My 'pet hate' about my vet (Mylo's unwell)

[steve young]

Unfortunately Mylo has been ill since the weekend (probably from eating horse dung from Chatelerhault), diarrhea since Monday and sickness from today. Came home yesterday and the poor boy had squirted 'doggie chocolate' through the bars of his crate, everywhere. NIGHTMARE. I didn't feed him last night and made him a little boiled chicken and rice this morning. He threw that up an hour or 2 later and the colour was brown. He was also sick at 1pm but all that came up was bile.

Being more worried now, I took the day off work to stay with him and called the vet.

We usually go to the Ark Vet Group in Coatbridge, so after calling them the woman suggested I go to their Holytown branch at 1.30, so I did.

Mylo got checked over, doesn't seem to be any foreign bodies in his gut, temperature is fine, no blood in his intestine. He got a couple of injections and some oral paste to take when he stops being sick (hard to judge when he's not eating anything) and told to starve him for a further 24 hours. So that'll be a full 48 hours with no food, considering he threw up everything from this morning.

So, enough 'scene setting' and time to get to the point. The vet, who I've had before at the Coatbridge branch, is a complete nightmare. She talks to you through your dog! She doesn't look me in the eye and tends to ignore direct questioning. Clearly she has communication problems and possibly confidence issues. She's very condescending too. Crouching down she'll try and examine him and say things in her 'doggy voice' like "Oh! I would have thought you would be much better trained by now!", to which i replied "actually, he is well trained and I take him to obedience classes", he's just not used to weird women trying to shove thermometers up his bum. When she was done, she just said to Mylo who was sniffing the floor "Right! You can do that outside!". Unsure of the situation I asked "eh... I take it that's you finished then?", "Yes!" again in 'doggy voice'. Nuts.

On the face of it, it doesn't sound like much of a problem, but when I go to the vet i like to ask lots of questions and she doesn't make this possible. I need to be told directly what to do with the medication not try and remember what she said to the dog. If i ask for clarification I get a 'look' like i'm the idiot.

Anyway, next time I'm going to request to get someone else. Someone who can talk to people directly. Not Mrs Doolittle. Either that or next time I get her I'll talk to her through the dog. "Oh Mylo! Does that silly vet think you understand her?"

Anyone else go to this Vet Practice? They're very good, with one exception.
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Steve Young
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Dogs: Sasha (10 yr Lurcher, male) and Mylo (1 yr Shepweiler, male)
Pictures Videos

[Lisa/Colin]

Havent used this Vet and must say with one exception, I find all the Vets at the Practice we use to be good, not condescending although I do tend to ask for the same one or two that I have a lot of confidence in. When its an 'emergency' like this tho, I suppose you've got to take who you get.

Poor Mylo, I hope he's feeling better soon. Hek has a bit of the squits at the moment, from drinking yukky water up at Inverary last week, but not as bad as Mylo. When he was really ill last year with that gastro virus the Vet gave us Pro-kolin paste which really helped bind him up. As long as he is still drinking, I wouldnt worry about starving him for another 24 hrs.

Good luck, keep us posted.

Lisa

[Isabel]

Hope poor mylo is better soon. We use the lawrie practice but there are certain vets there i try not to see. I like your suggestion of talking back to her through mylo, think you should do it (and make sure you video it for us lot so see!)

[shirley c]

I havent used them, but isnt there a good vet in Wishaw, im sure he is a greyhound specialist tho but not sure if they are still there, they had a swimming pool therapy pool too

I use Acres in Airdrie and I find them great, the older woman really explains everything to a tee, I used them froim Peter smith was there, loved him as a vet, he was great with all my animals, from dogs, to rats
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lurchers Pixel and Zev and whippet, Fen
3 cats, Greebo, Yu and Lexx - 2 ferrets and Dales pony Jazz and adopted pony, April

[Lorna]

I hope Mylo gets well soon. I would use another vet in the practice if I were you.
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Regards,
Lorna, Basil & Poppy
Great Danes are not substitute children. They are much more important than that!

[Suzanne H]

We use them and have always found them to be very good - I've seen them all at one point or another and while yes, 2 of them are more chatty than the others, their treatment of the dog has been spot on. One of them would love a pointer so he's always good value!

I think they're like doctors, to them the runs are generally very routine , to you it's your baby and you're worried. If you have questions, just ask her and if she doesn't like it, tough. Ask away until you're satisfied. That's what I do.

Otto had colitis as a youngster, and still has issues from time to time, we don't bother with the vet now unless he seems under the weather and he rarely is. We starve him for 24 hours, then put him on Chappy (easy to digest) for a day and that seems to do the trick.

[steve young]

Wee health update: he seems to be ok now. I'm working from home again today to keep an eye on him.

After 48 hours with no food i've been feeding him a little bit of boiled chicken and rice every few hours and so far he's kept it down.

No stool action yet though

Had to feed him ice cubes last night because he wasn't drinking. He loves ice cubes.

He was like a bag of bones last night.

Why do dogs take snacks like ice cubes, biscuits, etc and eat them on carpet rather than on the kitchen tiles? Sasha does the same.
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Steve Young
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Dogs: Sasha (10 yr Lurcher, male) and Mylo (1 yr Shepweiler, male)
Pictures Videos

[Lisa/Colin]

[Jack]

Glad he's getting better Steve. I'm with Suzanne. ASK!!! No matter who the dozy bint talks through

My vets know me really well now and KNOW I want ALL of the facts and they're happy to oblige. Maybe this woman is actually shy with people and needs to overcome that - you might find if you see her often enough that you warm to her and her loopy ways
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