Laurel n Hardy Posted July 23, 2010 Report Share Posted July 23, 2010 I only watched a few minutes, as I knew from the ads and the previous posts here what it would be like, how anyone can use them or a big chainstore vet is a mystery. Wouldn't you rather go local, where everyone knows the vet. After all its his or her reputation and business is on the line should they ever treat animals like that and the local commuinty find out. poor animals Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen Posted July 23, 2010 Report Share Posted July 23, 2010 Wouldn't you rather go local, where everyone knows the vet. Yes, but a Medivet branch provide out of hours cover for my vet. I couldn't bring myself to watch the program. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurel n Hardy Posted July 23, 2010 Report Share Posted July 23, 2010 (edited) Yes, but a Medivet branch provide out of hours cover for my vet. I couldn't bring myself to watch the program. I wonder how many other vets would be appalled by what they saw, and maybe not renew contracts with medivet as a result, instead looking for other vets to cover out of hours, after all if enough people mention it to them that they don't want medivet providing out of hours care, this will effect their business as people will find alternate vets wont they, I know i would move vets if they didnt change. worth mentioning to your vets anyway Edited July 23, 2010 by Laurel n Hardy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celeste Posted July 23, 2010 Report Share Posted July 23, 2010 I found it laughable that medivet could dismiss some of the claims which were backed up by the footage shown, be interesting to see what the out come is for Medivet, I would imagine the practises which were shown will find themselves short of customers. I found the cat who was being manhandles by the newbie vet to be the most upsetting, and for the nurse to say she'd go mental if someone handled her cat in that way was unbelievable, , why the hell were you doing that to that cat then when you knew it was wrong you horrible nasty cow !?, and the Shar-pei and old Red Setter . I was also really shocked at the vet putting the half used blood back in the fridge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
griff Posted July 23, 2010 Report Share Posted July 23, 2010 Absolutely disgusting there is absolutely no excuse/defence for their handling of those animals in such a rough and cruel way i told my parents last night that if our vets ever turns into a franchise of a chain.... we are leaving. that evil nurse manhandling the sharpei after him having his leg amputated..instead of getting a kick up the ar*e and the sack he got promoted....hope someone gets hold of him in the same way...evil sh*te Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulesB Posted July 23, 2010 Report Share Posted July 23, 2010 If I was the owner of any of the animals I saw being mistreated last night I'd be looking at taking legal action. Absolutely disgraceful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotslass Posted July 23, 2010 Report Share Posted July 23, 2010 If anything, the worst thing for me was the callousness shown by the veterinary assistants - they came across as silly,uncaring little girls (and a horrible young man). If that young man has been promoted, I hope pet owners at his new practice give him a wide berth. I don't pay huge vet bills for my pets to be treated by someone with no real qualifications, but at the very least, I'd hope the assistants would show compassion. I have never imagined that vets go into veterinary medicine "because they love animals" - for many, I guess, it's just a well-paid career which provides a good salary and a fair bit of status - but I don't suppose veterinary assistants are paid much, so what is their motivation, if they don't do it for the animals? I suppose we like to think that everyone involved in the care of animals is dedicated to their well-being, but you only have to look at some of the horrors uncovered in various rescues/boarding kennels/pet-minding businesses to see that it ain't necessarily so. You get social inadequates working in all kinds of jobs where they have power over those even weaker than they are. I don't believe that all veterinary staff like all animals, any more than I believe that all medical staff like all humans. I just do my best to ensure that I use a practice where I and my pets are treated with respect, and I have moved from practices where this wasn't the case. However, it's still a matter of trust, since we will never know (apart from undercover reporting!) what goes on behind the scenes - unless we go for round-the-clock video monitoring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah_H Posted July 23, 2010 Report Share Posted July 23, 2010 Medivet Well it seems they're taking it quite seriously. One of my practises uses them for out of hour services. I use 3 practises and the one that uses Medivet is purely routine vacc for foster cats nothing else as they're cheap. The other 2 I know alot of the vets personally and I think thats important. Mind having my equine vets mobile numbers and making him drive all over the country to vet horses maybe stretching that relationsihp somewhat! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cycas Posted July 23, 2010 Report Share Posted July 23, 2010 Medivet Well it seems they're taking it quite seriously. Well, that's a start anyway. I trust my vets about as far as I can see them, on the whole. You can never be sure what is going on behind closed doors, and I don't feel I know them well enough to be sure of their behaviour while I am not watching. So when it's humanly possible, there I am, watching them with my beady eyes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mop Posted July 23, 2010 Report Share Posted July 23, 2010 I have got to know the staff at my vets really well over the years I have been with them, talking to the nurses they all say that far too many vets use unqualified nurses to do procedures they shouldn't because they won't pay the money to have trained staff. One of the reasons they love working there is they are never asked to do anything that they haven't been trained to do and they are encouraged to continue training for other aspects of care. Many of the qualified nurses have taken courses and can work in most parts of the practice. The vets are also encouraged to develop and learn more, several came straight from vet school and are now consultants. The nurses are encouraged to hug and interact with the animals, this is what they get at home so they need it when they are in hospital as well. Owners are not encouraged to go behind the consulting rooms, this is because the owners interfer and upset the animals, I have been behind several times and know what goes on. It is a lot easier for vets to take blood from an animal if the owner isn't there, they pass onto the animal a lot of fears that the animal wouldn't have. Ellie's treatment this past week has been wonderful, the nurse that has been taking care of her during the day I have know for some time, She also does hydrotherapy, Merlin took a long time to trust someone, with her he trusted very quickly, that said a lot about her. This same nurse asked to be with Gracie when she was pts, I had phoned ahead that I was bringing her in and she saw it up on the board, she knew Gracie well because of hydro. The vet who she is under came to this vet to learn about soft tissue and skeletan problems and is now a consultant in his own right. Thankfully not all vets are not like the one on Panarama, there are some really good vets out there, finding them is a bit more difficult. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cycas Posted July 23, 2010 Report Share Posted July 23, 2010 It is a lot easier for vets to take blood from an animal if the owner isn't there, they pass onto the animal a lot of fears that the animal wouldn't have. That would depend on the owner and their behaviour. My animals, particularly Az, are generally a lot happier and calmer when I am with them, and I am quite capable of restraining them and getting them into position and holding them still, and I've never met a nurse that I would trust to do that better than me for my own animals. I prefer to have things like blood samples taken in the consulting room in my presence where possible. I don't agree that an animal is necessarily going to be calmer and more manageable if you take them away from their familiar person into a strange place full of weird noises and animals that are in pain to be manhandled by a stranger - particularly if it's a dog that has to be pretty much dragged away or carried to get him to move at all! If the owner is panicking or doesn't know what to do, that's not going to help, but if you can be calm and confident, I think it's fine to be clear with a vet that you would rather be present. I'm also quite prepared to pay extra for the inconvenience. My vets have learned to work around me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurel n Hardy Posted July 23, 2010 Report Share Posted July 23, 2010 That would depend on the owner and their behaviour. My animals, particularly Az, are generally a lot happier and calmer when I am with them, and I am quite capable of restraining them and getting them into position and holding them still, and I've never met a nurse that I would trust to do that better than me for my own animals. I prefer to have things like blood samples taken in the consulting room in my presence where possible. I don't agree that an animal is necessarily going to be calmer and more manageable if you take them away from their familiar person into a strange place full of weird noises and animals that are in pain to be manhandled by a stranger - particularly if it's a dog that has to be pretty much dragged away or carried to get him to move at all! If the owner is panicking or doesn't know what to do, that's not going to help, but if you can be calm and confident, I think it's fine to be clear with a vet that you would rather be present. I'm also quite prepared to pay extra for the inconvenience. My vets have learned to work around me. I would agree with that too, I like to think that my presence would be a calming effect on my dogs if it was required, and that I could manage their stress levels at the vet if that happened. One way to start to have an effect is by people telling their vets they will move if medivet are their out of hours backup. That way change is driven from within the vetinary world, due to consumer power. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacobean Posted July 23, 2010 Report Share Posted July 23, 2010 So much was disturbing and it made me so angry. Having had a dog with a full amputation the Sharpei really got to me. Having had such a major operation being allowed to walk unaided with no care for if it slipped on their flooring which dogs normally find a bit of a problem and then being manhandled like that. The poor cat when the vet couldn't get the level of anaesthetic right. It's very lucky to still be with us. I hope that the owners take matters further. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merledogs Posted July 23, 2010 Report Share Posted July 23, 2010 I couldn't bring myself to watch it, it would have upset me too much (the trailer and the article I read was bad enough). how anyone can use them or a big chainstore vet is a mystery. Wouldn't you rather go local, where everyone knows the vet. You have no guarantee that any other vets would treat your animals any better - regardless of whether they are a chain or independent. I use a vets that is part of a chain and it is 'local'. I don't have much choice. There is one independent vet (which I presume you meant?) around here, and he isn't taking on any new patients as he is about to retire. My vets is the local animal hospital which provides 24 hour cover for all the other vets in the area in any case. I wouldn't like to go further afield because if I need to get my dogs to the vets in an emergency, I know the vets are open 24/7 and are a few minutes away by car. If I used a vet further afield, my dog could die on the way to the vets. Besides which, I know they have all the latest equipment at the hospital so can provide excellent medical treatment on site. I think it varies from vet to vet, so it's wrong to label all chains of vets as 'bad' and independent vets as 'good'. The truth is unless you see it first hand you have no idea what goes on behind closed doors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cycas Posted July 23, 2010 Report Share Posted July 23, 2010 It occurs to me that surely if you take a small child to hospital, people don't expect to take him away into a separate room to do routine procedures like taking blood, and you'd expect, for example, to be able to sit with him while he had a premed, if he was going in for an operation? I would like to see vet practices becoming more transparent. There is no way that any of the stuff that happened in that documentary would have happened if the people involved hadn't felt totally safe from observation: maybe cctv broadcast to the waiting room is actually a good idea.. As to getting to know your vet - I dunno. I've got 8 pets at the moment, so I'm in and out regularly, I do know most of the nurses and vets by name, I've met some of their own dogs and my practice has a screen thing in the waiting room that shows pictures of all the staff with their names and a bit of info about their pets. Some of them have a fairly good pet-side manner. But I certainly don't feel that I know them well enough to trust unconditionally : I've never seen most of them outside of work, or discussed anything with them beyond animal care, so really I have nothing to base my trust on, other than their qualifications and apparent competence so far. Most people have fewer pets than me and probably don't need to take them in as often. I am not sure how they are supposed to get to know their vets well, given that probably most pet owners see their vet for maybe 20 minutes a year - particularly when to do anything at all fiddly, the vet takes the animal away into a different room, so you never see them doing much more than say, checking teeth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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