Some of you guys get onto me sometimes for doing stuff without running batteries of tests first, just because doing x,y, or z seems right in my head... I thought y'all might enjoy this..
I called my vet's office yesterday looking for a few vials of this and that, and I also mentioned that I needed to speak with someone about whether to A) refill a scrip to continue one of my dogs on levothyroxine that's not helping or B) try to figure something else out for her.
My primary goat vet actually called me back at 6:41pm. I didn't expect that -- actually expected a call from one of the techs the next day -- but maybe that's what happens when you put $300 into a $40 buck and $1,600 into knee surgery for an LGD you got free, etc.
Anyhoo..
I talked about what was going on with the dog and why I was reluctant to keep trying the levothyroxine, and he more or less agreed.. Said we should probably run some more tests to see if there's something else going on..
Then he said the most intriguing thing..... He said it's entirely possible that we may not get anything of "diagnostic value" from tests, and that we may have to go off our "clinical impressions" and start some "trial therapy."
In other words...look at her, theorize what may be wrong, then just try some stuff to see what works.
So, with that in mind, I've decided I'm going to alter my language on this forum.. From now on, instead of saying "Sounds like ________, so I'd probably try some _____ and see what happens," I'm going to "suggest a course of trial therapy with _____, based off the clinical impression that it could be _____________."
Sounds much better, right?!?!
I called my vet's office yesterday looking for a few vials of this and that, and I also mentioned that I needed to speak with someone about whether to A) refill a scrip to continue one of my dogs on levothyroxine that's not helping or B) try to figure something else out for her.
My primary goat vet actually called me back at 6:41pm. I didn't expect that -- actually expected a call from one of the techs the next day -- but maybe that's what happens when you put $300 into a $40 buck and $1,600 into knee surgery for an LGD you got free, etc.
Anyhoo..
I talked about what was going on with the dog and why I was reluctant to keep trying the levothyroxine, and he more or less agreed.. Said we should probably run some more tests to see if there's something else going on..
Then he said the most intriguing thing..... He said it's entirely possible that we may not get anything of "diagnostic value" from tests, and that we may have to go off our "clinical impressions" and start some "trial therapy."
In other words...look at her, theorize what may be wrong, then just try some stuff to see what works.
So, with that in mind, I've decided I'm going to alter my language on this forum.. From now on, instead of saying "Sounds like ________, so I'd probably try some _____ and see what happens," I'm going to "suggest a course of trial therapy with _____, based off the clinical impression that it could be _____________."
Sounds much better, right?!?!
Cant they just speak english!! 
