What do you WANT & EXPECT from a vet?

snowman2_2

DavidF - the problem is there are so many points of view over raw food / barf / commercial diets and people can be quite fanatical over their own personal choice, a consensus is probably going to be impossible to achieve. What we should do is treat each animal & family as an individual and decide on a feeding plan best for them based on availability of food, personal beliefs, cost etc. One size does not fit all and vets argue endlessly amongst themselves on this subject.

Katiehound - excluding vaccines, I only spend £120,000 on medicines each year which makes me very small fry compared to some on-line pharmacies who will buy millions each year. There are some buying groups setting up but it is still difficult for smaller practices. I suspect that this is something that vets will have to develop in the next few years.

Melbury - thanks for your kind words. I am in the north west but I prefer my anonymity on here as it allows me to say things I wouldn't be brave (or stupid) enough to say out loud.

Snowyowl - life expectancy for cats is now 15-18 years and in terms of hyperthyroidism 10 years old is a young cat. it is all relative but we tend to suggest surgery in cats under the age of about 14 years. Our surgery tends to be £250 to £300 which is about 12 months tablets so surgery is cost effective if you think a cat is likely to survive more than a year.

The problem with vets is they have been selected for high academic grades at a-level which does not always mean they have good customer skills. I have a couple of truly excellent receptionists and they make an incredible asset for the practice. You are more likely to see the receptionist & vet than any nurse.

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Thanks again for everyone's comments, I really do appreciate it and hope I can use this thread to improve my practice.

gettingready

I only spend £120,000 on medicines each year which makes me very small fry compared to some on-line pharmacies who will buy millions each year.

Snowman - sure but why can't YOU (and I mean vets in general) buy from those online pharmacies and then add a small margin? Rather then buying somewhere else where the price is already double and then add margin on top still?

Kirri

As a guinea pig keeper, in the past I have seen vets who refuse to do dental work or xrays without anaesthetic, these are important to me and I don't need the extra risk/worry especially in an elderly pig or one with an ongoing dental problem.

Ideally a vet who stays open long enough to get there after work and weekend consultations at a reasonable price would be appreciated.

A vet who talks to me (not at me) and explains things, I have a big interest and like to know and understands the details/treatment. A vet who is open minded to treatment etc.

Friendly vet nurses and receptionists.

I'm lucky I have a very good vet and all the staff are great, to the extent I want to move but have to factor in how far I would be from my vet!!

aliasojo

snowman2 wrote: »

The problem with vets is they have been selected for high academic grades at a-level which does not always mean they have good customer skills.



I have a couple of truly excellent receptionists and they make an incredible asset for the practice. You are more likely to see the receptionist & vet than any nurse.

Kudos for recognising (or admitting, lol) that fact.

Receptionist in our practice is also very good. She tends to go over and above the call of duty and almost 'minds' the clients (human and animal) like a Mother Hen, helping to sort out insurance stuff, spending time with frightened pets etc. Makes all the difference when you're not faced with a frosty Cruella.

Waterfalls

gettingready wrote: »

Snowman - sure but why can't YOU (and I mean vets in general) buy from those online pharmacies and then add a small margin? Rather then buying somewhere else where the price is already double and then add margin on top still?

I dont think that would work either as pharmacies dont sell as a wholesalers. So the vets would need a prescription for everything they buy just like public do?? Nice idea though

there is a scheme that is out now that my practice has recently joined that helps to reduce prices, but though the normal wholesalers. This scheme is reducing the prices of medications, which is then passed on to the public. Hopefully more practices will join helping to to reduce the price further

gemini12

I am curious as to the difference in vets fees for treatments. I live in a town where there are several veterinary practices who all charge very different fees for routine things like vaccinations, neutering etc.

The practice I take my dogs to have on the whole been very good as far as I can tell but I do know they are also much pricier than some others.

jfh7gwa

gemini12 wrote: »

I live in a town where there are several veterinary practices who all charge very different fees for routine things like vaccinations, neutering etc.

Exactly - this goes back to fee transparency issues that I've had in the past with vets.

Vets don't seem to understand that if they're transparent about why they're charging things, if it's well above the norm ("we don't treat many XYZs here so don't tend to stock this very often", for example), I wouldn't mind paying it.

What I don't like is feeling ripped off and having no idea about why the fees have been that way.

It's easier for me to just go back to a vet I've been using for years - I'd rather spend money on petrol and an hour's round trip than walk out of a local vet premises feeling like the fees are confusing/non-transparent or where (as has happened) they've given me funny looks when I've asked for an itemised bill.

Good customer service is sadly lacking in many professions, and vets are no exception. You get good ones and bad ones in all fields, I guess.

Sid_Wolf

i dont expect my vet to know ALL brands of food, it just annoys the hell out of my when they suggest ZD, HD or whatever for nearly every gastro issue, or know NOTHING about good feeds. A vet at our practice actually told me that i should be feeding a complete food such as bakers or wagg instead of raw!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and that raw chicken would kill my dog

it made me feel like i couldnt be honest with my vet about what she was fed on as she would lecture me, which had we then had any food related issues, would have been a problem

just a little insight into how a dogs/cats digestive system works would be a start, for example, knowing that the chances of a dog getting salmonella from raw chicken is little to none

albacookie

gettingready wrote: »

Snowman - sure but why can't YOU (and I mean vets in general) buy from those online pharmacies and then add a small margin? Rather then buying somewhere else where the price is already double and then add margin on top still?

To sell to vets the pharmacies would need a wholesaler licence.

lostinrates

gettingready wrote: »

Snowman - sure but why can't YOU (and I mean vets in general) buy from those online pharmacies and then add a small margin? Rather then buying somewhere else where the price is already double and then add margin on top still?

IIRC, and its a few years since I was remotely interested in this stuff....some of the vets suppliers DO work in this way..being vets shareholding in a distribution company. Not 100% sure of that though, and certainly not recent info. Interestingly my dh worked on something in this area recently so I'll ask him at some time.