One angry weim owner

Benton · Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 5:36 am Post subject: One angry weim owner

Hi All

Sorry I am just a bit angry and frustrated with a issue with a non regular vet . I thought I would vent my anger here and maybe help someone avoid the same issue.

Friday one week ago Benton had a appointment to be neutered .
My wife goes to college, and she was recommended by the family to go to a 24hr animal hospital which is just around the corner. This makes it easy for him to be picked up after class and not drive across town in rush hour.

She made a appointment early to ensure she gets to class on time. She waited 1.2 hrs to be seen. Eventually she got to see the vet and he noticed benton had a few very small dry patches on his back. we have been treating it with aloe gel which was working well. The vet insisted ( as per usual ) to have a skin test to find out what it was. Annette decided if any additional work needed to be done she would do it with our regular vet who Benton loves. Benton always gives the regular vet kisses and always lays still for him when needed. She left the vet to go to school late for an important lecture.

The evening prior I was working late on a work project and was up till the early hours of the morning. I was in bed when there was a call from the same vet telling me that these very small patches needed to be looked at. He mentioned they could be infectious cancerous blah blah. Having just woke up he caught me off guard and I was worried for the well being of Benton. I agreed to the work. I did not know Annette already said no to him. The procedure would cost an extra $160.

Was he playing Mam says no I will try dad?

The afternoon rolls on and we pick him up. I have never seen Benton so stressed out at a vets before he did not want to be there at all. Usually he is good at the vet. No one really imformed us what was happening because its seemed like a counter operation. You come and go and just leave the money on the counter on your way out. The assistant did say the test was negative . I thought to myself " thanks for telling me something I already know " Benton came out the back wearing the "lampshade" pulling the assitant all over the place and barking and basically being stressed out . He saw us and all of a sudden he just calmed down and came running over and was soo happy. I immediately noticed this 20mm x20mm wound on his shoulder. I wanted to enquire, but Benton wanted to go and we also got a information pack which I thought would explain everything. We got home and we took a closer look at this cut we wanted to wait a few days to see if it healed and it did not. we got a call at 7.30 pm last night from the vet assistant telling us again what we really knew already. They were not sure what it was and we will have to wait 3 weeks to find out what it could be.

We took him back today after making a appointment and wanting some answers . He again fobed us off with a whole load of veterinarian terminology and theories. It was explained to us in a very patronizing manner. The area was bleeding and clearly a mess. He said it was just a inflammation and not a open wound. He suggested it could be ring worm. so he rustled in his box of magic and pulled out a cream and started applying it to his so called specks of dry areas. He even said it was hard to find them to apply the cream. And then he put it on his cut. They clearly took a sample of his skin to test last week and he even had it in a sample bottle. Looking at it like a mad professor and a test tube. He could not give a clear answer he was just speculating . So In theory we can go through 1000's of dollars just experimenting on Benton till we get it right?

Next thing we were at the counter and I owed 60 bucks. I felt really let down by them using my grey man as some cutting board so he can retire early. I felt ripped off and there was not one thing I could do. Thinking we only came in for a neuter .

Just when I thought it could not get worse?.......

Next I heard a voice next to me at the counter saying " is he a blue weim ?" It was one of the vetinarian assistants. She then went off on a tangent about how she has 8 weims( who is also a breeder ) and they enter shows . She then proceeded quite happily telling us how blues cant be shown etc etc . Then she continued how other breeders were just in it for the money and just running puppy mills. She also mentioned blues are not pure breds and he could have genetic defect etc etc . At this point I was not listening anymore and more fantasying about hitting her with a big bag of medical dog food on the shelf above her.
I looked down , sitting next to me a sad benton looking at me " Dad is this true I am not a real weim ".
People like this women give show dog breeders a bad name . The question on my mind was how can she have 8 weims ? 1 is a handful I am sure she is just bothered about Prize silverware and snobbery.

Benton has brought so much joy into our lives and I don't care if he does not conform to the freak circus show standards.

We got home and and made sure Benton was comfortable on his cushion and as a treat for his ordeal got a big slice of ham.

We are going to take him tommorow to the regular vet and trust his judgment.

The Question is how can we as weim owners be held to ransom by vets like this?

Ok thanks guys I feel better now.

** breathe in Breathe out ****

I have images stored on Benton's Gallery pictures so you can see the marks. Feel free to look.

scrbear11 · Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 7:20 am Post subject:

All I can say is that vet sounds like a sleeze ball!!!! My vet would NEVER do anything like that.

Go to your normal vet and stick with him. For surgeries ask if Benton can stay overnight so you guys don't have to rush around. I'm sure your vet wouldn't mind him staying.

And make sure you pass along by word of mouth how horrible this vet was. Vets stay in business by people giving good reviews. If you start a chain of bad reviews this vet will loose business.

Keep us updated on these "dry" spots and what your regular vet says!

Aces-Wild · Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 10:30 am Post subject:

What a horrible expierence....you have every right to be mad.
I guess in situations like this it's live and learn...how were you to know that this vet was no good? We'd like to think that all vets are in it for the care and love of animals, but unfortunately, that may not be the case with all.
Extra smoochies and treats for little Benton Heart

freespiritmom · Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 11:20 am Post subject:

As for the Vet Tech/Breeder, as my dad says "ignorance will rule the world one day and she will probably be Queen".

WeimsFTW · Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 12:18 pm Post subject:

I am sorry for the horrible ordeal you guys went through. I don't think all vets out there are in it to help dogs/animals because it is their passion. Some are just out for your pocket book. You have every right to vent and be upset! Our Weims are our kids! I am glad you have a great regular vet and that's what really matters. You can't get through to ignorant/uncaring people....
I hope Benton heals quickly, poor baby. I agree with the others, stick to the Vets you know and trust and see if they will work with the time frames.

weimdawgs · Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 1:55 pm Post subject:

I am so sorry that happened to you and Benton.

I am glad he is home and being spoiled in the way he deserves.

momofZaneandWyatt · Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 2:06 pm Post subject:

Give Benton a voice, contact your local Better Business bureau and give them a bad report on your visit. I would actually go back, demand my money back for terrible service, and what crap you were put through. Business people like that who take care of innocent pets should be wapped upside the head....I know time was of the essence, but please, please ask everything possible get second opinions before any procedure with your furkids....We have been through so much with our first Weim, and just knowing all the info helps, and believe me I come with more questions then a trivia pursuit game. Thanks to this board... my vet now understands how important these dogs are to me.

I am so sorry for all that you all went through with Benton...give him a hug for us...and some extra love...

Shannon, Bill, Wyatt and Tate

Django · Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 2:53 pm Post subject:

Hope everything works out for you guys.

Django sends his love to his brother, Benton.

Imaweimlover · Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 3:10 pm Post subject:

Pinchc44 · Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 4:07 pm Post subject:

Big ole hugs to Benton. What a shame that the vet would contact you after your wife said No to the test. Sounds like that whole office is just a mess that I would steer clear of. I third the comment on contacting the BBB. People like that can't continue to get away with that type of stuff.

cgmayeaux · Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 10:22 pm Post subject:

I am all about calling the BBB, I come from a family of business owners!!! Thats uncalled for!!! I would complain and demand the money back from the unneeded skin test. As for that tech, you are a bigger person than me!! I would have given her a piece of my mind!

bluepup · Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2008 10:55 pm Post subject:

FreeSpiritMom wrote

Benton · Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2008 1:56 am Post subject:

Thank you for the WA community for all the support . I have posted a sub album on Benton's gallery. Feel free to have a look.

bosmamma

See our saga listed in forum General Weim Discussion on page 2. (title listed in subject line above). There are a LOT of these folks out there, the same as there are in the human medical community. When you tell them that you can only afford X amount and they send their little receptionist in with a credit application in hand and then refuse to do what they can for a suffering pet if you don't open a vein for them the only thing they care about is the almighty dollar. Maybe there should be a specific forum here just to report these horror stories and to name the offenders to protect the members of our community? The vet at the spay/neuter clinic that I took Bo to recently to get less expensive vaccinations and microchipped kind of struck me that way, too. She almost demanded that we neuter him at 4 1/2 months even though the general consensus of the Weimer community here is that it's best to wait until at least 12 months of age for the health benefits of this specific breed. A lot of the "professional breeders" and the AKC snobs who look down on your baby as not being "real" have their own agendas, too, don't they? I was very careful when I got Bo to investigate thoroughly to make sure that I was in no way supporting a puppy mill, but I did get him from what they would term a "backyard breeding" and those folks were wonderful and no one could have possibly cared more about the mother or the pups than they did. I have been in contact with them several times and they have always been supportive. They checked us out and verified that our home was appropriate for him. They even asked that we return Bo to them if something should ever happen that we could not keep him. Like all members of the human race, there are good ones and there are many that are not good. Hugs and kisses to Benton, we are sorry he had to go through this.

weimdawgs · Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2008 11:50 pm Post subject:

OMG...I can't believe those pictures. WTF did they do to him?? Shocked

I would be beyond pissed. Give Benton a big hug for me and tell him he is a PERFECT weim!!!!!