect people to get advances it seems).  She clearly had known the people she was sitting as they leave 2-3x a year on longer trips.  They had no problems giving her the money.

I am just saying this because it was the first time I heard about this sort of thing and I was surprised they gave her the advance, but she was VERY happy to have it.  But it seems in your situation, it would be premature to give it to her since you just met her.

That said, I don't think you need to cancel the whole sitting thing with her.  Just don't give her the money if you don't feel that it's right.


----------



## vacationhopeful (Nov 12, 2012)

I don't know a lot about pet-sitting - so who provides the food for the pets? YOU bring it with you or pet-sitter provides?

I might offer her 1/3 to 1/2 payment upfront when you drop off the pets - to cover her costs and to allay her fears that you will pay her for the 18 days when you get back. When you get back, you will still owe her 9 days.

Yes, she does sound stressed out --- but her car situation, lack of money, and a shallow support system doesn't mean she will not take care of your pets. She may actually give them more love and attention.


----------



## Glynda (Nov 12, 2012)

*I vote yes*

If the sitter is a long term employee of the other vet, has good training, you checked out the environment where she will be keeping your dogs and found it satisfactory, and your dogs seemed happy to be there, I would still use her.  
Since you now want to leave them at the clinic, maybe she is so embarrassed that she will bail on you.


----------



## pjrose (Nov 12, 2012)

My initial response was that I'd feel uncomfortable leaving my pets with someone who seemed kind of presumptuous.  If she's that broke, how's she going to get to work, how's she going to take your dogs to the bet if there's an emergency, etc.  

On further reflection, I'm thinking that there's nothing wrong with asking for an advance for almost three weeks of pet sitting; a 30% advance, for example, seems reasonable.  It's her rationale that bothered me.  Many professionals ask for a certain percent up front, but they don't attach an unrelated rationale to it.  So is she potentially being penalized  for adding a reason? 

I think the bottom line is whether you like the way she cares for and interacts with the dogs.  Are you happy with the environment? Is it clean and safe and friendly? Will they get lots of exercise? What would the dogs say - kennel or house?  And very important, what's the backup plan if she becomes ill or her car breaks down?  Is there a friend she can call, or can she take the dogs to the kennel?  If she can't get them there, will someone come get them?


----------



## Passepartout (Nov 12, 2012)

I think that IF the doggies like her, and it's clear that if she has ANY other issues that your pets are welcome at your boarding kennel, I'd split the difference with her. Give her half with the rest payable on your return. Seems like a reasonable compromise.

Life is tough when you are living that close to the financial edge and it seems no one will help or give you a break. Otoh sometimes there is a reason.

All the best, and enjoy your getaway!

Jim


----------



## ricoba (Nov 13, 2012)

easyrider said:


> Pet sitter isnt a top tier occupation and this person might just need a little help. The person is just asking for an advance to help pay for their car and sounds legit. Since this person has been refered to you by a friend or associate it shouldnt be a problem, imo. If your not comfortable paying in advance just say no and leave it at that.
> 
> So yes, your over reacting just a smidge.
> 
> Bill




What Bill said.


----------



## heathpack (Nov 13, 2012)

Just flew back home from the weekends business trip and tomorrow will be an early day.  I'm not going to make any decisions when I'm so tired.

Just to clarify: the dollar amount in question is $900.  I have met the pet sitter twice.  I have never met her boss the veterinarian, I've just talked to her on the phone several dozen times over the past few years.  We provide the food for the dogs, so the sitter has no out-of-pocket exprnses.  The dogs like anyone who feeds them, so that hurdle is pretty low.  The petsitter was not asking for us to pay when we drop the dogs off, she was asking for $900 a week before the pet sitting gig even starts.

I can't really envision asking someone I've met twice to front me $900.  Especially if I knew full well that I'd be unable to repay it if (god forbid) I was in an accident or otherwise unable to fulfill my pet sitting obligation.  It just seems totally inappropriate to me.

Thanks everybody for the opinions.  I will sleep on it.

H


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte (Nov 13, 2012)

It seems to me that you need to decide whether the request is a sign of flakiness or social ineptness. 

No way would I front her any more than some small amount of money.  If I conclude this is flakiness, I would be making alternate arrangements.  OTOH - if it's just ineptness I would keep her for the gig.  

Of course, if you take your business elsewhere so she loses out on $900, that might be a good lesson to learn the value of etiquette.


----------



## scrapngen (Nov 13, 2012)

T_R_Oglodyte said:


> It seems to me that you need to decide whether the request is a sign of flakiness or social ineptness.
> 
> No way would I front her any more than some small amount of money.  If I conclude this is flakiness, I would be making alternate arrangements.  OTOH - if it's just ineptness I would keep her for the gig.
> 
> Of course, if you take your business elsewhere so she loses out on $900, that might be a good lesson to learn the value of etiquette.



I have several thoughts here...especially after reading others' great input. 
Is the lack of a car going to be detrimental to her taking care of your pets? I'm thinking she might have thought you'd actually feel better knowing she had a car in CASE of an emergency...in other words, she would have a good vehicle to get them to the vet if needed?? So in her mind she was somewhat justifying a rather unusual request by saying what it was for, and that it somewhat made her a better petsitter than if she was without a car for the three weeks and waited to purchase it until after the petsitting. Also, it could be she saw an opportunity for a good deal on a car that wouldn't be there later, so she might have thought all of that was worth asking you for the advance...As others have said, she might not have totally thought this through - how it would sound to you. She might have just tried to make a situation work out. 

With that being said, I'd not feel comfortable making such a large loan with the care of my animals hanging on the balance. I guess I'd ask her if she could get the car with a down payment, and be willing to front her _some_ of the money if after talking with her more, I was able to understand the circumstances and if my gut feeling was good.  

Ultimately, it's put you in a hard position, since she was recommended by a friend. By cancelling with her, you also might have to answer questions from your friend. You also thought you had a plan for 3 weeks of pet care, and now you have to re-examine it. A recommendation for pet-sitting is not necessarily the same as a recommendation for a large loan, though. This is tough.

I wish you well. Hopefully, you can get a better feeling about her intentions. I'd like to think that most people are still trustworthy, rather than assume the worst, but I also don't want/like to be duped because I'm too nice or trusting.


----------



## Talent312 (Nov 13, 2012)

For a 3-week job, asking for (or offering) a $100-200 "deposit" is reasonable
to cover unexpected expenses or emergencies. We do that within our family.

Asking for payment in full up front is uncouth, but I don't think related to quality of care.
.


----------



## am1 (Nov 13, 2012)

I'm glad we have people we can leave our dog with free of charge.


----------



## Paumavista (Nov 13, 2012)

heathpack said:


> Just to clarify: the dollar amount in question is $900.
> H



Off the subject a little but.....(don't mean to hijack thread)
But OK.....now I know what I want to be when I grow up!  $900 for 18 days, to watch dogs?

We do foster care.....care for children 24/7...up in the middle of the night, provide all food, clothing, incidentals, transport to schools, daycare, activities, nurse through illness and potty train - $12 a day.  It is a labor of love (which I hope is also the case with your pets) and we certainly don't do this for any monetary gain (don't let anyone tell you foster parents are in it for the money).  But there is something wrong with this country when the government is willing to pay $12 for a childs loving daily care and nurturing and people are willing to pay $50 to have their pet watched.......just saying.


----------



## Timeshare Von (Nov 13, 2012)

I have to say that given that I would be entrusting my pets' lives with this person, what's not to trust in terms of a couple hundred bucks?  Either she is trustworthy or not and as others said, she came at the recommendation of another vet.

Buying another car if she's in need is not necessarily an indication that she's so financially insolvent as she'd be at risk of losing her home while your dogs are in her care.

I would say while perhaps in bad taste for her to ask, I would not prevent me from proceeding with the arrangements made.

p.s.  I just read the entire thread (should have done that first).  Given she's asking for $900, I would not front her that much.  (That is an outrageous amount of money to pay someone to watch your dog!  Maybe it is the LA factor or something.  I'd try to find someone who charges less than $300/week.)


----------



## Zac495 (Nov 13, 2012)

No way would I give her the 900! I do agree with you that it shows some lack of character to ask. 

However, if she has great references and is young, she is probably just young-dumb rather than irresponsible. So I'd go ahead with letting her sit for the dogs if you think your pups will be happier with her.


----------



## heathpack (Nov 13, 2012)

I think part of why I have a problem with this is the fact that: 1. I am paying her a very competitive rate, 2. She has been told this could be a regular gig, 3. She has made a request which could be viewed as inappropriate, thereby jeopardizing the on-going gig.  It demonstrates poor judgement in my mind.

Think about it- why not ask your boss at the vet clinic where you have worked much longer for theadvance?  You have a more long-standing relationship with her than me. (If you did and she said no, maybe you should think twice before asking your brand-new pet sitting client.)

If she's asking me for $900, that suggests to me that she has less than $900 to her name.  Person with poor judgement & inadequate resources = someone who I don't feel ok leaving the dogs with.

Having slept on it, I'm going with my instincts and cancelling the job.

H


----------



## puppymommo (Nov 13, 2012)

To me, what it all boils down to is OP's comfort level about leaving her beloved dogs in someone's care.  Even if the sitter actually is a responsible, reliable person who would provide excellent care even though the situation has gotten awkward, if H and Mr. H are not comfortable, they probably shouldn't do it.

That said, my personal bias is I would have to weigh my comfort level with the sitter vs leaving a dog who is not really happy in a hospital in that setting for 18 days.  H knows her pets so I am sure she will make the right decision for them.


----------



## Beaglemom3 (Nov 13, 2012)

My late & great Beagle, Scooter, had epilepsy, so I never kenneled him. Also, he and his sister, Lucy the Wonder Beagle, were such home-hounds, that we did not kennel them for this reason, too.

Our live-in dog-sitters were wonderful. My house looked better than when I left on my trip. The dogs were well taken care of.

The sitters (husband & wife theology students at Andover-Newton Seminary) were in need of tuition assistance, but did not ask me for full payment. I usually paid half up front and the balance on my return. Knowing this and how good they were, I was happy to help out with full payment ahead of time.

These are trying financial days for most folks and especially those with skilled, but not high-paying, jobs.

It all depends on the caliber of the sitter and your comfort level.

There is "no place like home" when it comes to the care of your pet, but I know you know this as a highly respected Veteranarian (My TUSVM friends speak very, very, very - and then some- of you !).


----------



## Kay H (Nov 13, 2012)

I've thought hard about what I would do in the same situation.  If she works full time for another vererinarian, she probably needs a car for that job so why ask you for prepayment at all, let alone a week before she starts her dog sitting job with you?  I think you made the same decision I would have made. I wouldn't have the nerve to ask someone I never met to loan me money. It is actually a loan for the week before the job begins. It is a job she would be well paid for, not a friend to friend favor.

I hope you find a suitable sitter and you certainly should considering how much you are paying.  I wish I could find a retirement job that pays that much.


----------



## timeos2 (Nov 13, 2012)

Our pets have a way of letting us know if care is good or not. 

We paid $423 for 14 days with one 13 lb dog - $900 for 2 over 18 days isn't unreasonable IMO. 

We have discovered over the years what good care is. Our (then) two dogs have been boarded regularly over the years when we travel. We preferred a local place that the dogs liked so much we couldn't say the name or they would be at the door wagging tails to go! 

Unfortunately that place ran into financial problems and closed. We had to find a new option. We had no problem with the first visit & stay - but by visit three the dogs weren't happy getting out of the car when we arrived there and the older dog - Toto - had to be literally dragged in & restrained to even leave him there by that last stay. Needless to say we changed again. Same results. 1st 2-3 stays OK, then Toto let us know in no uncetain terms he did NOT want to be there. 

Fortunately the original place reorganized & reopened and for his final years he happily returned with his sister to "Puppy Love Boarding School". She still seems to look forward to it & happily runs in with each stay. 

What is different I cannot say for sure but I know that the preferred place has full time caretakers that love the dogs & run a clean, bright very open operation with limited capacity. The two (one has since closed) Toto hated were more traditional cages - many high off the floor - and too many dogs it seems. They also tended to be mostly staffed with school aged kids that may or may not have enjoyed the work. 

So it isn't easy to meet the needs of your pet(s). We also have a pet sitter that comes to the house for the cats. They don't like changing environments and it also keeps an eye on the house for us. She also has been with us for many years but also went through some hard tmes we know of - it isn't an easy life I'm assuming. 

We wouldn't prepay either but would, especially since we know them SO long now, advance up to 50% of a stay if they said they needed it for any reason.  If we just started to deal with them no way.


----------



## judyjht (Nov 13, 2012)

You mean to tell me you are the ONLY person she knows (2 times) to ask for $900.  Let her ask her family, friends or boss!  No way would I do it.  You don't really even know her to begin with.  I think the had a hell of a nerve!!  Sorry


----------



## geekette (Nov 13, 2012)

I'd call the vet that recommended her and inquire as to her character.  Let them answer that, then ask if she had approached them about an advance or loan.

I do not recall ever having an employer that would grant advances.  It's rather standard verbiage in the handbook these days :  it is our policy to not grant advances under any circumstances.

I will say that having been young and poor, one's perspective does change as things get more desperate.  Not having $900 to her name is not shameful, imo, as I had a mountain of college debt yet graduated in a recession.  We don't all get treated to college by our parents, not everyone can get student loans with preferential rates/terms, she may have footed vet school on her own and now be in payback mode with other $ drains.   

$900 would have been An Impossible Fortune back then.  If my car had broken down, holy crap, that would have been dire straights.  Not dire enough to turn tricks, but possibly dire enough to ask people things I might not otherwise.  

But of course I would ask my dad, and then I would ask my sister, and then I would ask my bank, and then I would give up and put it on credit card.  

Perhaps she has worn out the welcome mat at those other funding sources due to an extended bad run but that doesn't necessarily mean that she has bad judgement.  All kinds of things can eat a bank account, including illness or missing work because your car won't run, divorce, forced to defend yourself in a frivolous lawsuit, insurance deductibles...  

I'm not inclined to write the lady off, but I can understand choosing to not leave your pets with her.  I just want to point out that what seems like "some nerve!" could actually be Last Resort while eating the last of her pride.  She may be in a situation where there is nothing left to lose.


----------



## heathpack (Nov 13, 2012)

FYI: her car is not broken down, her payments are too expensive & she'd like to buy a cheaper one.

I am absolutely sympathetic to any one who is struggling financially and I have been there myself.  I don't think I'd turn to a new acquaintence in such a circumstance but of course you never know.  I am not judging her financial situation which is none of my business (and quite frankly I wish she had told me nothing about it).  

H


----------



## pacodemountainside (Nov 13, 2012)

Hope my pet sitter is not reading. She charges $10 a day to stop by and feed  my two cats  early AM and late PM and clean litter boxes once. Also, empties mailbox every couple days.

Said she charges $20 for two  dogs as obviously they have to be taken out!

She did say this rate only applies to pet owners in this building where we both live and she  only does cash.

In my experiences when ones family, friends,   drinking buddies, employer, co-workers, etc.  won't help then  there is a major problem.


----------



## SOS8260456 (Nov 13, 2012)

I think you made the right decision.  I would not feel comfortable leaving my pets with her after that.


----------



## DebBrown (Nov 13, 2012)

Around here, boarding a dog cost ~$50/night.  I have two dogs so I pay a petsitter to come to our house $100/night.  She's really great with the dogs and they love having her here.  She otherwise lives at home with her dad so appreciates having the time at our house.  My dogs are much happier at home.

I can see both sides of Heath's debate.  I suspect the petsitter is only guilty of poor judgment but if Heath is uncomfortable with the arrangement, then it makes sense to go with her gut feeling.

Deb


----------



## loafingcactus (Nov 13, 2012)

I always pay the pet sitter upfront.  They have never asked for an advance but other people who do work for me have.   I've always thought that if I'm privileged enough that I can pay them to do my work, I'm privileged enough that I can pay a few days early.  Except I never actually thought that through because I never thought to judge someone's character and life through whether they need money.


----------



## easyrider (Nov 14, 2012)

loafingcactus said:


> I always pay the pet sitter upfront.  They have never asked for an advance but other people who do work for me have.   I've always thought that if I'm privileged enough that I can pay them to do my work, I'm privileged enough that I can pay a few days early.  Except I never actually thought that through because I never thought to judge someone's character and life through whether they need money.



I really like how you think and would like to think that we think this way in our family as well.  

We are lucky at our house as there are plenty of family, friends or neighbors  that will take care of our house and dog when we travel.

Bill


----------



## Kal (Nov 14, 2012)

I had a great deal with a pet sitter, but he went away for a Master's Degree.  Then I faced the reality of bringing in a newbie at much higher cost and all the associated drama.  I then realized value and quality ruled.  Ultimately I found a fantastic widowed church lady.  Her price was reasonable but the quality extremely good.  I pay her the full sum due, in advance.

If you are facing a supply and demand issue, I would first look at quality and reliability for the right price.  Do her a favor now and maybe she will take many extra steps for you in the future.  Overall, this looks like a typical Millennial Generation thing where most don't have a clue about the real world.  She wants a car and is leaving no stone unturned.


----------



## siesta (Nov 14, 2012)

I dont see anything wrong with half up front and other half after the job. But this doesnt seem to be the case.


----------



## jehb2 (Nov 14, 2012)

puppymommo said:


> To me, what it all boils down to is OP's comfort level...



My thought exactly.  Nothing against the woman but If it doesn't feel right it doesn't feel.  You are under no obligation what so ever.  And you really don't want that nagging thought in the back of your head thoughout your vacation. Just thank her nicely and make other arrangements.


----------



## heathpack (Nov 14, 2012)

I am impressed by how many posts in support of early payment I actually agree with.  

For example, there is nothing wrong with asking for payment at the time of drop-off.  I actually agree with this.  A phone call stating, "I forgot to mention when we last spoke- for jobs greater than 1 week, I require payment at the time of drop-off, are you ok with that?" would have struck me as reasonable and professional.  However that is not what happened here.

Another example: there is nothing wrong with asking for an advance.  I agree with this- _if_ you are asking this from someone you have an extensive history with.  Maybe after you've been pet-sitting for someone for a year, or if you've worked with them at your day job for several months.  But asking this of a new acquaintence obviously could be off-putting to some people.

One thing I disagree with: cash flow issues do not affect people's actions.  Say for example one of the dogs is sick and needs to be driven down to my hospital.  It will be at least 2-3 hours round trip in traffic when you consider driving time and getting the dog admitted to the hospital.  Might she hesitate or delay because she can't afford to miss work?  That may sound far-fetched but the reason I obtained one of these dogs is because she was boarding somewhere, herniated a disc, became instantly paralyzed and needed emergency surgery.  The owner was going to put her to sleep, so I adopted her and did the surgery.  She has about a 15% total lifetime risk of that happening again.  I see patients all the time that were boarding and develop a serious medical problem.

We have also had in the past great pet sitting scenarios.  A friend of ours who is a vet used to watch the dogs in her house and the situation was perfect because her husband was a post-doc and worked from home.  And they refused to take any money (we are sending them to the Grand Luxxe in March in gratitude).  They moved out of state a few months ago, we miss them very much.  We also had a great situation when our nephew lived with us, he would obviously pet sit for us since he was home anyway.

It is an interesting subject, in the end we cancelled the job and are looking for a new pet sitter.

H


----------



## Clemson Fan (Nov 14, 2012)

My vote is this thread is way too long for the given subject/question. :rofl:


----------



## bogey21 (Nov 14, 2012)

heathpack said:


> Having slept on it, I'm going with my instincts and cancelling the job.



Obviously you are uncomfortable so you made the right decision.  I think I would have met with the sitter face to face to better understand where she was coming from then decided.

George


----------



## Twinkstarr (Nov 14, 2012)

Paumavista said:


> Off the subject a little but.....(don't mean to hijack thread)
> But OK.....now I know what I want to be when I grow up!  $900 for 18 days, to watch dogs?
> 
> We do foster care.....care for children 24/7...up in the middle of the night, provide all food, clothing, incidentals, transport to schools, daycare, activities, nurse through illness and potty train - $12 a day.  It is a labor of love (which I hope is also the case with your pets) and we certainly don't do this for any monetary gain (don't let anyone tell you foster parents are in it for the money).  But there is something wrong with this country when the government is willing to pay $12 for a childs loving daily care and nurturing and people are willing to pay $50 to have their pet watched.......just saying.



Need a "like" button!


----------



## MuranoJo (Nov 14, 2012)

Getting a reliable pet-sitter ranks way up there, actually far more important to us than house cleaners. Sounds like you made a decision you felt comfy with, and that's what really counts.

Since she had already done a good job before, I probably would have given her a chance to explain--but I think she was asking a bit much after just one stint.

I would never expect a friend, neighbor or relative to pet sit without compensation (unless we had some sort of trade-off where we did it for them).  I'm just more comfortable paying someone I trust and I fully expect they'll take very good care of our dogs.  We gave up on kenneling about 10 years ago--after trying several boarding houses.


----------



## heathpack (Nov 24, 2012)

*Yes, we are away and there is a medical problem...*

Glad we decided to leave the dogs at the clinic. My old man woke up today with a painful swelling under one eye.  Skull rads suggestive of a tooth root abscess.  His covering docs, swooped in immediately and took bloodwork and chest X-rays (he has a heart murmur), they have already called the cardiologist to get the ball rolling for his cardiac ultrasound and I have emailed he dentist directly about how quickly she feel like any surgery must happen.

He will need to be transported around LA for his various specialist visits and then finally to the dentist for the procedure (unless they decide to treat medically until I get back).  Poor doggy is at least in a good place for all this to happen with reasonably efficiency.

It would have been a bit much to have the Petsitter drive my old man to my place of employment & then to these other two practices on top of that

H


----------



## pjrose (Nov 25, 2012)

OMG, looks like you did make the right call, though you hardly could have predicted this!  I hope your doggie is ok.


----------



## pgnewarkboy (Nov 25, 2012)

Have a discussion with the sitter before you make up your mind.   Tell her your concerns.   She was upfront with her request which is a good sign.   Talk to her and your fears may be dispelled.


----------



## SOS8260456 (Nov 25, 2012)

heathpack said:


> Glad we decided to leave the dogs at the clinic. My old man woke up today with a painful swelling under one eye.  Skull rads suggestive of a tooth root abscess.  His covering docs, swooped in immediately and took bloodwork and chest X-rays (he has a heart murmur), they have already called the cardiologist to get the ball rolling for his cardiac ultrasound and I have emailed he dentist directly about how quickly she feel like any surgery must happen.
> 
> He will need to be transported around LA for his various specialist visits and then finally to the dentist for the procedure (unless they decide to treat medically until I get back).  Poor doggy is at least in a good place for all this to happen with reasonably efficiency.
> 
> ...



Sometimes it really makes you wonder why things happen the way they do.  I am also a firm believer in going with your gut feelings which you did.

Not happy that your poor dog needed the extra medical care, but glad you made a decision that put the dog in the best possible place for him to get the care needed.  Plus hopefully, you guys are having extra peace of mind while away knowing this.

Hope your dog is well on the way to recovery by the time you get home!


----------



## Sandy VDH (Nov 25, 2012)

Funny how decisions and timing work out sometimes.  Having your dog at the vet at the time proved to be the best of choices.

Hope everything works out well. How is the dog doing?


I will tell you my timing story....

My Dog Jasmine was being pet sitted at home, by my niece and nephew. I flew them from Canada to Texas to pet sit for me.

Primarily because she really does not like most kennels, mainly because she is a people dog, but picky about the "people" she likes.  She likes my niece, nephew, and dad and old my neighbors (however we had moved by them).  So I only have a few people I would let pet sit her at home. 

At nearly 15 with a half dozen serious medical conditions (cushings, heart murmur, allergies, cancer etc), you do not want to put a dog into a kennel, especially when that dog has issues with a kennel. She also hated the vets office.  She liked 1 of the vets but going to the office put her in such a state.

Any way, We returned home from Vacation and 6 days later she died.  Heart attack at 5 am in the morning.  I believe she waited until we got home, were both home and not traveling, and waited until a time when getting to a vet proved to be impossible.  She died in my arms.  Not good for me, but probably the way she would have picked to go.

However I firmly believe, that had we had to put her into the kennel, she would not have made it though our trip at all.  All that added stress would have moved up the attach, and I wouldn't have been able to be there for her. 

So for her, timing and decisions were everything.


----------



## heathpack (Nov 26, 2012)

The antibiotics are not controlling the (presumed) infection and my little dog Herschel's face is more swollen today, although he is still perky and eating well.  We were hoping his tooth could wait until we're back, but it can't.

So Herschel saw the cardiologist today.  He has a leaky but normal looking mitral valve (no big deal) and a leaky but thick looking aortic valve (also probably no big deal, but a slight chance he has endocarditis, an infection of the heart valve, which would be a very big deal).  Those two things account for the heart murmur and the function of the heart muscle itself is fine.  So he is cleared for anesthesia.

The dentist could work him in sometime this week but he's not sure when.  I've decided to have one of my surgeons handle it, it's just too hard to organize the transportation issues for him while we're on vacation if I'm not sure what day they can get him in. 

So tomorrow Herschel will be anesthetized for a CT scan of his skull (to make sure it's a tooth abscess and not a tumor) and then if an infection is confirmed, he will get his bum tooth extracted.  Unfortunately all this will happen while we are en route to Mexico.  I will have to pony up for the wifi on the plane, so at least I can be reached via email while we are in US air space.  Oh yeah, and we are flying from NY and it may snow/sleet in the AM while we are trying to get out of town.  Marvelous, but so far it has been that kind of trip.

Everybody think positive thoughts tomorrow.  It's very likely this is all a very fixable problem, but you never know.

H


----------



## geekette (Nov 26, 2012)

the poor little guy!  we're pulling for him.

I'm glad you ended up going with your gut.


----------



## pjrose (Nov 26, 2012)

Not the best timing, but fortunately he has you and your surgeon pulling for him!  Keep us posted.  

{{HUGS}}
PJ


----------



## heathpack (Nov 26, 2012)

*Snug tonight*






Not the most flattering picture but I got a text from one of the interns- Hersch snug in his dog bed in his little red tent.

The swelling is on the right side of his face, so you can't really see it in the pic.

He is a standard daschshund.

H


----------



## MaryH (Nov 26, 2012)

Heathpack,

I am a strong believer in gut instinct and you made the right call in hindsight.  Seems your pups have medical issues and it was good that he was at the clinic so that experienced vets can make the call and put plans into action immediately.

Hope your little dog comes through tomorrow with flying colors.


----------



## MuranoJo (Nov 26, 2012)

Hersch is a very cute little guy!  I'm sure things will go well, and it sounds like he's in good hands.  Hopefully you'll get good news so you can relax and enjoy your vacation.


----------



## pjrose (Nov 27, 2012)

Oh what a love!  Is he the one who doesn't like the hospital, or the one who is happy anywhere? What's the other one's name and what type dog is s/he?


----------



## scrapngen (Nov 27, 2012)

What a cute little guy! Glad he's doing better.


----------



## heathpack (Nov 27, 2012)

Herschel is a standard smooth haired daschshund.  Sally is a miniature wire haired daschshund.  Veterinary neurologists work with dascshunds a lot and we tend to collect them.  Both dogs were adopted.






Sally is Herschel's BFF. She is happy-go-lucky and Herschel is a worrier.  She keeps him calm.

We did not name either dog, btw.

H


----------



## heathpack (Nov 28, 2012)

Currently at Westin Lagunamar, which has the WORST wifi ever.  In the business center checking emails and though Id update that it was a tooth abscess and the patient is felling sorry for himslef but otherwise fine.

Im thinking of setting the homepage on all of the computers in the business center to TUG2.net, what do yall think?

H


----------



## pjrose (Nov 28, 2012)

heathpack said:


> Currently at Westin Lagunamar, which has the WORST wifi ever.  In the business center checking emails and though Id update that it was a tooth abscess and the patient is felling sorry for himslef but otherwise fine.
> 
> Im thinking of setting the homepage on all of the computers in the business center to TUG2.net, what do yall think?
> 
> H



Glad Herschel is doing well.  

I love your idea, but instead of doing that, get outside and go to the beach!!


----------



## dmorea (Nov 29, 2012)

*Sorry to hear*

Just saw this whole post , so sorry to hear of all that stress while you were on vacation. Glad  its working out ok . Hope you can relax and enjoy !


----------



## scrapngen (Nov 30, 2012)

heathpack said:


> Herschel is a standard smooth haired daschshund.  Sally is a miniature wire haired daschshund.  Veterinary neurologists work with dascshunds a lot and we tend to collect them.  Both dogs were adopted.
> 
> 
> Sally is Herschel's BFF. She is happy-go-lucky and Herschel is a worrier.  She keeps him calm.
> ...





Question for you....
WHY do veterinary neurologists work with dachshunds a lot??? I'm really curious. 

Love the breed, and we rescued several when I was growing up - am not in a position to own a dog now, but they would be my choice! I do think they are fascinating and have very definite personalities.


----------



## heathpack (Nov 30, 2012)

scrapngen said:


> Question for you....
> WHY do veterinary neurologists work with dachshunds a lot??? I'm really curious.
> 
> Love the breed, and we rescued several when I was growing up - am not in a position to own a dog now, but they would be my choice! I do think they are fascinating and have very definite personalities.



Dachshunds are afflicted with a genetic disorder known as type I disc disease.  That means they are at a higher than normal risk of sudden paralysis from a disc herniation at a young age. It is very different from the type of disc problem that a big dog or a human would get, which tends to be slowly progressive.  The good news is that it is much more fixable than other types of disc problems.  And for most dogs (the ones that can still feel a toe pinch), prognosis for return to ambulatory status is excellent (90+%) with immediate surgery.  Veterinary neurologists spend much of their time doing this type of surgery and therefore they work with dachshunds a lot.

I adopted Sally when she came in paralyzed.  She was being watched by a pet sitter and suddenly herniated a disc.  We were able to contact her owner but he chose euthanasia rather than surgery, mostly for financial reasons but also because of aftercare logistical constraints.  She was such a lovely little thing I decided to adopt her and do the surgery myself.

We got Herschel from a Daschund breeder.  He was excess show dog inventory and I had done surgery on one of her other show dogs.  The dog I did surgery on was such a great guy, I mentioned I might want a daschund someday.  So she had 2 extra pups one day and called me up.  Never "just go look" at a Daschshund puppy, you will take it home for sure.

Things like that happen to neurologists.  You don't really go looking for a Daschshund, they come to you.  In fact, almost every neurologist I know has at least 1 Daschshund.

H


----------



## scrapngen (Dec 1, 2012)

heathpack said:


> Dachshunds are afflicted with a genetic disorder known as type I disc disease.  That means they are at a higher than normal risk of sudden paralysis from a disc herniation at a young age. It is very different from the type of disc problem that a big dog or a human would get, which tends to be slowly progressive.  The good news is that it is much more fixable than other types of disc problems.  And for most dogs (the ones that can still feel a toe pinch), prognosis for return to ambulatory status is excellent (90+%) with immediate surgery.  Veterinary neurologists spend much of their time doing this type of surgery and therefore they work with dachshunds a lot.
> 
> I adopted Sally when she came in paralyzed.  She was being watched by a pet sitter and suddenly herniated a disc.  We were able to contact her owner but he chose euthanasia rather than surgery, mostly for financial reasons but also because of aftercare logistical constraints.  She was such a lovely little thing I decided to adopt her and do the surgery myself.
> 
> ...



Thanks for the explanation. That makes sense. One of our dogs was an older girl who was paralyzed. Our local vet knew that my mother loved dachshunds and was willing to adopt any if needed. Alta was not in any pain and a loving, sweet thing, but she had no bowel control and her owners couldn't keep her. My mom made her a comfy bed that was easily washed in the sunlight right next to her chair and kept her in doggy diapers. She lived at least a couple more years happily keeping my mom company. Over the years, I think we took in several dogs - some younger, some older - that needed a good home. We always had at least 3 dachshunds at any time.   They always seemed to get along with each other, too. Maybe they just knew my Mom was special.


----------

