OT - are you suspicious of your veterinarian?

[Mudcat]

Sometimes it's hard not to be. They can tell you pretty much anything and you either go along with them or feel the extreme guilt of neglecting your beloved pet's health.

I actually like my vet a lot. Everyone at the office seems great. Maybe it's because of my connection to this industry that I am always looking for scams.

But it's been about 4 years since they told me my little critter - Mudcat - has chronic liver disease. Since then it's been once-a-week trips for sub-cutaneous fluids, special food that can only be bought at the vets, more regular check-ups/blood-testing and all that. It adds up to some serious $$$$.

Sure they show me her blood test results. Like I'm supposed to know what that means. I thought about going for a second opinion but then the guilt kicks in. Like, what, I'm trying to get out of looking after her? That doesn't feel right. Like most pet owners, I love my little monster.

But she has never shown any outward sign of being sick at all. She is about as youthful a 15+ year-old cat as you will ever see. Anyway, I dunno. I imagine a lot of people must sometimes get these kinds of suspicions.

[RogueScholar]

I'm suspicious of veterinarians in general, but not my veterinarian personally. I grew up on a farm so even as a kid I was able to develop a trust and respect for that profession. As an adult I've only got cats so that large animal veterinarian from my youth was able to steer me to the only honest pet doctor in my area. The fact that he had no qualms telling me that the other two pet doctors here are literal scam artists did reinforce my thoughts that some very unscrupulous people are attracted to the profession.

[HedgeHog]

Sometimes it's hard not to be. They can tell you pretty much anything and you either go along with them or feel the extreme guilt of neglecting your beloved pet's health.

I actually like my vet a lot. Everyone at the office seems great. Maybe it's because of my connection to this industry that I am always looking for scams.

But it's been about 4 years since they told me my little critter - Mudcat - has chronic liver disease. Since then it's been once-a-week trips for sub-cutaneous fluids, special food that can only be bought at the vets, more regular check-ups/blood-testing and all that. It adds up to some serious $$$$.

Sure they show me her blood test results. Like I'm supposed to know what that means. I thought about going for a second opinion but then the guilt kicks in. Like, what, I'm trying to get out of looking after her? That doesn't feel right. Like most pet owners, I love my little monster.

But she has never shown any outward sign of being sick at all. She is about as youthful a 15+ year-old cat as you will ever see. Anyway, I dunno. I imagine a lot of people must sometimes get these kinds of suspicions.

,

Get a second opinion if you're unsure about your vet. 15 isn't too old for a cat (I had one, Cassie, that lived to nearly 23).

[RogueJuror]

where i come from we eat cat, we don't take em to the vet

[HedgeHog]

RJ:

Here in the states, we don't take "eating pussy" literally.

[compaqDikk]

i wound up going to a vet to have my cockerpsaniel checked for rabies and i found out the son of a bitch had his balls whacked off without my permission

[HedgeHog]

i wound up going to a vet to have my cockerpsaniel checked for rabies and i found out the son of a bitch had his balls whacked off without my permission

At least you two now have something in common.

[RogueJuror]

RJ:

Here in the states, we don't take "eating pussy" literally.

lol

[SlickFazzer]

where i come from we eat cat, we don't take em to the vet

I've never tried any of the meats from the typical family pet categories.

[RogueJuror]

I've never tried any of the meats from the typical family pet categories.

actually i've never tasted cat before but dogs i have. kind of hard meat, and a bit flavor less. kind of like turtle or rabbit. got to cook it for a while also.

[louisvillekid]

my dog ain't been to the vet in probably 4-5 years.
took her about 7 years ago, she was limping a little and whimpering, i figured she did something to her paw or ankle/lower leg, they did an x-ray, came back telling me she needed a hip replacement, that because of being the size and breed or some shit, that she had some degenerative hip thing, she was only around 3 years old. I took her to another vet/emergency center (supposed to be great, the place is huge and always packed), they do an x-ray come back telling me the same thing. I ended up bringing her back home, she limped around for about a week and got back to normal, and has been fine ever since, she's 10 now.

[pavyracer]

I had to put my cat down when he got sick. The vet said that even with surgury he had only 20% chance to live. Being a sports bettor, I did not want to place a bet on a huge dog so I opted for euthanasia.

[Sinister Cat]

I'm always suspicious. Not as bad as car dealerships, but close. Whenever there is an asymmetry of information it's tough. Here are some things I've noticed:
- tests ordered that don't seem to make a whole lot of sense. At the pets' annual physicals they always want to test for something. The tests are expensive, and when I ask when I'll get the results, they just say, "oh, if we don't call you, everything's good". They never call.
- vaccines that may be unneeded and if you read about them, might be risky for long-term health of your pet
- "prescription" food. When I first got my dog and brought him to the vet for his first checkup, they insisted he be moved off the pet food I was feeding him (standard stuff you buy at PetSmart or wherever, same stuff the breeder was giving him) and on to Hill's "prescription" food. Expensive, and can only be bought from the vet. No obvious reason why he should have been on such food (had no health problems or anything), have since switched him back.
- the worst are emergency vets. Cat stopped eating. Finally freaked out and took her to emergency vet at night. Charged me over 1k for xrays, etc. Didn't find anything, didn't do much to help her-- basically told me in the morning to take her somewhere else. Ended up getting x-rays re-done again later.
- one other thing is that sometimes the drugs they give your pet are also available as a generic for humans, and if you just get it from a pharmacist it's cheaper (don't ask me how to get a pharmacist to fill a pet's prescription, but it's a pharmacist who keeps telling me to do this-- I haven't done it myself)
- i've paid far more for drugs at the vet when they are available at the pet store for cheap (de-worming medication specifically)

[Matt Rain]

Veterinarians are just as bad as auto repair shops. They're salesmen first.

[Mudcat]

,

Get a second opinion if you're unsure about your vet. 15 isn't too old for a cat (I had one, Cassie, that lived to nearly 23).

I don't really feel unsure. If they are conning me, I just take my hat off to them for being so skilled. Because everyone in the office seems so caring and sincere.

Plus they have shown me how to do the weekly treatment at home which would be money out of their pocket. It has been my choice to keep paying them to do it.

I seriously don't think I could stop treatment now even if a second opinion told me it was okay to. I would never feel sure. I would feel too weird and guilty.



But it doesn't surprise me that there is so much general suspicion out there. It is a situation that lends itself to it.

[Willie Bee]

where i come from we eat cat, we don't take em to the vet

Note to self: Board Scooter, our 19-lb Maine Coon, before RJ comes to visit.

We had one cat that lived to 19, the last six years receiving two insulin shots per day for its diabetes. Wife and I are from different backgrounds when it comes to animals. I love animals, but if the decision had been just mine I wouldn't have given that cat insulin shots for six years, didn't seem fair to me or the cat. The Mrs, on the other hand, will try to save any creature except for the scorpions, snakes and tarantulas we have. Oh, and she sort of freaked out when that bat got in the house a couple of years ago. My plan was to just go ahead and get some sleep and then catch the little sucker the next morning after sunup when it was asleep, which is exactly what I did.

We have a couple of good country vets around our place, and I trust them...just thought I'd answer the original question that was posed.

[HedgeHog]

Many years ago I took my dog in for a routine check-up. I was a little uncomfortable when he took my pet's temp the old fashioned way. I was even more more uncomfortable when he said: "What are you looking at bitch--you're next!!!"

Yeah vets are a different "breed". I think I stopped seeing him shortly thereafter.

[capitalist pig]

We have used the same vet for all our animals for the last 20 years. Ive seen cheaper rates/servicies from other vets, but I know what Im getting from mine. Its all about trust, if you feel comfertable with him/her Id keep using them.

Personally, as the owner of a Eastern Timberback Wolf its important to me to have a vet who I trust. Not to mention its really hard to find a vet to treat wolves. Most dont want the liability of having him in the office. We also take our Doberman and two cats to this same vet. Ive never added it up, but id guess we spend more on vet bills every year than our own health.

Animals equall good living, JMO.

later

[Patrick McIrish]

I wouldn't say they are all out and out crooks but they are going to err on the side of caution when they have access to your wallet/purse. They are open to run tests, take exams and so on, some of that equipment was not cheap. They also got overhead, payroll and so on. Same with oil change places, your own medical doctors (depending how good your insurance is), dentists and just about anyone else trying to make a living. If you go to a hardware store they're going to try and sell you a hammer. No different here, vets are like the rest of us that are in business, they can get creative in search of the almighty dollar.

[compaqDikk]

vets= chirptacter rejects

[Teela]

I have a dog that routinely needs to be taken to the vet and sedated for various reasons. She is constantly ill. Between the ear infections, kidney infections, and the prozac, I"m sure I have personally funded my vet's last vacation.

I'm certain that some of these issues could have been handled without overnight observations and the constant tests when there is a history of these issues, unless she is not being treated for the right conditions/illnesses.

[Doug]

add

dentists
doctors
lawyers

etc.

[HedgeHog]

Yeah Drs are into the pockets of pharms, that's why we're all on drugs--partly anyway.

[Mudcat]

But on the other side, a lot of vets get into the field because they care so much about animals. I dated a vet for awhile and she wasn't doing it as any kind of scam - it was almost heart-breaking how much she wanted what is best for animals.

I myself wanted to be a vet when I was kid for that same reason. I'm a big animal lover. People sometimes accuse me of caring more about animals than people and I think there is a lot of truth to that.

(At some point though I figured out that there is more to the job than just loving animals. There is blood and stuff involved.)

But sure, loving the animals is not in conflict with some money-making strategies like ordering overnight observation or x-rays or whatever.

[Mudcat]

I get how people are drawing comparisons to other situations like auto shops, but there is a big fundamental difference with vets for me. GUILT.

If a grease monkey tells me my car needs something and it cost x dollars, I can go looking for a better price or just say, "Eh, I'll just put that off for awhile," and there is no emotional component to it. It's all about the money.

But I really love this little cat. The thought that something could really be wrong with her is a big deal in my mind. A lot of pet owners are like that. It gets into an area where the money is an after-thought.

So a vet could really use that psychology to his advantage if so inclined.

And the frustrating thing is always: my cat can't just tell me how she feels.

[pavyracer]

Mudcat,

Have you considered cloning her? If you have 25 Grand you can do it.

[Mudcat]

By gawd that's a hell of an idea.

There could be a never-ending line.

And since her name is Mudcat and I am Mudcat, I would be symbolically lifting myself closer to immortality.

MUWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!



Seriously though, no. I did make inquiries about a stem cell procedure at one point though. I kid you not. That's how goofy I am about my cat.

[daggerkobe]

I too am very suspicious of vets.....

I once adopted a puppy from the pound and he came down with a nasty disease (barfing, bloody diarrhea... nasty nasty). The vet said he had either parvo or distemper and would cost $2000 for treatment. When I said I didn't have that much money, he said I should go exchange the puppy which sounded pretty cold.

I didn't want to give up on him so I asked what else he could do... he ended up giving him an anti-biotics shot and anti-barf medication. After about 2 weeks, he was completely cured. Unfortunately, he was hit by a car a year later. RIP Coco.

Another time, my chi was bitten by a rattlesnake. The vet suggested that I should put him down because even with anti-venom, it would be a long shot due to his small size (12 pounds). I couldn't let my lil guy die (whom I had since he was just 4 weeks old) so I OK'd it even though it was expensive. Then she suddenly says that she wants to double the dosage (costs like $300 per dose) which sounded suspicious as if she were just taking advantage of my emotional state. It ended up costing $1500 but my lil guy pulled through so I was happy.

It just seems like these vets know how to pull the strings of emotionally vulnerable pet owners to pay for expensive treatments that they may or may not need.

[The Prick]

i dont trust nobody whos been in combat. makes dudes nutty

[HedgeHog]

i dont trust nobody whos been in combat. makes dudes nutty

Not that type of "vet".

[Mudcat]

i dont trust nobody whos been in combat. makes dudes nutty

Which war were you in?

[The Prick]

i was a refugee from the war on illiteracy and a mercenary in the war on drugs

[etothep]

i dont trust nobody whos been in combat. makes dudes nutty

wasn't ready for that one

well played

[Mudcat]

I agree. It was well-played by The Prick.

He had me scratching my noodle for a bit thinking he had totally lost it until HH clarified the situation. Then I had a good larf.

The Prick is alright! Someone should have an internet football capping contest centered on that bastage!

[Tsoprano]

where i come from we eat cat, we don't take em to the vet