Friday, October 09, 2009

from our vet



Yesterday we got the most beautiful condolence card from our vet and his staff. Both are on beautiful card stock and have been hand-cut and pasted, and on the back of the card is a very sweet and caring personal note.

You can see front and center the handsome Corgi, and the quote of course made me cry. (click on the photo if you want to read it)

This vet has been working with us since the Corgis were puppies, when I first began to look at alternative animal care. He walked me through making my own dog food, feeding raw, and questioning the massive numbers of shots we are encouraged to give our animals each year. When Kyra went into her first heat cycle early, before she was spayed, he talked me through it.

At one point Chase pulled a muscle in a front leg, and needed x-rays. A local vet who had assured me on the phone that she was amenable to alternative animal care turned into a vicious you-know-what when my husband arrived in the waiting room with Chase, who was only there for a set of x-rays.

She came out into the waiting room and blasted my husband in front of everyone, saying that we were endangering everyone by not vaccinating Chase the way we were supposed to, and that my husband could either have Chase fully vaccinated right then and there or get out of her animal clinic.

The sheer ignorance of what she said that day was mind-boggling. As if Chase were contagious and the giving of a bunch of shots would suddenly eradicate that. Needless to say, my husband walked out.

It was my homeopathic vet who helped us sort out what to do next, and with whom, because his practice is specialized and he was not able to do the x-rays himself. I was in tears at the way my husband was treated, and outraged at the ignorance masquerading as expertise. This vet assured me we were on the right path and helped us find someone who actually came to our home and did the x-rays. All was well. It was only a pulled muscle.

I'm so grateful that we found this vet, and that we are now local to his office. He has since opened a small clinic so he can again do the basics like spaying and neutering, etc. He's been a huge support to us as we have navigated this tumor with Chase.

Thank you, Dr. L.

9 comments:

Dougie Donk said...

What a nice, enlightened vet.

The quote brought a lump to my throat too. To be as loving & generous as a dog - what an ambition!

Grey Horse Matters said...

A very thoughtful and lovely card. It's so nice to have a vet you can work with and who understands how you want your animals cared for. You're lucky to find him.

When my horse Erik passed 2 years ago our vet took some tail hair and had one of the girls make a braided bracelet out of the hair complete with a clasp and also sent a very nice card. Good vets are hard to find and when we do we should be very thankful.

How rude of the vet in the animal clinic to do that to your husband in front of everyone in the waiting room. It takes nothing to be polite and talk to someone in private if you don't agree with them. Not a vet I'd like to take my dogs to.

billie said...

We think he's enlightened too!

Arlene, the most infuriating part of what she did was that I had called her in advance, spoken directly to her at length, and explained our approach to care as well as our relationship with our homeopathic vet.

I asked point blank if she was comfortable with our schedule of vaccination, and if she would be okay working with clients who were using a specialized vet in concert with what she did with us.

She said an enthusiastic yes to all.

I'm not sure whether she changed her mind, was having a mental breakdown that day, or just lied to me on the phone. But I have never forgotten how horrified M. was when it happened and how much I wanted to drive over there and let her have it, research in hand, in front of her clients, employees, and anyone else within shrieking distance. She was so, so far off base.

Unfortunately I have heard more disturbing things since about this vet's "care." I'm glad we walked away and never looked back.

Michelle said...

Very touching card. It is so difficult to find a vet in line with that sort of health care. I have only been able to find vets that do strictly alternative care or traditional medicine. You are extremely lucky to have found both in one. The best I can do is find a traditional vet that tolerates my aversion to vaccines and drugs, and make my holistic appointments separately.

billie said...

We do consider ourselves very fortunate to have him. He has treated the Corgis, all of our cats, and two of the horses, and sometimes I call just to run something by him wrt the horses - before I deal with our equine vet.

It's funny - I'm pretty far outside the mainstream when it comes to medical care in general, but as years go by, some of the things I used to have to argue over (wrt alternative care) have now been adopted by the mainstream. I love when I can drop one of my "causes" because it's the norm. :)

ponymaid said...

What kind and caring words and what a beautiful card of remembrance for Chase. How different health care providers can be from each other! I think some humans are born with the volume set on "shriek" and others with it set on "mellow". I know which we donkeys prefer.

Sheaffer

billie said...

Sheaffer, that is so true. Donkeys are great judges of character.

Anonymous said...

some vets ate just so awesome.

billie said...

and worth their weight in gold.