I have just met the worst vet in the world - and advice please from rescues

[Hippykitty]

There's nothing to prevent you being registered with both clinics and going to the Pet Vac clinic for emergency care. The Bell's clinic might give you a discount for the sheer amount of work you give them. BTW I think it's very telling that their clinic is crowded and the other isn't - I wonder why 

What that woman isn't realising is that she isn't treating "just an animal" she's also dealing with the emotional dynamics between people and animals. Rescues and pet owners are vulnerable when cats are ill, and really don't need to hear the vet's issues. (I used to have a doctor who told me HIS problems - I moved to another surgery!)

She sounds a bit like the guy I saw at Value Vets. He was awful and couldn't handle the rescues. I could hear what he said to other pet owners when I was in the waiting room and it was clear he was a dog person. I went scurrying back to my old, more expensive vets.

Maybe send a letter of complaint about the vet's attitude. This would help her future clients. Then vote with your feet. Go to the Bell's surgery, using the other vet's 24hr cover, after all, you're still registered there. 

[Bren22]

Angie, I have always taken my lot to the PetVac Clinic for their little ops and jabs etc and found the vets and nurses absolutely fine.  I really think this vet you've had the problem with is new.  Perhaps we can sound out all the others at the open day at the new surgery next weekend.  I'll see what I can do anyway.

[madkittyrescue]

could you perhaps speak to Bell vets and see if they would be willing to give you an arrangement for a discount if you take all of your cases to them (which vets prefer anyways and if you can give them numbers as to the value of business roughly that is) and were to recommend them to adoptee's??

just a thought.  We are lucky we have a good relationship with our vets on all counts but we do also put their contact details cards out to all potential adoptee's.  A their VN said to me... in this economic climate every little helps?

Hope you manage to get some 'me' time Angie and a chance to unwind.  Losing babies is SO draining and heart breaking it really does make you want to throw in the towel... until the next little one comes along.

thinking of you   

[Angiew]

The dilemma I have is that the pet vac. clinic is soon to be opening up a 24 hour surgery and I dislike the 'vets now' franchise so much  I had deliberately taken romeo and Juliet, the garage cats and bottle feeds to the pet vac. I suppose I wanted to see what they were like so perhaps I have my answer, though to be fair they have probably done all any vet could have done even though these are the first lot that have died on me. The new clinic is 5 mins away.

Judith goes to Bell and partners who do have their own 24hour and the vets do seem to care. However, the downside is they are across town, are very busy but have always seen us in an emergency and the out of hours surgery can sometimes mean a travel to Cubbington depending on which vet is on duty. They charge us less for the consultation but routine things like neutering and vaccinations are more expensive. The vets there try very hard to save any kitten I have taken.

So travel further, pay more to a vet you trust or travel less, pay less to a vet practice whose vets need to be sent to charm school? I don't know...... and at the moment I'm not in a mood to make any decisions.

I have been going back to the PVC with this lot as I started with them.

[Rosella moggy]

Am appalled at this vet Angie and wish I could offer you more constructive advice than to try and find somewhere else.  Our vet is an independent and, as Teresa says, I certainly feel like a valued customer and that vets and staff care.  Previous practice we used has all the latest gadgets (including MRI scanner) but it is part of a chain and you could feel it a mile away.  My mate is still with them and the prices they charge would make your eyes water.

Before our latest arrival reached our house, I rang our vet practice 8.30am last Saturday to make appointment for him to be checked over explaining I had no idea of how old or state of his health.  VN said not to worry, she volunteers for CP and she would take him on personally if necessary     Can't get better than that really. 

You certainly shouldn't have to put up with a vet offloading her problems on you and admitting to not caring about the animals she is supposed to be administering to.  Do you have to use the pet vac clinic all the time or is it just for vaccinations?

[madkittyrescue]

Angie I wouldn't stand for the attitude of that vet at all! Sadly I think many of us are limited by the vets in our area which can make it hard and almost a case of deciding whether to remain in the frying pan or jump into the fire.

We are lucky we have an independent vet who are all very caring about animals and understand why we do rescue and sometimes why we keep trying when others would have given up sooner - such as the likes of Joey, bless his wee heart.

It can be SO difficult and without the support of a good vet it can make it so much harder.   I really hope that you mange to find an understanding vet and don't hold back in complaining.  You deserve to be treated as do your charges like any other paying customer - with respect and empathy.

Hope things pick up for you soon hun!   

[Teresa Pawcats]

Am I the only person lucky enough to have an independant vet, it gives you much better bargaining power and your custom is more valued.

[dabs]

Well as Ang has had a run in with a vet from Pet Vacc in Cov, I have had a run in with a locul vet from Pet Vacc in Nuneaton today. He clearly does not do cats and according to the receptionist does not do people either. What the hell is going on with Pet Vacc lately? 

[Mark]

They also do it with cows 

At college when we did the dairy tour, they showed us the bucket of "Strawberry milkshake"  and said they feed it to the calves and it doesn't do them any harm.

[Yvonne]

Just caught up with this so sorry what an awful Vet

On the subject of mastitis, when I had it my Doctor told me that the best cure was to feed from the infected breast and it would clear quicker, that advice turned out to be right.  Why would it be any different in cats?

Good luck

[Schmew]

Angie - have PMd you

Su

[Shirley]

That's unbeliveable Mark! What a vet!   

Hope your poorly black ones will be ok Angie   

[Mark]

In complete contrast with your horrible vet. Sharon spoke to one of our vets this week - also from overseas. She loves animals and has offered to do some spays etc FOC in her own time. That is amazing 

[Angiew]

thank you - feeling better today. All 7 poorly black ones are still with us and all on ab's.

I sent a complaint to the pet vaccination clinic yesterday via their website and have not had a reply yet - however their bill for £464 arrived this morning (not just these kittens!) and I think it can stay on the hall table for a while.......

I had two nice letters in the post yesterday from people we have helped recently with a total of £50 cash to spend 'on me' so we (me, judith, jill, Karen, Nicky, Brenda and Yvonne(CP)) are going to have a pub meal somewhere soon (if they want to come that is!)....just trying to see when people are available - a chance for us all to take time out (though of course all we will be talking about is cats  ).

[Pinkbear (Julie)]

Aw, Angie.... I'd have walked out. 

1. Vets are a business and no business can survive without client support. Vote with your feet. 

2. I've also met some vets who care not a jot about animal welfare or rescue ethos. That's fine. It's a free world. I don't expect my mechanic to have a passion for 1990s rusty Fords - I expect him to FIX them and not argue about the validity of doing so. They need to keep their opinions to themselves and realise I AM THE CLIENT and my views dominate the project and dictate the treatment plan. 

3. If she don't like the UK or its people, there's enough planes flying out of it every day. Someone will even volunteer to pack her suitcase. 

4. Open a bottle, crack a bar of Thortons or do whatever floats your boat in terms of ME time because you sound like you need it, hun. 

[StreetKatzRescue]

Hi Angie

We too are on collapsibles but, like you, doing what we can to help the cats and kittens in need.  Of course it's not perfect but the alternative is often worse.  We segregate pens in separate rooms as much as possible but occasionally it's just not. 

If all kittens and mum have been exposed, it's pointless IMHO to separate them.  The healthy ones in the litter at the moment may well go down with flu in the end - I have this situation at the moment - but I do agree with the vet that it's best to start abs only when they show symptoms although it is so tempting to start them all on it.  It's just the more you use abs the more they become immune to the helpful effects.  Anyway, with a virus abs often do not work and it's only if there are secondary symptoms - congestion or sticky eyes - that abs in some form are good.

Re FIV cats, they find any infection difficult to fight off, not just cat flu, and it may take a lot of nursing, abs and vets fees to get them better.  However, my personal experience of FIV cats has been mainly chronic and acute gingivitis and stomatitis (seemingly now linked to calici/herpes viruses but the science not sure how or why) and it has in the end been this which has killed them as all treatment to help this eventually seems to fail and they just reach a point of giving up eating in spite of best efforts.  However I have nursed FIV cats through cat flu very successfully so in my personal experience I would not say it's a killer per se (though the legacy may be) but I respect others experiences and points of view.

Vets are a very mixed blessing but we could not exist without them - however, they are not gods and from time to time, it's good they are reminded of this  

You are doing a great job and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.  There are those who rise to the challenge and those who stand on the sidelines and carp.  Guess which category you fall into (hint - it's not the latter).

[bunglycat]

I am afraid i would complain about her to everyone i could -thats the most insensitive  who should not be a vet under any circumstances .
Its people like her that need putting to sleep -permanently !

[dabs]

Ang, you need to complain. Not doing humans is one thing, but they get distressed over their pets and her attitude will just add further upset to them. If she upset you just think of what she would do to some old dear who has taken in mum and kittens out of the goodness of her heart.

If she wants to do this then tell her she does it somewhere else. The American attitude at times to pets is disgraceful this is why they have kill shelters and declawing. She proves the point.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Just want to shove my twopence worth of support for the rescues................. that vet and rescues do a fantastic job, especialyy the ones on Purrs 

I find a vet who is just in it for the money and with no care about the animals is in the wrong job..............dont you have an alternative vet you could use on a permanent basis Angie?

Sounds like she came from the kill shelters in the States 

Hope that Bren can help you 

[Bren22]

 :(Angie,  is there anything I can do to help?  I thought I hadn't better phone you - in case you'r managing to get your head down for a bit.  Let me know -  I have a pen, and an empty bedroom - no visitors expected any time soon - and a fair bit of time.

[clarenmax]

Can't add anything meaningful I'm afraid, just wanted to say to all of you rescue peeps that you do an amazing, selfless job, day in day out, please don't let the smallmindless of others get you down 

I am frankly amazed though at the attitude of this locum, quite frightening that someone who is entrusted with the lives of so many animals really doesn't have an ounce of compassion for them 

[Angiew]

Thanks T. I'm sorry that you are also going through the same sort of thing.

Its the attitude that pissed me off so much.
She said she wasn't in it for the animals which I found refreshingly honest but it scares me to hell that this is now the new vet. It must be naiveity or wishful thinking that vets care a dot for animal welfare.

I have written an email of complaint, I am in a dilemma as the pet vac are moving to a new surgery next month and are hoping to open up to 24 hours after xmas, something I feel I must support.....

Actually, sod everything, I'm going to check on cats (take of the tape collars she put on the two sick kitties so that I would know which two to isolate) then go back to bed.....

[Teresa Pawcats]

Angie
At the moment you are going through hell and you probably want to lash out at this vet and everybody and at the same time shut yourself off from all the pain, I know because we are going through a similar hell right now 

I had a bad experience with a vet I had never met the night I came out of hospital and rushed little Morse in, I told this vet I could hear crackles in his lungs, she said his lungs were clear and sent me home with him at midnight. Next day I rushed Morse back into vet and I dont think Claire R will ever get over the embarassment of me shouting my mouth off about the useless vet I had seen the night before, both receptionist and Claire were waving arms frantically and making strange faces but I was so enraged I continued like a mad woman and guess who was sat behind me the vet I had labelled useless. I was offered a second opinion but would have had to wait for vet to travel to surgery (it was a Saturday) instead I took the services of useless vet and told her what to do ie Xray, I even told her what drugs to inject and what to prescribe, I felt so pleased with myself for fighting for Morse the way I did, but he was PTS a few days later; sometimes vets are right others they have no idea and its knowing when to challenge them. I will add that useless vet is not as useless as I had decided because my pain for Morse had clouded my judgement, she and I now have a good working relationship.Find out if you are going to have to deal with this locum vet regularly and if so try to resolve things but firmly tell her exactly how you work, why you work so hard for rescues and what you expect from her as a vet, she may suprise you.If you feel she is not acting as a vet should be re telling you strays should be pts then make a formal complaint.

She is right about FIV dad cat, flu could kill him.

Mum and kittens if one has it now others will be incubating it so no point in seperating them . Moving sick animals can be so dangerous as you run the risk of spreading infection elsewhere.
Kitten who is not yet poorly does not yet need antibiotics, wait until symptoms appear.
Mastitis can make kittens ill if they suckle, but then most mum cats with mastitis find it too painful to let kittens near them so kittens starve to death.

Angie I know you are down, I am so down too, people think us in rescue dont seem to hurt like others, well we do and if you are feeling like me right now you are feeling terrified wondering which black cloud is going to burst on top of you next ( I am waiting for results of 2 post mortems). Keep strong and if you need to shout or swear at this vet or anyone feel free because at the end of the day , Romeo, Portia and all your charges have no one but you to SHOUT for them.( Just make sure you have services of alternate vet before you swear too much)

[princessmaizie]

This person sounds horrible!! Who is she to decide which animals live and which die??

I'm sorry I've got no advice, I just wanted to say that you ARE making a difference to every single cat you've helped on the way to their forever home! Don't let this awful person diminish what you do. Personally I have the upmost admiration for all the rescue people out there! Sending  to you and healing vibes for all the kitties in your care! 

[Angiew]

Well, I took the garage cats back to the pet vac clinic in Coventry and was seen by a locum vet from south Carolina.
She says she specialises in thoracic surgery and doesn't do people. (and if you read on you will see that this is a good choice for her!).

She's had some bad things happening to her since being in the UK (and is on a total downer about the UK) which she talked about explaining her attitude to me when I challenged her but I think she would have rather pts than done anything with the kittens (a bit like the vet at vets now on saturday).
She says her personal attitude towards strays is basically they should be euthanased and that animal rescues are a waste of space. (not in such direct terms but that was her attitude).
 We shouldn't complain about vet prices but we do because we do not know how much things cost. She's only doing what she does to earn a living and not for any animal concern and she would rather do something else but it doesn't pay.

So that told me, just what I needed after the last month.

Anyway apart from then getting a lecture about the fact that these cats should be separated and not being at all sympathetic to the fact the best we can do is sep. pens in the same room, I then got lectured about Romeo being FIV and that the cat flu could probably kill him.

She wants me to separate the two sick kittens from mum and healthy (at the moment ) sibling (this also applies to Portia who is showing no signs of illness) and only treat the two poorly ones with abs.

My questions are

should I complain about her attitude?
should I really separate the kittens from their mum when they are stressed enough as it is.
Should I not dose the third kitten with abs.

My thoughts are they have all been together for the last 10 days so what the point of separating, I may as well cover the other kitten with ab's

She also said that if kittens suckle from a mum with mastitis it will kill them. Anyone been told this before?

So, kick a rescue person while she's down eh? anyone else wanna have a go at me ?