emergency vet hospital

[bookworm0550]

my sister is a vet tech and she works part time at the emergency vet hospital (the only one). she said she's is very shocked and annoyed at most of the veterinarians there because as soon as they hear that a bird needs help, they roll their eyes and say "oh god, i really don't want to deal with this." can you believe that?! she said they feel that way because most bird owner clients who go in there can't afford the bill so they don't like dealing with it.

it makes me mad because regardless of whether they can or can't, that's a horrible attitude to have as a veterinarian. she said most of them are like that, not all. and that those vets are all about the money, not the love. sure, i understand they have to make money too, but why not go into law or something else that makes just as much, if not more money? i just think that is bad attitude.

i asked what happens when the clients can't afford it and she said they take the birds home and who knows what happens after that. it's just sad. she said there was a vet place that would do payment plans, but they closed down because no one was paying their bills.

[linda040899]

Is it possible that these vets are not board certified avian vets and it takes them longer (thus more money) to figure out (if they can) what's wrong with the bird? We have several emergency vet clinics in my area and whenever I need to use one, I call ahead and ask if there's an avian vet on staff that night. If the answer is no, I ask if anyone on the vet staff has bird experience. "No." will cause me to call another clinic to ask the same questions. There's always an avian vet on staff at one of them. I just have to find out which one.

I remember an incident where one of my pigeons was attacked by a cat and very seriously injured. GP suffered multiple lacerations and a broken leg. I took her to the only emergency clinic in the area at the time and requested that they set her broken leg or at least stabilize it. The vet on call said the break was in a bad place (upper leg) from what he could feel and he wasn't qualified to do anything. However, he said he needed to weigh GP. I said no, because the minute he performed any service at all, he could charge me an emergency fee for basically doing nothing (break turned out to be in the lower leg bone). She needed her leg set, not to have her weight taken!!! I took GP home and could not have her leg set until my own avian vet was in the office on Monday. >:

Yes, sometimes it seems like it's all about the almighty dollar and it is.

[bookworm0550]

i don't know if they are or aren't. i could see where they are coming from with not wanting to deal w/ people who don't have money, but i couldn't sleep at night knowing i sent some poor animal home when my job is to help make them better plus that bad attitude of "argh, i don't want to deal w/ it" really bothered me. it's your job!!! suck it up and do it. i am sure it's all about the money. it's an industry.

[Pips mom]

You can't judge all vets by this. My parents had a male cockatiel for 13 years. His name was Charlie and he talked and was very bonded to my brother. My brother grew up, went to college and worked and bought a house and moved out.....he thought the best thing to do with Charlie would be to leave him at my parents since he had little time for Charlie....he came and visited regularly though. Anyway, Charlie got sick and my brother took him to the vet. Not sure if this vet was a certified avain vet, but I think she was, and also she told my brother that she had 18 cockatiels at home!!! some of which were special needs birds. We had to give Charlie meds and nebulizer treatments every 8 hours, he seemed to improve and made it to his follow up appt. Sadly though a couple of days later he took a turn for the worst and passed away. It was so sad because we all got our hopes up so much because he seemed to be doing better. The vet who my brother went to felt so bad that she offered to do a necropsy for free, but my brother said no thank you.....then she proceeded to tell him that she could get him a baby cockatiel for free because she knew a woman who raised them, but again he thanked her and just wasn't interested. He never did end up getting another bird.....he got married and the girl he married has cats!! but this vet he went to was very kind and caring.
I have found that one thing to look for in your vet is if that vet has birds at home. Both of the vets that I go to do. Then at least you know they have a genuine interest and love of birds.

[Jally]

That is horrible!! We have 1 emergency clinic but it is about a 2 hour drive away. I had an injured budgie and called this place but there only advice was to bring it in and heyd put it to sleep. We waited til the morning to see our vet (what a horrible night that was!) and she kept him there even taking him home at night to administer meds and such. Unfortunately he didn't make it but I know she did everythingshe could for him.

I love my vet!

[bookworm0550]

You can't judge all vets by this.

no, i'm not judging all vets by this at all. i'm not judging anyone at all. i'm just saying that that kind of attitude is uncalled for. personally, i like MY vet. i'm just talking about the vets at this particular emergency clinic.

[bookworm0550]

That is horrible!! We have 1 emergency clinic but it is about a 2 hour drive away. I had an injured budgie and called this place but there only advice was to bring it in and heyd put it to sleep. We waited til the morning to see our vet (what a horrible night that was!) and she kept him there even taking him home at night to administer meds and such. Unfortunately he didn't make it but I know she did everythingshe could for him.

I love my vet!

yeah, it annoys me because if i have an emergency, if i go there, i dont need someone thinking, 'oh dear, this lady has a bird? i don't wanna deal w/ her"

[bookworm0550]

I have found that one thing to look for in your vet is if that vet has birds at home. Both of the vets that I go to do. Then at least you know they have a genuine interest and love of birds.

and yes, i agree w/ you on this totally!!! my vet has a grey and parrotlets. unlike me, she actually loves the sassiness of the parrotlets! her grey is always at the clinic w/ her because the grey hates her husband. it's nice to know they struggle w/ similar issues! i felt a lot better after she told me that her parrotlets will attack her grey too.

[linda040899]

i felt a lot better after she told me that her parrotlets will attack her grey too.
There's no bird on the planet with a bigger attitude than a Parrotlet, especially a Pacifica!!! While they are the smallest member of the Amazon family, they see themselves a Hyacinth Macaws!

[bookworm0550]

There's no bird on the planet with a bigger attitude than a Parrotlet, especially a Pacifica!!! While they are the smallest member of the Amazon family, they see themselves a Hyacinth Macaws!

i know! i almost bought a conure, but kept thinking about jada and how the last thing i need is for her to get injured because she's feeling sassy. she is a sweet girl when she wants to be. wow, i didn't know they were part of the amazon family.

[Enko_chan]

Haha, its true. They're the biggest and the meanest in their little minds. Though Benny and Sayuri are good with my other birds now. It took the better part of a year to work it out with Benny, but we made it there in the end. So long as the other birds stay off their cages, and they do.

I, too, adore the parrotlet sass, however many injuries it may earn me from the Benny beak.

It really is unfortunate that the vets working in this place have such an unprofessional attitude. It sounds like they aren't even bothering to ask for a credit card- they're just ASSUMING that a person with a bird isn't going to pay the bill. Perhaps they should stop accepting birds at their clinic and send them elsewhere, to a place that will treat them properly?

[bookworm0550]

Haha, its true. They're the biggest and the meanest in their little minds. Though Benny and Sayuri are good with my other birds now. It took the better part of a year to work it out with Benny, but we made it there in the end. So long as the other birds stay off their cages, and they do.

I, too, adore the parrotlet sass, however many injuries it may earn me from the Benny beak.

It really is unfortunate that the vets working in this place have such an unprofessional attitude. It sounds like they aren't even bothering to ask for a credit card- they're just ASSUMING that a person with a bird isn't going to pay the bill. Perhaps they should stop accepting birds at their clinic and send them elsewhere, to a place that will treat them properly?

That's what my sister said too, that they can't assume the person in the waiting room has no money.

That parrotlet sass I tell ya. It's just work. I am really considering buying a friend for her. A boy right and not female?

[linda040899]

i didn't know they were part of the amazon family.
A lot of people don't know this but if you watch Amazons, you can see very definite similarities in the way they walk, and move, in general. When I look at Belle and Kiwi and then watch Alex (BFA), Belle (female) and Kiwi (male) are just like Alex but in a compressed package! :)

[bookworm0550]

A lot of people don't know this but if you watch Amazons, you can see very definite similarities in the way they walk, and move, in general. When I look at Belle and Kiwi and then watch Alex (BFA), Belle (female) and Kiwi (male) are just like Alex but in a compressed package! :)

Definitely gonna go on YouTube later :)

[Pips mom]

Hmmm, the parrotlet next door, Bob is just the sweetest little bird, kinda timid and not a biter at all! I even picked him up last time he was here and he never bit me! He also will not bite the feet of any birds that land on his cage or feet in general.

[bookworm0550]

Hmmm, the parrotlet next door, Bob is just the sweetest little bird, kinda timid and not a biter at all! I even picked him up last time he was here and he never bit me! He also will not bite the feet of any birds that land on his cage or feet in general.

i wish jada was more like that. she's a warrior maiden.

[Enko_chan]

Not all parrotlets are biters... Sayuri isn't, and she won't attack birds that land on her cage either... but Benny is and does. Still, they both have the Amazon sass, and they both seem to think and act like they are the biggest animal in the house, junlgle, world. They're little parrots with BIG attitudes.

[Eliza]

no, i'm not judging all vets by this at all. i'm not judging anyone at all. i'm just saying that that kind of attitude is uncalled for.

Veterinarians are only human. They get tired, they get cranky and they say upsetting things. Better that they vent in the company of their staff than unleash it on a client. It doesn't mean that they don't care about the animals in their care or the owners.

Honestly? What your sister shared with you about the vets she works with is no different than what any human doc says from time to time. It's not nice... but it's normal.

[bookworm0550]

I know it's normal but it's still annoying

[bookworm0550]

And honestly if you don't want to deal with it, I'd rather much have you give me someone else. I'm sorry but attitude is everything! Everyone everytime! I don't care if you've been up all night.

[bookworm0550]

As my sister was saying, they're not saying it cuz they're cranky, they're saying it cuz bird owners that go there never have money and they are tired of broke bird owners, that's why I'm offended. I am a bird owner and in an emergency, I don't need a vet with that attitude.