greedy vets...

[Yve]

I had a horrible morning today...I took two of my snakes to the vet to get weighed for deworming....let me step back a bit here....I have had snakes weighed at this vet before and I have also had my dog there for vacc. at one point but it was too expensive so I went elsewhere..my husband also spent over $300 on his cat only to find out that it was time to say good bye
with my snakes I have no choice because that is the only vet in my area that deals with reptiles.. anyhow...I know a few breeders, people that work with reptiles at the zoo and at the University with vet students. I know more about a sick snake than the vet does but need to go there for meds in certain cases. Anyhow I hadn't been there with a snake in 3 years and when I arrived with them I was told that unless they are 'regular' patients I cannot use the facility to weigh them in the future....to be a bit more clear on the subject of snakes...they DON'T get vaccinated and most keepers can visually tell if there is a problem and testing needs to be done...the only thing a vet can do is look at them and most vets know less then keepers, simply because the hobbyists are very well connected and well read on the animals they keep, where as, a vet has a more general knowledge....anyhow...i got really ticked off and told him what I knew and asked 'if I had a sick snake would they turn me away because he isn't a regular patient'...the jerk said 'the facilities are only for regular patients'...at that point I was almost in tears with anger...there were clients coming in and I didn't want to make a scene but I made it clear that his view was to turn away a sick animal that was not getting 'looked at' on a yearly basis, and that was an attitude caring more for money than the animal at stake....I'm still steaming though..grrrrrr
Yve

 

[sansoucie]

Snakes have to be wormed??? LOL! ANOTHER thing I have learned on this board! I know what you mean about vets ripping people. I guess dogs are different but when I bred dogs and with the dog I have now I give them their shots and etc. You take a dying animal in to be helped, pay through the nose, and then pay for it to be put to sleep and THEN they say it will be extra if you want them to dispose of it.... you always have the option of taking it home in a plastic walmart bag.

 

[Yve]

captive bred animals don't need to be wormed(but it is a good precaution just incase) but wild caught should because they most likely carry parasites. basically you inject the rat(dead) with the meds and then feed it to the snake. i've got two 'gassy' snakes right now and that is a sign of internal parasites. its all good though...i managed to weigh them and I have another connection for meds.

 

[sansoucie]

GASSY snakes??!! ROFL! I never considered they farted.... I guess everything does.

 

[Yve]

girl...you can here 'em in the other room! its not a good thing...but atleast a good sign uncovering a problem

 

[rapunzel]

you get what you pay for

you have options.
Weigh them at the cheaper facility that you take your dog to. If you know more than the vet and arent using his services for your snakes shouldnt matter-if you are only weighing them. Or:
You could buy your own scale- the type the vet has in their facility...
On the deceased end:
You have to pay extra for body disposal because it costs the facility to have the body disposed of by an outside facility, also storage of the deceased body until the outside facility picks up the body-usually once or sometimes twice a week. The euthanasia solution also costs money, as does the time that it takes to see you, and administer the solution and give you ample crying time in the room before you leave- a room graciously given where you arent "rushed" out so that another paying customer can come in for their pets needs. If they are only callously throwing your pet into a plastic walmart bag, you should find another facility. A caring facility would graciously wrap the body in a towel or blanket and put it in a box for you.
A good way to see why things cost so much would be to look at a veterinary supply company catalog such as Butler, for example. That equipment and medication is expensive. Unless a vet is nonprofit, he needs money to run his business. I take my dog to a very expensive vet-there are cheaper ones around, but I like the time and attention that my dog receives and I also expect the quality of vet care she receives there. On the flipside, I quit using a vets office because they charged me extra for clipping her nails when I thought it was a free service, and was not told ahead of time.
I deal with people and their pets every day, and many many many times I would love to tell them a). every detail that "Fluffy" requires just so that I can either draw her blood then run that "expensive" test, or b). let them know that me standing there for thirty minutes actively listening to them tell me about 'Aunt Agnes' hip replacement and sexual dysfunction doesnt mean that I dont still have ninety more patients to see before lunch and/or c). there is no extra charge for the fact that "fluffy" pees when she is excited and the backroom is now flooded, bites when she is scared and I almost lost my face trying to clip her long-overgrown nails, or d). I spent an additional half hour explaining why Fluffy needs this special diet and isnt going to get better until she has a,b,c done to/for her and they refuse to do it but still expect to have her get better....four years later, when she is far-gone, and hasn't been to see a vet in all of those years.

 

[Yve]

Rapunzel, I agree with all you've said...I certainly don't look for some crack head back door vet just to get a cheap price...the only difference between my current canine vet and the one in question is that the later is in a big fancy building. Another drawback with the later is that she is fresh out of school and doesn't have the experience of the other vet which, btw, has been around for 20 year and has a great reputation. I've never had a bad experience there. BUT like I said...the later is the only vet that deals with REPTILES that is close to me. They would be needed if one of my snake gets an RI or any other ailment(which I myself can diagnose...just need the meds). So far I haven't had any sick snakes...I've only needed to get fecals done on new comers and deworming meds, which is a common treatment with any new snake. An exam I can do myself. I'm just burned that they have become stringent to the point of being neglectful to an animal in need. This place was 5 mins from my house. Now I have to travel out of my way to get medical attention for them.

 

[rapunzel]

i wonder if..

the cheaper guy would be willing to educate himself on snakes if he thought there was a good market out there. Do you have close snake people that are in need of a close vet?
It IS hard to find a vet that specializes in one area - I still havent found somewhere to utilize for my parrot...because I dont want them to screw up trying to figure out what they are doing, using MY baby as their guinea pig...

Good Luck.

 

[Socrates]

Yve,
Good thing you let off your steam - by all means, I think you had a right to, especially the way you were talked to and treated. A sure way to chase off a customer, isn't it?
As for Rapunzel, I agree with her as well. The vet I chose is my no means considered "cheap" or even "reasonable", however, I feel extremely comfortable with him and his staff, and I know I am getting the best care possible for my DOGS. He's gone out of his way answering my questions and concerns, bends over backwards to accomodate my dogs (and me), is ALWAYS available when needed, and most importantly, HE KNOWS HIS STUFF. I could easily find a much cheaper vet (and probably one that's a bit closer as well), but I did my homework and research on vets 6 years ago, when we moved here, and in my heart I'm sure I've made the right decision.

Yve, as for the weighing part with your snakes.....your vet/staff should have weighed them (have you weigh them)....it wouldn't have hurt anyone...it wouldn't have hindered business as usual either.

Rapunzel, I am a (very proud )parrot owner as well, and I'm fortunate to have a terrific avian vet within 30 miles from me whom I found from local breeders and "Bird Talk Magazine".

---
Wendy
---

 

[Yve]

There is a reptile store near me and I think generally the interest in keeping exotic pets is growing. Hopefully there will be more vets dealing with herps. This is the only vet dealing with herps in my town and very conveniently close, however there are others within an hours driving distance which I will use from now on if necessary. I could always mention to my canine and feline vet about getting into reptiles...its a good idea to mention it to the facility. Although reptiles don't need vaccinations and I don't think they would make as much money from such clients as they do from mammals.
I guess when all is said and done..I'm more ticked at the attitude and treatment at this place than having to travel a little further..
Parrots are another exotic that require special veterinary care...My grandma(that lives in Toronto) had to travel across town to take her parrot to the vet!
Wendy, they did let me weigh them this ONE time....geez I should've bowed down on my way out and thanked them profusely for such a grand favour!lol

 

[atavuss]

not all vets are money hungry........
when we had to put our dog down the vet charged us nothing and cried along with us, heck of a guy!
we have not had a dog now going on three years and my son has been on my case to get one. really tugged at my heart strings when we went to a military vehicle/equipment show last weekend and I saw this beautiful Irish Setter sleeping in a WWll Jeep (I had an Irish Setter years and years ago, he lived to be 14).

 

[Yve]

I agree Atavuss, my dogs vet clinic is great! I just had to vent about my bad experience.
Edit: btw...what a beautiful dog! Looks very majestic