Strange vet

[ralla]

There is vet around town here who I will call strange. I have clients who have dropped this vet because of unusual business practices. One of the complaints I have heard from three different clients this year is that this vet gives shots for things not needed. When clients bring the pets in for a routine shot - they end up with a five hundred dollar vet bill for other things done.

Meanwhile the vet has a groomer too. So one client called the night before his groom with me to say that he took the dog to the vet that day for his routine check up. The vet said that from now on they have to groom the dog because the dog requires a special shampoo that only they have.

Now normally I wouldn't pay any attention to the things people say that a vet says but I have heard so many bizare things about this vet.

Meanwhile a client with a cat had an emergency...to this vet. The vet released the cat a few hours later and the cat went sick again...so off to a second vet. That vet listed that the initial vet (really did nothing) didn't fix the problem at all. So the initial vet sent a bill to the cat owners for a grand...they went to the vets to dicuss why they shouldn't pay the whole bill...the vet refused to see them. The owners were then sent a new higher bill from a collection agency. The owners spoke to a rep from the collection agency and per that conversation faxed over the info from the second vet. The collection agency dropped the case. The vet was given back the bill from the collection agency and because the vet was now stuck with the bill the vet sent a letter from their lawyer threatening a lawsuit. ... so the owners of the cat said go for it...nothing was done.

Strange?

[dogspaw]

Well I guess that is one way to drum up business for your groomer if you are a vet that cant keep clients comming in. If it is a perscription shampoo, why cant the owner get the shampoo and instructions for its use and bring it in to you? Even if they cant get the shampoo, the only thing that would have to be done at the vet is the bath.

I get many clients that come from vet groomers because when they go in for a $40 haircut, they end up with a $400 bill because the vet "found" something wrong and "treated" it without the owners knoweledge. Im not even talking about shots, but wierd and unusual things. I know for a fact that there are some awsome vet groomers out there, those are not the situations im talking about, but there are some vets that just use a groomer to get the dog in, then they rack up an outrageous amount of charges becouse they "found" something while the dog was there. It really gives groomers at vets offices a bad wrap and puts them in a bad position. Granted it can be nice to have a vet in house in case something happens, but there are just some vets out there that ruin it for others IMHO.

[SwissNChow]

They should follow through with a report to the state veterinary board. The board probably won't do anything, but it does go on record. They do pay attention when things start to pile up. I would doubt they hear from this vet again, and I certainly hope they are not planning to go back.

As for the vet "adding" things. It is of course every clients responsibility to only pay for what a vet actually does. Each client also has the right to deny services offered. A vet may threaten to not be willing to see the client again, or to treat their pet unless they get the extra things they want to sell but the client has perfect right to deny service and to go somewhere else. There are lots of vets that don't sell their veterinary shampoos and have their clients come into the clinic for the special bath, but the client has perfect right to go somewhere else to buy that shampoo. If only that vet has it, then they are making up their own concoctions and I would avoid them anyway. It may only be sold through vets, but nothing is sold through only one vet! Clients need to turn their brains on if they fall for that one.

I say lesson learned. If a client walks in for basic vaccinations and walks out with tons of extras, it is their fault for not saying no. The vet may talk a good talk and be very convincing, but again, the client chose to agree. Some vets are incredible salesmen, but a client always has the right to say no and to leave. If I had a vet do things against my permission, there is no way I would pay for it. Vets seem to naturally know not to pull that **** with me.

That is kind of like the "drive by windshielding" I got one time. A mobile auto glass repair service came to a business to replace a wind shield on a Sprinter. The owner of that Sprinter just motioned and pointed out side for them to get to work. The mobile glass guy went out, saw a Sprinter with a cracked windshield and got to work. He had the old windshield in before two shop owners came out and asked him what he was doing. He had picked the wrong Sprinter and had replaced my cracked windshield rather than replacing the busted one of the shop owner next door. My Sprinter had been sitting in front of the generator repair shop! So, I get a phone call telling me what happened. Got an apology from the mobile glass guy for working on my vehicle without permission. But, then he actually sent me a bill! Um, I didn't order that, I don't think so!

[odette]

some vet seminars teach them how to do add ons, they take some of the office people with them, if they do $x in addons for certain suppliers, they could get anything from a vacation to a sports car, one vet here was notorious, hated me because i told people if they did not authorize it they didn't have to pay, that vet had to sell out to one of those conglomertes to stay in business.

[4Sibes]

that vet had to sell out to one of those conglomertes to stay in business.

And those "conglomerates" can be the most hateful virus to ever hit a practice.

One purchased my ex-boss's practice (his choice, after 35 years in) 18 months ago and another local clinic, as well as an ER and kennel. "They" bankrupted everything and all landed on the auction block 5 weeks ago.

Won't even touch on the "corporate" operation of the practices during those 18 months.