40 Pet Owners Share The Most Ridiculous Reason They Had To Bring Their Pet To The Vet
We know just how much you love your pets, dear Pandas. If you’re like us, there isn’t anything in the world that you wouldn’t do for your furry (or scaly, or feathery) friends. We’d go to the ends of the earth if that meant that they’ll be happy and healthy. So when a health emergency comes up, some of us panic and rush to the vet, which is a completely normal reaction.
However, in some cases, what we thought was a major problem turned out to be something completely silly. Twitter user Kristin Chirico started up a fun and serotonin-filled thread about ridiculously funny emergency vet bills, and a ton of pet parents replied with their hilarious stories. Dogs with ‘happy tail syndrome’ are just the tip of the smiley iceberg.
Scroll down to put a smile on your face, dear Readers, and be sure to share this article with your pet-loving pals, too. Oh, and don’t forget to upvote the tweets that you enjoyed the most. When you’re done with this awesome list, consider dropping by the comment section to tell us all about your not-so-serious vet visits and how much you love your pets. (Cute cat and dog pics are always appreciated!) Meanwhile, read on for Bored Panda's interview about pets with the PDSA, the UK’s leading vet charity.
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Kristin’s Twitter thread went viral and had nearly 11k likes at the time of writing. One thing that it showed us is that, fortunately, not all health emergencies are as bad as they seem. There’s also a subtle hint there that vets have the patience of saints and the sense of humor of stand-up comedians. What would we do without them?
Bored Panda reached out to the PDSA for some advice on how owners can improve their pets’ lives and what mistakes to avoid doing. PDSA Vet Claire Roberts shared her experience with us.
“All pets should have a suitable diet for their species and also for their age and constant access to fresh clean water. Pets should be the correct weight—not too fat or too thin! Owners can use body condition scores to check their pets are the correct size,” she said that you can check out how this works for your pet over here.
Hey, bad gas f*****g HURTS! Pain can make you tense everything up. The sedative relaxed his muscles enough to let the gas escape.
According to the vet, pets need to be allowed to behave in ways that are natural to them. That’s where owners come in: they can help by providing a good environment.
“Allowing plenty of exercise will also help, for example, walks for dogs where they can sniff, run and explore. Cats can be encouraged to exercise and show their normal behaviors through interactive play with toy,” she shared.
“Rabbits and other smaller animals will also like toys or enrichment like cardboard tubes to chew or hide in. Socialization and training from a young age will be helpful in preventing many behavior issues later in life,” Claire told Bored Panda.
The vet noted that when it comes to companionship, a lot depends on what pet you have and their character as an individual, as well.
“Some need the company of their own species (like rabbits or guinea pigs), while others prefer to be on their own.”
“Generally, dogs are likely to want company with other dogs, while cats prefer to be alone, but this can be very individual and it’s best to watch their behavior with each other to see if they get along,” she said.
Claire pointed out that owners have to remember that more pets require more resources. They have to have the means available to take care of all of their furry friends. “When you have multiple pets, make sure to provide them with their own resources such as food bowls, water bowls, beds, and litter trays for cats.”
That’s a bit silly! Hope pup is doing better after the pancreatitis but the smooshy face is cute, despite alarming the vets
my boy had pancreatitis, now on a diet for the rest of his life
Load More Replies...Aw. What a face. You need to post more pic of him as well as update on health please 😊
I'm so sorry your baby had pancreatitis. It breaks my heart because I had a grand pup suffered from this horrible condition. I hope your baby is doing much better.
He is on instagram! https://instagram.com/nutterbutterrescuepupper?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Oh wow poor puppy. If it's anything like Pancreatitis in humans, then that poor puppy would have been in A LOT of pain. I unfortunately suffer from Chronic Pancreatitis.
I wouldn't go back to a vet that just looks at a dog's face and decides/knows what's wrong. Your dog's life hung in the balance. BTW, I hope Peanut fully recovered! What a sweet face!
My dog used to get pancreatitis if there was too much fat in her diet. It is extremely painful. No way you can miss it. How a vet did not recognize a dog is in that much pain concerns me, especially an emergency vet.
There’s nothing wrong with loving animals. In fact, it's wonderful. However, we all have to understand that love also means responsibility, not just cuddling pets 24/7. Some folks rush into pethood without thinking things through. And that ends up hurting everyone in the long run.
Cats be cranky if you change The Routine, AKA The Sacred Routine, AKA The Worship of Cat As Is Proper. :-)
“One big mistake that pet owners may make is to get their pet without learning what owning them may involve. There is so much to think about to give our companions the best life that we can, so it’s a great idea to plan ahead and do lots of research before getting a pet,” the vet suggested.
My dog used to do this a puppy. She’d go outside and then come in with a limp so we’d go over her and check her and when we found nothing wrong, she was suddenly fine again!
“This can allow you to choose the right type of pet that fits in best with your lifestyle, understand their needs, and to make sure you get your pet from a reputable source. Remember to think about which pets are better for households with children or other pets, their exercise requirements, costs, and any likely health issues,” Claire said, adding that you can find a handy quiz to help identify your perfect pet right over here.
1. That is a gorgeous bunny 2. Bunnies can be such food snobs! You’re supposed to give rabbits pelleted food along with hay and fresh greens and such, and while my old man here loves carrots and other treats, as far as his main sustenance, he refuses to touch anything other than pellets, and will only really eat one brand. I mean, I guess it’s not a huge deal since he’s made it to 12 years old so far, but every time I try to make his diet healthier, he turns his nose up at it
Last time I got a new piece of furniture (a cabinet), the Simple Cat did not take it well. If she had to go past it, she'd go Full Puffy and SPRINT past it, then hide and make sure it wasn't chasing her. It took her weeks to stop being afraid of the cabinet.
Ok but in fairness, if it was a single black nipple and all others were pink or different color then I could understand. I mistook my dogs nipple for something because it was different color than the rest so I kept examining it for like 30 minutes before I realized it was just a nipple high up on his chest
I'm really glad these people decided to go to the vet!! Better safe than sorry
Yeah but doesn't it seem like some of these people had really bad vets? If I didn't have cats all my life I'd be terrified to have a pet after reading some of this O_O
Load More Replies...My dog as a pup had a thing for eating socks, second time we had him at the vet to get him to throw it up wasn't a sock, turns out it was one of my thongs. Hubby was very embarrassed that day lol
Better that than the dog who swallowed a 'rabbit'
Load More Replies...Second hamster I owned happened to be male. Summer rolled around and my flat got a bit warm. Noticed he had a very swollen bottom (not just the usual bits). Took him to the vet. Found out male hamsters can get swollen nuts in the heat to help them cool off and I need to give him an ice pack.
My grandmother was ill so her Persian cat came to stay with my mother. He was fine at first but then stopped eating and using his litter box. After several expensive vet trips, we discovered that my mother’s Siamese was abusing him and he had a nervous breakdown, resulting in a Prozac prescription. Apparently, the Siamese cuddled the Persian when he felt affectionate and smacked him around when he felt cranky. The constant uncertainty caused the nervous breakdown. That Siamese was a real jacka**.
Neighbors' goat ate half the box of laundry detergent. Was fine, just farted soap bubbles for a couple of days.
I've taken my cat to the vet twice since I wasn't sure if he'd eaten glass. When he was younger he loved to knock glasses down and then chew on the pieces/carrying them around. After the first time I never left glasses unsupervised but I dropped one myself and I wasn't fast enough to stop him from hiding under the sofa with a piece of glass. This despite me getting three pieces in my foot when I tried to catch him. He was thankfully fine both times and has since calmed down. Him getting chewing sticks and toys has probably also helped, though I still have to hide quite a few things since he'll chew on them otherwise.
It cost me $215 to find out that all cats grow fat pads!! I was terrified when my first cat got it - I was scared it was a tumor or something bad- nope ( thank goodness!) but it makes me laugh
We just spent almost $1000 on a Guinea pig last week. My daughter has 2 Guinea pigs and one of them injured one of the toes. We cleaned it, bandaged it and gave salt baths daily but it swelled up so I suspected infection. Took it to the vet, got x-rays and yes it is infected. The only real option was amputation because the antibiotics needed are too strong. It wont just kill the bad bacteria, but will kill their good bacteria too, which is vital for them to break down fibre. So he got his toe amputated last Friday. Still don't know how he actually injured his foot though. Bloody expensive Guinea pig, that's for sure.
Poor piggie! I’ve just spent over $250 on my girl cockatiel for her congested breathing and sneezing fits. Vet’s not quite sure what it is but it will cost me $600 for X-rays to find out. Gf then tells me that someone who also has tiels has said she probably just needs more fresh air. So will be taking her for daily walks with her brother to see if that helps.
Load More Replies...I feel like I should share the tale of Alf and the jalepenis. I made a delightful taco dinner for my (now husband) before he left for work (works nights). Shortly after our cat Alfredo starts screaming while using his box. Iv had boy cats before and know how dangerous a blocked urethra can be so I call the emergency ER vet. Have them called in, 1800 bucks later nothing is wrong. X-ray came back clean, bladder fine, nothing out of the ordinary. His symptoms stopped as soon as they brought him back from the exam room he was confused and annoyed. The next day I dropped my phone and when I went to pick it up I noticed something under our bed. That something was a jalapeño with a cat sized bite in it. Turns out the little sh!t stole it while I was cooking, took a bite and licked himself. Idiot gave himself a spicy wiener. Vet called back and asked how he was doing and I told her about the Jalepeno. She said cats can’t taste spice but it’ll burn. Aka Alf and the Jalepenis 🤦🏼♀️
Vet visit for my boy cockatiel once when he gave himself a night fright and fell off his perch..$128 later to find out he has a sore foot from the fall and medicine to take for a week. Was not happy with me one bit.
I used to let mine fly around sometimes until I had to take her to the vet because she flew into flypaper. Turns out that all you can do is wait for the gunk to wear off.
Load More Replies...One time my kitty did get an infection that the vet could not pinpoint the cause. She was very sick. Spent days at the vet's. They gave her an antibiotic that didn't work. Actually suggested putting her to sleep! I'm a nurse. I told the vet that sometimes we give patients an antibiotic that isn't working. We change to a different antibiotic. I suggested we try what we call a more "broad spectrum" (kills a lot of different kinds of bacteria rather than a narrowed down group). We did. It worked and she recovered. Thank God I'm a nurse and know these things. There are treatments that do apply to animals as they do in humans.
Needs upvotes. I'm just an old great-grandma but I know about resistant infections. It is very scary that a vet was unaware of this.
Load More Replies...I got one! My cat Poppy was 6 months old. She's a really pretty diluted tortie and I love her but she's crazy. One night she starts screaming and yowling and holding her back end and tail at an odd angle. My husband and I freaked out thinking she's broke a bone and rush to an ER 30min away in the middle of the night. We're sitting in the car waiting for the doctor to call (covid rules) and fearing the worst. Vet calls and tells me that nothings wrong with her. She started her first heat. He was trying so hard not to laugh but I couldn't stop myself. It was hilarious. They only charged me for the exam and gave pretty Poppy a funtime shot in the a*s to calm her down. She was spayed the following month (she was too small before) but I still can't believe I didn't recognize the symptoms. My other girl was spayed when I got her and it didn't even cross my mind that she was in heat. Little girl got a kitty heating pad and extra treats for awhile.
After many months of trying, a friend and his wife finally learned they were expecting. Not long after the pregnancy was confirmed, their cat started acting really skittish and spooked. They were afraid that maybe the cat sensed a hormone change or something, and worried they'd have to get rid of the cat before the baby came. A short visit but expensive visit to the vet revealed that the cat had been freaked out by a bouquet of helium balloons that they'd received in congratulations of their impending parenthood.
Dear Jonas, You are hilarious. I can't find a way to send you this other than in the comments, so please forgive me. I'm an editor, and the verb "bring" in the title of the vet article should be "take.". Bring is only used when the action is being regarded from the destination, not the departure point. It is used EVERYWHERE incorrectly in exactly this way, so don't feel bad. Onward with hilarity.
Pet insurance in the US is a racket and not all that useful because they don't cover a ton of stuff. It's not the same as human insurance.
Load More Replies...One day I got a large package and was sitting on the floor opening it with my dog laying next to me. The item I bought was covered with those styrofoam packing peanuts and some spilled onto the floor. My dog immediately picked one up in his mouth and ran away. I grabbed him and tried to wrestle the peanut out of his mouth, but his jaws are extremely strong (he's half terrier), and I couldn't do it. Panicked, I googled whether or not those peanuts would pass naturally or if I should go to animal emergency. Among the answers to my search was information about how companies are using edible packing peanuts that are safe if ingested, and that they tasted like popcorn. So I touched my tongue to one and it immediately started to dissolve, tasting like popcorn. My dog had eaten an edible 'styrofoam' peanut! If only more companies would use them; it would be so much better for the environment, and safer for animals!
So in summary this topic is about how emotional overreacting is used by money grubbing vets to squeeze out as much money as possible. Maybe try not to rush to the vet as soon as something is not normal. Stop googling for symptomes-what do u think, is a university studie required for proper diagnosis or is your highly emotional google search equal to what the vet has learned in his study over the years? Most of those emergencys are because someone panicked or couldn't clean his pet.
My rescue dog has a very sensitive gut and environmental allergies that we’re still trying to figure out. So. His poop and whether or not his nipples are irritated are daily topics of conversation. Been to the vet 3 times in 3 weeks 😩But he’s the best boy and totally worth it.
My puppy doggy woggy had tick paralysis but removed 2 ticks... I wasn't entirely sure it was thatn thus, took him to the emergency vet. He was nearly regained full use of his legs within minutes(scared of beingin a new place withoutme by him)...he was faking the severity because I was giving him extra lovings😑
Apologies for the horrid grammar. My phone developed Parkinsons because I had Damp fingertips
Load More Replies...My dog tends to get psychological pregnancies and her nipples get full of milk. Last time we thought that was happening it wouldn't get better even after quite a few days so my mom took the dog to the vet just to find it's fatness.
The prices quoted are ridiculously high! Why would a vet charge several hundred $$$ for a diagnosis?
My dad took our dog for a walk one day, and when they got home, noticed she was limping. He looked at her paw and saw what appeared to be a thorn embedded in it, and that the whole paw was hard. He took her to the emergency vet only to have a hysterically laughing vet tech tell him she had an acorn shell stuck around the pad of her foot... 🤦
Didn't go to the vet because somewhere in the past I had read a post, but...I have slight mobility issues and have to take stairs slowly and 1 step, both feet on step, 1 step, etc. My cat started doing it and I was worried she'd hurt herself. No, she was just imitating me. Other times, especially meal times, she's a Speed Racer down the stairs. Thank you BP posters for saving me vet money!
My cat , an active outdoor type, took to a chair and stopped eating after we rescued her stray dad, who needed a small operation. First vet said she'd settle. Second vet did expensive tests, all negative, and then kept her in to start to force feed her. Day 10 by then. I reluctantly rehomed her dad that day, bought her back and she checked out the place and immediately went and ate. Drama queen.....
Bad pet owners and bad vets. When someone has a pet it's essential he observe the behaviour and the animal's habits. Lots of those cases show the owner didn't know their animal at all. Lastly, I have a vet I trust and who knows my pet since he was a baby. He knows his quirks as well as I do and would never misdiagnose let alone charge exorbitant fees as a random vet would.
I'm really glad these people decided to go to the vet!! Better safe than sorry
Yeah but doesn't it seem like some of these people had really bad vets? If I didn't have cats all my life I'd be terrified to have a pet after reading some of this O_O
Load More Replies...My dog as a pup had a thing for eating socks, second time we had him at the vet to get him to throw it up wasn't a sock, turns out it was one of my thongs. Hubby was very embarrassed that day lol
Better that than the dog who swallowed a 'rabbit'
Load More Replies...Second hamster I owned happened to be male. Summer rolled around and my flat got a bit warm. Noticed he had a very swollen bottom (not just the usual bits). Took him to the vet. Found out male hamsters can get swollen nuts in the heat to help them cool off and I need to give him an ice pack.
My grandmother was ill so her Persian cat came to stay with my mother. He was fine at first but then stopped eating and using his litter box. After several expensive vet trips, we discovered that my mother’s Siamese was abusing him and he had a nervous breakdown, resulting in a Prozac prescription. Apparently, the Siamese cuddled the Persian when he felt affectionate and smacked him around when he felt cranky. The constant uncertainty caused the nervous breakdown. That Siamese was a real jacka**.
Neighbors' goat ate half the box of laundry detergent. Was fine, just farted soap bubbles for a couple of days.
I've taken my cat to the vet twice since I wasn't sure if he'd eaten glass. When he was younger he loved to knock glasses down and then chew on the pieces/carrying them around. After the first time I never left glasses unsupervised but I dropped one myself and I wasn't fast enough to stop him from hiding under the sofa with a piece of glass. This despite me getting three pieces in my foot when I tried to catch him. He was thankfully fine both times and has since calmed down. Him getting chewing sticks and toys has probably also helped, though I still have to hide quite a few things since he'll chew on them otherwise.
It cost me $215 to find out that all cats grow fat pads!! I was terrified when my first cat got it - I was scared it was a tumor or something bad- nope ( thank goodness!) but it makes me laugh
We just spent almost $1000 on a Guinea pig last week. My daughter has 2 Guinea pigs and one of them injured one of the toes. We cleaned it, bandaged it and gave salt baths daily but it swelled up so I suspected infection. Took it to the vet, got x-rays and yes it is infected. The only real option was amputation because the antibiotics needed are too strong. It wont just kill the bad bacteria, but will kill their good bacteria too, which is vital for them to break down fibre. So he got his toe amputated last Friday. Still don't know how he actually injured his foot though. Bloody expensive Guinea pig, that's for sure.
Poor piggie! I’ve just spent over $250 on my girl cockatiel for her congested breathing and sneezing fits. Vet’s not quite sure what it is but it will cost me $600 for X-rays to find out. Gf then tells me that someone who also has tiels has said she probably just needs more fresh air. So will be taking her for daily walks with her brother to see if that helps.
Load More Replies...I feel like I should share the tale of Alf and the jalepenis. I made a delightful taco dinner for my (now husband) before he left for work (works nights). Shortly after our cat Alfredo starts screaming while using his box. Iv had boy cats before and know how dangerous a blocked urethra can be so I call the emergency ER vet. Have them called in, 1800 bucks later nothing is wrong. X-ray came back clean, bladder fine, nothing out of the ordinary. His symptoms stopped as soon as they brought him back from the exam room he was confused and annoyed. The next day I dropped my phone and when I went to pick it up I noticed something under our bed. That something was a jalapeño with a cat sized bite in it. Turns out the little sh!t stole it while I was cooking, took a bite and licked himself. Idiot gave himself a spicy wiener. Vet called back and asked how he was doing and I told her about the Jalepeno. She said cats can’t taste spice but it’ll burn. Aka Alf and the Jalepenis 🤦🏼♀️
Vet visit for my boy cockatiel once when he gave himself a night fright and fell off his perch..$128 later to find out he has a sore foot from the fall and medicine to take for a week. Was not happy with me one bit.
I used to let mine fly around sometimes until I had to take her to the vet because she flew into flypaper. Turns out that all you can do is wait for the gunk to wear off.
Load More Replies...One time my kitty did get an infection that the vet could not pinpoint the cause. She was very sick. Spent days at the vet's. They gave her an antibiotic that didn't work. Actually suggested putting her to sleep! I'm a nurse. I told the vet that sometimes we give patients an antibiotic that isn't working. We change to a different antibiotic. I suggested we try what we call a more "broad spectrum" (kills a lot of different kinds of bacteria rather than a narrowed down group). We did. It worked and she recovered. Thank God I'm a nurse and know these things. There are treatments that do apply to animals as they do in humans.
Needs upvotes. I'm just an old great-grandma but I know about resistant infections. It is very scary that a vet was unaware of this.
Load More Replies...I got one! My cat Poppy was 6 months old. She's a really pretty diluted tortie and I love her but she's crazy. One night she starts screaming and yowling and holding her back end and tail at an odd angle. My husband and I freaked out thinking she's broke a bone and rush to an ER 30min away in the middle of the night. We're sitting in the car waiting for the doctor to call (covid rules) and fearing the worst. Vet calls and tells me that nothings wrong with her. She started her first heat. He was trying so hard not to laugh but I couldn't stop myself. It was hilarious. They only charged me for the exam and gave pretty Poppy a funtime shot in the a*s to calm her down. She was spayed the following month (she was too small before) but I still can't believe I didn't recognize the symptoms. My other girl was spayed when I got her and it didn't even cross my mind that she was in heat. Little girl got a kitty heating pad and extra treats for awhile.
After many months of trying, a friend and his wife finally learned they were expecting. Not long after the pregnancy was confirmed, their cat started acting really skittish and spooked. They were afraid that maybe the cat sensed a hormone change or something, and worried they'd have to get rid of the cat before the baby came. A short visit but expensive visit to the vet revealed that the cat had been freaked out by a bouquet of helium balloons that they'd received in congratulations of their impending parenthood.
Dear Jonas, You are hilarious. I can't find a way to send you this other than in the comments, so please forgive me. I'm an editor, and the verb "bring" in the title of the vet article should be "take.". Bring is only used when the action is being regarded from the destination, not the departure point. It is used EVERYWHERE incorrectly in exactly this way, so don't feel bad. Onward with hilarity.
Pet insurance in the US is a racket and not all that useful because they don't cover a ton of stuff. It's not the same as human insurance.
Load More Replies...One day I got a large package and was sitting on the floor opening it with my dog laying next to me. The item I bought was covered with those styrofoam packing peanuts and some spilled onto the floor. My dog immediately picked one up in his mouth and ran away. I grabbed him and tried to wrestle the peanut out of his mouth, but his jaws are extremely strong (he's half terrier), and I couldn't do it. Panicked, I googled whether or not those peanuts would pass naturally or if I should go to animal emergency. Among the answers to my search was information about how companies are using edible packing peanuts that are safe if ingested, and that they tasted like popcorn. So I touched my tongue to one and it immediately started to dissolve, tasting like popcorn. My dog had eaten an edible 'styrofoam' peanut! If only more companies would use them; it would be so much better for the environment, and safer for animals!
So in summary this topic is about how emotional overreacting is used by money grubbing vets to squeeze out as much money as possible. Maybe try not to rush to the vet as soon as something is not normal. Stop googling for symptomes-what do u think, is a university studie required for proper diagnosis or is your highly emotional google search equal to what the vet has learned in his study over the years? Most of those emergencys are because someone panicked or couldn't clean his pet.
My rescue dog has a very sensitive gut and environmental allergies that we’re still trying to figure out. So. His poop and whether or not his nipples are irritated are daily topics of conversation. Been to the vet 3 times in 3 weeks 😩But he’s the best boy and totally worth it.
My puppy doggy woggy had tick paralysis but removed 2 ticks... I wasn't entirely sure it was thatn thus, took him to the emergency vet. He was nearly regained full use of his legs within minutes(scared of beingin a new place withoutme by him)...he was faking the severity because I was giving him extra lovings😑
Apologies for the horrid grammar. My phone developed Parkinsons because I had Damp fingertips
Load More Replies...My dog tends to get psychological pregnancies and her nipples get full of milk. Last time we thought that was happening it wouldn't get better even after quite a few days so my mom took the dog to the vet just to find it's fatness.
The prices quoted are ridiculously high! Why would a vet charge several hundred $$$ for a diagnosis?
My dad took our dog for a walk one day, and when they got home, noticed she was limping. He looked at her paw and saw what appeared to be a thorn embedded in it, and that the whole paw was hard. He took her to the emergency vet only to have a hysterically laughing vet tech tell him she had an acorn shell stuck around the pad of her foot... 🤦
Didn't go to the vet because somewhere in the past I had read a post, but...I have slight mobility issues and have to take stairs slowly and 1 step, both feet on step, 1 step, etc. My cat started doing it and I was worried she'd hurt herself. No, she was just imitating me. Other times, especially meal times, she's a Speed Racer down the stairs. Thank you BP posters for saving me vet money!
My cat , an active outdoor type, took to a chair and stopped eating after we rescued her stray dad, who needed a small operation. First vet said she'd settle. Second vet did expensive tests, all negative, and then kept her in to start to force feed her. Day 10 by then. I reluctantly rehomed her dad that day, bought her back and she checked out the place and immediately went and ate. Drama queen.....
Bad pet owners and bad vets. When someone has a pet it's essential he observe the behaviour and the animal's habits. Lots of those cases show the owner didn't know their animal at all. Lastly, I have a vet I trust and who knows my pet since he was a baby. He knows his quirks as well as I do and would never misdiagnose let alone charge exorbitant fees as a random vet would.