Don't like my vet

[Nanny71]

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I don't like my vet. Luckily Dudley hasn't had many visits. Boosters and I call in for wormer and flea treatment.
He is the senior vet, everyone else at the practice is very nice. Including the two lovely lady vets.

This man was my vet when we had our horses ,luckily he didn't visit them very often because he is scared of large animals.

The reason we use this practice is because it is in the village and I thought it would be good to have the closest vet..
Comments please

 

[Mayblossom]

Not keen on my vet either, he’s good with the girls but is continually trying to sell extras and too quick to tell me that an operation is required without trying alternative treatments first, a few times this has happened , not had the ops and all has been fine . If an op was vital then of course I’d have it done. I just feel it’s all about money sadly, he has a business to run and I understand this but he’s too quick to jump in with surgical procedures !

I had a lovely vet for my horses who regularly didn’t charge for certain treatment .

 

[Caro Perry]

I don't use my village vet. It's one of the chains. The turnover is high, the vets young and they are very keen to push medications and procedures.

I switched to the traditional privately owned practice a few miles away and I'm much happier. I'm on first name terms with the two partners, they greet Harri by name and I've even had one of them ring me late on a Friday night when Harri was so ill to see how he was doing before the weekend.

 

[Josie]

Is there a reason why you don’t like your vet?

We’ve been with the same one since Dennis was a puppy and they’ve always been very helpful, especially the receptionists who know him by name and give him treats.

I personally prefer the male vet to the female vet because he explains everything to me and doesn’t bump up the price or try and add on extras.

 

[JudyN]

I'm very lucky with my vet. He only does what is necessary, doesn't charge much, and respects my opinions - and Jasper's! He'll never suggest expensive medications if a bit of salt water would work instead.

A few weeks ago Jasper had his boosters, we discussed his bad leg, and got a 5-days course of Rimadyl for a little over £50. Last week I went back for another consultation and got a 10-day course of Rimadyl... for £18 I don't think he can have charged me for the consultation, either because it was continued treatment of the same problem, or because he didn't actually put his hands onto Jasper to examine him (as J is so afraid of the vet it wouldn't have told him any more than I was able to describe).

@Nanny71, could you not just ask for a vet you like by name? There's no need to explain why.

 

[merlina]

We have a lovely vet - in fact both partners are fantastic and dedicated. BUT I've had a vet I really didn't take to. We had an old boy with anal gland problems and he suggested just to leave them impacted and see if he could get used to the discomfort! Never went back after that.

 

[Caro Perry]

He'll never suggest expensive medications if a bit of salt water would work instead

I was won over by my practice when one suggested some herbal remedies to calm and relax Harri when he was shaking and whilst we were waiting for the blood results. He loved the passionflower and valerian cookies I made for him and he ate them too which was great as he was eating very little. A vet doing a post grad course in animal herbalism no less!

 

[excuseme]

Our vet practice is privately owned, our vet uses conventional medicines and is also a Homeopathic vet, he will use herbal remedies too. (if we agree)
He like @JudyN s vet, will suggest an alternative remedy like salt and water!
He never suggests anything extra to fill his pockets with cash, and never suggests an operation that is not required. He is a genuine and honest man who likes to repair his patients.
We have been using him since about 1990. Other vets in the practice are just as genuine and also the nursing staff. Everyone is on first name terms. Just lovely

 

[Kara 1]

Our vets are privately owned but have opened up more as they take on partners and it has changed ...
When Sid broke his leg at 8 mths old ...(slipped on wood floor and banged into a door)one of the vets said he needed an operation as it was such a bad break they had referred him to Fitzpatrick's. ..they said he needed a plate inserted into his leg and external fixings ...as it was xmas eve the operation would be an extra £800/£1500
I went into our surgery to look at the xrays (i was a nurse for 20 yrs )-he had in fact a hairline fracture. ...to say i went ballistic was an understatement. ..anyway cut a long story short he spent 3 weeks in a splint with regular changes and his xray 3 weeks on showed a complete heal ....disbelief from the vet as he said you could never tell he had fractured it ...i was horrified they wanted to open up such a young dog for an operation not needed ...Needless to say i swapped vets ....

 

[Mad Murphy]

My vet was great he treated me as an equal and involved me in all the treatment of my boys ...But he died in 2014 and his practice was sold to a chain.Every time I went in I saw a different person so I started asking for one vet by name. After Benny died I decided to look around and I now drive 20 mins to the next village to a small private practice and we see the same vet each time. They are interested and involved .. If you dont like your vet find one you do like, its important that you and your vet work together for your dog.

 

[Josie]

Our vets are privately owned but have opened up more as they take on partners and it has changed ...
When Sid broke his leg at 8 mths old ...(slipped on wood floor and banged into a door)one of the vets said he needed an operation as it was such a bad break they had referred him to Fitzpatrick's. ..they said he needed a plate inserted into his leg and external fixings ...as it was xmas eve the operation would be an extra £800/£1500
I went into our surgery to look at the xrays (i was a nurse for 20 yrs )-he had in fact a hairline fracture. ...to say i went ballistic was an understatement. ..anyway cut a long story short he spent 3 weeks in a splint with regular changes and his xray 3 weeks on showed a complete heal ....disbelief from the vet as he said you could never tell he had fractured it ...i was horrified they wanted to open up such a young dog for an operation not needed ...Needless to say i swapped vets ....

Omg that’s awful!!! Thank goodness you looked yourself.

 

[Josie]

I remember we were registered to a different vets at one point but with our rabbit freckles. We had come home one day and noticed he’d injured his back leg, the bone was sticking out
I was only about 8 but even I remember saying to my mum ‘I think that legs broken’ anyway we saw a vet and they told us it wasn’t and just to put some wound powder on and come back the next day to check on it.... as I was only young and my mum trusted the vet we did just that.
We went back the next day and saw a different vet who told us it was broken and that he needed to be put to sleep straight away! We were heartbroken.

How I’d love to go back in time as an adult and change things

 

[Kara 1]

I just wonder how many vets have contacted Fitzpatrick's for a referral and have performed unnecessary Expensive operations. ....vets get a payment for every animal they refer to Fitzpatrick's. ..its all about money

 

[Mayblossom]

Our vets are privately owned but have opened up more as they take on partners and it has changed ...
When Sid broke his leg at 8 mths old ...(slipped on wood floor and banged into a door)one of the vets said he needed an operation as it was such a bad break they had referred him to Fitzpatrick's. ..they said he needed a plate inserted into his leg and external fixings ...as it was xmas eve the operation would be an extra £800/£1500
I went into our surgery to look at the xrays (i was a nurse for 20 yrs )-he had in fact a hairline fracture. ...to say i went ballistic was an understatement. ..anyway cut a long story short he spent 3 weeks in a splint with regular changes and his xray 3 weeks on showed a complete heal ....disbelief from the vet as he said you could never tell he had fractured it ...i was horrified they wanted to open up such a young dog for an operation not needed ...Needless to say i swapped vets ....

Had similar with our Springer, was a bit lame on her hind leg, vet had a look and said damaged cruciate, no X-ray done but needed op,straight away ...£3500 ...said we'd give a few days to think about it as we didn’t feel confident that it needed an op. Decided to manage it ourselves , put Molly on a diet to keep as much weight as possible off the leg, brought a neoprene support brace from America ( made to measure) had both knees supported just in case. Wore it for 8 weeks on walks ( on lead ) then long lead and finally off lead , no lameness at all and that was nearly 4 years ago . Paid £180 for the brace so money well spent ! Vet did suggest she had both legs done and she would suffer with arthritis within the year ...she never did.

 

[Flobo]

I, like some, have been lucky with my vet, had the same one for all my animals(he does exotics also)for over 25 years, and he is an advocate of basic medicine and alternatives and does acupuncture clinics within the practice, he always listens to you and talks honestly with regards to choices and treatments, I actually can't fault him at all in all these years. Even with my last ferret, Flo, who I had to have pts, I didn't want to leave her at any point so he sat me and my husband in a room and did the first sedation and left us and then did the final, you know, and left us again, until we were ready to take her home, she never left my arms through the whole process.. I know my next conversation with him is going to be about Jake, but I think I may do that by email with him first because the last few months when we've had appointments, in my head I am already upset because I know what is coming, so I say nothing..but I know I want to have things in place for when the time is 'right'...
If you don't like your vet, find another, even if you have to drive a few miles it is worth it, our animals are so important to us, you want someone that will listen to you and respect you and your thoughts and not just offer you everything under the sun because they can and you are insured.

 

[Flobo]

Can I just add re the whole subject of 'Fitzpatrick', just because we can, or think we can or want to, does it mean we should??

 

[Mad Murphy]

Can I just add re the whole subject of 'Fitzpatrick', just because we can, or think we can or want to, does it mean we should??

This is what I loved about my old vet. When faced with people who couldnt let go he would list all the procedures and medications he could do. Then he would say ...Ask yourself. Who am I doing this for ? For them ..or for myself because I cant let go....
But if there was a chance of saving a life he would go to the ends of the earth to do it.

 

[JudyN]

Can I just add re the whole subject of 'Fitzpatrick', just because we can, or think we can or want to, does it mean we should??

No. I look at what some of the dogs on Supervet have to go to in terms of complete crate rest, physio, hydro... we don't see all the dogs that simply can't deal with all this, and wouldn't tolerate it - but there must be a lot.

 

[Kara 1]

No. I look at what some of the dogs on Supervet have to go to in terms of complete crate rest, physio, hydro... we don't see all the dogs that simply can't deal with all this, and wouldn't tolerate it - but there must be a lot.

Or the dogs that have massive invasive operations months of pain and then are PTS ....
Noel started out a very talented humble man and now like ceaser milan has let fame and fortune come before ethics and what is a quality of life alot of desperate owners put their trust and sometimes their life savings to him ....
The cameras also dont let you know that you can arrange loans from Fitzpatrick's. ...its so so sad ....

 

[Nanny71]

I'm very lucky with my vet. He only does what is necessary, doesn't charge much, and respects my opinions - and Jasper's! He'll never suggest expensive medications if a bit of salt water would work instead.

A few weeks ago Jasper had his boosters, we discussed his bad leg, and got a 5-days course of Rimadyl for a little over £50. Last week I went back for another consultation and got a 10-day course of Rimadyl... for £18 I don't think he can have charged me for the consultation, either because it was continued treatment of the same problem, or because he didn't actually put his hands onto Jasper to examine him (as J is so afraid of the vet it wouldn't have told him any more than I was able to describe).

@Nanny71, could you not just ask for a vet you like by name? There's no need to explain why.

It is a small independent practice open long hours including Saturdays. Often only one vet working.
We used to use it for the horses but this particular vet was junior then and was scared of horses.
Nobody likes him but we stick because it is convenient. Even his staff dislike him.
He never says hello. Just grunts and never explains anything. I have to drag every bit of information out of him.
The nurses are lovely and there are two lovely lady vets.