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Permalink Reply by Mariana on February 27, 2009 at 8:51pm

I can't give you any advice about Tucker's health unfortunately. I really hope he's okay though. I would recommend that you really sit down with your vet and say, "Hey, I just need a few moments of your time. If you could please tell me why his heart rate might have dropped; why he would have had excessive bleeding; if there were other complications...etc." Veterinarians and human doctors tend to be the same in this respect: they offer the least amount of information because they're too pressed for time and believe you're on a need-to-know basis.

I would suspect that if your veterinarian wasn't too concerned, it was probably a routine complication that he sees quite often. But then it could be something much more serious, and maybe it will take your prodding for him to prod into it himself.

Hope that helps. And I hope Tucker has a good recovery! :-)

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Permalink Reply by Sam on February 27, 2009 at 9:07pm

I would say the chances are likely that your dog has von Willebrands Disease. This is a blood disorder similar to hemophelia in people. Seems something goes awry and they do not clot well. This is one of the top three that breeders test for prior to breeding. Yes they can live a long and normal life. The trick is knowing and providing the info to any veterinary professional, groomer or anyone who cares for your dog. Typically it is easier to control if the vet knows before hand so he can be prepared for this situation. Many vets are not familiar with this situation in corgis.

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Permalink Reply by Susan Stanton on February 27, 2009 at 9:21pm

I would second the idea to test for Von W's. My breeder emailed all of us who had gotten girls from her 11/07 litter, because the first little girl had had bleeding issues when spayed. Even though the breeder tested all her dogs for Von W's, she was concerned there may have been something amiss, and wanted us all to be aware. The little pup in question was fine after a little recuperation period. When I took my girl in, they did a clotting test first to make sure she'd be okay, and they were prepared to deal with bleeding if she did have Von W's. So I would definitely talk to the vet about testing -- and if they don't answer your questions or don't know enough, ask around for a vet whom you can relate to and you feel gives you the answers you want. It's not life threatening, but you do need to know if it's there. If it's not, you do need a vet who will listen to you and answer questions (and be honest about what may/may not have occurred in the surgery). Hope your puppy is recovering nicely now, we send him recuperative hugs.

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Permalink Reply by Courtney & Tucker on February 28, 2009 at 12:31am

Well he's been home now for about 5 hours and he seems to be okay. He's just resting, he got a little playful but calmed down real quick. There was still just a little bit of bleeding but now it has seemed to stop so I'm crossing my fingers that everything is OKAY and the low heart rate and the bleeding was just his reaction to the anesthetic.

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Permalink Reply by Amanda on February 28, 2009 at 8:07am

My first thought about his heart rate would have been a reaction to the anesthesia also, though for the vet to mention it, it obviously had to have dropped much lower than normal. I definitely think you should be more assertive when it comes to this vet. When it comes to your dog you have the right to get an explanation for any problem or complications, and you definitely don't want to take a chance. I've had some pretty bad luck finding decent vets around here, I've been through about 3 of them and currently don't really know where I'll be going next. I just feel like if any vet doesn't take the time to explain things to you, then you shouldn't trust them with your pet. Good luck with them, and I hope Tucker feels better. Dax was back to his normal self by the next day, I'm sure Tucker will also.

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Permalink Reply by Lucy Hicks on February 28, 2009 at 8:44am

I hope this message finds Tucker back to his 'old' self. He is certainly a darling. Lilly and I wish you both the best.

It would be wise to speak with your vet, best to go in person, catch them first thing in the morning (like right when they come into their office) and as other say..ask those questions (have them written out).Initially I know that you were in shock when the vet told you so you weren't prepared to ask more fact finding questions.

Also, one more word of advice, don't let them put you off, be persistently pleasant as we say in the South.....
Good Luck

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Permalink Reply by DR, Nala & Simon on February 28, 2009 at 8:57am

How about asking around with your new neighbors, coworkers about other vets? A second opinion never hurts, and you may find a vet that actually answer your questions. Hopefully Tucker will be perfectly all right. Take care. Good luck.

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Permalink Reply by Rebecca on February 28, 2009 at 11:06pm

I monitor anesthetic for surgeries at my work place. Low heart rates do occur. Some anesthetic agents or even sedatives given prior to surgeries can sometimes cause low heart rates (depending on what drugs are used). Every animal hospital uses different drugs depending on the animals age, health history, medication, type of surgery, etc... With blood loss the animals heart rate will usually increase. A normal heart rate usually depends on the size of the animal, age, how active they are, and medical history. A corgi I would estimate 100-150 beats per min. An animal on anesthetic, resting or sleeping can go much lower and still be normal. I would talk to you vet again. Advise your vet you did not understand and what factors could have caused this, and if they is any further testing that would be recommended. I think this would give you comfort also if Tucker ever had to go under anesthetic again.

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Permalink Reply by Courtney & Tucker on March 14, 2009 at 12:53pm

Tucker finally got his stitches out yesterday and is doing great! Thanks for all the responses! Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend :)

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Permalink Reply by VanCleave's on March 14, 2009 at 11:26pm

FIND A NEW VET!!! You should be able to ask questions and feel comfortable with them. If you don't feel as they are treating you right change vets just as you would a doctor for yourself!

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