Am I wrong to feel so bitter and angry?

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Dolcé

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This is non horsey so I apologise in advance but I suppose any horse owner can relate to my anger. When OH checked and fed the animals this morning he noticed one of the geese was unwell, she was fine yesterday but seemed really off colour. I rushed down when he got home and realised she was very ill and probably dying, I had forgotten my phone so lifted her into the car and took her to the vets 5 minutes away. Apparently the vets were all in a meeting and it was more than the receptionists life was worth to disturb them - this is the vets that had over £500 off me last week for Murphy's leg injury and would have been having a lot more over the next few weeks! After calling at the other local vets (where all the vets were on their 2 hour lunch break) I gave up, took her home and called out our horse vets (they are quite a distance away and I didn't want to stress her out with a long car journey). She died 30 minutes later, suffering heart attack after heart attack for over 10 minutes, I was devastated but absolutely fuming with my vet. I cancelled the vet call out and then phoned them back shortly after to ask them to transfer all Murphy's records to their practice.

I could have left her to die this way in the stable with her friends, I took her to the vet to have her PTS and die quietly without having to suffer the heart attack death (I hate it, the worst thing to witness). I know she wasn't breathing after the first couple of attacks and so wouldn't have been in pain but it was still distressing to see the poor girl go this way especially when I tried to do the right thing. Am I right to feel so angry, I don't know whether to complain or whether I am being unreasonable because I am emotional about it - surely the receptionist should have tried to help, what if it had been a dog that had been hit by a car and was bleeding to death, would she have said the same. I am disgusted!:mad:

Cake and lots of bacardi to those who got to the end of this without losing the will to live!
 
That's horrible. There should have been someone there to deal with an emergency if it was during their opening hours. And even if it wasn't their opening hours, someone should have came out and seen to her if there were vets there. I don't think you are wrong to be bitter and angry. I would be too.
 
I'm not surprised you're disgusted and angry. Can't quite believe that the receptionist wouldn't interrupt the vet's meeting for a dying animal :eek:
 
No you are not wrong at all to feel bitter and angry, anyone would. We put our trust in our vets to do the right thing in an emergency especially - as this clearly was.

A stern letter you should send, I think ... but wait a few days until you're less angry as it will have more impact and come across as more reasonable devoid of intense emotion.

Are your vets so arrogant and tyrranical that they frighten their receptionist? It sounds so but if not, the silly cow will require additional training in how to deal with emergency procedures.
 
I couldn't believe it either, she even asked if I wanted to make an appointment for later in the afternoon when he had done his other appointments!!!! I said I didn't think she would survive that long and she just apologised and said she wished she could help! Thanks for confirming that I am justified in my anger, I must admit, the receptionist at the horse vets seemed quite shocked when I told her why I wanted them to take over Murphy's treatment.
 
Achinghips said:
No you are not wrong at all to feel bitter and angry, anyone would. We put our trust in our vets to do the right thing in an emergency especially - as this clearly was.

A stern letter you should send, I think ... but wait a few days until you're less angry as it will have more impact and come across as more reasonable devoid of intense emotion.

Are your vets so arrogant and tyrranical that they frighten their receptionist? It sounds so but if not, the silly cow will require additional training in how to deal with emergency procedures.
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I have only ever seen the senior partner before going with Murphy last week, he is lovely and brilliant with the poultry. The lady vet that we saw last week was lovely but I didn't like the older guy who tried to sell us surgery after the x rays were done. I can't imagine any of them scaring a receptionist, I was a bit cross she didn't recognise me when I spent so much time in there last week and had to ask my name and address. She comes across as full of self importance so I suspect it is a bit like the old doctors receptionist syndrome. I was expecting an apologetic phone call but I wonder if she didn't tell them!
 
I had a similar incident with my old vets (funnily enough not there anymore), and my old cat (21yrs). She had a stoke and was completely paralyzed on her back end and in some distress. I called ahead to tell the vets I was enroute only be told they couldn't see me for 2hrs as vets in meeting, so told receptionist if no one would PTS, I would run her over in their carpark!!!! Funny enough someone was waiting for me. ;)
 
The problem lies with the receptionist who isnt in a position to assess sick animals and she should get her ass in a sling for causing unneccessary suffering and distress to the poor bird by not informing the vets you were there.
I am sure no vet worth their salt wouldve kept you waiting under these circumstances had they known.
In defence of the vets, its difficult to do anything about an issue youre unaware of, but some safeguard should be put in place to ensure it never happens again
 
I'm very sorry you had such a traumatic experience, RIP goose. In a few days when you're calmer I would write a very stern letter to the vets, that is completely unacceptable and that receptionist should be fired for causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.
 
I agree, you do get "receptionists syndrome" sometimes. I remember walking out of the vets in disgust once at my treatment - it also irked me as I'd spent over £4000 with them in 6 weeks, with a cancerous dog they'd known for 7 years, 5 pedigree breeding Queens they'd known all their lives and recent boosters for 18 kittens. It was the last straw when they had the audacity to ask me for my name -the poor vet ran after after me and my pet in the carpark, desperate to be of service.
 
marydoll said:
The problem lies with the receptionist who isnt in a position to assess sick animals and she should get her ass in a sling for causing unneccessary suffering and distress to the poor bird by not informing the vets you were there.
I am sure no vet worth their salt wouldve kept you waiting under these circumstances had they known.
In defence of the vets, its difficult to do anything about an issue youre unaware of, but some safeguard should be put in place to ensure it never happens again
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This. I would complain to the vets about the receptionist as she sounds like a right ****!!
 
Unacceptable! I would put in a formal complaint to their governing body too (Royal College of Vet Med, I think!) Just cc the RC with letter of complaint. That should make them sit up and take notice!!
 
I feel your pain as my vet ( who we have used for the last 20 yrs and is very nice/ good/ compassionate) has a new receptionist who is a complete moron rude and has an over inflated opinion of herself she drives me completely mad if I ring up to make an appointment, it's because I want an appointment with the vet, I don't want to discuss it with the receptionist whovas far as I'm aware is not trained in veterinary science it's making me mad just thinking about it!!!
 
It's the receptionists fault, the vets knew nothing, if they had been alerted I'm sure they would have helped. Definitely a stern letter to senior partners in the practises regarding their receptionists causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.

I had a receptionist try to make me an appointment for the following day when I rang them, during the day, to let them know I was incoming with our boxer who severed an artery on a broken bottle. Fortunately the sight of me in their pristine reception looking like an axe murderer covered in blood got them shifting!

He survived by the way!
 
Apercrumbie said:
I'm very sorry you had such a traumatic experience, RIP goose. In a few days when you're calmer I would write a very stern letter to the vets, that is completely unacceptable and that receptionist should be fired for causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.
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I agree with this. Calm down alittle then write the practice a letter. It may not be the vets fault.
I hate ringing the vet as so often I get the receptionst trying to diagnose what is wrong.
I normaly ask for a vet streight away and when they start asking me what is wrong (the receptionist that is) I just reply "You arn't a vet are you?"
Luckly my vet practice know me well now and I'm always put through to the vets streight away. Or they will ring me back ASAP. :) They know I only ring if theres something realy badly wrong ;)
 
Personally the last thing I'd have done with a dying bird is troll it round to the vets. I'd have necked it quietly and calmly at home without adding to its suffering.

RIP goose.
 
No wonder your angry. Receptionists think they have some sort of special super powers or something. I would seriously complain about her. I would be fuming and would want her in serious trouble over it.
 
Maybe she doesn't know how to neck it properly, I don't. I wouldn't attempt to do something I didn't know how to - when the vets were there and open!

I'd have gone through the receptionist, literally and straight to the meeting room.

I've done reception work and I can catergorically say, if that was me I'd have interrupted their meeting and if they didn't like it then I'd quite happilly take the flack!! They are vets FFS!!!
 
BoolavogueDC said:
Maybe she doesn't know how to neck it properly, I don't. I wouldn't attempt to do something I didn't know how to - when the vets were there and open!
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I was taught that if you're going to keep birds you should know how to kill them.

To neck a goose first find a stick - a broomhandle is good but for a goose a slightly thicker stick is even better - place the bird on the ground, right way up, with its head between your feet and its feet stretched away in front of you. Put the stick over its neck, just behind its head, and take a light pressure with your feet on the stick to hold it in place, then bend forward, pick up the bird by its feet and lift them up towards you, keeping slight tension so that the neck and body are held taut. As you bring the feet towards you you will wind the neck around the broomhandle, separating the vertebrae and breaking the spinal cord. Or you can get an axe and take its head off but that can be messy. Broomstick method works just as well for chickens and ducks if you've not been shown how to neck them manually.

It may be unpleasant to contemplate and carry out but it's far kinder than making the bird spend its last hours being driven around to an alien environment.
 
I had this with my dog, Daisy, she had snapped her leg out on a walk, I got my mum to ring the vets to say I was on my way as I had to carry her half a mile back to the car as I was out on the Downs when it happened.Mum said they said can you come down after 6 pm when the appointments have finished for the day!
NO I couldn't, when we got there the idiot lady vet looked at her and said yes, it's broken but we won't be doing any treatmet till Monday (the was Friday night) I HAD to stop her talking and ask for pain relief as she was going through all the options of treatment and how much it woud cost.
This was daisys leg

DaisyBeck00030003.jpg


They were prepared to leave her until Monday before any treatment!
Their excuse was, no one their overnight to look after her yet they boast that they have 24/7 facilities. I rushed her to vetsnow.com at another local practice, although very expensive I cannot fault the treatment of her and their professional attitude.
 
I'm so sorry and can quite understand why you're so angry. I'm outraged on your behalf.
When you're feeling up to it, write to the senior vet direct, asking for confirmation that your letter has been recieved. At the very least, the receptionist should be repremanded and given correct training to prevent the same thing happening again. Its just not acceptable to leave an animal in distress.
 
Sorry for your loss, :(

Yes its the vets practice as a whole which is at fault, If it was such an important meeting then there should have been cover given in the case of an emergency.
 
Disgusting! I feel so bad for you.

I'm just hearing so many horror stories about vets lately, it seems everyone has one. I used to think they went into this career because of a love of animals, these days I'm not so sure. It's seems all about the money.
 
Dee O'Dorant said:
I was taught that if you're going to keep birds you should know how to kill them.

To neck a goose first find a stick - a broomhandle is good but for a goose a slightly thicker stick is even better - place the bird on the ground, right way up, with its head between your feet and its feet stretched away in front of you. Put the stick over its neck, just behind its head, and take a light pressure with your feet on the stick to hold it in place, then bend forward, pick up the bird by its feet and lift them up towards you, keeping slight tension so that the neck and body are held taut. As you bring the feet towards you you will wind the neck around the broomhandle, separating the vertebrae and breaking the spinal cord. Or you can get an axe and take its head off but that can be messy. Broomstick method works just as well for chickens and ducks if you've not been shown how to neck them manually.

It may be unpleasant to contemplate and carry out but it's far kinder than making the bird spend its last hours being driven around to an alien environment.
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This just seems like silly advice when concerned with a beloved pet. How was the OP supposed to know the animal was dying? For all she knew, there was a chance to save the animal, hence which would make the trip to the vets totally worth it.

OP, the receptionist's behaviour is disgusting at best, and if you want to really scare them, I would say her behaviour is bordering on negligent under The Animal Welfare Act 2006. (recently been studying this at University)
You carried out your responsibility but the receptionist did not. You can find the relevant law here: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/45/section/4

Quote:
Unnecessary suffering

(1)A person commits an offence if—
(a)an act of his, or a FAILURE OF HIS ACT CAUSES THE ANIMAL TO SUFFER.
 
marydoll said:
The problem lies with the receptionist who isnt in a position to assess sick animals and she should get her ass in a sling for causing unneccessary suffering and distress to the poor bird by not informing the vets you were there.
I am sure no vet worth their salt wouldve kept you waiting under these circumstances had they known.
In defence of the vets, its difficult to do anything about an issue youre unaware of, but some safeguard should be put in place to ensure it never happens again
Click to expand...
No need to defend the employers, it is their responsibility to train staff and to employ a suitable person, it is not difficult to asses if a client [a person who help to keep them in employment] is stressing out about an animal, I would NOT use a practice which was not available 24/7.
 
Dee O'Dorant said:
I was taught that if you're going to keep birds you should know how to kill them.

To neck a goose first find a stick - a broomhandle is good but for a goose a slightly thicker stick is even better - place the bird on the ground, right way up, with its head between your feet and its feet stretched away in front of you. Put the stick over its neck, just behind its head, and take a light pressure with your feet on the stick to hold it in place, then bend forward, pick up the bird by its feet and lift them up towards you, keeping slight tension so that the neck and body are held taut. As you bring the feet towards you you will wind the neck around the broomhandle, separating the vertebrae and breaking the spinal cord. Or you can get an axe and take its head off but that can be messy. Broomstick method works just as well for chickens and ducks if you've not been shown how to neck them manually.

It may be unpleasant to contemplate and carry out but it's far kinder than making the bird spend its last hours being driven around to an alien environment.
Click to expand...

FGS i really don't think this is the time or the place to be putting this !! yes i can see your point but i rather doubt the OP is in the right frame of mind right now to appreciate this kind of 'advice'!!
OP i would be writing a very strongly worded letter to the vets practice regarding the receptionists attitude, if they defend her then i would write to the governing body.
 
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