elle

Like I said - the exception to the rule is very critical patients.

It is impossible to take it "case by case" in the emergency clinic - we have two treatment areas with probably about 10 wet tables and a staff large enough so that at any given time we can be working on all of them at once. It is an open area, unlike a human hospital. Multiply that 10 patients by the average 2-3 people that come with each patient and you wouldn't even be able to move! Sometimes there isn't time to find out whether or not someone can handle the situation - patients get rushed in more quickly than you can blink. It might not be ideal for everyone, but it is a rule set up for us to be able to provide the highest quality care possible, and we will not sacrifice that.


Again, as I said earlier it is not that they are too sick to go home, it is that many owners are incapable of caring for post-surgical patients. We certainly won't make your pet stay overnight against your wishes, but you are fully informed of the risks of not following discharge instructions -- when i discuss this with people, many people actually CHOOSE to leave their pet in the hospital.

And no, personally, I wouldn't leave an animal of mine alone in a hospital overnight unattended either... If the situation required it, I would leave my pet in a 24-hour facility. But that is because *I* have a problem with it -- not because my dog would. Most pets are absolutely fine left overnight.

And believe it or not, there is a large percentage of people out there that ABSOLUTELY REFUSE to transfer their pets to 24-hour facilities. We end up leaving actually sick (not just post-routine surgery) patients in the hospital overnight alone because the owners refuse to transfer even though they are told it is against medical advice. People have refused transfer for the following reasons: cost, they have a 'hot date', they have to pick up the kids from soccer, etc. The average pet owner, sadly, has drastically different feelings about their pets than most of the people on this forum -- you are all here because you care about your pets enough to want to learn, discuss, share, etc.

The people on this forum, the people involved in the "dog world" are the creme de la creme of dog owners... I can only think of a handful of clients that are "in the know" -- I only see people involved in training/showing/working/etc maybe a few times a YEAR! The average pet owner I see has NO IDEA what the current issues in vet med are...

The average pet owner: does not notice their pet is even sick until it is close to unresponsive/suffering a massive hemorrhage/hasn't eaten in a week/has been vomiting for months/has lost 50% of its body weight, etc etc etc. The average pet owner flat out refuses to take care of basic health needs (such as high quality food, dental hygiene, exercise, mental stimulation, etc).

Therefore, it is my job to do the best for the animals no matter who the owner. Obviously when I run into an owner that is knowledgeable and truly concerned, I cater to them and we bend the rules -- but believe me, they are very few and far between.

Why do you think back yard breeders and puppy mills are that prosperous in this country? Because a large percentage of the pet owning population really is that ill-informed to fall for the gimmicks.

Say its 3am in the morning - you rush to the e-clinic with your unconscious/bleeding/whatever pet -- you want me to take the time and talk to you to see whether or not you seem capable of coming into the back with me or do you want me to rush your pet back and start working on it immediately so there is a chance I can actually save its life? My triage for patients this critical usually consists of a "tell me what happened as quickly as possible, tell me any known health problems/allergies/medications, and do you want emergency care to stabilize your pet that could run between $300-$800?"

In less critical and outpatient situations, you don't want your pet to be taken to the back without you? Fine, I do what I can in the room, you still don't get to go in back. If owners request, I will pull blood, place catheters, give treatments, etc in the exam room. If the patient is being admitted or requires any type of surgical procedure, that's where it ends.

People are waaay more squeamish than you're giving them credit for - I've had people pass out in an exam room while taking their pet's temperature rectally! I had a football-playing 17 year old boy go ghost white when I took a DROP of blood from his dog for a BG. I'd say almost half the people I put in rooms are royally grossed out by rectal temperatures and have to turn away when vaccines are given!

And last but not least -- the rule was instituted when there was a threat of a lawsuit from a client that was bit by an animal in the outpatient treatment area. Of course they were told to keep their hands at their side, not touch anything, not to disturb any of the animals -- and what do they do?! STICK THEIR FINGERS IN THE CAGE OF AN AGGRESSIVE CAT! So what is the old adage? One rotten apple ruins the entire barrel... Thats the way it goes in our society.

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Lydia & Bowie's Under Pressure, CD RA CGC

velmadobe

I go to a large vet practice with currently 9 vets on staff. It does not have 24 hour emergency care for the general public, but does have 24 hour emergency care for clients............ which is why I pass two other vet clinics to go there They do have a vet tech stay overnight to care for/monitor overnight patients - and there is often a vet in attendance as well due to incoming emergencies - there is always a vet on call 24 hours a day.

They don't normally allow people in the back, but have gotten to know me over the 10+ year period that I have been going there and do allow me back. I even put on a lead apron in order to hold Louise when she had her x-ray the week before her due date. I have no medical training but have acted as the vet tech in an emergency situation after hours.

I know I get privlages that the average owner does not - but I have earned it over the years.

I went to the new vaccine protocal well before my vet office did and had to argue for it - they have now come around for the most part.

I love my vet's office - but I make it work for me.

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Dillon's Barclay Amy CD RN WAC CGC TDInc "Velma"
CH Cha-Rish A Moment Like This RN WAC CGC "Louise"
Fitzmar's Command A Minute "Harvard" (10 pts/both majors)
http://fitzmardobermans.freeservers.com/

Murreydobe

I've got it good-the vet clinic I use offers emergency services at night, so there's always techs and a vet there 24/7. Because I agree with many of the others-if my dog is so sick it needs to be hospitalized overnight, then it's too sick to be left anywhere alone.

As far as going into the treament rooms in the back..I'm pretty ambivalent about that. If I didn't trust my vet, I wouldn't use them..I dont feel the need to supervise every procedure my dog might have. Beyond that, one lesson I learned VERY well when I was grooming dogs was most dogs behave far better when their owner isn't there...

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CH. Birchrun Who's On First, aka Razzle
Foxfire N KO Simply Madness WAC, aka Connor

talentdobe

The key is developing a relationship with your veterinarian- mutual trust. I do NOT allow clients in back that I don't know, or allow them to take their animals home after major surgeries. If you came into my clinic making demands, I would politely suggest that perhaps you would be happier elsewhere. If you were pleasant, and nicely expressed your concerns, and we had a chance to talk about your experience handling your dogs during/after medical procedures and you could convince me that your dog would be better off in your care, then I might consider it.

That being said, our practice has a HUGE breeder/show/working clientele. I have many clients that I allow in back during radiographs and other procedures. Some of those clients I also allow to take their dogs home after spays or neuters, but these are people that I have been working with for years, we have established that mutual trust, and we have discussed it prior to the day of the procedure- it is NOT routine policy for your average pet owner to take their pet home the day of surgery- for the many reasons covered above. We do not have 24 hour care, but we do have an excellent emergency facility close by that I am happy to transfer patients to if people are uncomfortable leaving their pets in the hospital overnight.

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