How long is reasonable

[bouncing_ball]

I’m in Surrey. Interested in views on what is a reasonable timescale for a 4-5 vet practice to come out and do foot balance x-rays and examine a swollen joint? (No infection, mild lameness). Competition dressage horse, long term client.

Appreciate it’s summer holidays and people are being pinged etc.

 

[ycbm]

I'd be cross if it was more than a week. I got a lameness workup done 2 weeks ago at 4 days notice, phoned Monday afternoon, seen Thursday morning.
.

 

[milliepops]

My practice is a lot bigger but I'd expect an appointment within a few days unless I wanted a specific vet. Or sooner if I could travel to them.

 

[ihatework]

I’d hope within a week or so, or at least the option to box into the clinic if they can’t send anyone out.
If I wanted a specific vet there would need to be flexibility on the timescale for a non emergency

 

[Sossigpoker]

My practice would send someone out within a few days, if I wanted a specific vet that would take longer.

 

[SusieT]

Foot balance x-rays- could be up to 4 weeks if they are getting pinged.
It all really depends on if they are prioritising urgent cases as a swollen , not infected joint isn't an emergency, though I appreciate you want it to be. I'd like to think I could be seen within a week if I had no vet preference within said practice and they werent down with 'pinged' vets. Assume I could be seen quicker if I took horse to them. And assume not a referral practice as that could be 6-8 weeks

 

[The Irish Draft 2022]

It’s depends some vet practice some can take a week or longer.

 

[milliepops]

Do you mean not requiring a referral? I'm registered with a referral practice and clients get speedy visits as normal.

They did have a few weeks where some tested positive for covid and then I ended up with a senior partner turning out to do routine dentals on a zone day ? would normally get a junior vet then. they really do try and keep the plates spinning.

 

[saddlesore]

My vet practice largely seems to be operating as usual luckily. I’d expect to be able to book in for X-rays within a few days

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I would expect an appointment within a week my friend has just had to wait almost a month for a certain vet who specialises in soft tissue lameness at the rvc which I think is a long time, especially if you have a insurance claim running!

 

[LouisCat]

I have just had some xrays done on my horse. Rang Friday and was seen on Monday ??

 

[Lady Jane]

If it was your own practice, you didn't mid which vet, a couple of days? Doesn't sound like you are having a full work up?
If you are going to one of the top vet practices in the UK to see a particular person it could be weeks.

 

[MuddyMonster]

If it was a regular practise, I'd expect within 3-4 days if I wasn't requesting a particular vet.

I think I waited 6 or 7 working days for a similiar size practise in March or April this year but I wanted a specific vet.

 

[AandK]

If not wanting a specific vet, then a couple of days. If wanting a specific vet, then maybe up to a week. And sooner if I took the horse into the hospital.

 

[bouncing_ball]

Thanks. Practice isn’t a referral one. I was told 11 days before any diagnostics could be done.

I wasn’t specifying which vet within my practice.

I have had to go else where as needed to fit with before farrier visit (which was delayed as wanting to shoe to x-rays).

I’ve no problem driving anywhere.

My local referral hospital could do 7 days.

I’ve actually booked a different referral place as means I can have farrier work with vet whilst taking foot X-rays and looking at swollen joint ??

I’m disappointed at original vets but not sure if I’m being unreasonable at holiday time and with prevalence of people being pinged. They viewed it as not urgent okay to wait 11 days. The feet IMO could not wait that long as shoeing due on day 1.

 

[SusieT]

'I have had to go else where as needed to fit with before farrier visit (which was delayed as wanting to shoe to x-rays).
' - I guess it might have been better to organise it weeks ago when you knew shoeing was due?

I'm not sure if its fair to not be happy -they wont have not booked it for fun, but because they were busy with either people who had booked more in advance or had more clinical need than you - what is your solution to it being 11 days if that is the first time the xray or vet was available ? How would you make that time shorter?

 

[bouncing_ball]

'I have had to go else where as needed to fit with before farrier visit (which was delayed as wanting to shoe to x-rays).
' - I guess it might have been better to organise it weeks ago when you knew shoeing was due?

He went lame on 5th August evening. I postponed the farrier (due 6th August that night). I rang my vet the following morning. It wasn’t possible to know in advance that I wanted foot balance xrays as part of assessment of swollen joint.

'

I'm not sure if its fair to not be happy -they wont have not booked it for fun, but because they were busy with either people who had booked more in advance or had more clinical need than you - what is your solution to it being 11 days if that is the first time the xray or vet was available ? How would you make that time shorter?

I’d happily have paid for an out of hours visit to get the X-rays done or boxed anywhere. It didn’t work for me to wait 11 days with horse needing shoeing, so I took my business elsewhere.

My question is whether being asked to wait 11 days for a horse with a foot balance issue and a swollen joint is okay. When I’m not specifying which vet (of 4/5 vets) to attend. I am not far from practice. I was trying to guage view points. The majority of posters so far have said they also wouldn’t expect or wouldn’t be happy with an 11 day wait.

 

[Leam_Carrie]

I think my practice would be quicker. I’m sure they posted that most non-urgent appointments are within a couple of days. I called up today as I wanted an appointment with a specific vet next Friday, which they sorted. It will be at the practice so all equipment if needed (although we’ve already x-rayed most things).

 

[sherry90]

I wouldn’t expect to wait that long in your circumstances, no. Unless of course there was valid reason (eg pings/isolating vets).

 

[SusieT]

'I’d happily have paid for an out of hours visit to get the X-rays done' - But why should the vet give up their family/own horse time to fit a non urgent visit in?

 

[windand rain]

Pretty sure they would come same day or next day for the lamenes not sure about x rays but my farrier is a remedial farrier so unlikely not to pick up foot balance issues so he would be my first call

 

[iknowmyvalue]

Straight up balance X-rays I’d say 1-2wks, but with a lameness and swollen joint I’d say within a few days to a week

 

[bouncing_ball]

'I’d happily have paid for an out of hours visit to get the X-rays done' - But why should the vet give up their family/own horse time to fit a non urgent visit in?

Because the horse is lame with a swollen joint and timely diagnosis and treatment is shown to lead to a better outcome.

A visit can be non emergency but still not able to wait and wait.

And yes if my horse is lame and I’m worried about it, I think I’d want to be with a practice that can offer diagnostics within a week.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I'd expect a vet from my practice to come out with the portable x ray within a week, and I'd get an appointment in clinic if I took the horse in sooner than that.

But Covid, pings and summer holidays mean that many practices are short staffed at the moment, so I'd cut them some slack if they are struggling to provide their normal standard of service. I'd take the horse in as long as it is fit to travel, which saves the vets time.

That presumes that the practice is normally good.

This is a thread I posted in AAD.

https://forums.horseandhound.co.uk/...ail-from-my-small-animal-vet-practice.807808/

 

[bouncing_ball]

I'd expect a vet from my practice to come out with the portable x ray within a week, and I'd get an appointment in clinic if I took the horse in sooner than that.

But Covid, pings and summer holidays mean that many practices are short staffed at the moment, so I'd cut them some slack if they are struggling to provide their normal standard of service. I'd take the horse in as long as it is fit to travel, which saves the vets time.

That presumes that the practice is normally good.

unfortunately they are an ambulatory only practice so going to them isn’t an option. TBH I’d have done anything they suggested to assist getting the diagnostics within the 8 days the farrier visit was delayed by but 11 days was the only thing they could offer.

 

[spotty_pony]

I'd expect it within the week. IMO sometimes you have to be a little bit more assertive. When my boy was very lame last year, the receptionist said they would see what the could do over the next few days to which I replied 'so do you think it fair to make him wait?' The Vet came that afternoon!

 

[rara007]

How long do you think you’d wait on private health care? Vs NHS?
It’s hard to explain just how short staffed the industry is right now. No one likes providing a poor service by being too thinly stretched so they’re quite probably relieved to have one less client on the books and that the horse can get help sooner than they can manage.