Conference noted::equitation

    I don't think that vets "have" to come out to anyone.  You can only
    try calling another vet.  Emergencies are the time when a rapport
    is essential.
    
    Nine years ago, I called a vet who I had been going to with my small
    animals and large because I knew they (there were 2 of them) knew
    me.  Well, this time I had a mare dying from foaling, and this vet
    refused to come.  I found another vet to come in 45 minutes.
    Now this vet gets all my small and large animal business.
    
    I also pay special attention to always pay the vet right away.
    
    Diana
    

    
    A few years ago I had a choking pony on hand and was given the
    same treatment. My vet was off on another emergency. I called two
    vets within an easy drive, both refused me. When I finally did get
    a vet she showed up 3 1/2 hours later. My vet had come and gone by
    then... since then I asked my vet for a recommendation of another
    vet for just such emergencies. I have had this vet out for minor
    ailments so they would know me and the horse. 
    
    Marianne
    

    I keep a list of vets with their numbers by my phone...I believe
    I have at least four.  I have never been refused by any of them
    other than they were on an emergency.  In that case, I call the
    next one.
    At some point I have used each one of them for one reason or another
    but that really shouldn't make any difference.
    

    I also just had a serious emergency and the vet I called I had used
    only once before.  He came out within the hour.  I would have serious
    problems with a vet that refused to come out and would ask that
    vet if he wished a letter be written to the veterinarian association
    to see if their conduct was appropriate.  They do have certain code
    of ethics when they become vets and that (in my opinion) would be
    cause to question their ethics.
    
    I have had terrible luck with vets in NH since I moved here trying
    to locate a decent one.  My filly is petrified of my current vet
    because he just jabs her when he vaccinates her.  She had pneumonia
    as a baby and had learned to hate shots and hate him for drawing
    blood every couple of weeks.  She greets him in my paddock with
    two hind feet flying towards his face.  He doesn't like her either
    which doesn't make matters any easier.  But this vet is the only
    vet I know of within close enough driving range for me to use that
    happens to be pretty responsive in emergencies and seems to know
    his stuff.
    
    Re: .3
    
    A list of vets is a good idea if you can find enough reliable ones
    to put on a list.  The one I called out to my emergency didn't even
    realize my foal had a broken jaw until he saw her try to nurse and
    couldn't.  I don't know what would have happened if he had left
    without discovering it.
    
    I don't blame you for being upset.  I would ask your vet for his
    recommendation of who to call when he is not available and then
    mention your vet's recommendation when you do have to call.
    
    Good luck,
    
    Nancy

    When my very first horse had a very bad accident, a few years
    ago, I called my regular vet (40 years my family have used them!),
    and I was told:
    "Sorry I have a cat comming in an hour, wont be able to make it!"
    I then proceeded to call another vet who willingly came out
    but was unfortunately so long, that a member of the public put
    her out of her misery..
    After the incident I called by vet to complain about the service
    and was told by him:
    "Really, to tell the truth, I am glad I was not on duty, because
    it would have been really difficult to put the horse down, as
    I knew her so well!!"
    You cant win when it comes to Vets, I can tell you many more
    stories, which would shock you.
    
    
    Jayne

    
    I have never had this experience.  I have a vet through the EVA(Equine
    Vet. Assoc.)  For emergencies I call the service and they send out what
    ever vet they have in the area.  I have used all of the vets they have
    with their service (6).  I even did a "ride along" program when I was
    younger(many moons ago).
    	
    
    virgnina

    I also use EVA (Equine Vet. Assoc.). I have called them for emergencies
    at least every day of the week.  I had a older horse that was put down in
    December.  All of the EVA vets worked with Cocoa at least once.  They
    have now four vets in the service, may be only three.  Sometimes, you
    must wait for an hour or so, they take the critical cases first and
    they also cover a very large Los Angeles County/Orange County area.
    I have heard of other boarders complain that their vet didn't come out
    when their horse was sick because of the late hour.  My recommendation
    is to get another vet, one that will respond when needed.
    

    I wanted to share an experience that my father recently had trying to
    find someone to take care of an injured kitten.  While on duty at the
    firehouse in Lawrence, MA someone dumped a kitten with a spine injury
    in the doorway of the firehouse on a Saturday night.  The doors are
    pretty much always open, so there the little guy was laying.  My father
    called the MSPCA who couldn't help until Tues. (this was Saturday) the
    dog officer, (couldn't reach) and a local vet who doesn't do
    emergencies.  He called Dr. Prentiss in No. Andover who said to meet
    him at his office right away so he took the kitten over and Dr.
    Prentiss said he was sorry but the kitten had a broken back and had to be
    destroyed and my father thanked him for coming out and opening his
    office on a Saturday night for a stray, and he THANKED MY FATHER FOR
    BEING A GOOD SAMARITAN!!   
    
    Karen
    

    Timely topic...I was late today because my big guy colicked this
    morning. I called our regular horse vet about 7:30 and he showed up 
    quickly. Turned out to be a gassy colic and he should be OK once he 
    passes it all. On a different emergency for an allergic reaction to a 
    bug bite, the vet said that the horse was on the borderline of having 
    an impaction colic because he was so swollen. Apparently, that took a
    lot of water out of the gut. He said he thought the horse should be
    "oiled" to prevent the colic and said he wouldn't charge us for it so
    we'd know he was doing for the horse rather than padding the bill!
    
    Our regular dog vets are like Dr. Prentiss sounds. The clinic has 2
    vets(husband & wife) and they are the greatest people. They found a stray
    one time. Neutered it and kept it at the clinic until they found it a
    good home. 
    
    Another time, some tourists found a dog that had been hit by a car. It
    was lying in a ditch. Like Karen's father, they couldn't just leave it
    to die. By chance, they took it our vet. 
    
    He had to amputate one of the dog's legs but the dog lived and he kept 
    it at the clinic until he found it a good home. (This was before the 
    woman vet was there regularly. When they started the practice, they 
    needed a steady salary so she worked at another vet's office).
    
    As far as I know, they never got a penny for saving those dogs.
    
    Good vets are worth their weight in gold...especially in an emergency.

    Just for FYI - in the Manchester, NH area there is an emergency vet
    hospital on Brown Avenue that's open nights and weekends.  We just took
    our cat there after an abcess got huge early on Sunday morning - we
    never even noticed it before.  The emergency call is 48.50 and then the
    other charges are whatever you have done.  
    
    I don't know the number, but if you call your vet in this region the
    either have an answering service or recording that tells you the number
    for the emergency vet hospital.

    Last week, we had one poor vet who had to come out 4 X in one day for
    two different horses.  He literally stayed almost all day!
    
    Karen