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I Took Kenny's Advice

iLander

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May 23, 2010
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So, Kenny has mentioned buying medications at a higher dosage and splitting the pills to save money . . .

My littlest dog, a Japanese Chin, has been diagnosed with congestive heart failure. She's had 6 heart attacks over the last 3 months, but she's been put on Vetmedin, and she's hanging in there. During the heart attacks, after a little bit of excitement, her heart stops, and she falls over. :shock: Her tongue lolls out in a novel, new, bright white color. :sick: We've messaged her back every time, but it's very scary the first few times. We work very hard not to stress her now, to the point where we sneak into our own house so she doesn't get excited. She can't walk very far now, but it's the high point of her day, so we carry her most of the way. People have made remarks about how she's such a princess, and I don't bother to explain that exertion could kill her. She's 10 years old, and it started with a cough (that the first vet thought was kennel cough), then progressed to a scary heart attack two days later. So keep an eye on a dog that coughs!

So now she's on 3 kinds of medicine, administered twice a day, and they're pricey. Incidentally, one makes her incontinent, so I take her out every 2 hours. I work hard to avoid the look of surprise & dismay she has on her face when she wets herself, poor thing. :blackeye: The meds are great, though, and she could live anywhere from a few months to a few years, no one knows for sure. It was touch and go before the meds kicked in, which took a month.

Long story short (I know, too late for that now) I thought like Kenny, and figured out that twice the dosage of her Vetmedin, cut in half, was MUCH cheaper per dose. I'm saving $40 per month. Thanks, Kenny! :wavey:

I suggest that everyone give a think to their medications, it's a great idea. Check to make sure they're splittable, though. NOT for timed-release.

And please send a little dust for my tiny dog . . . :|

puppic.jpg
 

kenny

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Glad if what I wrote helped your sweet doggie.

Give her a smooch for me. :kiss:
 

CJ2008

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OMG iLander how scary :(sad

But glad that with the meds her condition is somewhat controllable. She's such a cutie.

Sending her dust and hugs
 

missy

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Aww, I am sending bucket loads of dust for your sweet sweet doggie!!! :love: What a face!!! Sending healing vibes and big (((Hugs))) and much love to her too.
 

Efe

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I am so sorry about your furbaby. My Chin has a heart murmur and CHF and has been on 4 meds for the 1 1/2 years. The meds really are amazing. He has the same side effects, but the rest of his quality of life is good. He is 13 years old and has outlived the vets expectations! We send dust and hugs.
 

azstonie

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Oh what a cutie pie!!! Lots and lots of dust to you both!

My Westie has had 3 hip replacements, is on weekly allergy shots, etc etc. I can totally relate to the cost issue. Her food alone costs about $350 per month to keep her as tip top as she can be at baseline.

Regarding pill splitting, lots of docs advise you pill split assuming its not got a special coating on the pill. You can save a ton of money on pills like Lipitor, Xanax, etc that way.
 

kenny

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BTW, my human doctor refused to prescribe a larger dose of an Rx for me that I could pill-split to save money.
He said he could get in big trouble if caught.
(I have no idea if he was referring to the AMA or the Pharmaceutical company.)

I don't see that doctor any more.
I fired him for basically firing me for joining that concierge scam ... he wanted thousands of dollars a year (from me out of pocket) for the privilege of being my doctor.
That scam fee did not pay for anything.

I'm sure he's richer than hell now. :angryfire:
That money-grubbing scumbag. :angryfire:
 

Lady_Disdain

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Please be careful splitting pills. Some pills are coated to control absorption rate or to protect the stomach lining. Splitting pills can also affect dosage, so one half has a little more, the other a little less and some is lost. For some medication, this is not good. There is also medication that is heat, light or humidity sensitive and can degrade before the next dose is taken.

FDA has a list of medication that is safe to split: http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm171492.htm

And Consumer Reports also has a report on the subject: https://www.consumerreports.org/health/resources/pdf/best-buy-drugs/money-saving-guides/english/PillSplitting-FINAL.pdf
 

Lady_Disdain

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kenny|1405630958|3715313 said:
I don't see that doctor any more.
I fired him for basically firing me for joining that concierge scam ... he wanted thousands of dollars a year (from me out of pocket) for the privilege of being my doctor.
That scam fee did not pay for anything.

I'm sure he's richer than hell now. :angryfire:
That money-grubbing scumbag. :angryfire:

That fee pays for the fact that you will have fast access to your doctor when you need him, instead of waiting days or weeks. It pays for longer appointments and more attention from your doctor. It pays for him to research your condition, if necessary. You may not want to pay it and that is your decision but calling it a scam is offensive to some excellent doctors who do work in this fashion and whose patients are very happy with it.

And if he has found a model that works for him, his remaining patients (and since he wanted to reduce the number of clients in his practice, I am sure he wasn't too sad to see you go) and that earns him money, good for him. All of us have or had a job. Nearly all of us tried to maximize how much money we earned: we changed jobs, we pushed for a promotion, we increased our sales, etc. He is doing the same, in a way that improves quality instead of having more and more appointments each day.
 

kenny

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Whatever.
Hope he rots in Hell.
Scumbag money grubber, along with all the A-hole clients who pay for his daughter to get a new Porsche because her old one got dirty.
Somehow they've all managed to make the American health care system even more corrupt and unfair than it was before.

Once again in America, the rich get richer and the poor get fvcked.
But that's the American way.
Get rich too, or fvck you.
Same as it ever was.
 

ecf8503

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Lady_Disdain|1405632593|3715337 said:
Please be careful splitting pills. Some pills are coated to control absorption rate or to protect the stomach lining. Splitting pills can also affect dosage, so one half has a little more, the other a little less and some is lost. For some medication, this is not good. There is also medication that is heat, light or humidity sensitive and can degrade before the next dose is taken.

FDA has a list of medication that is safe to split: http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm171492.htm

And Consumer Reports also has a report on the subject: https://www.consumerreports.org/health/resources/pdf/best-buy-drugs/money-saving-guides/english/PillSplitting-FINAL.pdf

As a veterinarian, I have to agree 100% with this. PLEASE be mindful of medication integrity and safety issues. It could mean the difference between a good day and a very bad day for your pets. There is a reason medications are formulated in various dosage strengths.
 

Calliecake

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ecf8503|1405637868|3715379 said:
Lady_Disdain|1405632593|3715337 said:
Please be careful splitting pills. Some pills are coated to control absorption rate or to protect the stomach lining. Splitting pills can also affect dosage, so one half has a little more, the other a little less and some is lost. For some medication, this is not good. There is also medication that is heat, light or humidity sensitive and can degrade before the next dose is taken.

FDA has a list of medication that is safe to split: http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm171492.htm

And Consumer Reports also has a report on the subject: https://www.consumerreports.org/health/resources/pdf/best-buy-drugs/money-saving-guides/english/PillSplitting-FINAL.pdf

As a veterinarian, I have to agree 100% with this. PLEASE be mindful of medication integrity and safety issues. It could mean the difference between a good day and a very bad day for your pets. There is a reason medications are formulated in various dosage strengths.

I have also heard you shouldn't cut pills in half. I would check with the vet to be sure it's okay and she gets the proper amount in each dosage if you cut the pills in half. I'm so sorry about your baby. I can only imagine how scary this must be for you. Sending lots of dust your way!
 

purplesparklies

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kenny said:
Whatever.
Hope he rots in Hell.
Scumbag money grubber, along with all the A-hole clients who pay for his daughter to get a new Porsche because her old one got dirty.
Somehow they've all managed to make the American health care system even more corrupt and unfair than it was before.

Once again in America, the rich get richer and the poor get fvcked.
But that's the American way.
Get rich too, or fvck you.
Same as it ever was.

Wow. Really? I assume you spent your life volunteering your services as opposed to requiring payment for your work? If you required payment, aren't you simply one of those working the American way? Who is to say whether you were paid too much or too little? Every industry has those who some say are overpaid. Yet, I know of no one who asks for a reduction in pay so as not to be one of those who is trying to get richer.

Yes, the system is not ideal but those are ugly words for one cog in the wheel who simply chose to prescribe medication based on years of training rather than your frugality. Personally, I will pay to take my medication as directed and I will do the same for my pets unless my doctor and veterinarian can assure me, based on their knowledge and training, that I can alter their recommendation.

All the diamonds in the world won't give me back the health I could lose for the sake of a few bucks each month.
 

iLander

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Calliecake said:
ecf8503|1405637868|3715379 said:
Lady_Disdain|1405632593|3715337 said:
Please be careful splitting pills. Some pills are coated to control absorption rate or to protect the stomach lining. Splitting pills can also affect dosage, so one half has a little more, the other a little less and some is lost. For some medication, this is not good. There is also medication that is heat, light or humidity sensitive and can degrade before the next dose is taken.

As a veterinarian, I have to agree 100% with this. PLEASE be mindful of medication integrity and safety issues. It could mean the difference between a good day and a very bad day for your pets. There is a reason medications are formulated in various dosage strengths.

I have also heard you shouldn't cut pills in half. I would check with the vet to be sure it's okay and she gets the proper amount in each dosage if you cut the pills in half. I'm so sorry about your baby. I can only imagine how scary this must be for you. Sending lots of dust your way!

Well . . . hmmmm . . . if my vet hadn't doubled the dosage of the prescription for me, how exactly would I have done it? :confused:

I can't alter or write a prescription myself, my vet thought it was fine, and did it for me.
 

iLander

Ideal_Rock
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kenny|1405635854|3715359 said:
Whatever.
Hope he rots in Hell.
Scumbag money grubber, along with all the A-hole clients who pay for his daughter to get a new Porsche because her old one got dirty.
Somehow they've all managed to make the American health care system even more corrupt and unfair than it was before.

Once again in America, the rich get richer and the poor get fvcked.
But that's the American way.
Get rich too, or fvck you.
Same as it ever was.

And now you're running short of your calm down meds, obviously. :bigsmile:

Just kidding . . . :D

But I totally see your point, this new concierge doctor thing is a big trend. I think it's kind of silly, myself, and I think it's tailor-made for hypochondriacs. Also, I see ads for these docs, and the ads make it look like spending time with the docs is like being with a celebrity. Which is off-putting, at least to me.

Not my cup of tea, either. :sick:
 

iLander

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Effe|1405630221|3715300 said:
I am so sorry about your furbaby. My Chin has a heart murmur and CHF and has been on 4 meds for the 1 1/2 years. The meds really are amazing. He has the same side effects, but the rest of his quality of life is good. He is 13 years old and has outlived the vets expectations! We send dust and hugs.


Awww. . . Effe, what I cute little guy! I remembered that someone here had a Chin. Aren't they just the sweetest dogs? All they want is cuddles and a cushy pillow. Whenever mine is outside, she looks at me like "Why are we still in the potty?", she can't wait to get back to her comfy, air-conditioned house. Is yours a comfort nut, too? I'd love to see more pics!

Dust to your guy! We have to grind up the meds, and put them in water, and syringe them into her mouth. How does yours take the meds? What does he eat? Mine is so picky, so wondering what works for you.

More dust, so that he is feeling good and happy every day. :wavey:
 

iLander

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Kenny: consider her Smooched! :kiss: :kiss:

CJ2008:
Thanks for the dust and hugs. :)

Missy:
Thank you for the buckets and vibes. She's so funny-looking, she's cute, and her eyes always make her look surprised. She's a sweetie.

Aztonie:
Wow! That's a lot for food! I'm sure she appreciates it.
 

Calliecake

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I'm sorry iLander. I obviously didn't read your post correctly. I just had remembered someone telling me that the medicine may not be distributed evenly throughout the pill. Your doctor would not have prescribed you the larger dose to cut in half if it was a problem. Again, I'm sorry for my post above.

Your baby is beautiful!!
 

VapidLapid

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Gosh iLander, you know this strikes close to home for me in so many ways. I hope you little one comes through this and lives a full life, which you can expect she will with proper treatment.. The cost of these meds is ridiculously high, with no reason behind it except to pick the pockets of the people who are so attached to their canine partners. Murry has had CHF (aka Swiss Francs) for nearly two years. he takes vetmedin, enalapril and salix (aka furosemide). Shocked into nearly needing heart meds of my own after seeing the prices the vet charges for these, I first turned to 800petmeds...... which was hardly a break, and I had to wait a week (at least) to get them. Then I tried petfooddirect.com which was sure cheaper, as long as you could wait a month or two to get your order, which is unlikely with MEDICATIONS! (sorry for the caps, but I am still mad, though it has been many months since that fiasco). I believe the price schedule is scaled to spt size, and not to quantity of drug delivered. I believe the executives who are paid big bucks to find ways to skim more money out of the same product delivery think that the owners of smaller dogs are more personally invested in them as family members and will be willing to pay more for them, and for longer. I believe this is the only factor in the pricing schedule.
Murry's dosing has thus far eluded the simple 2x/2 formula, but if future conditions favor it I shall waste no time. I hope your little one fares well with what you can do.

And speaking of that, there is much you can do. Foods that are diuretic that can supplement the lasix salix furosemide are, beets, blueberries, watermelon, carrots.. I even let murry have the foam from a latte! Dogs that do not breather well to begin with have a hard time keeping cool especially when their circulatory system is affected.unnecessary exercise can leave them both short for breath and over heated. Still they have to walk for the exercise of their, um, rounds. Plus, being social creatures they need to get out to greet their constituency. A month ago I got murry a stroller on amazon.com. it is by pet gear and cost $79. He can now walk five blocks to the coffee shop, harass the locals for blueberry muffins and then ride home. Really it is better for me since I no longer have to carry him. And I can carry my stuff in the bin underneath! And I can now shop with him in tow, when before I had to carry him home then go back out to shop. Only took about 9 minutes to get over the self consciousness of pushing a dog in a stroller.
'In the stroleer I have a folded up flannel blanket that I stull with picnic basket blue ice. Murry lies on what is essentially a cushioned glacier and is comfortable in 90º weather. Plus it has a bin for my tools and stuff underneath and two cup holders for his ice and my beer!!!

murrstrollinglocal.jpg

murry144.jpg
 

Lady_Disdain

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Murry looks too cute in his stroller!
 

purplesparklies

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All these pups are too precious! I hope they all stay well and happy. I love the stroller and the cooler sheet is a fantastic idea!
 

zoebartlett

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VapidLapid, thanks for the info. on alternative places like Pet Foods Direct and 1800 Pet Meds for medication. I've always wondered how they rate, and I had a hard time trusting them. I think I'd rather continue to get my cat's meds from the vet/our pharmacy because I know where they came from.

ETA: I love the pics!
 

iLander

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Calliecake|1405649489|3715506 said:
I'm sorry iLander. I obviously didn't read your post correctly. I just had remembered someone telling me that the medicine may not be distributed evenly throughout the pill. Your doctor would not have prescribed you the larger dose to cut in half if it was a problem. Again, I'm sorry for my post above.

Your baby is beautiful!!

It's fine, no biggie. Thank you, Calliecake. :)
 

iLander

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Hi VL! Poor Murry, poor you! He's my favorite PS dog! That petfooddirect thing is ridiculous! What a bunch of idiots! They should be ashamed. :cry:

I wish I could get my dogster to eat anything besides tidbits of meat, fish, or chicken. She is super picky, it's like a joke. My Papillon will eat almost anything, but the Chin won't even eat chicken that's a couple of hours old. I tried the "if she's hungry, she'll eat" when she was little, and she went 3 days without eating! I finally caved. It's a bit tedious. :rolleyes:

I am well acquainted with the overheating, :knockout: and it's even worse here with our humidity. A couple of times I've been walking her (not lately, years ago) and I looked down to discover her foaming at the mouth. The humidity just built up in her nose and made foam like a latte machine! It wasn't even hot on those days, just 75 degree mornings, but super humid.

I think the doggie stroller is a good idea, I will check it out. I think I somehow bought this on myself, VL. :(( I was joking with a bunch of ladies about doggie strollers a few weeks back, and not two weeks later, I needed one. I will never joke about any kind of infirmity again.

Give Murry a big smoocher for me, VL. He's my hero.
 
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