Random Stuffs

[cdo96]

Women are lucky when it comes to scrub stores. It’s like going into a warehouse with hundreds of options. When I got my first job as a tech, I went to a store that had tons of scrubs. I asked where the men’s section was and was pointed to one shelf with two colors and different sizes of the unisex Cherokee scrubs. I got those and suffered, but my Grey’s I had to order from amazon. Definitely worth it though.

Oh gosh, my scrub store was almost more men’s scrubs than women’s scrubs!

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[ajs513]

Oh gosh, my scrub store was almost more men’s scrubs than women’s scrubs!

Wow! I want to know where you’re going for your scrubs. Sounds great!

 

[grebes4lyfe]

Just gonna throw this out there.
Figs are THE BEST scrubs I’ve ever worn in my life.
They are also pricey but Holy **** are they worth it.
I feel like I’m wearing soft PJs to work.

 

[SkiOtter]

I'm a girl, and jokingly regret starting to wear greys anatomy scrubs because I used to wear the cheapest scrubs and never had any complaints, then bought some greys ones and will never ever go back. Thank goodness I only really wear scrub tops for surgery because I'd bleed myself dry buying that **** lol.

They're so soft. And I have a waist in them! Ugh they're the best.

My nicer white coats are greys too.

I also love my grey’s scrubs and they’re actually the only ones I own besides the crappy ones I got as the uniform for one of my jobs that are now anatomy scrubs

 

[SkiOtter]

Just gonna throw this out there.
Figs are THE BEST scrubs I’ve ever worn in my life.
They are also pricey but Holy **** are they worth it.
I feel like I’m wearing soft PJs to work.

@Skimble loved those too iirc

 

[Caiter92]

This was in New Jersey in a metropolitan area. The cost of living, rent, and upkeep is much more expensive than many other places in the US. We’re of course not low cost compared to the rest of the country, but compared to every other place in a 20 mile radius we were. I know that because my manager had me call those places pretending to be a pet owner looking for services and ask for pricing... I know. Sleazy.

Our cost for things like surgery was very very low as well. We’d charge around $150 for a cat spay, all in. We made sure to be fairly comparable to low-cost slay and neuter clinics in the area except we couldn’t go quite as low due to not being government or donation subsidized. We even did a mastectomy (I think quadruple or something) for $400.

I know that the fixed income line refers to having a low income and being on government benefits, but it got tiring after a while since half of the people calling were on a “fixed income” and the term itself doesn’t actually make sense. The majority of people don’t just have extra money coming in randomly during the year. Maybe something like “state income” or “subsidized income” would make more sense. It’s just a pet peeve that everyone who has worked at lower cost clinics has developed.

I worked in a very expensive suburbs in Seattle, so I understand being in an expensive area. I understand your prices were probably much cheaper than surrounding areas, but “low-cost clinic” has a certain connotation, which is probably why people were shocked at the prices.

I’m not arguing that people complain at prices not realizing the true cost of medical care, but in this situation if the people complaining were expecting a “low-cost clinic” and then were charged this, I understand why they were upset.

The issue is that true low-cost clinics are either government subsidized or have been around for so long that they don’t have a lot of upkeep costs. We were probably 20-25% less expensive than the other places in the area even though we were a brand new clinic saddled with over a million dollars of startup debt. We had state of the art equipment like a vetray x ray machine, dental x rays, brand new dental machine, in-house lab equipment, and surgical laser. All of the services we offered were extremely inexpensive all things considered, and we really couldn’t have gone any cheaper and still have been successful. There really wasn’t anywhere people could go to get true next-to-nothing care, and we were the closest thing. If there were a cheaper option then I would understand, but we truly were the cheapest option for many many miles. At least when it comes to sick visits and non-elective surgeries.

See, this is what I was referring too. Your clinic sounds like it worked hard to keep costs lower which is awesome, but if you were calling yourselves a “low-cost clinic,” people were going to be expecting those government subsidies. 20-25% cheaper than surrounding clinics doesn’t qualify you as a “low-cost clinic” when that has a certain meaning.

 

[ajs513]

I worked in a very expensive suburbs in Seattle, so I understand being in an expensive area. I understand your prices were probably much cheaper than surrounding areas, but “low-cost clinic” has a certain connotation, which is probably why people were shocked at the prices.

I’m not arguing that people complain at prices not realizing the true cost of medical care, but in this situation if the people complaining were expecting a “low-cost clinic” and then were charged this, I understand why they were upset.



See, this is what I was referring too. Your clinic sounds like it worked hard to keep costs lower which is awesome, but if you were calling yourselves a “low-cost clinic,” people were going to be expecting those government subsidies. 20-25% cheaper than surrounding clinics doesn’t qualify you as a “low-cost clinic” when that has a certain meaning.

I get what you’re saying. I think we referred to ourselves as a low-cost clinic because the SPCA has us listed that way. Also because there were no true subsidized low cost clinics in the area.

 

[SkiOtter]

I get what you’re saying. I think we referred to ourselves as a low-cost clinic because the SPCA has us listed that way.

But why refer to yourselves as one when you weren’t really one tho

 

[WildZoo]

I don't know, I kind of think it's the responsibility of the owner to research costs before getting a pet...but that probably gets into my opinions on ownership in general, which aren't always popular I guess.

Like yeah, sometimes people get into weird financial situations after the fact and they're doing the best they can, but I've just come across so many people who got a puppy and didn't even think about making sure they had even enough money set aside for basic care (physical, required vaccines, deworming), let alone anything more complex, and it is extremely frustrating to deal with. Low costs clinics definitely help if they're providing care for people who just wouldn't take their pets to the vet otherwise, but then you get people charging "normal" prices getting **** for it because "Well I could have this done for $10 at the vaccine clinic!"

Maybe another one of those education issues.

 

[WildZoo]

Another reason not to do GP

 

[vetmedhead]

I don't know, I kind of think it's the responsibility of the owner to research costs before getting a pet...but that probably gets into my opinions on ownership in general, which aren't always popular I guess.

Like yeah, sometimes people get into werd financial situations after the fact and they're doing the best they can, but I've just come across so many people who got a puppy and didn't even think about making sure they had even enough money set aside for basic care (physical, required vaccines, deworming), let alone anything more complex, and it is extremely frustrating to deal with. Low costs clinics definitely help if they're providing care for people who just wouldn't take their pets to the vet otherwise, but then you get people charging "normal" prices getting **** for it because "Well I could have this done for $10 at the vaccine clinic!"

Maybe another one of those education issues.

I have a hard time with low cost clinics, because on the one hand you have problems like you've laid out above, and on the other hand... When my family was bankrupt, destitute, and teetering on the edge of homelessness, low cost clinics were the only ones who didn't tell us that pets were a luxury and we were stupid to have gotten them five or ten or fifteen years ago when our family was stable and able to take care of them at the time. That was a very damaging period of my life and it was made so much harder by the sheer number of people who treated us as if we picked up all our pets knowing we couldn't take care of them, or who treated us like do-nothing owners who didn't care about the welfare of our animals. The only reason we were able to maintain ownership of the animals we'd had since I was three years old was because of low cost clinics.

I'm very luckily no longer in the position to need those services any more, but I donate time and money to low cost efforts when I can, because they really were a startling source of compassion and a bright light in an otherwise really dark part of my life. I hope places like that can continue to provide those services to people who really, really need it at that point in their lives.

 

[WildZoo]

I have a hard time with low cost clinics, because on the one hand you have problems like you've laid out above, and on the other hand... When my family was bankrupt, destitute, and teetering on the edge of homelessness, low cost clinics were the only ones who didn't tell us that pets were a luxury and we were stupid to have gotten them five or ten or fifteen years ago when our family was stable and able to take care of them at the time. That was a very damaging period of my life and it was made so much harder by the sheer number of people who treated us as if we picked up all our pets knowing we couldn't take care of them, or who treated us like do-nothing owners who didn't care about the welfare of our animals. The only reason we were able to maintain ownership of the animals we'd had since I was three years old was because of low cost clinics.

I'm very luckily no longer in the position to need those services any more, but I donate time and money to low cost efforts when I can, because they really were a startling source of compassion and a bright light in an otherwise really dark part of my life. I hope places like that can continue to provide those services to people who really, really need it at that point in their lives.

Yeah and that's the thing I struggle with as well. I can only imagine the pain of being in such a tough financial situation that you can't provide care for the animals that have been a part of your family for years. They are a good thing that, like most good things, are ruined by the bad eggs.

 

[ajs513]

But why refer to yourselves as one when you weren’t really one tho

I didn’t really realize that there was a clear distinction for what’s a low cost clinic. I always figured it just meant a clinic that is lower cost than others in the area and caters to a low-income clientele. Also, my doctor and manager were both from another country and that played into the misunderstanding. But we did offer a free first visit if that helps!

 

[Caiter92]

I don't know, I kind of think it's the responsibility of the owner to research costs before getting a pet...but that probably gets into my opinions on ownership in general, which aren't always popular I guess.

Like yeah, sometimes people get into weird financial situations after the fact and they're doing the best they can, but I've just come across so many people who got a puppy and didn't even think about making sure they had even enough money set aside for basic care (physical, required vaccines, deworming), let alone anything more complex, and it is extremely frustrating to deal with. Low costs clinics definitely help if they're providing care for people who just wouldn't take their pets to the vet otherwise, but then you get people charging "normal" prices getting **** for it because "Well I could have this done for $10 at the vaccine clinic!"

Maybe another one of those education issues.

I have a hard time with low cost clinics, because on the one hand you have problems like you've laid out above, and on the other hand... When my family was bankrupt, destitute, and teetering on the edge of homelessness, low cost clinics were the only ones who didn't tell us that pets were a luxury and we were stupid to have gotten them five or ten or fifteen years ago when our family was stable and able to take care of them at the time. That was a very damaging period of my life and it was made so much harder by the sheer number of people who treated us as if we picked up all our pets knowing we couldn't take care of them, or who treated us like do-nothing owners who didn't care about the welfare of our animals. The only reason we were able to maintain ownership of the animals we'd had since I was three years old was because of low cost clinics.

I'm very luckily no longer in the position to need those services any more, but I donate time and money to low cost efforts when I can, because they really were a startling source of compassion and a bright light in an otherwise really dark part of my life. I hope places like that can continue to provide those services to people who really, really need it at that point in their lives.

A shelter my school partners with decided to open a giant, totally state of the art, lots of fancy toys, etc clinic and is going to offer low cost services... to everyone. It’s really controversial in the area, because clinics with totally fair prices aren’t going to be able to compete with that.

I think situations like that are really problematic, but I do think low-cost clinics are needed for low-income indivuals. The spay and neuter clinic I volunteered with would alter animals from anyone, but would do it for only $30 (including updating vaccines, deworming and flea treatment) for people who could provide proof they were on assistance programs or below the poverty line. Otherwise the prices weren’t too much below clinics in the area for other people. They also only accepted so many people at each clinic that weren’t low-income to make sure the services were available to people who needed them.

I agree people need to think about the costs of a pet when they get one, but sometimes people fall on hard times, and I think low-cost clinics are really important for that. But I do think said clinics should require some sort of proof (the clinic I volunteered at used either some proof of government benefits or a pay stub, so not hard to prove if you qualified), because the animosity the shelter in that area is causing with surrounding vets is really unneeded.

 

[WildZoo]

I didn’t really realize that there was a clear distinction for what’s a low cost clinic. I always figured it just meant a clinic that is lower cost than others in the area and caters to a low-income clientele. Also, my doctor and manager were both from another country and that played into the misunderstanding. But we did offer a free first visit if that helps!

I also didn't realize there was an actual distinction lol the more you know

 

[ajs513]

I also didn't realize there was an actual distinction lol the more you know

I just asked the vet I work with now and he said he didn’t know there was a distinction, but that for all intents and purposes we were a low cost clinic because the economics of veterinary medicine are much more complex than we know as vet students.

 

[Lawpy]

 

[Caiter92]

I just asked the vet I work with now and he said he didn’t know there was a distinction, but that for all intents and purposes we were a low cost clinic because the economics of veterinary medicine are much more complex than we know as vet students.

I don’t think it’s a protected term or anything, but carries the connotation, especially with people who usually look for those services.

It sounds like your area doesn’t have one though, and it’s awesome the clinic you worked at tried to fill that need

 

[Skimble]

Just gonna throw this out there.
Figs are THE BEST scrubs I’ve ever worn in my life.
They are also pricey but Holy **** are they worth it.
I feel like I’m wearing soft PJs to work.

@Skimble loved those too iirc

Figs are hands down the best scrubs I’ve purchased, better than greys anatomy too. My favorite part is the yoga waistband, so no buttcrack!!! Also, they look really nice imho.

 

[grebes4lyfe]

Figs are hands down the best scrubs I’ve purchased, better than greys anatomy too. My favorite part is the yoga waistband, so no buttcrack!!! Also, they look really nice imho.

My coworkers have complemented my ass so many times in these scrubs haha.
I don’t have the yoga band ones because they didn’t have enough pockets for me (my uniform is a T-shirt not a scrub top so I need my back pockets and cargo pockets). But I love them soooo muchhhhh

 

[ajs513]

My coworkers have complemented my ass so many times in these scrubs haha.
I don’t have the yoga band ones because they didn’t have enough pockets for me (my uniform is a T-shirt not a scrub top so I need my back pockets and cargo pockets). But I love them soooo muchhhhh

How would you compare FIGS to Grey’s (if you’ve tried Grey’s)? I see it advertised on Facebook all the time but the ones they advertise are like the joggers that look super unprofessional. The rest of them look like regular scrubs but I can’t imagine anything being more comfortable than Grey’s. Also as a guy I don’t care much about how my butt looks in them but if that’s a bonus with them then hey, I’ll take it.

 

[Skimble]

How would you compare FIGS to Grey’s (if you’ve tried Grey’s)? I see it advertised on Facebook all the time but the ones they advertise are like the joggers that look super unprofessional. The rest of them look like regular scrubs but I can’t imagine anything being more comfortable than Grey’s. Also as a guy I don’t care much about how my butt looks in them but if that’s a bonus with them then hey, I’ll take it.

WAY more comfortable than grey’s.

 

[ajs513]

WAY more comfortable than grey’s.

So you mean to tell me I now have to spend another couple hundred on scrubs to try these out? Ugh well to the internet I go, I guess.

 

[ajs513]

Shocking turn of events: I can’t get FIGS because I’m 6’3 with a 34” inseam and they only go up to 32” for my size

 

[grebes4lyfe]

Shocking turn of events: I can’t get FIGS because I’m 6’3 with a 34” inseam and they only go up to 32” for my size

Haha I also love them bc I’m 5’ and they have short sizes that actually fit me.
That sucks though bc they are incredible!
You should definitely hit them up when you need a new top though

 

[ajs513]

Haha I also love them bc I’m 5’ and they have short sizes that actually fit me.
That sucks though bc they are incredible!
You should definitely hit them up when you need a new top though

I think I might. I’ll also check back from time to time to see if they add tall sizes for men. They have them for women but not men yet. Maybe some day.

 

[DVMDream]

Yeaaah, I think we can all relate to this and share stories of this. It's definitely a problem, but it's not something that can really be fixed in the foreseeable future

Pet health insurance. It will HAVE to happen for the veterinary industry to survive. We just have to get society to acknowledge it and get more vets on board with it. There is just no other way to afford to pay the vets coming out with $250-300k+ in loans and no other way for owners to afford the care as it will increase with vets needing the higher salaries in order to pay their debt.

 

[DVMDream]

I know that the fixed income line refers to having a low income and being on government benefits, but it got tiring after a while since half of the people calling were on a “fixed income” and the term itself doesn’t actually make sense. The majority of people don’t just have extra money coming in randomly during the year. Maybe something like “state income” or “subsidized income” would make more sense. It’s just a pet peeve that everyone who has worked at lower cost clinics has developed.

I hate the "fixed income" line too... started telling people I am also on a "fixed income" as is 98-99% of the country.

 

[DVMDream]

See, this is what I was referring too. Your clinic sounds like it worked hard to keep costs lower which is awesome, but if you were calling yourselves a “low-cost clinic,” people were going to be expecting those government subsidies. 20-25% cheaper than surrounding clinics doesn’t qualify you as a “low-cost clinic” when that has a certain meaning.

Those prices are low cost. Senior panel around here... $350. Exam... $78 The vaccine costs are similar.... $30-$40 here.

The bottom line is you could have give them everything but the exam for free and people would still bitch about it being too much. I also only believe maybe 20% of the people that use the "fixed income" line to imply they are on government assistance... the vast majority are lying through their teeth.

I've had people lie telling us their pet died after they signed a promissory note to pay us. Only for them to show up a few weeks later at a sister clinic with the "dead" dog.

 

[DVMDream]

I don't know, I kind of think it's the responsibility of the owner to research costs before getting a pet...but that probably gets into my opinions on ownership in general, which aren't always popular I guess.

Like yeah, sometimes people get into weird financial situations after the fact and they're doing the best they can, but I've just come across so many people who got a puppy and didn't even think about making sure they had even enough money set aside for basic care (physical, required vaccines, deworming), let alone anything more complex, and it is extremely frustrating to deal with. Low costs clinics definitely help if they're providing care for people who just wouldn't take their pets to the vet otherwise, but then you get people charging "normal" prices getting **** for it because "Well I could have this done for $10 at the vaccine clinic!"

Maybe another one of those education issues.

You can usually tell the difference between those who went out to get a pet while not having the means and those that had the means and then fell on hard times. I can most of the time, there are occasional times it is difficult.

Heck, just had someone this week (ok multiple someones but this one is obvious)... New client, just adopted dog from shelter. Dog is coughing and limping, First thing client says.... "I hope this won't cost much, I already can barely afford the $40 for a fecal test." Yup, lady had no money and spent a couple hundred to adopt a dog anyway, then has nothing to actually treat the dog.

Then we have the client who asks me when her French Bulldog will "stop making that snorting noise"....

People do NOT research what the **** they are getting into when they adopt/buy/pick up off the street a cat/dog. Honestly, I am not sure the vast majority of them actually care either.

 

[Skimble]

Pet health insurance. It will HAVE to happen for the veterinary industry to survive. We just have to get society to acknowledge it and get more vets on board with it. There is just no other way to afford to pay the vets coming out with $250-300k+ in loans and no other way for owners to afford the care as it will increase with vets needing the higher salaries in order to pay their debt.

I will need to move for my new job. I also have a lot of pets, which precludes me from renting for the most part. I decided I just needed to buy, and made sure I was ok buying in that area even if I decided to change jobs. Talked to a home loan banker yesterday, and he was blown away at my debt to income ratio. I wasn’t phased, because it’s not anything I didn’t know. We’ve come up with a plan, which will require a long commute for a while, but will eventually work out. Agreed that pet insurance needs to become more popular so that vets can be paid more appropriately for their services.

 

[ajs513]

You can usually tell the difference between those who went out to get a pet while not having the means and those that had the means and then fell on hard times. I can most of the time, there are occasional times it is difficult.

Heck, just had someone this week (ok multiple someones but this one is obvious)... New client, just adopted dog from shelter. Dog is coughing and limping, First thing client says.... "I hope this won't cost much, I already can barely afford the $40 for a fecal test." Yup, lady had no money and spent a couple hundred to adopt a dog anyway, then has nothing to actually treat the dog.

Then we have the client who asks me when her French Bulldog will "stop making that snorting noise"....

People do NOT research what the **** they are getting into when they adopt/buy/pick up off the street a cat/dog. Honestly, I am not sure the vast majority of them actually care either.

So many issues with people doing things like that. One thing I ran into a lot was backyard pit bull breeders who couldn’t spend anything on their puppies to get them care. Then once the puppies were 8 weeks old (but usually 6 weeks...) the adopters would bring them in for their first visits as the new owners. We’d sometimes ask how much they were charged for the puppies and were often told they spent $600+. Sometimes up to $1,000. So the breeders who didn’t want to spend a few hundred dollars on 10 puppies total made all of that back from half a puppy.

 

[ajs513]

I will need to move for my new job. I also have a lot of pets, which precludes me from renting for the most part. I decided I just needed to buy, and made sure I was ok buying in that area even if I decided to change jobs. Talked to a home loan banker yesterday, and he was blown away at my debt to income ratio. I wasn’t phased, because it’s not anything I didn’t know. We’ve come up with a plan, which will require a long commute for a while, but will eventually work out. Agreed that per insurance needs to become more popular so that vets can be paid more appropriately for their services.

It’s slowly happening. Many employers offer pet insurance now as well. I think in the best decade the number of pet owners with insurance will rise dramatically. I have no research to back this up aside from anecdotes and my own hope that it’ll be true.

 

[DVMDream]

So many issues with people doing things like that. One thing I ran into a lot was backyard pit bull breeders who couldn’t spend anything on their puppies to get them care. Then once the puppies were 8 weeks old (but usually 6 weeks...) the adopters would bring them in for their first visits as the new owners. We’d sometimes ask how much they were charged for the puppies and were often told they spent $600+. Sometimes up to $1,000. So the breeders who didn’t want to spend a few hundred dollars on 10 puppies total made all of that back from half a puppy.

$600 is cheap... most of the people around here are paying anywhere from $1500-3000+ for puppies from backyard breeders. Then they have nothing left to medically care for said puppy. Have seen many die from parvo. Have had at least one distemper case. Had one that the owner did have money and more than willingly spent it but was insanely frustrated with all the cost (not at us, luckily, at the pet store he purchased the puppy from)... but this latter scenario isn't common, most people can't afford a damn thing.

 

[SkiOtter]

Shocking turn of events: I can’t get FIGS because I’m 6’3 with a 34” inseam and they only go up to 32” for my size

Wtf they don’t have more than a 32” inseam for men?!?! THE WOMENS TALL
IS A 33”.

 

[SkiOtter]

I think I might. I’ll also check back from time to time to see if they add tall sizes for men. They have them for women but not men yet. Maybe some day.

Definitely should write to them. Like honestly. Because over a 32” inseam isn’t suuuuper uncommon for tall guys.

 

[ajs513]

Wtf they don’t have more than a 32” inseam for men?!?! THE WOMENS TALL
IS A 33”.

I KNOW!!! It’s honestly ridiculous.

 

[grebes4lyfe]

Shocking turn of events: I can’t get FIGS because I’m 6’3 with a 34” inseam and they only go up to 32” for my size

Also check the other styles because they don’t carry petite/tall in all of the women’s styles. Just some of the core ones.

 

[SkiOtter]

Those prices are low cost. Senior panel around here... $350. Exam... $78 The vaccine costs are similar.... $30-$40 here.

The bottom line is you could have give them everything but the exam for free and people would still bitch about it being too much. I also only believe maybe 20% of the people that use the "fixed income" line to imply they are on government assistance... the vast majority are lying through their teeth.

I've had people lie telling us their pet died after they signed a promissory note to pay us. Only for them to show up a few weeks later at a sister clinic with the "dead" dog.

What the heck is in your senior panel that makes it $350

 

[ajs513]

Also check the other styles because they don’t carry petite/tall in all of the women’s styles. Just some of the core ones.

I checked everything. They only have tall in women’s. I’m like genuinely upset now.

 

[SkiOtter]

I checked everything. They only have tall in women’s. I’m like genuinely upset now.

Well if you would like the great ass in scrubs look, buy some women’s

 

[orca2011]

You can usually tell the difference between those who went out to get a pet while not having the means and those that had the means and then fell on hard times. I can most of the time, there are occasional times it is difficult.

Heck, just had someone this week (ok multiple someones but this one is obvious)... New client, just adopted dog from shelter. Dog is coughing and limping, First thing client says.... "I hope this won't cost much, I already can barely afford the $40 for a fecal test." Yup, lady had no money and spent a couple hundred to adopt a dog anyway, then has nothing to actually treat the dog.

Then we have the client who asks me when her French Bulldog will "stop making that snorting noise"....

People do NOT research what the **** they are getting into when they adopt/buy/pick up off the street a cat/dog. Honestly, I am not sure the vast majority of them actually care either.

We legit just had some adopt two intact huskies (male and female) from a shelter with the sole purpose of planning to breed them and sell the puppies to make money. They brought the female in for like a UTI or something and couldn't afford anything. It was sickening.




But I agree on whoever's earlier comment that you can be super cheap and they'll still complain. Where I am as an ER hospital, is pretty cheap by ER standards and people complain all the time. I also remembered the complaints we'd get where I used to tech prior to vet school which was a low cost clinic in the sense that it was a non-profit, we offered a sliding scale discount, etc. Still had people trying to get out of paying for things when a sick visit was like $50.

 

[vetmedhead]

We legit just had some adopt two intact huskies (male and female) from a shelter with the sole purpose of planning to breed them and sell the puppies to make money. They brought the female in for like a UTI or something and couldn't afford anything. It was sickening.




But I agree on whoever's earlier comment that you can be super cheap and they'll still complain. Where I am as an ER hospital, is pretty cheap by ER standards and people complain all the time. I also remembered the complaints we'd get where I used to tech prior to vet school which was a low cost clinic in the sense that it was a non-profit, we offered a sliding scale discount, etc. Still had people trying to get out of paying for things when a sick visit was like $50.

We occasionally had people who would be pissed at us when we spayed/neutered their animal before they adopted it, because they thought we would just let them walk out with a random intact animal that they could breed.

We were also threatened by several owners when we required them to sterilize their dogs. Guess what, dude, we only require the sterilization if your dog is found roaming free of restraint twice in the same year - this is a super low bar for any responsible pet owner. We also sterilized frequent flyer bite dogs and got threats about that too. I don't know what people think they're getting out of breeding their animals where we were at too - the stray population was so bad that they could generally not even pay people to take these mixes off their hands, and we had so many diseases in the area that entire litters would frequently die of parvo etc

 

[Coopah]

We occasionally had people who would be pissed at us when we spayed/neutered their animal before they adopted it, because they thought we would just let them walk out with a random intact animal that they could breed.

We were also threatened by several owners when we required them to sterilize their dogs. Guess what, dude, we only require the sterilization if your dog is found roaming free of restraint twice in the same year - this is a super low bar for any responsible pet owner. We also sterilized frequent flyer bite dogs and got threats about that too. I don't know what people think they're getting out of breeding their animals where we were at too - the stray population was so bad that they could generally not even pay people to take these mixes off their hands, and we had so many diseases in the area that entire litters would frequently die of parvo etc

I'm always curious about the threats people pose. If someone threatens a typical vet (not necessarily animal control or anything) what do you do? Say even you're in a corporate practice (or something) and they don't let you fire the client. Do you call the cops? What can they do if they're just upset and threatening but you're genuinely concerned for your well-being? ItsI probably state by state and situational and they've probably talked about it at some point (I hope) but just wondering people's opinions.

 

[vetmedhead]

I'm always curious about the threats people pose. If someone threatens a typical vet (not necessarily animal control or anything) what do you do? Say even you're in a corporate practice (or something) and they don't let you fire the client. Do you call the cops? What can they do if they're just upset and threatening but you're genuinely concerned for your well-being? ItsI probably state by state and situational and they've probably talked about it at some point (I hope) but just wondering people's opinions.

We've called the cops on people several times, but keep in mind that our animal control agency was also under the supervision of the city police and we generally had at least one armed law enforcement officer on the premises.

 

[ajs513]

I'm always curious about the threats people pose. If someone threatens a typical vet (not necessarily animal control or anything) what do you do? Say even you're in a corporate practice (or something) and they don't let you fire the client. Do you call the cops? What can they do if they're just upset and threatening but you're genuinely concerned for your well-being? ItsI probably state by state and situational and they've probably talked about it at some point (I hope) but just wondering people's opinions.

I can’t speak for the whole corporate thing, but in a small practice you can absolutely just call the cops. You’re well within your right being on private property to call the cops any time you feel like you’re being threatened. The cops have been called where I’ve worked maybe twice. It’s not a common thing, especially since no matter what, word of mouth is how you get a lot of business or lose a lot of business. If you call the cops on someone and it’s not 110% necessary, you’re screwed. Even if you’re being threatened there’s always the chance that someone launches a smear campaign against your office because you did something they didn’t like and due to anti-SLAPP laws you can’t do anything about it.

One time recently we had to call the cops because we were afraid for the client themselves. She definitely was having mental health issues that were untreated, and she spent an hour (for a 30 minute appointment) going on about how she didn’t feel safe at home and how her husband abuses her and her dogs. We asked if she wanted us to call the police for her and she said no. Then after the visit she spent over an hour in our driveway and called us basically just to talk. I was the one who answered so I was on the phone for about 20 minutes while she asked unrelated questions like where I live and where I go to eat and which public transit I take. A few time she mentioned she just didn’t want to go home yet because she doesn’t feel safe. After getting off the phone, my doctor decided to call the cops because whether or not this was a true domestic abuse situation or just a case of bad mental health, it was our duty to inform someone. The police came, she went home, and we thought that was the end of it.

Well a week later we get a call from a restricted number and guess what. It’s her. Except she’s calling from a psychiatric hospital because her husband had her committed. Turns out it was just a mental health episode and she was having a really bad day. Basically, there will be times in your career when you have to make very difficult decisions that you didn’t sign up for. One day I had to console an older Chinese woman who didn’t speak any English because the massage parlor next door got raided by ICE and she was busted for prostitution and the police left her in our office. But that’s a story for a different time. What I’m saying is this profession doesn’t begin and end with the animals. You may encounter some very very weird stuff.

 

[WildZoo]

I'd add in that if you're working somewhere that won't allow you to fire a client who threatens you, then you need to be looking to work somewhere else if you can.

 

[SkiOtter]

I'd add in that if you're working somewhere that won't allow you to fire a client who threatens you, then you need to be looking to work somewhere else if you can.

Was thinking the same thing.....

 

[vetmedhead]

In many states, the abuse calls are the "easiest" from a decision making perspective because there are frequently laws in place that make veterinarians mandated reporters. For example, in CO vets are required to report suspected child abuse.

 

[DVMDream]

What the heck is in your senior panel that makes it $350

CBC/Chem/T4/PLI/UA.... things are expensive in a big city