Trust Your Vet?

After being a Hopper for a couple of months now and having read a few queries about vaccines/treatments/vets etc I wonder just how well you all trust your vet.

I use the COOK, TIMSON & BETT, a mixed animal practice in Louth and have done 26yrs. Twice I've had misunderstandings, both were concerning "junior" vets and only one was rather unpleasant. But when push comes to shove I trust them 99.9 per cent (always allow for human error).

C.T & B are a small(ish) practice and very well respected locally. What's been your experience (if any) of the Big set-ups... Vets for Pets(?) type places.

I trusted my old vets completely because they were really good at consulting me properly with my animals and recognised my own knowledge base. My current vets are still getting to know us. Ultimately I would not trust a vet 100% no matter how good I think they are. I will always question them if I think they have missed something. I think I will have to arm myself with info if either of mine goes into full gut stasis, but so far I have only taken Bruce in because he has stopped eating because he is uncomfortable and required metacam. On the other hand I have taken in one of my piggies after she had a fall and I thought she would need pts but the vet said no. It took her 6 months to get back on her feet, and she will never be 100% but she copes fine and has a good quality of life. But as long as we can have a conversation about options and they allow me to make choices (such as the Anivac) then I am happy.

My vets have been absolutely amazing. They have seen me over the last five years coming in with my buns when I am worried and were amazed that I had taken the trouble to insure them.

They have got used to me asking questions and coming in with my own research from the internet. So much so, that when Wolfgang had his jaw abscess, the vet had medical journals looked out for me to read. They recognise my willingness to help and have trained me to do subcutaneous injections. On the last two occasions, I have been given the ABX, syringes and needles and not even charged.

I am reluctant to use one of the newly qualified vets after she pushed the needle right through Felix's scruff while injecting him - just like Trudi Mostyn from the BBC! Now, I always ask who is on duty and they know I don't want her so make sure my guys see one of the 'proper' vets.

They listen to me and respect my knowledge and one of the vets told a nurse that I was the best bunny owner he had ever met (even though all my buns died!)

They are a little bit more expensive than the other practice in town, but I like the personal touch and getting to know the practice.

it depends on the vet,my vet there is a few and sometimes you dont see the same one,many years ago i used to have chinchillas and the vet new some things but when he was out of his league he did send me some were else,about 4 months ago,i bought a baby rabbit,after 2 days it started to become ill and had a little runs,then later that day it passed something and honestly it looked like a pale version on a garden worm,i phoned the vet and got her booked in,i took the item with me and showed the vet and the assistant, they hadnt a clue what it was,they asked me if a worm had crawled in to the cage and got mixed in with the poo,i said since the cage is about 3ft above the ground the chances are nill and they treated her for worms and gave me some other stuff to give her,sadly she died a few hours later

My vets are a local practise only a few branches.

They always been very good with my buns and give them a very thorough check whenever they go in

They even sent me a sympathy card when i had to have Jem pts.

I've had experience with 3 different vet surgeries, all 3 have been very different.

The first... Well, the man was basically an idiot. Told me to do something at one visit, then contradicted himself at the next and denied our initial conversation even happened. Even tho I had a witness each time. In the end, we had a huge falling out. Thumper would have been dead many years ago if I'd stayed there.

The second surgery I went to were very proactive, no bull**** and would do ANYTHING to save an animal. At the time i thought this was great but perhaps I was a little naive as o/h always thought they were in it for the money. "Quiet tills" is one thing I remember him saying.

The surgery we use now, I feel, has the best business practice I've come across at a vet surgery. They are very much for the best interests of the animal. For this I totally respect them. What I mean is, thumper has a tumor but won't do anything about it because she would not likely survive. But I'm pretty certain, if I went back to vet number 2, they would give it a go - regardless of the likely outcome.

Although we don't always see the same vet at the now surgery, I feel like they really care. They take the time to read her notes before we go in and notice even the slightest change in her. I've had 10 min appts run into 45 mins and not once have a felt like an inconvenience.

They never make me feel like I'm mad when I'm panicking over her. When I phone up their reception I always say "it's the crazy rabbit lady" and she knows it's me

Ive been to a couple of vets the first was
Vet4pets (this was for my dog and chins) the first bad experience was when I took my dog star for her nails clipped as I just got her from a kennels the lass cut her nail so short the blood was p!ssing all over I was mortified, lucky star was a lovley dog. Then I took my chinchilla that was rapidly losing weight he looked like he was eating but he was so thin you could see his bones. I knew he had Malocclusion as that could have been the only thing wrong with him, but the vet didnt have a clue about chinchillas later that night he passed. I knew he was on his way out you could tell poor thing, shortly after that our star was realy unwell she was a sterdy dog we had a puppy also at the time and usualy she would snap if he jumped on her but she didnt bat a eyelid and we knew something was wrong, we called for an emergency appointment as she couldnt stand up and her eyes were going white and clouding over, we took her straight down mick carried her as she couldnt stand. I think she had a couple of strokes in the car as she fitted, we ran staight in only to be told to wait in the waiting room star still in micks arms having fits and spasims about 5 mins of sitting waiting to be seen she had a massive heart attack and died. Then they took us in. We were a mess devistated is not the word!!! Im not a crying type person neither mick and are quite quiet but that day waiting room full we burst out crying I had my 6 year old son with me I was heavly pregnant It was the worst day of my life. They didnt even have a body bag to put her in so we could take her home. They gave us a blanket to wrap her in (they did offer to "dispose" of her) we took her to our family home and burried her in to garden to keep her close. Needless to say we didnt get a bill, they sent out a pack of forget me nots the cheeky *****!!!
I would NEVER recomend them to anyone.
Im with westway vets in houghton atm they are good and take their time and the animals seem to love the lass there lol so im thinking of sticking with them.
Sorry about the rant, picking at old wounds x

Sounds like some good vets out there.

Yes, my vets respect my opinion. If I have correctly diagnosed the problem they often wave the consultation fee.

And, something I liked, they don't hesitate to consult with Bristol if they have the slightest doubt.

I use a local Pet Taxi to take Lil Loll to the Vet (so far, touch wood, it's only been for vaccinations) and that costs me £16 the round trip... over £2 more than his myxi jab, pedicure and helath check combi.

Oh Sh*t I should have waited before posting my last comment.

What a nightmare! Think if that had been me I'd have gone ballistic... hell, they'd still be hearing from me!

Just how callous can money make them?

We have Vets4Pets in Sunderland and it takes us 45 minutes to get there a vet there was recommended to us and we are so glad they were as she is a fantastic rabbit vet and we trust her completely.
A good rabbit vet is very important to us with having so many rabbits and we will go far afield to find one, we certainly wouldn't go anywhere else.
We were shown round the surgery and recovery rooms and they have all the latest in equipment and it was spotless and they have a bunny ward for just bunnies which is nice as I hate it when they are put in recovery rooms with dogs.

im from sunderland also, at that time vets4vets wasnt that big a name ours was through south sheilds. I was so devistated and beat I morned star for a very long time we both did, I know people might think im nuts and it was just a dog but we loved her sooo much. Its been nearly 3 years for her, we only had her for about 3 years as she was a old dog when we got her, but she was sooo cheeky and funny she adored me and she would sit in the kitchen with me and listen to me rant on about mick or the kids lol as if she knew exactly what I was on about as she didnt like kids (not nasty she just went in another room lol) and she didnt like boys (the pup). She was so greedy and would help her self to all the bones out the bag after we got in from town and went to bed for a nap, we would get up and they would be stuffed in every corner and if you rolled her over there would be 6-7 under there lol x

I trust my vet but not the other vets at the surgery that I go to.

Ive had to delay Milo's neuter and his subsequent bonding as my vet is on hols and I dont trust anyone else to operate on him

Our humans take us to MyVet - Myerscough Vets on the A59 at Clayton-Le-Dale (although they have a few more branches in Lancashire too).

Because they have got to know us all so well we always see the head vet (if it's not an emergency) and she always remembers which is which (good going when there are 12 of us!) and asks after any she saw previously. Although she does not claim to be a rabbit specialist, she is genuinely caring and thorough, and happy to listen to Humum's opinion and seek further information if needed. They don't always charge the consultation fee if one of us needs a quick looking at or when I had to have my back end trimmed

They have full surgical facilities and treatment rooms on site, and lovely recovery rooms.

They're available 24 hours a day and only 10 minutes up the road, which is a great relief for the humans, even if we only need some Recovery food or Bio-Lapis it's easy enough to pop in and get some.

The humans did learn the hard way that it is best to always get to see one vet and get to know them, and for them to get to know us - they think this is really important so when they are trying to explain that we're not our usual selves, the vet knows us well enough to see this for themselves.

Sparky wrote:Our humans take us to MyVet - Myerscough Vets on the A59 at Clayton-Le-Dale (although they have a few more branches in Lancashire too).

Because they have got to know us all so well we always see the head vet (if it's not an emergency) and she always remembers which is which (good going when there are 12 of us!) and asks after any she saw previously. Although she does not claim to be a rabbit specialist, she is genuinely caring and thorough, and happy to listen to Humum's opinion and seek further information if needed. They don't always charge the consultation fee if one of us needs a quick looking at or when I had to have my back end trimmed

They have full surgical facilities and treatment rooms on site, and lovely recovery rooms.

They're available 24 hours a day and only 10 minutes up the road, which is a great relief for the humans, even if we only need some Recovery food or Bio-Lapis it's easy enough to pop in and get some.

The humans did learn the hard way that it is best to always get to see one vet and get to know them, and for them to get to know us - they think this is really important so when they are trying to explain that we're not our usual selves, the vet knows us well enough to see this for themselves.

My Nieces Daughter goes to Myerscough College she is doing 'Animal Studies' there.