I Like My Vet Because...

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Arizahn

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A thread to praise all the good vets out there! :D

Mine are both great: wonderful way with the animals, up to speed on all the latest technology, absolute fonts of knowledge from years of practice, and always quick to respond to an emergency call :)

Latest example would be T'Khasi, who was gelded this afternoon. Operation was very well handled, with no stress to the pony...although my husband was a bit spooked by the sounds and had to go for a walk whilst the vet finished up!

So, let's hear your good vet experiences!
 
Had wonderful vets who went above and beyond the call of duty treating my mare who'd fractured her navicular bone in 2 places, sadly the final outcome was not good, but I shall never forget the look of distress on the vets face when she realised there was nothing else they could do, her kindness and sympathy meant so much on that final day. Received a condolences card from the practice with lovely heart felt words from all.
 
My mare had a tendon operation last September and her vet Jonathon has been amazing! I just text him with any concerns and to make an appointment which he fits round my fulltime job. He has just given her the all clear but I have decided not to risk it and keep her as a field ornament! He even sent her a happy Christmas text :) He has put up with me being slightly hysterical at times and given my girl the very best care!
 
I love my vet because she genuinely cares! She is friends with me on facebook and texts me all the time to see how my horses are feeling if there is something wrong.

She is also very thorough and considerate and will listen to my opinions as well as she knows I know my horses. She is great and has the patience of a saint as I can be highly strung at times as well :)
 
Last year on a friday my donkey colt was gelded, on monday morning he was dead. I was hysterical, i'd never seen a dead horse, let alone knew who to call or what had killed him. So i called my vet in tears and she came straight over on her day off, organised the collectors to take him and then did a autopsy off of her own back and time. He had been posioned, nothing to do with the gelding. She then send me a card of condoleces signed by all the practice staff and inside had explain that she had scratched my bill for the gelding and offered her home and mobile number in case of emergencies.

Last year my beloved pony lost his life after a year of treatment. She had got me expensive equi-top myoplast for free and battled with me. On the day he was put to sleep she gave him the injection and he went down. She then told me to leave my yard because she didnt want my last memory to be him being dragged into a trailer on top of other bodies. I left the area and went for a long drive. She'd shown my other horse the body, sorted everything with the collectors and locked up the yard and posted the keys through my letterbox. I thanked her implicitly but i will always, always owe her and i will never change practise and continue recommending her for years to come.
 
My vet is well fit, but apparently he's gay :/

He was also brilliant last night with both me and my horse when he came out to stitch him up
 
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He's my dad :D

My dad works for DEFRA and hasn't dealt with horses for years (and then they were mostly dead...), so when things went wring we still got the horse vet out and now I am up in Sheffield I will need a horse vet if anything goes wrong (he will, however, conveniently be visiting around vaccination time :p), but...

...my dad put both my ponies to sleep when the time came. We were both bawling our eyes out, but he was strong enough to do it because it was the right thing to do for them.

After he put Harry down, I didn't want to see him have to do that again. But as he pointed out, by the time anyone else had got out to Misty, the sedative she had would have worn off. She died with her head in my arms and it was very peaceful.

She had been in her stable so my dad then had to get her out. I don't know how he did it, I felt sick just thinking about it.

My dad does a lot of welfare work, and he's awesome because he always has the animal's welfare at heart, even if it's the pony who had been part of the family for almost 12 years.
 
There are a few vets at my local equine practice but they all seem very nice

I was particularly impressed by the lovely lady vet who removed my pony's wolf teeth which were an inch long, it took ages and he is only 11hh so must have been hell on her back and arms but she never complained!
 
I like my vet because he is passionate about what he does ! He runs a small mixed animal practice and I know I could call him up any time, day or night, and he would be there.

He also starts with the simple stuff and simple solutions before we get to the complicated expensive stuff and if he dosn't know, he says so.

This is all part and parcel of why he has been my vet for the last 15 years.
 
I like my vet because hes a no nonsense type :) the minute you give my mare an inch she will take a mile!! So the softly softly approach doesnt work but all other vets do it regardless of what i say then end up in there for hours with twitches etc after shes already wound herself. Where as he goes in and quicker than she can react its done and then he gives her a hug and a pat and comes back out. He rang me straight away with blood results even though they were not urgent too. :)
 
My vet is a life long and dearest friend. Thankfully a little younger than me because the day she retires I will finish too. She has known every horse I have ever had. Her professionalism is outstanding, it was not easy for her to put down two of my horses that she had known for over 25 years each, they had been part of her life when she was training. She backed one of them and rode them both regularly.

Without her support, in more ways than just veterinary, I would have packed up by now.

Vets work under immense pressure, especially in the litigious world that we all live in now. The ease that novice people can now purchase horses with now also presents problems to the vets. So many owners have no idea how to care for a horse in good health let alone a sick one.
 
I loved our old vet!

He moved onto cattle but still did our horses as we'd known him so long. Poor boy got kicked in the field and had a star fracture, different vet from the practice wanted to shoot him, I think the conversation went something like "you go near that horse and his won't be the only body they take away", Called Steve out who had a look at xray, said stick him in a box for 6 months, bandage him daily and he'll be fine.

You know what? That horse was never lame unless he did something serious! He came right, we hacked for miles, jumped anything you pointed him at, and did fabulous impressions of a pupil at the Spanish riding school (toad!), hated selling him :(
 
Our vet is a saint - she comes out day and night and is hugely supportive, she's amazing.

But also massive praise to the team at B&W Vets in Glos, one of our polo ponies managed to puncture her knee and was rushed into them for surgery, and they were amazing. They not only saved her life but were so lovely to us - even when we were gibbering idiots! They also helped me out no end with sorting out the insurance, so a massive thank you to them.
 
i like my vet because she actually remembers your horses and you feel like she cares and doesn't just decide to run tests because they can! had mysterious lameness, but as she felt it was in the foot told me to get the farriers before doing any expensive nerve blocks or x-rays, saves me money! luckily it seems to be a bruise, farriers have re-shod and she phoned me this morning to see how he was. it's little follow ups that make you like the vets so much more, more personal. she also has patience with the trickier patients! as nice as she is i hope i don't have to see her in ages as don't want any more ill horses or any more bills!
 
  • He broke all speed records when my mare broke her back last year to arrive within 15 minutes at stupid o'clock in the morning
  • He stayed until she passed away and kept her pain free
  • He organised a mate of his to come with his digger at night so she could be buried at home
  • He's always available
  • He vetted my new horse and passed him
  • He says it like it is
  • He does cheap visits on a Thursday so vaccinations are not too painful financially
  • He's cute
  • He's got a good SOH
  • He's a 4* eventer so really understands horses
  • He only does horses
 
My vet is utterly brilliant technically and as a person and I trust judgement without question. He's happy to give advice on the phone which is often "go home and have a glass of wine" (I'm a rather anxious horse's mother). He also knows I don't insure and keeps the costs down without compromising care.
 
My old vet was great and really pulled out all the stops to save the old mare when she went down with pneumonia. Even though we both thought she would surely die, he spent a long time with her and did save her life. He was there long into out of hours but never put it on the bill, and was really good with checking up on her progress.

Sadly I changed practice after the same girl was eventually pts. "My" vet wasn't on that day and as it was an emergency his senior colleague came out. He made such a pig's ear of it and caused her so much suffering that I couldn't risk it happening again. He also charged me in full and the practice refused to apologise or take any responsibility. A shame because **** was excellent.
 
Is he single?! Lol

Nicnac said:
  • He broke all speed records when my mare broke her back last year to arrive within 15 minutes at stupid o'clock in the morning
  • He stayed until she passed away and kept her pain free
  • He organised a mate of his to come with his digger at night so she could be buried at home
  • He's always available
  • He vetted my new horse and passed him
  • He says it like it is
  • He does cheap visits on a Thursday so vaccinations are not too painful financially
  • He's cute
  • He's got a good SOH
  • He's a 4* eventer so really understands horses
  • He only does horses
Click to expand...
 
Nicnac said:
  • He broke all speed records when my mare broke her back last year to arrive within 15 minutes at stupid o'clock in the morning
  • He stayed until she passed away and kept her pain free
  • He organised a mate of his to come with his digger at night so she could be buried at home
  • He's always available
  • He vetted my new horse and passed him
  • He says it like it is
  • He does cheap visits on a Thursday so vaccinations are not too painful financially
  • He's cute
  • He's got a good SOH
  • He's a 4* eventer so really understands horses
  • He only does horses
Click to expand...

Sounds like the guy who vetted our last horse - JR?
 
They were fantastic in May when I had to have my boy PTS due to grass sickness, as were everyone at Rainbow Equine Hospital. They have always been very helpful & lovely to deal with whenever we have needed them, be it emergencies or routine stuff.
 
He's practical, considered and no nonsense. If he's not sure about something he's more than willing to phone the dick vet to make doubly sure. There is no faffage, he opts for what's best for the horse, not what is best for me.
 
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