Lexicat
71159
1001
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Actual conversation with a customer over the phone today. I am a receptionist at a local (non emergency) veterinary clinic and dealt with a woman who seemed rather clueless about how bad off her dog was. I hope the dog recieved medical care.
amporacle
I wish my clinic would do this. Our doctor just lets the owners walk all over her. We have to deal with such bullshit bc of it
Whelpseeyoulater
Worked at a pet store. A lady came in with a chihuahua puppy half alive. We told her to see a vet ASAP. She didn’t care & asked for xs tutus
Dongskanker
My wife used to work at the SPCA and she had this conversation no less than 3 times a day. People are stupid and cheap.
AwalkingHindenburg
BabyEatingPanda
Oh I feel your pain. 7 years as a vet asst (mostly reception). I’ve been called a front desk garbage bitch. Many horror stories I could tell
mjk3
I am so sorry. Unfortunately this is how we are treated. It’s worse now than ever
BabyEatingPanda
I know and we are the problem. We have allowed our clients to treat us like shit and that it is acceptable all because we fear bad reviews.
BabyEatingPanda
This is why after 7 years I had to leave. I couldn’t do it anymore. The verbal abuse is out of control. Veterinarian suicide is insanely up.
Mobouncetotheoz
Less people should own pets.
astrid28
My friend went through vet training, worked at Alameda east in denver... the shit she saw... makes this look good... :,(
Lexicat
1/ 3 Yup about a month ago had a client bring in a dog for euthanasia owner changed the pets name 3 times and had 0 attachment to the dog.
Lexicat
2/3 He brought the dog in a plastic tub the dog was lateral with no movement other than shallow breaths the dog was emaciated as well
Lexicat
3/3 in the exam the Dr. found maggots inside the dogs neck which was completley shredded. The owner said he had been walking odd for 30 days
astrid28
One day, half a litter (4 kittens) about 2 weeks old showed up in their dumpster. They knew it was half, cause 2 weeks latter, 4 more 1/2
astrid28
About 4weeks old showed up the same way.... all had their paws cut off.
PoorlyContrivedUsername
I believe that she said it misspelled too, actually.
BraveStrawberry
When I worked at a 24hr vet ER a lady asked if she should bring in her dog who was having trouble breathing. Yes lady breathing is necessary
Lexicat
Some owners think animals don't have the same basic needs as people its sad. Yes if your pet hasn't eaten in a week bring him in...like WTF
ruferto
... i think she was asking you if it was serious enough of an issue to bring it in or if she was over-reacting. which is reasonable
CarlottaVonSprockett
Yeah I’m a hypochondriac and that extends to my dogs. I’ve already spent about a thousand bucks this year on things that were NBD in the end
BraveStrawberry
Would you want someone to do something if you were having trouble breathing? It was clearly unusual for the animal.
ruferto
i've had trouble breathing before and not had to go the doctor's. we're not talking absolutes here
BraveStrawberry
But you are able to make that choice for yourself and communicate that to others. If you couldn’t?
ruferto
then i might ask if i wasnt sure
Probablyimaginary
I got a junebug caught in my throat, horked it up on my own in my person's backseat, avoided vet! -Ralphie the dog
LCCyncity
What a cunt bucket she is. She shouldn't even have any pets.
Lemmingofdarkestnight
Jesus that's awful.
YokkoKurama
Some people take puppies that are just rambunctious to vets to be euthanized. My boss adopted one such dog when the "owner" demanded it -
YokkoKurama
killed. The vet called her and she couldn't say yes fast enough. His name is Murphy and he is a silver lab.
Ryann85
On both levels... If someone uses the excuse we are closing soon, they are just as shitty as the owner. No Doc for emerg treatment...ok. but
Ryann85
"we are closing soon" is bullshit.
OddPota2
Businesses are allowed to close. Urgent cares exist for a reason. Such an entitled comment.
Ryann85
Piss off. If someone brings an animal to a medical clinic with it's guts coming out and you say we are about to close, you are an asshole.
Ryann85
And my comment wasn't "entitled." I have worked a ton of jobs over the years, 99% of which are jobs where if I'm needed after hours, I am...
Lexicat
1/2 Some days are harder than others, we also had to put down a 17 week old puppy today because he got parvovirus and the owner had refused
Lexicat
2/2 further treatment . They had also refused to vaccinate the dog over a month ago. Some people shouldn't have pets.
mcscusemebeeitch
It should be legal to confiscate that dog and give to a rescue. People are so horrible
SoupForMyFamily
Rahava
I firmly believe that animals should be required to get more vaccines and not just rabies for this reason. Parvo is awful.
dublet
Recently I had the opposite experience, one of my cats had seizures and the vet's receptionist said the next available appt was in 2 days!
Dragoonasaurus
Jesus, I don't understand some people. We didn't even let our puppy walk around the neighborhood without being parvovirus vaccinated.
mjk3
Veterinary professionals have an absurdly high suicide rate. Owners are not kind. They expect ER care for zero money at a fast food pace.
frostybox
Yup, thankfully people being dicks doesn't bother me anymore. Cuss me out all you want, not going to change anything.
BlindGibberer
I think my favorite call at the clinic was somebody looking for cat hookers, he was going to take his cat in for a neuter and wanted to
BlindGibberer
Give him one last grand night
ruferto
would you rather: never fuck, or fuck once and then never again? terrible question for anyone to answer
johnwohl
Look, it's cruel to have a pet unless you have $10,000 saved for emergency vet services. If you can't afford that, you don't deserve a pet.
BugEyedLemur
Wish I didn't read this while eating lunch with a nice mental image created afterwards, but here we are.
NoDakGirl
Jfc I've panicked about a literal cold TWICE and took him to the ER over it. Can't imagine seeing dog guts and not going immediately...
AgnesMcGillicuddy
My dog had two bouts of life threatening pancreatitis and my regular vet doesn't do overnight care. It cost me a total of about $10k to
AgnesMcGillicuddy
Stabilize him and find insulin that works for him. 2/3 of that is fres from the e-vet for overnight care. Avg is $1k/day for 24/7 care
mjk3
This. Happens. Every. Day. “If you cared- you would stay and see my pet” I have been cussed out, had things thrown at me
PeebRow
*You're
Cyraider
Thank you. I typed it too and had to make sure someone commented.
Yellowchopsticks
While I technically agree, I'm also willing to believe people like this would yell out the wrong yore/your/you're.
BlackBirchOwl
Vet here. 3 specialty hosp in the state & 2 are restricting to major ER appts. The 1 I work at is booked until Feb for consults
frostybox
yup, we're the busiest ever, no signs of slowing, yay COVID.
mjk3
Thank you for the work you do. We have been booked like crazy too. The lack of respect and understanding is horrid.
BlackBirchOwl
2) and clients just keep calling begging to be seen sooner. We are over capacity for daily appts & that does not include ER visits.
oilgod
Erry damn day. Erry day.
Krombopulos9000
girrocks001
I found a dog hit by a car but alive, barely, while on a jog. House wouldn't answer the door until police arrived (called non emergency) 1/
girrocks001
Suddenly owners ARE home and answer. Let the dog in and don't care it's side is open. Ask what I did like I wasn't pounding on their door 2/
girrocks001
Police questioned if I hit the dog and said with what, i'm on foot? They got mad I was sassy and told me not to leave. People suck. 3/
midatlanticride
My friend works for a vet. These are her daily stories *dun dun*
Cyraider
You’re
sirspringroll
I am also a vet receptionist and this is painfully true. "Hi I know you close is ten minutes but my dog has been having bloody diarrhea 1/2
mjk3
Yup. Every say
sirspringroll
for about...two weeks and Im going on vacation tomorrow and i live thirty minutes away and also I have $8". Ugh
NiftyGoblin
UGH cant you say for them to drop them off and they'll be surrendered to shelter for their own good?
ImHereToExplainTheJoke
Community pharmacy owner here. So much this. Patients who have been coming to us for over 10 years, hours haven't changed, will still call -
ImHereToExplainTheJoke
us 15 minutes before we close requesting a 3 month vacation supply on all 15 of their meds before they flit off the next morning.
heatthequestforfire
But it’s an emergency (now, because I wasn’t inconvenienced by it earlier)
Commutiny
This. So many clients tell you after having agreed cost of treatment and work up that they have no money.
willvasco
For some reason unpopular opinion, but if you cant afford a pet you shouldnt have a pet.
Kittynomnoms
So if you've had a pet for 12 years and you fall on hard financial times, should your pet be taken away?
StevenRivera48
Vets have been good about working with me on payment plans during lean times. Take care of your pets, they are family goddammit!
HighNight
"Ohhh I forgot my wallet" after bloodwork and x-rays on a reactive dog. Thanks bud.
FierceAndAdorable
Called my vet, said, I can pay $300, over next two payday. He said bring her in we’ll figure it out later.
savagelem
Yeah back when we had no money - our puppy got parvo. Learned really quick which vet was the best vet. We paid it all off, but he saved us.
BortSamps0n
Just had same thing happen dog needed what I thought was one tooth pulled ended up being 10 because an infection spread quick. 75$ a tooth 1
BortSamps0n
Plus 500$ to put him under and 200$ meds told the vet I can afford 1200$ cause I have to pay rent he said he will handle it come back in 2
ruferto
thats like american healthcare... "i need to not die but i cant really afford to pay"
ruferto
just curious tho - if they have no money for the treatment, do you just let the animal suffer?
Probablyimaginary
Seriously should of just squeezed the dog in...no one looks good here.
TiredSnowball
Friends got their dog operated cheaper at a university with a vet hospital, where students help doctors (their teachers)
eggmuffin
Everything that a vet does is expensive. The money has to come from somewhere.
sirspringroll
Technically the animal is their property. We do what we can and it's very sad but we're not a charity. If people refuse literal 1
TiredSnowball
There are alternatives, but they require effort. From veterinary universities with clinics, to local pet charities. /1
djmaskell
Damn reading these emergency vet stories makes me sad. My vet is 24hr, and after-hours emergency is like $100. I can get there in 13min >>
djmaskell
>> if I run every traffic light and go double the speed limit. I learned this when my dog's stitches all catastrophically failed at 3am!
djmaskell
(despite the enornous gaping hole in her side, she was stitched back up and recovered perfectly. Vet now calls her "shark bite dog".)
Supernova86
Emergency vets are fucking highway robbery and prey on people who require immediate attention for their pets.
Supernova86
My Ody boy couldn't relieve himself/go to the bathroom and needed a catheter or else he would have died. $800 at the emergency vet...
Supernova86
Another time when it happened not on the weekend and could get to my normal vet? $60.
mjk3
Let’s talk human health care. ER DVM have to pay for equipment and trained staff. Emergency medical care is expensive
Supernova86
Yet they perform the exact same procedure and charge over 10x the price. The prices in healthcare sector is a farce
frostybox
24 hour ER care is way more involved than GP. You get what you pay for. GPs aren't qualified to do a lot of what we do.
YokkoKurama
While that is true, there's no way IV fluids for a few hours on a dog costs $1650. I could barely sign my name when they dropped that on me.
frostybox
Good vets don't just admit a patient for IVF. There are diagnostics and meds involved that you must be leaving out.
Supernova86
Neat. Doesn't give you the right to charge over 10x the regular price for a routine catheter/bladder drain.
frostybox
I'm guessing your GP just placed the catheter and emptied the bladder, which is basically malpractice. No diagnostics to find out why 1/
Supernova86
The ER vet wanted me to pay over $2k for a very intrusive surgery which turn his penis inside out and sow it right below his buttm
frostybox
it happened, fix the problems caused secondary to it and try to prevent it from happening again. That's why we cost more.
Supernova86
Incorrect. Struvite crystals were the cause. I even said this at the ER vet.
Supernova86
My GP? Put him on a prescribed diet and he's been fine since. FUCK ER vets
Miller16of16
She probably can't afford it. A trip to emergency animal hospital near me is $500 walking in.
mjk3
If your GP is closing but you can’t afford an ER visits- should they stay to take care of your emergency? Would they?
mjk3
Soooo I get it- but should the team who has worked 12+ hours stay for everyone who can’t afford ER? They have to cut it off at some point
Miller16of16
I get it, am not suggesting they should. But is not a mystery why someone already broke will get frantic in that situation. Don't know how >
Miller16of16
OP could be so clueless. The dif between vet or animal hospital might be larger than all their other bills combined except mortgage/rent
Lexicat
Thats the problem though she wasn't frantic she was saying like it was an inconvenience.
Miller16of16
That's different
GravyEducation
I don't own pets but it seems to me there's a shortage of 24hr emergency vet clinics. Am I wrong?
YokkoKurama
Two near me but they are ungodly expensive (like a human ER). Last few times I had to go I paid $1600 for fluids and $2100 for diagnosis. -
YokkoKurama
Did a biopsy (nasal) on my dog and sent him home bleeding out of his face b/c they wanted another $900 to watch him overnight.
YokkoKurama
I try to avoid at (almost) all costs. But would go if it was life-or-death for my pets.
PhillPW
There are exactly 0 24 hour emergency vet clinics where I live, if I had an emergency at night I would have drive 1+ hours for treatment.
mjk3
There are probably DVms who have after hour care. Rarely is there an area where they do not have a doctor on call if no ER around
ShireOfFrodo
I don't think I've ever lived close to one.
MittenVillain
There's only one near me....and it's a 2 hour drive away. I know because we had to make a visit a few weeks ago on a Saturday at 2am.
mjk3
Thank you for taking care of your pet
MittenVillain
Thanks, he had an allergic reaction (still havent found out what caused it) around 7pm. All the local vets were already closed. Gave him
MittenVillain
An appropriate dose of Benadryl hoping to get him through the night until vet was open. 2am hives had spread and Benadryl wasnt enough.
MittenVillain
Off to the vet we went. He never had any breathing difficulties but poor boy felt miserable. Hives on 2/3 of body by time we got to ER vet.
Lexicat
In our area there are at least 7 24h clinics but this is the bay area...
micicle
There is 1 here and the last time I tried to go to it it was closed because the vet went on vacation.
mufasa1028
Wtf? Probably should have more than one vet at an emergency vet clinic
ihateeggs
NO
mjk3
There are many 24 clinics and ERs but the issue is cost. After hours cost more money. Owners want ER services from general practice
TodaysTheDaaaaaayy
Vet tech here. Our docs say there is a shortage of veterinarians, period.
mjk3
Pay is worse. Hours are terrible.
mjk3
They also keep killing themselves because owners are awful.
DrPepper523
Yeah, it's harder to get into Vet school than med school. Less schools, small class sizes, very limiting&Vets are havin2work longer instead
DrPepper523
Of retire because their clinics arent worth enough to retire on. At least the avg vet. I was going to be a Vet&decided not to just b4 applyn
RealMcCoy
They are also way more expensive. I got quote almost $600 for an exam and x-rays. I just waited an hour and paid $300 during regular hours.
mjk3
Yup. That is a thing. Emergency room visit are more expensive for humans too. Care costs money.
AnythingIsADildoIfYoureBraveEnough
My cat had a seizure and I couldn't afford emergency care after I had just taken her to the regular vet that morning. 1
AnythingIsADildoIfYoureBraveEnough
Took her back to the regular vet when they reopened and they gave her the same care for much less and allowed me to make payments. 2
AnythingIsADildoIfYoureBraveEnough
She ended up passing, so I was broke and devastated. Their compassion was appreciated. 3/3
GrumpyOldMillennial
I live in a medium metro area. There is 1 emergency clinic, and it's at a university. It's crippling expensive (more than human ER) and
GrumpyOldMillennial
The reviews for it are horrific. Basically, they bankrupt you and rarely actually treat the issue correctly or in a timely manor.
YokkoKurama
That's unfortunate. The state university here charges cost and my dog got excellent care.
Miller16of16
There's two near me in a metro area of about 750,000 people. Problem is expense, $500 walking in and often for care the local vet could >
YokkoKurama
A good alternative I've found are state universities with veterinary programs. Top-of-the-line care at almost cost.
Miller16of16
have provided for 1/3 the cost.
AllysiaAiua
Jfc. There's two here, in about the same size metro area. One has prices like that, but they'll straight up wipe your ass, too. Their
AllysiaAiua
service is amazing, but we use the other one, cause a hospitalization and surgery will run between 600 and 1000, not 2000-3000.
Miller16of16
Back in 2004 our Lab had stomach torsion, we caught it in time to save his life, but $2200. I can't imagine todays price for same procedure
textilelover
Wow, our walk in is only $150. Cost me about 1k to get my INDOOR only kitty boy stitched up after I found him with an 8" gash in his side.
textilelover
We still can't figure out how he managed to flay himself. He might have gotten behind a wall when the plumber was here. So terrifying.
Miller16of16
Had my dog put in an oxygen tent and lightly sedated when he developed acute respiratory problems. 16yrs old, wound up putting him to sleep>
Miller16of16
cost $800.