I'm a vet, AMA!

[KarlDilkington]

I am a co-director of quite a large practice with 7 small animal branches and a central hospital, plus farm, equine and exotic clients. I mainly do small animals but also do some farm and equine. Happy to answer any questions, but please don't expect me to diagnose anything or advise on treatment plans over the net

So I THINK i'm caught up... Have I missed anyone?!

Sorry if you've have just caught up - I have one to add!

Thanks for this thread. I totally agree with your point upthread about it being the owner's responsibility to only keep animals they can afford. When you say owners know how expensive vet bills are before they take them on, in reality, what percentage of pet/horse owners do you think are really aware of how much treatment can run to? And the limitations of insurance cover - eg cover stopped for pre-existing/ongoing conditions once claim has already been made?

How much would you say is sensible to be able to cover for the average pet dog or cat through their lifetime? And a horse? (Even with insurance?).

Does it annoy you when people make complains to the veterinary practise? How easy is it to diagnose worms?

My 6 month old kitten has had a poorly tummy and been losing weight for 3 or 4 weeks, my vet has been charging me a lot for medicines and tests etc ( over £500) and couldn't get to the bottom of it, he's now very underweight and I've taken him to a different vets and they said within 5 mins it's worms, gave him a deworming tablet and he's fine again. I don't know wether to mention this to my normal vets, would this make me look like a massive arse?

My tiniest cat - 2 months ish- has lost the end of his tail. His vet will remove the remaining bone when he's a bit older so he can be neutered at the same time. He seems to be completely fine about it. He's acting like a normal kitten, and is much more playful than my older cats were at that age.

So my questions are:

How common are tail injuries?

I'm also assuming that this should have little affect on him as he's young so should grow up adjusted to it, but is there anything that I should watch for?

Hi OP

Why are food brands like Royal Canin and Science Plan vet recommended over foods which are grain free or higher in meat content? I’ve read a lot of negative stuff about those types of brands, one of my own had a bad reaction to some of them (and she’ll eat anything if I let her!).

Dry food is also always recommended as the better option, but then I’ve read a sole dry food diet can cause health issues particularly in male cats (I can’t remember off the top of my head but I think kidney related). Do you think that’s true?

I’m at a loss as to which food is best for them these days. Do you think the different brands and types of food are just a marketing ploy (unless there are specific dietary requirements)? Ie is Gourmet no better or worse than Science Plan or Arden Grange? Is grain free really beneficial?

And one more question ( sorry! ) how bad is the cheap food for cats? I've read about cheap dry food being bad for male cats, my
boy will only eat Whiskas, anything else, no matter how slowly I introduce it, gives him an awful tummy upset. Is cheap dry food really that bad for them? Thank you

When you say owners know how expensive vet bills are before they take them on, in reality, what percentage of pet/horse owners do you think are really aware of how much treatment can run to?

A lot of clients are very under informed (if that's the correct English) when it comes to insurance. Some have insurance of a limit of £500! And then their dog needs a cruciate op which can come to 2500... I sometimes feel though, that you are an adult here so why do I have to research your insurance policy? When clients start getting arsey about having crap insurance cover, like it's our fault sometimes. We have thousands of clients and can't be responsible for them knowing what treatments cost. I always mention insurance at puppy consults and am very insistent that they research it thoroughly and get at least 3 - 5k cover.

And the limitations of insurance cover - eg cover stopped for pre-existing/ongoing conditions once claim has already been made?

Again, I always stress the important of a lifetime policy. But plenty of clients don't understand the terms and think a 12 month policy is enough. Not much I can do about it after the fact, and I can't hold everyone's hand when they choose to buy a puppy/kitten etc. As you can see I find it very irritating when clients get rubbish insurance cover ha!

How much would you say is sensible to be able to cover for the average pet dog or cat through their lifetime? And a horse? (Even with insurance?).

I say 3-5k cover per condition per year is best for a small animal, that covers your potential cruciate ops, broken limbs etc. For a horse you need 5k minimum, preferably more.

Thank you :-) we do love him bits :-) he is currently curled up asleep in our bathroom to avoid the heat! (Ignoring the bottles of iced water I've put under his crate to keep him cool 🤦🏽‍♀️)

Does it annoy you when people make complains to the veterinary practise? How easy is it to diagnose worms?
My 6 month old kitten has had a poorly tummy and been losing weight for 3 or 4 weeks, my vet has been charging me a lot for medicines and tests etc ( over £500) and couldn't get to the bottom of it, he's now very underweight and I've taken him to a different vets and they said within 5 mins it's worms, gave him a deworming tablet and he's fine again. I don't know wether to mention this to my normal vets, would this make me look like a massive arse?

Hi, I wouldn't begrudge you questioning the vets regarding this case. It seems very odd that they didn't ask you if the kitten was wormed up to date, or that they didnt test for worms. Like you say, if that is all the problem was then you spent a lot more money than you should have. I would politely enquire and request an explanation of the treatment plan that was implemented. It may be that a senior vet looks at it and realises that a more junior vet missed the obvious, and agrees with you.

Also, one more if that’s ok

Do you cover cats faces as standard practice for some checks/treatments? I have 3, who have never lashed out at vets, but they do growl or hiss. That’s as far as it goes though, even during chipping or vaccines. Apart from one time, when the vet (or nurse, sorry memory fails me) covered her face straight away, which scared kitty more and vet nurse got quite a bad scratch. (I have a suspicion she was secretly scared of cats ).

Just want to say I love my regular vet practice, they’ve been so helpful and I’ve never ever felt like they are just money grabbing (suprised that it’s a commin view actually!). They only give me recommendations if I ask for them, and they’ve helped save me money by telling me where I can buy certain meds OTC rather than paying for the prescriptions. They keep my kitties happy and healthy and I am grateful to them!

How common are tail injuries?

Yeah they're not uncommon, in both cats and dogs.

I'm also assuming that this should have little affect on him as he's young so should grow up adjusted to it, but is there anything that I should watch for?

He'll adjust absolutely fine. You'll just need to be careful that it heals well after the op - no chewing or getting it caught on bushes etc!

Don't know if you can tell but I am incredibly nervous to leave him for GA. I worry he will be scared and then sore and scared after 😕 I know this is all me stressing not him but when puppies come in for GA and are a bit anxious do the vets/nurses etc take good care? I know that might seem a daft question as I'm sure you all care but I am also aware you must be super busy and can't sit for ages stroking my dog 🙈

Why are food brands like Royal Canin and Science Plan vet recommended over foods which are grain free or higher in meat content? I’ve read a lot of negative stuff about those types of brands, one of my own had a bad reaction to some of them (and she’ll eat anything if I let her!)

I think different vet practices recommend foods such as the above as they have a deal to sell them... I agree that higher meat less grain foods are better. And usually a lot cheaper too. I'll admit though I am not a food buff and usually consult with our stock manager who contacts helplines for our clients to decide which food will suit best.

Dry food is also always recommended as the better option, but then I’ve read a sole dry food diet can cause health issues particularly in male cats (I can’t remember off the top of my head but I think kidney related). Do you think that’s true?

I think the problem with cats is getting the water in them. Wet food helps with that. They aren't always very good drinkers.

I’m at a loss as to which food is best for them these days. Do you think the different brands and types of food are just a marketing ploy (unless there are specific dietary requirements)? Ie is Gourmet no better or worse than Science Plan or Arden Grange? Is grain free really beneficial?

I think grain free is beneficial for some dogs just like it so for some humans who have intolerances. But if a dog doesn't have intolerance then I don't think some wheat can be of major harm. Your best bet is feeding a food that is high in protein, with whole veg, some grains (if no intolerances) and no added sweeteners, meaty by products or artifical colours/preservatives.

Yikes three "I think's" in a row there!

(And one more question ( sorry! ) how bad is the cheap food for cats . I've read about cheap dry food being bad for male cats, my
boy will only eat Whiskas, anything else, no matter how slowly I introduce it, gives him an awful tummy upset. Is cheap dry food really that bad for them? Thank you*

I'll tell you a secret... I feed my cats Whiskas! My male cat is so fussy and it's all he will eat, literally. So I just thought stuff it, Whiskas it is. And they sell it really cheap at my local shop. Happy days. I don't think there's too much to worry about so long as the cat is otherwise healthy. Throw in some oily fish each week too.

I once dated a vet and he was telling me how he knew of quite a few equine vets who had died whilst treating their patients.

I can see why it can be dangerous but was shocked at how many deaths he spoke of.

Thanks OP much appreciated!

Do you cover cats faces as standard practice for some checks/treatments?

No can't say we ever cover their faces!

Don't know if you can tell but I am incredibly nervous to leave him for GA. I worry he will be scared and then sore and scared after 😕 I know this is all me stressing not him but when puppies come in for GA and are a bit anxious do the vets/nurses etc take good care? I know that might seem a daft question as I'm sure you all care but I am also aware you must be super busy and can't sit for ages stroking my dog

He will be scared and then he'll be sore. But he will get over it, just like humans do! It's only for the briefest of time. No we can't really sit stroking them especially when they're just coming round from a relatively common procedure, but the girls always monitor them closely and snuggle them in with blankets and look after them well. Then he gets to go home asap.

Also Op as this is anon

We are about to insure our rescue boy can you guide me on any insurers to avoid?

Fantastic thread

Thank you for your replies

I once dated a vet and he was telling me how he knew of quite a few equine vets who had died whilst treating their patients.

Hmmm do you think he was just trying to impress you? I haven't known any who have died! Quite a few nasty kicks to head and back and broken bones though. Including myself on a couple of occasions!

@MarthasGinYard

AVOID anything E&L. This can include several subsidiary companies such as pet-insurance and the insurance emporium and others I can't think of. They whack loads of deductions on anything, charge very high excesses and take months to pay out. Other than those, most are ok. But be careful to ask when they ass on your co-payment, this is when you pay a percentage on every claim past a certain age of the animal. Legal and General put these on quite young. Best ones are Vetsure, PetPlan, Animal Friends are ok but do raise their premiums bit by bit. Tesco/More Than/John Lewis/Sainsburys are decent enough.

Thank you :-) that's reassured me :-) would it be okay if I sent his blanket with him from his crate? I say blanket but it's actually smaller than he is (had it since he was with his mother) sorry for the million and one questions. Might sound daft but we had a bereavement recently and he is the only thing that kept dh and i going throughout some days! I often catch myself and have to remember what the behaviourist taught us and not treat him like a human!

Thank you again for your words of wisdom :-)

What was your inspiration to become a vet?
I did military service in my home country and worked with vets in the dog unit, so pretty much decided then.

Have you read James Herriot?

I started but didn't finish! Ooops. I struggle a bit with English novels, I prefer to read in my own language.

^^

Thanks so much for answering... Can I ask what your langue maternelle is? Totally fine if you don't want to say (your English is so good I'd have never have guessed )