bad vet experiences

I did recently have a bad experience with the vet techs just not being confident enough in handling Willow and also in what they were actually doing, which was taking blood.  The experience was really bad for both Willow and myself and from now on, even if I have to pay for a visit with the vet, no one but the vet will be drawing her blood.

When i first got Bailey, he had heartworms, and after he was treated for it we had to come back about a month later to make sure he didn't still have it after the treatment. So they took some blood and we went back home and waited for them to call. No one called, so we finally decided that we would call them insted. The assistant who was on the phone put us on hold for about 5-10 minutes before we finally got to talk to her, and then we asked her what the results of the tests for Baileys heartworm was, and she said there wasn't any record of him getting tested.[8|] So we call back soon after and get a different person, we ask her about the tests, and she says she will check, and after being on hold for a while she comes on and says that he is negative for heartworm, then a few seconds later, without warning the vet comes on the phone, and tells us that the tests arnt back yet. . . . .

April, when she was only a couple of months old, got a cut on her neck and had two stitches put in.  The woman who did it was the owner of the shop too, she cried, and of course paid vet bill and did not charge for the grooming.

Everybody must be sick and tired of hearing my bad vet story. For the newbies, I shall tell it again. Everybody else, I'm sorry!
 
Candy was 11 years old, (a month shy of 12) had Cushings Disease and low thyroid. She was on medication for both, but the medication for the Cushings was very hard on her liver as it was. We had a financial problem in my family (my dad lost his job) so we had to change to the cheaper corporate vet. (which cost us big time in the long run...)
The vets here were the ones that got perks for everything they sold, from their special "insurance packages" to their "company microchips".
 
When Candy went in to get her "routine shots" (this was pre-idog, I knew nothing about yearly vaccines) she was given- (and I have photocopied the bill to make sure it was correct) a total of 10 (yes 10) vaccines that day which included:
Parvo
Distemper
Corona
Hepatitis
Lepto (we told them 6 times she was allergic to lepto but they ignored it anyway)
Parvoinfluenza
Lymes
Rabies
Bordatella
Proheart 6.
 
We all know what happened with the PH6 and I really don't know if it was that particular drug or if it was that many drugs that were flooding her system at once. In two weeks her liver and kidneys were failing (severe sclerosis) and she was seizing and paralyzed. The vet didn't even offer an appology or diagnosis. Her diagnosis was that "she was old"
As far as the emergency vet we had to take her to, that was horrible too. She was seizing and paralyzed, and we had to wait an hour and a half to be seen. My mom finally went to the back room and told one of the techs "hey, my dog is dying in here and if she dies while we're waiting, somebody is getting a lawsuit." That's when they finally came in and took care of her. I heard the vet chastizing the techs after that saying "another 20 minutes and that dog would have been dead. You need to check every patient that comes in the minute they do come in."
 
in 20/20 hindsite, with Daisy I'm a worry-wart. I ask every single nit-picky thing they do at the vet's office. I never let them take her in the back room, and I always ask what exact shots she's getting. (she hasn't gotten shots since 2004 when I first got her). I have found a vet that works great with me, and understands my concerns. She doesn't talk down to me like I am stupid, and she explains all that she does.
 
 
 
 
 

To make it short........  I took JJ to Humane Society and I wasn't too happy with the service.  They didn't give me a welcome expression.  Both the vet and the assistant was quiet, dull like zombies and JJ was shaking the whole time.  While at the other expensive vet place.  JJ wasn't even shaking when we got to the waiting room.  She and I felt welcome, clean bright exam rooms.  The vet and the assistant plus the receptionist was very welcoming with smiles on their face.  I'm still thinking about which place to take her to.  [>:]

I dont know why some people who are not passionate about dogs or animals in general take on the vet or vet tech jobs.  I am the tech at the humane society and I have to say I was pretty surprised at the vets, they are very good, and very caring... and I love to talk to the pets while we are working to calm them down and tell them good boy/girl when they did good. 
 
At my personal vet, I think shes great, but her tech always looks tired and grouchy... but I dont care b/c that techs job seems to be to stand there.. shes never actually done anything.
 
If the tech is going to be taking blood, temp, stool sample, giving shots, anything... they need to be confident in what they are doing first and foremost.  Now, with an agressive dog it can be scary but as I have learned, the tech and whoever is helping them whether its the vet or another tech, need to trust each other and know that they both will protect each other.  Without that trust I wont do it, Ill wait until the vet gets back or tell the new girl to go get the other tech.  I have been on lunch when the vet I usually work with has sent someone to find me b/c she had a wild dog... the newer girl looked offended, but trust is everything when dealing with that sort of thing....  Also, these dogs can sense if you are uncomfortable.
 
I like when vets talk to the animals before they start and pet and hug them for a minute... thats a good sign to me, I went to one who rushed and didnt much talk to me or my dog and never went back.
 
 

I suppose the techs all have to learn how to be confident at some point.... but not on my dog!  hahah!  Kidding.  Mine's a peach - a good one to learn on.
 
As for bad experiences, I LOVE my vet (aside from the excessive wait times.)  She's savvy to my breed - which is critical to me.  My parents went to a different vet with their Dobe, Joe, who is hypothyroid.  Even being medicated for a year, he was gaining weight, losing hair - all the classic symptoms.  I insisted she have the vet re-check his T4 levels, etc - and he came up in the very bottom percent of normal.  Vet said - he's normal.  Uh - NO!!!  You medicate to get them in at least the middle to high normal range!!
 
Convinced parents to bring Joe to my vet, who concurred, changed his thyroid dose a bit and he's gaining hair, losing weight and back to himself.  Something as simple as treating hypothyroidism should not have been a mis-step for that vet, but it was.
 
Joe is happily enjoying his senior years with my parents and visits from his "niece" Gracie - whom he ADORES!  Here he is up at the lake house..

Oops, guess I'd better read the posts better, I thought it was grooming experience. Sorry about my response.  Blame it on my being an old lady. []

Spazzy, what breed is Bailey? I'm trying to determine what breeds are in my Heinz 57, and Bailey's ears look a lot like my dog's ears. []

loveukaykay - I agree with you!  I don't know why they work with animals but don't show no passion for it.
 
First place : St Marks Vet Hospital,  everyone was nice.  Offered JJ a treat once we arrived.  JJ wasn't shaking, she just looks soo happy.  The receptionist would talk to anyone who came in, play with their pet, it could be a hamster, parrot, dog, cat or any animal.  The vet + vet tech treated JJ as their own and carry her around during the exam. 
 
Second place : Humane Society, no smiles, exam room is small.  The door was back to back from the exam table and so JJ paw got hurt once.  JJ saw two vet there, first one was weird, she didn't look at me and told me that JJ need a fur cut to help with her allergies.  The second visit was with another vet but they were like zombies.  Quiet the whole time unless I ask questions.  Then told me that there isn't anything they could do about her allergies.  And to take JJ to see a specialist.  JJ allergies isn't really as bad but I'm disappointed that he really took no time to look into this and just gived JJ a shot on the butt.  Besides telling me to give JJ hills food or supermarket brands.  Grrrr!!  The whole check up was super quick and before I know it, I was guided to the cashier to pay the bills.
 
I might consider taking JJ back to the first place or some other place other then Humane Society.  If I want the best for myself, I want the best for my baby gal as well.  [&:]