Vets

alcool9999

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I know most vets love animals and that is why they have the job and they are passionate about caring for animals.

My vet is one of those but does anyone know a vet that does it for the money and hates most animals.

 

icklemiss21

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I switched vets for that reason, I wouldn't say he hates animals, but if he doesn't care about my cats like I do, I am not paying him to care for them.

Their current vet is great, they are calmer with them, she remembers their names on the occasions I have seen her outside of the clinic (shopping etc)
 

urbantigers

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Originally Posted by DIEGO

Some vets only become vets because they failed to become doctors {for humans
}
Over here its harder to get into vet school than it is to get into medical school, so it's more likely to be the other way round


Some vets prefer certain species of animals so I've encountered vets who just don't seem to know how to deal with small animals but are great with farm animals. Fortunately the practice I now use is mainly a small animal practice and they all seem to like cats
Wish there was a cat only vet near me though.
 

barkleysjester

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Originally Posted by DIEGO

Some vets only become vets because they failed to become doctors {for humans
}
I think this might be true! When I first started college many moons ago I looked into the Veterinarian concentration as a possible major but when I saw how intense the four years would be with all the math and science needed I folded, it was too much for me. I think the thing I would find most difficult to do as a Vet would be to euthanize an animal if the situation called for it. I wouldnt be able to do it (I'd be crying too much!!) so I know I would make a lousy vet but getting to see all those animals each day would be a blessing!
 

mermaid

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Veterinary school is no less rigorous than medical school, and is generally much harder to get into. There are less vet schools than med schools, and the competition is higher.
It takes the same dedication to be a vet as it does to be a doctor.

It's very distressing to read so much online about how horrible it is for vets to charge so much money, and that they are only in it for the money. Do you charge your employer a lot? Is it enough? Everyone has to make a living. Vets are not charities. They would pick another career if they wanted to make real money. If you think vets who don't own practices are rich, think again. The ones who do own practices can make good money, but that takes years and years. It would be much quicker and more lucrative to be an electrician or a plumber.

Also, how much would you pay to see your doctor without insurance? Veterinary medicine is a bargain compared to human medicine.
 

icklemiss21

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I agree that vets should be paid a decent wage for what they do, but when one charges $60 for something another charges $90 for, and it is the same brand of shot and the same needles etc - you have to question it.
 

mermaid

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It works the same with human doctors, and actually, stores and other businesses, too. Some charge more for one item than another compared to their neighbor. Business don't consult with each other to set their prices. They charge what they need to charge to stay afloat. Frontline may be 30% more at Vet A than at Vet B, but certain medicines or procedures may be less by comparison. Some vets are really inexpensive, and some are really expensive. If you feel your vet charges too much, I'd recommend finding a different vet. I know some are really pricey, I've had that experience myself. But just as with a grocery store or an electrician, I've shopped around and found a vet I can afford.
I feel the need to defend vets, they often get such a bad rap because of what they charge for medical treatment and it's unjustified.
 

blast-off-girl

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Hey, I have an idea. Maybe we should post recommendations of our favorite vets in our cities. I see there are a lot of new cat owners that could benefit from these recommendations. We could also name vets that we do not like and explain why (sort of like Yelp for cats!).
 

lakeriedog

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I think the reason the prices vary so much may be due to several factors, such as:

Rent for the office space
Wages for their staff
Number of other vets in the practice
Number of patients they are seeing
Prices they are paying for outside lab work
Paying off student loans?

There are two vets working at the Vet Hospital we use, both are very nice, and gentle with our kitties. The vet techs and office staff are really nice and helpful. I am not sure how the prices compare to with their competition, but they do have a low cost vacination day once a month which I make a point of taking advantage of.
 

misty8723

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Originally Posted by DIEGO

Some vets only become vets because they failed to become doctors {for humans
}
Its harder to become a vet. I actually knew someone once who started out wanting to be a vet and switched to a people doctor for that reason.
 

stampit3d

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I`ve not presonally had that experience with a vet, but I`m sure it`s possible and I would not continue to take my animals to one that I did`nt feel really cared about them.
(We do however have a vet in town who is not too personable with pets owners.....but it is very clear that he LOVES the animals....so he still has a lot of business)
Linda
 

vettech

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Originally Posted by Mermaid

Veterinary school is no less rigorous than medical school, and is generally much harder to get into. There are less vet schools than med schools, and the competition is higher.
It takes the same dedication to be a vet as it does to be a doctor.

It's very distressing to read so much online about how horrible it is for vets to charge so much money, and that they are only in it for the money. Do you charge your employer a lot? Is it enough? Everyone has to make a living. Vets are not charities. They would pick another career if they wanted to make real money. If you think vets who don't own practices are rich, think again. The ones who do own practices can make good money, but that takes years and years. It would be much quicker and more lucrative to be an electrician or a plumber.

Also, how much would you pay to see your doctor without insurance? Veterinary medicine is a bargain compared to human medicine.
Why did this topic even get started, its controversial and disruptive.

I agree with mermaid. I have been to human doctors and felt the same way. If you dont like one move on. There are some that are better than others for sure in anything.
Why do you think a vet charges so much money, dont you think your animal is worth it? Do you also realize a vet has to be smarter than a regular MD s animals do not speak.
There are specialists for your cats too. Although there is complaint about there prices too.
You can not put a price on life.
Expenses can get out of hand I have been there, but most vets will let you pay them off for something big.
Around the NY area where I grew up we would say if you cant afford your animal, you should not have one.
Sounds brash, well people with kids need insurance, kids are always sick. If you had no insurance for your kid it would cost tons more.
Vet prices compared to MD prices are no comparison. Most vets I know are not rich, alot are in for the animals. Heck. im a vet tech and im not rich, I make more money cat sitting. Do not become a vet tech unless you are in love with animal nursing. I love it and always will.
You dont like your vet, there are many more, find the one you are comfortable with.
 

pandacat

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I do believe that. I had a great vet, she was not only a vet but very compassionate with animals but moved to a different city, I will have to find out where she move because some of you may be able to go to her. I have to say she was the best vet I have ever had. She was at a Fla vet that had 10 vets at her office and we are still trying to find one we liked as much as her. She was the best. I think she move to Chicago, I will have to find out for sure. She really was the best.
 

jenc511

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When I worked at a large (15+ vet) practice, there was one vet who didn't seem to be overly in love with animals. He wasn't mean to them, but he wasn't very affectionate, and he didn't have any pets of his own. However, he was one of the best vets I've ever seen in action. Would I let him treat my pets if something serious was going on? Without a doubt. Would I want him as my regular vet? Probably not. It's a good thing he was a specialist. That's not to say you can't love pets and be a good veterinarian, but the opposite is also true.

I think it's the rare (and very misguided!) vet/vet student who's in it for the money. There's not that much money to be made in veterinary medicine 99% of the time. In this man's case, I think he was just a straight up geek (and I am pretty nerdy myself, and I'm living with a straight up computer geek, so don't take it the wrong way) who was mostly interested in the scientific aspect of what he did.

On the flip side, I worked with a veterinary orthopedic surgeon (same hospital) who practically fell apart over cute puppies and kittens and took forever to go home because he would get sidetracked loving on all the spay/neuter babies (spay/neuter surgeries were definitely "beneath" his skill level), and I witnessed veterinarians fighting over who got assigned to various animals whose owners hadn't requested a particular veterinarian. "OMG, there's an Irish Setter puppy coming in with worms! He's mine!" I'm not even kidding. We also had several vets who only worked the emergency hospital hours so they could bring their dogs in to hang out in the office, and one new vet who brought her obnoxious Newfie in every day to hang out in the boarding kennel so she could work with him throughout the day. I only say he was obnoxious because he could escape from anything, and at any given moment, a huge black furball would come bounding out of the kennel area. I saw vets crying in the back after euthanizing their patients. I saw a lot of things. We were a very expensive vet hospital, and I don't think any of our clients ever got ripped off.
 

icklemiss21

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I think it depends on the animals too - the vet we went to obviously did not like cats at all - but he would stop and pet all the dogs in reception.

Now we go to a cat only vet - she is more expensive than other vets - I don't care about that - she is better than other vets with my animals. I don't have a problem paying it - I have a problem with them charging it when they have vet school students for staff who should be paid better and they drive a sports car - and they don't seem to care about the animals they treat. (sore point with me though - I asked for an emergency appointment when my cat had a growth - they had no room for at least a week, later that day a receptionist called to book vaccinations for all 4 - said they had appointments the next day if I could make it)
 

vettech

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Originally Posted by JenC511

When I worked at a large (15+ vet) practice, there was one vet who didn't seem to be overly in love with animals. He wasn't mean to them, but he wasn't very affectionate, and he didn't have any pets of his own. However, he was one of the best vets I've ever seen in action. Would I let him treat my pets if something serious was going on? Without a doubt. Would I want him as my regular vet? Probably not. It's a good thing he was a specialist. That's not to say you can't love pets and be a good veterinarian, but the opposite is also true.

I think it's the rare (and very misguided!) vet/vet student who's in it for the money. There's not that much money to be made in veterinary medicine 99% of the time. In this man's case, I think he was just a straight up geek (and I am pretty nerdy myself, and I'm living with a straight up computer geek, so don't take it the wrong way) who was mostly interested in the scientific aspect of what he did.

On the flip side, I worked with a veterinary orthopedic surgeon (same hospital) who practically fell apart over cute puppies and kittens and took forever to go home because he would get sidetracked loving on all the spay/neuter babies (spay/neuter surgeries were definitely "beneath" his skill level), and I witnessed veterinarians fighting over who got assigned to various animals whose owners hadn't requested a particular veterinarian. "OMG, there's an Irish Setter puppy coming in with worms! He's mine!" I'm not even kidding. We also had several vets who only worked the emergency hospital hours so they could bring their dogs in to hang out in the office, and one new vet who brought her obnoxious Newfie in every day to hang out in the boarding kennel so she could work with him throughout the day. I only say he was obnoxious because he could escape from anything, and at any given moment, a huge black furball would come bounding out of the kennel area. I saw vets crying in the back after euthanizing their patients. I saw a lot of things. We were a very expensive vet hospital, and I don't think any of our clients ever got ripped off.
Jen,
I have seen all of this too. Vets are people. I had several vets who treated me as beneath them as I am a tech, but I had more treat my like their right arm and respect me. I have seen vets cry and I have cried with them.
There are the burned out dont want to do it anymore vets and I wont work with them. I have quit places who dont use proper surgery monitoring equipment enough pain meds. I have implemented higher protocols in vet hospitals. I worked in places where they had the higest tech equiment too.
As I said vet are people and Doctors are people too. I know 3 specialists and thats what they are, they want nothing to do with vet GP. Its our choice who we see. Im glad I have choices.
 

yosemite

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Originally Posted by Blast-Off-Girl

Hey, I have an idea. Maybe we should post recommendations of our favorite vets in our cities. I see there are a lot of new cat owners that could benefit from these recommendations. We could also name vets that we do not like and explain why (sort of like Yelp for cats!).
Not a good idea. I don't think the owner of TCS would be thrilled to be put in a position to be sued.


Our last vet is a great guy - not expensive, recommended by my SIL as being wonderful (she has a golden doodle). However, when we took Bijou for his checkup this doctor seemed afraid of him. Bijou was issuing forth low growls (he never bites or scratches, just gets stressed and growls). I had to ASK the vet to check Bijou's ears and the vet never did check his mouth, teeth or gums. As someone above noted, this fellow seems to favour dogs over cats. Needless to say, I am going to look for another vet.

I for one don't mind paying extra if I'm getting extra for my payment, i.e., service, care, knowledge, experience, etc.

Vets pay a lot of money for their education so why should they not be expected to charge for their services. Just because we own an animal that we cannot afford medical treatment for, is not a good enough reason for a vet to be giving us free or next to free service IMO. They didn't force us to take on an animal we couldn't afford to care for and I don't see why they should be responsible for it whether they love animals or not.

If one vet charges more for something than another, perhaps his rent in the area he practices is more than the vet that charges less, perhaps he has more qualified people working for him and has to pay them more.
 

diego

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Originally Posted by urbantigers

Over here its harder to get into vet school than it is to get into medical school, so it's more likely to be the other way round

.
Originally Posted by Misty8723

Its harder to become a vet. I actually knew someone once who started out wanting to be a vet and switched to a people doctor for that reason.
Hmm that does sound interesting, I wish I could find the info for you guys, stats say that majority of veterinarians have failed med school. But it doesn't say why. Perhaps they failed/dropped out because they couldn't stand seeing what they see but in a pet its different.

I wanted to become a vet nurse because I like animals more than people so I guess a lot are also like me. And high prices, America sounds ridiculously high priced. It is over here but thats mainly because land is very expensive.

Anyway I hope the OP'er can fint the information they are looking for.
 

4meezers3kids

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Originally Posted by BarkleysJester

I think this might be true! When I first started college many moons ago I looked into the Veterinarian concentration as a possible major but when I saw how intense the four years would be with all the math and science needed I folded, it was too much for me. I think the thing I would find most difficult to do as a Vet would be to euthanize an animal if the situation called for it. I wouldnt be able to do it (I'd be crying too much!!) so I know I would make a lousy vet but getting to see all those animals each day would be a blessing!
Vet school is MUCH HARDER to get into. As a former pre-med person ... I'd MUCH rather have done Vet and if I thought I could ... man, oh, man.

I think, the thing is, a lot of people become fond of animals as kids, when they have poorly-developed social skills, and perhaps never DO develop them. but for small animal practice, GOOD SOCIAL SKILLS, and especially LISTENING are paramount. A good vet is almost more like a SHRINK.

Nonethelss, some of the BEST VETS I have ever had were TERRIBLE with people. One guy had a reputation for being a horrible brusque bully. His wife, also a vet, actually SMOKED during examining a pet! And was equally brusque. When they put my cat down (I was 21), they sent me condolence cards that were SO KIND, though. Both of them are dead now, but I will never forget their (hidden) kindness. Thye were characters.

AND, yeah, they DO have to consider their bottom line (just as WE do) on what they are willing to do to help US out ... I personally think it woudl be a VERY CHALLENGING job to balance and not just totally burn out on!
 
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