Vets: Saints or ****?

Hammer89 · 25-07-2018 06:37PM #1

I don't really like when our dog is ill; not only because I love her very much and her pain is my pain, but because it also hurts my pocket. It hurts my pocket because, well, vets are robbing c*nts.

There, I said it. I know it's controversial, and I know they cure our furry friends of their ills, and I know we treat these people with the reverance that we treated priests with a few decades ago but, like those some of those same priests, vets are knackers, and charlatans, and scumbags - well, some of them. Our one, Aoife, most certainly is.

In my experience with Aoife and others, vets usually look for - and usually find - something else wrong with your cat or dog, just to ensure that the bill is a bit longer. And obviously you can't say, 'Hang on Aoife, is her tail really going to fall off if we don't buy your €80 prescription skin cream?' or else you look like a sh*t owner who cares more about money than you do about the pet, which is categorically untrue.

Our visit today cost a lot of money. We came back with treatments for three different things, even though we went for a specific complaint - her paws.

If it helps the dog then maybe it's money well spent, but how do I, as a non-vet, know if the dog was actually suffering from these other things in the first place? How do I know it's not the equivalent of a GP writing a prescription for cortisol cream just because her patient happened to come in with flakey eyebrows or something? How do we know Aoife and other vets aren't taking the piss on a massive scale? We don't. We just have to grin and bear it and take it up the arse because a UCD 2015 graduate says this is the best course of action.

No more Butchy.

gmisk · 25-07-2018 06:40PM

I think our vets are fantastic, they aren't cheap but we have pet insurance which helps and I think is pretty essential especially if pedigree dog.

If you don't like your vet or you think you are being ripped off move.

Grandeeod · 25-07-2018 06:42PM

I guess you're just unlucky. My local vet is kind and reasonable. More like a vocation to him. Even gives credit, while not charging an outrageous amount in the first place. He's one of the old school types.

Pawwed Rig · 25-07-2018 06:42PM

I do tax returns for a few vets and in general it is poorly paid given the required qualifications. It is not for money that someone becomes a vet from my experience.

alexlyons · 25-07-2018 06:42PM

I agree.

There should be a vetting process before they get onto the college course

Trigger Happy · 25-07-2018 06:46PM

Super vet is a great tv show.

pleas advice · 25-07-2018 06:46PM

alexlyons wrote: »

I agree.

There should be a vetting process before they get onto the college course

And then work placement abroad, somewhere in Asia maybe...

The Backwards Man · 25-07-2018 06:47PM

Start up your own practice and charge what you think is appropriate then.

Come on.

What's stopping you?

McDermotX · 25-07-2018 06:49PM

It's ruff going alright, best bet is to find the correct authority to bitch to and sing like a canary.

RHJ · 25-07-2018 06:50PM

This post has been deleted.

Wibbs · 25-07-2018 06:51PM

I'd put the blame more at the feet of insurance companies and medical supply companies. Vet costs and bills have gone up a lot since the whole pet insurance thing came in. Such insurance almost always raises prices across the board, both to the supplier of a service/product and the consumer.

McMurphy · 25-07-2018 06:52PM

My vet is A-1.

You just got unlucky or have a hypochondriac for a dog.

Icaras · 25-07-2018 06:55PM

Whos forcing you to use their services? If you dont think the something else they found wrong is an issue act like a grown up and tell them. The internet is there (if used properly) with a wealth of information to help you.

Danny Donut · 25-07-2018 06:55PM

There is a vet quite close to us - he is an ignorant, money grabbing A/hole.

So I travel 20+ miles, to a lovely practise. They are knowledgable and kind and when my poor boy had to end his days they refunded all the unused drugs he had been prescribed.

Like every profession, Gards, Teachers, Priests - - some are total cnuts and some are just so kind it gives you a lump in the throat.

Hammer89 · 25-07-2018 06:59PM

RHJ wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

That's because one of the modules is removing the watch from a person's wrist without them noticing and most haven't got the balls to do it.

corner of hells · 25-07-2018 06:59PM

Johnny Dogs wrote: »

My vet is A-1.

You just got unlucky or have a hypochondriac for a dog.

Is your vets name Sharon ?

McMurphy · 25-07-2018 07:03PM

corner of hells wrote: »

Is your vets name Sharon ?

No its Georgie as it happens, why do you ask

Grandeeod · 25-07-2018 07:09PM

Wibbs wrote: »

I'd put the blame more at the feet of insurance companies and medical supply companies. Vet costs and bills have gone up a lot since the whole pet insurance thing came in. Such insurance almost always raises prices across the board, both to the supplier of a service/product and the consumer.

I was gonna post the same thing, but deleted as I would expect a ****storm from somebody. Same insurance issue has the health service for humans in a crap state.

Signore Fancy Pants · 25-07-2018 07:11PM

Same scenario with mechanics OP.

Bring your car in for a service...boom! Apparently your roof needs fo be replaced. That will be €5000 and a Twix please.

I have always found vets to be fine.

Vincent Vega · 25-07-2018 07:16PM

Go easy on them.

Last thing we wanna do is follow America where the number of homeless vets, sometimes even with a dog in tow would you believe, is shocking.

I'm happy we can at least keep roofs over ours heads.

PlaneSpeeking · 25-07-2018 07:20PM

It cost 600 euro last year when my baby had skin cancer. Worth every cent.

My vote goes for saints. All day long.

Lady Haywire · 25-07-2018 07:26PM

Love our vets, did work experience in it for a year and it really helps to get a behind the scenes viewpoint as well. So yea they're going to try and sell you prescription food and stuff but take what they say with a pinch of salt. Is my cat going to die from an itchy belly, does he really need the cream? Meh probably not but from a lot of the vets i've seen & worked with, they mention it more out of care/for the animals benefit than trying to get more money. So just suck it up and don't feel the guilt.
If it's a practice with one main vet employing others then he's only paying them a salary anyway, they aren't going to get more money for sales.

Plus I always feel so bad calling them at 3am for a calving, i called one away from his Easter dinner this year :pac:

RiderOnTheStorm · 25-07-2018 07:32PM

Being a vet is more difficult than a doctor IMHO.
Vets know the biology of several species, doctors know 1.
Vets can diagnose without asking patient any questions.

But to answer your Q. You need to find a nice vet. There are some out there. Our guy is lovely, reasonable, and you can bring dogs to him at home in middle of the night in an emergency.

SEPT 23 1989 · 25-07-2018 07:44PM

Pawwed Rig wrote: »

I do tax returns for a few vets and in general it is poorly paid given the required qualifications. It is not for money that someone becomes a vet from my experience.

I presume there is plenty of cash involved as well

theteal · 25-07-2018 07:49PM

Our vet is awesome and not in any way expensive - at least we've never opted to go the insurance route as the fee was never as much as our excess payment. I've not seen it but apparently she's on some BBC kids vet programme for the last while too, fair play to her.

Pawwed Rig · 25-07-2018 10:16PM

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

I presume there is plenty of cash involved as well

On what basis?

KevRossi · 25-07-2018 10:20PM

Vets are just pussy grabbers.

Pkiernan · 25-07-2018 10:22PM

Hammer89 wrote: »

I don't really like when our dog is ill; not only because I love her very much and her pain is my pain, but because it also hurts my pocket. It hurts my pocket because, well, vets are robbing c*nts.

There, I said it. I know it's controversial, and I know they cure our furry friends of their ills, and I know we treat these people with the reverance that we treated priests with a few decades ago but, like those some of those same priests, vets are knackers, and charlatans, and scumbags - well, some of them. Our one, Aoife, most certainly is.

In my experience with Aoife and others, vets usually look for - and usually find - something else wrong with your cat or dog, just to ensure that the bill is a bit longer. And obviously you can't say, 'Hang on Aoife, is her tail really going to fall off if we don't buy your €80 prescription skin cream?' or else you look like a sh*t owner who cares more about money than you do about the pet, which is categorically untrue.

Our visit today cost a lot of money. We came back with treatments for three different things, even though we went for a specific complaint - her paws.

If it helps the dog then maybe it's money well spent, but how do I, as a non-vet, know if the dog was actually suffering from these other things in the first place? How do I know it's not the equivalent of a GP writing a prescription for cortisol cream just because her patient happened to come in with flakey eyebrows or something? How do we know Aoife and other vets aren't taking the piss on a massive scale? We don't. We just have to grin and bear it and take it up the arse because a UCD 2015 graduate says this is the best course of action.

No more Butchy.

A real man knows when and how to put his dog down himself.

anewme · 25-07-2018 10:24PM

There’s s vet near us in Kildare, complete gentleman and scholar.

Has a real vocation and love of animals. Lovely lovely man.

Absolute saint.

_Dara_ · 25-07-2018 10:30PM

Pawwed Rig wrote: »

I do tax returns for a few vets and in general it is poorly paid given the required qualifications. It is not for money that someone becomes a vet from my experience.

Yeah, it’s a gruelling degree course that it’s hard to even get into. I don’t begrudge them whatever they earn. Plus, a lot of animal ailments are GROSS. I could not deal with them at all at all.

The people I know who are vets are genuinely passionate about their job.

kittensmittens · 25-07-2018 10:35PM

Have to agree with the OP. Our vets have become total rip off merchants in the last 4 years (been with them 12). Charging WAY above the odds on all treatments and now there is the rudest Lithuanian lady vet there and she has ZERO interest in the animals....no bedside manner at all and her fee is WHOPPING every time for simple things.

Have decided to switch vets

Vets: Saints or ****?

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