My Poor Little Guy!

If you haven't picked up on this yet ;), our dogs are pretty important to us. We treat them like children and they really do bring us so much joy! So, we were pretty upset when Blaze started to show some symptoms of yet another urinary tract infection. This time, I had X-Rays taken...I was relieved that, otherwise, he is really healthy for an 11-year old and I didn't hear the "C" word...but I was bummed that he had a stone in his bladder the size of a dime! The only option was to undergo surgery to remove it, along with some smaller ones that posed a risk of a blockage.

After the first vet didn't pan out (I'll spare you the details, but, basically, he wanted to tack on an extra procedure at the last minute for more money), I found an excellent vet who was able to do the surgery the next day!! Thank you Honolulu Pet Clinic and Dr. Kondo...I will refer you to whoever will listen! Blaze had to spend one night in the hospital and I was ready in record time the next morning when they called to tell me I could pick him up!

Blaze is recovering well...he has to wear "the cone", which he is not thrilled about at all, and we've had to change his diet to prevent future stones. Instead of processed treats, he gets fruits and vegetables, and we've switched to a dry food that is designed specifically to keep stones at bay. After all is said and done, we have a happy dog recovering well, he is eating a healthier diet now, we paid HALF of what we would have paid with the first quack vet, and we couldn't be more thankful today!

Lesson: Feed your dogs a healthy diet and incorporate fruits and veggies, shop around and get second opinions :), and MAKE SURE to look for a vet with AAHA accreditation!