How on earth could you add #3 to your post? Litigation? That is so rare, even today, that it has allowed your malpractice premiums to remain at the paltry sum it is!

Lawyers taking cases to fund lavish homes? Again, lawyers willing to take a pet-vet mal case is extremely rare, because of the lack of “$$$$” to be had!

I wrote a lengthy post last night that didn’t go through.

A brief repeat here: What other profession has no recourse for accountability? What profession allows continued licensure & privacy for the most egregious of acts? Certainly not the human professions, that allow legal suits, sanctions, and loss of employment.

It behooves those of you to finally step up and speak out, because those ‘bad apples’ you have been silent about are dragging on the integrity and causing public mistrust and perception you do not deserve.

I happen to be in a system based soley on the preservation of public trust. The USPS does not hide, shuffle, or tolerate the unethical, criminal, or thievery. It is out the door, full prosecution, media announcement, and no sympathetic ear. Pensions are confiscated for retribution and the public is assured of no “second chances”. Sadly, this principle became so ingrained over my last 22 years, it was naivete and shock to discover otherwise, particularly among highly educated and licensed professions.

It is also fair to say, that what is tolerated may be based on region, and the individual clinics and/or clinicians principles.

1. We always want people aware of our interest and availibility to see their pet. We live during a time ad area of exceptional medicine and ability to offer 24/7 care.

2. Regardless of how much info the owner gives about their pet, there is nothing like doing a true hands-on physical examination. Since our furry friends cannot talk to us, unless we truly place our hands on them, who knows what kinda of health or state their bodies are in. The last thing we want to do is tell owners to self-medicate their pets without a visit to either the ER or rDVM just to placate them so they do not think “Vets are only in it for the money.” We went to vet school to actually treat animals, not polypharmacy them over the phone to appease clients.

3. Unfortunately we have to be so concerned about litigation that we have to cover our butts. If it wasn’t for the lawyers looking to fund their multiple summer homes and lavish lifestyles, we would not have to have a disclaimer at the end of every suggestion, recommendation, etc. We might be more inclined to offer some more advice without seeing the pet.

In response to part of PJs post saying that the general practice veterinarian needs to be more reachable/able to see pets at all times: what was left out of this scenario is that during “older veterinary medicine days,” the general practice vet maybe would see the pet. After working their long day, they make that extra effort to see this pet. If it is sick, it gets hospitalized at the practice often without any supervision overnight. How is this better than going to a facility where an ER doctor is not extending their shift just to see this pet, is fresh minded and specifically tailored to addressing emergent situations, AND the pet is monitored at all times? To just dump the pet at the general practice is an antiquated way of practicing. Coming to work in the morning to possible dead animals in the cage is not acceptable.

And lastly……IMHO, people in the medical field in general make the worst patients/clients. That includes MDs, DDS, RN, LPN, DVM, LVT, etc. I include myself in that. How many of us in the medical field do exactly what our doctors tell us? Not many……

Say what??? Try that one again—perhaps you need to visit badvetdaily.blogspot.com to aprise yourself of a sampling of those wonderful vets that graduated & became licensed. Better yet, click on my name & gander at my website for awhile—took FOUR bad vets to pull that off on my defenseless pet.

You assume that a nurse has a chip on her shoulder, why? Because she is not an MD? That would be like saying vets have chips in a hospital setting, wouldn’t it?

I have a hard time relating to the work ethics today. Since I am “older” than most, I remember when any medical field person simply felt duty to the job and patients: that included hospital personel, doctors, dentists, and yes siree vets too.

There are responsibilities that come with owning a pet that people don’t realize. I find that most purchases are an impulse/emotional buy. When you buy a pet you buy love first and not responsibility. It drives me insane. But as vets we should perhaps educate owners on their first visit? Maybe it is something the pet stores aren’t doing?

@PJ: There is absolutely no way that a person can get through Veterinary school without compassion, drive, and love for animals. It is a constant day to day struggle to give yourself up 100% and still have the energy to remember who you are when you get home. We need to sleep, shower, eat, hug our friends, family, kids, watch our favorite movies too. I am human first, companion second, Veterinarian third. Until you have done after hours emergency calls or watched a patient you give everything to die, you have no right to say anything.

Dr Leon did the best thing he could for that pet. The owner was wrong in giving NSAIDS with steroids. She was “playing” Dr. A little knowledge is dangerous. She had no IDEA what the complications could have been. Here’s where it gets very dangerous: she might not have told Dr Leon the medication she had given. Unknowing, Dr. Leon could have prescribed a fatal medication. Our job is to be an advocate for the pet first, the owner second. The owner was just plain wrong. And the pet will suffer for it.

By the way PJ, how many hours a week do you work? And can I call you at home when I have questions?

@pjb: i confirmed with one of two ER’s that i direct my clients to. and it’s the one closest to this client’s home. i never “ass chewed” the client -rather, it was the other way around. i actually did begin to examine the dog while discussing the client’s poor judgment. it was then when she told me to stop. and i asked to examined the dog again about 3 times before she huffed out the door. yes, my profession does require a high level of availability. that’s why i currently work 6 days a week, anywhere from 9-14 hours a day. how many times a week do i get home “on time?” never. i just hired another doctor so we could be open 7 days a week. but that still leaves this hospital closed for 116 hours during the week. this hospital’s relationship with a select couple of ER’s (open 24/7 and staffed with board certified specialists) ensures continuity of care for my patients. trust me, both ER’s have my personal cell number and i have taken a few calls at 3am or while out of town. lastly, are you, a lawyer, really accusing me of “cherry picking” my clients? hi, kettle -you’re black. this wasn’t a case of cherry picking. it was me being an advocate for the patient. i didn’t want him to be the owner’s personal science experiment.

As far as the US restricting access to drugs… Seriously? If you leave it up to most people, they will kill themselves trying to figure out what drugs are needed for what they think they may have. That’s just dangerous and irresponsible.

There are vets that make house calls, and have house call practices. If that’s what you want, it’s out there. But guess what, they have hours that they are not available as well. Vets aren’t following the lead of MD’s, if we were we’d be a lot more wealthy. There are several emergency clinics in the area that are more than capable of stabilizing a patient until the morning. The patient can then be taken the their regular vet. This is not 1940’s Mayberry, there’s no way for one to be available 24/7/365 and still have any kind of life for themselves. There’s a reason that there are hours that we are not available, it’s called sanity.

I think Dr. Leon did, and does, care about this dog. That is why he was upset with the owner and addressed the issue with her. The own choose to walk out, chip on shoulder and figure of blame pointing, and not have her “beloved family member” examined.

Clients need a good ass chewing from time to time. It keeps the grounded :-).