[UrbanBeagles]

I really have had the last I can take of the entire Veterinary profession
This morning, I called my regular Vet looking to get hip x-rays for two of my dogs - for OFA certification. I've only ever done cardiac/thyroid, and for the heart certs, I need to take the hounds to a cardioligost ... the only one anywhere near me is in Manhattan. For the hips, any garden variety Vet can take them & send the x-rays off to OFA. Simplle, right? Well, when dealing w/ Vets, nothing is simple So I call my regular Vet. They don't do that. They won't take x-rays because they don't want to loose the radiographs. It's THEIR property.
Fine. I call Vet #2. This is where the fun begins! I ask the receptionist if we can do x-rays so I can get OFA certs. I am explaining this to her as detailed yet in as simple terms as I can. I understand some people have never even heard of OFA. Just when I think she's "got it", she asks me "wait a minute, you want us to take x-rays of their hips?" Yes, grasshopper. When I explain it all over again, this time in the most basic terms, she has me hold for the Vet. Gets back on the phone for two seconds, all the while I can hear the Vet sounding annoyed in the background. She puts him on the phone, and all I get in is a "Hello", when he starts shooting his mouth off. He takes a nasty tone with me from the get go, even tho I've said basically nothing but Hi. He starts to go off on a tangent about the OFA's grading system, which I tried to explain to him I was aware of. He cuts me off and says for about the 3rd time that he just does not "believe" in OFA because he's had people that came back to him annoyed that the dog failed. And starts going off on a nasty tyraid about how he just doesn't believe in this procedure. By now, I still haven't gotten more than a sentence in edgewise, and just cut him off, my blood BOILING by now (he will NOT listen) and tell him that "Thank you, but I am aware that genetics determine whether a dog passes or fails". Then hang up.
On to Vet #3. It's my "backup" Vet as they are nly a few blocks away, but I HATE them. The owner is a scientologist and throughout the years a few of the Vets have been of this persuasion. They have refused me steroids for a dog who slipped a disc, and wanted to push a $1000 electrotherapy (or something like that) treatment. Yeah, I'll leave the dog to suffer in pure agony for a week while you give her shock treatments Bastard. They have also turned away a suffering, dying young dog because the scientologist Vet didn't "beleive" in putting down young dogs. There's that believe word again ...
Long story short, I had to do some convincing, but I got a receptionist I knew and was able to make the appointment for two of the Beagles to get their hips x-rayed tomorrow morning @ 11:45. We shall see if it actually comes to fruitition! I am not getting my hopes up too high, but have a sneaking suspicion I may end up travelling downtown to a yuppie Vet who charges $60 just to walk in the door b/c at least they know what OFA is!
What is WRONG with the Veterinary profession lately? I'd say it was just the stink weed Bronx that was pumping out stoopid Vets, but had an E-Vet from Westchester (nice area) call me up while I was a bleeding like crazy w/ a stinking concussion in the ER (waiting area) after one of my bitches (and I) was mauled in a kennel fight. The damn liar told me the dog had a hole in her trachea which was going to cost me upwards of $2,000 for fix and took the worst abrubt attitude with me. Was nasty through & through. P.S. ~ it was a lie. The dog recieved home care and did not have a hole in her throat. She got thru the ordeal even without antibiotics! She is 5yrs old and is right here, begging for mac n cheese like her life depends on it ... lol.
So there. That is my vent. Sorry to get so long winded but I am NOT a happy camper today ... thanks for listening, if you made it this far!

[tirluc]

i know when i went to get my 2 girls OFA'd i was told that not all vet do it....they are supposed to be "registered" (or something like that) thru the Foundation.....and to find a vet that PennHip's is even harder cuz they have to be trained for that particular procedure......

luckily, my vet happens to be able to do the OFA, just not the PennHip....

[melgrj7]

I'm glad I found a vet I trust and like, it took me a long time, but I found her And I have to drive an hour to get to her, but it is way worth it.

[tirluc]

melgrj7, that's the way it is w/ me.....only mine is only 1/2 hr away.....but there are 4 vets there at the clinic and i will request only 2 of them under normal circumstances (routine shots or extreme emergencies where to wait for the 2 would be realllllly stupid)....of the other 2, one is new and i don't know her well and the other has "attitude" (doesn't like me telling him what i know is wrong w/ my dog).....but the 2 have been w/ my dogs since they were all babes and they know them well (husband/wife team)

[UrbanBeagles]

I wouldn't care how far I had to go, if I could find a good, honest Vet that was willing to listen rather than always dictate! Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to tell Vets how to do their job, but I think my personal experiences account for something. Some are abrubt & rude, and do not like breeders and/or owners who are dog saavy ... they seem to get insulted.

Please keep paws crossed that Vet #3 accepts the two I'll be taking in for their x-rays tomorrow!

[Pai]

The Vet profession is really very underregulated... it's unfortunate when that translates to shoddy care. Finding a good, honest vet is a worth it's weight in gold!

[Criosphynx]

yes grasshopper..... i spit my water out lol. I deal with people like that all the time, i explain an item, move on and they interupt me "wait what is this for?" arrrgggg..

Vets varry so much its ludicrous, i finally have one i like and hes honest and doesn't overcharge me (i send him customers)
but i've heard stories from the same customers talking about $1000 in tests just to determine the animal needs to be euthed.

Im marrying a mechanic, so my cars are no worries.... perhaps dog breeders need to marry Vets.. lol

[MuttHunter]

If it isn't too far out of your way maybe you might check out Animal Kind Veterinary Hospital in Park Slope, Brooklyn. (http://www.animalkind.com/) I can't guarantee they will not give you some kind of arbitrary flack over OFA certification, I have only dealt with these folks for cats, but they seemed courteous and very patient, and were willing to explain things in detail including costs. They seemed genuinely concerned for the comfort and health of the animals. Certainly I haven't ever experienced anything remotely like the arrogant attitudes inflicted on you. Your mileage may vary, of course, but they seemed pretty consistently helpful, from the vets and techs to the people in reception--If only my HMO was so attentive!

[UrbanBeagles]

MuttHunter - thanks for the Vet clinic recommendation! I've heard of Animal Kind before, I have a neighbor who takes her 17yr old cat there for it's diabetes meds - she swears by them! That's definitely something to consider if they're a good hospital

To update on our OFA x-ray ordeal ... the saga continues! lol ... I was completely expecting to get there only to have the Vet tell me "sorry, we don't believe in sending OFA our x-rays", or some other nonsense. It's always the same techs in that clinic, but the Vets usually change at least once or twice a year, or they have 2-3 different Vets at the same time, with different ones working certain days ... So I never know who I'll get.

Well, I was in for a pleasant surprise today! A new woman Vet saw us, immediately fawned over the Beagles (she has a Beagle herself!) and actually spoke to me like I was a human If I said she was WONDERFUL, that would be a gross understatement!!! She did not have the arrogant I-know-it-all-and-you-know-nothing attitude that my other Vets have had. Actually listened to me and we spoke about the OFA's procedures, which she knew quite a bit about, has even had to do OFA x-rays before! WOO HOO!

She made a huge fuss over the Beagles, commented on their "perfect" body condition <G>, and I think between the two of them she doled out an entire packet of treats, lol. Let's see. They both had their anal glands expelled, she checked the eyes & ears, took their temp, weighed them. Explained the entire procedure to me, and that she needed to use anestesia or the radiographs would be useless. Which I sort of figured. But, this is where the saga contunies ... I fed them this morning, and no one told me they weren't supposed to eat before they were given anestesia It's been a LONG time since I had one go under. She felt so badly about it that she - GET THIS - did not charge me a dime for today's visit!!!!!!!! That had me absolutely speechless!

This Vet only works on Fridays, so we made sure to make them an appointment for next Friday, lol. I told the Beagles that if they have to get sick, they had better make sure it was on a Friday! She's somewhat of an AR, but hey, no one is perfect! It has been too many years since I had a Vet that I actually felt gave a flinging poo about my dogs ...

[agility collie mom]

Great to hear you found a vet you like. Make sure you tell her if she changes hospitals (you said they change vets often at that clinic), that you would like to know where she moves to. Years ago I had a vet that I absolutely loved. She changed jobs and I never found out where she moved. I have two great vets I work for, so I am fortunate.

[MuttHunter]

Originally Posted by UrbanBeagles

MuttHunter - thanks for the Vet clinic recommendation! I've heard of Animal Kind before, I have a neighbor who takes her 17yr old cat there for it's diabetes meds - she swears by them! That's definitely something to consider if they're a good hospital

My pleasure. I only went to them in the first place because of the convenient hours, just picked 'em out of the phone book, as it were. I guess I didn't appreciate how lucky I was until reading your original post. Sounds like you may have finally had a bit of luck yourself, finding a good vet so close to your house.