Bad Veterinary advice - Page 1

I have recently been contacted by one of my puppy owners from Chatham in Kent, as she wanted a second opinion on the advice she had just received from her vet.
The puppy is 14 weeks old and had just been for his final vaccination. The vet examined the puppy and informed the owner that he had 'a slight overbite' of just under 1mm and that he would require surgery to remove his lower incisors! The owner was very upset, as the vet implied this must be done as soon as possible and she felt pressured by the vet concerned into booking him in for his operation, which was to cost upwards of £200. The owner brought the puppy for me to see and the bite was absolutely normal for his age. He is eating, drinking and playing normally and I cannot think why any vet would want to subject a puppy to this procedure. The appointment has since been cancelled.
This isn't the first incidence of bad advice that my owners have experienced . One of my puppies was advised surgery for apparent hip dysplasia at 17weeks old and was booked for surgery with an orthopaedic specialist. They cancelled the appointment after seeking a second opinion, and the dog was scored at over 1 year and has a BVA score of 4:3. Another was advised hip replacements.....and he scored 2:3!
It seems to me that some vets are increasingly advising unsuspecting owners to allow their animals to undergo unecessary procedures. Is it that are inexperienced, incompetent or is there a more sinister reason?

katrina,is it possible to pm me with the vets name or practice name as i used to live just outside Chatham and the vet i used was wanting to operate on my old boy to close an umbilical hernia that he had for 10/11 yrs.this was i might add not the chief vet who,s pratice it was but a younger ,more inexperienced vet.i once had a young pup that was quite severly overshot and the vet i used at that time in Tenterden did advise that the teeth(insicors)may have to be filed down occasionally if she had trouble eating.she was sold for a nominal sum without any paperwork to a pet home,having been advised of the possibility that she may need dental treatment.Carole.S.

 I think if the vet knows the dogs/pups are insured then they seem to push for unnecessary operations
jim h

Hello Katrina,

I agree, there are many vets that even in the USA here tried to push "necessary" procedures. I knew someone who had a GSD and it was going through that "filling out" stage, and looked skinny, although the dog was eating just fine and it just had to fill out. The vet recommended putting it on puppy food at 1.5 years old, and supplements. When she got the breeder's advice, the breeder said it was the stage and to not listen to the vet as it will gain weight too rapidly and become overweight and put stress on the joints.

Another thing to be aware is the food most vets recommend: Science Diet. It has so many fillers and by products and vets claim it is the best thing in the world, and that feeding homecooked meals, raw, or premium brands is unnecessary or bad.


It's always best to get second opinions, even more if possible. Thank goodness you checked that pup out.

-Nicole

p.s- you are still one of my favorite breeders!!!!

The reason is ... money and stupid dog owners that don't know any better. The dog's owner is paying for a new Range Rover or pool or a tropical vacation for a vet with that money.

Just vaccinations, selling flea stuff, selling treats etc... doesn't cut it anymore.

morning guys.Guess wot,it was the vets i used when i lived in the chatham area.this particular vet has 4 pratices in the chatham area(in diff.villages)i had a run in with one of the 2 partners over blood tests for a pre-mate.asked him how much charge would be just for taking the bloods for me to send to john allison(he did a more in depth premate test)he went off on one so i only used them after that for pup.inocs.i used to insist on seeing one of the main ones but they used to have a high turn over of young new vets and its these who are suggesting these procedures.it was the same at the pratice i went to when i lived near gravesend.thankfully i now use the PDSA.as we,re on benefits and qualify.i do pay for my treatment if its not too much and have paid for lilys pyometra op.albeit in several payments.this is now a godsend for me as i dont have to worry if they,re ill.at least i know that wotever treatment they advice that it is necessary .yes the 1st question used to be.....is she insured?even the PDSA vet that i last saw,agreed to disagree on feeding raw.most vets here in the UK also try to push hills science diet.not many advice feeding raw.i wish i could find a vet who is on the same way as i am on the feeding of my dogs.the only prob.i have with mine is sometimes they can get a bit constipated.Carole S.

OK  -  this practice sounds worse than most - I think it would be a good idea to ask Ann Harpwood - Justice for Dogs for an explanation as to their guidance and thinking on these particular cases........   she wont be hood-winked, and if there is cause for concern, I think it should be done for the poor animals of the folk that are ready to insure and take their advice and know no better.    Mo.

We run a boarding kennels and cattery.  Our previous vet, who was very good, was taken over by a conglomerate, and the charges increased and the service deteriorated.  The final straw came when I was told at 11.45 am one Saturday morning that I would have to call out the emergency vet for a seriously & suddenly ill GSD Welfare dog, Sabre.  I was told that BEFORE any treatment I would have a call out charge of £200!  I luckily had a friend who is a vet in another practice and she kindly agreed to see me.  Sadly Sabre had a haemangiosarcoma and was put to sleep there and then as he had internal haemorrhaging.
The result of this was that I rang every single veterinary practice in the area and asked to visit, interview them and evaluate their service.  Of the five practices that I visited only ONE fulfilled all my criteria - in house emergency service, reasonably close surgery, and vet's who respected my 50 years in the dog game and my veterinary nursing experience.  It took a while but it was well worth doing.  I now have a vet I like and trust, who I can speak to (within reason) whenever I like.  He gives me preferential rates for all my Welfare and rescue dogs and his basic charges are reasonable.  He seeks out the cheapest form of treatment for our many oldies and he will visit us if we so wish. 
The point of my story is that we (and I include myself) sometimes chose vet practices in the basis of proximity, hearsay evidence, and nothing else.  Interview your vets and make them justify their worth - I did and it certainly paid off for us.