A 'COMPLICATED' HISTORY IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS

A veterinary practice will be able to quote for say a bitch being spayed and the end bill will likely be near to or the exact figure quoted. Like any veterinary treatment nowadays in England, the above procedure is not cheap – £452.33p for our one-year-old spaniel – but it is when I have presented a dog that is lame or sick where costs keep escalating, perhaps with no resolution in sight.

Greyhound Bandi had not been well for a number of months. At irregular intervals she was losing her appetite, being sick and suffering awful diarrhoea. She was inevitably losing weight and when seen by Three Rivers Vets, it had dropped by 20 percent but as I feared the veterinary practice could only speculate as to the root cause and costs would soon escalate.

Medication was initially prescribed but with no improvement in Bandi’s health she was seen again at the same practice but this time by a different vet who believed (wrongly) the dog was fine. Time passed and with increasing concern for Bandi's health we followed the advice of a different vet and had urine, blood and faeces samples tested but the outcome was inconclusive.

Losing confidence in Three Rivers Vets, we decided to change practice and Bandi was now seen by Eagle Veterinary Group who felt it would be beneficial to carry out yet again a test of samples (blood, urine and feasces) and a lack of B12 was detected. Bandi was to also undergo an ultrasound examination of her abdomen at sister practice Fromus Veterinary Group and this was to reveal what was thought to be a 'mass' on her pancreas, the nature of which was pure speculation without further investigation. That, we were told, would cost thousands and on the understanding it would not benefit Bandi, we decided against it. 

We have spent to date in excess of £1500 (to include a charge of £13.32p for 30 paracetamol tablets that are the same as taken by humans (39p for16 at Aldi) and I find myself questioning whether it was money well spent. We have gained simply the knowledge that Bandi may have a 'mass' on her pancreas and is likely deficient in vitamin B12 (for which she is now receiving a supplement). Fromus Veterinary Group Clinical Director Elliot Smith described her history as 'complicated'. Is that a euphemism within the veterinary profession for profitable?

Bandi's appetite has in recent months improved and she is usually keeping her food down but worryingly is not putting on any weight. 

STRUCK OFF FOR LACK OF TRUST

The title says it all. I was struck off for what Fromus Veterinary Group perceived as a lack of trust. Not for being abusive to any person on their premises, not for non-payment of any charges but rather, simply, a lack of trust. The news came out of the blue from Clinical Director Elliot Smith: 'a client-veterinarian relationship is built on mutual trust and understanding. With this in mind… our professional services will no longer be provided for your animals'. While a lack of trust does not of course warrant being struck off, is it a fair insinuation? I guess that would depend on the case in question and who I am dealing with. And is it right to expect a client's trust, no matter what their experience of the practice? Sometimes we can do little more than hope to get the professional service we rightly expect of any veterinary practice. 

While giving a lack of trust as the reason for being struck off, it was to follow a legitimate and civil complaint I made – covered largely, word for word, in CAREFUL – VETS CAN STING. Are we at a point where, if not with the veterinary profession in general, with Fromus Veterinary Group, we cannot make a complaint without fear of being struck off?

IT WAS ONLY A CORN BUT TRY TELLING THE VET THAT

Our gorgeous greyhound Jake was lame in his right foreleg. He was seen by a vet who didn't identify a corn (common in greyhounds) until his third visit to FromusVeterinary Group. The vet subsequently carried out more than one procedure to remove the corn and believed she had been successful. Jake, however, remained lame but the vet would not accept it had anything to do with the corn or its removal. I disagreed but (wrongly) put my trust in the vet and the practice. Further treatment included Jake being prescribed a drug that made him very unwell (vomiting, diarrhoea and lack of appetite) and for which he needed treatment. After being seen seven times at Fromus Veterinary Group over a period of five months, costing £1,299.15p, Jake was still lame and the vet was still adamant it had nothing to do with his corn. Enough was enough. Poor Jake had suffered too much and I took matters in my own hands and had Jake’s toe removed at The Barns Veterinary Practice (costing just over £200). Two weeks later Jake had recovered well from the operation and was no longer lame.

Max (another greyhound I adopted) was also lame and seen at Fromus Veterinary Group and while it had nothing to do with a corn, the vet's diagnosis was incorrect. He was referred to Christchurch Veterinary Surgery for an operation that the surgeon discovered wasn’t needed. I was still, however, charged £600 - the estimate for the operation he never had. I complained but (surprise, surprise) never got a refund.

Footnote: there are vets of the opinion that digital amputation is not a good remedy for a corn. It's a hotly debated subject with many – sometimes dubious – remedies to be found on line. No vet, however, has ever successfully removed a corn in any of my greyhounds.

HE’S REALLY A VET? – YOU’RE JOKING

Greyhound Bandi had not been well for number of months. At irregular intervals she was losing her appetite, being sick and suffering awful diarrhoea. She was gradually losing weight and when seen by Three Rivers Vets, it had dropped by 20 percent. Medication was prescribed but the vet could only speculate on the root cause. With increasing concern for Bandi’s health she was, in May 2022, back again at the above practice but this time being seen by a different vet who spent 30 minutes insisting the dog was fine. Greyhounds, in his opinion, are meant look as thin as Bandi (wrong!) and to feed her once a day was okay (of course where a dog is very underweight, weight gain is best achieved feeding little and often). Because Bandi was eating treats given to her by the vet he didn’t believe there was anything wrong with her appetite and didn’t advise any condition-specific diet such as a gastrointestinal feed. Why would he? He didn’t think there was anything wrong with her. We left the practice scratching our heads. Bandi was apparently well so that’s good news… isn’t it? No. The vet was utterly clueless. Nevertheless we were charged £49.00. 

To see how things have subsequently turned out for Bandi please view: A SICK ANIMAL IS A PROFITABLE ANIMAL.

CAREFUL – VETS CAN STING

I called Fromus Veterinary Group this morning (25 August 2023) to ask if I could speak to a vet about the results of an ultrasound scan carried out on our greyhound Bandi. The receptionist I was speaking to told me that Rosie (who carried out the scan) would ring me back but I made the terrible mistake of saying to my wife whilst on the phone that Bandi looked bloated. The receptionist immediately picked up on this and said she needs to be seen – it could be internal bleeding. I thought it was nothing serious and likely related to an ongoing issue Bandi has had since early 2022. I insist Bandi does not need to come in and all that I am seeking is a call back from the vet. We end the telephone call. Shortly afterwards the receptionist rings me back and tells me that Bandi really should be seen. We feel we have no choice but to bring her in and Bandi underwent a short examination. The vet concludes the bloating is nothing serious – largely wind – and Bandi is good to go with us charged £106.56p. 

In response to a complaint made regarding the above, the Veterinary Group have said no emergency consultation fee was charged, overlooking the fact it was the practice that wanted to see the dog. They further add: ‘a client-veterinarian relationship is built on mutual trust and understanding’, and so are we expected to trust our practice no matter how they perform? Ultimately, and with not even a hint of an apology, their Clinical Director Elliot Smith has asked that I ‘seek the services of another veterinary practice’. It wouldn't happen in any other profession – vets, a law unto themselves.