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The differences in vets

Sky-O

Wise Old Thumper
I have a vet who is very good at keeping me informed, like telling me the names of things, what he is doing and why, stuff like that. I personally prefer that because I like to know exactly what they are doing and what is going on. I've been seeing almost exclusively him for the past 3 years and generally, the only time that I have had to see someone else was when I needed somebunny PTS, or had something needed doing that was pretty basic but necessary (like a dental check).

He was away recently so I saw a variety of other vets. One was very similar, but another didn't volunteer much of any information at all. I couldn't bear not knowing so was asking a gazillion and one questions (sure I annoyed him greatly, but I like to know what's going into my rabbit and why). It very disconcerting for me to not know. Not because I didn't trust him, but because I just like to know.

I also just want to say here that how forthcoming they were with what was going on was no reflection of their actual ability and the treatment my bunnies got (I guess it was actually related to the customer care type area).

So I just wondered what your vets are like. Do they tell you information spontaneously? Do they tell minimal info? Do they answer questions if you ask?
 
With many vets I think it's simply that they know that if they tell most people they're giving metaclopromide and ranitidine because they work synergistically and also some metronidazole via the prescribing cascade to kill the gram negative rodded anaerobes, they will just get blank looks in return - and would be just as likely to get people complain that they didn't understand what the vet was doing.

I think we're an unusual bunch here in that by and large we want to know and understand, whereas the majority of owners just want to know that their animal has been given some medicine to make it better. I think it takes time to build up a relationship with a vet so that they know what you understand and want to know; with any other vet they've got to try and work this out so it's no surprise that it tends to vary.

I do agree with you that the level of explanation is not necessarily a reflection on the competence of the vet :)
 
every vet i have ever seen at my practice has explained everything fully. my new bunny vet even draws little pics to help me understand what shes talking about :love::love::love:

thinking back i think the vets now vet told me step by step what she would do and was very clear that some treatment was not licensed and she couldnt guareentee survival.

apart from the :censored: who missed pearls enlarged heart im really impressed with the vets i use and even if im too thick to understand they do explain everything very well :D:D
 
I think some vets are better than others at gauging their client's knowledge level and sense of needing to know information. I'm not one who likes to ask lots of questions, so I always hope that the vet will just give me a stream of information that I can absorb!
 
It made me smile at the conference when Anna Meredith used the word pathogens, then paused briefly and then said 'err, bugs' :lol:
 
My rabbits are seen by two vets and I will only go to these two. In particular, Noisette has been seeing both these vets for the past year or so for her *numerous* conditions and I have been told they personally discuss her conditions... I like the favouritism :oops: Both are very willing and eager to learn about bunnies and always go to the bunny conferences to learn more.

Paula is very thorough and will tell me exactly what is going on, exactly what drugs she is prescribing... I don't need to butt in edgeways, she says everything and I never need to ask questions :lol:

Sam on the other hand is a bit more sympathetic and likes to hear the stories I tell about them and lets me ask questions but will always explain in full. Again, she breaks everything down step by step what is going on, but I find I do ask a lot more questions. Saying that, it doesn't reflect her ability at all because both Paula and Sam are EXCELLENT vets and I cannot ever say a bad word about them!
 
There are two vets at the practise we go to. There's a certain one we try and see and he's very good at explaining things and answering questions. Seems to me he likes to inform. :thumb:
 
I think it probably says more about their people-skills than their ability as a vet.

My vet tends to explain everything in easily understood terms, and encourages questions. She's also very open to trying new treatment options, etc.
 
There are two vets at the practise we go to. There's a certain one we try and see and he's very good at explaining things and answering questions. Seems to me he likes to inform. :thumb:

Shall we start a M R fan club !! :lol:

My Vet is great at telling me exactly what she is doing and why. She is also the first to admit if she does not know the answer to something. I respect her so much for that. She always does her best to find out about any issues which are beyond her professional knowledge but she absolutely NEVER pretends to know it all.
 
I go to a teaching practice (Fern Grove at Liverpool University) because it's got a really good reputation.
They always explain everything, including the possible risks or side effects of any treatment.
The other thing I'm also really impressed with is how the qualified experienced vets treat the vets in training. When Keith came in last (with tooth problems) the qualified vet brought in a trainee who had done their dissertation on rabbit tooth problems (and wanted to specialise in bunny teeth!) and comfortably admitted that she knew more on the subject than she did. They discussed the treatment options together, explaining to me what they were talking about. Keith needed a little op which the main vet did with the student also present.
I just thought that it was really professional that they put seniority to one side to ensure the best care for the animal.
Keiths had to stay twice (just for the day) and each time they've called me to update and how he was after his dental/op. Explained everything they did and how it was.
The receptionists are lovely too!

My pigs had a different vet and would get taken by my ex-boyfriends mum (for various reasons too long to explain). The vet wasn't a pig expert but she had a friend elsewhere in the country that was, so used to get advice on how to treat them from her. She'd call me and explain what she thought it was and what she wanted to do, so even though I didn't take them myself she made sure I understood what was happening first hand.
 
My vets go a bit half and half. They tell me what they're doing/what they need to do and will mention the name of the product once and what it is (eg - "Metacam, it's a painkiller") but they will refer to it as a "the painkiller" and in laymans terms from then on and how it will affect/help the bun.

Although when Smudge broke a bone in his foot, my vet was constantly trying to liken it to "what David Beckham does all the time" but was getting blank looks from us since we're not football people :lol::lol::lol: he quickly went back to using the medical terms :oops:
 
Shall we start a M R fan club !! :lol:

:lol::lol::lol:

Richard is pretty good too. He noticed the small spurs on Mischa's teeth which had been missed in a couple of dental checks previous (one by him and one by M so they were pretty well hidden)
 
My Vet is great at telling me exactly what she is doing and why. She is also the first to admit if she does not know the answer to something. I respect her so much for that. She always does her best to find out about any issues which are beyond her professional knowledge but she absolutely NEVER pretends to know it all.

My new vet is exactly the same. I like it that he speaks to me on my level and appreciates I am a bit more clued up than most bunny owners he sees. He's happy to listen to any suggestions I might have and explain why they may or maynot work.

The previous vets spoke to me as if I didn't have a clue, we had a row after they refused to spay Bracken saying that my info regarding cancer, false pregnancies etc must be from some dodgey american website.
 
Our vet is one of several in the practice but we only see her as we tend to work along the same wavelength :oops: :lol: And she's brilliant with the 'challenging' bunnies I bring in :oops:
 
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