dog-vet-3A few weeks ago my guy and I noticed Rory sneezing — a lot more than usual. Every time she moved she seemed to get wheezy and her little black nose was running faster than she was.

Naturally, we were concerned. So we took her to the vet, who diagnosed Rory with seasonal allergies (poor little pupster isn’t used to Toronto pollens, which are apparently slightly different than pollens in the capital) and prescribed a very small dosage of Clariton to help her rest more easily.

Then something terrifying happened. We gave her the prescribed dosage late at night before going to bed and moments after swallowing the pill, Rory began to shake and tremble. Alarmed (to say the least) I immediately called a 24-hour emergency vet clinic, who put me through directly to a vet to talk about what was happening.

She wasn’t showing any signs of lethargy, she was breathing normally and she was still perky, so the vet said we had two options; the first, we could keep an eye on her as it was in all likelihood a mild reaction to the medication that would subside soon, or secondly, we could bring her in to the clinic for a full exam.

We opted to take her into the clinic at 1AM and thankfully everything checked out as normal. The bizarre shaking was deemed a reaction to the medication (which is not uncommon) and little Rory was fit as fiddle again in no time (her allergies soon disappeared on their own as well).
dog-vet-5By the time we got home again (at 2:30AM), we were both feeling a little like over-reactive mother hens. Were we those paranoid pet parents who over-coddled their furball? The vet had said on the phone that it was probably just a reaction that would resolve itself, but instead we took her in and paid the examination fee to be sure. Some would say it was an overly cautious move.

But here is what I say…

1) Yes, after speaking with the vet on the phone I was pretty sure she would be all right, but I also knew that I would never forgive myself if she, say, stopped breathing in the middle of the night while I was sleeping.

2) Instead of viewing an additional vet’s bill as just that — a bill — think of it as a ‘donation.’ Don’t say to yourself, ‘Well, that was a waste of money. She is perfectly fine and I just spent $_____. Boo!” Instead, tell yourself, “Thank goodness, the vet said she is okay! That $_____ bill will help the clinic treat another animal in need who comes through their doors.”

In other words, don’t shy away from an extra trip to the vet if you are unsure about your pet’s health. If that little voice inside of you is saying, “Hmmm…I just don’t know,” chances are a vet trip isn’t a bad idea.

{HUGE thanks to the wonderful staff at the Central Toronto Veterinary Referral Clinic. If you are in Toronto and ever have a health scare with your pet, I would highly recommend contacting them. You call, they put you through to the actual vet to discuss what is going on, and they are open 24/7. The staff are friendly, kind and compassionate. I can’t say enough good things, so definitely write down their number – 416.784.4444 – and stick it to your fridge to have on hand in case of emergency.)

{Leading image via}

PAWSH PERK: Would you ever date someone who didn’t like dogs?