# Is this common ??



## Gerry Grimwood (Apr 2, 2007)

First time this ever happened to me, I went to the vet I usually use wanting to pick up some dewormer and was told that without an exam the couldn't help me due to the fact that wormer is a prescription drug.

I asked if the vet would take a stool sample to check for worms/eggs etc. and was told no. I called 3 other vets in my area and they all said the same thing.

It's a ****ing cash grab, since when does a dog have to get it's temp taken and heart listened to briefly to determine whether it should have dewormer, they must have changed the rules at their last AGM...fockers.


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## Jerry Lyda (Apr 4, 2006)

Hey, it's a business. Not all vets are like that and if you use the same vet for a long time they tend to be better about things like this.


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## Carol Boche (May 13, 2007)

Never had an issue. Only time the dogs actually have to have the vet put their hands on them is for Rabies. 

Most wormers (except for tapeworms) are for two kinds of worms (hookworms and roundworms at least.....) and can be bought OTC. They work okay. 

I use Panacur, http://www.1800petmeds.com/Panacur+C-prod10674.html which covers them all and never had an issue. I get mine from my vet, but you can order it.


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## Al Curbow (Mar 27, 2006)

Here's what i use, it's the cheapest way by far, 1,000 ML for a hundred bucks. Betty showed me this after i spent a bunch of cash on Panacur from the vet. Fenbendazole is the dewormer, Panacur is a name of a dewormer, same as Safeguard. This woman is a Beagle breeder, http://www.beaglesunlimited.com/beaglehealth_canineintestinalworms.htm


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## Jerry Lyda (Apr 4, 2006)

Good info Al, thanks


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## Michelle Reusser (Mar 29, 2008)

Yup, they ALWAYS want to "see" the dog, before they are willing to hand anything over these days. Neat way to make more on a visit, even if it's just a weight and look into the ears and check heart for 2 seconds. I avoid the vet if at all possible.


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

Gerry Grimwood said:


> First time this ever happened to me, I went to the vet I usually use wanting to pick up some dewormer and was told that without an exam the couldn't help me due to the fact that wormer is a prescription drug.
> 
> I asked if the vet would take a stool sample to check for worms/eggs etc. and was told no. I called 3 other vets in my area and they all said the same thing.
> 
> ...


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## Gerry Grimwood (Apr 2, 2007)

Thanks for the info on the dewormers, I should be able to get the fenbendazole here since it is cow country. I've seen that stuff in stores like Masterfeeds and FeedRite but never paid much attention I guess.




> "Yup, they ALWAYS want to "see" the dog, before they are willing to hand anything over these days. Neat way to make more on a visit, even if it's just a weight and look into the ears and check heart for 2 seconds."


More than abit here, it's around $65 for a 5 minute exam..$20 per pill (interceptor) for a dog over 50 lbs..$20 dispensing fee for the pills and tax but that can't be avoided. Of course you should get a yrs supply of dewormer but that's gonna be $250.


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## Gerry Grimwood (Apr 2, 2007)

Lee H Sternberg said:


> What's a dog prescription look like. I want one to blow the vets mind down here. You don't even need "people" prescriptions here.


It almost looked like a knuckle sandwich today :lol:


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## Kadi Thingvall (Jan 22, 2007)

Depending on what you are worming for, there is also a new OTC wormer that treats tape worms called Praziquantel. There are also OTC wormers for Roundworm. For Panacur I just buy horse wormer and figuring out the dog dosage. I've used Panacur in the past, but tried this new one last time around (one of the dogs picked up tapes) because it's also a one time dose vs the 3 day dose Panacur needs.


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## Al Curbow (Mar 27, 2006)

Kadi, the fenbendazole takes care of tapeworms too.


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## Lynn Cheffins (Jul 11, 2006)

Yeah Gerry it is becoming very common in Canada. The vet I use will dispense dewormer etc if you are already a patient there but there are alot that won't. 

Kadi - praziquantel itself will only do tapes - it isn't a broad spectrum wormer. There are combo dewormers with praztiqantel in them that are broad spectrum dewormers.


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## Lynn Cheffins (Jul 11, 2006)

Al - fenbendazole does not get all varieties of tapes.


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

Holy crap, this is getting complicated. I walk my dogs through all kinds of shit including dogs that have never seen dewormer, oxen, bulls and cows, all in the street.

I give them intercepter once a month. Good enough?


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## Kadi Thingvall (Jan 22, 2007)

Lynn Cheffins said:


> Kadi - praziquantel itself will only do tapes - it isn't a broad spectrum wormer. There are combo dewormers with praztiqantel in them that are broad spectrum dewormers.


In my posted I stated that the Praziquantel does tapes, I didn't say it will do anything else.


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## Kadi Thingvall (Jan 22, 2007)

Al Curbow said:


> Kadi, the fenbendazole takes care of tapeworms too.


I know. But when giving Panacur you are supposed to administer it for 3 days straight, the other drug I mentioned is a one shot deal. I like that.


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## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

Al Curbow said:


> Kadi, the fenbendazole takes care of tapeworms too.


But not flea tapeworms. Only praziquantel works for flea tapeworms. Fenbendazole works for tapeworms that are contracted from eating wild game, etc.

There's a product called Worm X Plus that you can get over the counter that is pyrantel pamoate and praziquantel. It's not cheap but it covers everythingl. Tractor Supply sells it and I've seen it at some pet stores, too.


Also, Homeopet Wrm Clear works against them all, but it's a little more of a hassle to administer than the powders or pills. It's what I use to de-worm when it's necessary to do so. I tried DE but it was not effective, at least not against tapes.


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## Jennifer Coulter (Sep 18, 2007)

For Lynn, because I know she is a fan...

And for Gerry, because he is Albertan...

I mean this to be lighthearted, and it goes with the subject matter...his daddy is a vet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JChwFoCxVC8


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## Gerry Grimwood (Apr 2, 2007)

*Don't get me started about bloat :lol:

I copied this and that's why my text is bold, but if it's true I don't need to worm anyway...unless my dog is in the wrong group.




Individual susceptibility​*And then there is the matter of individual susceptibility to internal parasites. In veterinary
parasitology there is an interesting phenomenon called the 80-20 principle which seems to hold
true across all livestock species. It states that 80% of a herd’s total parasite burden is carried by
only 20% of the animals in the herd.
In other words, in any group of horses about 20% of the horses will be heavily parasitized
(carrying about 80% of the total worm burden for the group) and will be the main source of re-​infestation for the rest of the herd and for
themselves. The remaining 80% of horses in
the group will have very few parasites (only
about 20% of the total worm burden). After
deworming, the same 20% of heavily
parasitized individuals soon become heavily
infested again. And the remaining 80% of
individuals who are only lightly parasitized
tend to stay that way, even without deworming.
The difference between the 20s and the 80s
is in the efficacy of the horse’s immune
response to the parasites. With exposure, most
healthy horses mount an effective immune
response to internal parasites which keeps the
numbers low, unless the horse is overwhelmed
by large numbers of infective larvae or is ill,
malnourished, stressed, or otherwise immunecompromised.
The message here is that a healthy immune
system is important in keeping the numbers of internal parasites low. ​


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## Lynn Cheffins (Jul 11, 2006)

good point Gerry

Jenn I hadn't hear that one - but like it...


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## Jennifer Coulter (Sep 18, 2007)

Interesting...

I have never had a vet suggest that I need to deworm my healthy adult dog...so I never have! Do you think his insides are just writhing with parasites


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## Lynn Cheffins (Jul 11, 2006)

More likely to be a "herd health" problem - and I have a herd :lol: ....


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## Terry Fisk (Jul 26, 2007)

Don't just blame the vets blame the licensing organizations. In California a vet can not send home meds unless they have seen the dog for the particular problem and can't refill unless they have examined the dog within a specific time period. It used to be a year but it may have changed now. If they do dispense without the exam and get caught they get fined, suspended and/or lose their license. I know our vet discontinued shot clinics due to the examination requirements. It's just easier and less expensive to buy OTC wormers.


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## Gerry Grimwood (Apr 2, 2007)

Jennifer Coulter said:


> Interesting...
> 
> I have never had a vet suggest that I need to deworm my healthy adult dog...so I never have! Do you think his insides are just writhing with parasites


I don't know about your dog, but I've seen stools from mine when he was younger that probably had about 10 live writhing roundworms in it, a couple actually writhed away from the turd :lol:

When your dog poops in an alpine meadow you might not notice this


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## Carol Boche (May 13, 2007)

Al....I'm a little late asking, but what were you paying for Panacur? I pay $1 per packet per dog.....granules....


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## Al Curbow (Mar 27, 2006)

Where did you get it that cheap?


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## James Downey (Oct 27, 2008)

Gerry Grimwood said:


> I don't know about your dog, but I've seen stools from mine when he was younger that probably had about 10 live writhing roundworms in it, a couple actually writhed away from the turd :lol:
> 
> When your dog poops in an alpine meadow you might not notice this


 
Gerry Check this place out

PHDproducts.com

And this product

http://phdproducts.com/cart/product_details.asp?ProductID=175

I swear by it. I have cured ear infections, conjunctivitis,hotspots. and it worms the dog. I use it 2 times a year. It has never failed me. I have never tried it, then later had to go to a vet to treat the same thing. I found this in a holistic vet guide. I have not had much luck with a lot of holistic treatments but this one is the cats ass.


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## James Downey (Oct 27, 2008)

Also, if any of you live near a military base that has veternarian on it....And do not dismiss the base just because they do not have dogs...The military has vets for dolphins, goats, chickens,pigeons....and probably a whole bunch of other animals you are wasting your taxes on. but they all carry basic canine meds to sell to the service members, and retirees at cost...some without a prescrip. So if you have friends in the service or who are retired...maybe a 6 pack of beer will save you some dough.


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## Carol Boche (May 13, 2007)

Al Curbow said:


> Where did you get it that cheap?


My vet.....he is really good about his pricing and although he probably loses a little money selling it to me for that, he does what he can to keep people's costs down. 

Plus, I am sure he makes it up with the cattle and horses he works on and treats.


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

Gerry you MUST have a "ten ring" stiched to your A$$!!!

Heartworms...maybe? I could see if there was a prior issue. Sounds like a money grub issue from my view.

Try to get allegy pills in Delaware. You need and ID and then they put you through the third degree! Need a needle to give shots to livestock or a dog, not in Wonderful Delaware. The faqing crackheads have dinged it up for us. Let them DIE!


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## Michelle Reusser (Mar 29, 2008)

Terry Fisk said:


> Don't just blame the vets blame the licensing organizations. In California a vet can not send home meds unless they have seen the dog for the particular problem and can't refill unless they have examined the dog within a specific time period. It used to be a year but it may have changed now. If they do dispense without the exam and get caught they get fined, suspended and/or lose their license. I know our vet discontinued shot clinics due to the examination requirements. It's just easier and less expensive to buy OTC wormers.


Yeah taking away the shot clinics really pissed me off. Suddenly my vet wants $150 to give rabbies vacs to 3 dogs. I told them to get ****ed! Called around and found a vet (not my own) who would do the shots in the hallway for only the cost of the shots, not a office visit for each damn dog.

I'm adding this to my long list of reasons to clear out of this shit hole! ](*,)Licensing, orgs, and politics can kiss my ass.


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

I'm sensing a disparity here...you guys don't want to pay for a full exam, but I've heard elsewhere you all want to sue the vets if they have a reaction to the vaccine? The vaccine labels say they should only be given to healthy animals. In my quasi professional opinion, not doing a full exam (and having it in the medical records as such) and administering the drugs is opening yourself up for malpractice if it was found that they didn't do a full exam. No thanks... [-(

BTW, I'm not saying I agree or disagree with the $50 per dog fee (as if you brought them in individually, that'd be about right). That's up to the practice owner to decide what the free market can bear. But even though I used to be a cheapskate *ahem* "value oriented," I'm always finding that you often, but not always, get what you pay for in vet medicine.


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## Carol Boche (May 13, 2007)

Jennifer Coulter said:


> Interesting...
> 
> I have never had a vet suggest that I need to deworm my healthy adult dog...so I never have! Do you think his insides are just writhing with parasites


Probably not....LOL

I worm due to all the raw game that gets fed at my house......


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

Gerry Grimwood said:


> First time this ever happened to me, I went to the vet I usually use wanting to pick up some dewormer and was told that without an exam the couldn't help me due to the fact that wormer is a prescription drug.
> 
> I asked if the vet would take a stool sample to check for worms/eggs etc. and was told no. I called 3 other vets in my area and they all said the same thing.
> 
> It's a ****ing cash grab, since when does a dog have to get it's temp taken and heart listened to briefly to determine whether it should have dewormer, they must have changed the rules at their last AGM...fockers.


One vet will let me bring in the creature for only a weight and it's enough to get the meds. For a simple thing like Drontil.

Other than that - go out of town to get a decent rate. I'm amazed at the difference!


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

As a point of clarification, any monthly heartworm preventative (Heartgard, Interceptor, Revolution, etc) are all considered "wormers." So if you're giving your monthly heartworm, you are technically worming them as they usually take out some of the intestinal roundworms and hookworms as well. But most don't get tapeworms of either variety.


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## Rick Cadez Jr. (Dec 1, 2009)

Some of these vets are worse than the auto repair mechanics. $ 55.00 automatic exam fee, followed by why your dog needs every vaccine that has ever been invented. My current vet shares my feelings which was a very pleasant suprise when meeting her. As far as Fenbendazole I used it on my pup and had no problems.


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## Michelle Reusser (Mar 29, 2008)

Maren Bell Jones said:


> I'm sensing a disparity here...you guys don't want to pay for a full exam, but I've heard elsewhere you all want to sue the vets if they have a reaction to the vaccine? The vaccine labels say they should only be given to healthy animals. In my quasi professional opinion, not doing a full exam (and having it in the medical records as such) and administering the drugs is opening yourself up for malpractice if it was found that they didn't do a full exam. No thanks... [-(
> 
> BTW, I'm not saying I agree or disagree with the $50 per dog fee (as if you brought them in individually, that'd be about right). That's up to the practice owner to decide what the free market can bear. But even though I used to be a cheapskate *ahem* "value oriented," I'm always finding that you often, but not always, get what you pay for in vet medicine.


I don't vac my dogs past puppyhood, except rabbies of course, so this is a non issue. Yes my vet wanted to charge each dog individually, for an exam and this is a vet that didn't do a fecal on my sick pup I took in, who ended up with parvo. So just because you do go in and have a full exam, doesn't mean they really look into it all. 2 days later (weekend) we get the full service at the emergency vet instead. My puppy could have died because the first vet didn't think he was sick enough to check for parvo.

NEVER did "I" say or would I sue a vet because my dog reacted badly to a vac, that's just the luck of the draw, unless there was a bad batch of vaccines mixed up, which I have heard of. I didn't even tell the first vet how badly they suck, I just don't use them anymore, for anything! I drive out of town and an hour 1 way but at least they don't cut corners and have always made the correct diagnosis and fixed my dogs booboos the first trip in, no inncorrect guesses and multiple visits to retest.

1 vet is more like a clinic the other a hospital. Why is the clinic charging more for less care and know how?


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

I know you didn't specifically say it, which is why I said "you all."  Ed Frawley from Leerburg and others (I believe I've seen discussion on here too?) seem to be fully in support of suing vets as well as the drug companies if their dogs react to the vaccines. I am likewise a minimal vaccinator beyond the required by law 3 year rabies vaccination except for my certified therapy dogs, which are required by our therapy dog club to have the full array. So I am somewhat sympathetic and will try to emphasize to people that they can get the rabies and distemper/parvo vaccination in series not on the same day if they wish. However, being thorough and minimizing reactions and poor response to the antigen is not compatible with being cheap (like doing all their vaccinations the same day as a neuter/spay or declaw just to get it all in for convenience). On the other side, I am a realist and realize that for some clients (what we call "D clients"), we have to do it that way or it will never be done. Or for things like the trapping of feral cats, you don't really have a choice to do a graduated series of vaccinations plus the spay/neuter 30 days after or before. It all must be done the same day because that may be the only time you can get a hold of the critters.

Just like human physicians, some vets do a VERY thorough job of physical exam and I have been lucky to have been taught by 3 vets who do AWESOME physicals. Like just two weeks ago, I caught a Pomeranian with luxating patella on a 15 minute vaccine/wellness exam on a private practice preceptorship that the doctor didn't catch because he didn't look. But some just don't. The classic saying "you miss more by not looking than by not knowing." Or they do, but they don't explain what they are doing, so the client doesn't realize what is going on that the doctor is doing. In other words, they are doing a less than ideal of instilling the value of the exam to the client. At any rate, if you find a doctor you are comfortable with and who is thorough, that's definitely ideal! And most people will be willing to travel for that sort of thing, which is why I'm trying to get into the practice of doing so. But it's not always cheap. :wink:


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## Al Curbow (Mar 27, 2006)

Why do you guys think you shouldn't pay an office visit? Do you think the mortgage on the building is free? Do you think vet school is free? Maybe they don't have bills like a home mortgage, electric bill, tax bill, car payment, cable , kids in college etc. It's a business. Go into business for yourself and it will become very clear to you.......

My vet is my riding coach and a friend of mine and i get charged, i certainly don't expect work for free.


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Al Curbow said:


> Why do you guys think you shouldn't pay an office visit? Do you think the mortgage on the building is free? Do you think vet school is free? Maybe they don't have bills like a home mortgage, electric bill, tax bill, car payment, cable , kids in college etc. It's a business. Go into business for yourself and it will become very clear to you.......
> 
> My vet is my riding coach and a friend of mine and i get charged, i certainly don't expect work for free.


+1. Or +1000. :lol:

I shadowed with a rural Missouri mixed practice vet before vet school. He was the sole doctor and owned the building free and clear and kept a very tight ship with just a basic staff and no fancy toys. It still cost him over $150 an HOUR to operate. I shudder to think what New York California would cost. Even northern California. ;-)

And that btw is why it's not a great idea to go work "back in your hometown." Everybody you met once in high school wants stuff for free. :lol:


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## Carol Boche (May 13, 2007)

Al Curbow said:


> Why do you guys think you shouldn't pay an office visit? Do you think the mortgage on the building is free? Do you think vet school is free? Maybe they don't have bills like a home mortgage, electric bill, tax bill, car payment, cable , kids in college etc. It's a business. Go into business for yourself and it will become very clear to you.......
> 
> My vet is my riding coach and a friend of mine and i get charged, i certainly don't expect work for free.


IF my bill is less than $50, my vet charges a $25 office visit....anything over $50 and there is no office visit charge.


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Wow Carol, that is cheap! I'd probably charge around ~45-50 for a thorough 30 minute appointment. I think the national average is something like around $45ish.


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## maggie fraser (May 30, 2008)

Al Curbow said:


> Why do you guys think you shouldn't pay an office visit? Do you think the mortgage on the building is free? Do you think vet school is free? Maybe they don't have bills like a home mortgage, electric bill, tax bill, car payment, cable , kids in college etc. *It's a business. Go into business for yourself and it will become very clear to you.......*
> 
> My vet is my riding coach and a friend of mine and i get charged, i certainly don't expect work for free.


 
I think that is what is called commercialism no?

Veterinary practice as far as I am concerned should have ethics. I'm familiar with business and know well how it works, vets that fall into this category should get their ass sued right off for getting it wrong just the same as any other commercial business. Trouble is.... folks think of them as 'vets' and not a commercial business!!

I've just posted a thread here on how my dog needs an MRI scan to help get things right for surgery.... only trouble is, my vet has cost me over £1000 guessing and getting it wrong.... leaving me in a position that I have not enough left on my insurance to have things done correctly and with possible and likely detriment to my dog! That's even before talking about being out of pocket.


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

maggie fraser said:


> I think that is what is called commercialism no?
> 
> Veterinary practice as far as I am concerned should have ethics. I'm familiar with business and know well how it works, vets that fall into this category should get their ass sued right off for getting it wrong just the same as any other commercial business. Trouble is.... folks think of them as 'vets' and not a commercial business!!
> 
> I've just posted a thread here on how my dog needs an MRI scan to help get things right for surgery.... only trouble is, my vet has cost me over £1000 guessing and getting it wrong.... leaving me in a position that I have not enough left on my insurance to have things done correctly and with possible and likely detriment to my dog! That's even before talking about being out of pocket.


Well, on the other side of things, we are veterinary doctors, and like human doctors, we don't always know what is exactly going on. Not sure about NHS in the Britain, if you have the right kind of health insurance in the States, you'd get referred to a spinal surgeon pretty quickly by your general practitioner. GPs in veterinary medicine just don't know all the stuff and have all the diagnostic tools (which costs a TON of money to have in a practice...I believe not all vet schools in the States even have an MRI?) that a board certified neurologist is going to have. 

I think we're getting a bit better about referring and I would be more than willing to refer if something is out of my comfort zone, but doctors (both human and veterinary) sometimes don't like admitting they are wrong or that they may be going down the wrong path. I don't personally think you have grounds to sue a human or veterinary doctor just because they're not sure what is going on. They should refer though. What all did your GP do for working up the problem by the way that cost over1000 pounds?


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## maggie fraser (May 30, 2008)

Actually, £1077 

My vet thought it ivdd , she had taken a few xrays along with a few other tests, I'm still trying to work out where this total came from.

A couple of consultations later (3 or 4 at most), and a supply of rimadyl, a request from me for a referral to the royal dick vet school in Edinburgh and a disagreement of how she thought the problem was acl tear !!! and I thought pelvic, lumbrosacral, I eventually got a referral to a spinal/ortho specialist in the East Neuk. Who by the way, want to send me now to the royal dick in edinburgh for an mri - the place I wanted to go first off, but now can't really afford to.

Daylight robbery !!

I generally don't like to shout too loud about things, but I feel vets are making it so as it is now too expensive to own a dog and care for it.

Sorry for the rant, I'm just a wee bit peed off right now.


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## Al Curbow (Mar 27, 2006)

Commercialism? Did you mean capitalism?


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## maggie fraser (May 30, 2008)

Al Curbow said:


> Commercialism? Did you mean capitalism?


*Commercialism* is the practice of making a lot of money from things without caring about their quality.

http://dictionary.reverso.net/english-cobuild/commercialism


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## Al Curbow (Mar 27, 2006)

My vet cares about quality so i guess that wouldn't apply in my case.


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## maggie fraser (May 30, 2008)

Al Curbow said:


> My vet cares about quality so i guess that wouldn't apply in my case.


 
Yes, they're not all like that.

I had a good vet for a long time but he kind of went the other way, he would even treat poor folks for cheap or free but did not keep up to date with modern times. He is still going and developing but not quite far enough for me. I'm happy to pay a fair price and going rate for a quality service, I'm not happy about being ripped off by a structuring business intent on making a lot of money.


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## Michelle Reusser (Mar 29, 2008)

I'm fine with paying an office visit fee, if they actually treat the dog for something and it works. I can't stand the "well we aren't sure, let's try this, then we will see you again in a week to see how that goes". Dig for another office visit fee, "gag." 

I have been in the same boat as Maggie, started going to different vets when the local one didn't get results and was bleeding me dry. I got a copy of my dogs charts when I left for good and there are snide comments about phonecalls I have made, asking for meds to sedate my dog here and take to a vet out of town for OFA x-rays. They didn't want to but I talked directly with the vet and he let me just weigh the dog there and pick up the sedative. I told them I was taking my dog to a specialist for skin issues and there is a comment about no specialist being in that town (which there is) why would I lie?

They have a big attitude about me buying adequin(sp) somehwere else but they sure have no qualms charging me to administer it to the dog. I just feel a big rift for going elsewhere. Sorry if they aren't on the up and up on all the newer meds and equipment, as if my animals should suffer for it. I tried to use them for what I could (easy stuff) but the attitude and fee's got too outragious. I wont even go there for a health check on a pup that just flew in or is going out.


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## Gerry Grimwood (Apr 2, 2007)

Al Curbow said:


> Why do you guys think you shouldn't pay an office visit? Do you think the mortgage on the building is free? Do you think vet school is free? Maybe they don't have bills like a home mortgage, electric bill, tax bill, car payment, cable , kids in college etc. It's a business. Go into business for yourself and it will become very clear to you.......
> 
> My vet is my riding coach and a friend of mine and i get charged, i certainly don't expect work for free.


 
I don't have a problem paying for an exam, for example when I have to rabies shots..you have no choice.

My complaint was you shouldn't have to have an exam to purchase wormer from your vet.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

My reason for being taken aback was that I would fully expect to be charged for the service, but I would expect it to be a charge for looking for worm evidence in the poop.

I think there was mention made of a specific question "will you check the poop for worms" and the answer was "no."


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## Janette Oglesby (Dec 2, 2009)

The practice act in North Carolina, (don't know about elsewhere) calls for there to be an active vet/client/patient relationship concerning dispensing medication. We would require a stool sample to run a fecal float to accurately diagnose which intestinal parasites may or may not be present in order to dispense the correct dewormer and for the client to bring the pet in for a current weight so the dose could be calculated correctly. Bear in mind that tapeworm eggs usually do not show up on a float and must be diagnosed from observation of segments in the stool or around the anus.

We charge for the fecal and the medication, but do not usually charge for an exam or office visit unless the client has other concerns about the pet and requests further assistance.

Monthly Interceptor given for heartworm prevention will treat for everything except tapes and whips. Roundworms are not common in adult dogs, although are sometimes seen.

Most veterinarians in my experience, and I have dealt with, worked with quite a few and have been married to one for 23 years, are really out there to do the best job they can by the animals. In general dog and cat owners are usually not terribly well informed about their animals health issues. The owners of working/showing/breeding dogs, I guess cats also, but we don't really see any of them in our area tend to be much more informed.
It is the "practice" of veterinary medicine, that does truly mean that they practice everyday and hopefully practice makes perfect, but since no one is really perfect, the practice of veterinary medicine will always be every bit as perfect as the "practice" of human medicine. Each and every one of you, also, "practice" whatever it is that you do for a living, as well as you"practice" being a dog owner, trainer, etc.

Try to understand that none of us is perfect, try to work with your vet, instead of at cross purposes. They are all trying very hard, at least the ones I know, and just like you, they do also have to try to make a living, feed their families and keep their veterinary business afloat. It is true that there are some who are probably a bit out there, so move on and find someone you can work with.

Give them a break, they are people too, who do often have to work within well defined rules, laws and ethical guidelines. They are really not out there just to take your money.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Janette Oglesby said:


> ... Give them a break, they are people too, who do often have to work within well defined rules, laws and ethical guidelines. They are really not out there just to take your money.


And in fact, anyone who goes into vet med to get rich has a screw loose. :lol:

I am very grateful for my vet, with whom I have a great partner-relationship.


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## Janette Oglesby (Dec 2, 2009)

Good for you Connie.
Our children are not going into veterinarymedicine.


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Thank you for your perspective, Janette. I have tried to explain multiple times that hardcore working/performance dog people are just not in the same level as your casual pet owners. I'm at a rural mixed animal (half small animal, half food animal) practice doing an elective externship at the moment. Had some owners come in that wanted to breed their overweight female pit bull/Rottweiler mix that has bitten them and *gone after their grandchildren multiple times* because "she's a good guard dog." The dog was very nervy and apparently was dumped on their property. The doctor gave them the spiel about the benefits of spaying and I begged them as a fan of both breeds and after explaining that an aggressive dog is a huge liability and does not make a good personal protection dog, but they just wanted to hear nothing about it. 

This is the kind of thing the average general practitioner has to deal with on a daily basis and this is why many vets cannot stand breeders because they so seldom see good ones that health and temperament test. Take a look at all the crap you see advertised in the paper and Craigslist and it vastly outnumbers the quality breeders who are breeding to improve the breed. Have some patience without a chip on your shoulder when you go in to talk to the doctor about your dog's health and if you respect them, they'll be more likely to respect you. :mrgreen:


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