How do I "break up" with my vet?

It is actually two vets, at the same clinic. Both of them see my cats. There is a whole plethora of reasons that I feel like I would like to see a different vet. I have many specific examples, but I would have to write a book to explain everything. The bottom line is I just don't feel confident in the (often conflicting) advice that they give me, and I kind of feel like they do not know what they are doing anymore. I often feel like I know more than they do. Both of them seem totally clueless about things like nutrition (I would like to get advice from them), and one of them cannot even seem to remember what medication my cat is on or how much. This is a small clinic, mind you. If it were just a matter of taking my cats in to get their yearly shots or check ups, it would be fine, but I have a cat with a chronic condition that is only five years old and will need frequent vet visits and monitoring for the rest of her life. I just don't feel like she will get the qualified care that she needs. This is a clinic that I have been taking cats to for close to twenty years, but one of the vets has only been there for about four or five years. I am not very good at confrontation, but I will have to explain myself in order to get the medical records if and when I decide to switch vets. Any advice on what I should say?

They are nice people and always greet me by my first name when I walk in the door, but I just don't feel like it is working out.

For those of you that live in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, can you recommend any good vets in Crowley, Burleson, Joshua, Cleburne, or southwest Fort Worth? I would especially like someone good at giving nutritional advice and treating gastrointestinal disorders. Someone that is not so "drug happy" and likes to try a more holistic approach would be great too. I appreciate any advice.

You might want to find another vet first, try them out so to speak. You could always tell your current vets no offense intended to them, but you would like to try a more holistic approach.  If they are any kind of decent people, they'll give you the records and wish you luck.  I would just keep it businesslike. 

If the confrontation is what is worrying you, your new vet can request your pets' records. You don't need to do it yourself.

I think your reasons are solid. I switched vets recently for several reasons: my favorite vet left the practice, I had concerns about the treatment advice I had received for a chronically ill pet, graver concerns about the manner of his euthanization, and frustration with their reluctance to do followup, either by phone or in person.

When I "broke up" with them, I first filled out one of their post-appointment surveys explaining my unhappiness. I felt I owed them this since this practice had been my family's vet for almost 40 years. When I heard nothing back from them about my concerns, I didn't feel badly when I booked my next appointment with a vet that came highly recommended by friends. My new vet took care of all records transfers for me.

Why tell them anything? Just say you found another vet closer to your house or something.

If the staff aren't people you run into at the grocery store you don't really have to tell them anything. The new vet can handle the transfer of all the records. General vets are very good for shots, treating worms and common cat infections and parasites but that's probably it. If you have a chronic cat condition you probably need to consult a cat specialist to be on the safe side. Same as if your cat was a human. I'm not saying there aren't geat General vets that knkw cats inside out but I've just never found one. General vets see mostly dogs and haven't see half the chronic conditions cats have, but a vet who exclusively sees cats will. I have from time to time not been satisfied with my my cats progress and have taken my cat to the cat specialist. The cat specialist here is 30 min away my regular vet only 2 minutes away. After my visit I usually take the records to the general vet to report to the them the recommendation, they usually follow them and never ask me why I went there or ever act offended. The specialist tend to be pricier though and I can't take my cats there all the time. If the majority of the reason you want to switch is expertise to treat the chronic conditions Id try to find a cat specialist because you may end up with the same problem with the new vet.

Yes, have your new vet contact your old vet to ask for records. Unless you live in the middle of nowhere and your vet happens to cater to just those middle-of-nowhere-ers exclusively, most vets deal with enough clients that they're used to losing some here and there for a variety of reasons.

I've only changed vets once while a pet was still alive, but I was happy with my previous one. When I got a reminder to come back for an annual checkup, I replied (via email) that I had moved away and had to change vets to one closer, which is more convenient and less stressful for the animal. Just be polite and thank them for the services they've provided to you and your pet thus far.

Tabbysia said:

. I am not very good at confrontation, but I will have to explain myself in order to get the medical records if and when I decide to switch vets. Any advice on what I should say?
 

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I had to do this once. I simply asked the office to send all copies of my cat's records to XYZ vet hospital because I had an appointment with a specialist there for my cat (I really did have a dental appointment there for my cat). The office didn't ask any other questions.

Don't "break up" with your vet just yet, until you find another vet who you can trust or comfortable with. You can make an appointment with a new vet and the new vet can request medical records from your old vet, but it doesn't mean that you have to break up with your old vet. When I checked out a new vet, my old vet called me. If your old vet ever calls you, you can say, you're looking for alternative treatment options or second opinions or something like that. I don't think you have to stick to one vet, except that it's nice to have all the medical records with the same vet. But, if your cat has minor injury or something and your new vet is busy, you can still go to the old vet. 

I found that good place to ask for vet recommendation is local small independent pet stores that sell higher end pet food and raw foods. Some of them know which vets in the area are open to raw diet and better nutrition. 

I don't have much to add other than to say that I am very happy that we take our cats to a cat specialist. We took our previous cat to a clinic where the vets were very dog-centric and not particularly informed about feline nutrition. It wasn't a good combination for a cat who ended up with IBD, though some of the people at the clinic were very nice and caring.

I'm very happy with our cat specialist, who advocates grain-free, low-carb diets (she even recommended I read catinfo.org and was glad when I said I'd already read it and intended not to feed the cats dry food), and is very knowledgeable about the peculiarities of Siamese mixes. It's a whole other world from what we had before, and now I recommend a cat specialist to anyone with a cat.

No matter what, good luck Tabbysia!

Isn't it funny how you're the one dissatisfied and yet you're also the one suffering over telling them.  Believe me I get it - so here's my advice - don't tell them.  The only records I found the new vet is interested in are the vaccinations records. 

When you go to the new practice you also don't owe them an explanation either about why you decided to come there.  Besides they really don't want to listen to a critique of their colleagues, even if it is a competing practice. 

Like others have said, the new vet will call over there if they need records.  BTW, there's a thread on the cat site home page about what to look for when you're choosing a vet. 

Oh and I will mention that the one thing that's important to me now in choosing a practice is being able to email the vet directly. 

When the vet I had sent me home with my cat telling me basically that I would be bringing him to die, I dropped him like a hot potato.  I loved the staff there but----------.  I now go to another clinic which is 60 miles away but it is so worth the drive.  I felt that I didn't need to explain myself .  It doesn't matter what they think.  I don't need their good opinion of me.  I do need someone who cares about my cats as much as I do.

keyes said:

When the vet I had sent me home with my cat telling me





basically that I would be bringing him to die, I dropped him like a hot potato.  I loved the staff there but----------.  I now go to another clinic which is 60 miles away but it is so worth the drive.  I felt that I
didn't need to explain myself .  It doesn't matter what they think.  I don't need their good opinion of me.  I do need someone who cares about my cats as much as I do.

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what did happen your kitty!

I switched veterinarians many times before finally finding the clinic I visit now. I've always just had the new clinic request the records, and have never had any difficulties. When I had to bring a cat into a clinic I'd left as an emergency one evening, they were friendly and professional.

Everybody above has said it all, but I'd like to repeat- put your energy into finding a vet you feel you can trust, and don't worry about leaving one you can't.  You're certainly not the first person to change vets!

At the time when the vet sent me home Tippy had an UTI and with love and care from both the vet and I, he survived it. In October he was diagnosed with optical sarcoma and at this time is doing as well as can be expected.  And again, thanks to the vet we are doing as well as can be expected.  He has exceeded his life expectancy for this disease and I know it's due to the care he has received.  And, just in case anyone is wondering, his life quality is good.  I would never have him suffer just because I couldn't or wouldn't make that decision.