vets etc

devotional1993

Went to my local vet in north Dublin today with my dog. I found the female vet to be useless and gave me no information poor "bedside manner" looked bored uninterested and very unfriendly. Im sorry I just didn't walk out. She also started pulling the poor dogs tail and says" does she normally yelp when you do that"

Is there a good vet around the area that maybe doesnt charge 100 for an xray. How can it cost that much anyway?

goat2

i am sorry i did not take out VHI for my dogs instead of myself, i spend a small fortune on their health bills

scudzilla

We're by Swords and we use Lissenhall, and most of the time we ask for Gary as he's amazing with our dog.

lorebringer

devotional1993 wrote: »

Is there a good vet around the area that maybe doesnt charge 100 for an xray. How can it cost that much anyway?

I can't help you with finding a vet in Swords but depending on your dogs size €100 is not too unusual for an x-ray. They use a one time use plate to take them - the bigger the dog = the bigger the plate!

Shazanne

If a vet pulled my dogs tail just for the sake of it (as it sounds from what the OP said) I would not only walk out but I would kick up such a fuss that they would NEVER forget me! But, before I go off on a rant on this, was there a reason why the vet did this? Was it part of the examination that also required that very expensive x-ray?
I have paid a fortune to vets over the years - could/would never add it up as it would probably go a good way towards clearing the mortgage:D But when I pay I expect to get a good service and I refuse to accept anything less. I think the older you get the wiser you get in these situations!

boxerly

I know its a bit of a distance but there is an exelent vet in Leixlip,I changed to him a few months back.If it wasnt for him my dog would be dead.Bruno was taking turns and my old vet said epilepsy etc,but the new vet xrayed his heart and Bruno has dialated cardiomyopathy (heart failure) he is doing fine on his meds.He is great.Loves the animals and sat on the floor and gave some ham to my other nervous rescue doggie:)to gain her trust.He is very caring and friendly.I trust him 100 % with all my pets and everyone else who goes to him says the same.Riverforest veterinary centre Leixlip,Steve Hallihan is the vet.

devotional1993

Shazanne wrote: »

If a vet pulled my dogs tail just for the sake of it (as it sounds from what the OP said) I would not only walk out but I would kick up such a fuss that they would NEVER forget me! But, before I go off on a rant on this, was there a reason why the vet did this? Was it part of the examination that also required that very expensive x-ray?
I have paid a fortune to vets over the years - could/would never add it up as it would probably go a good way towards clearing the mortgage:D But when I pay I expect to get a good service and I refuse to accept anything less. I think the older you get the wiser you get in these situations!

No she was trying to take her temperature but was unable to. More her manner annoyed me. I work in sales and deal with customers daily. The least you can do is make people feel welcome as they rip you off. Wont be back. This was the second time I went. She says the dog is 11. I said no shes 13 "well it says 11 on her chart" im told. Look I know my dogs bloody age!

As for the price of 100 for an xray . Can anybody explain how it costs that much for an xray?

scudzilla

devotional1993 wrote: »

As for the price of 100 for an xray . Can anybody explain how it costs that much for an xray?

lorebringer wrote: »

I can't help you with finding a vet in Swords but depending on your dogs size €100 is not too unusual for an x-ray. They use a one time use plate to take them - the bigger the dog = the bigger the plate!

i think Lorebringer did

Allgäuerin

We so happy with Sid. Best vet we ever had
http://www.caravetgroup.com/

devotional1993

scudzilla wrote: »

i think Lorebringer did

no he said the bigger the plate the more expensive. Did not explain how the price is made up. Usual rip of crap. Anyway the really small dogs ahead of me cost the same price. My dog is big.

ISDW

Dogs have to be given a general anaesthetic to have xrays taken, which obviously adds to the cost.

Its not a rip off, its what it costs, the vets time, vet nurse, price of the plate, price of the anaesthetic etc, it all adds up. And it costs the same in the UK, so its not the usual rip off.

devotional1993

ISDW wrote: »

Dogs have to be given a general anaesthetic to have xrays taken, which obviously adds to the cost.

Its not a rip off, its what it costs, the vets time, vet nurse, price of the plate, price of the anaesthetic etc, it all adds up. And it costs the same in the UK, so its not the usual rip off.

Oh so its cost price and done for free-now I see. No profit of course.Actually find docs and vets huge rip offs. most people do . But money isnt a big problem as I love my dog. Doesnt explain my other issues . Yeah rip me off but be bloody nice when you do it!

jap gt

devotional1993 wrote: »

Oh so its cost price and done for free-now I see. No profit of course.Actually find docs and vets huge rip offs. most people do . But money isnt a big problem as I love my dog. Doesnt explain my other issues . Yeah rip me off but be bloody nice when you do it!

you hardly expect a vet to do it for nothing do you , they have to make a living aswell

devotional1993

jap gt wrote: »

you hardly expect a vet to do it for nothing do you , they have to make a living aswell

of course i do-but docs and some vets dont believe in a recession and realistic prices.
i work off 30per cent margin max selling and no issue paying over the odds for a good vet!I now have a couple-thanks to the above. cheers

anniehoo

Sorry to hear about your bad experience. Unfortunately bad vets can be found along with bad human doctors. As for the xray price, thats not excessive by any means. To buy that machine it can costs 10s of thousands of euros for a good one, let alone the maintenance fees. Be glad you werent referred to a specialist centre miles away. "Shop" around and dont be afraid to voice your opinion either. The "pulling the tail" thing doesnt make sense to me. No vet or vet nurse in their right mind would pull a dogs tail while taking a rectal temp,they will do all they can to keep the dog still at that time.

tk123

€100 seems like a bargain to me - our xrays (well the dogs not mine lol) are always around €200 - maybe a little less if he's sedated instead of getting a full GA. OP are there any other vets in the practice - eg if it was handy location wise. Our vet is just brilliant - there's other vets in the same practice who are ok and some who I found a bit useless trying to get me to buy Hills for everything.

Scrappy112

Hi! does anyone know how much a dog would be supervised when its kept in a vet overnight?my dog was kept in last night to have a drip because they said they think he might be in kidney failure.we went this morning to see him and they said he must of bent his paw and the fluids hadn't went in!!that the girl looking after him must not have seen.I'm really annoyed I don't think that's a good enough excuse especially when its his kidneys you'd think they'd keep a good eye on it!

Shazanne

I totally agree with you. I fully understand that mishaps can occur but if they said that your dog was being supervised at all times then it seems incredible that this went unnoticed. I would not be accepting their explanation to be honest.

dvet

Scrappy112 wrote: »

Hi! does anyone know how much a dog would be supervised when its kept in a vet overnight?my dog was kept in last night to have a drip because they said they think he might be in kidney failure.we went this morning to see him and they said he must of bent his paw and the fluids hadn't went in!!that the girl looking after him must not have seen.I'm really annoyed I don't think that's a good enough excuse especially when its his kidneys you'd think they'd keep a good eye on it!

The answer is that for the most part, between midnight and 8am, there probably won't be anyone in the practice (unless it's a large hospital or the DAEC in Dublin). This is because 99.9% of vets and vet nurses work all day (8 or 9am all day up to 7pm would not be unusual working hours), and they also have to provide emergency cover at night time. So after 7-12pm, they usually only go in if called in to see an emergency, as otherwise they will be catching up on sleep for the next day's work. It's not feasible for practices other than large hospitals to hire a specific night time person, and also for a lot of practices, there isn't enough demand to justify hiring someone especially for night time - so the regular vets have to cover all of the hours of the day.


And unfortunately, its so easy for a dog to tangle itself up in the drip tubing/to bend its paw so that the catether is kinked/to chew out their catether out of boredom. It's crappy alright but there's not much that can be done to prevent it, only to fix it as soon as it is noticed. It's usually as annoying for the vet as for the owner, as they want to see the animal get better too.

BTW, I hope your dog is ok. It's so tough when a pet is sick like that.

Allgäuerin

Disagree :mad:. Why does my pet then needs to stay overnight in the vet when NOBODY is there to take care of him??? Is it not better then to bring the pet home where I will be up the night supervising him!!!!!

Feargal as Luimneach

Allgäuerin wrote: »

Disagree :mad:. Why does my pet then needs to stay overnight in the vet when NOBODY is there to take care of him??? Is it not better then to bring the pet home where I will be up the night supervising him!!!!!

Would you be able to fix a blocked catether or put in a new one if necessary?
The dog on a drip would be put in a cage (in the vets) to restrict movement, so the i/v line would less likely come out. If the vet sent the dog home on a drip, the act of putting the dog in the car, taking him out of the car, movement of the dog at home: the drip will almost definitely come out.
Unless as the prevoius poster said, the vet is part of a huge practice the dog won't be observed the whole night. Vets have a life too, they can't work 24 hours a day non-stop.

sionnaic

dvet wrote: »

The answer is that for the most part, between midnight and 8am, there probably won't be anyone in the practice (unless it's a large hospital or the DAEC in Dublin). This is because 99.9% of vets and vet nurses work all day (8 or 9am all day up to 7pm would not be unusual working hours), and they also have to provide emergency cover at night time. So after 7-12pm, they usually only go in if called in to see an emergency, as otherwise they will be catching up on sleep for the next day's work. It's not feasible for practices other than large hospitals to hire a specific night time person, and also for a lot of practices, there isn't enough demand to justify hiring someone especially for night time - so the regular vets have to cover all of the hours of the day.


And unfortunately, its so easy for a dog to tangle itself up in the drip tubing/to bend its paw so that the catether is kinked/to chew out their catether out of boredom. It's crappy alright but there's not much that can be done to prevent it, only to fix it as soon as it is noticed. It's usually as annoying for the vet as for the owner, as they want to see the animal get better too.

BTW, I hope your dog is ok. It's so tough when a pet is sick like that.

Then why insist that the dog be kept in overnight? Surely if the dog is just going to be left to his own devices for 8 hours anyway, he should be released to his owner with the necessary equipment so the owner could stay up with him or at least regularly check on him. Or if he can't be moved, then let the owner stay with him? That's what I'd want to do anyway if it was one of my lads...

If he's alone in the vet's with no one to hear if he's whimpering or screaming then what's the point? At least at home the owner could ring and alert the vet if something went wrong.

(btw I'm not discounting how hard vets and vet nurses work or anything, it's tough going)

Allgäuerin

Feargal as Luimneach wrote: »

Would you be able to fix a blocked catether or put in a new one if necessary?
The dog on a drip would be put in a cage (in the vets) to restrict movement, so the i/v line would less likely come out. If the vet sent the dog home on a drip, the act of putting the dog in the car, taking him out of the car, movement of the dog at home: the drip will almost definitely come out.
Unless as the prevoius poster said, the vet is part of a huge practice the dog won't be observed the whole night. Vets have a life too, they can't work 24 hours a day non-stop.

Maybe i could assist more my pet as because NOBODY would be in the vet overnight to assist/fix HELP my pet!!!!!:(

And if the vet is charging extra money for the overnight stay (what all vets do) then he needs to get at least a nurse in for working night shifts!

dvet

An animal definitely can't go home on an IV drip, there's no way, as Feargal was saying above. The catether would be almost certainly displaced by the time you get home, no matter how careful you are, and that causes pain/swelling/bleeding, meaning you would be straight back to the vets. And most vets do go in to check on the animals as late as they can before going to bed, so 11 or 12pm, to check that they are comfortable, examine them again if necessary, and give extra meds if the animal needs it (e.g. pain meds, IV or IM antibiotics etc), or replace the fluid bag if it has run out (none of this could be done at home). For very sick dogs they can do repeat bloodwork at this stage and change the type of fluids/rate of fluids for the rest of the night. Also, some animals (particularly those with cardiac or respiratory problems, or poisoning cases) have to be on oxygen overnight, which can only be administered within the practice.

Usually if a vet feels an animal can go home at all, they will allow it to go home (e.g. some vets allow cats to go home on subcutaneous fluids), there would be no point keeping an animal in if it didn't need to be there. But trust me,for all the reasons above, if your vet thinks your dog needs to be kept in, it's definitely for the best.

P.S. If a practice could afford to hire separate night time staff it would be great; one of the biggest strains of the job is the expectation to work literally day and night...trust me, this gets very difficult after a few years! Unfortunately for everyone it isn't possible or feasible, except in fairly large hospitals.

Feargal as Luimneach

dvet wrote: »

P.S. If a practice could afford to hire separate night time staff it would be great; one of the biggest strains of the job is the expectation to work literally day and night...trust me, this gets very difficult after a few years! Unfortunately for everyone it isn't possible or feasible, except in fairly large hospitals.

100% correct.
In an ideal world all vet practices would do this, but to hire extra staff for the night for all but the largest practices is uneconomical. If they did hire them, the fees they charge to clients would then have to be astronomical to cover costs.

Shazanne

I treated my cat at home myself with subcutaneous fluids for over a year. In the latter months I was giving him fluids through his cathather every day. The cathather was fixed permanently in the back of his neck. It worked very successfully for both him and me. He was in kidney failure too. Perhaps it's something the OP could consider if this is to be an ongoing treatment.
The veterinary practice I use is excellent and pets are checked on regularly throughout the night to the best of my knowledge. I fully sympathise with the OP about her dog not getting his fluids overnight because of the problem that occured and I ccan understand his/her frustration. I do not find it acceptable.

dvet

Shazanne wrote: »

I treated my cat at home myself with subcutaneous fluids for over a year. In the latter months I was giving him fluids through his cathather every day...

... I fully sympathise with the OP about her dog not getting his fluids overnight because of the problem that occured and I ccan understand his/her frustration. I do not find it acceptable.

Yes, as I said in my last post there, vets are sometimes able to send cats home on subcutaneous fluids which is very handy, but unfortunately this isn't really possible in dogs as they are too large - the amount of fluids needed to stabilise them mean that only intravenous fluids really work. Also in emergency situations or acute illnesses (even in cats) IV fluids are the only way to go, as the subcutaneous route is too slow.

And as for what you say about the OP being frustrated, I understand this too, and I hope her dog is ok. It's very worrying when a pet is sick, I know I'd be the same.

amira

I got a little puppy before xmas, the person i got it from said the dog received its first vaccine at 6 weeks of age. I took him to the vet shortly after i got him to check if he was ok. He was 11-12 weeks then. The vet gave him a second vaccine and said that he needed a third one after two weeks.. I always thought that the primary vaccination consisted of 2 vaccines only so why is he suggesting a third one? obviously the first vaccine wasnt done by the same vet.. so can't help thinking that maybe he wants to rip me off?? The vaccines were both the same, Parvo and lepto.. so nothing extra was added on the second one that would need re-injected.. any advise??

tk123

Sounds like the vet started again as it was too long between the vacs - you got him at 6 weeks and then went back 5-6 weeks later - the second vac comes 2 weeks after the first.

ISDW

Are you sure the one at 6 weeks was parvo and lepto? Usually a vet will only give the parvo at 6 weeks, then the puppy will get the 5-in-1 or 7-in-1 at 8 weeks, and then the booster for that 2 weeks later.

When you typed that the person you got the pup from said it got its first vaccine at 6 weeks, did they give you a vaccination card with that information on it, with a vet's stamp or signature?

boxerly

My CKC Max died in the vets about 14 years ago:( They obviously operated late in the evening and he died after hours on his own:( (cardiac arrest).No body around or nobody checking on him:(.OP I hope your doggie gets well soon,its very upseting to see them sick like that.

dvet

The vaccine that the breeder gives at 6 weeks is usually only for parvo. So your vet is right that you need to get 2 'full' vaccines after this, 2-3 weeks apart from each other. The 2 'full' vaccines cover for lepto & then what a lot of people call the 5-in-1 or 6-in-1 (which includes parvo, amongst a few others).

dvet

boxerly wrote: »

My CKC Max died in the vets about 14 years ago:( They obviously operated late in the evening and he died after hours on his own:( (cardiac arrest).No body around or nobody checking on him:(.OP I hope your doggie gets well soon,its very upseting to see them sick like that.

Aw, that's sad. Most vets these days only operate in the mornings so that they can give maximum post-op supervision, although complicationsin healthy dogs are very rare after they've woken up to be honest. If it's an emergency that comes in in the evening, then they'll operate then of course, but usually most ops are done in the mornings now.

I saw you mention that your boxer died recently in another thread, commiserations.

boxerly

dvet wrote: »

Aw, that's sad. Most vets these days only operate in the mornings so that they can give maximum post-op supervision, although complicationsin healthy dogs are very rare after they've woken up to be honest. If it's an emergency that comes in in the evening, then they'll operate then of course, but usually most ops are done in the mornings now.

I saw you mention that your boxer died recently in another thread, commiserations.

Thank you x yes I had to have him pts 3 weeks ago,massive stomach tumour found and he also had dialated cardiomyopathy :(I decided not to operate as he was 11.5 and he wouldnt have made it.I held him wrapped in his blanket in our sitting room as he fell asleep forever

Discodog

In my opinion getting to know the right Vet is essential. My Vet opened a couple of years ago & I went out of my way to get to know her. As well as being professionally excellent she now knows me & my experience with animals. She knows that she can straight talk in a way that she might not with other clients.

One problem is that staff turnover & rotation at larger practices means that you don't see the same Vet & don't get the chance to get to know them. You may think that the prices are high but they are far lower than in the UK.

I feel for you Boxerly. My last boxer had a massive heart attack at 10pm. I phoned the Vet & arranged to meet them at the practice. The Vet was young & very newly qualified - they had a problem with two Vets being ill so she had to cover.

She made a couple of attempts to find a vein for the euthanasia but the poor guy had no blood pressure. I ended up saying that it would have to be direct into the heart & I ended up holding her hand to steady the syringe. We both ended up in floods of tears.

boxerly

OMG how awful Im so sorry xx

Shazanne

That is so terribly sad. It brought a lump to my throat. I cant bear to read things like that. I am so sorry for you:(

Discodog

I felt for the Vet because she was thrown in at the deep end & didn't even have a nurse for support. I sent her a bunch of flowers as I didn't want her to feel that it was her fault. At least the heart attack was at home. A previous Boxer dropped dead on a walk & I had to carry him for two miles back home !. I always thought that he would of loved the idea of that .

amira

ISDW wrote: »

Are you sure the one at 6 weeks was parvo and lepto? Usually a vet will only give the parvo at 6 weeks, then the puppy will get the 5-in-1 or 7-in-1 at 8 weeks, and then the booster for that 2 weeks later.

When you typed that the person you got the pup from said it got its first vaccine at 6 weeks, did they give you a vaccination card with that information on it, with a vet's stamp or signature?

yes, i got the card, with two stickers on it, one said Parvo C and the other one something about lepto.. that's why i presumed only one vaccine was left. And yeah, had a Vet signature on it.

I'm just dying to get the dog out for walks, i dont want to risk it if it's not totally vaccinated, but i'm afraid the dog is getting big and wont be able to properly toilet train him if i can't get him out of the house soon.. at the moment he's doing it all over the place!!!

dvet

amira wrote: »

yes, i got the card, with two stickers on it, one said Parvo C and the other one something about lepto.. that's why i presumed only one vaccine was left. And yeah, had a Vet signature on it.

I'm just dying to get the dog out for walks, i dont want to risk it if it's not totally vaccinated, but i'm afraid the dog is getting big and wont be able to properly toilet train him if i can't get him out of the house soon.. at the moment he's doing it all over the place!!!

You are still definitely better off getting a 3rd vaccine. It is not just about the number of boosters but the age of the pup when they are given.

I'll try to explain without getting too technical! When puppies are vaccinated at 6 weeks old, the immunity given is minimal and only lasts for a week or two. This is because of the effect of antibodies in the bitch's milk cancelling out those in the vaccine. It is actually not essential to get a pup vaccinated at 6 weeks at all, but there seems to be a trend by breeders to give a vaccine then.

It is after the pup is weaned at the age of 8-10 weeks (ish), that the pup's immune system is ready for the 2 boosters that will protect it for the rest of the year.

If the breeder told you he only needed one more vaccine then I'm afraid they were either misleading you, or were mistaken themselves. The vaccination issue is pretty complex I know, but if you have any other questions on it feel free to ask!

As for keeping him inside, if you have a garden you can definitely bring him out there, as long as he has no direct contact with other dogs. If you have to bring him outside to a communal area with lots of dogs roaming around then you are definitely right not to risk it yet!