Does Your Vet Really Listen?

[Marine91]

I think it's rare to find a good vet. Luckily for us, we see the same vet/practice that Todd & David both see, along with a few other members here!. We absolutely love them, and Tyson does great with them too. I can't complain & I love that we've been seen by more than one doc there at one point & all have been so helpful & very patient with me. Not to mention their techs are amazing & so comforting. I could imagine being so frustrated if I didn't have a vet I trusted... I hope those that are still searching find a great vet. And the fact that we KNOW our breed so well through all our experiences is something most people can't say they have. Love our EBN family!


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It also helps that they see a truckload of bulldogs on a regular basis. I can't think of the last time we took Harlea in and there weren't at least 2 or 3 other bullies in the waiting room. That and the fact they use pet portal so you can schedule appts, message the vet and see lab results are awesome.

 

[natski282]

oh my goodness, yes, that is so WRONG. I absolutely hate it when someone tells me they will do something (like a simple phone call), and not follow thru.

When you get a new vet how does it work...does the new vet's office call the old vet's office to get the records transferred? or do you call the old vet's office to get the records transferred to the new vet's office? just curious.

When we moved our vet at NO COST faxed all there records of all the dogs to our new Vet , Now as the old vet is a bit PEed there might be a charge for this service but it should not be horrific or for Me I have already paid for those records screw you I want them either in my hand or faxed to the new vet .

 

[cali baker]

I'm all for steroids for certain things, but in our case- it was an overkill.

I also had allergy testing done with her initially and the results came back saying Blue wasn't allergic to anything.
We both knew it was wrong, but she had nothing to say about it.

Yup 4months of steroid use is too long and would worry me too.

 

[cali baker]

Just thinking out loud: I don't think it's unreasonable of me when I say that I would like my vet to call me up herself and follow-up with how Tate or Finn are doing. Is that asking for too much?

For instance, with Tate's recent GI issues starting last Friday, it was the asst. who called me on Sat w/the test results, and on Monday I had a few questions for her but it went thru the vet asst. Then yesterday when i had to take Finn in, Dr.Garcia knew i was there but she didn't come out to ask me how Tate was doing. Maybe I am asking for too much. I know vets are busy but to be blunt about it, I've give this practice a ton of $$ and a simple, "how is Tate doing?" would have gone a long way with me!

 

[nycbullymama]

It also helps that they see a truckload of bulldogs on a regular basis. I can't think of the last time we took Harlea in and there weren't at least 2 or 3 other bullies in the waiting room. That and the fact they use pet portal so you can schedule appts, message the vet and see lab results are awesome.

Our old vet saw a lot of bulldogs too. But I think most vets here do these days, it's the #1 breed in NYC.
But that's what makes it worse in a way, she saw lots of bullies, but had the same treatment plan each and every time.

Yup 4months of steroid use is too long and would worry me too.

She was prescribing steroids every 4 months. He was on them for about 3 weeks at a time. Either way, it was too much for a growing dog. I mean the steroid craziness started when he was 4 months old.
Last time I had Blue on them was back in January I think. I'll never allow them for a skin allergy again.

 

[Marine91]

Our old vet saw a lot of bulldogs too. But I think most vets here do these days, it's the #1 breed in NYC.
But that's what makes it worse in a way, she saw lots of bullies, but had the same treatment plan each and every time.



She was prescribing steroids every 4 months. He was on them for about 3 weeks at a time. Either way, it was too much for a growing dog. I mean the steroid craziness started when he was 4 months old.
Last time I had Blue on them was back in January I think. I'll never allow them for a skin allergy again.

I can definitely see that happening for sure.

 

[cali baker]

One size does not fit all when it comes to treating bulldogs (or any other breeds).

When i first came to this vet her practice was 3yrs old (recommended to me by a previous EBN member who also went to her), and I don't think she had very many bulldogs...maybe 3 or 4. But I understand now she has many more, according to the vet tech. So, i think she's learned how to treat them as she gets new cases. I can't criticize her for putting Tate or Finn in a "bulldog box", i think it's more her personality and practice style that isn't the best fit for me. Sigh...it's good to let this out as i've been a tad frustrated for a few months now...

 

[Goob14]

Reading Riikka's ( @RiiSi) post earlier about Usko was an eye opener for me. She articulated exactly how I feel about my former vet.
How she treated every issue my boys had as a breed issue, not as a condition specific to their health.

For instance, her treatment of choice for Blue and Wellie always came down to steroids. They could have been steroids with antibiotics, steroids with an antihistamine, steroids in conjunction with a topical ointment, but always steroids.

When I mentioned why always the steroids, her response was “what do you have against steroids? At a low dosage and used sparingly, they shouldn’t pose any problems”. Ok, maybe. But Blue was on them every 4 months, that’s not sparingly.

Then about 4-5 months ago, I took Wellie in because he had what looked like a very inflamed cyst. It was round and looked almost raw. It didn’t hurt him, but within a week, it went from something small, to about 1/2” large in diameter.
When she saw it, she barely took a second look. Right away assumed it was allergy related (because he’s a bulldog) and put him on steroids.

Came home, and something didn’t sit right with me. I spoke with Chris and mentioned how each and every single time I take either one in, the treatment is ALWAYS the same, he said find another vet.

So I did.
Dr. Mclaughlen looked him over, aspirated the cyst, checked it said she believes it’s a Histiocytoma and sent it off for cytology to make sure it’s benign.

Meanwhile she put him on antibiotics, oral and topical. She said Histiocytomas are not that uncommon in dogs under two, and the body should reabsorb it.
She was right, it was a Histiocytoma. Wellie’s body reabsorbed it with a month.

She treated his condition and not his breed. For now, I’m sticking with her. I don’t love that office, as it’s part of a larger vet practice, but I do like her.

I bet what happened with me and Riikka is not that uncommon.
So, does your vet treat your bullies health issues as a breed problem, or does your vet treat each dog individually and provide treatment plans specific to their condition?

I think this is a very important topic, something we all need to be aware of.

Goob's first vet in Cali was pretty frustrating. He is a very popular vet in Cali and a bulldog "specialist" so I'm sure he knows his stuff but our experience with him was awful. Goob was very young and had some sort of cough. We took him in they gave him about 5 seconds of their time and sent us home with an antibiotic. We had a list of questions for them but got very vague rushed answers. Could be kennel cough. COULD? Could be a respiratory infection. COULD? It could be a bulldog thing with an elongated soft pallet. COULD?

The cough went away with the meds but who knows if they were the cure. After Goob finished out his shots with this vet (per contract) we went to another. She was great!!!! A close friend of a close friend. We took Goob to her for a physical and for a rabies shot. We voiced our concerns of the shot to her and she ACTUALLY LISTENED! She sat on the floor with Goob for about 15 minutes before giving him the injection. She showed us where is went in, what to look for, and told us to hang around for 20 minutes just in case he reacted negatively to it. AWESOME!

First vet in since we moved was scared of Goob, vague, and "had seen several bulldogs in his time." NEXT. Now Goob's most recent vet visit was again frustrating. The woman felt the need to tell me that bulldogs are prone to allergies, that they should be thick but not fat, that they have sensitive stomachs, and that she "never knew a bulldog that needed a muzzle" (as she looked at us like it was our fault. Never asked Goob's name, our names, about his health history, nothing. All she felt like doing was going down the list of "common bulldog health issues" and left. I was so upset. There is another vet at that same clinic who comes very highly recommended and we will be seeing him when the time comes.

When we see people on the street, they sometimes like to tell me how unhealthy bulldogs are but I would expect a vet to look past the breed.

 

[nycbullymama]

Goob's first vet in Cali was pretty frustrating. He is a very popular vet in Cali and a bulldog "specialist" so I'm sure he knows his stuff but our experience with him was awful. Goob was very young and had some sort of cough. We took him in they gave him about 5 seconds of their time and sent us home with an antibiotic. We had a list of questions for them but got very vague rushed answers. Could be kennel cough. COULD? Could be a respiratory infection. COULD? It could be a bulldog thing with an elongated soft pallet. COULD?

The cough went away with the meds but who knows if they were the cure. After Goob finished out his shots with this vet (per contract) we went to another. She was great!!!! A close friend of a close friend. We took Goob to her for a physical and for a rabies shot. We voiced our concerns of the shot to her and she ACTUALLY LISTENED! She sat on the floor with Goob for about 15 minutes before giving him the injection. She showed us where is went in, what to look for, and told us to hang around for 20 minutes just in case he reacted negatively to it. AWESOME!

First vet in since we moved was scared of Goob, vague, and "had seen several bulldogs in his time." NEXT. Now Goob's most recent vet visit was again frustrating. The woman felt the need to tell me that bulldogs are prone to allergies, that they should be thick but not fat, that they have sensitive stomachs, and that she "never knew a bulldog that needed a muzzle" (as she looked at us like it was our fault. Never asked Goob's name, our names, about his health history, nothing. All she felt like doing was going down the list of "common bulldog health issues" and left. I was so upset. There is another vet at that same clinic who comes very highly recommended and we will be seeing him when the time comes.

When we see people on the street, they sometimes like to tell me how unhealthy bulldogs are but I would expect a vet to look past the breed.

Finding a good vet definitely takes time, way too much time.
Even now, while I like the vet we've been seeing, I'm not exactly in love with the staff. The vet techs make me uncomfortable, they don't seem to really love animals.
My previous vet has the best staff. From the people that pick up the phone, to the techs- they're just great. Problem is the actual vet..lol..

Good luck, I know it's frustrating.

 

[cali baker]

Finding a good vet definitely takes time, way too much time.
Even now, while I like the vet we've been seeing, I'm not exactly in love with the staff. The vet techs make me uncomfortable, they don't seem to really love animals.
My previous vet has the best staff. From the people that pick up the phone, to the techs- they're just great. Problem is the actual vet..lol..

Good luck, I know it's frustrating.

oh man, that's how mine is...LOVE the staff but the vet....!! in fact, April, one of the wonderful vet assistants just called me to see how Finn is doing. Just a simple phone call to follow-up...that's all i ask. Maybe it's the "norm" that the vet doesn't call? Am i too needy??

 

[Goob14]

Finding a good vet definitely takes time, way too much time.
Even now, while I like the vet we've been seeing, I'm not exactly in love with the staff. The vet techs make me uncomfortable, they don't seem to really love animals.
My previous vet has the best staff. From the people that pick up the phone, to the techs- they're just great. Problem is the actual vet..lol..

Good luck, I know it's frustrating.

That's the EXACT same feeling I got with this new vet we are seeing. We walked in and the staff was AMAZING. They were falling head over heels for Goob, asked us all kinds of questions about him, and were telling us about their bully experiences. It was awesome! I couldn't wait to see the vet. Well...the vet was terrible. I told my husband "too bad the staff can't treat Goob in the vet's place." If the other vet at this clinic is anything like the one we saw, the search is on. A woman that works at my optometrist's office breeds and shows some sort of mastiff. She takes her dogs to this clinic but with the other vet I'm waiting to try. She loves him and had nothing but praise for him. We'll see.

 

[nycbullymama]

!Re: Does Your Vet Really Listen?

oh man, that's how mine is...LOVE the staff but the vet....!! in fact, April, one of the wonderful vet assistants just called me to see how Finn is doing. Just a simple phone call to follow-up...that's all i ask. Maybe it's the "norm" that the vet doesn't call? Am i too needy??

I wouldn't say needy, but to be honest, I've never had any vet (other than those we've seen at the veterinary hospital) ever call to follow-up. Would be nice though..

That's the EXACT same feeling I got with this new vet we are seeing. We walked in and the staff was AMAZING. They were falling head over heels for Goob, asked us all kinds of questions about him, and were telling us about their bully experiences. It was awesome! I couldn't wait to see the vet. Well...the vet was terrible. I told my husband "too bad the staff can't treat Goob in the vet's place." If the other vet at this clinic is anything like the one we saw, the search is on. A woman that works at my optometrist's office breeds and shows some sort of mastiff. She takes her dogs to this clinic but with the other vet I'm waiting to try. She loves him and had nothing but praise for him. We'll see.

Good luck, hope you love him too

 

[natski282]

This thread is timely as I just switched Cami to a different Vet and was very pleased.
He was very though in his exam (something most of the others weren't) even tho we
were in there for a growth on her foot pad (dx *overgrowth of keratin). Come to find
out, he has lots of bulldog clients (he specializes in horses/cows). Cami's former Vet
seemed more interested in selling specialized foods, etc and pushed me to have TPLO
on her when I thought she just needed rest & recovery, sure enough, it was injury that
mended. He didn't seem to understand as a disabled widow, it was going to be difficult
for me to come up w/ 6K (wanted to do other leg at same time) and I was very worried
about recovery. He almost pushed me into doing it out of fear & guilt, am so glad it was
injury that healed & Cami didn't have to go thru surgery & long recovery.
@natski282...account of his Vet's office at time of Tilly's passing made my eyes wet...now
that's what EVERY person & their beloveds DESERVE to have!

Texas Carol The grief weight that what they did for Tilly and I and My Prettyone I can not express in words it had a truly amazing effect on us all, we still miss her something awful as do the rest of our dogs one still looks for her another sleeps now where she lied when she was sick ( Tilly always slept between the Prettyone and I on the bed lol we called her our birth control ) They are pretty amazing and were very lucky to have a vets office like we have .

 

[ddnene]

As many of you know, I have had a HORRIBLE experience w/vets… that being said, I NOW have an amazing vet. First of all she owns a bulldog, which I think helps tremendously… and when I first started going there I noticed several bulldogs in the clinic. I DO believe it's important to understand the needs of bulldogs as a breed, it's also SUPER important to listen to your PATIENT (and in our case patients parents). Most dog owners bring their dogs in, pay, and then leave… whereas WE go in there fully informed (especially because of EBN) on our dog's issues. My vet actually listens to what I have to say, and we have an actual discussion and many times she will agree w/me on a treatment or an option. I also LOVE the fact that she will call/text me to see how Wallygator is doing after a surgery. I have her personal cell phone number on my phone in case of emergencies… you have NO idea how much I LOVE her!!! Lol

 

[Texas Carol]

oh man, that's how mine is...LOVE the staff but the vet....!! in fact, April, one of the wonderful vet assistants just called me to see how Finn is doing. Just a simple phone call to follow-up...that's all i ask. Maybe it's the "norm" that the vet doesn't call? Am i too needy??

No, Henny, you are not too needy, it's what you deserve to have.