If You Knew Then What You Know Now Re: Cat Care...

[JamesCalifornia]

~ 1. ) Most veterinarians are in it for the money - not because they have a particular fondness for animals
2. ) A veterinarian is just as likely to kill your pet as help your pet stay healthy
3. ) Cats multiply like rabbits ! Spay and neuter ASAP
4. ) Cats inbreed . Keeping the same litter isolated in the house is no guarantee they will not mate. ( This is how I ended up going from a cat family to a cat farm ! )
5. ) There is always a cat nearby to step on ! `

 

[kittens mom]

~ 1. ) Most veterinarians are in it for the money - not because they have a particular fondness for animals
2. ) A veterinarian is just as likely to kill your pet as help your pet stay healthy
3. ) Cats multiply like rabbits ! Spay and neuter ASAP
4. ) Cats inbreed . Keeping the same litter isolated in the house is no guarantee they will not mate. ( This is how I ended up going from a cat family to a cat farm ! )
5. ) There is always a cat nearby to step on ! `

1) I have never known a super rich veterinarian. Most
of them went into veterinary science because they loved animals but the reality to having a practice is so much different than any dream.
2) what I have learned is there is very little oversight for veterinarians until they do major damage and then it's a slap on wrist because your family member is downgraded to personal property by the law.

 

[myrnafaye]

I used to work with veterinarians. If they are in it "for the money", they would go to medical school and earn scads, where the patients mostly have health insurance and cash on the table is rarely something they - and their patients have to struggle with. Vet school is four years - same as med school. I realize there are vets who are not great but I object to the characterization of the entire profession. The clinic where I take my cats are all kind and compassionate people who love animals.

 

[ginny]

I think there's good and bad everywhere. In some places you just have a harder time finding a good one. I'm still looking myself. I have yet to come across any vet that will see you (like ER vets) or let you have your pet back before you pay. Money is the bottom line, at least what I've seen in my area. I do understand that they want their money, I mean no one wants to work for free, but there should be exceptions to that rule sometimes to help people out when going through a rough spot.

 

[kittens mom]

I think there's good and bad everywhere. In some places you just have a harder time finding a good one. I'm still looking myself. I have yet to come across any vet that will see you (like ER vets) or let you have your pet back before you pay. Money is the bottom line, at least what I've seen in my area. I do understand that they want their money, I mean no one wants to work for free, but there should be exceptions to that rule sometimes to help people out when going through a rough spot.

Every veterinarian I have known, and that's a lot especially from my days of horse management give a discount or slide a bill now and then. Some clinics will still arrange payments but what's happened is pet owners want state of the art and all of those goodies cost a lot of money. Consider my vet who takes 50 hours of CE every year I'm paying for that continued knowledge base and she doesn't get those hours for free.
I've looked the other way on board for horses when I could have really used the money. I've seen feed stores,farriers and veterinarians offer what I would call technical but not costly treatments for a reduced fee or just free often just asking for the farm call.

 

[kittens mom]

I wish I had belonged to this site before Kitten got sick the first time. When AOL closed the message boards I lost contact with all of the old members and I guess I just never really joined another group.

 

[myrnafaye]

I think very few of us know what the costs of human medicine is because we are shielded from this via our health insurance. An ultrasound in human medicine is probably easily over $1000 but we never see the bill. An ultrasound in veterinary medicine is ...$150 - $350. Compared to human medicine, that is a bargain. I am not saying there are not vets out there who are money hungry - but I think in general they are not, any more than human doctors are or are not. Its just that most of us do not have health insurance for our pets, so we see the bill, and we have to pay it.

 

[kittens mom]

I think very few of us know what the costs of human medicine is because we are shielded from this via our health insurance. An ultrasound in human medicine is probably easily over $1000 but we never see the bill. An ultrasound in veterinary medicine is ...$150 - $350. Compared to human medicine, that is a bargain. I am not saying there are not vets out there who are money hungry - but I think in general they are not, any more than human doctors are or are not. Its just that most of us do not have health insurance for our pets, so we see the bill, and we have to pay it.

All of that equipment has to be paid for and maintained and replaced on occasion. Veterinarians also have to take continuing education courses and many exceed the state requirement to become specialists. Vet techs and staff have to be paid along with mortgages or rent.