Vets Miss Kidney and Neurological Diagnoses Until Too Late

“Our 8 months old Border Collie mix hasn't been feeling well the last couple of weeks. She had no energy and was eating sparingly and drinking very little water. We took her to the Vet. They did a blood test, but couldn't find anything other than a bit of anemia, they said to bring her back if her symptoms get worse. Well last Friday they got worse. She was vomiting, stopped eating unless I handfed her soft food and I had to spoon water in her mouth. Back to the Vet on Monday and they dec”

“3 weeks ago our dog was neutered. He was 1.5 years old. He was doing great but then all the sudden over the weekend stopped eating. So we took him to the vet Monday morning and they identified after a CBC, he had a pretty bad infection and sent him to the animal hospital for IV antibiotics. When we got there they identified he had developed a major infection and was in septic shock. They told us that he had a less than 50 percent survival and quoted us 25k for the surgery and three days of follo”

“I am desperate to figure out what is wrong with my poor dog. My dog (shepherd mix, 7 years old, spayed, currently 62.6 lbs) has been sick for weeks, and my vet has labeled her an “enigma” because we can’t find the major problem. She has now seen almost every vet at our office. I originally took her in for a dry, gagging cough. We got her on an antibiotic and temaril-p. As soon as she finished the temaril-p she rapidly declined; lethargic, heavy breathing. Took her back in for bloodwork and an xr”

“My dog started slowing down about 10-12 days ago, she’s had arthritis/spondylitis so the vet treated that. A few nights ago her breathing became labored, vet attributed the proin for her urinary issues or the gabapentin for the arthritis pain. I clocked her at 54 resps a min while resting and off to the emergency vet we went. Final result: they drained 600ml of blood and bloody fluid from her chest cavity and she had a large mass on her left side that had invaded the bone and was destroying it .”

“Hello. My Cat was prescribed 100mg Gabapentin for the appointment tomorrow. He normally has no issues going to the vet but last time when we wanted to go he hid under the bed and we couldn’t get him out. It’s the cardiologist and it’s so booked so when we couldn’t go, it took 3 months to get a new appointment. Should I give him the dose 2 hours before the appointment or 12 hours before the appointment and 2 hours before? Breed: idk Age: 6 Male History of Urethral Block, Heart Murmur (important a”

“He said to just observe her. Two days ago she jumped from a very small height but slipped on a mat. For the past few days we've been going to the vet as she has a growth under her jaw so maybe the antibiotics weakened her? I mean made her more tired as after recieving the medication she wasn't moving much I presume to rest. Anyhow, the accident happened and I immediately saw her limp. We went to the vet the next day and he managed to move her front paws just fine, massaging them and stra”

“2 year old neutered male, no health issues before, woke up on Thursday (5 days ago) limping and unable to put weight on his hind leg. I took him to the vet that day and it seems like he has a torn ACL. He was prescribed gabapentin and I've been keeping him confined to my bathroom to limit his movement as much as possible... Unfortunately while his leg does seem to be getting somewhat better (he's putting some weight on it) he hasn't had a bowel movement since. Last night I brought hi”

“Whether it’s diet or signs of illness, what’s a common mistake, overlooked habits or omissions you frequently see pet owners make? What situations it turns into a larger issue? submitted by /u/Excellent_Wrap_245 [link] [comments]”

“Vet was more delicate than that but the point is. My dog got hit by a car yesterday and seemed fine but in pain so I assumed broken bones. Took him to vet, she did blood work and x rays and found what she thought might be internal bleeding but wasn’t positive, so she gave me pain meds and antibiotics and sent me home. Well, 5 hours later and my boy just struggled to poop, and when he did it was finished with blood the stool (which was really more of a mucus than anything solid). She did put him”

“I put my cat down last week, and now I’m worried that it was too soon and he possibly didn’t have the terminal cancer diagnosis he was given. Could any vets weigh in and let me know if it seems like there could’ve been a misdiagnosis, or if it seems like we made the right call? I know it’s too late now to do anything about it, but I’m just looking for answers. Here’s the background: My sweet cat Sylvester (age unknown, estimated to be 15 or older) stopped eating at the beginning of August. He wo”

“Hello, my orange boy Eros (2.5 y/o Male neutered) went to the vet yesterday for inappropriate urination. He has had FIC since he was 8 months old, and has been to the vet 3 times now. It has been a year since his last visit for this. Each time we went, his bladder has been inflamed and he has had crystals in his urin but he hasn't been blocked (thankfully). They usually give him gabapentin for the pain and something for the inflammation and he usually bounces back quick. At my regular vet, w”

“Our 7 year old Aussie mix suddenly started not bearing weight on his back right leg. His paw area was sensitive when we pressed firmly. It looked swollen. He has a ton of energy and still wanted to play, but we refrained. After no improvement in 36 hours, I got him into his vet. They sedated him, got radiographs, etc They diagnosed a CCL tear. Being someone well versed in sports medicine as a human being who has had tears and MRIs and arthrograms and PT, I asked a lot of questions on how this wa”

“We took him to the vet, and it was definitely related to his kidneys. im not sure what the exact problem is yet but he is being tested. submitted by /u/Far_Mycologist_5785 [link] [comments]”

“One of the puppies was on a round of 2 days worth of amoxicillin for an “infection.” I’ve been calling the shelter but either placed on hold and can not get a vet appt anywhere for her today or tomorrow. So, not until Monday. I have pustules on her paperwork but getting her home and looking her over I feel she should have been amoxicillin longer. Is there anything I can do to control or ease her itching until Monday? I am also in the medical field but obviously not a dr or vet. I have amoxicilli”

“Everyone says, "Take your dog to the vet 1st to look for an unknown underlying issue." What was the issue, how was it found, what was the treatment or surgery? How are they now? I have a dog who only reacts to my dog and cat that he grew up with. I'm living with my in-laws, and the reactive dog LOVES their dog. No issues at all. Only 1 thing was when the in-laws dog tried to sniff his food, but he didn't even attack, just growled furiously and backed away, no one had to say or”

“My dog has a large cyst on his neck that he’s had drained twice. It was getting pretty full again and we had an appointment with the vet in a few weeks. He was rough housing with my husband today and I later noticed that the cyst has deflated. There’s no damage to the skin or evidence of it leaking externally at all, it’s just smaller and softer now. Zero change in behavior, doesn’t seem to notice it. Is this okay or does this warrant some kind of response? submitted by /u/skullpture”

“My little bulldog lab mix buddy is 8 years old. He started limping 4 weeks ago on his right leg. We took him to our vet and they did a full exam checked all his legs, paws, shoulders. The vet felt some mild swelling in his right shoulder. She did X-rays on him and it showed arthritis. Originally started him on rimadyl but that didn’t do much so they switched him to galliprant (which I have heard can take time to kick in) after a week, he was still limping and when we pushed or touched certain pa”

“I rescued a cat and she has a broken femur. She won't get a radiography until Monday but the vet said she would be okay until then with the pain meds and antibiotics plus a vitamins shot to help her eat a little more. My question is: How can I help the cat feel better until she gets the proper treatment? I was thinking about making a small crib with boxes or something like that so she can move comfortably but not too much so she won't hurt her paw even more. Would that be enough? Also, h”

“Disclaimer: please read the whole text. I am going constantly to a vet and we try some treatment to see if it reacts ro not. I am trying to learn more to know what to discuss with the vet. It seems I can't post a photo which is a bummer. Story: So, since 2-3 months ago (maybe even more, it's hard to tell even from photos) our labrador of 5 years old has a growing on his nose (nasal planum). We've let it there for a while as he had some papilloma on his lips that went away. After seei”

“I brought my dog to the vet because she has been peeing where she isn't supposed to and having diarrhea along with her just not acting like herself. The vet took a urine sample and when everything came back normal he kind of just didn't do anything else? He explained it was normal, kind of looked in her ears and I think failed to check her heart and then defined the word diarrhea to me repeatedly I think to convince me the dog doesn't have diarrhea? Apparently you need to have 6-8 lo”

“My 2.5 yr old golden retriever received a 3 year rabies vaccine about 14 months ago. We moved and went to a new vet, they were provided all of the vaccine history but something was lost in translation about whether that rabies vax was 1yr or 3yr. They gave her another 3 year. So essentially the dog received 2 seperate 3yr vaccines 14 months apart. I’m hyper vigilant with my dogs health and am now looking for reassurance that this is not likely to impact her health negatively or increase risk. Th”

“Context: Last year around this time, I took my senior cat to the vet to have surgery to remove a polyp that was blocking her outer ear canal. She had the polyp for almost two years, and when she began scratching it constantly, her vet decided to remove it despite the risk of complications due to age and diabetes. She healed well, and for almost a year, we had no issues. About two weeks ago, I noticed new growths appearing in the same ear and greenish discharge leaking onto her chest. You can als”

“Hey guys, so 3 days ago my frenchie sunny had started losing the ability to use his back legs, since then he now can’t use the bathroom on his own and has no use of his back legs anymore. He’s been taken him to an emergency vet yesterday and they told us to take him to a neurologist. we are urgently trying to get an appointment now! My question is has this happens to anyone else’s frenchies/dog submitted by /u/AdministrationNo1482 [link] [comments]”

“My dog is a almost 14 yr old Border Collie mix who, up until last night, was doing perfectly fine. He's had a few surgeries to get rid of some lumps (not cancerous) but other than that, he's recovered just fine and was doing really well. We got him back from a doggy daycare on Tuesday and he was acting just fine, albeit upset at us for leaving him for a week for a vacation. I let him outside to use the bathroom one last time before bed and I saw that he was struggling to poop. This has h”

“So my dog recently had pyometra surgery. She was doing really well post op and would go on morning walks to pee. On day 5, she refused to get up and would not pee for me. Apparently when I went for the pyometra surgery I hadn’t know that the vet had informed me of this issue. When taking an x ray for pyometra, the vet told me they say something on the spine from the x rays. (Again I was completely focused on the pyometra that I had no idea this conversation was even happening.) Now while she’s i”

“Hi everyone, I'm here crowdsourcing options to discuss with the vet for a friend of mine. My friend's golden retriever developed a right side facial droop, inability to blink or move lips on right side, and weakness on front right leg back in July. After an emergency trip to their regular vet then a meeting & MRI with a veterinary neurologist at a very prestigious veterinary hospital, it was determined to be idiopathic. No sign of a stroke. No tumor/ mass or spinal injury present. No”

“Hi all, I'm looking for some professional insight into my cat's case. My 11yo cat became very unwell after her second vaccination. I am not claiming the vaccine definitely caused this, but the timing was shortly afterwards and everything seemed to go downhill from there (2.5 weeks ago). Since then she has experienced: persistent diarrhea / loose stools and vomiting ( vomiting is now under control). She had abdominal X-rays taken, and I was told that her colon looked abnormally large — de”

“I’ll keep this as short as possible, but I woke up to my baby dead. (12.5 years old, Boxer mix) Tongue blue, bowels released, but still warm. So happened recently upon waking up. I didn’t hear a struggle. I know I would have. (Having guilt over that) She didn’t have a huge decline. Her prednisone was helping and she was still eating, walking fine and taking walks. The night before she was so full of energy. The day of she seemed a little more tired, but thought the weekend company and the compan”

“I’m seeking opinions on my bizarre medical mystery cat. He’s seen 4 vets in just the past 5-6 weeks and has been seen about 6-7 times. Short story — hes holding his urine for upwards of 90 hours at a time and has constipation. He is not blocked. No straining for poop or pee. Hes on every laxative you can think of. Eating and drinking fine. No relevant vomiting. Long story — He had PU surgery in 2023. He had a couple UTIs since and last fall, was holding his urine for upwards of 2 days. Ended up”

“Looking for ANY information or experience with a brachial plexus tumor in a dog I’m desperately hoping someone here has experience with this because we are struggling to find information about what our boy is going through. Our 7-year-old Labrador/Redbone Coonhound mix has been dealing with progressive lameness and muscle wasting in his front left leg. We originally thought it was a shoulder or joint injury and took him to one of the best orthopedic veterinary specialists in our state. Unfortuna”

“Last Friday, I took my 13 y/o yorkie to the vet because he wouldn’t eat anything and threw up bile. The vet told us he had stage 4 kidney disease (kidney failure) and pancreatitis. He had to be hospitalized for almost 5 days. Fortunately, he had been responding well to the fluids and I was finally able to bring home today, but once we got home, he started losing his balance and bumped into things as if he couldn’t see. I called his vet and told her how he was acting but she didn’t have an explan”

“We’re seriously wondering: do vets genuinely care about their patients and worry and want to help? We have a senior cat who was just diagnosed with a serious cancer and we’re trying chemo. Our regular vet acted upset and like she wanted to help support us even though the majority of what we do now is through his oncologist. But each time we reach out to our regular vet we get what comes across as unhelpful, uncaring responses and it’s frustrating. I keep wanting to get a new vet because it makes”

“My grandpa's dog is suffering from a compressed disc in her spine for the past few months (I think its been around April/May since we found out), but things have been looking kinda bleak and I'm getting really worried. We have no idea how the compressed disc happened, but she's in a lot of pain when laying down in certain ways (usually when she leans against a bed/couch then slides down), but she uses the bathroom outside without an issue at all. She cant run anymore, although the pa”

“Hey vets, I could really use some help here if anyone can offer it. https://imgur.com/a/1WzSOZB On Wednesday 8/19, my cat (6yr, F, Spayed, 6.35kg..yes she's on a diet and exercise routine and I know that likely contributed to the problem) was limping when my husband and I woke up. We aren't sure exactly what happened as she was fine when we went to bed but when we got up she was favoring her hind left leg and keeping it completely elevated. We took her to the vet and they did rads and sa”

“My boy (11, neutured DSH Cat) was just diagnosed with cancer after a year of treating asthma and I'm still reeling, desperately hoping it's something else. Obviously I trust my vet and the radiologists that have looked at these but I'm desperate for extra confirmation before I can say goodbye... I know I'll likely get the same answer of cancer, but maybe it'll give me more relief in letting him go. One xray is from february and the other is from last week. The other less like”

“this is bad ya’ll. i need advice. my vet’s procedure is to do blood work before undergoing a surgery to make sure her kidney values are at a good value and THEY FORGOT. she said they did blood work after the surgery and her values were extremely elevated. which means they could of been elevated before the surgery and if they were they wouldn’t have proceeded with the surgery. i’m terrified. she apologized to me 3 times on the phone and said i don’t have to pay for any of the dental extractions t”

“I’m really hoping to get some clarity. My 11yo chow GSD mix has had 2 masses removed over the past 3 years. Vets said they weren’t an issue and getting them to take it seriously has been a years long thing. She has another that’s recently gained a cauliflower appearance and is open. It’s quite large and I was told repeatedly it was just a hot spot. She’s had diiarrhea, vomiting, stomach issues, she already has Benadryl daily. She’s had blood in her stool and just discomfort. I know they’re looki”

“My dog had blood tinged diarrhea followed by foamy hematoemesis on Monday so I took her to the emergency vet. She received metronidazole and we completed her antibiotic course a day ago. At the time of being brought in to the vet, she was not eating or drinking and wouldn’t even take treats. The vet suspected that my dog is under a lot of stress as we moved two weeks ago and the diagnosis was hemorrhagic gastroenteritis secondary to that stress. She has not had any formed stool this week, but he”

“Hi all, My boy is 7 years old and has no other health issues except blockages. He blocked twice in less than a week. He was able to clear up quickly but the stress of the vet visit would set him off again. He fights his meds, we are currently using gabapentin and lorazepam but I don't think they are working for him. He's also on weekly fluoxetine. Prazosin definitely isn't working for him. We are considering PU surgery however... my cat HATES strangers. Doesn't trust them. The ve”

“Seeking input from vets who have experience with this type of cancer. This is long, but we need help deciding on our approach to this tough situation. Our 11 year old GSP, Ruger, nearly died three and a half weeks ago from hemorrhagic pericardial effusion with cardiac tamponade. They drained 120 mL of blood from around his heart, and he recovered really well afterward. Cardiology then found a very small cavitated mass during his echo that appears to come from the right auricle/right atrial appen”

“I brought my dog (nearly 12, was a pitbull/boxer mix) to the vet mid March for what I thought was a simple limp. $1300 later through bloodwork, X-rays, and an additional heart xray since he also had a heart murmur, the vet said there was inflammation and it was arthritis. We treated him with meds and anti inflammatory, I was also giving him fish oil supplements. nothing worked. I then was prioritizing just giving him pain meds. He declined so quickly over the next 3.5 weeks. He eventually refuse”

“Hi all, I've opened this new account since I don't remember my old one (been off the site for a while). I'm concerned about my family dog's health and was hoping for some guidance from people who are more knowledgeable than me. Dog info: One of our family dogs is named April. She is a Maltese/Poodle mix (Maltipoo). She's a neutered female and is around 1 year 6 months old (so quite young to develop these kinds of problems imo). Symptom info: 8/14, she peed inside, but we thou”

“Male scruffy rescue dog 25 pounds about 11? I don’t know his age. Neurogenic bladder, second trip to the er vet in in 2 months. He takes bethanocol and prazosin 3 times a day, I definitely slacked on a middle dose regularly for about a week. He’s having a hard time releasing still after the ER vet. The catheter definitely irritated him this time and he’s wearing an e collar. I just don’t know what to do, any vet experience with flaccid neurogenic bladders would be appreciated. submitted by”

“This is a longstanding urine leakage issue that has in recent months gotten worse and my vet doesn't take me seriously. Sorry for the long post, I am adding all details I think might be relevant. My dog is a 4.5 year old neutered border collie / lab mix. I noticed last summer that sometimes his penis would leak urine, just droplets, typically when he was laying down. When this happens he licks himself so he knows it is happening. Usually a pale yellow colour. Timeline: Last summer was the fi”

“Sorry for long post. Please read, advice needed 🙏🏻 Sunday my cat had an unexplained medical emergency. She was crying and panting, clearly in pain. I rushed her to the ER vet. As of today I’m still not sure what caused it. Her breathing was elevated, and X-rays (top and bottom) showed nothing conclusive. I don’t have money (I support my whole family alone) so I opted for the most important test for heart disease. No signs of that or a blood clot. I think it’s her back legs as even the ER vet n”

“Hi, i'm away from home with my dog and there has been some weird blood in his last two poos. I'll attach a picture. I've never seen this before and its got me really worried. His last two stools were loose, but other than that I haven't noticed anything unusual about him. But i'm panicking. Its the middle of the night and I can't call anyone. Can anyone look at the picture and tell me if I should be worried? He is a 9 year old cavapoo for reference submitted by &#32”

“Update on my kitty Jimbo. He went under anesthesia just a couple weeks ago on 7/30 for CT, bronchoscopy and BAL. The BAL fluid had chunks in it! Bacterial culture came back negative but the fluid analysis says there was bacteria seen in the background. Still awaiting fungal results. He had an echo to follow up on radiology report concerns of cardiomegaly and pulmonary hypertension, echo revealed no abnormalities so his heart is just fine! Previous posts: https://www.reddit.com/r/VetTech/s/qKGzNS”

“The vets have found a tumor in my dogs neck that has spread to his spine, most likely will have to be put down. He's had issues with his leg, severe issues for a while no, past 6 months or so. How did they not find the cancer earlier if they were doing constant checkups? Is this is a mistake or not using the right equipment or is this incompetency? I've had a lot of bad experiences with doctors, none so far with vets and I do hope it isn't their fault, but I wanted to check. su”

“I have a four year old male Ragdoll cat. He has gotten his rabies vaccine every year without issue. Last month, however, he had a severe vaccine reaction and had to be hospitalized with a fever of 101 Fahrenheit. He recovered quickly after being given an IV and, besides diarrhea for a few days after treatment, has otherwise been fine. Last Friday I noticed a small lump on his right hind thigh/leg, near his rabies vaccination site (I do not know the exact site, only that it was on the same leg).”

“We haven’t done muscle biopsy, but based on his symptoms the vet i’m working with suspects polymyositis. It took about three months worth of symptoms to get any idea at all, so very late to be “diagnosed”. He’s been on prednisone for a few weeks and we are tapering his dose now - he’s doing very well! He acts just like himself again, however he is still negative 20lbs of muscle. He was once 95 in his prime, now he’s 74. He’s been steady at 74 for a couple weeks, but looks like he’s starved. He g”

“Hello, I have a 9/10 year old dog who is neutered, he is a mixed breed about 22 pounds. I rescued him in 2019, and until recently he has been pretty much healthy with no major issues. In February of this year I noticed he had a lot of hair loss and brought him to the Vet where he was diagnosed with hypothyrodism and placed on a very low dose of soloxine. He seemed to be responding well, where his only symptom was hair loss, and it seemed to not be getting any worse. Fast forward to July my dog b”

“hi all, my dog recently had a visit to the vet 2 days ago as he seemed to be quite flat, low energy and shivering. he's usually a very energetic boy. he ate chocolate 2 days prior to the visit so vets ran some tests and thankfully there was no damage found from the chocolate but turns out he has an infection which the vet did not specify what. we were given amoxyclav 500mg to give him twice a day for 10 days. he's been able to take it for 3 days now with peanut butter but otherwise he&#3”

“New post because this is a different issue from my last. Bad News update on Sunny, my 2 year old orange cat who went to the hospital for obstructed urethra. We picked him from his local vet and they advised they were able to drain some of his urine they then told us to go to COVE pet care for hospitalization with a catheter. On the way over he seemed more stressed than usual- glossy eyes, shallow breathing, a few sad cries that sounded like he was in pain then immediate deep slept, was very stil”

“My dog was diagnosed with cancer 2 days ago which was a massive shock the vet couldn't even believe it. I really want to take her on a trip it will be around 5 hours driving (obviously I can stop frequently) but I don't want to be selfish. I just want to add if for whatever reason we need to stay in when we get there that is fine, she will never be left alone and of course we can access a vet anywhere we go. She is also very well used to driving around and has done a lot of travelling. T”

“My dog has a mass on his neck, which has been causing him pain. Began with X-rays (needed sedation) was told it was a salivary gland issue and was given antibiotics and nsaid and gabapentin. It got bigger and more painful (size of a cherry tomato) took him back to vet and did CT scan (sedated again) and aspirated the mass. Waited days for results. Results came back as a mass and the radiologist recommended core biopsy. Mass now size of an egg (this is now going on three weeks). Mass is in a “lik”

“What did the doctors say about the bloody stool? Any other symptoms? What did the vet say about the pets almost dying? What were the symptoms, what was the diagnosis? The whole home humidifier and all the home’s ductwork are likely culprits if it’s mold or legionnaires. Maybe putting 1000x too many ac cleaning tabs in the humidifier, or using them in the softener could cause health issues. Or just the wrong chemical in the softener in general. Another thought is what if their home is hooked up t”

“Hello- For the last few weeks, our senior dog stopped eating and was more tired than usual. First we thought he had become more picky with his food but then took him to the vet. We got his blood work done and his numbers increased but the vet told us to come back in another month and get his blood work done again. This week, he was very lethargic and we took him to get a scan. The vet told us he has a mass on his spleen and fluid in his stomach. She thinks it is cancer of the spleen and thinks i”

“Took my baby void into the vet and they found a lump so we did xrays and ultrasound and I'm being told it's pretty much a done deal. We have a test on Wednesday I can't remember the name of it but they're sticking a needle in it to see what type of cancer he has. I'm not ready to lose my baby yet I'm trying to get second opinions. Does anyone have some reassurance or am I just coping. Sorry for the limited details I'm tying my best. X-rays submitted by /u/”

“I’ve had my Yorkie/Shih Tzu mix since she was a puppy. She’s 12 now and was always healthy until recently. She started smelling really bad. We thought it was just that we weren’t bathing her enough, but it wasn’t. The vet said it was a yeast ear infection (Malassezia). They cleaned her and gave meds and it eventually cleared up for a bit, then came right back worse. Went to another vet, spent $350 on more meds that did nothing. Still stinky and uncomfortable. My mom and I are exhausted. Feels li”