Fuming with my vets - rightly so or not, some advice before I call today

blue_monkey_2

I need some advice before I call my vets today as I am fuming and wonder whether I am right to be.

Called them 2 weeks ago today as our puppy, 18 weeks today, had sniffed something up and was sneezing and rubbing her face a lot. I thought she has sniffed something up. They told me that they could not see anything but to bring her back if it continued and they would put her to sleep and put the scope up.

A week on and she had a leaky nose and had developed a kind of cough as if trying to clear her throat. We decided to take her back but then we found the outside of a grass seed in the leakage. They again looked up her nose and said they could not see anything but she could have some anit-biotics to see if it clears and I should keep her away from other dogs as it 'may' be a virus.

From the time of getting home she deveoped a green runny nose from one side. I thought I would give a chance for the anti-biotics to work but it got worse, as did the throat clearing. So yesterday I took her back. I tolk them that I was sure there was something stuck and it needs sorting out. It turns out that their scope is in for reapir and someone came in to say 'it is due back today or tomorrow'. They said they would book her in for Friday morning and would call if the scope was not in.

They did not call so at 5.30 I called them and they said 'oh,it has not come back, I am sorry about that'. I asked when they would be seeing her and they said 'maybe sometime next week'. I said this was not good enough. She then said 'with the postal strikes the equipment might not even get back by today anyway'.

Actually it is not OK. I feel that if they do not have the equipment then my pet should not have to suffer and they should get the equipment in - what if there was an emergency. They clearly fobbed me off last week with antibiotics at a cost of £20 because their equipment was broken. And each time have to take her back they charge me a 'consultation fee'.

I am actually fuming. I want to tell them they should be borrowing the equipment elsewhere if they do not have it to make my pet better. I do not think it fair that my puppy should be left with this thing up her nose, possibly growing, and in discomfort. I am not sure if I can go elsewhere and say 'my dog has to have this done but x will not do it, can you get it done today?' They said they would not do it at a weekend if the scope came back today. They will not book me in for Monday as they do not know if it will be back either.

Please can you let me know your thoughts and what I should be saying to the vets today. I feel like telling them to stuff it but if I go elsewhere I have still got to prolong the issue for her. The other big vets I have already left because I also felt the treatment was inadequate there. There is one other vets left in town but their out of hours emergency service is based around 40 miles away which is a bit impractical.

What do you think is the best thing to do for her. I just feel very frustrated. It is not like they are doing it out of the kindness of their hearts, I am actually paying for this rather dismal service they are offering and so far it has cost £100 - for what?? I have moved and had to leave an amazing vets behind. Thanks.

lowis

ask your current vet for a refund on the wasted 'extra' visits you have had to make.

and then change vets. at the end of the day they are businesses, and their local competitor would like nothing more than to signup disgruntled clients.

blue_monkey_2

Oh, and to add insult to injury, Petplan have 'lost' the details of my free insurance and I called them for a continuation of the policy yesterday (due to expire Monday) so I could claim for the treatment (around £500) and they do not have the details. I have my signed copy in front of me so I have no idea where I go with that. They told me to call my vets and get them to send it in, which they said they would do, but it could take 7 days and the policy expires on Monday.

Had I known they were incompetant I'd have sorted Insurance much sooner. I set up Sainsbury last week for when the 'free' policy ended but I have had to cancel that because it looks like I've got to go with petplan.

Any ideas on that front?? I am just very frustrated with the vets and insurance companies right now and I don't know what to do. I've got to call the vets at around 10.30 and want a list of stuff to ask.

I am going to send a letter of complaint and ask for a refund of the additional things I've had to pay because their equipment was broken. I think they should have done the op when I saw the outside of the grass seed coming out of her nose.

KVet

A "scope" or an "endoscope" is a very VERY expensive and delicate piece of equipment. Hardly ANY veterinary surgeries have one as the cost of them to the actual use of them ratio is very low so they are not financially viable in most normal practices. The fact yours has one is a definite boon but the fact that is it broken should nto be taken out of them as, I said previously, hardly any Vets actually DO have them. Would you berate a normal practice that didnt have one for not having "adequate equipment" just because they couldnt afford an endoscope?

I feel it is slightly harsh that they have charged you a consult fee each time you go back but each practice policy is different. If you want the problem dealt with NOW then be prepared to fork out a LOT of money and demand for a referral to a specialist practice/hospital. Even then you may well have to wait over the weekend.

Ruby_Moon

It seems as though you are not happy with your Vet no matter what your Vet says or does. As you say, you have already fallen out with one vetinary practice in your town.
Is it really so difficult to accept that your puppy has a cold? Or are you anxious for an endoscope because you know differently?
The equipment is expensive. You are lucky your Vet even has use of one, never mind owning one. What would you do if they didn't have one at all?
At the end of the day, if you are that concerned about your puppy, take him to another vet for a second opinion.
As for the insurance, seems like that doesn't run too smoothly either. Wonder why things don't run smoothly for you?

blue_monkey_2

The point is KVet, if the scope was broken they should have told me this and referred me for treatment elsewhere 2 weeks ago. Moreso they still have no definate date for the scope being back so why have I still not been referred elsewhere? Why should my pet have to suffer because of this?

I am paying for this op, if they could not do it then they should not be fobbing me off with medication until they get the equipment back. With the amount of money they are charging me I should not be expected to wait no, especially if my dog is in discomfort.

No-one would expect their dog to wait for an x-ray because the machinary is expensive. If you are operating as a vetinary practice then you should have the equipment necessary to treat those animals or you should be referring elsewhere.

I find it kind of scary that if you are a vet, as your username suggests, if you think an animal should have to suffer because a vet practice cannot afford the equipment to do the correct procedure to put that animal out of pain or suffering.

blue_monkey_2

Ruby_Moon wrote: »

It seems as though you are not happy with your Vet no matter what your Vet says or does. As you say, you have already fallen out with one vetinary practice in your town.
Is it really so difficult to accept that your puppy has a cold? Or are you anxious for an endoscope because you know differently?
The equipment is expensive. You are lucky your Vet even has use of one, never mind owning one. What would you do if they didn't have one at all?
At the end of the day, if you are that concerned about your puppy, take him to another vet for a second opinion.
As for the insurance, seems like that doesn't run too smoothly either. Wonder why things don't run smoothly for you?

My puppy's cold consists of thick yellow pus running out of one nostril. She is also gagging on the pus coming down the back of her nose. She is also rubbing her face and head on the floor. Does that sound like a cold? And the vet actually confirmed yesterday that it was likely to be a foreign body and hence the urgency for the op.

However, they are now saying they do not have the scope to do the op so I feel they should have referred me to get it done elsewhere. Why should she have to wait? I told them 2 weeks ago what she had done and yes, I feel they should have done something then, if not last week when the outer of the grass seed came out of her nose. It is not 'just a cold'. And grass seeds can germinate causing more damage so yes, I do feel there is a urgency.

And the other vets, gave her medication for 'sore eyes' and when I took her for a 2nd opinion the vet said she had no infection!! Would you keep on sending your animals there. They did not even give me the wormers and flea treatments she needed. I asked if she had them (she was registered with them as a puppy so would not have been my first choice) and they said no. If you are paying for a service and it is rubbish then yes, I expect to go elsewhere.

Of course, I could just not give a toss and let her get on with it and get sick.

Oh, and the insurance is sorted and they are going to cover me anyway so that is not a problem either - they have confirmed this this morning.
Can we afford it? Yes. But it is the principle, I have insurance for all of my animals, had I known it was going to be this much hassle I'd have bought another policy elsewhere on day 1 and then I'd have not had a problem. I was under the impression that petplan were 'the best' though.

Regardless, my pet should not have to suffer because the equipment is too expensive. That is the most ridiculous argument I've ever heard.

And the funny thing is, if I had been on here asking why my puppy had a green discharge from one nostril I'd have been berated for not getting her to a vet beforehand. Funny this board isn't it!!

I had an amazing vet but moved last year and nowe have to have these 2nd rate ones. I guess you don't realise how good they are until you now longer have that service!!

lowis

blue_monkey wrote: »

The point is KVet, if the scope was broken they should have told me this and referred me for treatment elsewhere 2 weeks ago. Moreso they still have no definate date for the scope being back so why have I still not been referred elsewhere? Why should my pet have to suffer because of this?

if they refer you, they lose income...this is the only reason why i can see they wouldn't refer you elsewhere. either that or they truly believe this is just a cold being suffered by your pet. has anything happened which leads you to believe he may have sniffed something up his nose? green snopt does sound like a cold. is his face/nose swollen?

as for insurance companies...sainsburys are not a good policy, petplan are one of the leading providers. the nly down side to petplan is that once your pet reaches a certain age, your excess increases to 20% of any claim that you make.

blue_monkey_2

lowis, yes they told me yesterday. She has already had antibiotics they said it would have cleared it and it has not, it has got worse and she is now gagging on what is coming down the back of her throat. The vet told me yesterday that it was pus not snot. I went with her to the vets again yesterday because it has been getting worse and they said it needed doing tomorrow (ie. today) and so booked her in. She was supposed to be there at 8.15 this morning. They said they were rushing the endoscope back from the rapairers for her to get it last night so it would be here for today (Friday). Now they are saying they do not know when it will get back with them.

I am just annoyed by the whole thing, I just want her better why can no-one else see that, she cannot even get a sleep because she wakes up gagging. If she needs the scope then she should have it.

And yes, I knew she had sniffed something up because of what happened after she sniffed it up. In fact I rang the vets starightaway. Yesterday the vet told me that once grass seeds go up they rarely come back down as they only go one way.

I want it done as it is the only way to clear the obstruction now. What is so wrong with that? If one of my kids had something up it's nose that would not come down it would be removed. If someone said they could not do it yet as they did not have the equipment to do it there would be outrage over it. Why should 'just a dog' be any different and be left with something that can start growing, up it's nose?? Seriously, am I missing something here?? Would it be better f I was 'do not give a toss' owner and not worry until she was in immense pain or something?

lowis

i would call around my local vets and ask if they can see your dog, it sounds urgent to me (but i am not a vet, just a pet-owner). explain the situation with your vet (without getting too angry or negative) and say you are really concerned, and do they have the necessary equipment to help your dog. you will probably have to pay for everything up front, rather than the vet amking a direct claim though.

good luck x

Ruby_Moon

blue_monkey wrote: »

lowis, yes they told me yesterday. She has already had antibiotics they said it would have cleared it and it has not, it has got worse and she is now gagging on what is coming down the back of her throat. The vet told me yesterday that it was pus not snot. I went with her to the vets again yesterday because it has been getting worse and they said it needed doing tomorrow (ie. today) and so booked her in. She was supposed to be there at 8.15 this morning. They said they were rushing the endoscope back from the rapairers for her to get it last night so it would be here for today (Friday). Now they are saying they do not know when it will get back with them.

I am just annoyed by the whole thing, I just want her better why can no-one else see that, she cannot even get a sleep because she wakes up gagging. If she needs the scope then she should have it.

And yes, I knew she had sniffed something up because of what happened after she sniffed it up. In fact I rang the vets starightaway. Yesterday the vet told me that once grass seeds go up they rarely come back down as they only go one way.

I want it done as it is the only way to clear the obstruction now. What is so wrong with that? If one of my kids had something up it's nose that would not come down it would be removed. If someone said they could not do it yet as they did not have the equipment to do it there would be outrage over it. Why should 'just a dog' be any different and be left with something that can start growing, up it's nose?? Seriously, am I missing something here?? Would it be better f I was 'do not give a toss' owner and not worry until she was in immense pain or something?

As I said, it isn't the vet who is making your puppy 'suffer'. If he is suffering as badly as you think he is and your vet is as useless as you say he is why are you banging on about "What can I make my Vet do that I am happy with?" instead of going out and going to another vet for a second opinion?
If your puppy gets worse, its not because of the Vet. Just go to another vet.