vets you don't trust - discuss!

minesadouble

minesadouble

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Arrgh - just a mini rant really- but one of my daughter's ponies is off it's food and depressed - we have a virus on our yard at the moment and I strongly suspect this is what he has.
Anyway, I'm at work but daughter thinks pony is a touch dehydrated so I call the vets and can only get a vet (if i want one today) whose opinion I don't trust at all!! Now I'm comforting myself with the thought that since we have this virus and others on the yard have been treated for it surely she can't go far wrong?

But it really pees me off paying the full bill when I can only get this useless vet! Yes she's qualified same as they all have to BUT I think that newly qualified vets should not have the same charge out rate as experienced ones.

I am in law and in my firm newly qualified solicitors have a charge out rate of not quite half that of a partner - do you think it would be appropriate for veterinary practices to have a similar kind of system?
 
I actually think it can work a bit both ways. We have several older vets which I prefer for things like vettings etc who are terribly experienced but we also have some younger ones you are very up to date on the latest medicines/treatments I think the older ones can get stuck in a rut a bit!!

Just my opinion though!!
 
I may be wrong, but I'm sure our vet's practice only allows the newly-qualified vet to go on call outs for anything more serious than routine jabs etc, with one of the practise vets.
That said, the newly qualified vet who I dealt with through our vets was absolutely brilliant because she had horses of her own, spotted an abscess in my mare and then suggested that it might be cheaper to get the farrier out to treat it! And you know what? She was absolutely right!!
 
This is a tricky one, but to be honest, you are receiving the same treatment i presume from the newly qualified vet as the more experienced vet. So why would you expect to pay less. Unless she does any awful job of diagnosing the problem and you end up having to call out another vet for a second opionon, then i would resent paying the bill.
 
I don't really think this would be appropriate, as you usually pay a call out charge per mile - which would have to be the same, and I know they seem alot, but when you think about it, most vets only charge about £25/30 for an examination and advice and they are usually there for a good 1/2 - 3/4hr, so any less would not be cost effective for them.

Most of the vets in our area only send out newly qualified ones for injections, cuts, etc, not proper examinations. Most of their time is spent at the hospital treating under the guidance of the more experienced vets.
 
I accept the call out charge would be the same but since the objective of the examination is to provide a diagnosis- which in my experience is not always correct with a N.Q. vet-then I do think that a reduced fee should be charged. I have no objection to N.Q.s performing the kind of work you describe, or diagnosing under supervision but I do object to them being sent out and then giving a wrong diagnosis - which this particular vet has done on more than 1 occasion.

Again to compare with my own field of expertise N.Q. solicitors are educated to the same level and take just as much time researching a case/preparing papers etc. etc. but still charge substantially less than someone with years of experience.
 
i am a newly qualified vet and all my clients pay exactly the same as with any other vet. i dont do horse work coz i cant be bothered dealing with horse owners, so i stick to small animal stuff where no-one seems to have a problem with newly qualified vets, or certainly nowhere near as much as horse owners seem to. i have actually successfully diagnosed several unusual cases that my boss and other experienced vets have not managed to as it's all fresh in my mind from uni.
 
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