Vitamin A Injection, of course went wrong

[Shelly]

Vitamin injections are a common method to pad a vet's bill.

Why am I not surprised by this statement?

Do you disagree that many Veterinarians perform unneeded procedures to pad their bills?
I worked for 2 different vets as a tech many years ago. I have been a pet owner for 40 years. I have been reading these forums for the past 3 years. That is how I formed my opinion.

 

[CtTortoiseMom]

I respectfully disagree. I have had many pets and with pet insurance and people using the Internet to comparison shop and research, vet's simply do not do anything you have described. The veterinarians I know are passionate about animals and go over and beyond in order to help. Especially Doctor Todd.

 

[exoticsdr]

I do feel horribley guilty though, for I have been guilty of padding a bill....well actually two....I just knew that those open heart, double kidney transplants would come back to bite me in the backside!

Doc

 

[Shelly]

vet's simply do not do anything you have described. Especially Doctor Todd.

Respectfully, I think you live in a dream world.
Case in point. I took my mother's very old, very sick cat to the vet. First thing he said is, "We need to run blood tests". I asked him "Do you think there is a reasonable chance that the tests will reveal a treatable condition?" His reply.. "No, not really".
I once had a very large 16 year old dog that needed to be euthanized. I called every vet in my area that did house calls, as I wanted to save my pet (who was also blind) the trauma of a car ride in his very weak, sick condition. The LOWEST estimate I got was $475, to come to my house and give the dog an injection of Euthanol. Please explain to me how that is not an attempt to gouge somebody who is in an emotionally vulnerable condition?
I worked for a Vet named W. Steele Livingston in the late 1970's. He was one of the few vets at the time that offered cancer treatments for pets. I remember one animal in particular that he treated for over a year. It was a huge Saint Bernard. In the year it took him to die, he endured TWO leg amputations and chemo therapy with an experimental drug he had developed called "Lysate". He later received a patent for the drug as an arthritis treatment. http://www.surechem.org/index.php?Action=document&docId=990397&db=USPTO
That poor dog endured more agony than I can describe. Can you imagine a 125 pound dog as a double amputee? How is that ethical? The owners paid thousands and thousands of dollars. The equivalent in todays money would probably be over $20,000.
Do you read the threads in this forum? There have been literally countless threads that have depicted vet visits and treatments that could be described as incompetent at best, and unethical at worst.
As far as "Doctor Todd" I have no reason to believe he is anything but reasonable, and an expert in his field, based on his posts that I have read. Not sure why he seems to take my posts so personally. I personally am in a profession in which many (if not most) of the practitioners are incompetent and often dishonest.
There are probably thousands and thousands of great vets throughout the country, just as there are fabulous auto mechanics and amazing plumbers. But as in any field, I know for a fact there are also countless vets that are treat their profession as nothing more than a way to squeeze money out of ignorant, distraught pet owners.
If you think I never have anything good to say about veterinarians, please read this post. http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Credit-where-it-is-due#axzz1dd3cpmdt
Your experiences with vets have been positive. Good for you. Many of mine have not.

 

[ascott]

Shelly, I agree with you on your feelings and observations of a large number of vets as well as I agree this holds true with human doctors as well.....I do know that there are also good vets in the world.

I also have had more than a handful of first hand experience with less than desirable vets.... that only forces me to be a better educated person in any future relationships with other vets....which is my job as a keeper of animals of any kind..IMHO

Bringing this post back to the topic In this tortoise case, I firmly believe that the vet failed not just the keeper but moreover the tortoise that did not have to go through this trauma. I believe that is the saddest thing...and all of the patchwork the vet is offing onto this keeper to clean up after a terrible choice that this vet made....and there would be no way no how that I would ever take the word, nor opinion of that vet again let alone I would not trust that the "follow up" procedures are of a sound choice either from that vet....the vet would have failed in a way that can not be taken back....now, I certainly hope that vet will not make that same choice again given a tortoise with simply a missing scute....IMHO

I do have respect for a person who becomes a vet....however I do not hand respect out to a person simply because they call themselves a vet....

 

[Torty Mom]

Angela, have you heard from her, how is the tortie doing?

 

[CtTortoiseMom]

vet's simply do not do anything you have described. Especially Doctor Todd.

Respectfully, I think you live in a dream world.
Case in point. I took my mother's very old, very sick cat to the vet. First thing he said is, "We need to run blood tests". I asked him "Do you think there is a reasonable chance that the tests will reveal a treatable condition?" His reply.. "No, not really".
I once had a very large 16 year old dog that needed to be euthanized. I called every vet in my area that did house calls, as I wanted to save my pet (who was also blind) the trauma of a car ride in his very weak, sick condition. The LOWEST estimate I got was $475, to come to my house and give the dog an injection of Euthanol. Please explain to me how that is not an attempt to gouge somebody who is in an emotionally vulnerable condition?
I worked for a Vet named W. Steele Livingston in the late 1970's. He was one of the few vets at the time that offered cancer treatments for pets. I remember one animal in particular that he treated for over a year. It was a huge Saint Bernard. In the year it took him to die, he endured TWO leg amputations and chemo therapy with an experimental drug he had developed called "Lysate". He later received a patent for the drug as an arthritis treatment. http://www.surechem.org/index.php?Action=document&docId=990397&db=USPTO
That poor dog endured more agony than I can describe. Can you imagine a 125 pound dog as a double amputee? How is that ethical? The owners paid thousands and thousands of dollars. The equivalent in todays money would probably be over $20,000.
Do you read the threads in this forum? There have been literally countless threads that have depicted vet visits and treatments that could be described as incompetent at best, and unethical at worst.
As far as "Doctor Todd" I have no reason to believe he is anything but reasonable, and an expert in his field, based on his posts that I have read. Not sure why he seems to take my posts so personally. I personally am in a profession in which many (if not most) of the practitioners are incompetent and often dishonest.
There are probably thousands and thousands of great vets throughout the country, just as there are fabulous auto mechanics and amazing plumbers. But as in any field, I know for a fact there are also countless vets that are treat their profession as nothing more than a way to squeeze money out of ignorant, distraught pet owners.
If you think I never have anything good to say about veterinarians, please read this post. http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Credit-where-it-is-due#axzz1dd3cpmdt
Your experiences with vets have been positive. Good for you. Many of mine have not.

That is some terrible stuff that you have witnessed. I am horrified about the St.Bernard and so sorry about the loss of your own dog and suffering you went through.

 

[ascott]

Mary Anne I have not heard anything else from her???? I hope her tortoise makes it through aok

 

[lynnedit]

Yes, I would also like to know if the tort made it?