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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

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Original poster

What is your vets like?

21 replies

NickMyLipple · 23/10/2016 20:52

Rescued a beautiful kitten last week and have never had an experience of a vets surgery before, so for context have nothing to compare it to. I'm also a nurse so perhaps have a high standard of clinical-ness and infection control.

Took Dennis in for his first lot of jabs and it absolutely stank- really vile smell. The table top had clearly not been cleaned before going in with visible dirt, sawdust and hay. The room was messy with lots of vials of medication strewn around and way too much on the surfaces to possibly clean properly! There was also several cats and kittens roaming around the surgery which I felt was a bit random. The vet himself was an elderly fellow who was perfectly nice but he didn't fill me with confidence.

Not sure how I'd feel about Dennis being neutered there but it's the closest one to my house and they seemed friendly.

Just seeking opinion as to if this is the norm?!

Here are some pictures of Dennis just to appease you all

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MissClarke86 · 23/10/2016 20:56

Not normal. Why on earth are there cats wandering around!?

My vets are fab and friendly and each customer has a freshly cleaned table.

Wolfiefan · 23/10/2016 20:58

Are you in the UK? I have never seen an unclean table or vials of medicine lying around. My two had their jabs. Vet had to leave to get the meds. All rubbish disposed off before I even got kitties back in carriers.

Randytortoise · 23/10/2016 21:00

Our vets are amazing. Very clean, they wipe sown the surface before and after they see your pet. Last time I took the dog in he bled all over the floor. The receptionist was amazing and said don't worry I mop about 12 times a day anyway.
My dog got very scared in the crate so the receptionist let him curl up under her desk (tied up securely). They also checked his stitches that he had caught without appointment and without charge.

Fluffycloudland77 · 23/10/2016 21:00

Oh he's so gorgeous!

No that's not normal at all, ours is clean & tidy. I suspect one vet prefers dogs but that's the worst I can say.

Original poster

NickMyLipple · 23/10/2016 21:02

Yeah, I'm in the UK! In fact, the vet didn't even know why I was there (the vials were out anyway) and I told him it was for his first lot of vaccines... I just wondered if I was being unreasonable given my nursing background and the fact I expect clinical environments to be just that...clinical!

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lapsedorienteerer · 23/10/2016 21:03

No, not the norm at all in my experience. Look elsewhere, there's bound to be another Practise within reach.

Microwaste · 23/10/2016 21:04

I've had pets for years and have never come across a vet like that. They always have a sort of rubbery table surface which is cleaned in between appointments. Have never seen medicine vials lying around. If there's a smell, it's disinfectant. Our current vet has lots of signs up telling you not to have any small animals out of cages/carriers so it would be extremely unusual to have cats roaming free.
Frankly, it sounds awful and extremely unsanitary. I'd look for another practice if I were you.

123bananas · 23/10/2016 21:08

My vets is great, Companion Care based in Pets at Home, they have lots of branches. I also used to work in a vet surgery, it was always spotless.

I have never in all my years of pet owning been in one that had such poor standards of hygiene.

JustCallMeKate · 23/10/2016 21:08

Not normal in DH's surgery. Tables are sanitised after every patient and any matter cleaned away empty vials are disposed of in a vial waste box. We certainly don't have wandering cats in any of our practices although Ddog does sleep in the staffroom. If you're at all concerned then move vets.

The only shavings or straw are in our equine hospital and even then the horses are mucked every 30 mins due to infection risk.

cozietoesie · 23/10/2016 21:11

That's not normal. I'd change vets.

Fluffycloudland77 · 23/10/2016 21:12

30 minute muck outs

That's a lot of work for you.

Original poster

NickMyLipple · 23/10/2016 21:18

Thanks for that everyone, it was niggling in my mind as I just felt it wasn't right. I think there is another in a local town, so I'll investigate that. The one near me is part of a group of surgeries that have 4 or 5 in the area - I'll look at changing to one not in that group. Is it worth mentioning that I was surprised, or just leave it?

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MoonfaceAndSilky · 23/10/2016 21:20

Visible dirt, sawdust and hay?
Was this vets in the medieval times?

I wouldn't let that gorgeous little thing any where near that vets.

cozietoesie · 23/10/2016 21:25

He is a gorgeous little thing, isn't he?

Vinorosso74 · 23/10/2016 21:30

That sounds odd, as a kid the vets we saw with our cat were often a tad eccentric so maybe he's still of that "breed". Have to add as an adult I've not seen this and apart from one all have been very nice people. Ours always is clean and tidy. The rubbery table is cleaned down between consultations, things the vets need are easily to hand in drawers so it is tidy. Medication is kept out of the consulting rooms until needed.
There's notices up to keep cats in carriers at all times and dogs on leads.
I would look out another vets.

JustCallMeKate · 23/10/2016 21:30

Fluffy I don't do the muck outs. Thank goodness. The lovely staff looking after the horses do that. The times I have done it isn't so bad and it doesn't take long.

Original poster

NickMyLipple · 23/10/2016 21:38

Didn't see any signs about keeping pets in carriers. I know what you mean by 'eccentric breed' and I felt the same, certainly about him as a vet - it was almost like he's just hugely behind the times... perfectly nice but just didn't feel like Dennis would survive an op without an infection.

Actually the receptionist bothered me too because she said "if you ever hear us badmouthing Miss Nick we aren't talking about you, we're talking about our nightmare client Miss Nick who has 5 dogs and lives in a cabin in the woods".

I said to my partner that was out of order as the other 'Miss Nick' could have been a relative! They could bitch about me to other customers which made me feel uncomfortable, though at the time I sort of went with the banter...

Definitely going to find a new vet.

And he is very very gorgeous. Every morning I call him from bed and he sticks his head out between the curtains on the window sill above my head... he's just curled up on the window sill waiting to play😻

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cozietoesie · 23/10/2016 21:43

I actually hear quite a lot because I go in there a great deal and I'm naturally alert and keep my ears peeled - yet I've never heard client details being 'traded' at reception. I hear a considerable amount about procedures and controls - in passing - but not things about the clients themselves.

Original poster

NickMyLipple · 23/10/2016 22:19

My surname is quite rare so I can see perhaps why someone might say "oh we have another Miss Nick registered here, isn't that unusual?" but she completely slated her! I said to DP at the time that the other client could have been my mum!

She also said that it would be hilarious when she told the vet that Miss Nick was here because he would be annoyed because he can't stand her - she comes in so much and calls several times a day apparently.

Sure enough she came out from seeing the vet and said "yep, I got him!!! He said "oh no, not again"

Very strange now I've written it all down!!

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Oldraver · 24/10/2016 12:33

Yes I would look for another vet. Ernie's is spotless and brand new (about three years old) but even previous vets have been spotless.

They make you feel like Ernie is the only cat in the world when you go in

RoastChickenDinner · 24/10/2016 13:33

Nothing else for it, Dennis will have to come and live with me, we have a nice vet

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