Please listen to Michael Janke, he has a very good point.  Until you are
faced with a life-threatening emergency and your vet basically turns you
away, do not be so quick to judge at how you would react.
 
I have been faced with this dilemma and when you are upset and crying
because your ferret is dying (or appears to be), the last thing you want to
be told is "the vet cannot come to the phone right now and does not want to
be disturbed while with another patient." Yes, it happened to me.  Luckily,
as a result, I found a better vet.  When searching for a vet, you should
ask them (basically interview them) on their policies and procedures BEFORE
becoming reliant on them.  After all, would you trust a doctor to see your
child without knowing anything about them?  Probably not.
 
Vets make mistakes, we are all human but turning away an emergency is
terrible veterinary medicine.
 
Vets chose the profession they are in, you did not choose it for them.  It
is a business and they decide what they want to do.  This is why you need
to know in advance, how dependable they are - asking for references is a
good way to assure this.  Take the time in the beginning to know what to
expect BEFORE a crisis arises.  I finally found an excellent ferret vet and
it took me some time.  I keep hearing people defending vets because "we do
not know what they go through everyday".  I can understand that, but at the
same time, didn't they choose their own profession?  If they cannot handle
animal emergencies, they chose the wrong profession.
 
Flame away if you would like, but do not resort to personal attacks.
 
Sorry to all who have suffered a loss recently.
[Posted in FML issue 2832]