Veterinarians And Your Cats

[Daisy6]

I think it would help everyone to discuss the meanings of good vets and bad vets. What is your idea of a veterinary practice people should take their cats to, or an individual veterinarian for a cat? Where would you draw the line for switching vets (not geographically, of course) if you are disappointed with your cat's treatments? What would drive you to get a second opinion for one problem without making a permanent change?

 

[1CatOverTheLine]

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Daisy6 - My answer is doubtless of little use, but I'll answer hypothetically.

Caveat: My veterinarian is a close Friend, my appointed legal Assign and the Estate's Trustee and Executor, who'll watch over my cats upon my death, and who'll move his practise here to open a free veterinary clinic and no kill cat sanctuary.

My vet is a DVM, Licensed in both the U.S. and Canada, with an Advanced ESAVS Small Animal Surgical degree and an Internist's Certification, who continues his education in additional specialties, and who reads the Journals, keeps up with pertinent papers, and has lectured the past three Summers at the College Of Veterinarians of Ontario at Guelph.

What's important here? Keeping up with Veterinary Medicine. Medical science has made vast leaps these last dozen or so years in the treatment of certain diseases - especially as regards the use of Protease Inhibitors for viruses, ocular surgery, and numerous other cutting edge areas of (especially Feline) medicine. A Vet who fails to keep up with hypermodern techniques relies strictly upon the past - never a wise thing when dealing with a science whose research base has increased by an order of magnitude over the past decade.

A (non-emergency) veterinarian is a diagnostician first and foremost, and the backbone of good veterinary care is being able to divine maladies either by long practise, by intimate familiarity with testing techniques, or by sheer magic. Don't laugh - sometimes a well-trained Vet with many years of experience in disgnoses will pull a rabbit out of his or her hat.

Good surgical skills are essential as well, and an understanding of when and where they're needed (e.g. ovariohysterectomy versus ovariectomy), as well as an understanding of modern vaccines, their interactions and the possible problems stemming from them, and a judicious hand when ordering vaccinations.

Don't be afraid to sit down with your veterinarian and discuss procedures and protocols in advance. If he or she isn't amenable to a conference, of if you feel rushed, brushed off or otherwise, "out of the loop," regarding the care being given, don't hesitate to look elsewhere. A second opinion never killed anyone.
.

 

[lalagimp]

Everything was cheaper in Phoenix. We used a cat and dog hospital because they always had slots available and took really good care of my cats and dog.
Then I moved to DC. I found a highly rated cats only clinic in Arlington VA
And it costs MORE. I think sometimes they are excessively thorough. If I get the founder as our vet, he keeps it pretty real and if we agree to disagree he's fine with it. He's okay with our raw feeding as well with the boys.

 

[Kieka]

.
Daisy6 - My answer is doubtless of little use, but I'll answer hypothetically.

Caveat: My veterinarian is a close Friend, my appointed legal Assign and the Estate's Trustee and Executor, who'll watch over my cats upon my death, and who'll move his practise here to open a free veterinary clinic and no kill cat sanctuary.

My vet is a DVM, Licensed in both the U.S. and Canada, with an Advanced ESAVS Small Animal Surgical degree and an Internist's Certification, who continues his education in additional specialties, and who reads the Journals, keeps up with pertinent papers, and has lectured the past three Summers at the College Of Veterinarians of Ontario at Guelph.

What's important here? Keeping up with Veterinary Medicine. Medical science has made vast leaps these last dozen or so years in the treatment of certain diseases - especially as regards the use of Protease Inhibitors for viruses, ocular surgery, and numerous other cutting edge areas of (especially Feline) medicine. A Vet who fails to keep up with hypermodern techniques relies strictly upon the past - never a wise thing when dealing with a science whose research base has increased by an order of magnitude over the past decade.

A (non-emergency) veterinarian is a diagnostician first and foremost, and the backbone of good veterinary care is being able to divine maladies either by long practise, by intimate familiarity with testing techniques, or by sheer magic. Don't laugh - sometimes a well-trained Vet with many years of experience in disgnoses will pull a rabbit out of his or her hat.

Good surgical skills are essential as well, and an understanding of when and where they're needed (e.g. ovariohysterectomy versus ovariectomy), as well as an understanding of modern vaccines, their interactions and the possible problems stemming from them, and a judicious hand when ordering vaccinations.

Don't be afraid to sit down with your veterinarian and discuss procedures and protocols in advance. If he or she isn't amenable to a conference, of if you feel rushed, brushed off or otherwise, "out of the loop," regarding the care being given, don't hesitate to look elsewhere. A second opinion never killed anyone.
.

 

[Furballsmom]

A Vet who fails to keep up with hypermodern techniques relies strictly upon the past - never a wise thing when dealing with a science whose research base has increased by an order of magnitude over the past decade.

Yes, this.

I still can't believe that a couple of years ago, I receive the information that the Big Guy's liver numbers are elevated, and I get NOTHING.
No thoughts as to why, no discussion of diet, no guidance as to how to proceed to bring those numbers to within a normal range, never mind a mention of milk thistle et al.

I do good work when I'm mad - I researched and discovered a lot of information, and this site

I had spent a few previous years looking for a cat oriented vet in this dog-centric town. I wouldn't have begun the hunt, except the vet my furry fellow was with prior to my becoming his mum retired, and the replacement vet and some of her staff was awful.

The next vet clinic told us one thing but reality was another (sigh).

So to this latest vet clinic - she's cat oriented, holistic and I'm under the impression all is well, until his liver complicated things. sheesh. At this point I'm not sure what's next.

 

[Lari]

I've only seen my actual vet once (Lelia's been in twice - the second time just to redo her felv/fiv test once she'd been away from being away from outdoors to be really sure).

My vet doesn't believe in declawing, which is a big thing for me. It's a small cat only practice, which means everyone there actually cares about cats, rather than being dog people who have to work with cats, too (and as my girl can be skittish, it's better that it's quiet without barking dogs, etc).

I haven't had to discuss any major procedures with her, so I don't know how I would react, but based on her demeanor and the sense I get from other clients I've seen, she appears to be pretty trustworthy.

Hopefully I can stay with this vet as long as possible.

 

[Daisy6]

I also think it would be better to have a cat specialist if you can, but that wouldn't help Daisy because she is a young healthy cat who just needs a feeding solution.

 

[Kitty Mommy]

We had the same vet for 17 years. I like him but about a year ago we switched to a new vet. What made me change was we had three emergencies in a short period of time and I wasn't able to reach him for any of them, he's a one-man office and has limited hours so we had to wait a week or more for an appointment, and he missed a serious problem with Max's teeth.

Our new vet has extended office hours during the week and Saturday hours, there are two vets in the practice and several techs, I can often get an appointment the same or next day and they answer their emergency number.

When Tiger passed suddenly last Oct, I brought his body to them right away and they were able to do a necropsy the same day. I even got a condolence card signed by the entire staff. They always call a day or two after an appointment to see if everything is okay. They are more expensive but I feel we get better care and they always give me an estimate first for any treatment they recommend and they always discuss options and answer my questions.

 

[laura mae]

I take my cats to a cat only clinic. They have 4 different vets that work there. I like the owner vet best, but most are pretty good. The staff is largely new and they are nice folks but still seem to be learning the practice.

They also adopt out cats that folks surrender. It is how we got Halo the cat.

They do seem to be very up to date on new medicine and nutrition. They also keep a fund going for people who can't afford exams and procedures. It is funded by patient families.

They also have very affordable procedures. For example they charge $75 for both spay and neuter. They find a way to make flea medications much much more affordable for families and they are attentive and careful with vaccines.

 

[Plumeria]

The primary vet I use for my cats is also cats only. It’s a small clinic with 2 vets. My Leroy was an anxious cat so they would let us straight into an exam room to wait for the Dr. They also listen to me without brushing me off.

When Leroy got referred to the large ER and specialty animal hospital, I immediately disliked the place. I had Leroy in a towel and a nurse came out and tried to yank him out of my arms with no warning. Both Leroy and I were startled and he jumped out of my arms and ran into one of the exam rooms. As mentioned, he was a very anxious cat, so I was displeased that he was stressed unnecessarily. I found the nurse unprofessional and inconsiderate. I was also upset that they examined him in the back, where I was not allowed and couldn’t comfort him. As a result, they had to sedate him to do the most basic exams. This kind of bs never happens at the primary vet.

When it was determined that Leroy needed chemo, I asked the primary vet if they could administer it but no luck. I didn’t like the oncologist at the animal hospital either. She was a very nice lady but didn’t provide enough information or solutions and left me feeling helpless and unsupported. Like she would remark that Leroy was losing weight likely because a lot of food was falling out of his mouth while I fed him (his jaw was paralyzed from lymphoma and I held it closed for him so he could use his tongue to swallow). Instead of suggesting a feeding tube or other solutions she just told me to be more watchful. She also didn’t prescribe medications to counteract chemo side effects until they occurred, so I had to keep going back to the hospital just to pick them up and poor Leroy suffered until I got the meds. She should have prescribed them on day 1 of chemo. She also brushed me off when, after the first dose of chemo hit him too hard and proved ineffective, I suggested the whole chemo process was adding too much stress on him. Really wish I had gone to a different hospital/oncologist.

 

[Furballsmom]

Oh gosh. That's rotten.
Lousy "bedside" manners, ugh.
A few years ago I met a lady at a vet clinic that's one of the reality TV shows.
This lady and I started communicating because she had several cats in need of homes and I was looking for a cat to adopt. Her cats needed vet checked so I met her at the clinic and was in the room...the tech comes in and proceeds to check each cat. At the end of it, four cats needed serious dental work but the one that got me was "this one needs to be put down". No explanation, not even an "I'm sorry, but..."

That poor woman was shattered, and I was everything from stunned, to amazed at the lack of compassion to another human, to wondering what the heck she saw or felt? in a brief and seemingly cursory exam that led her to believe there was no hope. Lordy.

 

[sweetblackpaws]

I have two preferences, although they are not necessarily dealbreakers:

1) Feline-only practice

2) AAHA certified practice

My dealbreakers would be one where I felt rushed during the visit, did not seem to have an affinity with my cat, and/or did not resolve the medical issue, did not address pain.

 

[KarenKat]

We have been through a few vets since we moved a few times and I’m starting to decide what I don’t like.

• I like when the Vet focuses on the cat and does not idly chat with me during the exam
• I like when the Vet stops examining the cat and takes time to discuss and answer questions
• I do not like when the vet tells me my cat is overweight based on a number range they “like to see” and does not examine his ribs/body to see if his weight is right for his body type.

There are other things, but it’s hard to know until I speak and get an impression from the vet.

 

[Daisy6]

Those are good points Karen. I don't think anybody would want to feel rushed out of the exam room. Idle chat is not a bad thing at our doctor appointments, but for a very stressed-out cat, it is important to get it done and go home.

My vet brushed off concerns the Hill's k/d itself was causing rapid weight loss but i know it is not his fault the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine fails to teach advanced feline nutrition. Only a holistic vet could have helped me there. He warned me about the side effects of meowsapine when he prescribed it, which I liked. When my cat needed an ultrasound, he let me and Mom discuss the price. The only problem with him is that nutrition thing.

 

[duckpond]

We live in a small town, there are several vets around town, but no clinics, or cats only vets, no holistic vets. I really wish we had an emergency clinic close, our vets try to swap out emergency calls, but its scary to think of something happening in the middle of the night or weekend, and possibly not getting a hold of anyone.

But i do love my vets. It is a husband and wife team. They listen, they take time to explain and answer questions, in short they care, they give advice but do not preach their own agenda for cat care, foods ect... And i trust them. I think that's my most important factor with a vet, do i trust him or her with my cats life? with my vets yes, yes i do.

 

[Furballsmom]

Three cheers for small towns and small town vets!

 

[Daisy6]

Duck, one of the things I looked for after moving to Florida was, "Do they have an ER and long hours?" I also would hate it if my city did not have that.

 

[duckpond]

Duck, one of the things I looked for after moving to Florida was, "Do they have an ER and long hours?" I also would hate it if my city did not have that.

It would be really nice if we had that. But our vets are good about after hours calls for emergency. Small town trade off i guess. But the services of a larger town would be nice!

 

[silkenpaw]

I love my vet. He is a good diagnostician who sees beyond the obvious. He respects my opinion and answers my questions. If he doesn’t know, he says so. And, yes, I trust him with my animals’ lives. Also, he works in a 24 hour hospital, so there is always somewhere I can bring a sick animal where he or she is known at least somewhat.

 

[Boris Diamond]

I changed vets about two years ago. My old vet over scheduled and I always felt rushed to get all my questions in. There was high turnover in his techs and inconsistent treatment because of it. His office staff was unprofessional. I started there because some friends used him but I thought it was time to change.

My new vet is the highest rated in this state according to vetratingz.com. I am very happy with her. She is very knowledgeable and she loves cats! When she tells me something, she also gives me a printout with more information than she could give me in words. It's nice to have the printout, as my notes and memory are not always complete! Some might call her intense, but I like it. She is very focused on what you are saying and ready to share her vast store of knowledge with you.

She cares about my cats and makes good suggestions about care and feeding. Also, she has saved me money by finding coupons for cheaper prescriptions. She does not over schedule like my last vet. She takes as much time as I need and almost always has the answers I want. If not, she researches the answers and communicates those answers to me. Her staff is great and her office is spotless. Her prices are in line with other vets in the area.

A downside is she is the only vet in her practice and is open only five days a week. There is a 24 hour vets that handles emergencies 20 miles from me, so in an emergency there is somewhere I can take a sick or injured animal. I have taken three cats there. Diamond's HCM specialist is there, and I like her very much.

My first vet was OK, but I love my kitties so much, why not get the best for them?