Substandard vet - what would you do?

[TwoStroke]

Posting here for opinions as not sure how much of a fuss to make!

My horse is being treated for PSD, he's on box rest & is receiving shockwave therapy. His vet is fantastic, and I've always been very happy with his treatment.

However, the vet who is doing the shockwave I am not happy with. I think she's new to the practise, as I haven't seen her before. The first time she came, the first thing she asked was 'is it the suspensory we're doing?'. She then proceeded to start clipping the wrong leg, until I pointed out it was the other one. I gave her the benefit of the doubt & assumed she was just dippy.

Horse has just had his second treatment, and I'm no happier with the vet! It's clear she hasn't read his notes - knows nothing about the horse, diagnosis, treatments or anything else. She hasn't seen his scans either, and to top it off she hit him yesterday for a minor transgression.

So obviously I'm going to request a different vet out next time. My dilemma is the treatments already done. I'm not happy paying £200 for a 10 minute treatment from a vet that hasn't read the notes or seen the scans, and hits my horse. I'm not convinced she's even treated the right area, she seems utterly clueless, so how can I be sure? And if the shockwave doesn't work I'll always be wondering if she did the right bit.

I'm tempted to ask for the treatments to be re done, but what do you think?

 

[Goldenstar]

Posting here for opinions as not sure how much of a fuss to make!

My horse is being treated for PSD, he's on box rest & is receiving shockwave therapy. His vet is fantastic, and I've always been very happy with his treatment.

However, the vet who is doing the shockwave I am not happy with. I think she's new to the practise, as I haven't seen her before. The first time she came, the first thing she asked was 'is it the suspensory we're doing?'. She then proceeded to start clipping the wrong leg, until I pointed out it was the other one. I gave her the benefit of the doubt & assumed she was just dippy.

Horse has just had his second treatment, and I'm no happier with the vet! It's clear she hasn't read his notes - knows nothing about the horse, diagnosis, treatments or anything else. She hasn't seen his scans either, and to top it off she hit him yesterday for a minor transgression.

So obviously I'm going to request a different vet out next time. My dilemma is the treatments already done. I'm not happy paying £200 for a 10 minute treatment from a vet that hasn't read the notes or seen the scans, and hits my horse. I'm not convinced she's even treated the right area, she seems utterly clueless, so how can I be sure? And if the shockwave doesn't work I'll always be wondering if she did the right bit.

I'm tempted to ask for the treatments to be re done, but what do you think?

I would speak at once to either the first vet or the senior partner at the practice you are paying if are not happy raise it at once .

 

[Sandstone1]

Id ring your vets and speak to snr vet or practice manager. Its not acceptable for a vet to hit your horse and she should certainly have looked at scans. Ring and complain I would.

 

[Paris1]

Really you ought to have raised doubts after first treatment, and made sure you booked in for a different vet for the next one.
It's probably too late, but a call to speak to the vet in charge would be your first port of call. You may not be alone in your thoughts as a client either, and how are they to know if you keep quiet.

 

[quirky]

Firstly, I think it is fair that she confirmed which ligament she was treating. Would you not have been more pooped off if she'd treated the wrong one ?

Secondly, if you thought she was treating the wrong area, why not mention it at the time?

By all means take it up with your normal vet but I do think you need to think/look at the way you have handled the vet visits also.

I question many things my vet has done in the past (currently vet free - fingers crossed) and don't feel bad about it. I am paying a fair wedge of money and expect a full explanation of treatment etc.

 

[TwoStroke]

The suspensory ligament it pretty vast, surely she should know what she's supposed to be treating! I have no idea if she's done the right area, I was standing at the horse's head & she had her back to me. I just have to trust that she knows what she's doing... Which is the problem.

I trusted my original vet when he said that he'd briefed this one, but nothing I have seen supports this. I am certainly going to get a different vet next time, but my horse's future may well depend on whether this vet has treated the right area...