Share your veterinary nightmares---or why I hate vets! - Page 8

I MISS CA! I had a couple of really good vets in the Sac Valley. They gave me great discounts and I could count on them 24/7, not to mention only a 45 min. drive to UCD. I don't even trust most of the ones here... Most won't even attempt OFA's or refuse to do anything but Penn-Hip, having been trained at U of PA where they formulated that method. Even the University won't do OFA anymore. Cost for my last H & E radiograhs: nearly $500.

The last ultra-sound for pregnancy cost me $160. $50. for a simple health cert. for shipping, which takes, what, 5 min? (with a 1 hr. round trip drive...) Consequently, I only go to a vet when I absolutely HAVE to. Avg. cost of a visit for anything ends up well over $100., usually closer to $200. and do NOT bill accounts. Cash or credit card on the spot. another thing they will not do is write prescriptions for medications/heartguard. You buy it from them at top dollar or you don't get it.

A simple case of pano gets you a long discussion on the breedworthiness of your dogs similar to that one would expect if the dog was severely displastic. They want to anesthtise the dog for anything more than taking its damned temperature. I never used to anesthetise them for OFA's half the time. No way they'll let me in to help calm and position the dog for radiographs either, despite my having more experience in that than half the techs in the building and I'm well beyond child-bearing age. Surely they have an extra lead apron in my size!?

Need emergency care after hours? Too freaking bad. The locals don't even have an answering service, just a recording. All emergencies after hours.holidays/weekends are referred to the Urgent Veterinary Care center 45-50 min. away in Allentown, which all the local vets have a piece of. Walking in the door costs $400-600. to start, due in front. From there the bill multiplies geometrically. Need an emergency C-section? Figure at least $2500. and don't expect to be allowed in the room to help revive pups... and don't expect to take any live pups home either.  DO expect them to try to talk you into spaying the female while she's on the table. Add a few hundred more if you go that route. Follow up care or hospitalization? Forget that. The center closes in the morning. Its up to you to transport the dog to your local vet for any additional care, and your local vet probably does NOT offer night time observation or care.

If you're dog is hemorraging, forget it. You probably won't make it in time. Add $140. for handling the body and cremation. Somehow that sympathy card recieved from my local vet a week or so later doesn't make me feel any better. Grrrrrr.. (Why couldn't you have come in to your clinic to at least stabilize my dog, you lazy prick?")  The urgent care center now proudly boasts a pet ambulance. Care to guess what that service costs?

...and these folks have the nerve to put signs in their reception rooms stating they CARE about your pets???   BS I say!

Oh well. I'm stuck here. But I'll never get used to it.
SS

I am sorry Shelley :(  I cannot beleive they would charge more to spay during a C-Section, we charge more if the owner does not want to spay the dog as it is much easier to do the c-section if you spay, you just remove the whole uterus, much quicker...

Most of my issues havn't been with my vet but with the vet techs at the office.  My current vet has been seeing my animals for about 11 years and has always been very good.  He's more than willing to listen to what I want and he'll be the first to admit that he doesn't know everything.  He told me more than once that I spend more time with my dog than he does so if I believe the dog is sick, he will proceed with that in mind even if it isn't obvious to him that it's sick.  He's, also, a big believer that folks that are active in dog sports with their breed will be more knowledgable about the specific breed traits than he is.  I often bring him health articles specific to GSD's and he's always welcomed the input.

Now vet techs at his old office were a totally different story.   I've been talked down to, told that it was my fault my dog was sick (direct quote "If you didn't take him so many places he wouldn't be sick!"), lied to about treatment procedures, and told my dogs was aggressive.  At that office, he wasn't the owner of the practice and had no control over the techs, now at the office he currently owns, his staff is much better.  I did have a misunderstanding with a new tech. She didn't realize that just because I was limiting shots on my older dog, it didn't mean that I didn't want a full checkup otherwise.  Since then, we've worked it out and she has a better grip on my needs. 

As far as restraining my dogs at the vet for treatment, I usually handle it.  My older male is extremely tolerate of anything my vet does to him and has a very high pain threshold.  My female is the opposite.  Pain isn't an issue but she really doesn't like to be messed with.  So she's always restrained by me and if we need to do a lot of stuff, I have muzzled her for safety but it's always been my choice.

Nothing to do with GSDs but bad none the less.  My brother-in-law's sister had a budgie, her daughter's actually.  I had kept birds for years and she called me for advice.  They came home and the bird was on the bottom of the cage, sick.  There was an egg partially exposed.  I told her the bird was egg bound and she had to get the egg out or the bird would die.  She was over 30 minutes from me but I told her if she couldn't find an open vet clinic I would try to dislodge the egg.  I had never done this but I had books and was willing to try.  The worst that could happen is the egg would break, probably killing the bird but if nothing was done the bird would die anyway.  She found a local hospital and took the bird in.  When she got there the receptionist told her they were sorry but the vet on duty "doesn't do birds".  She begged but he refused.  By the time she got half way to my house the bird was dead.  So, okay it was a $15.00 bird but it was also a child's pet and a living being.  This idiot wouldn't even try.  If I, as a lay person, was willing to try to dislodge the egg, why wouldn't a trained professional?  Okay, so he didn't "do birds" but the least he could have done was try, knowing the poor thing was doomed if nothing was done.  I have never even considered taking one of my animals there since.  No compassion!

My other nightmare is too fresh and I would rather not rehash the whole thing.  Suffice to say I spent $4500.00 for a three day stay, no surgery, no answers and a week later I still had a dead dog.  He suffered to line their pockets.

I must tell you that in the state of California it is AGAINST THE LAW of the California Board of Veterinary Medicine to CHARGE for a written prescription!!!  One vet tried to charge me $30 to call a prescription into Costco (the CHEAPEST place to fill them, and they have almost every medication.  Drs. Foster & Smith have the next cheapest meds and carry the vet meds, obviously).  Anyway, may I strongly urge people that live in ALL states to utilize their state's Veterinary Medical Board for assistance and information on the laws and filing complaints against vets that are idiots and that practice BELOW the standard of care.  In California it is through the Departmnent of Consumer Affairs.  Look in your phone book in the front under Government - State of (your state).  Look under Veterinary and utilize the resources they offer.  If people that get LOUSY and incompetant treatment for their animals don't SAY something more than on a message board, then these idiot vets will continue to flourish.  As long as we hold their feet to the fire, then maybe we have a chance to weed these jerks out.  Hopefully.

The same vet that tried to charge me for calling the Rx into Costco also tried to tell me it was the LAW that the animal HAD to be seen every six months in order to get Rx refills.  Another LIE.  It's every year.  I called the vet board to confirm the LIES this dirtbag was trying to shove down my throat, and found he was lying.  So I filed a complaint.  The complaint was not sustained because I didn't actually PAY for him to call the Rx into Costco.  If I had, the vet board would have sustained the complaint.  However, it was worth the price of admission to know the vet board was crawling up this guy's butt for a while.  And I also demanded my records IN WRITING as the vet board says you need to do and to provide them TO ME, not "my next vet" which is illegal.  I told him he was a liar and I knew it.  And if he didn't know it, he needed to familiarize himself with the Business Practices and Professions Code booklet provided to EVERY single entity licensed by the Department of Consumer Affairs.

I moved to Bakersfield, CA eight years ago.  Seventeen vets later, numerous complaints filed with the vet board, I'm still looking for someone that is a halfway decent vet.  One vet wasn't too bad then she got greedy and tacked on $55 for Lactated Ringers  (her cost, $5 for the whole bag.  My cat only got an ounce), and I demanded that the charge be removed.  I knew what it cost her, and I told her so.  And she did not include it in the price of the VERY expensive dentistry ($380, including Ringers and presurgery blood work for my old cat.).  She removed the charge but her panties were definitely in a big ole bunch about being confronted!!!  Tough!!! 

Unfortunately, in the state of California, it is NOT against the law to tack on charge after charge after charge without telling you.  If you don't pay it, they keep your animal.  So you pay it, get your baby home, and then write a letter demanding the money back.  They have all (5 of them so far) given me my money back, and then they tell you to find another vet.  I have tried to get the law changed but the state legislators have better things to do -- until it happens to them.  But those people are rich and they will pay the extra charges.  They can afford it.

My ex-boyfriend has connections in Mexico where this stuff is over-the-counter and I have asked him again to help me get these medicines in Mexico, which now, thanks to NAFTA cost four times what I pay at Costco for them.  The vet I went to today is another idiot that wants to rule out everything including hangnails as to why my cat has Irritable Bowel Syndrome.  The vet would o

Four years ago I brought my four year old female German Shepherd to the vet down the street a product of the Ohio state veternary school for her routene yearly exam and shots. during the exam the vet told me she was the picture of health and that he had never seen a more healthy and happy dog.  Two days later she was dead.  He gave her the wrong shots and the wrong dosages.    I have come to have learned he used an experimental vaccine he never used before.

He sent me a note saying he was sorry for my loss along with a bill for $325.00.  As soon as I recieved that bill I took off for his office went right thru his front desk right into his examination room where he was with a woman and her dog ripped the bill up right in front of him and told him you bastard you killed my dog he admitted he gave her the wrong shots ripped the bill up right in front of him and told him to shove it where the sun doesn't shine or if he would like I'd do it for him.  the lady ran out of the room real quick.  The vet didn't say a word except to say he was sorry for his mistake.

I have come to learn speaking to people he has killed 2 other dogs by giving them the wrong shots and I don't know how many others I don't know about.     I have talked to my attorney about this and he said you have no legal recourse it was only a dog under the law a dog doesn't have the same rights we have.

I wrote a letter to the editor of my local paper but they refused to publish it saying the vet was a respected member of the local community and they didn't want to be a part of tarnishing his reputation.     I have told everbody I know about the incident but to this day that vet has a flourshing practice.   Needless to say I changed vets but since then I question everything in detail before they do anything to my dog's.

My vet is worth his weight in gold! He is an old school vet who works out of his truck.

I have so many home remidies its unbelivable!

when expecting a litter, we do a pre check of mom and when he leaves, he gives me a "birthing kit"...Oxy, dopram, iodine swab sticks, subq fluids set up, sugical gloves, enough wormer for the entire litter, the whole nine yards and best of all, his cell phone #. If and when a problem arises, I can and have called him at any hour. He can walk me through administering treatments and save me the 30 minute drive to town if an emergency were to occure. The "kit" costs me around 40.00 and is well worth it! any other vet will charge you that much to walk in the door.

I always have on hand penicillin, stapler and staple remover, iodine, gauze, urine test strips, pepto, baby asprin, ect...

when doing my every other year test for hartworm, he takes a sample of everyones blood and mixes them together. He does one test. If it were to come up positive we would have to go back and test each indevidual dog to find out who had it but if their all neg. why waste the cost of testing each one in the first place!

My vet has saved me thousands of dollars through the years. I think I will buy him a present now after reading everyones stories!

JoAnn

Heck JoAnn, I'LL send him a present too, and I've never met him, LOL.  Treat him like the great and special vet he is!

Veronica

10 days ago I am at a club breakfast after a trial and I get a call from my friend who has one of my girls.....she is bloating.... call my regular vet who is WONDERFUL, HONEST, LOVES THE ANIMALS, AND WHEN HE RETIRES, i QUIT, TOO!!!...... but he is out of town in Chicago.  So she is on her way to emergency...... the dog is walking, has a good pulse fore and aft, .... FIRST estimate....$4500-6800 !!!  I about croaked!  Said that was bordering on extortion and either bring the price down or put the dog to sleep.  The gal gasps at the desk and says she will talk to the doctor and see if she can reassess my dog.  Comes back 15 minutes later and gives me a $3800-3900 quote!!!  Dog got remarkably better in those 15 minutes!!!!  I mean, I have a dog credit card, and do everything I can to protect, get well, and save my dogs.... but....... this was the closest I was coming to being forced to make a horrible decision!!!!  I went a head with the surgery, and my dog is doing great...... told my regular vet I need to know his vacation schedule so I don't schedule any litter, etc when he is going to be gone!!!  Emergencies, I don't have control over.... but I will definitely find a different clinic!  What is scary is that someone who didn't know to object, would have paid $6800 !!!

Another ABC vet..... not in emergency time..... quoted $800 to suture an eye lid and small gash under the eye...... (unfortunately this was the same dog!!!  poor girl is having a rough year.....like I said, she is hearty and strong, and overcame everything!)...... Called my vet.... he met me at his office at 8 on Sunday morning before Church..... he cleaned, made sure surfaces had all dead or dying tissue removed, sutured the eye (I assisted), and I took her home.... $300.  We did have to put her under anesthesia or it would have been a lot cheaper. NO scaring!!  I have nothing but good things to say about my regular vet..... will meet me at o'dark 30 to do an emergency c-section..... one time he met me at 11 pm to do a c-section.... we wrapped up around 1 am..... he had to be on a plane to go back east for a family reunion at 6 am!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

He really is awesome.... has to turn away clients.... I do often have to wait an hour or more for appointments because he will take emergencies and he actually talks with his clients and takes time to get to know the animals!!!  He is well worth the wait!  He did say to me one time though, "Rhonda, it isn't good when your vet knows your home number by heart! " We were dealing with a dog with severe infection.. (she is also doing great and taking care of the grandkids now!).

There just aren't many like him.... I truly feel blessed!

Rhonda

I was going to leave this thread alone but I cant help myself. I do not hate vets, I understand they are overworked, and well paid for that. 2 vets, Dr M ( female) Dr. C ( male) I dont know what you would call it, Inexperience? Incompetance?Oversite?

Dr M. - 5 month old GSD, breathing heavier thanusual, in january so it wasnt hot. Dr. examined her and said she sounded like she had pnemonia in the left lung, suspects a blow to the side of the chest from a cow in the pasture the dog ran when they got out of the yard, gave her meds, amoxi, rimadyl, predisone for 10 days. No xrays....... nada.... $150. vet bill. Dog seems to be doing better, not breathing as heavy, never had a cough. Go back in 6 days for a follow up, still plenty of meds... Dr says she is doing fine and sounds better, keep her on meds. Day 10 (sat) dog finishes her meds, sunday dog isnt her perky self, attributed it to being off the meds and her body adjusting, Monday morning something is definately wrong, very heavy labored breathing, Dr M closed on mondays so I go to Dr. C Explain what had gone on incl meds, first thing he does is xrays suspects diaphramatic tear. Comes back in... confirms diaphramatic tear, unable to repair due to the length of time ( about 3 weeks all together) and the organs had already shifted thru the tear. Said if it had been diagnosed when she first went in could have had surgery.

Took another dog in for ears, was given amoxi, rimadyl and pred and had her tested for heart worms, Dr M said she was HW Neg, I was amazed, I know for a fact the dog had had no type of medical care or meds of any type the entire previous 14 months.

Dr C.-   day before hurricane hit I was having an emer hysterectomy. Released from hosp as soon as hurr passed over because there was no power etc . Went home, storm had torn the metal roof off the barn where the foster dogs were kenneled, had 1 sheet in one of the dog yards. I was unable to move the tin ( much less myself) right away, it was 2 days, other things were more important at that time for everyone else, before the tin was removed. 2 dayslater saw a lump on the dogs side, appeared to be a puncture and infected. Vets were not available. cleaned it up, made a poultice and started dog on amoxi. couple of days later the dog started having a strange expression on his face, kind of suprised looking and the look was familiar to me for some reason. He was also slurping/sucking his water almost as thru a straw. I t was sunday, decided to take him in monday morning, Dr. M was closed. That night I google what I thought it to be and it appeared to be canine tetnus, rarely seen. This dog was a parvo survivor. Went to Dr C, he said upper resp and gave amoxi, I talked with him about what I suspected and had found googling he said resp. Prescribed amoxi. Well, kind of hard to give a dog antibiotic pills if you cant get his mouth open. Went to DrM next morning first thing. Told her what I suspected, she agreed, She had only seen 1 prior case in 20 yrs of vetting, she attributed it to his weakened immune system from having parvo as a pup. She kept him, iv's, anti toxins etc for 10 days, he would rebound and just when she would think he was doing better he would crash. He went into a coma and we lost him.

Neighbor had a horse get into a sack of sweetfeed, Called me, concerned about colic took her to Dr.C. Horse was sweating ( it was july after all) but still pooping and wanting to eat hay, gut was passing tons of gas thru. Dr started injecting him with all kinds of meds and tube down the throat. Told us he was going to keep him overnight, called us an hour later and said the horse was down, wouldnt get up and that he needed to be put down. When we got there the horse was trying to get up, but was in a very very small stall and couldnt get his feet under him. They had soaked hay in his water and he had a mouth full of it. owner took vets advice and euthanized.

This is the c