Are you happy with your vet? - YorkieTalk.com Forums

Higgin's Mom · 05-25-2004, 05:30 AM

We have been taking Pogo to a veterinary clinic here since I moved to Maine with him in 1998. The vets are fine. In fact, I particularly like a new young woman vet that we have been seeing. BUT.....I don't like some of their office policies as they are designed to get money, money, money out of you. For instance, they will not sell you Frontline unless they examine the dog and he/she is up to date on all shots, etc. And the girl at the front desk, who lets you know these policies in no uncertain terms, would have been a star in the Gestapo!

We purchased Higgins while were in Florida for the winter. We had two wonderful vets there! Higgins had a checkup the day before we left, April 30th, and Doc Magill pronounced him very healthy and said that all he needed was his final parvo booster and his rabies when we got home on May 1st. Higgins had some coccidiae when we first got him and Doc Magill saw him every 10 days from February 18th until we left. Well, MY vet wouldn't take my word for anything! They wanted to do ANOTHER heartworm test, ANOTHER fecal, ANOTHER this, ANOTHER that, despite my having all of Higgins records! Told me it was required of all new patients. Well, I told them that no, Higgins just needed his parvo and his rabies. Then they wanted to give my old Pogo the complete works. Pogo's rabies is a two year one and still good and he has had all his shots and boosters every year. HOWEVER, Pogo is now 12 years old and having researched a bit, I don't think he needs his boosters EVERY year. The current thinking is that it isn't necessary. In fact, current veterinary science is now saying that complete vaccinations every single year may even be harmful, particularly to older dogs. WELL, the Gestapo girl at the front desk (while there was a line of people waiting to see her) launched into a long lecture about a woman who didn't have her childrens' boosters given on time and one of her children DIED, and that I should definitely reconsider my position! What a guilt trip she tried on me! I was appalled and embarrassed in front of others and slunk out the door and then FUMED all the way home.

So I'm vet shopping. And when I find one I like, I will write a letter to the old clinic telling them why I left.

In the meantime, we plan to have Doc Magill in Florida take care of our dogs when we are there in the winter. He has been in practice for 30 years there, and his wife and daughter, plus a wonderful assistant run the clinic. They were so nice that Higgins actually LIKED going there! AND Doc Magill is very reasonable! He only charges $32 for an office visit. My vet in Maine charges $79 just to walk through the door, and charged me $236 to pull one of Pogo's teeth 4 years ago!

There is also a well known, holistic vet in Florida who does canine chiropractic and acupuncture, among other things. She is the one who set us right up on the right foods for Higgins the day we brought him home. She talked with us for half an hour and didn't charge for her time.

Okay, I'm calmer now.......lol........I know Bettye loves Dr. Lucy, but is everyone happy with their vets?

bettyeanne · 05-25-2004, 12:56 PM

Mary Ellen .... Sounds like that vet "Doth think more highly of himself than he ought"!

Those prices are unbelievable ... we generally have Toto gone over nose to tail when she visits Dr. Lucy ... complete exam will include nails, ears, "poop" check for parisites, teeth check plus regular things like checking her little knees, trachea, etc. .... an exam like this has never cost us over $25!! Dr. Lucy of course is a small town vet who happens to raise, show and love little guys like ours which is why, I suppose, that she specializes in this particular breed! She has even assured us that if [God forbid] for any reason we found ourselves needing to board Toto that she will take her home with her at night! There are so many dangers for our little guys ... so many things I never dreamed of this lady has cautioned us about! Now ... I ask you ... what more could you want? [What Dr. Lucy doesn't know is that we would still make that 45 minute drive each way and be happy to pay whatever she asked!! Guess who gets a really nice Christmas gift this year??

Higgin's Mom · 05-25-2004, 01:46 PM

You are so blessed to have Dr. Lucy!!!! Give her a really gorgeous Christmas present this year!!!!

I called another vet clinic today and made an appointment for Higgins for a week from Friday to visit and have his anal glands checked since he has been scooching a bit lately. They insist on a "well puppy exam" so he will have yet another. They said it was state law and that they could not treat him without the exam. The exam costs a VERY reasonable $25. I asked about other prices and they are a little more reasonable than our last vet. So, we will see. They certainly sounded VERY nice on the phone and the ad in the yellow pages says they are the only animal hospital with full accreditation in the area. They are also located on Pet Haven Lane, opposite our local (very nice) animal shelter. I will certainly let you know how it goes.

By the way, she said that now that Higgins is lifting his leg (and he does it all the time now), we need to have him spayed right away. $95.75 and $29 IF I would like the anesthesia blood profile done, though they don't require it. She said they may not want to remove teeth and insert the chip at the same time as they do not like to leave them "under" very long, which I rather liked.

EVERYTHING is more expensive in the so-called fancy Northeast! All those wealthy preppies, dontcha know.......

Hugs and hoots,
M.E.

bettyeanne · 05-26-2004, 03:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Higgin's Mom

By the way, she said that now that Higgins is lifting his leg (and he does it all the time now), we need to have him spayed right away. $95.75 and $29 IF I would like the anesthesia blood profile done, though they don't require it. She said they may not want to remove teeth and insert the chip at the same time as they do not like to leave them "under" very long, which I rather liked.

EVERYTHING is more expensive in the so-called fancy Northeast! All those wealthy preppies, dontcha know.......

Hugs and hoots,
M.E.

Thanks! Don't know what we would do without Dr. Lucy! Sounds like you may have found a good one ... I think the main thing is if they care more about the animal than the big bucks! Toto was actually almost 8 months but the vet said it's a little different for the smaller ones. She was more concerned that those permanent teeth be there because she wanted to get the baby ones out and spay at the same time so she would only get anesthesia one time. That's the danger for our little guys ... they are so small they can only have a little or they won't wake up! Toto didn't completely wake up good until the next day! She never left our arms except to drink & go teetee. She wouldn't eat anything for several days! I don't know what the anesthesia blood profile is for? Does it have anything to do with quantity? You may want to get them to explain. Keep me posted!

fasteddie · 05-26-2004, 03:33 PM

I usually avoid any kind of doctor's offices that only want money, money, money, for man or dog. :P

We've been pretty lucky, but we've only had the normal routine checkups. The prices are reasonable here. Once we did take Yoda to ER (I fed him a small bone that got stuck in his throat), but they didn't charge all that much to look at him.

browniesmom622 · 03-26-2005, 09:30 AM

my vet is great i only get charged for shots and stuff they cut there nails and everything else for free thats kaykos favorite place to be

artie merlino · 03-27-2005, 08:36 AM

Since we travel alot, Artie needs shots and we have had to get thim in the city where we were at, at that moment. Since we are new to this area and he needs his Annual physical and more shots, I have found that you really need to call/shop around for reasonble prices! One Hospital was charging me $270.00 and for the same visit I found another Hospital charging only $70.00 for the same services? What's the difference? It's the same vaccine. Nothing special. As far as care and attention or customer service, they all love animals otherwise they wouldn't do it for a living! It pays to do research especially if you have more than one fur person to care for.

Harbinger · 03-27-2005, 08:42 AM

My vets very good and very expensive

He's an older guy with a great disposition and he loves yorkies and considered one of top vets in Toronto for toys.

*EDIT* Well that's got to be one of the best run-on sentences I've had in a while....

chachi · 03-27-2005, 09:30 AM

I like our vet Dr. Chris. He is has a very personal approach. His pricing is in the medium I would say for our area. He also has alot of yorkies he cares for in his practice so that is comforting.

aimee · 03-27-2005, 09:42 AM

I love our vet - he specializes in toy breeds and is very patient with all my questions/concerns about Sandy. He's very expensive, but well worth it.

05-25-2004, 05:30 AM	#1
Higgin's Mom YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Florida Posts: 852	Are you happy with your vet? We have been taking Pogo to a veterinary clinic here since I moved to Maine with him in 1998. The vets are fine. In fact, I particularly like a new young woman vet that we have been seeing. BUT.....I don't like some of their office policies as they are designed to get money, money, money out of you. For instance, they will not sell you Frontline unless they examine the dog and he/she is up to date on all shots, etc. And the girl at the front desk, who lets you know these policies in no uncertain terms, would have been a star in the Gestapo! We purchased Higgins while were in Florida for the winter. We had two wonderful vets there! Higgins had a checkup the day before we left, April 30th, and Doc Magill pronounced him very healthy and said that all he needed was his final parvo booster and his rabies when we got home on May 1st. Higgins had some coccidiae when we first got him and Doc Magill saw him every 10 days from February 18th until we left. Well, MY vet wouldn't take my word for anything! They wanted to do ANOTHER heartworm test, ANOTHER fecal, ANOTHER this, ANOTHER that, despite my having all of Higgins records! Told me it was required of all new patients. Well, I told them that no, Higgins just needed his parvo and his rabies. Then they wanted to give my old Pogo the complete works. Pogo's rabies is a two year one and still good and he has had all his shots and boosters every year. HOWEVER, Pogo is now 12 years old and having researched a bit, I don't think he needs his boosters EVERY year. The current thinking is that it isn't necessary. In fact, current veterinary science is now saying that complete vaccinations every single year may even be harmful, particularly to older dogs. WELL, the Gestapo girl at the front desk (while there was a line of people waiting to see her) launched into a long lecture about a woman who didn't have her childrens' boosters given on time and one of her children DIED, and that I should definitely reconsider my position! What a guilt trip she tried on me! I was appalled and embarrassed in front of others and slunk out the door and then FUMED all the way home. So I'm vet shopping. And when I find one I like, I will write a letter to the old clinic telling them why I left. In the meantime, we plan to have Doc Magill in Florida take care of our dogs when we are there in the winter. He has been in practice for 30 years there, and his wife and daughter, plus a wonderful assistant run the clinic. They were so nice that Higgins actually LIKED going there! AND Doc Magill is very reasonable! He only charges $32 for an office visit. My vet in Maine charges $79 just to walk through the door, and charged me $236 to pull one of Pogo's teeth 4 years ago! There is also a well known, holistic vet in Florida who does canine chiropractic and acupuncture, among other things. She is the one who set us right up on the right foods for Higgins the day we brought him home. She talked with us for half an hour and didn't charge for her time. Okay, I'm calmer now.......lol........I know Bettye loves Dr. Lucy, but is everyone happy with their vets? Last edited by Higgin's Mom; 05-25-2004 at 05:37 AM.

05-25-2004, 12:56 PM	#2
bettyeanne Donating YT 7000 Club Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Alabama, etc. Posts: 9,031	Mary Ellen .... Sounds like that vet "Doth think more highly of himself than he ought"! Those prices are unbelievable ... we generally have Toto gone over nose to tail when she visits Dr. Lucy ... complete exam will include nails, ears, "poop" check for parisites, teeth check plus regular things like checking her little knees, trachea, etc. .... an exam like this has never cost us over $25!! Dr. Lucy of course is a small town vet who happens to raise, show and love little guys like ours which is why, I suppose, that she specializes in this particular breed! She has even assured us that if [God forbid] for any reason we found ourselves needing to board Toto that she will take her home with her at night! There are so many dangers for our little guys ... so many things I never dreamed of this lady has cautioned us about! Now ... I ask you ... what more could you want? [What Dr. Lucy doesn't know is that we would still make that 45 minute drive each way and be happy to pay whatever she asked!! Guess who gets a really nice Christmas gift this year?? __________________ Toto's Mom - http://www.dogster.com/?206581 Yorkie Rescue Colorado - http://www.yorkierescuecolorado.com/ "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has limits." -- Albert Einstein

03-26-2005, 09:30 AM	#6
browniesmom622 Donating YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: ny Posts: 11,253 Blog Entries: 5	my vet is great i only get charged for shots and stuff they cut there nails and everything else for free thats kaykos favorite place to be __________________ We Love our Yt Angel! My Website< > FB page

03-27-2005, 08:36 AM	#7
artie merlino YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Myrtle Beach,SC Posts: 697	Shop for Vets! Since we travel alot, Artie needs shots and we have had to get thim in the city where we were at, at that moment. Since we are new to this area and he needs his Annual physical and more shots, I have found that you really need to call/shop around for reasonble prices! One Hospital was charging me $270.00 and for the same visit I found another Hospital charging only $70.00 for the same services? What's the difference? It's the same vaccine. Nothing special. As far as care and attention or customer service, they all love animals otherwise they wouldn't do it for a living! It pays to do research especially if you have more than one fur person to care for.

03-27-2005, 08:42 AM	#8
Harbinger Donating Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Toronto Posts: 371	My vets very good and very expensive He's an older guy with a great disposition and he loves yorkies and considered one of top vets in Toronto for toys. EDIT Well that's got to be one of the best run-on sentences I've had in a while.... Last edited by Harbinger; 03-27-2005 at 08:46 AM.

05-25-2004, 01:46 PM	#3
Higgin's Mom YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Florida Posts: 852	You are so blessed to have Dr. Lucy!!!! Give her a really gorgeous Christmas present this year!!!! I called another vet clinic today and made an appointment for Higgins for a week from Friday to visit and have his anal glands checked since he has been scooching a bit lately. They insist on a "well puppy exam" so he will have yet another. They said it was state law and that they could not treat him without the exam. The exam costs a VERY reasonable $25. I asked about other prices and they are a little more reasonable than our last vet. So, we will see. They certainly sounded VERY nice on the phone and the ad in the yellow pages says they are the only animal hospital with full accreditation in the area. They are also located on Pet Haven Lane, opposite our local (very nice) animal shelter. I will certainly let you know how it goes. By the way, she said that now that Higgins is lifting his leg (and he does it all the time now), we need to have him spayed right away. $95.75 and $29 IF I would like the anesthesia blood profile done, though they don't require it. She said they may not want to remove teeth and insert the chip at the same time as they do not like to leave them "under" very long, which I rather liked. EVERYTHING is more expensive in the so-called fancy Northeast! All those wealthy preppies, dontcha know....... Hugs and hoots, M.E.

05-26-2004, 03:33 PM	#5
fasteddie *YT 6000 Club Member* Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 6,238	I usually avoid any kind of doctor's offices that only want money, money, money, for man or dog. :P We've been pretty lucky, but we've only had the normal routine checkups. The prices are reasonable here. Once we did take Yoda to ER (I fed him a small bone that got stuck in his throat), but they didn't charge all that much to look at him.

03-27-2005, 09:30 AM	#9
chachi I Love My Yorkies Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Posts: 37,147	I like our vet Dr. Chris. He is has a very personal approach. His pricing is in the medium I would say for our area. He also has alot of yorkies he cares for in his practice so that is comforting. __________________ Chachi's & Jewels Mom Jewels http://www.dogster.com/?132431 Chachi http://www.dogster.com/?132427

03-27-2005, 09:42 AM	#10
aimee The Royal Mommy Donating Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: California Posts: 2,010	I love our vet - he specializes in toy breeds and is very patient with all my questions/concerns about Sandy. He's very expensive, but well worth it. __________________ (`'·.¸(`'·.¸ ¸.·'´)¸.·'´) «´¨ `·.¸¸.Aimée, Sandy, and Tia.¸¸.·´¨`» (¸.·'´(¸.·'´ `'·.¸)`'·.¸)