Undercover At One Of Britains Largest Vet Chains.

[julzjc]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12...procedures.html

Sorry the article is far too long to copy and paste.

[Staranais]

If the article is true, some of the things described are shocking. And I guess it could be true - there are some bad vets and vet nurses out there, just like there are some really bad registered breeders, some terrible dog trainers, & some shocking pet owners.

No vet nurse or vet should hit an animal (except in self defence!) No vet should delegate procedures to a nurse who isn't trained to do them. No vet should recommend unnecessary procedures to owners. No vet should charge for procedures that were not performed. No vet should charge the client for injuries that happened at the vet clinic. Surely these things go without saying.

However, I some of the writer's complains are unreasonable, and reflect a poor understanding of the veterinary industry.

The nurse who wrote the article complains that she was expected to put a catheter into a dog. She also complained that she was expected to give injections. If she was crappy at it or untrained, they shouldn't let her do these things. But most vet nurses I know are great at putting in catheters & giving injections. Some are far better than the vets! These things are a basic part of a vet nurse's job.

The writer also complained that she only got minimum wage - however, it was her choice not to become a qualified vet nurse, and she admits she can't even put in a catheter and was uncomfortable giving injections. Sorry, but I wouldn't pay her much more either. She should upskill herself if she wants a better wage.

The writer of the article also complained that she saw nurses administering anaesthetic agents. It's true that nurses should not administer anaesthetic agent unsupervised - but in most practices, sinc the vet is focusing on doing the surgery, & they can't simultaneously monitor anaesthesia, they rely on the nurse to do this. Most qualified vet nurses are very good at this. If you want a vet to monitor your animal's anaesthetic instead of a nurse doing it, please be prepared to pay much more for surgeries, since you'll be paying two vets' time (costs more than the nurses's time)!

[Remarkabull]

Have to say that alot of what goes on behind the scenes at a vet clinic is not for the faint hearted. I have worked at 3 different clinics, twice as a nurse (unqualified) and once as a groomer.

In defence of vet clinics, they have to deal with some really difficult animals and sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind. 'Tapping' a dog on the head was common practice at one clinic I worked at, sometimes it helps distract the dog from what the vets are trying to do (insert catheter for example). I wouldn't say that the dogs were 'hit', it wasn't that hard, just a constant tapping to take the focus off the vet.

For their own safety I've 'scruffed' dogs and cats, pinned them against their will and if they are fighting, scratching, biting while nurses or vets are trying to provide treatment then sometimes you have to be a little rough and hard to get the job done.

However, at one clinic I was expected to euth the many stray kittens that AWL didn't want. The vets said they didn't have time to bother with them and the other nurse had only been there a couple of weeks longer than I and she was younger and less experienced with animals.

Two of the clinics would charge for things that were not done eg. invoices given to clients after grooming services ALL stated that the dogs anal glands had been cleaned (there was an extra charge for this) and it was almost never done.

There are also alot of frustrated vets out there that think it's ok to take it out on their staff. I quit one job after one of the vets had a tantrum (he literally was yelling, swearing and throwing things around the room) because I had put the paper towel on the holder the 'wrong way around'. I was definately not getting paid enough to put up with that!

[jazawayaya]

chain store veterinary clinics!?

Oh lord I dont like where the world is heading

what a horrible story.

[Steve]

I always remember one of my sons did work experience at a vet practice and he and the vet travelled to a property to look at a horse.

Before he got out of the car he worded my son up on what was going to happen and told him to shut up until they got back into the car.

He said this lady has got nice shoes on and wont want to follow us out into the yard when we look at the horse. So we are going to fiddle around there for a minute then give her a nice big bill for work she will think we have done.

thats exactly what happened! Bill was for $300 and he did NOTHING more than pat the horse and feel its legs.

Laughed about what suckers they were all the way home.

[aussielover]

I don't think scruffing a cat or tapping a dog on the head to distract it is cruel.

Of course unnecessarily harming an animal is unacceptable but many things that go on in a vet practice may appear "cruel" to the average person but actually wrapping a small dog or cat in a towel or scruffing them can actually cause them to feel more secure. Tapping on the head is better than having an animal thrash around and causes no serious harm.

Also, did she tell the vet she wasn't comfortable performing certain procedures? taking blood and inserting/removing catheters is pretty routine stuff for vet nurses, many of whom are better than actual vets at performing these procedures.

[Staranais]

chain store veterinary clinics!?

Oh lord I dont like where the world is heading

Big vet clinic chains are already all over America. I hope they don't end up over here.

I spoke to a new grad vet who went over to work in one of the larger American vet clinic chains as her first job after graduation. They had a friendly recruitment person who came to the uni & signed up final year vet students, with promises of great wages, high tech facilities, etc.

Turns out they treat the new grads like crap, work them to the bone, get them to milk the customers for every last $, and don't let them use their brains to do proper medicine - after studying 5 years to learn how to be a vet, she was supposed to forget all that and follow the flow charts on the wall to decide what medicine to give. She absolutely hated it, and came back after 6 months.

Not somewhere I'd want to take my animal (or somewhere I'd want to work myself).

[Remarkabull]

chain store veterinary clinics!?

Oh lord I dont like where the world is heading

Big vet clinic chains are already all over America. I hope they don't end up over here.

I spoke to a new grad vet who went over to work in one of the larger American vet clinic chains as her first job after graduation. They had a friendly recruitment person who came to the uni & signed up final year vet students, with promises of great wages, high tech facilities, etc.

Turns out they treat the new grads like crap, work them to the bone, get them to milk the customers for every last $, and don't let them use their brains to do proper medicine - after studying 5 years to learn how to be a vet, she was supposed to forget all that and follow the flow charts on the wall to decide what medicine to give. She absolutely hated it, and came back after 6 months.

Not somewhere I'd want to take my animal (or somewhere I'd want to work myself).

Haven't we already got one here? I have seen one advertised during Funniest Home Videos. Can't remember the name but am sure it has the word 'green' in it. Green Cross maybe???

Edited to remove a quote from another thread??? Don't know how that happened!

Edited August 27, 2010 by dobesrock

[Staranais]

Haven't we already got one here? I have seen one advertised during Funniest Home Videos. Can't remember the name but am sure it has the word 'green' in it. Green Cross maybe???

Edited to remove a quote from another thread??? Don't know how that happened!

Ew really? I'm in NZ, not Aussie, so you may well have. Hopefully it's not as bad as the American ones.

[aussielover]

yep greencross vets own 100's of clinics all over australia.

Very profit orientated from what i've heard

[Nekhbet]

There is also the OurVet clinics within the Best Friends chain of stores (all owned by the Good Guys)

I should know I wrote the manual

[D & D]

yep greencross vets own 100's of clinics all over australia.

Very profit orientated from what i've heard

They're a publically listed company. So profits for shareholders are important

[indigirl]

Yet another reason to be grateful I live in the stix. I am allowed (and now expected lol) to be present for each and every surgical or medical procedure carried out on any of my own animals, plus my fosters, I stand at the Operating table and hold the animal while they sedate it. I stay throughout t the procedure and only leave when the procedure is finished and the animal is caged and sleeping off the aneasthetic. Once the animal is awake i return to collect it.

I cannot think of any reason why I would leave any of my animals overnight at the vets. I have no issues bringing them home on a drip if necessary. I know they will get a lot more diligent care at home with me where I will sleep beside them and watch them all night. If I have any concerns I would phone the vet immediately.

I doubt I would be allowed that kind of unrestricted access to my pet in the city. I would find it difficult to entrust someone who I didnt know very well on a personal level with the care of my animals, especially overnight. I dont believe my vet charges me for anything he hasnt actually done, and his rates are very reasonable. An AI last weekend cost me $45, cant complain about that!

Its scary to think what may go on behind closed doors at big city vets

[Remarkabull]

One of the vets I worked for was a country vet and the others were not exactly in city locations either. There is NO way they would've let a client in while performing surgery. We did actually have people ask if they could and they were always refused. They were told that they could sit in the waiting room if they liked and we would keep them updated.

Indigirl you are very lucky to be allowed to be in the room while surgery is taking place, I do know of a number of vets that will allow it with certain clients and depending on what the surgery actually is, however it is a big risk on their behalf. could possibly create legal issues for the vet or clinic, probably wouldn't pass any OH&S laws either! Also could be very distracting for the vet and/or nurses involved. I suggest that if you don't trust the vet to do the surgery then find another one you do. Being in the room with a 'bad' vet or having something go wrong during surgery isn't going to make the outcome any different than if you were not in the room.

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

I saw the Panorama Documentary on this while I was in England staying with family. It was very disturbing but I've certainly come across a vet here in Sydney that operated in a similar fashion. This is based on my own experience and thankfully on the final occasion, I sought a second opinion and ended up moving vets. Can't tell you how many thousands I'd spent until that point.

[Linda K]

with our horses, we have to know how to give needles, intravenous and subcutaneous, otherwise we would be up for horrendous charges just to do the annual tetanus / strangles needles vaccinations. They are not that hard to dop, my OH even has de-caslicked a mare, and believe me, that is not for the faint hearted

[Cody]

The Greencross vets are a chain store.

Would never go to the, way to generic and expensive.

Would rather my independant vet who has been treating pets for 25 years.

[Ashanali]

There is NO way they would've let a client in while performing surgery. We did actually have people ask if they could and they were always refused. They were told that they could sit in the waiting room if they liked and we would keep them updated.

I have photos from Kayo's last surgery and video from when they drained her seratoma. the video is on youtube. The vet asked for the link so he could go watch

[Staranais]

That's one of the big differences between small & large animal practice, I find. In smallies, you don't often have the owners watching you doing surgery on their animals. Whereas I've seen a cow caesarian where we had the entire farm crew & their wives & kids hanging over the fence watching us in awe as we grubbed round inside the cow.

[PaddyForever]

Yet another reason to be grateful I live in the stix. I am allowed (and now expected lol) to be present for each and every surgical or medical procedure carried out on any of my own animals, plus my fosters, I stand at the Operating table and hold the animal while they sedate it. I stay throughout t the procedure and only leave when the procedure is finished and the animal is caged and sleeping off the aneasthetic. Once the animal is awake i return to collect it.

I cannot think of any reason why I would leave any of my animals overnight at the vets. I have no issues bringing them home on a drip if necessary. I know they will get a lot more diligent care at home with me where I will sleep beside them and watch them all night. If I have any concerns I would phone the vet immediately.

I doubt I would be allowed that kind of unrestricted access to my pet in the city. I would find it difficult to entrust someone who I didnt know very well on a personal level with the care of my animals, especially overnight. I dont believe my vet charges me for anything he hasnt actually done, and his rates are very reasonable. An AI last weekend cost me $45, cant complain about that!

Its scary to think what may go on behind closed doors at big city vets

I've been allowed to watch some procedures, too. And been entrusted to help on occasion. I also have a country vet, and I will stick with them as long as I can. I have lived in several towns, and always travel to take my dogs to the same clinic, or they come to me, as they did this week to vaccinate and microchip my current litter. Sure, I could have gotten it done a bit cheaper, but I owe my loyalty to my vet, and if enough of us feel that way, and reccomend them to our puppy buyers, then hopefully they won't go under if these chains become even more prolific...My vet has met me at midnight to perform a caesarian on one of my dogs on more than one occasion. He has come out at night to help me tube-feed a struggling, rejected litter, and shown me how to do it myself. He treated my darling old dog with dignity as he helped to end a long, wonderful life, when the time had come...Oh, yes, I owe my vet my loyalty.

Edited September 1, 2010 by PaddyForever