RANT...Why do our vets close so early?

[KMARINO]

Vega's vet closes at 5 p.m. and I did a local search ALL our local vets close by 5:30, do they not realize that some of us work days and can not get there by that time??? Plus I DON'T WANT to take him to anyone else! I know I live in a retirement town in Florida but for god sakes not all of us are retired!! I do not have the luxury of taking him any time of the day.

Vegas is not peeing like he was but I called our vet and I have to have him there by no later than 4:30, I GET OFF at 4:30!

I am going to call the night bartender and see if she will come in at 3 for me. This makes me very . I know she will I have worked over many times for her. I just wanted to rant!!!!

 

[KMARINO]

There is an emergency room 45 min. away that I found that is actually a 24 hour care, Yea right, wonder how much that would cost for me to take a urine sample in, and how in the world would I even get one? [MENTION=2]desertskybulldogs[/MENTION], yesterday I tried to put a plate under him when he pee'd to see if it was dark or any blood, Yea....that did not go so well, he ran from it.... and just pee'd elsewhere!!!

 

[Gertie's Mom]

Yup, same thing in my area. Vets think they're banks. In fact, my bank has better hours! It stays open til 6!

 

[sheshistory]

There is an emergency room 45 min. away that I found that is actually a 24 hour care, Yea right, wonder how much that would cost for me to take a urine sample in, and how in the world would I even get one? [MENTION=2]desertskybulldogs[/MENTION], yesterday I tried to put a plate under him when he pee'd to see if it was dark or any blood, Yea....that did not go so well, he ran from it.... and just pee'd elsewhere!!!

ER vets usually cost between $80-100 to walk in the door...since a UTI isn't really an emergency, I wouldn't do it.

Also, if you have Banfield The Pet Hospital clinics in your area (located inside Petsmart), they are open until 6-7 PM, even on Saturdays and Sundays. The hours are great.

To collect the urine, if you try standing behind him and putting it under him midstream, it might work but it's not easy!

 

[cali~jenn]

I would love to see the video of you trying to catch it on a plate.

 

[Libra926]

I had to leave my vet that I loved when Vegas was diagnosed with Epilepsy. They were awesome in the pricing...Vegas's tail amp cost me only $800.00. I had to leave them because I needed a vet with longer hours and weekend hours. I chose South Hill Vet Hospital....they are the ones that diagnosed Chesty with a soft palette within seconds of meeting him. (my mom wasn't even having Chesty looked at) She just wanted to meet the vet who would be doing the AI on Cadance when the time came. So, I started going there. Vegas was having cluster seizures, he ended up aspirating....and they didn't have a vet on staff until 7:30am. It was 5am and I was afraid that Vegas was dying. He was so sick and coughing and throwing up every couple of minutes. The nurse told us to take him to Sumner Vet. They were 24 hours (they had just become 24 hours) So we did and he was diagnosed with aspiration pnuemonia. We've been going there every since. They are way more expensive than my original guy...but they have the ER, daycare and the training facility. The price we pay for convienence.

 

[KMARINO]

Today Vegas is back on track, no extra peeing, he has ate breakfast and dinner, drank the usual amount of water and is very playful, maybe he just had an off day?? I will watch him closer, and the bartender that I have stayed MANY times for so that she could be late could not come in for me an hour early today. HHhmmmm, I don't think I will be able to cover her next time! This was very important to me, unlike her getting her "nails done" and he was running late. I was a little bit when she said no!! BUT I know me, I will say yes again when she ask. If it had been a true emergency I would have told my boss that has 3 dogs and loves them what I needed and I am sure he would have covered for me.

 

[2bulliefamily]

Know that feeling. They do have a tendency to make it inconvenient for the working folks! Mine is the same way but they are open on Saturday so if it is a planned ahead visit i do saturday's if not poor Lola has to go at 7:30 and stay all day. she loves it though because she has the run of the office. I did just find out that they are now an emergency office and that I have to now go to the "main" office who i don't care for. not sure what I am going to do and have to take brodie within the next couple of weeks.

 

[Bella'sMom]

This is a hard one to comment on. I work in a dental office and we work Mon-Thur 8-5, so I even get this question. I have a vet who is open every other Saturday and I am also off on Fridays. So all my personal (unless emergency) appointments are mainly on Fridays. I know what you mean, but I work in an office that has even worse hours and LOVE it.

 

[KMARINO]

[MENTION=770]Bella'sMom[/MENTION], I don't blame you if I worked a job that was suppose to get off at 5 I would want to get off at 5! BUT, I can at least make an appointment at the dentist, a vet is needed usually on a spur of the moment and I think they should stay open to at least 7 for those of us that work days, I do not work Fridays either and I make all my appt. on Fridays but with our pets you never know when you might need to go!

 

[Bella'sMom]

[MENTION=900]KMARINO[/MENTION], good customer service is hard to come by now days. I agree, if a patient of record has a urgent need and calls, I get them in, sometimes causing us to be stuck there till 6-6:30. The staff doesn't like me much, but you know, that is what keeps good patients and gets them to brag about their "Dentist" Vets should do the same, if a patient of record calls.....offer to stay until she gets there. That alone would cause you to refer to them, they don't realize that is the best PR and They get paid for it!