Venting: Useless vet's office (long rant)

I am at my wits' end. I had my cat spayed on the 27th. When I picked her up, I was told that the stitches would fall out within 14 days. A week ago, they'd still shown no sign of falling out. I called the vet's office. The vet is NEVER available for questions over the phone. So, as usual, I end up talking to a secretary who sounds like she's just been dumped out of a sound sleep onto a concrete floor to answer the phone.

Me: Hello...I got my cat fixed on the 27th of June, and I was told that her stitches would fall out within 14 days, but they're showing no sign of doing so. When will they fall out?

Secretary (confused): Um...I don't know....(trails into a mumble) they usually come out within 14 days...

Me: But it's been well over 14 days now, and they've not even begun falling out.

Secretary (still mumbling): They should fall out.

<click> I stare at the phone in disbelief. I slowly hang up.


Today, they've still not begun to fall out, and I am getting a bit worried because my cat's appetite is going the way of the dinosaur. I call again. This time, I get grumpy, who sounds like I was the only thing between her, a delicious dinner, and some hot lovemaking:

Me: Hello. I had my cat fixed on June 27th and her stitches haven't fallen out ye-

Secretary: Was she fixed here?

Me: Yes

Secretary: What's your name?!

Me: Blahy McBlaherton

Secretary (typing): What's your cat's name?!

Me (wondering what me or my cat's name has to do with the stitches not falling out. Does she think i'd be stipid enough to LIE in an effort to get stitches taken out early?!): Meowy McMeowerton

Secretary (still typing): The stitches usually fall out within 2-3 months.

Me(bewildered, as I'd been given a totally different answer TWICE, at the same vet's, by not one, but TWO different people): Uh...the last person I asked said 2 weeks, and they told me 2 weeks when I picked her up.

Secretary: They probably thought she was a dog.

Me: Um...the first person told me this WHILE handing her to me. I severely doubt that she could've mistaken a longhaired grey cat for a dog.

Secretary: We've got a new girl. She probably didn't realize.

Me (becoming a bit queasy at the thought that I actually left my animals at this place overnight for any reason. i let it drop, as i now want to make this call as short an to the point as possible.) Anyway, the same cat has, over the last 4 days, lost her appetite.

Secretary: They eat less in the summer.

Me (summer is almost over now, btw..only one month left, i believe): But...er...this has only been for 4 days.

Secretary: Do you want to come in and buy some vitamins?

Me: Er what would those do?

Secretary: I dunno...maybe they might give her an appetite?

Me (sure that it's a bit more than simple summer appetite-loss): I'm also worried about something else. I've been keeping the male(neutered) seperate from everyone for a while now because he's been very bitey with the other cats. One of them would be using the litterbox or sleeping and he'd just walk up and bite them until they scream. One of the kittens will be sleeping, and he'd just walk up, bit it in the throat until it squeaked,and walk away.

Secretary: How old was he when he was neutered?

Me: 8 months or so.

Secretary: He's still a kiten. He's ok.

Me: Um...he was NEUTERED at around 8 months. Hes a bit over a year now.

Secretary: He's still a kitten. it's normal. cats are territorial. male cats mark their territory.

Me: I know they do. I just always figured that the other cat had to be awake and encroaching on said territory for an attack to be brought on.

Secretary: He's still a kitten. There's nothing you can do, if you've neutered him.

Me: Anyway, i've been able to see his third eyelid very clearly, and he's been peeing a little more than usual...he ends up tracking it about on his back paws.

Secretary: Sounds normal. nothing to worry about.

Me(eyebrows about to soar off my face in disbelief): Thank you. <click>


The only reason i called them is because the other vet's office closed early today. After these two incidences, they've completely lost my patronage. This is not the first time that i've gotten varying informations from their employees. I've already booked the kittens to be fixed elsewhere because of their asinine policy of only fixing males at 8 months or older. You can actually speak to the other vet on the phone (yes, the actual vet!!! the one who went to SCHOOL for this!!! not someone who's main hiring point was the ability to type quicker than the other candidates!!!) I am still shaking my head in disbelief.

(sorry it's so long, but i was on the verge of calling back and speaking my mind.)

Time to change vets i think!.

Whenever i ring just to make an appointment it's always one of the nurses who answers, and if ever i have a question for the vet and she's with a client they'll get her to ring back when free.

I'd have knocked doors out of windows if i was getting no answers from mine, then telling them to take me off their computer system!.

Woah. You NEED a new clinic ASAP. While you're at it, you need to report the clinic you're in now, or at least the secretary...

I believe after a spay, the stritches are removed in two weeks. That's how it was for us.

Sounds like they got their people from the local detox ward.

I would definitely write a letter of complaint to the vet and tell her what happened. Maybe she will fire them and hire some competent people.

The vet (although possibly negligent for hiring these people in the first place) should be informed of these conversations. You would be doing a service to any of the customers he still has if you write him a letter.

The receptionists at my vets office have given me some info I didn't agree with in the past too. The last time I bought Advantage from them I commented that my cats haven't had one flea in 2 years until now. She remarked that Advantage is a preventative and I should be applying it every month. I explained that the vet that she works for agrees that I shouldn't over medicate my cats and that Advantage would work in one day. At least she said - thanks, I wasn't aware of that.

My vet also has a vet tech who calls me back whenever I have a question.

There, there.
I know how you feel. I took my cat to a vet for his urinary problems and the cat kept on having them. So they tell me they can't help the cat, even though they wouldn't even prescribe him the meds I asked them to prescribe to him. I found all the info on the net and asked them to prescribe him anti-anxiety meds and they claimed they don't know of anti-anxiety meds for cats... What crook!

And that stitches story sounds really fishy too. I can't imagine the cat running around with those stitches in for 3 months. What kind of stitches are those, and why would the dog's stitches fall out so much sooner than cat's stitches? Makes no sence whatsoever.
I think you should demand to talk to an actual vet because those secretaries sound like complete XXXXX.

Originally Posted by Ilovecats

Woah.

You NEED a new clinic ASAP. While you're at it, you need to report the clinic you're in now, or at least the secretary...

I believe after a spay, the stritches are removed in two weeks. That's how it was for us.

Click to expand...

I believe that as most cats pull at their stitches, automatically putting in a stitch that stays for 2-3 months shows a slight lack of forethought, and that the secretaries just show a general lack of competency, which I have no tolerance for (especially in a health profession). I wouldn't take this level of incompetency from my OWN doctor, let alone my cat's. Even if it comes down to me having to go to college and become a vet myself from lack of being able to find answers to simple health questions, it'll be better than having to put up with a secretary's farcical (and obviously uneducated) guesses.

Originally Posted by elizwithcat

There, there.
I know how you feel. I took my cat to a vet for his urinary problems and the cat kept on having them. So they tell me they can't help the cat, even though they wouldn't even prescribe him the meds I asked them to prescribe to him. I found all the info on the net and asked them to prescribe him anti-anxiety meds and they claimed they don't know of anti-anxiety meds for cats... What crook!

And that stitches story sounds really fishy too. I can't imagine the cat running around with those stitches in for 3 months. What kind of stitches are those, and why would the dog's stitches fall out so much sooner than cat's stitches? Makes no sence whatsoever.
I think you should demand to talk to an actual vet because those secretaries sound like complete XXXXX.

Click to expand...

Supposedly they're dissolving stitches which won't fall out for that long "because they're cotton or something" . I actually had to take a twenty-minute "alone time" break to calm down after I got off the phone...

We get our stiches after desexing removed at ten days.

Originally Posted by WellingtonCats

We get our stiches after desexing removed at ten days.

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I'd love to have hers out now. She's looked perfectly healed for over a week now, save for the damned stitches dangling from her belly. No way am I going to let those stay there unecessarily till august. I'll be taking her to have them out when the kittens get their rabies shots.

Originally Posted by consumercity

I would definitely write a letter of complaint to the vet and tell her what happened. Maybe she will fire them and hire some competent people.

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I agree, if customers leave without giving a reason these people will continue to keep thier job. I would write a letter right away to the owner or person in charge and tell them about the terrible reception you recieved. That is just terrible!, those girls sound like complete idiots!

Originally Posted by CommonOddity042

Supposedly they're dissolving stitches which won't fall out for that long "because they're cotton or something" . I actually had to take a twenty-minute "alone time" break to calm down after I got off the phone...

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Why would they use stitches that fall out in 14 days on dogs, but stitches that fall out in 3 months on cats? Cotton stitches that stay in for 3 months and only then fall out? It makes no sense whatsoever.

Get a new vet and if you are concerned about the stitches - which you are!! - bring the kitty to a new clinic. My vet is always ready to talk to me, even when busy! If she is surgery - and I know they do surgeries in the AM - I don't call then. Mind you, my cousin, who hactually has a Masters degree in Nursing but has 5 cats and 3 dogs of her own, works for this vet so I know them all well at the clinic. It's a wonderful place! and I am fortunate!

I would bring the spayed female to another vet and have them remove the stitches. If she is healing well there is no need for them to be in this long. They can only irritate her if left as is.

And my god get a new vet. The one you are dealing with now is not just useless but harmful! Your poor boy with the third eye and straining probably has an infection that needs to be treated pronto!

Sorry to hear your story!