It shouldn't happen at a vets.

UKTigerlily

I'm sorry but even one example of what i saw in that programme is one too many, how do you know what goes on when you're not there? I'm sure they're all fine when the Owners are present. There's no excuse to treat animals like that & i'm glad I don't go to them

lilibeth

FabSascha wrote: »

I've had cats all my life and currently have five, all of whom are registered at the Medivet Hendon branch so I am very familiar with them. Whilst I don't condone some of the things that were shown in the documentary - especially when Aron hit the dog, I actually know him and was incredibly surprised - I have to jump to their defense and say that they have never been anything other than amazing to me and my cats. Firstly, I have a very sick cat who has diabetes, among other things, and he is so well treated there. He spends so much time at the Hendon branch (last year he had to stay in for about 3 months due to a skin problem - at my request as I couldn't handle all the blood) and once they hit the insurance maximum they stopped charging for any more treatment. Baring in mind he hit it within weeks as my insurance max is £4000 and this was I believe his 4th visit there in that year. He is treated like a king there and all the staff look forward to his visit - he's literally refered to as 'the king'! He becomes a mascot when he's staying there as they love him so much. Now he's at the age where I have to pay a percentage of the fees as well as an excess and Medivet NEVER chase me for this. They let me pay whenever I'm ready. I had an outstanding bill of around £300 which I've only just paid and that was from last year.

Another good example is that whenever they get homeless, motherless kittens in, the vet nurses volunteer to take them home with them and nurse them until they're ready to be homed. I know of one nurse who was working full-time there, whilst nursing a kitten. This meant that she was waking every two hours to feed him, then getting up in the morning and going to work whilst continuing to nurse the kitten. I know this because the kitten is now mine

I just wanted to mention these examples because they really have been so amazing to me and I was upset that the documentary didn't really show any proper examples of people like me. It was very one-sided and the result will be that Medivet will get a reputation based on a few isolated incidents. I will never leave Medivet as I can't imagine I'll get the care and understanding from any other vet.

*Edited because I found the answer* Sorry


I've also discovered that Medivet made little Aaron Head Nurse at a practice despite him still being an unqualified student Nurse!!!!!
That just beggars belief. I'd assumed from the docu that he must have passed exams shortly after filming. According to him this is not the case.

dawnie1972

I watched some of the programme but found some parts too harrowing. Bought back memories of the time i took my late cat to the vets, she hated going to the vets and would dribble and drool and get stresed, this particular time she'd been in a fight, but the vets found it difficult to examine her cos she was stressed and growling. I had to leave her there to be sedated and examined. When i went to collect her i was handed a bill for £140 - i asked what they'd found and they said nothing because it took FOUR of them to hold her down to sedate by which time she was in such a mess they couldn't assess her properly!! They also told me i would not be able to get her out of the cage because she was so angry! I proved them wrong and left the surgery saying i would see them in court!
Now if any of my animals have to say at the vets i ask to see the area where they will be housed etc.

lilibeth

Medivet Hendon has a foundation created in its honour. Wow they must be so proud. That's the surgery they showed where the unqualified deputy head nurse (Aaron) likes to assault dogs that have just had their leg amputated.

http://www.thebellamossfoundation.com/story.asp

RIP Bella

shoppaholic_returns

I certainly thought the poor amputee dog's treatment went too far, no wonder the poor mite was struggling obviously in extreme discomfort. Why ANYONE would take their pet anywhere near that companies practices beats me, just because of what MIGHT happen!

What a truly horrid shower of individuals!! With soo many choices for medical help for your pets, surely its a no brainer???

chris_n_tj

FabSascha wrote: »

I've had cats all my life and currently have five, all of whom are registered at the Medivet Hendon branch so I am very familiar with them. Whilst I don't condone some of the things that were shown in the documentary - especially when Aron hit the dog, I actually know him and was incredibly surprised - I have to jump to their defense and say that they have never been anything other than amazing to me and my cats. Firstly, I have a very sick cat who has diabetes, among other things, and he is so well treated there. He spends so much time at the Hendon branch (last year he had to stay in for about 3 months due to a skin problem - at my request as I couldn't handle all the blood) and once they hit the insurance maximum they stopped charging for any more treatment. Baring in mind he hit it within weeks as my insurance max is £4000 and this was I believe his 4th visit there in that year. He is treated like a king there and all the staff look forward to his visit - he's literally refered to as 'the king'! He becomes a mascot when he's staying there as they love him so much. Now he's at the age where I have to pay a percentage of the fees as well as an excess and Medivet NEVER chase me for this. They let me pay whenever I'm ready. I had an outstanding bill of around £300 which I've only just paid and that was from last year.

Another good example is that whenever they get homeless, motherless kittens in, the vet nurses volunteer to take them home with them and nurse them until they're ready to be homed. I know of one nurse who was working full-time there, whilst nursing a kitten. This meant that she was waking every two hours to feed him, then getting up in the morning and going to work whilst continuing to nurse the kitten. I know this because the kitten is now mine

I just wanted to mention these examples because they really have been so amazing to me and I was upset that the documentary didn't really show any proper examples of people like me. It was very one-sided and the result will be that Medivet will get a reputation based on a few isolated incidents. I will never leave Medivet as I can't imagine I'll get the care and understanding from any other vet.

You might think your pets are ok, but can you 100% hand on heart say this. You dont what happens behind closed doors do you.Yourr poor kittys cant tell you can they.
If that had been about my Vet I wouldnt take my dog there ever again, it isnt worth the risk.
Chris n TJ

Mrs_pbradley936

ninky wrote: »

it's not really off topic. because if a trainee is allowed to take a blood sample from a human then perhaps we shouldn't be so horrified about medivet's stance.

We should if we are paying full whack and expecting someone qualified. Do they have a two tier price list? On the NHS you are asked if a student can be present even to watch and you can say "no".

pinkshoes

geri1965 wrote: »

Did your "insider" explain why they lied to that dog's owner about how it's paw got injured and then they had the cheek to charge her for the cream for it?

Like I said, I don't watch biassed one sided garbage on the BBC made to hype up the viewers.

Obviously if this was made about a small family run vet who supposedly treated animals in the same way, then it wouldn't have attracted viewers either, as this only worked by picking on a large brand.

And no I'm not a vet, nor have any connection with the vet industry, and I think anyone who mis-treats an animal is sick (I have a dog and would punch the lights out of anyone who dared to do anything inhumane to him!!!), and I know enough to know that this was a "play on viewers heart strings" than a truthful documentary.

Obviously it's a free country and you are perfectly entitled to watch and make what you want of it. I probably would have thought the same as you until I stumbled across some inside info which ruined all credibility.

wannabepennypincher

I found it very hard to watch the programme. It did made me appriciate my vets though. It's part of a small chain of about 4 surgeries throughout the area. It's not the cheapest in the area but I honestly couldn't ask for a better service. When our Charley became critically ill the on call vet couldn't have done more for him, we got regular updates (twice a day even though it was the weekend) and she let us go to visit and even arranged to be there when we went over. Charley adores his vet, when sitting waiting he knows her voice and when he hears he stands up and yells for her attention. He always comes back from the vets with a very inflated ego, after his last overnight stay I caught sitting in a sphinx pose with a kitten on each paw giving him a wash. He had a look that suggested he expected nothing less.

FabSascha

chris_n_tj wrote: »

You might think your pets are ok, but can you 100% hand on heart say this. You dont what happens behind closed doors do you.Yourr poor kittys cant tell you can they.
If that had been about my Vet I wouldnt take my dog there ever again, it isnt worth the risk.
Chris n TJ

True but they've never enforced the visiting hours rule on me so I've dropped in at all times day or night and been allowed straight through to the 'behind the scenes' area. Whilst I agree that you can never be 100% sure, I'm as close as I can get. Cats aren't stupid and are good with associations for example, whenever I get the carrier out they all make a run for it as they know that chances are, one of them is going to be travelling somewhere which they don't like! However, Cookie (the diabetic - I know, ironic name, but he was named before his diagnosis!) used to be terrified of the carrier like the others, but now he's totally fine with it and seems to quite enjoy it. I can only guess that if he was having a terrible time each time he was taken to the vets then he would freak out about the arrival of the travel carrier as he knows that everytime I get it out, it's because he's going to the vet. Plus, whenever I visit one of my cats at the vet, they're always calm, clean, relaxed and well fed. If they were being mistreated there would be signs that most pet owners would pick up on.

You can never be 100% sure about any vet's treatment of your pet. All you can do is be aware and form an educated guess. The people at Medivet have always appeared to do well with my lot, so I won't be influenced by the documentary.