Opinion on Vets???

[CulleenTwiglet]

Not something personal just something I saw on FB today from a girl who said she was never using a certain vet practise ever again because;

She was told a vet would be there to see her slightly lame horse (has been lame for a bit, not like it had a broken leg) and also her other horse was booked to have its teeth done. The vet called up 2 hours after he was meant to be there to say he was running late due to a colic. He was then not in contact again for 3 hours to say he was on his way and arrived an hour after that. Girl was annoyed not more contact as she was meant to be revising...

My personal opinion on this is you book your vet that day and surely you should understand if a vet gets called to a colic or a mare that's prolapsed or an arterial bleed (list goes on!!) she could have taken revision books down the yard/ left the house when vet said he was on his way ... Think leaving the practise saying they are terrible slating on fb etc is really overreacting - it's annoying but flip the cards and she would want a vet to drop everything to get to her horse in an emergency.

Just wanted to see other people's opinions on this !

 

[hackneylass2]

Vet was prioritising and should be commended for doing so.

A good vet is like gold dust. Public slating for such as you mentioned is childish and selfish IMO....But that's Farcebook all over isn't it?

 

[MerrySherryRider]

Silly girl, she doesn't understand that emergencies aren't pre-booked, they just happen.


I don't know whether its due to the use of social media and people have always been like it, but intolerance and selfishness seems to be on the increase.

 

[ribbons]

My vet practice always keep me informed If I have an appointment.

If my regular vet (of 20 years) is
delayed he will ring me direct with an eta. If its another vet from the practice, they keep their surgery informed of their schedule who in turn inform other clients of any delays.
No one expects a vet to be making calls when he/she should be treating emergencies, but it doesn't take 5 or 6 hours to find a moment to update staff at his surgery, in fact I would almost guarantee that this vet did just that. Staff there at fault in my opinion.
In this world of instant communication there is no need to hang around for several hours waiting for anyone without info.

Bad client service and poor business practice rather than bad vet I would say.

No sane person minds moving down the queue in the event of emergencies, but to not inform other clients would not be acceptable to me.

 

[ribbons]

Not that I would be using a public forum to complain.

The problem would be discussed with my practice, not a group of random people on a forum.

 

[fburton]

Farcebook indeed!

 

[Jools2345]

My vet practice always keep me informed If I have an appointment.

If my regular vet (of 20 years) is
delayed he will ring me direct with an eta. If its another vet from the practice, they keep their surgery informed of their schedule who in turn inform other clients of any delays.
No one expects a vet to be making calls when he/she should be treating emergencies, but it doesn't take 5 or 6 hours to find a moment to update staff at his surgery, in fact I would almost guarantee that this vet did just that. Staff there at fault in my opinion.
In this world of instant communication there is no need to hang around for several hours waiting for anyone without info.

Bad client service and poor business practice rather than bad vet I would say.

No sane person minds moving down the queue in the event of emergencies, but to not inform other clients would not be acceptable to me.

THIS

 

[CulleenTwiglet]

Ribbons... It's not my problem. This is a forum TO DISCUSS. I thought people may be interested to discuss ... Don't like it. Don't comment.

The practise did contact her twice when it was pushed back and I take it the emergencies must have just taken that long. Bugs me seeing how she's called it such a bad experience and moving vets when they are undoubtably the best in the area AND don't sting you on cost. Win Win.

 

[ribbons]

I wasn't referring to your discussion of the subject here.

I was talking about the person you quoted as bad mouthing their practice on fb.

In my opinion the practice in question did not act in a professional manner. However, i dont agree with the actions of the
person you describe, they should have taken it up with their practice.

Clarified I hope.

 

[CulleenTwiglet]

Apologies ribbons ! Because you said forum ;p

Yeah, 3 hours is a little long to be waiting for contact, but it's almost expected specially when she isn't the only one with an appointment booked.

 

[mynutmeg]

Not something personal just something I saw on FB today from a girl who said she was never using a certain vet practise ever again because;

She was told a vet would be there to see her slightly lame horse (has been lame for a bit, not like it had a broken leg) and also her other horse was booked to have its teeth done. The vet called up 2 hours after he was meant to be there to say he was running late due to a colic. He was then not in contact again for 3 hours to say he was on his way and arrived an hour after that. Girl was annoyed not more contact as she was meant to be revising...

My personal opinion on this is you book your vet that day and surely you should understand if a vet gets called to a colic or a mare that's prolapsed or an arterial bleed (list goes on!!) she could have taken revision books down the yard/ left the house when vet said he was on his way ... Think leaving the practise saying they are terrible slating on fb etc is really overreacting - it's annoying but flip the cards and she would want a vet to drop everything to get to her horse in an emergency.

Just wanted to see other people's opinions on this !

Massive over-reaction, maybe a complaint to the practise but beyond that. A vet nearly killed my mare because he wouldn't take 5 minutes to exam and treat a choke (she choked as he was finishing a routine preg scan, not my usual vet practice) and his attitude has made me swear I will never, ever use that practice again. Obviously not all the vets at that practice are the same but I won't risk having him again.

 

[CulleenTwiglet]

See now that's a reason to not have a vet mynutmeg !! A lazy vet is a dangerous vet. I can't fault my practise .. There are some vets I would rather use over others but generally they make sure you have the same one anyway!! Nice rapour and that.

On the subject... My boy has just had surgery at Liphook , TOUCH WOOD never had a horse in hospital before but I must say the aftercare and communication is nothing short of fantastic !!

 

[mynutmeg]

See now that's a reason to not have a vet mynutmeg !! A lazy vet is a dangerous vet. I can't fault my practise .. There are some vets I would rather use over others but generally they make sure you have the same one anyway!! Nice rapour and that.

On the subject... My boy has just had surgery at Liphook , TOUCH WOOD never had a horse in hospital before but I must say the aftercare and communication is nothing short of fantastic !!

My current practice are a fair drive away but are absolutly superb, without the vet who came out to her from my normal practice when she choked she would be dead. She spent a week in the dick vet's in edinburgh with aspiration pneumonia. Like you I found the horspital excellent - my first time having a horse in horspital and she was 2 hours away so unable to visit.
What was so nice is that the vet from my normal practice that saved her initially was the one who came and did the foal check the day Milo was born (she was only 20 days pregnant when she choked and no-one expected her to keep the pregnancy)

 

[CulleenTwiglet]

That's really cool. And sweet that they are there for the journey!! My vet has been with my youngster since 10months old and he always asks an jokes about riding him! Although he did ride my other horse so he will probs end up doing so!!
The horspital is amazing, everything is spotless, quite happy to pay for hospitalisation costs as its just amazing!! I got to watch his surgery too which was all a bit strange and the contact I had when he was coming round (16yr old and took a while to get up!) was great! Free food and drinks while we waited. May get them some quality street as a thankyou because they truely are fantastic . Liphooks about an hour from me so popping back tomorrow to give him cuddles!

 

[Tiffany]

The vet I use telephone if they are running late and if my visit was a routine visit and emergency happened obviously, the emergency comes first.

 

[EstherYoung]

My vet legged it half way through our last batch of jabs/teeth because he got a colic call. I told him to go.

Some things are more important.

 

[ribbons]

Quite right that your vet left routine work to attend a colic.

As i understand it, the thread is about communication though, not
prioritising.
When your vet left you to attend an emergency the staff at his practice would have been well aware of his movements.
It is THEIR job to contact other clients and let them know the situation.

A good vet will always prioritise between routine / urgent / emergency.

It's not his/her job to inform his other clients. That is why there is office staff, and it is completely fair to expect that sort of communication from the practice office.

 

[MurphysMinder]

My vets are generally pretty good about letting me know when they are running late, and I would never have a problem with them diverting to an emergency. One of their vets, who sadly passed away last year, was hopeless on communication, and you would never know when he would turn up, but he was a superb horse vet and I think most of his clients would happily wait all day for him.
I do think in the case mentioned in the OP the vets should have communicated better, but the person is massively over reacting in slagging them off all over fb etc. I would think it quite likely that word will spread about her reaction and she may find it difficult to find any vet to attend in the future.

 

[noodle_]

my vet in the past has been upto 40 mins later (with a colic)! and appologised but its not something i would expect him to appologise for....if it was my horse then id want a vet there too.....


a phone call from the practice or text may be been good for waiting over 1.5 hours?

 

[CulleenTwiglet]

Yeah granted 2 hours is a long time with no comms but they were told he was out dealing with an emergency... Could take any length of time where vet can't contact practise too.
Had a mare prolapse last year at a yard near me and vet took 4 hours helping before said mare was PTS.
Maybe practise could have messages saying he was still out..
So many people have slated this girl and told the practise who have apologised but said themselves about priorities !

 

[Neburu]

Surely if she was that bothered from no contact she could have rang the practice to find out what was going on?

I've had to wait for 2 hours before for a vet to arrive I had no contact from my practice, so I rang them and they said sorry for not contacting me but it was an emergency at the clinic and everyone had mucked in and forgot to inform the clients that were waiting.

 

[mynutmeg]

That's really cool. And sweet that they are there for the journey!! My vet has been with my youngster since 10months old and he always asks an jokes about riding him! Although he did ride my other horse so he will probs end up doing so!!
The horspital is amazing, everything is spotless, quite happy to pay for hospitalisation costs as its just amazing!! I got to watch his surgery too which was all a bit strange and the contact I had when he was coming round (16yr old and took a while to get up!) was great! Free food and drinks while we waited. May get them some quality street as a thankyou because they truely are fantastic . Liphooks about an hour from me so popping back tomorrow to give him cuddles!

yeh it was really nice - he was thrilled to see the foal as well.
I was really lucky in that her insurance paid all the horspital costs but they were simply amazing.

 

[Marydoll]

I have no problem with a vet leaving a routine appointment with my horses to deal with an emergency, i would however have a problem being left to hang around for hours with no contact. That said it wouldnt happen as i would have called the practice myself and on finding the problem asked them to give me a shout on the phone when the vet was free and heading in my direction, if this wasnt suitable then id reschedule.

 

[CulleenTwiglet]

She said it ruined her revision ... Take text books down with you and sit in tack room? So many things she could have done, bless

 

[rascal]

Its easy enough to revise in the yard/field. Think she was rather thoughtless and rude to complain on fb or anywhere else. Emergencies happen, what would she rather do, have the vet let the other animal die?

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Not something personal just something I saw on FB today from a girl who said she was never using a certain vet practise ever again because;

She was told a vet would be there to see her slightly lame horse (has been lame for a bit, not like it had a broken leg) and also her other horse was booked to have its teeth done. The vet called up 2 hours after he was meant to be there to say he was running late due to a colic. He was then not in contact again for 3 hours to say he was on his way and arrived an hour after that. Girl was annoyed not more contact as she was meant to be revising...

My personal opinion on this is you book your vet that day and surely you should understand if a vet gets called to a colic or a mare that's prolapsed or an arterial bleed (list goes on!!) she could have taken revision books down the yard/ left the house when vet said he was on his way ... Think leaving the practise saying they are terrible slating on fb etc is really overreacting - it's annoying but flip the cards and she would want a vet to drop everything to get to her horse in an emergency.

Just wanted to see other people's opinions on this !

1 or 2 hrs fair enough but a total of 6???? no excuse.

I have had similar experiences with certain vet practices.



1. My mare had jumped the wire and ripped her knee flesh off down to the vessels. Vets said that had to finish evening surgery before they would come. ( this entailed dog and cat vaccinations) not a high priority .

Vet finally arrives 4 hrs later - result my mares knee blows up like an elephants. Could slip your fingers behind the blood vessels.


2. Different vet my late mare colicking, I was in the dark ( grass livery no lights at yard) walking her round and round. Again said they had to finish evening surgery.

Vet arrives 4 hrs after the call out.


There are other things I could post that was not on but not due to lateness or involved a livery so cannot post.



Its one thing prioritizing but 6 hrs they could have kept better in touch .

 

[oldie48]

I'm fortunate to have a large specialist equine practice on my doorstep. They are brilliant but on one occasion a vet failed to turn up, they thought they'd contacted me but they hadn't. Sometimes things don't happen as they should, even in a really professionally run practice, they dealt with my complaint to my satisfaction and I wouldn't dream of going elsewhere but I raised the problem properly with them and gave them a chance to put things right. That's what mature people do. this young lady would do well to put herself in the place of the owner of the horse with colic!

 

[Maesfen]

Surely if she was that bothered from no contact she could have rang the practice to find out what was going on?

.

This. Do you think she would be complaining if it was her horse causing the emergency or her horse needed emergency care and they said 'sorry, got a list of clients to see first' - I don't think so. Sounds like a selfish brat without a brain.

 

[neelie OAP]

Not something personal just something I saw on FB today from a girl who said she was never using a certain vet practise ever again because;

She was told a vet would be there to see her slightly lame horse (has been lame for a bit, not like it had a broken leg) and also her other horse was booked to have its teeth done. The vet called up 2 hours after he was meant to be there to say he was running late due to a colic. He was then not in contact again for 3 hours to say he was on his way and arrived an hour after that. Girl was annoyed not more contact as she was meant to be revising...

My personal opinion on this is you book your vet that day and surely you should understand if a vet gets called to a colic or a mare that's prolapsed or an arterial bleed (list goes on!!) she could have taken revision books down the yard/ left the house when vet said he was on his way ... Think leaving the practise saying they are terrible slating on fb etc is really overreacting - it's annoying but flip the cards and she would want a vet to drop everything to get to her horse in an emergency.

Just wanted to see other people's opinions on this !

Just I quite agree, and very much over rerrreacting silly girl !