A good read about the a vets day at work

[Boysmom]

This was posted on my vets facebook page, and I recommend everyone read it. It explains what a day in the life of a vet is truly like, and it's not cuddling cute kittens and puppies. I know this is not by an avian vet, but I imagine their day's are the same as this account.

Set Down Your Glass: The Reality of Veterinary Medicine

Now think of this article the next time you complain about vet costs. Vets have bills to pay and children to feed just like everyone else, would you do your job for free or a reduced cost ? It isn't an easy job, and is very emotionally draining.

 

[Echo]

Yes they have a hard job, however, the majority of people own an animal but only a few can afford to pay for high vet fees.
Reducing the cost would bring more people to the vet and more animal lives would be saved.

Most household often owns 1 type of animal but the majority don't see a vet on a regular basis. So instead of a 10 minutes annual visit for 1 dog at $300, the vet would have to see 3 dogs in 1/2 hr to make the same amount.

Is it a lack of time for the vets?
Is it that there's a huge amount of pets where there's enough owners with money so that we can sacrify the pets of those who don't?

We all have to pay bills. However I have to say that it doesn't justify the high cost of veterinary care. There are lots of animals who need care and still lots of people who can pay for high fees.......that's the bottom line. Sorry to those who can't pay

 

[Merlee]

I have compassion for being a veterinarian and for all they do. I do think some, not all, charge higher prices than necessary. I am suggesting the prices of the prescriptions, shampoos, and collars. I think the prices are dictated by the overhead that the business incurs in order to stay in business. I noticed one can go to different vets and see their prices vary depending on how long they have been in business and if they have the newest facilities, instruments and are up-to-date with the newest technology.

My biggest beef with vets is dealing with the over population of cats and dogs. Many people are willing take animals in to prevent them going to a shelter, but cannot afford to have them neutered or spayed. If I remember correctly, it's about $100 or more for a female dog or cat to be spayed. If you adopt from an animal shelter either sex, it's usually included in the adoption fee. If vets are willing to offer discounted prices to animal shelters, rescues or humane societies, why not the same price to the general public? I do not see the logic in this.

If you ask for a discount for a valid reason such as working for a charitable organization or out of work, vets may charge less. I have learned it doesn't hurt to ask for a discount on anything or any service.

Thank you for sharing a day in a vet's life. Life can be ugly at times.

 

[Echo]

My regular vet is one of the more reasonably priced in my state and it cost me exactly $248 to neuter my male dog and $329 for my female.

Ps: I would love to give my business to my vet (who I like very much) however I buy my Heartguard overseas as it is half price including shipping!

 

[tab_xo]

I worked at a vet clinic for a few weeks, i think it all depends on where you live, because we aren't in the big city, it is very slow and boring, they don't do major surgeries, of course they still have the days where they put animals to sleep, i think one of the biggest things is dogs with tick poisoning!

But their prices are still so expensive for little things

The whole time i was there, it was nothing serious, there was alot of cats and dogs being desexed, some dogs who were in fights and injured, lots of dogs and cats getting their check up, then just some native wildlife getting checked out

But that's it :S

It was boring.. I did sooooo much cleaning it wasn't funny ! They all just took advantage of the new chick, scrub these sinks, scrub these bowls, scrub these cages


I think just check ups are over priced... For any animal.. It costs 90 dollars, just for our avian vet to look at Fargo and say yep he is healthy, no tests, just weighing him.. haha


and horse vets, gah, don't even get me started.. Horse vets are much more of a rip off than a normal vet.... My horse ripped a bit of his chest...

Vet came out, didn't stitch him, but stapled him..... The staples fell out 2 days later.. When they were meant to last 10 days... The wound healed TERRIBLY.. but it cost 400 dollars....

For her to literally take about 2 minutes and staple it shut...

There is no way that it reasonably priced :S


Another vet+farrier came out, it cost 800 dollars for an xray on his hoof, which took about 10 minutes.. Then put a wrap on his hoof that was meant to last 2 weeks, and it fell off the next day, and wouldn't come and put it back on!

I think it about 200-300 dollars to get our dogs and cats neutered... Because of that, soooo many people don't bother getting their animals desexed...


and yes, costs of shampoos/toys/food in vet shops are all priced twice the normal price!


I don't mind paying for all vaccinations and desexing, plus if there is an injury.. We paid over 1000 dollars just to have all the horses vaccinated the other month!!

I just think little check ups and small surgeries could be a bit cheaper


Yes vets have to do such sad things, but sometimes i dont have a clue where they get their prices from :S




Oh, and also, you have to think that not all vets are sympathetic and caring.. as cruel as that sounds..


When i was 10 years old, my cat went into get desexed, and died.... from the anesthesia.. She was allergic to the stuff apparently.. You could imagine how upset a 10 year old was..

Do you think the vets apologised, sent us a card, didn't make us pay? Nope.. They didn't want to take any of the blame...


THEN our other cat went in to get desexed about 4 years ago, she came out limping!!! Couldn't believe it... We said.. she was fine when she went in.. Why cant she walk now?!?!?

They wouldn't admit to ANYTHING... But they just happened to do an x-ray for free? She had a fractured leg.....

They didn't say what happened, they wouldn't take the blame, didn't apologise, but they didn't make us pay for that x-ray.. Hmmm strange

 

[Betrisher]

I worked for a vet from the age of fifteen until I went off to Uni. I don't know about anywhere else, but the high fees and costs of surgeries etc were like that because of the hordes of people who never pay their bills. Our vet had unpaid debts amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars - so many, in fact, that he couldn't afford to hire a debt collector to get some of it back. Part of my job was to ring defaulting customers and ask them nicely if they would please pay a fraction of their bill. You couldn't imagine the reception I got most of the time! People seem to think that drugs and procedures costing thousands ought to be available to them for hundreds - just because!

Our vet would often waive the fees for families he knew were not well-off, but he did still have a family to feed and rent to pay on the practice. He had to rent his x-ray machine and microscope too. You can bet those companies weren't forgiving him those debts! It works two ways and it's really hard to see what has to give. Sure, if vets charged less, more people would attend and pay their bills. But because people don't pay, vets have to charge more in order to cover their costs. Our vet was not a wealthy man and it really frosted my pumpkin to see people complain at him for the cost of having major abdominal surgery done on their pets as if he just plucked the numbers out of the air. Believe me, he wasn't making much!

We're lucky enough to live close to a racetrack where a specialist horse vet practices. This guy is a sweetheart and does his best to keep prices low for the local Pony Clubbers and horse community. Still, people don't pay their vet bills! How can you take a horse for major surgery (eg. broken fetlock) in a desperate effort to save its life and then refuse to pay because of a bad outcome. It still costs to do the work, use the drugs, pay for x-rays, house the horse and then transport it to its final resting place! People blame the vet (who took heroic measures to save the animals) for its injury (which is usually their own fault). I grew up expecting to be a vet because I was so animal-crazy, but that few years working for one cured me of that notion. It's too hard!

 

[tab_xo]

Then refuse to pay because of a bad outcome. It still costs to do the work, use the drugs, pay for x-rays, house the horse and then transport it to its final resting place! People blame the vet (who took heroic measures to save the animals) for its injury (which is usually their own fault). I grew up expecting to be a vet because I was so animal-crazy, but that few years working for one cured me of that notion. It's too hard!

I understand when its a serious injury, of course you should still pay the vet for trying! The animal would of died sooner without the help from the vet..

But if an animal goes in perfectly healthy, and the vet stuffs up.. Then that is the vets fault, and you shouldnt have to pay :S


and if a plaster is meant to last 2 weeks, and costs an absolute fortune.. But it comes off the NEXT DAY.. Then that is the vets fault, and they should replace it!!!!


I agree with the prices of surgeries, medicine ect.. But i just dont agree with normal check up prices or tiny operations such as desexing, honestly it is done so quickly and easily!



I wanted to be a vet too, the weird thing about me, is that i am good at shutting off my emotions to any other animal or person.. My family says i have a very tiny cold heart, because the only thing in this world i care about, is my animals, so i actually COULD be a vet... Aslong as my animals weren't involved..

But working at the vets for a few weeks, just bored me so much, i could not do it.. Same thing every single day.. That's why now i want to be a paramedic, because it makes you think quickly and it is something different each day, and i don't panic or get upset about it :S

If it was my horse that was lying on the side of the road injured, i would be an absolute mess.. If its a person, i am fine haha




I tell you what though, my avian vet, he is just amazing, but i will HATE to be him, when something happens to Fargo..

He told me if anything goes wrong with Fargo, that he is flying to the other side of Australia, because he wont have a clue what to do with me.. I dont think he has seen anyone be more in love with their animal than me :09:
Mum said she would be putting me in a straight jacket :54: