For those of you who visit Emergency Vets -- RANT

[Liesje]

People can just be so rude and selfish, period. This happens in almost any profession. I work in IT and was watching live coverage when the Sandy Hook tragedy was unfolding. One of the calls I got on my shift was some professor was demanding that we fix this issue making it sound like her life was ending because I could not provide a to-the-second time frame of when I'd have a tech in her office. I don't even remember what the issue was but it was not something critical (probably something like one program on her computer wouldn't print one specific file to one specific printer). I want to scream lady I'm trying to hold it together learning a bunch of babies were just gunned down so forgive me if I couldn't care less about your "problem" right now. Please. Some days almost every call on my shift is someone who insists their problem is the top priority and then we get the ones that threaten to call the president or my boss if I can't fix it. I hang up and laugh because 1) they'd never get through to our president and 2) if they called my boss he'd back me up!

Anyway, I can't say I've ever had a really horrible experience at the vets. Sometimes I wait a long time, but other times they get me out the door before my scheduled appointment time even begins. One time there was a dog injured in a car accident on the way so I was more than willing to let the vet tech administer the vaccine in the lobby area rather than demand my dog see the vet just for a shot. Another time when I pulled in the parking lot I saw someone sitting under a tree holding and old dog and crying so I always remind myself, no matter what I'm there for at least I'm not saying goodbye to my dog on that day.

[Anubis_Star]

Originally Posted by selzer

I don't like that they tell you you have to come in prepared to pay x-amount, and how you need to pay it, before the dog is seen. I find that cold. But everyone has to eat.

I can understand how this would seem cold, but this has been the policy in EVERY emergency clinic I've ever worked at. Whenever someone calls in looking to bring a pet in, before we hang up we tell them "The emergency consult is 85$ and from there the doctor will go over an estimate with you depending on what treatments or diagnostics they feel need to be run".

In every ER I've worked in, payment is due UP FRONT. I know it seems harsh, but we need to get paid, too. There are too many people that just ditch out on their bill. This is why I tell people with financial concerns, the best thing you can do is make a good relationship with your regular vet. When I worked in general day practice, we would bill good, regular clients who had an emergency but didn't have all the money. But that random stranger that runs in the door with a 3,000$ emergency? I'm sorry, we can't afford to lose that payment.

So it may seem cold to make prices very clear up front, but there have been several times I've just taken emergencies in quickly and not really gone over prices with owners, and then when the doctor goes to talk to them they are VERY upset that now they have an 85$ exam fee they were never told about before their pet was looked at, or before they drove 30 minutes to get to the ER clinic.

[Liesje]

I've always paid in full on check out but I like that my vet will send you a bill if your animal died. I've seen someone bring in an animal for euth and saw someone whose animal died on the operating table and the vet tech checking them out was very kind. Also our fosters go to the same clinic I use and we are allowed to carry a balance. They are very accommodating when it's appropriate.

[selzer]

My vet is not a 24 hour clinic. At my vet, I can work with them. The ER is a bit different, and I understand that. I think everyone around here anyway expects a bill for an exam. $85 for an Emergency call would be awesome.

The last ER visits I went to was when Odie came home, New Years Eve a couple of years ago, I thought she might be bloating, but took her to the further clinic anyway. They took x-rays. It was gas. I only had her 3 days and I knew she was pregnant, but I wasn't exactly sure on when she was due. Anyhow, with the holiday and all, it cost almost as much as the C-section and ultrasound she had a few days later. When I called in, they told me to try and be there by 9 and they could get me in for the regular rate.

Regular rates are a whole lot better than ER rates, holiday ER rates are even worse. But I still like that place. My regular vet doesn't let me watch the surgery. The closer ER takes your dog away to draw blood. They would probably have a stroke if I asked to assist in the surgery, LOL!

[JazzyLuv]

People in this world are cold, cruel and very, very selfish...I can thankfully say we have never had a bad ER Vet experience, in fact when we lost our Jazzy last year (itll be a year on the 15th of this month, actually,) to that dreaded yet common GSD enemy spleenal mass, the ER Vet was nothing BUT kind, compassionate and caring...It was the hardest decision we had to make that night, but I will tell you this...Having her there with such caring people helped get us through it...