Sam continued to decline, despite repeated vet visits, until, finally, on Christmas eve the vet did another scan and this time found an object wedged in Sam’s intestines, so they went straight in and operated. Instead of making incisions in his intestines, this time they removed a piece of it as it had perforated.
We collected Sam at four pm as the surgery was closing for the holidays, and then had to drive the poor, groggy dog thirty minutes down a motorway to an out of hours vet who needed to monitor him overnight.
It was utter chaos at the out of hours surgery, so hubs sat inside until Sam could be admitted, while I tried to keep him comfortable in the car.
When we were finally seen, we were taken to a consulting room and left for another half an hour while a vet behind the scenes read his notes. By now Sam could barely stand, or hold his head up, and I was becoming increasingly agitated. When the vet finally showed, instead of immediately settling Sam into his quarters, she discussed packages of care, ie, gold does this, silver that etc. I was bloody fuming! Not once did she look at Sam, or the state he was in. I had to ask her to take our exhausted, sickly dog somewhere were he could lie down, and just do whatever he needed overnight. Finally she dragged him off.
It was pretty miserable without Sam on Christmas eve, and we didn’t know when he would be home, so I cooked a really scaled down version of Christmas dinner, mainly for something to do, so that we could reheat it on Christmas day.
We were really worried as Sam had lost a lot of weight over the previous week and was very poorly when he had his surgery.
We got a call Christmas morning and went to collect Sam. I have never been in a vets on Christmas day before, it really was upsetting. A tiny, skinny lost dog, dogs requiring surgery for blockages of all sorts, and a tiny puppy that should still be with it’s mother, possibly suffering from parvo. There was also a call from our rescue re a fox, which I later learned had died.
It was marvelous to get Sam home. He didn’t look good and wasn’t hungry, but he was still wearing his zebra onesie, rather than the cone of shame, so that was a relief.
I have to admit that I cannot, simply CANNOT put a onesie on a dog, I have never dressed a dog in my entire life, apart from rain-covers which merely go over their backs, and the occasional Christmas hat. How I struggled with the thing! I took it off during the day as Sam kept on shaking himself in it, almost as though he was wet…. I was worried he’d shake every stitch apart, inside and out!
So, the last four days have been worrying, despite Sam getting his appetite back looking brighter by the day, and visiting the vets twice, post surgery. The main concern was a lack of pooping, but that has happened tonight, hence my post. He is now out of the woods!!!!
Such a relief!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I will need to stay in with him for another week, as I don’t trust that onesie, he could easily bite through that if he wanted to get at his stitches.
We have cancelled everything over the holidays, a two day trip to London….sorry Claudine, all family outings and social gatherings, but, oh….how wonderful it is to still have Sam with us!!!
The bill to date is £2.600…..how on earth do vets justify their prices? The overnight care was £500 alone, they didn’t even provide meds as those went with him.
I imagine lots of people are forced to euthanize their pets when surgery is required, as they simply can’t afford it. I don’t have pet insurance, but may get it now.
Christmas dinner was reheated on the day, and eaten in the kitchen where Sam was sleeping peacefully……just lovely.
A wonderful solar peahen from daughter, how pretty she looks in the dark..a reminder of our Peanut saga.
Who was spotted on Christmas eve. Her beau was waiting below. Looking forward to seeing the pea-chicks next year!
A wrought iron deer from hubs….
and, I just loved this, binoculars for my camera phone! Whatever will they come up with next? They work btw, brilliantly.
And Finally…
I just want to wish each and every one of you a happy, healthy, prosperous, peaceful New Year.
Also, thanks to everyone who cared about our Big, Beautiful, Samwise the Brave.xxx
I read this over the holiday when my daughter Christie was with me and so although I didn’t comment at that time, my thoughts have been with you and of course dear Sam….who I hope is getting stronger by the day.
I hope that this new year brings you and yours much joy, good health, and of course loads of creativity…and a new baby:) Happy New Year…..
janet xxxx
Thanks Janet, I hope you had a wonderful time with Christie. It is marvelous seeing Sam recover, he sure had us worried! All the best for 2019.xxx
Poor Sam. Glad to know he’s pulled through.
Thanks for the update about Peanut! Happy to know she’s well…
And wow, that you’ve got such nice and appropriate gifts!
Thanks and wish you and all your loved ones a very happy, healthy, prosperous and peaceful New Year too!
Thanks Jade, we are all delighted to see Sam to his old self! It’s always lovely seeing Peanut and good to know we can pop over and see her whenever we want too, she seems pretty happy in her new home.xxx
Poor Sam. Not a nice Christmas for you all.
Thanks Peter, Sam is so much better now so all is well in our little world.xxx
I feel relieved that poor Sam is out of danger… I wish you all a lovely new year, hopefully with good health, with a lot of renewed strength to accomplish all your duties and desires (especially the second ones).
We’ll have another chance to meet, positively!
Keep up the good spirit, with all our best wishes, hugs and kisses
🙂 Claudine and family
Awww…thanks Claudine, what a shame we missed out on our London get-together, but I know we’ll get another opportunity…one fine day! Our London hotel gave us the option of coming back within the next three months so at least that money didn’t go down the drain. I am so grateful that our beautiful boy is still with us. Love and hugs to you all.xxx
How nice and good… for the hotel’s purpose to “build loyalty” to the customer 🙂 I told that to my husband 🙂 and I really hope he will take the chance to consider coming back to London before the end of March. Actually, I have to admit that I’m “pushing him” to consider the possibility to teach as well in London (he does it in Rome and Milan)… This could be for me as well, the lovely excuse to visit more often LHR as I did more than 20 yrs ago…
Hugs and a lot of love, dear Dina, all the best to John and daughter and great kid as well :)claudine
Oh, I do hope you cam come back before March, that would be perfect! I thought it was pretty decent of the hotel too, shame British rail were less obliging! Hugs and love to you all, and THANK YOU for your delightful parcel.xxx
So glad to hear Sam is recovered and your Christmas ended on a happy note.
Thanks Jason, you and me both!xxx
Aww glad to hear Sam is ok, we worried when Scarlett was keeping us updated! Great to see Peanut back to, can’t believe she’s going to be a mum!
Have a good new year and a well-deserved rest!
Hi Ruth, lovely to hear from you. It is a huge relief to see Sam on the mend, we were beginning to fear for him. Oh….Peanut is still across the by-pass, thankfully, if she had returned Christmas eve I would have had a nervous breakdown!!!! Hubs spotted her, we often pop over to check all is well with her, we became far too fond of that bird! I’m sure she will have viable eggs next year as she is always in the company of a peacock, I wonder if her chicks will be white or normal peacock colours. Thanks Ruth. xxx
What an ordeal with Sam! He must be very resilient to have survived. Vet bills are absolutely incredible these days. Happy New Year to you all despite recent dramas with Sam 😍👏👏🎉
Thanks Gerrie, I’m so glad all ended well, Sam does have a will to live, thankfully! xxx
Thank goodness Sam is on the mend. Hope it continues to go well for him and that you’ve had a good chance to relax too!
Happy New Year to you all x
Thanks Jess, Sam is on the mend now, thank god! Hope you are still playing out in the sunshine.xxx
I am so happy this ended well for you. We were in a similar situation with our daughters much loved cat who was attacked by her neighbours dog while she was away on holiday. We ended up paying about $4000 to keep him alive, ( operations, emergency vet, overnight costs etc etc.) I think she spent another $2000 when she got home!! However Buddy recovered well and everyone is relieved. Wishing you a fantastic 2019 xx
PS we had an amazing trip to Liverpool last October and had the BESSSST time. Love Liverpool, its got so much history. Love the scouse accents too!
Oh…..shocked to read of those fees!!!! What an awful thing to happen while you were caring for the cat…these vets must be able to retire pretty young!!!! So pleased to hear Buddy recovered! You should have contacted me when you visited Liverpool, I could have taken you on the grand tour. Lovely to hear you like the scouse accent, not many people do, most find it difficult to understand! xxx
You poor thing and poor Sam and all the entire family really! The last thing we ever want is having someone we love be seriously ill or worse at Christmas or any time but particularly when we all so hope to have a respite from the worries and cares of daily life, if just for a short while. SO relieved that he is now improving and looks to be well on the mend. thank goodness. So very stressful for you I know, but hopefully some smooth sailing for awhile at least from hereon .(I will not even begin to address the detachment of so many vets and costs ~ or I will start ranting) Hopefully you will enjoy the New Year and with it , hopes for some much needed change and renewed hopefulness for everyone. Much love and much needed peace to you and all your loved ones , fur , feathered and humans. XX Hugs.
Ahhhh, thanks SO much Val, it was a worrying time, I could see poor Sam becoming more sickly by the day despite endless trips to the vet, so very frustrating. Thank god they caught him in time, I was beginning to fear we may lose him. That vet on Christmas eve needs to quit, such a lack of compassion, she obviously has no regard for an animal’s pain and suffering, utterly disgusting! I did complain to our vet.
Yes, here’s to hope and change and a wonderful New Year, to you and yours. Love and hugs to you.xxxx
Many thanks for the update on Sam, pleased he is on the mend, but what a horrible time for you all.
Thinking of you, and sending my good wishes for the coming New Year.
All the best Jan
Thanks Jan, it’s such a relief to have our boy back and well on the way to recovery. Here’s to 2019 being good for us all.xxx
So glad to hear that Sam is improving, what a dreadful experience for you all and at Christmas too. It must have been a very worrying time for you, wishing you a much better time for 20119.
Thanks Pauline, everything is looking so much better now, Sam is certainly on the mend. xxx
Oh goodness what a worry. So glad to hear that Sam is feeling better. All the very best for 2019 – when it comes.
Thanks Steph, it’s wonderful seeing Sam recover. I hope all is well with you and yours.xxx
Oh heavens, I am so glad Sam is on the mend, pleased for him, you and your family. What a roller coaster you have experienced.
I honestly don’t know what to say about the veterinary situation. I am still trying to get my head around that experience. Sam is a plucky lad who could not have a better family to strive for.
And you still were able to give us an update on your peahen….amazing.
All best wishes for 2019 when it arrives . May you all go from strength to strength. Xxxx
Thanks Menhir, it’s absolutely lovely seeing Sam recover, we were beginning to fear for him! Sam has a will to live, thankfully, so it’s just fantastic seeing him get back to his goofy self. That vet on Christmas eve was the most callous vet I have come across, she needs to quit and become a saleswoman….not that she was selling much to us! It’s always wonderful knowing Peanut is safe and well in her new home, can’t wait to see her chicks! xxx
What a blessed relief. Never has a steaming pile of doo-doo ever been so coveted and welcomed.
Vets can be so hit and miss, we found that with our pooch, when you find a good one they are worshipped, lol.
All the best, and less stress for 2019
Your comment has me smiling….how very true! Thanks Anne-Marie.xxx
It sounds like sweet Sam is on the mend! Have been thinking about all of you mightily, but didn’t want to be a pest, the last thing you needed. Hooray for beginning the new year altogether.
All of our med bills, human and other animals, are outrageous, so I’m not surprised. Lots of people, as well as their pets, can’t afford care. Such is the world at this time. Too busy buying weaponry, I suppose…But why the people at the vet couldn’t have been more aware and compassionate seems a mystery; my Irish would have ‘sploded.
I’m sorry the rest of your plans fell by by the wayside, but what else could you do? I hope you can yet have some holiday merriment. And I know you’ll be by Sam’s side till he’s truly full of pep.
I love your pea hen gift! It’s glorious!
Blessings on your New Year, Dina. Joy, gentle peace, and only healthy beings in your amazing circle of love. 💖💖💖
As if you could ever be a pest, all you ever do is offer support, when it’s badly needed, so thank you for that!!!! Oh, I was so relieved to see Sam poop, I thought we may be losing him before his surgery. I have now thrown all toys out, just ropes for pulling and large sturdy footballs in this house now, twice bitten and all that! Oh…that vet on Christmas eve had my blood boiling, I was about to seriously lose my temper but she finally got it! Such a lack of compassion in a vet is disgusting. I’ve heard about your healthcare, absolutely shocking, my hip replacement cost 8k…imagine trying to pay for that! I am more than happy to sit in with my Sam, but I think we both have cabin fever now, but well worth it as he’s doing well. Thanks Kitty, for always being there. Love and hugs to one and all.xxx
I’m so relieved to know that Sam is recovering, and on his way back to good health. It does sound like a tremendously stressful few days, though. (What am I saying? Of course it was stressful!) Still, there’s a lot to be said for cutting back and making some quick adjustments to even the most special occcasions when need be.
And Peanut came by for a Christmas visit! What a delight. I love the garden ‘Peanut’ and I think it’s a perfect way to remember her.
Those vet fees are something. Honestly, I’m at the point where the thought of how nice it would be to have another kitty crosses my mind, but it just isn’t financially feasible. Dixie Rose had no particular vet bills at all: nothing beyond vaccinations, an annual visit, and one tooth extraction. If I had a pet who required really extensive (read: expensive) care, I just couldn’t do it. Better to not begin at all. I think we call this being “grown up”!
Oh yes, Christmas and the holiday season go out of the window when a person or animal is ill, so we didn’t mind scaling Christmas back, I am suffering from cabin fever a little now though! Peanut didn’t come here, thank god, I’d be in meltdown if she had come back!!! Lol….no hubs spotted her across the road where she lives now, lovely that we can see her whenever we want though.
Awwww…….go get you a cat and get pet insurance, it isn’t so bad when you only have the one to insure and cats are hardy creatures who don’t tend to eat bones!!! How lovely it would be to suddenly read that you have adopted a shelter cat, it would be such a lucky guy. Go for it….pleeeeease!xxx
I’m so glad he’s ok!! I’ve spent a fortune on my dogs over the years but always felt it was worth it but wished the bills could have been smaller for the sake of my bank account! Too bad it took them so long to figure out what the problem was but lucky for him he has you!
Thanks Casa, hope all is well with you, been missing your posts! I can imagine how much your dogs have cost you over the years, vets certainly don’t come cheap, but as you say they are more than worth it! I was so relieved when that first scan came back clear, god knows why it didn’t show the blockage, it would have saved Sam a hell of a lot of suffering. xxx
Good grief, £374 a month??? that’s almost a months rent! Rip offs! I have heard of a company called Bought by Many who apparently cover dogs of all ages, and pre-existing conditions, also, fees don’t go up after a claim and said to be pretty cheap. Check them out, I’m going too.xxx
They are the one we went with but we didn’t go for the pre-existing inclusion. I think there was a clause that said for some reason Tiv’s existing problems woukdn’t be covered as they were too recent.
By the way the previous company was MoreThan. I wrote a ‘review’ on their FB page and several have replied to say they have had huge hikes in fees too. Ours started to double each year once Tivvy reached about 9. I described their system as similar to a protection racket. The premiums start fairly reasonably to suck you in and once they feel that they have you trapped the turn the screw.
I am glad Sam is on the mend. We use a really great vet which is also the 24 hour emergency hospital for our area. That bill sounds incredibly high and the £500movernight stay.
We changed our pet insurance this year as the company we had used for years wanted to double the monthly fee to £374 and also stated that we had used most of the allocation for pre-existing conditions. We took out a much cheaper policy £95ish a month but we have to foot the bill for pre-existing problems. Tivvy is 14 in April so many companies wouldn’t insure her anyway.
Oh dear what a worry, I’m so glad Sam is on the mend and you were able to enjoy your Christmas in the end. It is a good idea to get insurance, fortunately Hector has it as he is always swallowing things. He had an ear infection requiring three months of expensive treatment. The vet will probably be able to retire soon and go on a round the world cruise.
Your daughter is looking very well, when is the baby due?
Happy New Year Dina to you and yours. x
Thanks Chloris, insuring multiple pets is like taking out a mortgage which is why we’ve never bothered and of course the price leaps up once a claim is made. Hector sounds like a live wire for sure!!! Vets must be well off, their prices are outrageous! Daughter is due on March 1st, exciting times eh? Looking forward to having a grandbaby around the corner! xxx
I’m glad to see that Sam is on the mend after what was clearly a worrying time for youl.
Thanks, and for you too. xx
Thanks Flighty, it’s such a relief seeing him on the mend.xxx
I’m so relieved to hear that Sam is now doing well but what a Christmas you’ve had of it. Archie was kept in overnight at the out of hours vets between Christmas and New Year last year, it’s such a worry when they’re not at home with you where you can see what’s going on. As for pet insurance, we’ve insured Archie since he was a puppy but once you make a claim the price rockets. We’ve still got him insured as he’s now on medication for life but sometimes it can be more cost effective to put the amount you’d spend on the insurance in a separate account for such eventualities. Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2019.
It is awful having a your pet away from home, last year must have been hard on you all, so glad Archie is fine now though. I’ve heard how pet insurance rockets once a claim is made which is why I’ve never had it, also insuring multiple dogs and other animals runs pretty steep. Thanks Jo.xxx
I’m SO glad Sam is on the mend, what a horrendous time for you all. Our little dog Bertie had something in his stomach last month and had to be cut open, so I completely sympathise with that horrible feeling while your dog is away from home. Bertie had a onesie as well, and I thought he’d bite straight through it, but by some miracle he didn’t. Our bill was similar – £2,300. Absolutely shocking isn’t it. But I couldn’t fault the care Bertie got, they took him to the local 24-hour veterinary hospital and did it all there. He came home with lots of tablets that I crushed up in sardines. I hope Sam makes a good recovery. Sorry your Christmas had to be scaled back.
Your bill seems higher than ours, given Sam had two scans and so many vet visits, utterly scandalous! It was lovely seeing your Bertie fully recovered. Sam was on a huge amount of meds so I tried your sardine trick, he licked some but wouldn’t eat most of it….sighs…so it was back to coating pills in marge and pushing them down his throat. I was so glad when he finished all meds yesterday.Thanks CJ.xxx
I’m so sorry to hear that Sam has been so poorly. What a worry for you! I’m happy to know that he’s back home with you. Wishing him a speedy recovery and for you and your family a good and peaceful new year. Love Linda xx
Thanks Linda, it certainly was a strange Christmas this year.xxx
What a Christmas you’ve had! Poor Sam! At least it had a happy ending, but £500 to keep a dog overnight?! I’m so glad that he’s now home and on the mend – I bet you’ve never been so pleased to see some dog poop! I love that Peanut came to wish you a happy Christmas. Enjoy having your boy home again, and best wishes for a more peaceful New Year. xx
Thanks Veggiemummy. Oh, how true re the dog poop! Such a relief! Peanut is still across the road at Paul’s farm, thankfully! I’d be having a nervous breakdown if she was back, but it’s lovely to be able to see her whenever we want too. xxx