Talk Cancer

Question:

This is starting to get nasty The following story is very graphic and sad The cat was my cat Illyanna She died a horrible death because a vet was too busy to put her to sleep and kept putting it off Scroll down if you have a strong stomach Cindy 7years ago I went downstairs to find one of our cats was lying on the floor unable to walk though she had been up for breakfast earlier We rushed her to our regular vet She was a well 8 year old cat with nothing wrong at her vaccinations just a few months earlier She was examined and found to have absent pulses in her tail and both legs and an accelerated heart rate the vet said let me do some tests  and then we will see what we can do I authorized x-rays and blood work The following day I called he said she is doing fine and improving.  The blood tests weren’t back yet I went the following morning and was told it was a saddle thrombus and I went to see her She was bloated because she couldn’t void and there was a god awful smell to her The end of her white tail was black and dry and was dead.  Her white legs were dark and dry on the surface the hair was falling out I work in the medical field she had dry gangrene from lack of circulation. I told the vet to put her to sleep. I asked if I could stay he said he couldn’t do it until later I called the next morning and she was still alive he hadn’t got to her I went up there and put her in our carrier and took her to another vet and had it done I went out the back door Her tail end had fallen off and the legs  were black and cracked  she was covered in her body fluids the vet yelled at me for not bringing her to the vet as he put her to sleep she was in agony I told him that she was under vet care and he cried He also told me that he should have been able to tell me to put her down on the first day The first vet didn’t even notice she was gone until the following day and sent me a bill for $2000 Cindy – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – It does cut both ways. Here are some exchanges, just from my own experiences in the vet’s office. "Look, I TOLD you that he had an inner ear infection when we came in here. What do you MEAN he now has a $300. bill for testing?" (another vet) " Yes, I am back early. They overbooked. I waited 45 minutes past my appointment time, and the vet never showed up." (another vet) " It’s over 90 degrees in this room, and I have been waiting an hour. I am now either leaving or fainting."  Receptionist, " oh don’t leave, hang on." Vet shows up in 30 seconds, offers me a glass of water. (another vet) "Your doctor is going to be here within 15 minutes of my appointed time, or I’m leaving."  Vet shows up within 15 minutes. (same vet)  Me- " No, I am NOT going to buy a battery of tests to see if my cat has one of 5 different incurable diseases. Please treat him for the upper respiratory infection he obviously has. If he doesn’t recover, we can assume that he had something incurable by humans." Geeez, I get tired of people bashing vets who have no idea what goes on there. "God, I don’t spend this much on my kids." "What do you mean you’re not open on a holiday? How can I pick up my dog when I get back from MY week-end away?" "If you’re not open on Monday night when I get back from my trip, do I still have to pay for that day?" "Can’t you expand your hours? How do you expect me to make an appointment or pick up my dog when I have to work?" "My dog was medicated in June and it’s now September. I think he’s sick because of it…" "I always board my dog here. I know I going away tomorrow and didn’t make an appointment and you’re booked up but can’t you do SOMETHING?" (this is usually when you arrive at work the next morning to find this dog tied to the front door) "Oh, I didn’t realize that the operation would cost so much (even after being told)… We’ll be right there to get him".. (then they never come back for the dog..) "No, I am not going to pay 500.00 for an operation for a 9 year old dog,  we’ll just have to put him down and get a new puppy" "That shampoo is too expensive, I’ll just use Ivory Liquid.  Why didn’t you tell me it could cause this skin problem. I shouldn’t have to pay for this." "I called from the beach and said we were running late. Why didn’t someone stay there so we could pick Fido up?" "Can you please take this dog from me NOW? I have to get out to the car and get the blood off the seats before it dries?" "We open at 8 a.m.!" (Then you have people following you inside when you get there at 7:30) "Do you have another room or someplace little Mary and Billy can play while we wait? Maybe with some toys or a TV? YOU DON’T?" "I have some errands to do while Fido gets his check-up. You don’t need me do you? We can tie him right here on the bench and when you are ready for him you can just untie him." (then they return 4 hours later). Believe me, all of these, and many more, have happened. The problem today is not the businesses don’t care about their customers (they wouldn’t be in business long) or that they don’t care about animals (they wouldn’t have borrwed a lot of money to go to school), but that many customers today think people in any service related industry are their SLAVES. Try this Kevin, Get the books from the American Animal Hospital Association and see how the income for Dr.s(owners) figures up.  Don’t forget to factor in cost of living raises, inflation, cost of goods sold, etc…  Look at it from a purely financial standpoint.  It’s about time some of their fees went up. Bobaloo Everyone,         As a passive reader I see alot of information being shared between one another.  Most of it is good; some is not.  What I don’t understand is how a person can speak so much on a topic they know nothing about.  Far be it from me to be confrontational, but come on.         We all know Veterinary care is expensive.  But have you look at human medicine.  With advances in technology and schooling, our pets are receiving higher levels of care than ever including Chemotherapy, MRI’s, brain surgery, and many others.  Do you know how much an MRI costs a person?  Me neither, but I bet your insurance company does.  The problem is, that we as pet owners are often not financially prepared for big expensive operations that come out of nowhere.         Things happen though, whether it is a dog being hit by a car, cancer, or GDV’s.  But heaven forbid someone should actually pay for a 3 hour surgery.  Clearly not all hospitals make alot of money.  The one I work at made over 1.2 million dollars last year.  Sound like a lot. Well, we were about $200,000 in the hole.  How?  Because some people don’t pay bills, overheads are high in emergency practices, and a whole bunch of other reasons.         The doctors at the practice are still paying of school loans. Some doctors do things cheaper than others.  We all probably know of a hospital that is cheap.  Well, who wants someone cutting corners on the health care of their pet?  More power to them if they provide quality care at a lower cost.  But, when you are rushing your pet to the vets at 2am, and Mr. Cheapo is asleep in bed, expect to pay more.         I have rolled my eyes when giving someone a bill before, thankful it wasn’t mine.         I guess I am directing this mostly to other technicians and Vet staff wondering if they feel the same way.         Sorry if I sounded a little pissed, but I was.  Don’t complain about the behind the scenes work if you haven’t been there to do it. Besides, it may be one of those expensive vets you are bashing that may help out your pet.                                                 Kevin                                         Martini & Molson

Response:

This is starting to get nasty The following story is very graphic and sad The cat was my cat Illyanna She died a horrible death because a vet was too busy to put her to sleep and kept putting it off

No, your cat died a horrible death because that vet was a total loser and jerk and it was serious mal-practice. I hope you filed a complaint with a licensing body and a lawsuit for the suffering of the animal. Kyla, DVM

Response:

 Animals are naturally healthy, provided that you started with a healthy animal.  I do not believe that it is the function of veterinarians to "maintain" the animal’s health.  Good health is maintained by good animal management. That’s the owner’s job, not the vet’s. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – As in any field there is good and bad…I can only speak well of my Vet Dr.Marty Fields in Castroville CA…Her staff is as wonderful as she is…When it comes to my pets health I’m not looking for a bargain…She has a well maintained facility and needs to maintain it…Paws up for her!!!…GG

Response:

 Actually, workplaces could stand to be more understanding. Sometimes, our real lives overlap with work, and we need some time to take care of things.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – "Can’t you expand your hours? How do you expect me to make an appointment or pick up my dog when I have to work?" Actually, this is one I can feel for.  There are so many places in life that you HAVE to go to in person, yet they all seem to keep 9-5 hours.  It doesn’t seem like it would be that terrible for some of these spots to shift their hours some… 7-3, or 11-7.  Especially for the spots that keep 9-5 hours AND close for lunch! Rebecca

Response:

"Can’t you expand your hours? How do you expect me to make an appointment or pick up my dog when I have to work?"

Actually, this is one I can feel for.  There are so many places in life that you HAVE to go to in person, yet they all seem to keep 9-5 hours.  It doesn’t seem like it would be that terrible for some of these spots to shift their hours some… 7-3, or 11-7.  Especially for the spots that keep 9-5 hours AND close for lunch! Rebecca

Response:

Geeez, I get tired of people bashing vets who have no idea what goes on there. "God, I don’t spend this much on my kids." "What do you mean you’re not open on a holiday? How can I pick up my dog when I get back from MY week-end away?" "If you’re not open on Monday night when I get back from my trip, do I still have to pay for that day?" "Can’t you expand your hours? How do you expect me to make an appointment or pick up my dog when I have to work?" "My dog was medicated in June and it’s now September. I think he’s sick because of it…" "I always board my dog here. I know I going away tomorrow and didn’t make an appointment and you’re booked up but can’t you do SOMETHING?" (this is usually when you arrive at work the next morning to find this dog tied to the front door) "Oh, I didn’t realize that the operation would cost so much (even after being told)… We’ll be right there to get him".. (then they never come back for the dog..) "No, I am not going to pay 500.00 for an operation for a 9 year old dog,  we’ll just have to put him down and get a new puppy" "That shampoo is too expensive, I’ll just use Ivory Liquid.  Why didn’t you tell me it could cause this skin problem. I shouldn’t have to pay for this." "I called from the beach and said we were running late. Why didn’t someone stay there so we could pick Fido up?" "Can you please take this dog from me NOW? I have to get out to the car and get the blood off the seats before it dries?" "We open at 8 a.m.!" (Then you have people following you inside when you get there at 7:30) "Do you have another room or someplace little Mary and Billy can play while we wait? Maybe with some toys or a TV? YOU DON’T?" "I have some errands to do while Fido gets his check-up. You don’t need me do you? We can tie him right here on the bench and when you are ready for him you can just untie him." (then they return 4 hours later). Believe me, all of these, and many more, have happened. The problem today is not the businesses don’t care about their customers (they wouldn’t be in business long) or that they don’t care about animals (they wouldn’t have borrwed a lot of money to go to school), but that many customers today think people in any service related industry are their SLAVES. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Try this Kevin, Get the books from the American Animal Hospital Association and see how the income for Dr.s(owners) figures up.  Don’t forget to factor in cost of living raises, inflation, cost of goods sold, etc…  Look at it from a purely financial standpoint.  It’s about time some of their fees went up. Bobaloo Everyone,         As a passive reader I see alot of information being shared between one another.  Most of it is good; some is not.  What I don’t understand is how a person can speak so much on a topic they know nothing about.  Far be it from me to be confrontational, but come on.         We all know Veterinary care is expensive.  But have you look at human medicine.  With advances in technology and schooling, our pets are receiving higher levels of care than ever including Chemotherapy, MRI’s, brain surgery, and many others.  Do you know how much an MRI costs a person?  Me neither, but I bet your insurance company does.  The problem is, that we as pet owners are often not financially prepared for big expensive operations that come out of nowhere.         Things happen though, whether it is a dog being hit by a car, cancer, or GDV’s.  But heaven forbid someone should actually pay for a 3 hour surgery.  Clearly not all hospitals make alot of money.  The one I work at made over 1.2 million dollars last year.  Sound like a lot.  Well, we were about $200,000 in the hole.  How?  Because some people don’t pay bills, overheads are high in emergency practices, and a whole bunch of other reasons.         The doctors at the practice are still paying of school loans. Some doctors do things cheaper than others.  We all probably know of a hospital that is cheap.  Well, who wants someone cutting corners on the health care of their pet?  More power to them if they provide quality care at a lower cost.  But, when you are rushing your pet to the vets at 2am, and Mr. Cheapo is asleep in bed, expect to pay more.         I have rolled my eyes when giving someone a bill before, thankful it wasn’t mine.         I guess I am directing this mostly to other technicians and Vet staff wondering if they feel the same way.         Sorry if I sounded a little pissed, but I was.  Don’t complain about the behind the scenes work if you haven’t been there to do it. Besides, it may be one of those expensive vets you are bashing that may help out your pet.                                                 Kevin                                         Martini & Molson

Response:

As in any field there is good and bad…I can only speak well of my Vet Dr.Marty Fields in Castroville CA…Her staff is as wonderful as she is…When it comes to my pets health I’m not looking for a bargain…She has a well maintained facility and needs to maintain it…Paws up for her!!!…GG – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – This is starting to get nasty The following story is very graphic and sad The cat was my cat Illyanna She died a horrible death because a vet was too busy to put her to sleep and kept putting it off Scroll down if you have a strong stomach Cindy 7years ago I went downstairs to find one of our cats was lying on the floor unable to walk though she had been up for breakfast earlier We rushed her to our regular vet She was a well 8 year old cat with nothing wrong at her vaccinations just a few months earlier She was examined and found to have absent pulses in her tail and both legs and an accelerated heart rate the vet said let me do some tests  and then we will see what we can do I authorized x-rays and blood work The following day I called he said she is doing fine and improving.  The blood tests weren’t back yet I went the following morning and was told it was a saddle thrombus and I went to see her She was bloated because she couldn’t void and there was a god awful smell to her The end of her white tail was black and dry and was dead.  Her white legs were dark and dry on the surface the hair was falling out I work in the medical field she had dry gangrene from lack of circulation. I told the vet to put her to sleep. I asked if I could stay he said he couldn’t do it until later I called the next morning and she was still alive he hadn’t got to her I went up there and put her in our carrier and took her to another vet and had it done I went out the back door Her tail end had fallen off and the legs  were black and cracked  she was covered in her body fluids the vet yelled at me for not bringing her to the vet as he put her to sleep she was in agony I told him that she was under vet care and he cried He also told me that he should have been able to tell me to put her down on the first day The first vet didn’t even notice she was gone until the following day and sent me a bill for $2000 Cindy It does cut both ways. Here are some exchanges, just from my own experiences in the vet’s office. "Look, I TOLD you that he had an inner ear infection when we came in here. What do you MEAN he now has a $300. bill for testing?" (another vet) " Yes, I am back early. They overbooked. I waited 45 minutes past my appointment time, and the vet never showed up." (another vet) " It’s over 90 degrees in this room, and I have been waiting an hour. I am now either leaving or fainting."  Receptionist, " oh don’t leave, hang on." Vet shows up in 30 seconds, offers me a glass of water. (another vet) "Your doctor is going to be here within 15 minutes of my appointed time, or I’m leaving."  Vet shows up within 15 minutes. (same vet)  Me- " No, I am NOT going to buy a battery of tests to see if my cat has one of 5 different incurable diseases. Please treat him for the upper respiratory infection he obviously has. If he doesn’t recover, we can assume that he had something incurable by humans." Geeez, I get tired of people bashing vets who have no idea what goes on there. "God, I don’t spend this much on my kids." "What do you mean you’re not open on a holiday? How can I pick up my dog when I get back from MY week-end away?" "If you’re not open on Monday night when I get back from my trip, do I still have to pay for that day?" "Can’t you expand your hours? How do you expect me to make an appointment or pick up my dog when I have to work?" "My dog was medicated in June and it’s now September. I think he’s sick because of it…" "I always board my dog here. I know I going away tomorrow and didn’t make an appointment and you’re booked up but can’t you do SOMETHING?" (this is usually when you arrive at work the next morning to find this dog tied to the front door) "Oh, I didn’t realize that the operation would cost so much (even after being told)… We’ll be right there to get him".. (then they never come back for the dog..) "No, I am not going to pay 500.00 for an operation for a 9 year old dog,  we’ll just have to put him down and get a new puppy" "That shampoo is too expensive, I’ll just use Ivory Liquid.  Why didn’t you tell me it could cause this skin problem. I shouldn’t have to pay for this." "I called from the beach and said we were running late. Why didn’t someone stay there so we could pick Fido up?" "Can you please take this dog from me NOW? I have to get out to the car and get the blood off the seats before it dries?" "We open at 8 a.m.!" (Then you have people following you inside when you get there at 7:30) "Do you have another room or someplace little Mary and Billy can play while we wait? Maybe with some toys or a TV? YOU DON’T?" "I have some errands to do while Fido gets his check-up. You don’t need me do you? We can tie him right here on the bench and when you are ready for him you can just untie him." (then they return 4 hours later). Believe me, all of these, and many more, have happened. The problem today is not the businesses don’t care about their customers (they wouldn’t be in business long) or that they don’t care about animals (they wouldn’t have borrwed a lot of money to go to school), but that many customers today think people in any service related industry are their SLAVES. Try this Kevin, Get the books from the American Animal Hospital Association and see how the income for Dr.s(owners) figures up.  Don’t forget to factor in cost of living raises, inflation, cost of goods sold, etc…  Look at it from a purely financial standpoint.  It’s about time some of their fees went up. Bobaloo Everyone,         As a passive reader I see alot of information being shared between one another.  Most of it is good; some is not.  What I don’t understand is how a person can speak so much on a topic they know nothing about.  Far be it from me to be confrontational, but come on.         We all know Veterinary care is expensive.  But have you look at human medicine.  With advances in technology and schooling, our pets are receiving higher levels of care than ever including Chemotherapy, MRI’s, brain surgery, and many others.  Do you know how much an MRI costs a person?  Me neither, but I bet your insurance company does.  The problem is, that we as pet owners are often not financially prepared for big expensive operations that come out of nowhere.         Things happen though, whether it is a dog being hit by a car, cancer, or GDV’s.  But heaven forbid someone should actually pay for a 3 hour surgery.  Clearly not all hospitals make alot of money.  The one I work at made over 1.2 million dollars last year.  Sound like a lot. Well, we were about $200,000 in the hole.  How?  Because some people don’t pay bills, overheads are high in emergency practices, and a whole bunch of other reasons.         The doctors at the practice are still paying of school loans. Some doctors do things cheaper than others.  We all probably know of a hospital that is cheap.  Well, who wants someone cutting corners on the health care of their pet?  More power to them if they provide quality care at a lower cost.  But, when you are rushing your pet to the vets at 2am, and Mr. Cheapo is asleep in bed, expect to pay more.         I have rolled my eyes when giving someone a bill before, thankful it wasn’t mine.         I guess I am directing this mostly to other technicians and Vet staff wondering if they feel the same way.         Sorry if I sounded a little pissed, but I was.  Don’t complain about the behind the scenes work if you haven’t been there to do it. Besides, it may be one of those expensive vets you are bashing that may help out your pet.                                                 Kevin                                         Martini & Molson

Response:

 It does cut both ways. Here are some exchanges, just from my own experiences in the vet’s office.  "Look, I TOLD you that he had an inner ear infection when we came in here. What do you MEAN he now has a $300. bill for testing?"  (another vet) " Yes, I am back early. They overbooked. I waited 45 minutes past my appointment time, and the vet never showed up." (another vet) " It’s over 90 degrees in this room, and I have been waiting an hour. I am now either leaving or fainting."  Receptionist, " oh don’t leave, hang on." Vet shows up in 30 seconds, offers me a glass of water.  (another vet) "Your doctor is going to be here within 15 minutes of my appointed time, or I’m leaving."  Vet shows up within 15 minutes.  (same vet)  Me- " No, I am NOT going to buy a battery of tests to see if my cat has one of 5 different incurable diseases. Please treat him for the upper respiratory infection he obviously has. If he doesn’t recover, we can assume that he had something incurable by humans."

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Geeez, I get tired of people bashing vets who have no idea what goes on there. "God, I don’t spend this much on my kids." "What do you mean you’re not open on a holiday? How can I pick up my dog when I get back from MY week-end away?" "If you’re not open on Monday night when I get back from my trip, do I still have to pay for that day?" "Can’t you expand your hours? How do you expect me to make an appointment or pick up my dog when I have to work?" "My dog was medicated in June and it’s now September. I think he’s sick because of it…" "I always board my dog here. I know I going away tomorrow and didn’t make an appointment and you’re booked up but can’t you do SOMETHING?" (this is usually when you arrive at work the next morning to find this dog tied to the front door) "Oh, I didn’t realize that the operation would cost so much (even after being told)… We’ll be right there to get him".. (then they never come back for the dog..) "No, I am not going to pay 500.00 for an operation for a 9 year old dog,  we’ll just have to put him down and get a new puppy" "That shampoo is too expensive, I’ll just use Ivory Liquid.  Why didn’t you tell me it could cause this skin problem. I shouldn’t have to pay for this." "I called from the beach and said we were running late. Why didn’t someone stay there so we could pick Fido up?" "Can you please take this dog from me NOW? I have to get out to the car and get the blood off the seats before it dries?" "We open at 8 a.m.!" (Then you have people following you inside when you get there at 7:30) "Do you have another room or someplace little Mary and Billy can play while we wait? Maybe with some toys or a TV? YOU DON’T?" "I have some errands to do while Fido gets his check-up. You don’t need me do you? We can tie him right here on the bench and when you are ready for him you can just untie him." (then they return 4 hours later). Believe me, all of these, and many more, have happened. The problem today is not the businesses don’t care about their customers (they wouldn’t be in business long) or that they don’t care about animals (they wouldn’t have borrwed a lot of money to go to school), but that many customers today think people in any service related industry are their SLAVES. Try this Kevin, Get the books from the American Animal Hospital Association and see how the income for Dr.s(owners) figures up.  Don’t forget to factor in cost of living raises, inflation, cost of goods sold, etc…  Look at it from a purely financial standpoint.  It’s about time some of their fees went up. Bobaloo Everyone,         As a passive reader I see alot of information being shared between one another.  Most of it is good; some is not.  What I don’t understand is how a person can speak so much on a topic they know nothing about.  Far be it from me to be confrontational, but come on.         We all know Veterinary care is expensive.  But have you look at human medicine.  With advances in technology and schooling, our pets are receiving higher levels of care than ever including Chemotherapy, MRI’s, brain surgery, and many others.  Do you know how much an MRI costs a person?  Me neither, but I bet your insurance company does.  The problem is, that we as pet owners are often not financially prepared for big expensive operations that come out of nowhere.         Things happen though, whether it is a dog being hit by a car, cancer, or GDV’s.  But heaven forbid someone should actually pay for a 3 hour surgery.  Clearly not all hospitals make alot of money.  The one I work at made over 1.2 million dollars last year.  Sound like a lot. Well, we were about $200,000 in the hole.  How?  Because some people don’t pay bills, overheads are high in emergency practices, and a whole bunch of other reasons.         The doctors at the practice are still paying of school loans. Some doctors do things cheaper than others.  We all probably know of a hospital that is cheap.  Well, who wants someone cutting corners on the health care of their pet?  More power to them if they provide quality care at a lower cost.  But, when you are rushing your pet to the vets at 2am, and Mr. Cheapo is asleep in bed, expect to pay more.         I have rolled my eyes when giving someone a bill before, thankful it wasn’t mine.         I guess I am directing this mostly to other technicians and Vet staff wondering if they feel the same way.         Sorry if I sounded a little pissed, but I was.  Don’t complain about the behind the scenes work if you haven’t been there to do it. Besides, it may be one of those expensive vets you are bashing that may help out your pet.                                                 Kevin                                         Martini & Molson

Response:

Try this Kevin, Get the books from the American Animal Hospital Association and see how the income for Dr.s(owners) figures up.  Don’t forget to factor in cost of living raises, inflation, cost of goods sold, etc…  Look at it from a purely financial standpoint.  It’s about time some of their fees went up. Bobaloo – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Everyone,         As a passive reader I see alot of information being shared between one another.  Most of it is good; some is not.  What I don’t understand is how a person can speak so much on a topic they know nothing about.  Far be it from me to be confrontational, but come on.         We all know Veterinary care is expensive.  But have you look at human medicine.  With advances in technology and schooling, our pets are receiving higher levels of care than ever including Chemotherapy, MRI’s, brain surgery, and many others.  Do you know how much an MRI costs a person?  Me neither, but I bet your insurance company does.  The problem is, that we as pet owners are often not financially prepared for big expensive operations that come out of nowhere.         Things happen though, whether it is a dog being hit by a car, cancer, or GDV’s.  But heaven forbid someone should actually pay for a 3 hour surgery.  Clearly not all hospitals make alot of money.  The one I work at made over 1.2 million dollars last year.  Sound like a lot.  Well, we were about $200,000 in the hole.  How?  Because some people don’t pay bills, overheads are high in emergency practices, and a whole bunch of other reasons.         The doctors at the practice are still paying of school loans. Some doctors do things cheaper than others.  We all probably know of a hospital that is cheap.  Well, who wants someone cutting corners on the health care of their pet?  More power to them if they provide quality care at a lower cost.  But, when you are rushing your pet to the vets at 2am, and Mr. Cheapo is asleep in bed, expect to pay more.         I have rolled my eyes when giving someone a bill before, thankful it wasn’t mine.         I guess I am directing this mostly to other technicians and Vet staff wondering if they feel the same way.         Sorry if I sounded a little pissed, but I was.  Don’t complain about the behind the scenes work if you haven’t been there to do it. Besides, it may be one of those expensive vets you are bashing that may help out your pet.                                                 Kevin                                         Martini & Molson

Response:

Just want to mention an experience I had–needed supplies for my cat who needed daily subcutaneous fluids.  The vet’s office had a minimum charge for the necessary equipment ($7 or $10 per item) to cover the costs of ordering, stocking, etc.  My vet knew it was expensive for me at that price, and when I found a catalog company that had it for less, he not only wrote me the needed prescriptions, he asked me for the catalog info so he could make it available to other customers in the same situation. It was expensive because I had to use a *lot* of them. This was a big, downtown, extremely-well-equipped vet practice. Their fees were quite expensive–but they were not out to gouge the customer. — Amy Frost Dahl            Retriever Training            phone: (910) 295-6710 Pinehurst, NC 28370                                             (http://www.oakhillkennel.com)

Response:

You 3 make a LOT of sense!! I agree, but now must.. gota vet apointment and like running a few min early, hate to run late ‘couse than I look like an ass, and don’t wish to offend a great vet, or screw up his scedule. pup – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Geeez, I get tired of people bashing vets who have no idea what goes on there. "God, I don’t spend this much on my kids." "What do you mean you’re not open on a holiday? How can I pick up my dog when I get back from MY week-end away?" "If you’re not open on Monday night when I get back from my trip, do I still have to pay for that day?" "Can’t you expand your hours? How do you expect me to make an appointment or pick up my dog when I have to work?" "My dog was medicated in June and it’s now September. I think he’s sick because of it…" "I always board my dog here. I know I going away tomorrow and didn’t make an appointment and you’re booked up but can’t you do SOMETHING?" (this is usually when you arrive at work the next morning to find this dog tied to the front door) "Oh, I didn’t realize that the operation would cost so much (even after being told)… We’ll be right there to get him".. (then they never come back for the dog..) "No, I am not going to pay 500.00 for an operation for a 9 year old dog,  we’ll just have to put him down and get a new puppy" "That shampoo is too expensive, I’ll just use Ivory Liquid.  Why didn’t you tell me it could cause this skin problem. I shouldn’t have to pay for this." "I called from the beach and said we were running late. Why didn’t someone stay there so we could pick Fido up?" "Can you please take this dog from me NOW? I have to get out to the car and get the blood off the seats before it dries?" "We open at 8 a.m.!" (Then you have people following you inside when you get there at 7:30) "Do you have another room or someplace little Mary and Billy can play while we wait? Maybe with some toys or a TV? YOU DON’T?" "I have some errands to do while Fido gets his check-up. You don’t need me do you? We can tie him right here on the bench and when you are ready for him you can just untie him." (then they return 4 hours later). Believe me, all of these, and many more, have happened. The problem today is not the businesses don’t care about their customers (they wouldn’t be in business long) or that they don’t care about animals (they wouldn’t have borrwed a lot of money to go to school), but that many customers today think people in any service related industry are their SLAVES. Try this Kevin, Get the books from the American Animal Hospital Association and see how the income for Dr.s(owners) figures up.  Don’t forget to factor in cost of living raises, inflation, cost of goods sold, etc…  Look at it from a purely financial standpoint.  It’s about time some of their fees went up. Bobaloo Everyone,         As a passive reader I see alot of information being shared between one another.  Most of it is good; some is not.  What I don’t understand is how a person can speak so much on a topic they know nothing about.  Far be it from me to be confrontational, but come on.         We all know Veterinary care is expensive.  But have you look at human medicine.  With advances in technology and schooling, our pets are receiving higher levels of care than ever including Chemotherapy, MRI’s, brain surgery, and many others.  Do you know how much an MRI costs a person?  Me neither, but I bet your insurance company does.  The problem is, that we as pet owners are often not financially prepared for big expensive operations that come out of nowhere.         Things happen though, whether it is a dog being hit by a car, cancer, or GDV’s.  But heaven forbid someone should actually pay for a 3 hour surgery.  Clearly not all hospitals make alot of money.  The one I work at made over 1.2 million dollars last year.  Sound like a lot.  Well, we were about $200,000 in the hole.  How?  Because some people don’t pay bills, overheads are high in emergency practices, and a whole bunch of other reasons.         The doctors at the practice are still paying of school loans. Some doctors do things cheaper than others.  We all probably know of a hospital that is cheap.  Well, who wants someone cutting corners on the health care of their pet?  More power to them if they provide quality care at a lower cost.  But, when you are rushing your pet to the vets at 2am, and Mr. Cheapo is asleep in bed, expect to pay more.         I have rolled my eyes when giving someone a bill before, thankful it wasn’t mine.         I guess I am directing this mostly to other technicians and Vet staff wondering if they feel the same way.         Sorry if I sounded a little pissed, but I was.  Don’t complain about the behind the scenes work if you haven’t been there to do it. Besides, it may be one of those expensive vets you are bashing that may help out your pet.                                                 Kevin                                         Martini & Molson

Response:

Some people don’t have any money to pay their bills, Kevin! Sheesh!

And that’s an excuse? Not. People who can’t afford to do what needs to be done to keep their pets healthy shouldn’t have pets. I know a family who’s dog was hit by a car and the vet refused to operate unless they had CASH in their hand. Any vet who does this is nothing but trash, plain and simple.

I agree with this, though. That’s ridiculous. — North Shore Technologies Corporation http://www.NorthShoreTechnologies.net 815 Superior Ave. #610, Cleveland, OH 44114-2702 216.619.2NET 888.480.4NET Host of the Forum for Responsible & Ethical E-mail http://www.spamfree.org I am the president and sole shareholder of NSTC. Thus, I feel comfortable saying that my opinions do represent the official opinions of the company

Response:

TRAP.worldnet.att.net allegedly said x-no-archive:yes ? What does that command do? Is it a spam-proof thing?

It prevents the post from being archived by services like Deja.com. Some people do it simply because they don’t want posts archived; others do it out of fear of having their e-mail addy sucked up from a web page by a spammer. — North Shore Technologies Corporation http://www.NorthShoreTechnologies.net 815 Superior Ave. #610, Cleveland, OH 44114-2702 216.619.2NET 888.480.4NET Host of the Forum for Responsible & Ethical E-mail http://www.spamfree.org I am the president and sole shareholder of NSTC. Thus, I feel comfortable saying that my opinions do represent the official opinions of the company

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- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – x-no-archive:yes Some people don’t have any money to pay their bills, Kevin! Sheesh! And that’s an excuse? Not. That depends. People who can’t afford to do what needs to be done to keep their pets healthy shouldn’t have pets. Some people take in strays off the streets, and can afford to feed them until something goes wrong. Then reality hits!

        I realize that some people don’t have money to pay their bills. However a hospital cannot be run and staffed if it can’t afford to pay its’ own bills because owners can’t pay theirs.  We see it daily and most of the time we try to work with owners.  A veterinarian cannot allow a pet to suffer.  Saying that, often it is a choice between an expensive surgery or euthanasia.  That decision sucks, but it is reality.  Having to put a price tag on one of your family members isn’t right.  Sure a brother or sister goes for $5.00 on a good day, but not your pet.  How old is too old to invest an expensive surgery to only get months or weeks?         But, as it was told earlier, advances cost money.  How would we all feel if our local (sometimes not very local) emergency hospital told you and your dying pet that they couldn’t treat it because they couldn’t buy the right medicine or they ran our of blood for his/her transfusion because a stray needed it.  It happens more than we want to think about.         OK well, I have rambled long enough.           Thanks for those that supported me, at least in part.                                         Kevin                                 Martini & Molson

Response:

That depends. People who can’t afford to do what needs to be done to keep their pets healthy shouldn’t have pets. Some people take in strays off the streets, and can afford to feed them until something goes wrong. Then reality hits!

Sure. I’m not saying that their intentions aren’t good. But if they can’t feed and/or keep the animal healthy, the pet is not much better off than if it had stayed a stray. — North Shore Technologies Corporation http://www.NorthShoreTechnologies.net 815 Superior Ave. #610, Cleveland, OH 44114-2702 216.619.2NET 888.480.4NET Host of the Forum for Responsible & Ethical E-mail http://www.spamfree.org I am the president and sole shareholder of NSTC. Thus, I feel comfortable saying that my opinions do represent the official opinions of the company

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Just curious — was this poor dog originally treated at some sort of special spay-and-neuter clinic? Other than that, I’ve never heard of a cheapo vet. I ask because I recently had a young friend who needed encouragement to have his dog spayed (it was his first dog and he had the usual concerns about cost, hurting the dog, etc.). I think he went to some sort of special lost-cost clinic, but it never occurred to me that this might be dangerous for the dog. I guess I naively assumed that the clinic was subsidized by some organization, or that the vets donated time or something. His dog is fine; I’m curious because I wouldn’t want to give someone bad advice if a similar situation comes up in the future. We just had a dog at the e-clinic where I work that went to a cheapo vet to cut corners.  It cost that owner over a thousand dollars to repair that mistake.  The dog had a section and was spayed 12 days ago.  Today we went in and removed the REST of the uterus and ovaries and all the dead tissue and closed the uterine stump properly this time. The dog lost so much blood that his bill covered not only the 2.5 hour surgery but also a blood transfusion.

Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.

Response:

   The doctors at the practice are still paying of school loans. Some doctors do things cheaper than others.  We all probably know of a hospital that is cheap.  Well, who wants someone cutting corners on the health care of their pet?  More power to them if they

provide quality care at a lower cost. We just had a dog at the e-clinic where I work that went to a cheapo vet to cut corners.  It cost that owner over a thousand dollars to repair that mistake.  The dog had a section and was spayed 12 days ago.  Today we went in and removed the REST of the uterus and ovaries and all the dead tissue and closed the uterine stump properly this time.   The dog lost so much blood that his bill covered not only the 2.5 hour surgery but also a blood transfusion.    I have rolled my eyes when giving someone a bill before, thankful it wasn’t mine.    I guess I am directing this mostly to other technicians and Vet staff wondering if they feel the same way.

I do feel that way sometimes.  If the owner has been responsible and tried to provide good care for the pet.  If I know that the big bill could have been avoided if they had.  If I know it really is a financial hardship and they are paying anyway….  I hate dealing with money at the clinic.  I wish that we could give away services to people who can’t afford them and I wish there was more that we could do.  I also know that we provide top level emeregency and critical care.  I know that hospitalized animals are monitored constantly and that incoming animals are given a truly thorough diagnostic workup.  I know that we have the best equipment, well trained techs, great doctors and wonderful specialists to refer cases to when necessary.  I know the bills can really get up there, but I also know that the animals are recieving optimum care for that cost. * Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet’s Discussion Network * The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet – Free!

Response:

There is no excuse for that, just as refusing medical care if someone is not insured and doesn’t have major credit cards. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – x-no-archive:yes Everyone,         As a passive reader I see alot of information being shared between one another.  Most of it is good; some is not.  What I don’t understand is how a person can speak so much on a topic they know nothing about.  Far be it from me to be confrontational, but come on.         We all know Veterinary care is expensive.  But have you look at human medicine.  With advances in technology and schooling, our pets are receiving higher levels of care than ever including Chemotherapy, MRI’s, brain surgery, and many others.  Do you know how much an MRI costs a person?  Me neither, but I bet your insurance company does.  The problem is, that we as pet owners are often not financially prepared for big expensive operations that come out of nowhere.         Things happen though, whether it is a dog being hit by a car, cancer, or GDV’s.  But heaven forbid someone should actually pay for a 3 hour surgery.  Clearly not all hospitals make alot of money.  The one I work at made over 1.2 million dollars last year.  Sound like a lot.  Well, we were about $200,000 in the hole.  How?  Because some people don’t pay bills, Some people don’t have any money to pay their bills, Kevin! Sheesh! Here’s the bottom line. Try and find a veterinarian who you like (and can afford) and stay with them. Yes, there are some vultures who try and take every penny you have! I know a family who’s dog was hit by a car and the vet refused to operate unless they had CASH in their hand. Any vet who does this is nothing but trash, plain and simple. (ken) — <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< See some sample photos taken with my Olympus digital camera at: http://www.theupperdeck.com/digitcam/ <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Read about the K-Mart employee who killed a Chihuahua at: http://www.ptconnect.com/news/stories/990806/ldog.stm

– Stephanie Gasson Bookkeeping & Computer Consulting

Response:

Out of curiosity, why do you always start your post with x-no-archive:yes ? What does that command do? Is it a spam-proof thing?

No, not a spam-proof thing.  It prevents most search engines from archiving his posts.  You’re free to speculate why he doesn’t want a record kept of what he says. — Carey Gregory "The average dog is a nicer person than the average person."  – A. Rooney

Response:

I have a vet that makes housecalls. Full examination and shots for a cat (yearly booster) $55.00 Canadian. She doesn’t do surgeries (eg. spay/neuter) though, but does do stitches if needed. Will find out about doggie fees soon. Have new furkid. Stephanie Mom to cats Mandy, Missey & Nikki and dog Koshi – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Yes and My vet does not charge an office visit fee if your pet receives 2 or more vaccinations. And then there are other vets… I once took up a litter of wild rabbits to my vet after the mother rabbit disappeared.  I didn’t know how to care for them and they were driving my beagle nuts so I had to get them to a safer place.  I decided to take them to the vet to see what he would recommend.  The vet decided that since all the babies looked healthy that he would try to save them and release them back in the wild.  He said that it might not work but he would try.  I offered to pay for their care.  He wouldn’t let me. A few years later, my beagle was placed on IVs and placed in Intensive Care for a week.  The vet tried to save her but when treatment didn’t work, she was put to sleep.  I never recieved a bill.  Five months later, I realized that I hadn’t gotten a bill and drove up to the office to find out what I owed and they said that the bill wasn’t ready yet.  A month later when I took in my new puppy, they had a bill of $70 for me. I know I owed him a lot more than that.

– Stephanie Gasson Bookkeeping & Computer Consulting

Response:

Yes and My vet does not charge an office visit fee if your pet receives 2 or more vaccinations.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – And then there are other vets… I once took up a litter of wild rabbits to my vet after the mother rabbit disappeared.  I didn’t know how to care for them and they were driving my beagle nuts so I had to get them to a safer place.  I decided to take them to the vet to see what he would recommend.  The vet decided that since all the babies looked healthy that he would try to save them and release them back in the wild.  He said that it might not work but he would try.  I offered to pay for their care.  He wouldn’t let me. A few years later, my beagle was placed on IVs and placed in Intensive Care for a week.  The vet tried to save her but when treatment didn’t work, she was put to sleep.  I never recieved a bill.  Five months later, I realized that I hadn’t gotten a bill and drove up to the office to find out what I owed and they said that the bill wasn’t ready yet.  A month later when I took in my new puppy, they had a bill of $70 for me. I know I owed him a lot more than that.

Response:

x-no-archive:yes

snipped snipped (ken)

Out of curiosity, why do you always start your post with x-no-archive:yes ? What does that command do? Is it a spam-proof thing?

Response:

I was reading these postings and had to respond.  Working in the medical field with humans I have seen many advances in health care.  These advances are now being applied to veterinary medicine as well.  The one topic which cannot be avoided in either case is New Advances Cost Money.  Where do the vets and human doctors get the money to purchase the new equipment needed? From their fees.  There are low cost vaccination and altering programs in nearly every community in the US.  Call your local Humane Society or SPCA for information.  And please, if you feel this way about your animals…..What of your families???  Think about it.  If there were no cost increases there would be no advances in medicine.  I, as a diabetic, would die if Insulin were never discovered.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – x-no-archive:yes I read every one’s response to my post, and I thank those of you who were thoughtful. Many respondees seemed to make assumptions that just are not true. Read my actual words. I don’t speak cryptically, damn it. One person said, "there are many ways to cut corners and give your pet responsible care."….. Well of course, but I really wish the vet would be honest with me, and not push product with the 200 percent mark up. And nowhere in my letter did I say that vets should work for free. Those of you that assumed that, need to work on your comprehenion skills. But… if Vet A charges $50 for a teeth cleaning on a cat, and Vet B charges $150…. and they are in the same area…. then that proves Vet B is a complete jerk. Vets have the legal right to charge whatever they want. I don’t want to change that fact. What I DO WANT is for the vets to VOLUNTARILY  recognize that since animal health is involved, they need to keep their costs at a level that is balanced between profit and compassion.   MANY (not all) vets are just high-priced product mills.  MANY vets falsely say a broken leg should either be repaired or amputated (when in truth, cat femurs heal very well, even when split). I KNOW many vets are great individuals. I KNOW that hand-outs are not to be asked for or expected. Our cat is fed the best food we know of (Iams or chopped tuna with rice).  Our cat is given medical treatment when it is called for.  I just wish, that vets would tell the truth about what is elective and what is necessary. (They always seem to say, "I recommend it… but it’s up to you".)  What a lawyerlike BS answer!!!! And since there is an animal overpopulation problem, it makes no sense to deny pet companionship to poor people. Better loved and sick, than healthy and  caged. NOT ONCE DID I SAY THAT VETS NEED TO GIVE THEIR SERVICE AWAY.  Those of you who treated me as if I DID say that need to watch your damn listening skills. As far as surgery goes…. cheap unprofessional surgery is better than no surgery at all…. SOMETIMES. One person wondered where I go to the dentist, since I have this crazy philosophy against high prices.  Funny you should ask:  I go to Tijuana where I won’t get ripped off. $200 for a root canal AND crown. Because Businessmen, Politicians, and Lawyers have not yet ruined the Mexican health system. BUT…  I must admit you all may have a point about surgery.  Obviously I am ignorant on the subject since I don’t know how surgery works. But I MIGHT be right….since some states do allow non-doctor surgeries on animals. The thing is…. we all need to do what we can. Usenet is a good place for me to complain and then read various responses. I don’t scream and complain in real life. Just here…. where either I make a good point that spreads…. or I make a lousy point and then get educated in the responses. But y’all need to be much better at actually debating against the ideas I truly brought up. Too many of you tried to read between my lines. Guess what? Nothing is in between my lines.   Only jerks speak cryptically. Here’s the bottom line. Try and find a veterinarian who you like (and can afford) and stay with them. Yes, there are some vultures who try and take every penny you have! I know a family who’s dog was hit by a car and the vet refused to operate unless they had CASH in their hand. Any vet who does this is nothing but trash, plain and simple. (ken) <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Read about the K-Mart employee who killed a Chihuahua at: http://www.ptconnect.com/news/stories/990806/ldog.stm

Response:

Everyone,         As a passive reader I see alot of information being shared between one another.  Most of it is good; some is not.  What I don’t understand is how a person can speak so much on a topic they know nothing about.  Far be it from me to be confrontational, but come on.         We all know Veterinary care is expensive.  But have you look at human medicine.  With advances in technology and schooling, our pets are receiving higher levels of care than ever including Chemotherapy, MRI’s, brain surgery, and many others.  Do you know how much an MRI costs a person?  Me neither, but I bet your insurance company does.  The problem is, that we as pet owners are often not financially prepared for big expensive operations that come out of nowhere.         Things happen though, whether it is a dog being hit by a car, cancer, or GDV’s.  But heaven forbid someone should actually pay for a 3 hour surgery.  Clearly not all hospitals make alot of money.  The one I work at made over 1.2 million dollars last year.  Sound like a lot.  Well, we were about $200,000 in the hole.  How?  Because some people don’t pay bills, overheads are high in emergency practices, and a whole bunch of other reasons.         The doctors at the practice are still paying of school loans. Some doctors do things cheaper than others.  We all probably know of a hospital that is cheap.  Well, who wants someone cutting corners on the health care of their pet?  More power to them if they provide quality care at a lower cost.  But, when you are rushing your pet to the vets at 2am, and Mr. Cheapo is asleep in bed, expect to pay more.         I have rolled my eyes when giving someone a bill before, thankful it wasn’t mine.         I guess I am directing this mostly to other technicians and Vet staff wondering if they feel the same way.         Sorry if I sounded a little pissed, but I was.  Don’t complain about the behind the scenes work if you haven’t been there to do it. Besides, it may be one of those expensive vets you are bashing that may help out your pet.                                                 Kevin                                         Martini & Molson

Response:

And then there are other vets… I once took up a litter of wild rabbits to my vet after the mother rabbit disappeared.  I didn’t know how to care for them and they were driving my beagle nuts so I had to get them to a safer place.  I decided to take them to the vet to see what he would recommend.  The vet decided that since all the babies looked healthy that he would try to save them and release them back in the wild.  He said that it might not work but he would try.  I offered to pay for their care.  He wouldn’t let me. A few years later, my beagle was placed on IVs and placed in Intensive Care for a week.  The vet tried to save her but when treatment didn’t work, she was put to sleep.  I never recieved a bill.  Five months later, I realized that I hadn’t gotten a bill and drove up to the office to find out what I owed and they said that the bill wasn’t ready yet.  A month later when I took in my new puppy, they had a bill of $70 for me. I know I owed him a lot more than that.

Response: