.
What I am about to write is merely my opinion.
However these opinions were derived based
on factual occurrences that I have been privy
to in my many years as a lover and breeder
of the mighty BULLDOG.
After carefully researching
Bulldogs, you must conclude that they are
high maintenance,
high price and highly esteemed as a wonderful
part of any family. From the beginning, Bulldogs
must be artificially inseminated, C-Sectioned
and the moms can and will accidentally crush
and kill the babies in the first few weeks
unless around the clock supervision is not
maintained. Often times we must take the
pups away from mom completely in the first
few days and raise them ourselves. To successfully
raise a litter of Bulldog pups
to 8 weeks
old is
a miracle
in itself.
Here is how it works. Bully goes to his
new home. Ahhhh sooooo cute. Then Bully goes
to get
puppy wellness physical. Vet usually assures
the new owner that he/ she has lots of experience
with Bulldogs and scares them to death by
parroting back what they were taught in vet
school about Bully. However in The Vets defense,
a person only knows what they have been taught
or have experienced. Many of these Vets are
very nice wonderful people that I would happily
to go out and eat with. But just
because a Vet has a good bedside manner,
does not mean that they are competent. Most
simply lack the experience.
Below are a few short versions to long stories,
but after reading you will get the idea.
I have literally 100 or more stories, but
these are a few good ones.
REAL STORY: A customer once called and told
me that I would be happy to know that her
Vet was quite experienced with Bulldogs.
When I asked what the Vets credentials were,
she exclaimed that her Vet attended the University
of Georgia and she was the primary Veterinarian
caretaker for Uga the schools Mascott….
Are you kidding. One Bulldog and she is
experienced. You’ve go to be joking.
My Vet Dr. Butchko in Riverside, CA. (951)
686--2242 see's approx. 50 + - Bulldogs
per day and performs
almost
any
general and sometimes special surgery that
a Bulldog necessitates. That is what I consider
experience.
REAL STORY: This exact story happened 3
times last year. All were separate occurrences,
took place in different cities and obviously
with different Vets.
Symptoms: Bully has a green snotty nose and
becomes lethargic.
Customer calls me frantic from the Vets office
stating that their Vet told them that they
must return the Bulldog immediately to the
breeder because it had Distemper. All three
times I spoke the Vet on the telephone in
the presence of the customer and told them
that the dog had a simple upper respiratory
infection that needed to be treated with
antibiotics and so forth. Neither of the
3 Vets would concede so
I made
each
of
them
this
wager.
I told them that if the dog has Distemper
then I would give him $10,000 cash and if
it does
not
he waives
the Vet fee for the customer.
What do you think happened? Yeah you got
it. I still have my 10 Grand and the customer
paid the bill. On all 3 occurrences, I picked
up the dog from the customer, treated it
and returned it 5-7 days later completely
well. (By the way Distemper is usually a
death sentence for any pup that contracts
it and if a pup has it then all of the siblings
will have it as well. Distemper is also extremely
rare these days..)
REAL STORY: My good friend
and partner breeder told me this story several
years ago. Bully
was approx. 12 weeks old and the front right
leg near the paw was becoming twisted and
the dog began to hobble. Customer did not
call him first, she took Bully to The Vet.
This Vet from UC Davis (A very
prominant Vet School) sent her to a Specialist
(I cringe when
I hear
that word SPECIALIST) My experience has been
that many Specialist specialize in taking
your money.
Anyhow the Specialist
concluded
that Bully had a genetic
birth
defect that
caused one bone to be longer than the other
in the lower leg. Prognosis, break the shorter
bone and put a pin in it. Price tag $3300.
Luckily after scheduling the procedure, the
lady called my partner to convey the information.
Long story short, he told her The Vet was
smoking crack and to leave the leg alone
and it would straighten out in a month or
so. What do you think happened? Yeah you
got it. No surgery and a perfectly formed
Bully Leg. Cost of the tests.....$800 bucks.
REAL STORY: My good friends
Mom purchases pup. Pup was totally healthy
for several years
then one day becomes lethargic and
throwing up. Mom who loves the Dog more than
herself, hurries over to a well known Veterinarian
Specialist Hospital located in Escondido
California. After several days my friend
called to ask my opinion because they had
performed test after test to no avail. I
told him to get the dog and go to see Dirk
Butchko.
What do you think happened? He did not heed
my warning but finally removed the dog from
the hosapital after 8 days. The dog was
no better than when he first went
in.
He
took
the dog
home
it
went
outside and ate some grass and has been 100%
ever since. Price tag $9800. I know this
for sure because I have a copy of the bill.
As the owner of a Bully, it is most important
to choose your Bulldogs Vet most carefully.
Here is a checklist that may help when
you are choosing your Bully’s Vet.
The BIGBULLDOGS WARNS you to choose your
Vet carefully.
1. Ask how many Bulldogs does the Vet see
weekly. If it is less than 10, MOVE ON.
2. Does the Vet do his or her own surgeries
for the following; Cherry Eye, Dermoid Cycts,
Elongated Soft Pallet, Hernias (Inguinal & Umbilical),
C-Sections, Progesterone Tests, Basic Knee
Surgeries. These are just a few, but if he
does not do the basics, then MOVE ON.
3. Does the Vet read and interpret his/ her
own X-Rays or do they send them out to a
Radiologist.
If they cannot read and accurately interpret
their own X-Rays, MOVE ON.
4. Does the facility appear clean and sanitary?
If not MOVE ON.
I will continue to update these stories when
I have time to do so. Once again they are
not meant to bash Vets or imply anything
other than to give you information on my
experiences so that you may have adequate
ammunition when choosing the right vet
for your Bully. Remember The VET can be
your Bulldogs best friend or worst nightmare.
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