I've been going to my "new" vet since my vet of many, many years retired about three years ago. New vet was highly recommended by two different friends who use him. People LOVE him. He's super nice and I like him as a person just fine. But I have concerns and I'm wondering what you folks think. If you think I'm nuts to be concerned, do please tell me.
Do your vets take your cat's temperature when they go for a visit, either a well exam or for a problem? New vet has never taken the temp of any of my cats, even when an infection is suspected. Even a recently trapped feral kitten with severe diarrhea who wouldn't eat. Old vet did every single visit.
Do your vets still give vaccines between the shoulder blades? New vet does. (I *think* but don't remember for certain that old vet did too, but that was before I found out they shouldn't.)
When I took one cat in for a possible bladder infection, new vet expressed urine for her culture onto the exam table instead of onto a sanitary surface or using a syringe.
So these things bother me somewhat, and there are other little things that would be hard to explain here.
But a BIG terrifying thing: a year ago new vet gave my new (at the time) kittens ear mite meds that were for dogs ONLY and VERY dangerous for cats. I only found out because I happened to Google the med and then called the manufacturer. New vet apologized and said the formulation had changed and he hadn't realized. They had changed it, but it appeared to have happened long before this incident, and shouldn't he have known? He did not charge me for the correct med, but did not refund me for the wrong one.
On the other hand, he spayed my girl kitten and neutered my boy kitten, and removed infected tonsils from the girl, and has done two or three dentals on my big boy cat, treated the above-mentioned bladder infection, performed exams, etc. etc. etc., all with fine results.
And yet still I worry. Am I crazy? Would the concerns I mention above concern you as well? I'm thinking about starting my research all over again and trying another vet. Ugh.
Do your vets take your cat's temperature when they go for a visit, either a well exam or for a problem? New vet has never taken the temp of any of my cats, even when an infection is suspected. Even a recently trapped feral kitten with severe diarrhea who wouldn't eat. Old vet did every single visit.
Do your vets still give vaccines between the shoulder blades? New vet does. (I *think* but don't remember for certain that old vet did too, but that was before I found out they shouldn't.)
When I took one cat in for a possible bladder infection, new vet expressed urine for her culture onto the exam table instead of onto a sanitary surface or using a syringe.
So these things bother me somewhat, and there are other little things that would be hard to explain here.
But a BIG terrifying thing: a year ago new vet gave my new (at the time) kittens ear mite meds that were for dogs ONLY and VERY dangerous for cats. I only found out because I happened to Google the med and then called the manufacturer. New vet apologized and said the formulation had changed and he hadn't realized. They had changed it, but it appeared to have happened long before this incident, and shouldn't he have known? He did not charge me for the correct med, but did not refund me for the wrong one.
On the other hand, he spayed my girl kitten and neutered my boy kitten, and removed infected tonsils from the girl, and has done two or three dentals on my big boy cat, treated the above-mentioned bladder infection, performed exams, etc. etc. etc., all with fine results.
And yet still I worry. Am I crazy? Would the concerns I mention above concern you as well? I'm thinking about starting my research all over again and trying another vet. Ugh.