Wow, for someone who is accusing others of making assumptions, you sure are doing a lot of it yourself.
I have raised 12 dogs to old age on my life, and they showed signs when in pain. Whimpering, yelping, or whining most often, lethargy or refusing to move sometimes.
I, too, have raised
over a dozen dogs to old age. And, yes, dogs do show signs they are in pain, but sometimes dogs also dont show a huge amount of outward signs of pain too. And that is frequently more common. It all depends. That is why when you take a dog to a vet they pull a dogs legs up and lean into the body to feel for slight twitches if they are testing for pain.
Yes, the dog has a neurological condition and is under professional care.
You do not know if the dog is going through ongoing care. Assumptions, assumptions, assumptions. The OP does not say if she takes her dog to the vet any more frequently than a healthy dog would go to the vet, as needed for shots or illness. The OP may be. I never said she wasnt. The OP said the dog was underweight. That tells me two thingseither the dog can not/will not eat, one of those signs of pain, or the dog can not properly digest food. Just like with people, dogs are given supplements or IVs when they can not digest food to get their weight up. The OP made no mention of this; in fact, she said the dog was underweight, which makes me think that the vet is not helping the dog put on weight. If a dog is not digesting food and is not being helped with medication, I would thinkvery logicallythat the dog might not be getting the proper nutrition, and therefore, *might* be in poor health otherwise. Vets are like human doctors and every other profession; they are not all created equal. Ive seen some really rotten vets and Ive seen some really fantastic vets.
There are many conditions, in humans and animals, that cause difficulties or disabilities but not pain. How do you know this isn't one of them? Are you a vet?
I do not know this, but the dog is underweight. Its a sign. See above. I am not a vet, but I grew up with a vet and have siblings who are vets and good friends who are vets. With as many dogs as I have had, I have also been to the vets office many times. Oh, and I used to live with a breeder. And if I were a vet, I wouldnt diagnose from a posting on an internet message board. I am also (yes, assuming) that the person who came out to investigate looked the dog over and saw signs of pain, or possible pain, and since this person spoke to the vetthe OP states as muchIm also assuming they were given reason to think a vet needed to look the animal over again.
The OP made no mention of where she got the puppy, nor do you have any information as to whether this condition is genetic or just one of those things. You are making huge assumptions here, with zero information on which to base them.
Where on earth did I ever say definitively that the OP got the dog from a breeder? I also mentioned backyard breedersthose that think it will be fun to have their dogs have puppies or are just in it to make money without care to genetic testing to be sure the animals are in good shape. I also mentioned pet stores. No reputable breeder sells to pet stores; its puppy mills that are willing to supply to pet stores. I also mentioned people who just dont alter their animals so when they get out on accident, they meet up with another animal and are suddenly pregnant. Of course, the OP could have just found a dog from a shelter and thats a fantastic thing. Ive had rescue dogs myself, but they come from one of the above sources originally. Yes, it could be just one of those things, but chances are that it is genetic somewhere down the line. That is why good breeders put their dogs through extensive genetic testing before breedingthat is why dogs from breeders cost so much; good breeders try to do away with as many problems as possible. You are making assumptions in the opposite with zero information on which to base them.
It seems many municipalities are doing this. I think it's dangerous to give authority to private citizens who may jump to enormous, and quite possibly erroneous conclusions as you have.
Those private citizens are trained, not just volunteers. In our county they go through the same training as Animal Control and most also have some type of veterinary experience too. They are actually MORE qualified than Animal Control. Personally, I would rather have that person come out and take a look than someone who has never had any vet tech or vet classes. Its less money for the county, tax dollars are able to be used elsewhere, and it is better for the animals that are being looked at. You have no idea if my conclusions are erroneous or yours are. As a matter of fact, you are doing a heck of a lot more assuming than I am.
You have zero evidence on which to base an assumption that the dog is pain, unless you are a licensed trained vet who has examined the animal in question.
You have zero evidence on which to base an assumption that the dog is not in pain, unless you are a licensed trained vet who has examined in depth the animal in question. And I never made that assumption; I said IF. Do you disagree that she should keep the dog alive in pain if it is in pain without doing anything for that pain? I am positive that the OP cares for and loves this dog very much. I am sure that the OP has always acted in what she thought was the dogs best interests. Why such a chip on your shoulder?
I would like to *think* that whoever called in was concerned for the dog and not just trying to do the OP harm. They probably also called in anonymously in order to save whatever type of relationship they may have with the OP. Or maybe they just didnt want retaliation from anyone, not that I think the OP would, but who knows how other people think? Maybe they just want to have minimum involvement. A lot of those calls, do, in fact, lead to awful care of the animals and get them in much better situations and a lot of people wouldnt call in if they had to leave their names.
