When you leave a horse at the vets...

Lady La La

Lady La La

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How long is acceptable to wait before you call to ask how she's settled? :o

I dropped her off at 6pm yesterday evening, ready for them to start a full lameness work up this morning...But noone was there when we arrived yesterday, they had all locked up and gone home so a board was left outside her door for me to fill in. She was SO stressed when I put her in her new box, and I felt horrible leaving her knowing there was no one to check on her etc :(

Would it be acceptable for me to call the vets and ask at reception how she seems this morning, or will they just think I am a neurotic pain in the bum?
 
Lady La La said:
How long is acceptable to wait before you call to ask how she's settled? :o

I dropped her off at 6pm yesterday evening, ready for them to start a full lameness work up this morning...But noone was there when we arrived yesterday, they had all locked up and gone home so a board was left outside her door for me to fill in. She was SO stressed when I put her in her new box, and I felt horrible leaving her knowing there was no one to check on her etc :(

Would it be acceptable for me to call the vets and ask at reception how she seems this morning, or will they just think I am a neurotic pain in the bum?
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Of course they won't.......call
 
Call them!

Although if i was you i would be a bit miffed that no one was there to meet her.

I take it they knew you were coming so the fact that they wasnt there to just meet you both and then go home i find a bit off putting.

:(
 
I can't believe nobody was there to meet you! That's terrible. I'd phone to ask how she is and also mention you were a bit worried that there was no one there last night! Very unprofessional!
 
Definitely call. You're paying them for a service so you should feel free to ask as many questions and seek as much reassurance as you blimmin well like. Echo the others on being a bit miffed that no-one was there as well :(
 
I dont have a direct number for the vet, and the office just told me that they have no idea, being that they work in reception...

But, i guess no news is good news!
 
Lady La La said:
I dont have a direct number for the vet, and the office just told me that they have no idea, being that they work in reception...

But, i guess no news is good news!
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demand a stable worker calls you back asap!

I have had horses left a vets a couple of times. I have never left them unattended, there is someone there 24 hrs a day, and I usually got a daily call from the yard manager (regardless if the horse had had any work done on it that day) to let me know how he/she was.

I think they are being very unprofessional.
 
Try call them! I'd definatly be annoyed if there was no one there to meet my horse, it is possible they were tied up doing other things, but they should have had someone on hand to meet you!! Very Unprofessional of them...
 
galaxy23 said:
demand a stable worker calls you back asap!

I have had horses left a vets a couple of times. I have never left them unattended, there is someone there 24 hrs a day, and I usually got a daily call from the yard manager (regardless if the horse had had any work done on it that day) to let me know how he/she was.

I think they are being very unprofessional.
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Will do, thanks.
Never had a horse in this situation before so not sure what's acceptable protocall etc.

:(
 
Lady La La said:
I dont have a direct number for the vet, and the office just told me that they have no idea, being that they work in reception...

But, i guess no news is good news!
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Ok to me this is now two strikes;

1. No one there to take in horse and ensure it is settled

2. The we don;t know it's not our job response to your is she ok query.

Think I would be telling my Vet or the practice manager in no uncertain terms that their "bedside manner! is lacking.

As Galaxy23 says get back on the phone and calmly INSIST that a member of the Stable staff or the Equine nurse calls you back ASAP.
 
Did as advised and am now awaiting a call back from the yard manager as to how starla is, but she didn't seem overly bothered no one was there to greet Starla...

Thank you everyone.
 
Agree with all of the others posts, i would be mortified if i couldnt find out how my horse was. My boy recently was at Leahurst for 8 days & i phoned everyday to find out how he was, they have a dedicated line that you get put through to to get update's.

You really need to get in touch with your Vets, it's disgraceful imo.

ETA- im sure she will be fine, but you've done the right thing some Vets are just so inconsiderate as to how they treat Owners who are very worried.
 
How extraordinary. Surely if a horse has to stay at the vets it's because there's something wrong - whatever it is - and so, like a hospital etc - there should be nurses there and an oncall vet at the very least. Almost unbelievable that you had to sort your horse out on your own in unfamiliar surroundings for both of you.

I wouldn't worry about phoning. In fact I'd phone as often as you want. Afterall it's your horse and you need to feel happy about the way it's being looked after and how it is.

If I were in the same situation, next time I'd asked to be referred to an equine hospital so at least you'd know there were people on site 24/7.
 
Well someone from reception has just phoned me back and told me 'The vet will be looking at your horse soon and will call you once he has finished'
I dont expect to know the lameness diagnosis already... I just wanted to be told she was settled and happier this morning.

I feel like crying :(
 
my mare was in hospital a couple of years ago and she was in for ten days. the vet phoned me every morning at the same time to give me an update on her
the first day she was there she ended up having surgery and the vet phoned me at 10.00 pm (told him to ring as soon as she was out and it didnt matter what time) to tell me the surgery went fine but she isnt on her feet yet he then phoned back at 11.30 pm to tell me she was up on her feet
dont be worried about calling they will probably be used to it and you are fully entitled to regular updates
 
Thats really bad of them, when mine went into hospital someone was there to take her in and get all the info about her behaviour wise (just to see if she was as bad as vet had said). Got a call next day before and after her scan and lameness checks. Then got a call every day from vet to say how she was doing for the 4 days she was there.
 
Lady La La said:
Well someone from reception has just phoned me back and told me 'The vet will be looking at your horse soon and will call you once he has finished'
I dont expect to know the lameness diagnosis already... I just wanted to be told she was settled and happier this morning.

I feel like crying :(
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Oh hun! Have a hug.

It's flaming stressful enough leaving a horse at the vets without this stupidness going on!

I'd be furious if no-one was there when I had to deliver my horse. And the total inability of someone from the office to shift their ar$e and go and check for you that she was settled! Words fail me :(. It's ringing bells of when I took Dizz 'somewhere'... I was going by the AHT who were excellent in all respects re. communications. The other lot needed a rocket up their butts! And when I collected her there was no-one around, no-one told me her bum was shaved, her fleece (which was only there to throw over inbetween times as it was a tad too big) had been left on her as a stable rug and was hanging down all over the place, and her new stable rug was ripped down one side. I'll shut up now. It was a yuck time.

Get onto the irriates again and tell them you know you will have to wait for the clinical response, but you would just like to know if your horse is settled and okay.

*mutters off into the corner, going on and on about what obnoxious twonks these people are*
 
MrsMozart said:
Oh hun! Have a hug.

It's flaming stressful enough leaving a horse at the vets without this stupidness going on!

I'd be furious if no-one was there when I had to deliver my horse. And the total inability of someone from the office to shift their ar$e and go and check for you that she was settled! Words fail me :(. It's ringing bells of when I took Dizz 'somewhere'... I was going by the AHT who were excellent in all respects re. communications. The other lot needed a rocket up their butts! And when I collected her there was no-one around, no-one told me her bum was shaved, her fleece (which was only there to throw over inbetween times as it was a tad too big) had been left on her as a stable rug and was hanging down all over the place, and her new stable rug was ripped down one side. I'll shut up now. It was a yuck time.

Get onto the irriates again and tell them you know you will have to wait for the clinical response, but you would just like to know if your horse is settled and okay.

*mutters off into the corner, going on and on about what obnoxious twonks these people are*
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Well said Mrs M!

My vet (although a notorious grumpy git who loves the horse but actively dislikes the owners and is blunt to the point of breathtaking rudeness) I have to say is great over any visits where a stay is involved and will call (or ensure that someone with more people skills calls!) twice a day on waking and bedding down to tell you that horse is fine on one occasion mine was stressing and he rang and asked me to come down, setting up a camp bed in the next door stal for me so I could be nearby.

Will also spend a long time explaining the treatment, the treatment plan and ensuring I know exactly what is going on.

Lady La La I am so sorry as Mrs M says it is ruddy stressful enough and the vet should be making the experience as non stressful as possible.

Ok now gather every ounce of protective mother mode and call back the Reception and say calmly "that whilst you will of course be very interested to know the clinical outcome at the moment the only concern you have is that your horse settled and was fine this morning as to your surprise there was no one there to take her in or ensure she was settled after you left, so can you please have a 5 minute conversation with a stable groom or someone who will have this info.
 
Unbelievable! What worries me is that there was no one there to meet you and your horse and you were able to just drop her off. This presumably means that anyone else could just turn up and take her. I worked at a proper equine hospital and there had to be 24 hour on site nurses and they would never dream of leaving a board for the owner to fill in!

I'd be spitting feathers at this treatment so no, don't worry about calling them!
 
Vet's just called, and I am feeling much happier, although stressy and a pain in the a** this morning she's had her initial trott up etc, and he's explained what the next step of treatment for her is. He said she's now stood in munching a haynet and looking chilled wich is a relief to know...
OH is steaming about the whole thing, but I'm just so happy to know that she isn't stressing.
 
sorry but theres no way id have left my horse.....

theres plenty of equine hospitals - id go to one that someone was there to greet....

very unprofessional.
 
In reply to original post. I had a home-bred 11 month old go through a fence shredding all the skin off the front of one leg and had to spend a week in the equine hospital. She went in during the afternoon and the vet rang me twice that day to let me know how she was doing. I also visited every day which they encouraged.
 
i wouldnt be happy either .2 of mine have been to rossdales for a weeks stay and people around all the time.wouldnt be happy leaving a horse anywhere alone especially somewhere new where they may be stressed.hope your mare is ok .is it to do with her tendon as i think your mare had hers diagnosed same time as mine .
 
debsflo said:
i wouldnt be happy either .2 of mine have been to rossdales for a weeks stay and people around all the time.wouldnt be happy leaving a horse anywhere alone especially somewhere new where they may be stressed.hope your mare is ok .is it to do with her tendon as i think your mare had hers diagnosed same time as mine .
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Yeah it is. Well sort of. She was due a rescan on her fore, but is now lame behind and vet wanted her in to nerve block and scan her hind aswell...
How is your horse getting on?
 
I see you're in Essex - I think I know what vets that Starla is at :D

If I'm right, I collected my boy after work after he'd been in for 2 days for scans at 8pm.

8am the next morning I got a call from the office asking very cautiously if I had done so - the vet had forgotten to tell anyone that he was being collected:eek:I wondered why his passport wasn't left out for me........
 
Thats shocking, i think i would have driven home with my horse still on the trailer! Why did they want her in the day before anyway? I doubt very much the vet looked at her first thing, makes me wonder if they just want to add a nights accommodation onto your bill, as if it wont be big enough. :mad:
 
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