For those of you who visit Emergency Vets -- RANT
 

For everybody who takes their pets in to an emergency vet, please don't get angry with us because your pet has been here for X hours or can't be seen right away. We understand you are worried/concerned about your pet, but we are working as fast as we possibly can short of cloning ourselves. We are stretched thin due to the high volume of patients that come in, especially during the holidays.

I'm really sorry that your dog who is having blood in her/his urine has to wait 2 hours to be seen because a seizuring dog came in right behind you and was a stat. Please understand that because we are an EMERGENCY hospital, that a critical patient will always go first no matter how much you complain. Even if the lobby may seem empty, you are not the only patient in the hospital - EVER. Oh and by the way, the process will also not go any faster because you complain. All you manage to do is stress everyone out even more and slow us down. Like we don't have enough of that already.

I'm also really sorry that your rDVM is closed during the holidays and we're one of the few places open so we happen to get slammed... ALL DAY. I promise that we're not just sitting around twiddling our thumbs and leaching your money while doing nothing. We really do care. If it were possible we would love to get your pet in and out under an hour. Most (95%) of the time don't know the answer to "How much longer is this going to take?". It's going to take as long as it's going to take! At any one time we typically have at least 6+ patients in hospital and typically at least half are hospitalized patients. During the holidays multiply that by at least 3!

All I'm saying is please be kind and courteous as we are to you. We know what you're going through and we know you're waiting. We're here because we care and we'll do whatever we can to help your pet.

/endrant

Ditto for the human emergency rooms!!

Bad day at work today? :hug: <*hug*>

Still at work, it's just finally starting to slow down so we can catch up. The morning ER doctor has been here since 6am and was supposed to be off shift 3 hours ago, but she's still here doing procedures!! I don't even know if she's had a chance to eat properly yet.

Please remember that we have extremely stressful jobs, and as animal lovers and pet people we feel the weight of your sadness, panic, anger, etc. We see countless sad stories, euthanasias, families torn apart over the loss or imminent loss of your furry loved ones on a regular basis -- just because we try to keep on a neutral expression doesn't mean we don't care. We do, we just can't spend our entire day crying when we need to be running tests and assisting the vet with handling and treatment.

If you feel afraid to take your sick pet home, somebody will chat with you and make sure you know your options, what to look for, when to come back in, how to care for your pet at home, how to use meds and treatment, etc... we may even be able to keep your pet over night. TALK to us, we can help you feel safer and reassured.

Please be patient... everyone's pet is in there for a reason and needs just as much help as you. We are trying our best. Promise.

EDIT; "They don't care, they are getting out money and don't care about what happens when we leave."
I, for one, went home MANY times worrying about someone's pet... to the point of coming in on the morning of my day off to check and see for myself. We definitely care. A lot. And exactly what Chrissy said --- sometimes the vets don't even take a break, eat, relax for a moment... all for you guys and the animals we all love.

I think a lot of pet owners don't know what the doctor and other staff are going through,especially when they see another animal 'cut in line' when they have been waiting for what seems like forever to them. The ones who are most critically injured should be seen first.

Do you ever take your dogs to work with you when you have those really long shifts? I was just wondering how you manage that?

People get just as emotional over their animals as their children. There was only once I was truly sick over a vet tech's action. We had a dog hit, with tire tracks from a tractor over his back. We drove him 30 minutes to the vet, coughing up blood but still standing and breathing. They were waiting for us and before I could say yes or no to a stretcher she scooped him up. I know at that moment, she put all those broken ribs thru his lungs. I know her actions finished him instantly. And I never said a word to her about it...I think the chances of him living were slim. And I stood there as they worked on him, yelling at him to hold on. I stood there while the vet and the techs cried. Maybe I should have said something so nobody scooped up a dog like that again but how do you get angry with someone who grieved for your dog and only tried to do their best for him?

The people in this field care....they just don't always like the people.

We've only had to use an emergency vet a few times. Two that I remember are once when our parrot got her claw stuck in her eye (seriously weird) and another time when we thought Harley had bloat. No major complaints here, I'm glad they were open. (plug for Bolton Veterinary Hospital in CT!!)

Don't let those rude people make you miserable!!

I took Mojo to the Vet when she got kicked in the face by a horse and had her eye/nose split open (sounds worse than it was but needed stitches) the Vet pretty much ran into the exam room took one look "that needs stitches, leave her we'll get to her later we just had an emergency come in" and rushed out.
Cool that's no worries, of course the other animal had to come first - Mojo was ok, she got a light sedation and got crated - I picked her up later that afternoon all patched up :) it never occurred to me that my dog would have to come first.

You Vets and Vet techs do a good job and I know you care!!!
I have several friend that are vets and Techs - often they are upset or sad about something that's happened at work - people just think that being a Vet is easy, you make tons of money and get to play with puppies and kittens all day :(

I was very upset with the Vet that put my first dog to sleep, Maxi was on the table ready to be euthanised and she started talking to me about how much I had to pay and then I had to choose the box I wanted her ashes put in - all that while my dog was still alive and in pain on the table - THAT made me angry. But after we had settled all the Vets questions she was very nice and she had tears in her eyes when she told me that Max was gone :\'( She did care, but she could have handled the situation a bit better. I didn\'t say anything because it was not worth making a fuss over.