What to do? Very unprofessional response from behaviourist

[Adrienne]

On 16/11/2023 at 2:46 PM, Loving my Oldies said:

I bought a headlamp so I could see where I was going (the back yard isn't lit) and have my hands free to help the dogs.  I now use that all the time when I am cutting up tablets or giving eye drops. 

I love head lamps! Also, have you ever tried the magnifier head light? It adjusts down over in front of your eyes with two magnifying lens' and a little light. I bought one for trimming puppies nails (they are sooo tiny and sharp and must be trimmed but I was so scared of clipping their little toes). Works a treat and I imagine would be ideal for cutting tiny pills too.

[Loving my Oldies]

1 hour ago, Adrienne said:

I love head lamps! Also, have you ever tried the magnifier head light? It adjusts down over in front of your eyes with two magnifying lens' and a little light. I bought one for trimming puppies nails (they are sooo tiny and sharp and must be trimmed but I was so scared of clipping their little toes). Works a treat and I imagine would be ideal for cutting tiny pills too.

No, I don’t know about those, so I will have a google LOL.  I was thinking about getting a more powerful one, though.  Post a photo, please  

[Boronia]

Good to see you back @Adrienne

I hope you are well

[Adrienne]

7 hours ago, Loving my Oldies said:

No, I don’t know about those, so I will have a google LOL.  I was thinking about getting a more powerful one, though.  Post a photo,

Sorry I don't have mine on me, it's in storage. They are called Optivisors, or Glass magnifying headset. They have a little LED light and some come with different lenses. They are not expensive - I think I paid under $30 for mine brand new. I found it online by googling the product and my city. I was able to purchase and pick up from a warehouse. If you needed it posted they are not heavy! A very handy piece of equipment.

[Deeds]

My vet uses these head lamps.  Always reminds me of coal miners.

[alexsrentier]

On 10/11/2023 at 6:43 AM, Loving my Oldies said:

I'll to make this coherent LOL. 

 

I have been fostering a little dog with severe trauma for just over a year.  She has made huge improvements, but is still very scared and still runs when I approach her.  She was prescribed various medications one being Fluoxetine and also came with Alprazalom from the RSPCA.  This latter was discontinued in favour of the Fluoxetine.  

 

When the Fluoxetine was finished, I contacted the rescuer and behaviourist for a new script, but before that was issued, I went through my "box of tricks" and found the Alprazalom and gave her that.  I contacted the behaviourist vet who said that was fine and to continue to give her the Alprazalom for a few weeks to see whether that seemed to have a more beneficial effect than the Fluoxetine.   After a few weeks and further consultation with the vet, we continued with the Alprazalom.  

 

When I needed a new script for the Alprazalom, I contacted the vet and she dropped this off in my letterbox.  I took the script to the chemist only to find that it was a restricted drug and he would have to get it in.  I tried a couple of more places and managed to source it, but would have to wait a couple of days. 

 

I collected the meds and when I opened them, I saw they were a different colour from the ones I'd being giving.  I checked the original container which came from the RSPCA and discovered that they were 0.5mg 1/2 tablet once daily whereas the new meds were 1.0mg yet still 1/2 tablet a day.  I looked at the script and saw that they vet had actually crossed out 0.5mg and written 1.0mg dose, but did not adjust the dosage.  

 

Again, I contacted the vet and was advised to give 1/4 tablet daily.  I was concerned at this because the tablets are already very small and was worried about daily dosage being plus or minus what was necessary.  

 

Note that only once in all this contact with the vet did I actually get to speak with her; all messages went back and forth with her assistant.  At one stage, I said to the assistant that I thought the vet could have popped in for a few minutes when she left the script in my letterbox.  I was told, no, she is too busy.  

 

I finally decided to write an email to the vet copying in her assistant and the rescuer.  This is my email:  

 

Dear [XYZ]

 

I am very disturbed that [DOG] was prescribed the wrong dosage of Alprazalom. 

 

Of course, I admit that  should have picked up on the fact that you had crossed out 0.5mg and replaced with 1.0mg and queried it, but one tends to trust that our professionals have been correct in their prescriptions, but in future I will be looking at every detail on prescriptions. 

 

The biggest worry is that you failed to adjust the daily dosage from ½ a tablet to ¼ tablet.  It was only when I opened the package and noticed that the tablets were a different colour from those I had been using, that I investigated and saw the mistakes on the prescription.  It is a powerful medication and I cannot help but feel very concerned at what would have been the affect on [DOG] had she been receiving double the dose.  I am also now concerned at having to cut an already very small tablet in quarters, in as much as it is extremely difficult to be exact and I worry that the doses are going to be plus or minus that prescribed. 

 

This medication is very hard to source and I had to visit in person and ring around chemists until I was able to find it, and then I had to wait a couple of days before it was ready to collect. 

 

As you know, after I had looked at the script and the previous bottle from the RSPCA, I immediately tried to contact you, but had to pass messages back and forth with Sheila – who, I have to say, was extremely efficient and accurate in passing on my messages.  Even so, I would have preferred to have been able to talk to you directly. 

 

Regards

Cynthia

 

I have read this through several times and cannot see anything controversial or aggressive in it.  However, the response from the vet has left me gobsmacked and in a real quandary.  This is the vet's response - no greeting or salutation:

 

[DOG] is on a very low dose. I did make a mistake and put a more standard does. 

 

I’m sorry you feel that way but I’m very happy to forward [DOG] medical notes on to another vet.

 

Regards

[XYZ]

 

I think this response is really very poor and extremely unprofessional, but wonder whether it is worth pursuing.  The rescuer of the little dog thinks this vet is amazing, but from my one meeting when she came to assess [DOG], the emailed "assessment" of [DOG] was obviously a cut-and-paste job from a pro forma response and the fact that she is rarely available to talk directly with me, I don't think the same.  

 

Thoughts please.  Don't be too rough with me though LOL.  

 

Edited to add:  I was confused and puzzled by some of the responses, but then realised I haven't explained the vet's set up at all.  She is not a vet that you take your pet to for a consult; rather, she is a behaviourist and she visits you and your dog at home.  After the initial consultation all contact is via the phone which is answered by a (human) answering service and then her assistant returns the call.  I don’t know how much time she spends in the office, but she has been out on the road or at consults whenever I have phoned which is why she has dropped the scripts in and which is why I was surprised she didn’t drop in to see for herself the progress of one of her patients.  

 

 

 

I usually check with 2-3 veterinarians for the exact dosage of the medication for my dog! And I check everything on the Internet because I value the life of my pet because there can always be mistakes, even among professionals!!

Edited November 23, 2023 by alexsrentier
error

[Adrienne]

On 23/11/2023 at 3:03 PM, alexsrentier said:

I usually check with 2-3 veterinarians for the exact dosage of the medication for my dog!

Extraordinary 

[Mairead]

Maybe they mean they check online sources? Because breed, weight, age, other medications and general condition will influence dose. Vets won't want to give that advice by phone. So two or three consults with different vets per medical issue?

Edited November 25, 2023 by Mairead