First, thanks to all who wrote me or posted about "some" of the
'present' vet practices. AND I'll be damned if I'll go on the
defensive, again, about something that was not debatable! It was an
"OPINION" and a "REMEMBRANCE"! It was a "remember when" type of post,
reminding us of the days when veterinarians were like the old M.D.'s,
now long gone. 

Dear Dr. G ,.... 

>A vet that runs a practice not only performs their job, but also
>functions as a personnel manager, accountant, handyman"(?), etc,

"ONLY" in small, one vet offices. In the practices where there are
3 to 5 vets on the "calling card" , there ARE personnel managers,
accountants, office mgrs., and, when needed, a 'handyman'! Those
"frills", DO come out of our pockets! Where else does the vet's
'profits' come from, Prescriptions? Combined incomes can be determined
to be a necessity, maybe because said vet's spouse "wants" a better
"standard of living", and not necessarily because of "need". The
term "Burnt out" can be and is a byproduct of 99.9% of 'all' of the
working people in this country, be they Dr's, accountants, laborers,
supermarket workers,.... you name it! Do not use this as an excuse for
the decline of compassionate practitioners, be they Vets, or M.D.'s.
And by the way, the vet for my Ferrets is now the one who instead of
running up a large bill on Fert bills, is the one who allows me to
'post-date' my checks when necessary! I DO know what is legal & what
is not! No need to tell me! I can tell that you are not from New
Jersey,...but one question,......what with you being burnt out with
medical issues,(funny, so am I), do you still practice?,..you said
you 'take some' late calls.

You also mentioned the so-called "Emergency clinics", 24/7, trauma
centers with trauma center fees, .........They, yes, are a necessary
evil if you love your animals. When I was in dire need of vet help at
2am, each & every vet office I called, including my own, has JUST a
taped message, recorded by a young office worker, speaking so fast with
the tel. #'s and names of these clinics, that I had to redial them 2 to
3 times just to get the # correct! That's real concern for the person
who may be frantic with a bleeding pet in their hands on the other end
of the line!

You said,
>Only with time and use will their number increase and their
>'proficiency' in exotics improve

I see,... after the office visits, payments to, services provided
by, confidence built up in him/her, over 30 years of seeing the same
vet,(doesn't 30+ 'good' years "qualify" as a "call back "client", if he
wore a beeper & had an answering service?), ...when what the pet owner
might perceive as a "real" emergency, (might be & might not be),....all
that we, the "pet owners/bill payers" receive for that when calling for
help in the way of "advice" or 'real' help, is a gargled, 1,000 words
per minute tape made by the 19yr old receptionist late to get to her
date on a Friday night, (if the vet doesn't do that job, too), of
"where to call" for 'help'! Not even vague directions to this place!
Now, in a panic, after remembering to call the #'s that were
'legible'on the tape for directions, we scoop up our pets, look for the
car keys, and hope to God that we can find this place 40 miles away,
while watching the road at 2am and 'tending' to the animal if needed
during transport! Yeah, I REALLY hope "more" of these "pop up" around
here, NOT!

Now, you said that "I" expect this kind of service, yet do "everything
to get the "CHEAPEST DRUGS elsewhere" .....???...A package of
"Heartguard Plus" for a 26 pound Terrier?? ...... There goes the '08
Jag! That is a pure greed office policy! How much could the vet
'possibly' make on that 1 package???? I RESENT your statement about
"Taking a living entity into your house, YOU are responsible for it's
care & associated costs, NOT the vet"! "It's part of 'responsible'
pet ownership"!...Pretending to be smarter than me shows a bit of
'stupidity' lodged somewhere in your genes. I KNOW what responsible pet
"ownership" is!, (In comparison to Pet "Patients"). But thanks anyway.

With the vet "working within my means" shows what a "good" vet will do
for a "good" customer! Not that I was "Rude" and "Unfair" because "they
wouldn't do more for me"....as you stated. 

Just one more quote, please?,.........

>And people need to think & educate themselves before they speak
>without knowing facts".....

NOW you sound like the smug, 'has all the answers' vet, that I left
long ago! It was good riddance then, and would definitely apply
now!!.....

Goodnight .................
Dooks to all, John Rich & the n.j. gang of 4, USA.
john rich <[log in to unmask]>

[Posted in FML 5553]