What do I hate about vets?
Last week (I'm losing track of days..) I took my cat, Link to the vet since it's been like.. 4-5 years since his last check-up (I'm a bad master, I know.) Although slightly overweight, he's always been a very healthy, happy and energetic cat; wrestling with the other male and chasing around, bothering the girls. He's the only one of my four that has never had any health problems. So what's my beef with vets?
At the vet I learn that, because I've been such a bad master, he's going to need a tooth extracted. I'm already estimating the never-ending veterinary EXPENSES that will come with getting this single problem fixed.
First we have a blood-test taken from him since he's an 8-year old cat and 'complications' could rise when given anethsesia. Blood test comes back OK so the appointment is made for Tuesday (yesterday) with instructions not to feed him after midnight. That's fine. But because I am bogged down with exams, studying, working on papers and appointments at the film lab, etc. I ask my mom to bring him in the morning which she agrees.
Now she did bring him yesterday morning, but then cancelled it when they informed her that suddenly all these (unnecessary) x-rays would be needed, bringing the bill from $200 to $300. She told me later on that she brought him to another clinic that would only charge $99, so all's well right? Well, it would be, were it not for the fact that the vet there decided that he needs to be monitored and have fluids pumped into him for TWO DAYS before the operation. Oh and of course all these procedures, in addition to the lodging and care is going to bring the total bill up to $300.
God damn blood-suckers. And this is hardly the worst case I've seen of it. I hate how so many of them take advantage of people's love for their pets.
And it's not just that. My cat is now stuck there, cramped in a tiny cage all day, for two days, having tubes shoved into him for the first time in his life, for basically no reason. Rather than feeling sick at home and going to the vet to feel better, here he's gone from feeling good and happy at home to being miserable at the vet's. Meanwhile at the other clinic, despite being more expensive, I would've gotten him back the same day he'd have had the extraction and without tubes shoved inside him. How did it get to this point from a simple 'do not feed him after midnight'?
I only found out late last night and was pretty pissed at my mom, too. She should've consulted with me first, but then I was so busy yesterday she probably wouldn't have reached me. I did call the vet this morning to tell them that it was bullshit (in nicer words) and that if he wasn't getting the extraction today, I was coming myself to take him home. That got their asses moving, but though the operation is now done, they still won't let me take him home because he needs 'monitoring' for one more night (probably so as not to change the bill cost.)
So yeah, although they do help our animals, most of the time vets remind me of lawyers. At least I'll have him back tomorrow. He always sits in my lap or between my back and the chair, with paws dangling over the arm-rest when I'm at the computer. It's one of the few things that keep me sane while I do marathon term-paper writing.
At the vet I learn that, because I've been such a bad master, he's going to need a tooth extracted. I'm already estimating the never-ending veterinary EXPENSES that will come with getting this single problem fixed.
First we have a blood-test taken from him since he's an 8-year old cat and 'complications' could rise when given anethsesia. Blood test comes back OK so the appointment is made for Tuesday (yesterday) with instructions not to feed him after midnight. That's fine. But because I am bogged down with exams, studying, working on papers and appointments at the film lab, etc. I ask my mom to bring him in the morning which she agrees.
Now she did bring him yesterday morning, but then cancelled it when they informed her that suddenly all these (unnecessary) x-rays would be needed, bringing the bill from $200 to $300. She told me later on that she brought him to another clinic that would only charge $99, so all's well right? Well, it would be, were it not for the fact that the vet there decided that he needs to be monitored and have fluids pumped into him for TWO DAYS before the operation. Oh and of course all these procedures, in addition to the lodging and care is going to bring the total bill up to $300.
God damn blood-suckers. And this is hardly the worst case I've seen of it. I hate how so many of them take advantage of people's love for their pets.
And it's not just that. My cat is now stuck there, cramped in a tiny cage all day, for two days, having tubes shoved into him for the first time in his life, for basically no reason. Rather than feeling sick at home and going to the vet to feel better, here he's gone from feeling good and happy at home to being miserable at the vet's. Meanwhile at the other clinic, despite being more expensive, I would've gotten him back the same day he'd have had the extraction and without tubes shoved inside him. How did it get to this point from a simple 'do not feed him after midnight'?
I only found out late last night and was pretty pissed at my mom, too. She should've consulted with me first, but then I was so busy yesterday she probably wouldn't have reached me. I did call the vet this morning to tell them that it was bullshit (in nicer words) and that if he wasn't getting the extraction today, I was coming myself to take him home. That got their asses moving, but though the operation is now done, they still won't let me take him home because he needs 'monitoring' for one more night (probably so as not to change the bill cost.)
So yeah, although they do help our animals, most of the time vets remind me of lawyers. At least I'll have him back tomorrow. He always sits in my lap or between my back and the chair, with paws dangling over the arm-rest when I'm at the computer. It's one of the few things that keep me sane while I do marathon term-paper writing.