Conference misery::feline_v1

    	In my opinion, a letter to the owner would be well advised.
     I find it hard to believe that a respectable vet would allow such
    treatment of the customers' legitimate questions and anxieties.
    
    	In many cases, the vets hire in high school girls or other
    part-timers who may simply need the money, and not have one iota
    of compassion for true animal lovers.  Sounds to me like this person
    needs to be dismissed.
    
    	My $0.02
    
    	Bob McQ
    

Mention it.  Absolutely.

You have a right to accurate answers to your questions. Of course, anyone can
make an honest mistake and that should be allowed for.  You should be treated
courteously.

And if the vet who treated you kitten doesn't call, call again to be sure that
s/he got the message and _knows_ that you expect to hear.  If still no response
you might want to consider another practice.

I don't take any stuff from anyone where the health of me and mine are looked
to.  

  Ann

    If you have a very good rapport with the vet, you might want to
    just mention it to him the next time that you see him (like when
    you take the kitten back for and Felv shot) and tell him that you
    didn't appreciate the misinformation.  You might want to jot down
    the details now, while it is fresh in your memory so that you can
    give him names and dates.
    
    A four in one shot covers the upper respiratory infections,
    Calicivirus, Panleukopenia, Rhinotracheitis, and Pneumonitis.  The
    Felv shot is a separate shot, and usually costs between $15-20
    depending on the vet.  
    
    Jo

    Forgot to mention, I make it a point not to give any vaccinations
    when a kitten or cat is showing signs of an upper respiratory infection
    or other illness.  Any vaccine stresses the immune system, and adding
    vaccine stress to an immune system that is already busy fighting
    off something else, can have disastrous results in some cases. 
    Especially if the vaccine in question is a modified live version.
    
    I would recommend holding off on the Felv shot until the cat is
    over the URI.
    
    Jo

    I would talk to the vet.  (I was going to suggest a nice calm
    letter, but maybe the rude person is the person who opens
    the mail.)  Certainly if I were running a business, I would want
    to know about office staff who infuriated my customers.
    

    
    I agree with .5.  This person could be chasing away customers.  There is
    no excuse for rudness.  Ask to speak to the owner and explain the
    situation.  Let them know that this person could be hurting their
    business.
    
    

    Let the owner know.  YOU are spending your money and have a right
    to ask any questions and to get the satisfactory answers you need.
    
    Imagine having an emergency and having to deal with that B--ch!
    
    I agree will .1 thru .5!
    
    L-

    I agree with .6 - the owner needs to know that this person could 
    be hurting business, by driving customers away.  Most vets don't 
    have that much leeway, to be able to lose clients due to rudeness.
    
    Perhaps just a quick visit...   I also agree with the person who
    said call or visit, as the receptionist may filter the mail!
    
    Linda

    
    	If I were to send a letter, I would send it to the owner
    	and mark it PERSONAL on the envelope (clearly). Normally,
    	receptionists/secretaries will (unless specifically instructed
    	otherwise) will honor that and leave it closed.
    	Else, a visit to the owner would be in order. It is only fair
    	to let them know. 
    							kim
    

    I agree with all the previous - send a letter.  Never mind a 
    "mention".  There is no excuse for treating someone that way
    regardless of the situation.  And never mind the business
    she's chasing away - her behavior may result in cats not getting
    treated or not getting treated as quickly while the owner goes
    somewhere else, or just decides to "let it wait". 
    
    re: FLV - I've never heard of a vet giving the FLV vaccination 
    without testing for FLV first.  And around here the cost is more
    like $25 per shot and its a series of 2 shots.  So the total
    cost is around $75 - $25 for the test and $50 for the shots.
    
    The rudeness is highly unprofessional and the misinformation is
    inexcuseable!  Please DO complain and don't worry about that
    woman - she deserves what she gets and maybe she'll change her
    tune in the future.
     N

    Thanks so much for all the sympathetic responses.  My own case
    was not so TERRIBLY serious...we're talking about a basically
    healthy kitten here...but I could only think of people whose
    cats might be REALLY sick, who might have to deal with this person.
    I just wanted to do some reality checking and I guess that,
    flaming aside, I wasn't that far off base.
    
    I called yesterday and was extremely direct and precise when talking
    to the receptionist.  That seemed to be most effecive.  I asked to
    talk to the specific vet who saw the kitten, whom I knew would
    be in.  The vet, like all the vets there, was extremely patient
    and went into all the detail I could want regarding the condition
    of the URI, the proper sequence of shots, what had been done for
    Ditto when he was the same age, and so on.  The receptionist, on
    the other hand, was brusque and cold as usual.  But when I treated
    her like a machine (clear commands, not qualitative questions) she
    responded well.
    
    In defense of high school girls and boys, I have found those that have
    worked at this vet's have been universally sweet and sympathetic.
    The current receptionist seems older...perhaps trapped in a low-paying
    job she doesn't like.  How could anyone (who is not allergic to
    animals) NOT like working at a vet's?  (Besides what I assume is
    the low pay.)  Oh well, enough speculation.
    
    I plan to extract my base note to a file, consense it SIGNIFICANTLY,
    and send it marked CONFIDENTIAL to the owner of the hospital.  I
    know that s/he will respond.  S/He sent me the nicest note about
    rescuing those kittens last fall.  That's one of many reasons
    why I suspect that the receptionist is not representative of
    the hospital.
    
    Thanks again,
    Susan

    Let us know what happens, Susan.
      Nancy DC

    
    	Susan - in response to your question `how could anyone not
    	like working for a vet',  here's a couple of reasons - seeing
    	people bring in a dog that has had heartworm four times in
    	his thirteen years to go through arsenic treatment *again*; putting
    	their dog to sleep because he has fleas so bad he has no hair
    	left; putting thier dog to sleep cause it's `viscious'- he licked
    	my hand as I led him to the euthanasia room;  working for a vet
    	that just doesn't care anymore and doesn't provide proper care 
    	for emergencies that come in around his supper time (2 died that
    	I know of); people who have their dogs de-barked; people who leave
    	pets to be boarded, leave a false name and never come back for
        them....You get the idea??? For some people who truly love animals
    	like we all do, this gets to be more stressful than enjoyable 
    	over a period of time.....
    
    	Sherry
    

    I am sorry that I dashed off on vacation and left this hanging.
    .13 was sad to read.  I have not seen anything like what you describe
    in my limited experience with going to the vets.  I guess you have
    to work there to know.
    
    I have finally sent off a letter to the vet.  I will let you
    all know what happens.
    
    Susan