Interviewing for your new vet

[Marty]

Due to gas increases, the trip charge alone from my vet to here has gone up to a whopping $250.00. Yea, they are kinda far from me. :new_shocked:

I haul over there when I need to, but there's just sometimes that I know I'll have to have a vet get here quickly, so I thought I would interview some other vets from surrounding counties that may be closer. What I found amazed me.

These are some of the questions that I asked 4 vets and was surprised to hear some of their answers.

1. Are you well versed in some of the special needs/problems that arises in Miniature Horses?

2. What is your recommended de-worming program?

3. Do you recommend the use of Quest?

4. Do you recommend the use of Bute?

5. Do you have equipment to fit a miniature horse such as:

a. miniature sized floats for floating teeth?

b. tube for oiling during a colic episode?

6. Can you ultrasound and do internal/external or palpate with your hand?

7. Are you aware that many miniatures have ulcers?

8. Do you have any experience in hyperlipemia?

9. How do you estimate weight for Miniature Horse dosages for meds ?

10. Can I depend on you for after hour emergency calls or do you have someone else available on call for me when you are not on duty?

11. $$$$ charges for different routine things.

My Responses:

1. Everyone of them said "yes" They all have Miniature Horses for clients.

2. All different responses and no one suggested running a fecal at all.

3. None liked the Quest wormer

4. Yes. 100% They seem to think that it's ok if you watch the dosage.

5. A & B NO and NO

6. All but 1 said NO. They said their hands are just too big.

7. All but 1 said no, that it's very uncommon and have never treated a horse for ulcers.

8. One said huh? One said yes, and the others said no.

9. Most said "just eyeball and guesstimate" use a weight tape, one said that he bases miniature horse weight on 350 lbs as a rule of thumb.

10. Most vets said that they are on a limited emergency calls for after hours.

All of them said they do have an answer machine/cell phone and to leave a message on it and they

might check it if they are not busy with something else.

None had an associate to refer to in an emergency situation. One said no after hours or weekends at all.

11. Most coggins tests were about the same cost.....within a dollar or two. Vaccines were very different in which ones to give and costs ranges varried from "OK to BOING" and also in frequencey recommendations and none of the vets seemed to agree on which shots to give at what time. All different answers and different opinions.

I think this is very interesting some of the responses I got and also very important for people to know just how much to expect from your vet before getting completely established with one. There will be times that you need to count on your vet to be there and show up for you so I think it's a great idea to get things straight and understood before you have a crisis on your hands. I don't like surprises when it comes to availablity and it's very important that you get your information up front.

It's truly amazing that I've found such different opinons from vets on the same subject.

Anyone else have any questions that they would ask their prospective vet?

 

[mountain_waif]

....

 

[miniaddiction]

Marty What a good Topic!

Im looking for a new vet now too.

I would ask if and how many Geldings and more complicated operations they have done on a mini and were they successful?

If they have mini clients, do they have an biggish farms for clients. If others use them you can get a ref.

I especially like your last question. Our last vet would rather talk you through things on the phone instead of getting out of his warm bed.... Not exactly my idea of an emergency service.....

 

[Relic]

Wow interesting answers seems not even vets can agree on the same issue sometimes. We have a new equine hospital with 5 vets on staff that opened about 40 minutes away and they specialize in minis and have the smaller insturments needed. Pricy but l like them they have 5 on staff and well come out after midnight at a price which is nice cause you just never know and to pay is better then a horse suffering. They even knew that Quest and Bute can have disasterous results on some minis but believe not all are affected by there use..

 

[RJRMINIS]

Let me tell you in my area finding a vet that will treat your minis and other horses for that matter like equines and not like cows is tricky................I had the best vet in the world about an hour away, but he ended up with a brain tumor, and after treatment retired.

SO Now I have another vet I use, he is closer, has come anytime I need him, but I find myself pulling out my Veterinary guide to miniature horses VERY often...............Thankfully he isn't so stuck up or cocky that he will look at what I want him to read or tell him about.

We tried the foal-proof tests to check my maidens this year, had him draw the blood and spin it and we ran them together...............

Well I hate to put them down(the tests) but we had 2 positives and one iffy one..............

All 3 mares never looked bred, and I sold one, the new owner said she came in heat and she bred her, I thought ok.....that was the iffy one.

Well now my 2 maidens are in heat, so I decided to expose them...............well they are definatley not in foal......since they are now being bred.

SO I guess we just kinda learn together.....I have alot of info I learned from my first vet that retired that I use when need be!

I keep hoping when they hire new vets to come into practice with them that one time there will be one that specializes in miniature horses, or equines for that matter!

 

[Miniv]

Marty,

EXCELLENT questions!

And interesting timing for me..... We just had a local vet come to US to see our place, our horses, and allow us to interview him. He basically allowed me to TELL HIM what I wanted from him. The important thing for me was that he was willing to be open minded about the different needs we had for our minis and that we often do a lot of vetting ourselves and just need his supplies!

He was also willing to be available for night time foaling emergencies, which is of major importance here. Next time I see him, I need to ask him his opinion of Quest, Bute, etc.... and then basically TELL him how WE do things.

:

MA

 

[Marty]

One of my questions was "

what vaccines would you recommend to my area in this state"?

I was getting ready to place an order with Jeffers for my anual "usual" Encevac TC4 that I have used for years, but now that I am breeding a little bit and other things are going on, I wondered about if a change in vaccines for us would be warrented? Maybe going to a 5-way?

I could not get a straight answer. No one was unaminous.

 

[bitsy]

I think one of the most important things about finding a vet for your mini, is if you can't find one that is extremely well versed in mini care at least find one that is willing to learn. So many vets "know it all" and won't take the time to learn about what the minis need. I've been very lucky, have used the same vet now for over 14 years, when she first started with me she knew very little about minis but was more than willing to learn. At first she wouldn't give me anything she wasn't sure about with minis until checking with Ohio State U or Penn State U. She was great and now people bring her minis from quite a distance because she has gotten a reputation for knowing how to treat them. I had heard so many horror stories of vets killing minis because of ignorance, I'm very lucky to have my vet, she knows I won't call unless there is truly and emergency and she will come at any hour of the day or night! Sooooooo important

:

 

[Miniv]

Bitsy,

You are indeed very lucky. We had a vet like that for about 12 years....then moved too far away. I know vets like that are one in a million, but I can always hope???

MA

 

[midnight star stables]

:new_shocked: :aktion033:

 

[Karma Creek Minis]

:aktion033: :aktion033:

Thank you for posting this marty! This is will come in handy for me when I find a vet that will actually DRIVE here.... we arent in the middle of no where, not on a mountain

:we are off a major road, and near a major highway... they just wont come to us!

: but now i have a list to ask our new vet(s) when i hunt one down that will come here! but for now, im trailering them for shots and such...

:

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

Another important thing is to let the prospective vet know what he will encounter and what you can offer him as a client.

I always make sure they know my horses are well mannered, he wont be waiting an hour for me to catch and corner them. They dont need to be twitched or tranqulized to have routine vet care done.

If doing multiple horses I will have them ready and waiting for him.

 

[Mona]

Unfortunately, this would not even be an option for me as there is only one vet in out area.