Vets... a few questions.....

[maisie]

Be honest.......

 

[MistletoeMegan]

My main gripe is vets being late without the practice letting me know; emergencies will of course happen, and I now normally expect a vet to be late, but if they are going to be more than 30mins late than a text/call to say so would be hugely appreciated!

 

[Gingerbird]

The only reason I answered yes to the first question is because he gave me his number and is always telling me just to call him I've know him for about 16 years so I think he'd tell me if I was out of order. In any other circumstances I'd find it unacceptable to call people outside working hours.

 

[amandathepanda]

I will call my vets outside office hours on their mobiles, even if I'm unsure if they are on call or not but this is because I used to work with them and the vets I will ring are friends so they generally don't mind - but even then I am careful not to abuse my situation and will only call for advise if it is something I am really worried about. Anything less urgent can wait until office hours.

 

[AmyMay]

I answered yes to question number 1. But it's not really true. I will ring my vet on his mobile during working hours if it's an emergency or if I want to chat to him about a problem. However, if its just to make an appointment then I ring the practice.

 

[flowerlady]

I do not ring vet on mobile as they don't give mob no. everything has to go through practice. I would expect the vet to bring drugs needed to yard with them if they are going to possibly perscribe them and at no extra cost. I do get cross but answered not if they are late more because I get fed up hanging around. But I do realise its not their fault when it's for an emergency. But to be honest we wouldn't know any difference would we? it could just be an excuse for them when they took too long setting out?

 

[Solveig]

I only ring my vet outside normal hours if im very worried about something - if i can wait then i will only call him when i know he is working. I always use his mobile. Im very lucky to live ten mins away from the clinic.
The last time he came to my emergency call on a sunday evening i might add he was already out at another 20 miles away. He managed to get to me in 20 mins from me calling him. he really is super!!
I do however owe him a lot of money right now - ekk! he is very good though and has not even hassled me for it. I need to pay him soon.

 

[pocket]

My vets are great and I have never had any problems at all, we are also lucky that they have their own hospital.

When Ralph had a tendon problem, he was in being scanned the next day and I was given a mobile number to ring if I had any concerns.

And when Flyer died, one of the senior partners bought his ashes to me (the first time in his life that the vet had got so close to him without an argument

).

No, Bell Equine in Kent are GREAT

 

[lhotse]

I sometimes call my vet 'out of hours' but she's a friend and we have a pony on loan from her as well, so it's a little bit different.

 

[cellie]

My vet gave me his home number the other day I already have his mobile.I wouldnt abuse the number but he has been very understanding and helpful and I only ring if I am very concerned and need urgent advice.I am probably his best customer and am looking forward to a time when his number is not one of my most used.

 

[horsegirl]

I accept they will be late but still get cross

What does annoy me is when I have to take a half day off work because the call outs end at 5.30 anf then the vet doesn't turn up until 6.30 so I could have stayed at work and still been there in plenty of time and saved a day's holiday

 

[horsegirl]

Or when I've been waiting six weeks for the vet to get the sarcoid cream in and now he is coming out to my husband's horse at the end of the week but they still don't have the cream so we can't split the cost of the visit!

 

[Maesfen]

I don't see why anybody should get cross if they are running behind schedule if I'm honest. What might be a late appointment for you and possibly inconvenient, could be someone else's emergency. You have to think 'there by the grace of God'. It could have been you needing an emergency callout. Are you going to be impressed if they turn round and say get in the queue, we've got jabs to do, I don't think so? People also should play fair in that if you only asked for jabs to be done, don't then bring out all and sundry little ailments for him to have a look at 'while you're here'; that is what causes delays and late appointments for the rest of the day. Be realistic and list what you want done at the time of making the appointment if you can. it will help everyone.

I also put no for calling my vet on his mobile out of hours. If I needed a vet then I would call the surgery, I wouldn't dream of calling my favourite vet if he was off duty unless it was something he had been already dealing with and it was an emergency. While our horses are the most important thing to us, we have to get things into perspective and realise and respect that the vet has a family and home to go to; we are not the centre of his universe! It might be his job but even he should have time off and it's very unfair to encroach on that unless absolutely necessary.

Saying all that, I am very lucky in that my vet is not attached to a practise now but at Leahurst and keeps his horse here but I make a point of not being a nuisance to him because his horse is his 'me time'. Yes, he does me lots of favours both with the horses and the dogs but I make sure I don't presume too much and always ask if he is happy to do something; if he isn't or it requires back up from a surgery then I use his old practise.

We need vets, we need them on our side but we must play fair with them too. How many people like being rung up outside of work hours when it is not an emergency or the next day would do? I bet you'd have a rant about that if it became the norm; you'd say 'do it in worktime or not at all, don't disturb me when I'm off duty', so imagine how a vet and his family must feel too.

 

[Donkeymad]

Well said MFH.
How many of you would call your own GP at any old time of day/night/holiday? very few I suspect. Why should I ring my vet when he has a perfectly good out-of-hours service?
I do not get annoyed if he is running late either, I understand that the lameness issue he went to see before me may turn out to be something very difficult.
I also think that they can bring drugs they may expect to need, but they cannot possibly carry all drugs, and would not expect them to just drop them off for me.
I have a fab vet and veterinary practise, I would not change and would not dream of 'abusing' their service.

 

[loopylucifer]

agree well said MFH.
it could well be you waiting for an emergancy one day my vet was two hours later than they first said because they had to go to two colics first!
I did put yes top the first but only because if i have sent a message first (during normal working hours) and i then get a reply much later once it was about 7 in the evening and another early on a sat so it would be rude not to reply!!!

 

[JanetGeorge]

I said No to calling MY vet out of hours (there is an adequate after hours service) but I confess I recently declined the Emergency Vet and insisted they get my vet - although he wasn't on call. It WAS 8 am - but I would have done it if it had been midnight as the mare was critical (had bled into the broad ligament after foaling although I didn't know that at the time - just that she was incredibly poorly.) In my defence, the vet who was on call is USELESS with Repro problems.

 

[Minnies_Mum]

I answered no to phoning my vet OOH, although I might send a text to one if I am worried about something, because she is also a friend. My other answers might have been slightly biased because I am training to be a vet. When I qualify next year, I will be switching my work phone off when I am not on duty- the OOH service is there for a reason!

 

[ladyt25]

I realised I answered yes to the mobile question, should have said no, only ring the practice number and it diverts. it is generally ALWAYS out of hours, bank holidays etc cos that's the only time horses ever get sick or injure themselves isn't it!

 

[star]

well my friends think nothing of ringing my mobile out of hours lol! i try not to bother my own brain at that time. i love my vet - she's wonderful - and free and on tap 24/7 he he!

 

[YorksG]

I have never called my vet on their mobile out of hours, except when the answerphone message tells you to, only then in emergency. I have never complained about them being late, even when the farrier had to wait an hour for a pre-arranged joint visit. I am always able t ogive details of the horse, the nature of the emergency (even if they think that a prolapsed rectum could still be a foal arriving, presumably they think that the rest of us have no knowledge of anatomy) I am not at all satisfied with the service from my current vet, they had one vet on duty, doing small animal surgery and no-one to come out to my dying horse, no follow up call from them, even though a vet we have never used did try to find a vet and called us back later that day to see if we still needed a visit. Two weeks later I needed some antibiotics for an elderly mare (seen by the practice previously) for a puncture wound, only locum vets on, could/would not prescribe as never seen horse, no visit offered. SO NO not happy with current vet.

 

[dieseldog]

I've never had to call my vet out of hours - touch wood.

I would expect him to have the drugs with him, so already been charged a call out fee. If he doesn't have them, they have a 2nd pet vet practice on my way home so I pop in their and pick them up.

I don't get cross if he is late - mainly because the practice rings me an hour before he is going to get there so that I know when to leave work.

All my details on on their computer and unfortunatley he knows my horse quite well

I am very happy with the service that he provides. I think I am really lucky, especially reading some of the posts on here. He manged to diagonse my horse for a fraction of the cost that other people have spent to get the same diagnosis. He is also a very practical vet and tries not to waste my money.

 

[debbielinder]

i answerd no to q4 cos all i have to do is give them my name and they know how i am. my vets have always been brilliant wouldnt use any one else. i've used this practice for about 11 years so think we have a very good relationship with them.

 

[bexandspooky]

I think that the practice should make a habit of ringing ahead and letting people know if vet is running late, but working in Building Control where we have officers that do rounds like the vets do I understand that the practice can't ring if the vet/officer doesn't tell anyone that they are late!!

I am about 1/2 mile from my vet practice so i tend to ride / box spooks down there as it saves me the £40 call out fee!!