Veterinarians

[Soggy Bottom Ranch]

Good morning Group!

I'm so curious to know just how many of you are comfortable with the knowledge and abilities of your horses veterinarians. Here in my area, I've tried the services of 3 different vets, and I have discovered issues with each vet that makes me question their abilities and knowledge. One told me he saw no reasons why Quest and Bute would be harmful for minis! He has also made a quick diagnosis on an alpaca weanling we had here 3 years ago, that was wrong, and effected the overall well being of our little girl. He told me I'd be wasting my money to do x-rays when I thought they were needed, and he insisted she would heal on her own, telling me she had a pulled muscle. When I demanded he do the x-ray, it wasn't muscular, it was a congenital defect that effected her everyday way of being, and comfort. I made the humane decision to uthenize our little girl shortly after that.

I've had another vet that told us it was his job to tell us what to do when we had him out for something, yet, he never wanted to go any further than absolutely possible to get a correct diagnosis. He always made educated guesses that were usually wrong. I would 85% of the time, end up paying another vet to get the correct treatment, which meant having to trailer hours away. I once questioned him why one of our older alpaca females was not eating as she normally would. It was in spring, when a change in weather was taking place. He said there was absolutely no medical reason why she would stop eating! Well, that female ended up going to a specialized camelid university hospital, where the owner was told she had cancer.

I've had a 3rd vet out here to check on some things with one of my geldings. When we bought him, we were told he was gelded........well, as we would come to find out, he wasn't........sort of! He had one dropped testical, and she told us without doing any further testing, or looking to see if there was a scar on him where he had been cut, that he was a chriptorchid, and it would cost into the thousands to geld him. She said we'd be better off just dealing with it if we liked this little guy enough to keep him. The people we bought him from insisted he was gelded. I had a second opinion on him, paid another vet, and had him sedated to see if there was in fact a scar down there. There was! We took the second testicle, and we now have a really nice gelding!

I had a vet tell me once that 50% of owner knowledge is gained by doing their own research........and he was right!

So, tell me if you do or do not trust your vet, and why.

Thank you! This should be interesting!

 

[Jill]

I am very confident in my vets. I've been using the same practice (Keswick Equine Clinic in Gordonsville, VA) since 1999. They are a practice of four vets and they are all very knowledgable and easy to talk to. I can have a vet at my place any time of day or night, any day of the year, within about an hour.

 

[Miniv]

Geri,

As you are finding out, every vet is different. They ARE human. So it does pay to shop around and do some research, etc.... And when you do find a vet you trust, stick to him/her like GLUE.....DEVELOP a CLOSE working relationship!

We use several different vets now that we moved about 30 miles away from our old place. But our best and favorite is the one we left behind! We stay in touch with him and he knows we still prefer to use him for a serious problem.

The other vets that are closer we call on for basic needs. We feel they don't have the knowledge of minis, nor are they as willing to learn, like our first vet was.

MA

 

[dannigirl]

We like our vet for several reasons. He will check into anything we ask about and not assume anything. If he is unable to figure out what is wrong with any of my animals, he won't mess around doing dumb stuff, he will tell me where I can take them to get the proper diagnosis and/or treatment and last, but not lease, I can call anytime day or night and someone will be here within an hour--usually sooner and the closest one from the clinic lives about 30 miles from here. We have even thought about moving from here, but would have to move someplace that this vet clinic will serve cause we don't want to have to find another.

The clincher was one afternoon when our main vet was gelding one of our yearlings and he was sitting on the ground with the little guy's head in his lap and talking softly to him. I had gone into the house to get something--wish it had been the camera.

:

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

I had a huge issue finding vets when I first moved here. I am about 2 miles from the only surgical center in this part of the state. I used that hospital 2 times and WILL NEVER EVER use them or there vets again. The place is FILTHY there is no thought to disease transfering. Heck they have farriers there every day of the week bringing in horses from all over the county daily easy 30 + horses a day and.. where do they work on them? Heck why not right inside or outside the surgical barn.. saying oh well the Infectious barn is about 400 feet away. All I know is seems pretty basic that you wouldnt want clients to bring in there horses by the dozens and expose those just out of or just going into surgery to all of that

Personally I would expect a more controlled enviroment.

NOt cleaning out stalls before a new horse is brought into it with the defense oh the horse here before wasnt congatious.. Great like that would go over well at human hospitals.. dont worry about the dirty sheets the guy wasnt contagious

:

Anyway needless to say coming from the equine hospitals I have used this place doesnt cut it at all although .. many feel it is the best and most modern in the state and use it and love it.

I did however find a great vet close to me - he doesnt work on tons of minis in fact I think mine is really his only mini breeding farm most of his clients just have a couple minis here and there.

He doesnt know everything and I love the fact he will tell me you know I dont know let me find out. He listens to me and knows I know my horses if I call him and say come now, no questions asked he is here.I respect him as a vet and he respects me as an owner I realize he is human and makes mistakes however I know he always does what he feels is truly best at the time.

2 years ago I had a bad virus run thru here.. had to run IV on 3 horses and he had to leave town he left his wife with instructions to let me get what I needed med wise- we went over very clearly what meds he wanted me to use and how for what... set up cathaters so i could run IV fluids at home and called me from his vet convention a couple times a day in case I had any problems or questions.

He goes above and beyond and not only him but his family has become great friends as well as my vet.

 

[HGFarm]

I trust mine totally!! She is AWESOME. She used to have Minis too so she knows them quite well but is really up on equine breeding things and some of the huge Arabian farms in Scottsdale use her too. She is really something and has been just awesome for us- not to mention her warped sense of humor. She is the only person I know who can get me to laugh when I am crying over something! She is a terrific vet AND person and really should be writing some books!

 

[Pandora]

We're lucky as we have a great vet officenot far away and not too down South of us is another great vet office. The closer vet office though has a vet there I was in Pony Club with and I swear by her. She saved the leg of my paint who when she was a yearling tore it up really bad and I thought I would have to put her down. :aktion033:

 

[Shari]

Trusted the 5 Vets I had access too up north.

Here,,, I learned the main vet in the are is not to be Trusted. And there really aren't any horse Vets other than her in the area.

:no:

 

[SHANA]

My vet is great. Real Provencher of Granby Large Animal Vetrinary Clinic has never done anything bad so far with my horses. If I have questions he answers them and when I went to court he came as a witness and didn't charge me as he felt it was his fault, not mine. (Won that case anyway by bringing my vet). He was just here the other day as one fo my mini mares aborted at 6 months gestation for the 2nd year in a row and he took a culture to see why. He didn't charge me for his trip as he was in the area anyway, just for any material he used. He cleaned her out, etc. Won't go into details. lol He also treated my 2006 filly this year after I got her as she was abused. She was so full of worms he was shocked. She is doing well now, but he wormed her again to be safe and said to worm her in a month with Eqvalan. She is such a sweety. I really like my vet, glad that when I moved I was still in his area and not Sherbrooke.

 

[minih]

I am lucky enough to have two vets that I have used in this area who are very knowledgeable. One is closer to me so I use him more often, there have been a few times I have questioned something he is doing and he listens to me. He is very open to the idea that I may have a point, and other times I realize I had no idea what I was talking about

: I like the fact that since we have started using him alot along with several other mini owners in the area he has taken his time to do more research on mini's and he has told me that he has talked at various meetings with other vets about mini's and their care. The other vet I use is farther away for me to get to, but I have used him and he is wonderful. He even lets me call at times and answers my questions over the phone. He is older than the first vet and has alot more experiance to draw on. After reading some of the horror stories on the forum I feel very fortunate to be able to get in touch with at least one of the vets I mentioned. When one of your little loved ones are in trouble you should be able to trust the person you reach out to for help.

 

[nootka]

Me! :saludando:

My vet also knows his limitations, and refers me when he's out of his league or comfort range. He is also willing to learn new things, and so listens to me, and we shoot ideas back and forth if it's something arbitrary, and he explains why it could or could not be that.

I dunno, I just sit and worry about when Dr. H retires, what will be our alternative. Having a vet that I feel confident in, as well as knowing what his "backup" and emergency plans are, is very important to me. He makes me feel as if I can handle just about any emergency even though I don't want to think about it.

It seems to fall to the simple fact that an animal owner, especially one that ventures into the breeding and raising of new ones, must have some basic knowledge, and for sure have developed a relationship with their veterinarians. My vet leaves me certain meds and they have the labelling on them, some of them I am not to give unless I call him. He knows I'll listen, but he's also given the weight/dosages on them and what they are for.

Anyway, I would hate to be in a situation where I didn't trust my vet or had no good vet to rely on.

Liz

 

[Joyce]

My Vet practice is a group of three and I trust them 100%. They have a vast amount of knowledge amongst them and are very familiar with minis.

Joyce L

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I will never trust implicitly and I ALWAYS question just about everything they say or prescribe- I'm not sure whether they see me as a help or a hindrance and, quite frankly, I do not really care as all I want is the best for my horses!!

I agree if you find one that suits you, stick with them!!

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

We like the one vet in our clinic, don't like another,and the lady vet did really well floating Buck's teeth. We specifically ask for Dr. Davis now. I feel the other one killed my QH colt. But when I really, REALLY needed them at midnight, Dr Davis was THERE. Two other clinics we had used didn't respond. So... we stay with Reata. Even though they are 45 minutes away. They saved my Frosty filly.

They don't do many Minis, though, and ask US stuff. :aktion033:

Lucy

 

[MeadowRidge Farm]

I have 2 vets and I trust theme completely, the rest of the vets in our area---NEVER! Dr. Barr is in love with minis and I feel right at home with him, 150% comfortable with anything he has told me, my other vet Dr. Linda I am also 150% comfortable with, and if there ever is any question that shes feels I am not comfortable with she knows I will be asking Dr. Barr.

: Dr. Linda has been a very good personal friend of mine besides, and I can call her anytime with any questions, even if she is a few hours (she has a very LAGE area to cover) she gets back to me quickly, she also has sent people to me with minis or questions about them . As for the other vets around here... :no: :no: :no: Corinne

 

[MiniHGal]

I definitely trust my vet!! It helps that she's my mom....but yes, I really believe she is an excellent vet. Like all vets, she has made mistakes, misdiagnoses, etc. But, I know how much she works to give the best care to the animals. Many times, when in the hospital, she will really work to get to the real cause of the problem and ASAP for the best plan for BOTH animal and owner. Heck, we now have a yellow lab that we took over from the owners as she broke her leg and the owners didn't have the money to spend(wanted to put her down)....not that we needed another dog(esp. one that needed an expensive surgery), but she's only a year old and it is healing fine now. Many owners have asked her questions concerning what is best for their pet and bring up outside material; she will listen to them and discuss options, if it requires further research, she will get back to them with her recommendations based on their situation.

Now if I can only become at least half the vet she is... :new_shocked: Oh yes, and I can tell you from personal experience that the hospital is kept very clean and surgery is clean and tools/equipment sterilized--no slip ups allowed! Cages cleaned and disinfected b/t animals, etc.

 

[JWC sr.]

You know the biggest asset that I have found in dealing with the vets we use is having them having the sense and ability to say I am not sure, but I will foind out.

Our primary vet Greg Knoppe of Gulf Coast Animal Hospital is one of those guys. He has been a large animal vet for over 25 years and will tell you in minute. That when he came out of Texas A & M he had a rough knowledge of a very wide spectrum of techniques and procedures that were learned in getting his degree. He says he took him several years of working in the field before he really became a decent vet. He preachs that to the youngsters he employs at his practice also and calls them baby vets. That is another point he always makes is that they call it a "practice" for a reason. LOL

We use Greg for general health and foaling problems, but use another Lady Mobile vet ( I can't remeber her name)to do foaling tests/geldings etc. ( Farm Work) and a equine dentist ( Carl Mitz) to handle teeth and mouth problems. Each has thier own place in our experience and each is extremely good at what they do. So to answer the question "Yes" I trust them to either know what we need or to have the sense to say I will find out for you if they don't.

:saludando:

 

[DreamKeeperMinis]

I am glad to see this topic come up.

I have a vet that was referred to me when I got my first mini. I have had big horses for yrs but the vet I had used and LOVED retired. And luckily I hadnt needed a vet for some time before this one was referred. This vet I feel is a very good vet. The only problem I have had with him is making him realize that yes, these are horses. But no. Not everything that is done with/for big horses is true for the minis.He hadnt worked on too many minis.I have always told everyone that we fight like a married couple,lol. He at first seemed to resent that I would read or talk to other mini people about issues with my horses.I felt that he thought that I was underestimating his abilities or knowledge. After an incident with one of my horses and I mentioned ulcers all I heard is noooooo its because you dont keep food in front of them ALL DAY and they are ingesting sand.Well this went on for some time until my horse got real painful one weekend and I called him and all he could suggest was give him banamine and call him with his progress. Well I went to the vet supply to buy ulcer meds and he called to ck how he was while I was still there and I told him where I was and he got mad. Long story short.... he rearranged his schedule and came and checked him and decided I was right. We treated him and he is fine today.Another incident happened also that he listened to me on. So I guess maybe even if he was set in his ways he has found that I do research things and I am not as dumb as he thought. And he is FINALLY opening his mind to listen and work with me.

Just today he called me and was asking how and what I am feeding and how have I gotten my horses to take meds. lol I guess someone else who has minis had called him. So patience and persistence is finally paying off and he will even read articles that I give him about certain things to do with minis. I do have hope for him yet. lol I just hope he outlives me because I dread the idea to have to retrain someone else. lol

 

[kimie28]

Being that I have worked for several differnet Vets and worked with several other Vets in the Emergency Clinics, I have to say "Go with your gut feeling". If you feel you have a great Vet and will do anything he/she says, then you most the time you have a good Vet. In saying this however, I think the key here is EDUCATE YOURSELF!! There is no reason with the internet why you should not educate yourselves. I'm not talking just by reading forums and message boards. I mean actually going onto Vet Tech sites, reading actual Vet writings and articles, etc. Then buying books written by Vets. There are SO MANY ways to learn on anything this day and age!

Now I'm not saying try to become your own Vet. Oh please don't do that! I'm saying you are better off knowing what YOUR Vet is talking about when they try to explain things, that way you can ask questions to better understand.

When I say educate yourselves, I also mean word of mouth. Not by pet owners but by people that work in the Vet community. If you know somebody that you trust that has worked for different Vets and they tell you "I would never take my animal there", trust me, there is a reason. They are the people that sees behinds the scenes. They are the people that hear what goes on at other places time and time again. If you hear over and over, again and again that this Vet did or didn't do this, than it just may be true.

I do not work for any Vet any longer due to getting a divorce, single mom and needing benefits. Vets around here didn't offer them back then, So I have now been working for a Human Doctor for several years. And guess what, all of the above applys to Human Doctors as well. You know why, because they and Vets ARE HUMANS! They not only make mistakes but they all have "opinions" about anything and everything just like everybody else. Keep in my mind when a Vet or Dr. says "I think it is ....." It is just an opinion. An educated opionion because of their schooling and experience mind you but remember, until a test shows a diagnoses, than it is an opinion.

shew...

 

[DreamKeeperMinis]

I agree Kimie. Everyday it seems I am researching something. And not to become my own vet but to be able to understand what goes on and how to better help my horses. YOU are the one who spends time with your animals and are able to see if they are having problems just by the way they act. With mine I know right away if they arent just right by the things they do. Or dont do. I dont self diagnose but note if I have seen this before in any of my other horses and what the problem was and then call the vet.

But educating yourself can sometimes be the difference between life and death in your animals IMHO. Especially when it might take the vet awhile to get to you or you cant get ahold of them. But never substitute your knowledge for the professional opinion of your veterinarian. But I will also add that if your gut feeling with your vets opinion doesnt feel right, consult with another one.