Jake's Back Surgery

Lynn noticed that Jake was not his usual rambunctious self last Saturday when she was over. Sunday it looked as though he was favoring his left hind leg. I decided that I would call our local vet, Aylett Animal Hospital Monday morning to make an appointment. I came home after work and found Jake in the living room where I had left him that morning. His hind legs were paralyzed and I could see the fear in his eyes. I was a wreck, totally devestated. (Did I mention that Riles was throwing up all the way home in the back seat of the car while I was on my way to get Jake?)

We arrive at Aylett Animal Hospital and no one greeted us (except a patient who was leaving and wished Jake best wishes). I sat in their floor because Jake could not sit on their bench, cradling him on their dirty floor and not one of the THREE staff members at the front acknowledged me. FINALLY after being there a while, someone yells from behind the huge reception desk "can I help you"? Well yeah, ya think????? I had to get up and go to her lazy tail instead of her showing any type of customer service or compassion. I tell you, if you're not a customer service oriented person, then get another job! I'm sick of all of you people who treat people like crap when they come into contact with you. It's not my fault that you hate your job, hate you boss, hate that you make minimum wage, hate being a pooper scooper. Get over yourself!

Riles continued to throw up at the vet's office as well. I mention her being sick because one of the staff members there was hateful to her. Riles heard a cat crying so she asked me if she could step in the hall and I said yes and the employee snapped at her "do not look at this cat! This man does not want you to look at him!"

Anyway, Dr. F said that she would try steroids on Jake for a couple of days to see if that would work. She also took 2 set of xrays. She said that the emergency hospital would charge us at least $1000 and it would be really too expensive for us to go there. Which I agreed. The next day, I called the emergency animal hospital on Cary Street in Richmond. Let me tell you, they are the nicest people. All the way from the front desk staff, to the techs, to the surgeons and in between. Everytime I came in contact with ANY of them, they showed the upmost respect and compassion for the situation that we were in with our 9 year old, furry friend, Jake.
I will NEVER bring another animal to Aylett Animal Hospital!!! I will tell all of my friends as well!

The first thing the Cary Street vet did was place a cathetar in Jake. They drained so many ML's of urine out of my poor baby. They said he must have been in even more excrutiating pain just form the sheer pressure of his bladder bulging against his spine and him not being able to go. Aylett Animal Hospital NEVER placed a catheter in him and I called Dr. F to ask her about it. She of course blamed it on Dr. J that worked the next day Jake was there. Said she would "speak with her" about it. I'd like to see them not be able to go to the bathroom for several days and see how it feels!!!

Anyway, Dr. S did a fantastic job on Jake's back. I am so pleased with such fine workmanship. His incision site is clean and he is healing just fine. My baby has 15 staples. :( He is only allowed to go outside to go to the bathroom, but has to remain confined for 6 weeks. He shakes when he's in there. I think he feels like he's being punished, but we're doing it for his own good.

Thank you to all of you for praying for his recovery!!!!