>Although "payment is due at the time services are rendered" many vets will
>agree upon a payment schedule should the fert need extensive (long term)
>medical treatment; e.g.  Accident (bone setting/sutures), Chemotherapy,
>Multiple X-Rays or Ultrasound for on-going diagnosis and treatment, etc.
 
Yes -- I know vets don't *like* to let you carry a balance (after all, your
money is how they keep up with house payments and buy food <g>).  However,
if your vet is anything approaching compassionate (IMHO, of course :) and
you have a very large bill, they should be willing.  In fact, if your vet is
not willing to do this for you, then IMHO s/he is not a good vet.  If push
comes to shove, a good vet should care more about your babies than your
wallet.
 
I am lucky, and I would publicly recommend my vet, Dr. Terry Pits at Pitts
Vet Hospital in Lincoln, NE, to anyone who asked.  Some of you may remember
the hell week we had a few months ago, when three of our fuzzies had
surgery in two days -- an anal sac surgery, an insulinoma, and an emergency
blockage surgery.  We racked up a vet bill of over $1000 in less than a
week; that would strain even the more well-off among us!  Dr. Pitts'
official "policy" is, of course, payment up front.  However, he immediately
understood that there was no way we could pay this bill, and he agreed to
let us pay $50/month.  His office is also willing to hold checks for two
weeks, and we've had to do this in the past, as well.  They know we have
seven furballs -- five ferrets and two cats -- and they understand that
this is comparable to having a large human family at times! <g>  They give
us multiple animal discounts and try to do everything they can to minimize
cost for us while still providing good care.
 
Terry is also, of course, a very good vet, as are the other vets on staff
(including his wife).  He is pretty knowledgeable and also always interested
in learning more.  He actually seems to have become much *more*
knowledgeable about fuzzies in the past couple of years we've been seeing
him.  I trust him with our babies.
 
This is the kind of person, IMHO IMHO IMHO :), a vet should be!  If your vet
is excessively demanding about payment, doesn't seem to know much and isn't
willing to learn, and *especially* if s/he gets offended when you offer more
info or suggest a second opinion -- get a new vet.  (I know this from
experience, since there is a vet in town -- who will remain nameless -- I
have had contact with whom I wouldn't let touch my animals if my life
depended on it!)
 
-Tasha
 
"It has been said that man is a rational animal.  All my life I have been
searching for evidence which could support this."
                                        -- Bertrand Russell
[Posted in FML issue 2078]