Happy Friday to All except Vets and their Office Staff
Vets, I'm not happy with them. (animal vets, not former soldiers)
Worse than vets though, is the office staff. (Although it's the vet's fault they have become the way they are. Vets don't talk to owners anymore, they sic the pug-faced, irritable phone answerers on the paying clients.)
Suddenly, by the mere fact they got a job answering the phones for a vet, they have become beatified creatures who don't want to be questioned on anything and who love screwing their faces up in disgust if you do ask a question or dare to ask why such-and-such charge is on your bill.
(A price tag on the welfare of an animal? How dare you even think of such a thing. Just give me your income tax refund, your Mastercard and the change in your pocket!!)
One of my recent questions to Ms. Holier-than thou pet-vet clerk was this: " Why did you do the T4 $50 dollar test on the dog's thyroid if, as you say, it is inconclusive and now a Ft-4 test must be done for $70? I wish I'd had a choice in the matter. "
I heard some growling and hissing but no real explanation for the wasted $50 which could go for expensive cat and dog food since the industry is poisoning our pets probably after big payoffs from vets who want more business.
Wish someone had said, hey, we can do a $50 test but unless your dog's thyroid is crazy low or crazy high, it won't mean a damn thing.
Or, we can do a $70 test that will tell us whether he should be on thyroid meds or not. Which one do you want?
I think most people in the universe would say, for $20 extra, I'd rather not have to redo a test -- waste $50 and my time and my dog's time for that matter for inconclusive results. Yes, give me the more expensive test, dimwit- cut to the chase for crissakes. Or just pull a gun and rob me and get it the hell over with.
We brought Beau in for a watery eye. Vet gives out an antibiotic and an eye cream. $100 later we have Beau back watery eye watering.
Two weeks go by and we still have a dog with a watering eye. Back he goes, husband drops him off because they have no appointments but will fit him in during the day. Great.
He starts to leave and the office bulldog snarls: here, you have to sign this paper agreeing to an operation.
Operation?? Husband is taken back.
"Yes, $350 or more, not sure of the price until it's done."
Husband pauses, thinks, says "um look, I'm here for an eye recheck. I'd like the doctor to look at him before I sign a paper that says he can be operated on. He's 11 years old and no one has said a word to me about an operation being needed."
Bulldog snarls again but luckily did not bite nor piss on husband as he left.
Husband picks up dog at the end of day, comes home with more eye cream and more antibiotics and a inconclusive thyroid test.
Two weeks, two hundred plus dollars, dog's eye is watering, and unlike the Mastercard ad, it has a steep price.
Vets, I'm not happy with them. (animal vets, not former soldiers)
Worse than vets though, is the office staff. (Although it's the vet's fault they have become the way they are. Vets don't talk to owners anymore, they sic the pug-faced, irritable phone answerers on the paying clients.)
Suddenly, by the mere fact they got a job answering the phones for a vet, they have become beatified creatures who don't want to be questioned on anything and who love screwing their faces up in disgust if you do ask a question or dare to ask why such-and-such charge is on your bill.
(A price tag on the welfare of an animal? How dare you even think of such a thing. Just give me your income tax refund, your Mastercard and the change in your pocket!!)
One of my recent questions to Ms. Holier-than thou pet-vet clerk was this: " Why did you do the T4 $50 dollar test on the dog's thyroid if, as you say, it is inconclusive and now a Ft-4 test must be done for $70? I wish I'd had a choice in the matter. "
I heard some growling and hissing but no real explanation for the wasted $50 which could go for expensive cat and dog food since the industry is poisoning our pets probably after big payoffs from vets who want more business.
Wish someone had said, hey, we can do a $50 test but unless your dog's thyroid is crazy low or crazy high, it won't mean a damn thing.
Or, we can do a $70 test that will tell us whether he should be on thyroid meds or not. Which one do you want?
I think most people in the universe would say, for $20 extra, I'd rather not have to redo a test -- waste $50 and my time and my dog's time for that matter for inconclusive results. Yes, give me the more expensive test, dimwit- cut to the chase for crissakes. Or just pull a gun and rob me and get it the hell over with.
We brought Beau in for a watery eye. Vet gives out an antibiotic and an eye cream. $100 later we have Beau back watery eye watering.
Two weeks go by and we still have a dog with a watering eye. Back he goes, husband drops him off because they have no appointments but will fit him in during the day. Great.
He starts to leave and the office bulldog snarls: here, you have to sign this paper agreeing to an operation.
Operation?? Husband is taken back.
"Yes, $350 or more, not sure of the price until it's done."
Husband pauses, thinks, says "um look, I'm here for an eye recheck. I'd like the doctor to look at him before I sign a paper that says he can be operated on. He's 11 years old and no one has said a word to me about an operation being needed."
Bulldog snarls again but luckily did not bite nor piss on husband as he left.
Husband picks up dog at the end of day, comes home with more eye cream and more antibiotics and a inconclusive thyroid test.
Two weeks, two hundred plus dollars, dog's eye is watering, and unlike the Mastercard ad, it has a steep price.
posted by mary bishop | 12:57 PM
7 Comments:
You seriously need a new Vet. I'd recommend ours, but the commute might be prohibitive.
You have got to be kidding me. I once wrote a really nasty letter to our vet back in Norwalk. They did a $75 test that Emily didn't need. Who has that kind of money?
I agree with Sylow-new vet. And it's Sylow! Long time.
Could he have an allergy? Poor Beau.
What is the new news about the recalled foods-plastic?
I feel for you. Fortunately, we have a good vet and we are not treated this way. We bring our three cats to him and we get a 10% discount. He always tries to look out for us in terms of cost. Regardless, it always costs about $1,000.00 for our senior cat and $500 each for the other two...pet care is just insane. Maybe you'll get lucky and find the dental equivalent of a vet sometime soon. I hope so for your 401(k)'s sake.
How'd these comments get here? I swear I checked...hmmm
Sylow, maybe I can fly the pets to your vet and fly them back for less money that the vet I use...(I mistyped use and typed sue, it was a typo, right?)
PG -- Melamine has been found, now they say it's in Alpo Prime Cuts in Gravy, I have oh lets say about two cases of this stuff. Now I have to go over each can and check numbers and expiration dates etc. before I can feed it to my boys...grrrr.
WR - Yes, discount, I used to get one as a multiple pet family. That was before when the original vet was there. Now the new guy and his nasty staff are ruining his practice and there are no discounts or even chats about money allowed. Pay and shut up is what I get. (nice to see you stop by!)
It is ridiculous for vets to charge the prices that human doctors charge because we (some of us) have insurance for humans but nothing for animals. How much can you pay out of pocket no help at all for animal ailments when vets pretent they are MDs?
You DEFINITELY need a new vet. If i come in for a follow up on something that didn't get better, I don't pay for the office visit...
Like when Zoe had the seroma. I was in there 3 times a week for 4 weeks, having it drained with a needle. Didn't pay a dime.
DEFINITELy need to check out a new clinic....Good luck!
Ilanna, I have two vets now, believe it or not...looking for one that I can believe in and trust...guess I'll have to keep looking...ugh.
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