Saturday 5 January 2008

Vets

I am lucky to have a fantastic vet to care for The Lurchers. We've used them for over 20 years with various pets that have come and gone and I trust their judgement when it comes to what care my pets need. Both partners in the surgery are superb and the support staff second to none. It also helps that one of the partners gave a home to Lurcher No.2's litter mate after they both came into Greyhound Gap's care and we're considered family!

Nothing is too much trouble for them and, having been so spoilt, it came as something of a surprise to realise that other vets wrap themselves in as much beauracracy as the National Health Service.

The downside of our vet practice is that they are not the closest to us and neither do they offer a 24 hour emergency service. Clients are referred to another surgery that is even further away. So when we moved to our cottage just over a year ago, I rang the veterinary surgery that is closest to us and explained that whilst I didn't want to change vets I wanted to know that I could use them in case of an out of hours emergency. No problem they said, you can just come in if the need arises.

Imagine my surprise when I rang them on Sunday evening and was told that they couldn't see Lurcher No.2 as we were not registered with a vet that referred to them for emergency cover. Sorry and all that but you have to go to wherever your vet refers. So I had to drive Lurcher No.2 20 minutes to the other emergency vet instead of 2 minutes up the road.

When I rang the surgery the next day to voice my complaint, I was told in no uncertain terms that that was the choice I had made as a pet owner i.e. to choose to use a vet surgery further away rather than consider the implications of having to travel in the case of an emergency.

That left me a bit dumbfounded and wondering whether I'm putting my own desire to have The Lurchers treated by a vet I know and trust ahead of their needs should an emergency arise.

It's really not good to be pondering things like this at 1am, it really does your head in.

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