Author Topic: The Thing I Hate About Being A Veterinarian  (Read 5360 times)

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Offline Lola

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The Thing I Hate About Being A Veterinarian
« on: August 17, 2013, 02:24:33 AM »
Dr. Jean Hofve:
Quote
Boy this is sure true. Four years and $75,000 later, the starting salary at my first vet job was the same as the job I left to go to vet school. A few practice owners *are* in it for the money--and certainly Banfield and VCA aren't in it for fun. But most of us got into veterinary medicine to help animals, and we do feel awful when money stands between the animal and proper treatment.

She is referring to this blog post:

Snip...

Quote
In my day to day life as a veterinarian, there is something that I dread doing. This particular thing makes me squirm, twitch, drool and retch. I try to avoid it at all costs, and I consider myself to be blessed if I have technicians willing to do it for me. Want to guess what it is?

Expressing anal glands? (Nope. I secretly think it is rewarding to do this)

Doing a dental on a pus filled, rotting mouth? (Fun times!)

Sifting through dog puke to make sure it threw up all the rat poison? (Love it, even though I am a sympathy puker)

Draining a 4 day old, putrid, maggot infested cat bite abscess? (No, although dealing with maggot wounds sometimes makes me reconsider my career choices.)
http://hstdvm.wordpress.com/2012/07/02/the-thing-i-hate-about-being-a-veterinarian/
Everything you NEED to know about caring for your feline. www.catinfo.org

Offline AnnStaub

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Re: The Thing I Hate About Being A Veterinarian
« Reply #1 on: August 17, 2013, 01:11:13 PM »
What a sad story. Luckily for the doctors I used to work with, us techs did all the talking when it came to money mostly. Which really sucks. I was paid so little that even I couldn't afford the care I was trying to tell other pet owners their animal needed. It's obvious the man had no intention of ever paying the first bill, I'm sure. Maybe if he had come in and given even just a small amount that he could afford, this wouldn't have happened.

I worked with a vet who tried to milk money from clients in my opinion. The clinic was very political and had an endless list of rules and crappy management, in my opinion. My favorite doctor was forced to resign from this clinic because she tried to save people money. At least, that's my theory.

The clinic management and rules required all veterinarians to tell any ear infection patients to come back for another appointment in 10 days for a recheck (which does cost money). Said favorite doctor above would tell people this, but she'd also say "But if you think the problem is gone in 10 days, you don't have to come back for the recheck." So yes, I do think these vets have to worry about losing their jobs if they keep "breaking the rules" of their practice's management.

I think most people don't realize that the vets don't have much say in some of these larger practices with lots of management. I also worked at a small practice which had much better customer satisfaction. Our small practice merged with that large one and our customer satisfaction went down the drain.

Offline FurMonster Mom

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Re: The Thing I Hate About Being A Veterinarian
« Reply #2 on: August 17, 2013, 07:00:34 PM »
Well... doesn't this just hit home right about now....

Not only was Pippen's biopsy $1300, but his followups have ended up costing another $600.
Oh, and did I mention that Babee broke a tooth the other day?  Add in another $350 dental bill.
So, just in the last 3 weeks, we've shelled out a good $2300-ish to our vet.... and there will be more to come, with further follow up visits.

Here's the thing.... while it may seem like I'm grumbling, and while it is indeed a bit painful, I actually have no problem with paying the bills. 
My problem is the "everything up front" policy that Jacktards as in that story have made so necessary across the board. 
I am very grateful that our vet was willing to work out a payment "plan" for us.  But I also understand that it is only because we are a longtime client (10 years) with a good payment history that allows us that leeway.

The vets we go to are the owners of their Hospital, so I understand completely that they are a "small business".  I get that they need to watch their profit margins, but I also know that they are mindful of not gouging the customer at the same time (like many corporates do).  I know that I can have an intelligent conversation with them about what may be really necessary vs. what may be forgone if need be.  And they have even found ways for me to save money... because they know they will see me for some other thing down the line.  I believe that is usually referred to as "customer retention".  They retain me as a client because their focus is on the client, not on "every last dime".  There is a balance between the two.
meow meow meow meow meow meow? -woof!
Translation: "I can has my raw food? -please!"

Offline Lola

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Re: The Thing I Hate About Being A Veterinarian
« Reply #3 on: August 17, 2013, 08:15:17 PM »
I really think Dr. Hofve summed it up best with... "A few practice owners *are* in it for the money--and certainly Banfield and VCA aren't in it for fun. But most of us got into veterinary medicine to help animals, and we do feel awful when money stands between the animal and proper treatment."

Employees of Banfield (located in most PetsMarts) HAVE to up-sell.  Banfield and VCA are the ones to RUN from.  IMHO 

My vet owns the practice.  I feel he always has the best interest of the animal AND owner.  He also knew I was in contact with Dr. Lisa Pierson, concerning Leonard's cancer... and he didn't blink an eye. 
Everything you NEED to know about caring for your feline. www.catinfo.org

Offline AnnStaub

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Re: The Thing I Hate About Being A Veterinarian
« Reply #4 on: August 18, 2013, 02:11:15 AM »
Yea FurMonster Mom is right about those types of people ruining it for everyone else as far as the payment plan thing goes.

This made me think of a question that I never thought to ask before... I was always under the impression that only a veterinarian could actually own a vet clinic. At least that's what I remembered learning in school, but maybe I didn't remember correctly? But I wonder about VCA and Banfield. Maybe they've found a way to get around that. Googling Banfield shows that it's a subsidary of Mars Incorporated. Interesting. I agree with running from these two.

Offline The Kittens

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Re: The Thing I Hate About Being A Veterinarian
« Reply #5 on: August 18, 2013, 09:41:03 AM »
If you think pet vet costs are expensive, try horse vet expenses.  Add to that, a farm call fee, because you can't just throw the horsey in the back seat, and take him in. Those that haul to a vet, are hauling to specialists, because they have a major issue.

When I was a kid, one of our championship horses had a leg injury, vet said take him to a race horse specialist, they see these injuries all the time, so we hauled him in, 2 hrs one way. Kinda cool to see all the race horses, that were worth hundreds of thousands of dollors, in person.  That.....was....mega mega dollors, we had a show horse farm, and back then, we had money.

My horse vet used to tell me, the vaccanations, were the bread and butter of the practice, they didn't make alot of money, on the serious issues.

Then add in blacksmiths.

Trim and reshod every 8 weeks, great if you can reuse the shoe, if not, new shoes, were even more.

Then wormers every 8 weeks, those weren't cheap either.

Then the expense of hay and grain and bedding.

Back then, we grew our own oats, straw and hay. We put in 7,000 bales of hay every year.

The key to navigating vets, the good ones, the not so good ones, is to educate yourself.  Do the research and learn about the various health issues. Know what tests should be done, know what the tests should show or not show.  Ask questions, ask why, is this test being done, ask what should this test show, if you don't understand, make them explain it to you, until you do understand, then go home and do the research. You should be able to have an intelligent conversation, with the vet, regarding the health issue, diagnosis and treatment.

As far as I knew, Smokey was going in for her rabies booster and wellness. Could not see my normal vet, as she had an emergency come in, fine, not a prob, very happy to wait, or see another vet, its just a shot.

Her medical issue was real, what tests they wanted to run, I knew, were not correct or needed, the fight began, way smacked of running it up, to clients that would not know otherwise.

They wanted to do an ultrasound, which is $300. I knew, from what she was telling me she found, could be diagnosed by an x-ray, and yes, only one.  An x-ray is $100, huge huge difference, huge. Plus they wanted to sedate her. She was a show kitty, she had x-rays and ultrasounds before, she did not need to be sedated, which ran the cost up more.

Plus they wanted to do the blood panel.  That was almost $100 too.

In this case from what she is telling me, she found, a blood panel is not needed, at this point in time, an x-ray will show what the issue is, then we go from there.  So $100 vs $400, how many people on here, would have just spend the $400 that day?  Ya just wasted, $300.

So the quest was on, to find a vet who would do an x-ray.

My personal favorite was one, who I went to, like 15 years ago. Girl insisted, insisted, on sedating her. Said we might have to come out and tell you, she cannot be x-rayed, so you can either sedate her or go home. Told her that way smacked of running up the bill, and I have show cats, so not your average client.

The vet I used to see at that practice, who now owns the practice, called me, about told me off, and said the standard is 2 x-rays plus sedation. OK......hit I nerve.....which just confirmed.....I was right.

Called my vet Monday morning, and insisted, even got a little nasty about it, I wanted an x-ray. She pretty much told me, I must have miss understood the other vet, ah.....no......I....didn't. 

Brought Smokey in, got the x-ray, which showed, what was wrong, and I knew, from looking at the x-ray, and yes, educate yourself about looking at x-rays, it was not good.

Was not sedated, didn't need it, and she was good, or they couldn't have taken the x-ray.

Education is the key.

If they get nasty, ya hit a nerve, run, do not walk, out of there, ya just caught them.   

Offline AnnStaub

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Re: The Thing I Hate About Being A Veterinarian
« Reply #6 on: August 19, 2013, 02:25:00 AM »
What was wrong with her?

Offline Pookie

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Offline AnnStaub

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Re: The Thing I Hate About Being A Veterinarian
« Reply #8 on: August 20, 2013, 12:06:52 PM »
Aw how sad :( Sorry to hear that. I lost mine to breast cancer about a year ago too.

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