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 'COMPLICATED' HISTORY IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS.

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.