Need some help - quick
We are taking Loa and Kona to the vet today, in about 30 minutes - a new vet (didn't like our other vet).
Any idea or suggestions on what I should ask in order to best gauge the vet's abilities and general vetness?
We are taking Loa and Kona to the vet today, in about 30 minutes - a new vet (didn't like our other vet).
Any idea or suggestions on what I should ask in order to best gauge the vet's abilities and general vetness?
Comments
I agree with that 100% as well. I've also looked for how the vet interacts with the dogs. Do they treat them like an object they are being paid to work on or do they react to their personality. Lucy loves to get up on her hind legs and wave both her front paws when new people (or people she hasn't seen for a while) enter the room. I look for her vet to react positively to that and to show her attention. I also look for the vet to be interested in the whole picture. Do you they ask you about your daily routine with the dog. Do they listen when you volunteer information. Do they wait for you to say everything you want to say in response to a question or cut you off when they have heard what they want to hear. Do they explain why they ask certain questions.
I also look at the staff as well. IMO, the staff is a reflection of the vets. Do the tech's make an attempt to comfort the dog or just restrain them. Do they react positively to them. etc. Many of the same questions apply.
Good luck! I've been through the vet search and I know how frustrating it can be.
Wow,
Vets or Doctors it is amazing that half of us are still alive. Doesn't it seem that they are learning as they go and fumbling through it all. Ideally, I think that we should ask stupid questions and if you are not "dismissed or discredited" then you found a keeper.
Myself, when Woodie was still with me, I found my latest vet because she was a "Mobile Vet". Just the thought that a vet would come to my home, see my environment, and sit in my living room to discuss animal care sold me right off the bat; but when I explained that I stopped giving my dog rabies shots after 8 years of age because of health concerns she agreed with me and still offered to give him his care over the remainder of his time with me (he was 16 at the time, and lived another two years). We also discussed that if he was 16 and tested negative to heartworm, how silly it would be to continue because if he caught heartworm it would take up to three year to cause him harm; by then he would be near 20 and what would those chances be especially since he was indoors watching tv most of the time. She consistently agreed with my odd thoughts and even though she had no experience with livestock (chickens), that she would work with me with what ever avenue I would like to approach. A plus side to my vet is that she has a website with links to any question imaginable so that I can research and read on information that I need help on. I adore her. I wish she could be my doctor.
I think asking questions that are pertinent to your breed might enable you to filter your concerns. Like grain-free diets. If the vet lumps all dogs as one profile, turn and run like hell, or challenge the vet and see if they weigh your insights and knowledge. You just might figure out you have the biggest ally and support in your beliefs. After all, you need to question the box, alway think outside of it as there are many avenues and so few certainties in this world of ours.
Goodluck, Let us know how it went, Huggs Ron
I might be late on this one...
But i totally agree with everyone on that your vet should be very willing to explain everything that they are doing for the dog. I do think; however, it's important to ask a lot of "why" questions as well and see how he/she responds. I don't think that a good vet would be dismissive of any question since we see them as the experts. We trusted our old vet to the point that when Shinobi had to undergo certain things, we just said ok and didn't ask why enough. And i hate to be pessimistic, but a lot of ppl are out there just to make an extra buck at other ppl's expense. On the flip side, if you are constantly asking why, maybe that would be a red flag too, since your vet should be able to explain everything upfront.
One thing that i thought was really cool with our new vet was that he looked up the Shikoku breed when we brough Kiba in - showed that he wanted to do a little research about this breed that he was unfamiliar with rather than just do the basics.
Definitely go with your gut feeling just about the dr. I think if you have to "shop" around, then do it.
Hope it goes/went well!!
I agree with all of the above. I also want to see that the vet AND their staff are happy to see my animals.
When Piggy got spayed, I called to check and I got "What Piggy? Oh nope...no Piggy here, guess you don't have to pick her up (wink wink)" They would steal my dogs if let them.
That means a lot to me that they love my babies.
Not so much about what vets ask, but I watch how the vet actually approaches my dog. One vet walked in and tried to pet Nemo on the top of the head the first time he met him and it was "Bye Bye" to that vet. You don't walk up to a strange dog who is OBVIOUSLY very nervous (he was shaking) and pet it on top of the head.
Vets that come in and talk to me first, and ask how they should approach Nemo, or vets that whip out a box of treats and start handing him treats, those vets I like. To me it signals that they know something about dogs, outside of how give it a shot. That type of thing is big to me.
I still have not met "THE" vet that I will go to forever. I've met some good ones, very nice and capable, but none of them have been great. They haven't made me say "This, this is a vet!"
Yes there are a lot of vets here. The best vet I have ever delt with was an emergency vet who took care of our cat Homer when he had a bad UTI. He was fully blocked and they nursed him through it for 36 hours. If he wasn't the emergency vet ($$) I'd try and go to him all the time.
Thank you all so much for the input - I was able to pull this thread up on my phone at the vet to make sure I was not missing anything - you guys are so helpful - thanx so much!
----
This vet visit went well! The pups where a bit more nervous than in the past, but I really think that is due more to that fact that they see less traffic and people living out here on the Mesa.
The new vet was more in-line with what we where looking for, they where a small practice but still run like a business - which is important to us (a very small practice may tend to cut corners - a large practice doesn't care as much - a medium size is just right).
Our new vet approached the dogs with more excitement and interest, I would not say she was particularly interested in our breeds of dogs, but she did find them interesting w/o the breed knowledge. She was gentle and did teach us a thing or two. She explained everything and asked us if we had questions - she also checked all the vitals of the pups. That may be something you would expect, but our last vet in Taos didn't even get a weight on the dogs when we brought them in - kinda odd.
Most importantly, she past the BIG test - she cut Ahi's nails w/o loosing any digits! (that's an exaggeration - Ahi doesn't bite)... She was able to take Loa and Ahi both to the back and cut their nails w/ no issues or screams - anyone that owns a Shikoku knows that is the real test.
----
So thanks everyone for the help! Things went well, and we are much happier with the new vet.
"On the treat side of that, I like the vets who ask me first before they give my dog treats. They have milkbones at one of my vets, and they know to not give Moto or Piggy the cookies, since I keep them grain free. My other vet (I have two so I can always hedge my bets, and get a second opinion if necessary) just does dried turkey liver. I guess she has enough grain free clients that she had to switch."
I guess I just appreciate the gesture/effort of knowing the proper way to approach a dog. I'm not as restrictive as you are, as for what goes into Nemo. I figure crappy treats are just like having some junk food, as long as it's in moderation, it's fine.
Brad - Glad to hear your trip to the vet was a good one.
"I figure crappy treats are just like having some junk food, as long as it's in moderation, it's fine."
Keep in mind what a freaking goody two shoes I am. We don't drink, smoke, or eat junkfood, and then of course there is that whole vegan thing. Mom and Dad don't do junk food, neither do pups.
But I get what you're saying, and the gesture is always appreciated.
Nemo and I share the fact that our favorite snacks revolve around pork or beef fat. He goes nuts when I pull out a pack of beef sticks and he only gets one bite out of probably every 5 or more of them that I eat, but he doesn't seem to forget that bite. However I've started stocking more dried fruits and peanuts as snacks, well because they don't clog arteries as much. Nemo likes honey roasted peanuts, he's all over things I drop way before I can grab them.
Awesome that you feel good about your new vet. I perhaps may have been singing a sweet tune too quickly LOL....I too just came in from the vets.
My Shiba, Rudi, is now 14 weeks and although he had been treated for worms as a 9 week old and then again as a 12 week old, I found more worms in his stool. Turns out to be tapeworm versus round this time. Uggh.
At any rate, my vet scolded me for not having him in more control; I guess he was a bit more fidgety and would not sit still enough for her. She pulled his lips up to see his gums and he pulled back and I got scolded again. She tried to make him stop moving but he was like a little slinky LOL, so I got scolded again. She flipped when I described how he will scatter like crackers when he suspects me at coming for him with the leash, I got scolded once more.
Wow, to be a bad parent, I even got scolded for my choice of food because she feels if it is not something she is familiar with it has no value. I will send her a weblink later today.
I still love my vet, she just did not want to hear how I felt that he was on track with his breed. He hasn't even chewed a hole in a sock yet or marred my furniture. Now that would be an issue in my eyes. Oh well, in time I will take my scolding and take my wonderful little boy home to be happy.
Touche' for Great Spirit in making me out to be such a bad parent of a squigly little slinky monster LOL. My next appointment is in 30 days I better get a slightly less lecturing. <smile>
Huggs, Ron
Your vet sounds like she needs a vallium or at least to read up on shiba inus.
I would suggest that if she is so inappropriate and judgmental with you that you send her to this site and point out that she CLEARLY needs to educate herself on shibas. Or perhaps work on her approach with dogs.
Plenty of wonderful dogs don't like people messing with their mouthes, and she is young of course she is squirmy.
And shibas love to play games. Moto runs when we grab his leash. He will do anything to get us to chase him (we don't) but her sure as hell tries.
For some reason it makes me really mad that your vet would speak to you like that!
ARGH!!!
Yeah,
Well some just love lumping the entire dogworld as one.
No, I have not fed any raw meat except once with some small beef shavings; my vet thinks that the tapeworm was there since Tennessee before he came to me. There is also the chance that there could have been a field mouse out in my garden that he found without me noticing, but the vet feels the time frame is too short to have been hit with so many tapeworm. I am just happy to be addressing this once and for all.
I will keep my chin up and most definitely I mentioned this forum, I am so happy to have found all of you.
Thanks, Ron and Rudi
Rachael - you are missing out... a rare steak is so good.
Heidi - you should have screamed too! That's kinda rude of that vet.
Brandon - I am kinda on the fence about raw pork... you read some many different things. We have always avoided it tho.
Ron - I'm sure its a load off you mind to finally know what the issue is... poor Rubi.
*steps on to food snob soap box* Rachel if you cook a steak beyond medium, you might as well just not eat steak. *steps off food snob soap box*