Our Vet - Would you change?

[Saffy]

We are starting to feel that our vets are messing us about.

When we rang for an emergency caesarean a few months ago, they arrived an hour land a half later than they said they would, it was a different vet, the one I spoke to had decided to do a c section on someone else’s cow and they didn’t bring anything with them to operate with as they assumed that although I said it wouldn't come out I would be totally wrong. So they had to phone and wait for another vet to finish another call and bring the equipment, nearly another hour to wait. Good job I did know what I was doing, examined her as early on as possible and rang them right at the beginning or the calf would certainly have been dead.

Next call they said they would arrive late morning but couldn’t give any idea what that meant any time between ten o’clock and one thirty.

Today I called the vet at ten past nine and asked for a morning call if possible as it is a bit of an emergency. The receptionist as ever - said she would ring back and let me know. An hour and a half later Chris rang to ask what was going on, she would ring him back – when she did she said – late morning. At ten past one he rang again she asked if we are in all afternoon so she can ring and let us know when he is on his way!!!

So I have a really exciting day sitting by the phone , it is now ten past two and I have waited by the phine pretty much since ten past nine - exciting day!!!!

I know vets are busy and have overheads etc but I have things to do as well.

Are all vets like this these days? I am giving very serious thought to changing mine.

Comments please.

Stephanie

[Broomcroft]

Stephanie

We've just been through precisely the same thing and changed our vet. What was happening was that our old vet was gradually swapping over to small animals and horses but instead of telling everyone they just gave bad service. What made my mind up for me to change was when I went to see them about a fairly basic problem and they had to look it up in a book.

We've now changed to a vet practice that is totally farming and won't touch a horse/dog/cat. The difference is incredible. Not only do they know what they're doing, we get excellent service and they answer the phone at all hours, not a phone service, a vet answers. It's not just the animal knowledge either, they talk less and just get on with it.

[Saffy]

Funnily enough the ones we are thinking of changing to have just split into two and we would rather obviously go with the large animal half.

Don't they make you mad!!!

Stephanie - still waiting by the phone

[AlisonKirk]

Saffy - I really would change your vet. Our veterinary practice deal with large and small animals (separate departments)....they are brilliant in both respects & they like Dexter cattle.

Alison Kirk
Boram Dexters

[redhill]

Stephanie. Strongly reccomend you look at www tyndalevets.co.uk they are a farm Veterinary practice, large animals only,they will only treat a farm dog if there is no alternative,The Vets are all self employed partners .They have a small office at a farm in Berkeley Glos. I'm 95% certain they come out to your area, The Vets operate out of their cars.( not literally !).They have Veterinary supplies stored at various farms throughout their area, so they are never caught without the correct medicines or equipment .their office phone number is 01453 511311. Bill and I cannot praise them too highly . Let us know how you get on, Sue I forgot to mention because they have no surgery,they have negligable overheads,and they charge about a third less than our local small/large animal practice which is just 1 mile away from our farm Sue

[Martin]

My local vet practice has this year stopped doing 'farm work' concentrating more on equine. But, they are keeping their smaller farm customers. The senior partner, who I have known and used since he first qualified (first visit to the farm was 28 years ago) said the main reason for giving up the farm work was that there is a lack of vets comming forward that want farm work, there is a tendancy now for farmers to 'demand' compensation when things go wrong, most calls recieved from (especially) large farms are mainly emergency calls for caeserian births when all else has failed. These caesarian births normally have to be attended by one of the partners as juniors do not have the experience or confidence to attend on their own.
It is also a matter of cost. Livestock farming hasn't been having a good time lately and the use of vets has declined and vets sometimes don't feel that they can increase charges to cover the basic costs of running a practice.
The smaller or hobby farmer is more likely to use a vet for minor things (de-horning etc) when larger farms do most of this type of procedure themselves. I have my cows PD'd and my calves de-horned by my vet so he is on my farm at least twice a year (he also buys my beef). I still get an exellent service from the practice and have mobile as well as office phone numbers and can get advice as and when required.
There may come a time when I feel that the focus of the practice has moved too far from farm animals, but until that time I will continue to use them.

[John C]

You are very lucky to have the choice of changing your vet. Living out in the sticks a we do, we have a choice of one. Due to the rural nature of where we live, touch wood, our practice is most unlikely to turn its back on farm work.

[Issy]

I would change your vet if you can find one who does large animals. We switched a few years ago after the practice we were with decided to deal with cats and dogs as a priority and handed their operations over to a nurse who refused to deal with my sons ferrets as she didn't like them ??? (wern't fierce or anything). Anyway our new vets are brilliant and a couple of them are really interested in livestock which helps. Some Friends stayed with the original lot and tried to get them out to do a c'section on a sheep last year. The vet on call ignored the call saying (after the event)that they didn't come out as beginners make mistakes and they were sure it would lamb itself. They called the vets we are with who came out and operated saving the lamb.

[ngr2804]

It might be the same practice as Redhill mentioned but there is a firm of vets from the Bristol area operating in Monmouthshire now and I have heard that they are good,
reliable and cheaper than normal.

I have no problem with Usk Veterinary Centre, although
from time to time their admin lets them down eg letter
telling me they were coming to vacinate the horse
arrived after the appointment.

Nick Robinson, Usk

[Saffy]

Thanks everyone, your replies have been very comforting it seems we are not alone!!!

I am considerably calmer now.

I don't do well when confined to the house, waiting for the phone!!!

The thing is until we purchased our Dexters our vets have been absolutely impeccable and the sad thing is I think they are a genuine bunch, they are also likeable - most of the time! When here on the farm they are second to none, very well mannered polite and top notch vets but there has been a bit of a communication problem recently which has added a large fly to the ointment. Partly due to I think to one of the receptionists who believes it is her job to be as cryptic as possible about likely vet visit times whilst preventing any would be customer speaking to any of the vets and partly because however many times I explain to the vets that whilst I now have a "hobby sized" herd of Dexters I spent a large part of my life breeding and looking after about 300 head of cattle at any given time and therefore have a bit of a clue they forget and keep talking to me as if I don't know one end of a cow from another!

Your suggestions have been very useful but for the time being we haven't made up our minds what to do. Tyndale sounded fantastic but are so far away that it would from what they say be likely to take an hour and a half for them to get here and they don't do horses.

We have spoken with another vets that are very close but I'm not sure they would be any better than what we have, we don't see any point going from the frying pan to the fire. So we will let things settle and then see what is the best.

Stephanie

[groubearfarm]

I think Stephanie, in your position I would speak to someone in the veterinary practice and explain the problem and how it is an inadequate service, after all we pay enough for the visits. It seems as though it is more by luck than good judgement that you have not had a real disaster, and perhaps the vets are not fully aware of the situation. If you have avoided the worst scenario perhaps another customer will not be so lucky or informed.

Some years ago I had a falling out with one of our young vets over a similar situation with a ceasar, I was not so fortunate and lost the calf. I wrote and spoke to the senior partner, obviously there are two sides to the story, and we had quite a frank conversation, but it has cleared the air and I have had excellent service since then.

Good luck,
Fiona