Lets talk about administering shots/vets

I guess I'm looking at more than just shots when I take my dogs to the vet. It is their annual physical time and I usually have at least one question about health issues to talk about. There generally aren't many issues when they are young but there are plenty of issues when they get older. It also helps build that relationship for the times when we have emergencies. The vet staff knows us and our dogs and they know that we take good care of them and they trust our word about what is happening. That relationship is worth the $ we spend. I do look for ways to cut costs (generic ivermectin rather than heartgard) but the annual physical and shots are not an area I'm willing to cut corners. It does help that I only have 3 dogs.

For our cows we do our own shots on the rare occasions they are needed. Our pastor is a former herdsman so he's our "vet." We've really only had one occasion where we needed the actual vet and that case was when our pastor and a friend who has milked for years couldn't figure it out. The cow had cancer and it turned out there was nothing the vet could do either. It was much harder to get them to come out because we were NOT regular customers. I can't blame them. They are busy and put a priority on their regular clients.

Our large animal vet seems to expect that people will want to do their own shots and minor stuff. He has a cooler on his porch where he will leave the vaccines, syringes, etc, for you in a bag and you just leave him a check. He is still very willing to come out for something serious.

you just have an donkeyhole vet.

my horse vet comes here once year to check teeth, and give a rabies shot. all the rest of the vaccines are from a catalog, and the vet even wrote down the type and brand to get that was best. she wasnt offended or angry. I doubt they would refuse an emergency call.... if they did I would sue them because they are the primary vet on record for the horse and donkey.

I'm always shooting up a cat with horse antibiotics around here for battle wounds.

I had a vet yrs ago who refused to give my old pony I had then a shot because he wouldnt stand still. I picked up the needle and walked over to the pony and JAB yank it was done and he was LIVID. he raged on about how I cant do that he can get in trouble and yak yak yak....

he got replaced, and the fact he wouldnt leave till I found him CASH to pay didnt help him any.

A good vet is very forgiving and happy to get any business you can give them.

I give my own DHLP-P and FVRCP shots. I'd give the rabies shots if the state didn't require a licensed vet to do it. The fact is, most dogs and cats have sufficient lifelong immunity to rabies after the first series and booster.

Vaccines are big business around here, and the closer you get to The City, the more dearly you will pay for animal health care. It seems that vets are getting into the habits of human docs, and over-testing and over-treating.

Vaccines are around $3 at Farm and Fleet. Vets pay less than that for them. 'Round here, they charge for an office visit ($50-$75) PLUS the vaccine ($40) plus heartworm check (another $50), plus fecal ($25). If they were just charging for the office visit OR the vaccs, it wouldn't be so bad. But you can't get out of the office for less than $300 once you figure in all the shots and heartworm preventive and whatever else they add in.

The vet tech tried to convince me that Farm and Fleet doesn't handle their vaccines properly. Having worked as a tech, I know for a fact there were Summer days when UPS dropped off packages of vaccines that sat at room temp outside before someone saw them and brought them in to the fridge.

Okay, rant over.

Pony!

I, like you, once worked as a tech (in small animal emergency medicine, no less), and like you I have heard the line from the local vet's office about how the feed and supply store doesn't handle their vaccines properly. What a crock that is. I'm pretty friendly with the folks at the supply store, so the last time I was in to buy vaccines for my sheep I asked all about how they handle and store the vaccines. The regular girl there showed me all around the vaccine shelves (through the clear refrigerator doors) and let me know in no uncertain terms that any vaccines that reach them in less than perfectly chilled condition are sent right back to the supplier. She even detailed how the vaccines are packed into the shipping crates they receive. That was good enough for me! I have no reason to believe that the people who work at the vet's office would be any better at vaccine handling than that. My vet's office likes to take the stance that they're the only people on earth who know what they're doing when it comes to animal care. Pulleez! What kind of outlook is that? Needless to say, we're looking for a new vet.

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I was just having this conversation with a friend of mine..about how it is just silly to pay the vet to give a shot or a dose of wormer when I can do it myself. Not only do you pay a huge markup for the shots (one shot that cost the vet pennies, he charges over $100 for) but you also have to pay for an office visit.

I am looking for a place to order rabies vaccine and wormer, so if anyone has suggestions, pm me! Thanks!!!

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www.NightwoodForge.etsy.com

Thank you all for your thoughtful and very civil replies. ( I was half expecting some flame throwing!)

She has been a large animal vet until recently. These days she's only seeing whatever can be transported to her office.

I must say, if I'd spent all those years in vet school I'd want to be using all that knowledge to bring sick animals back to health or be out saving the ones that were in dire straights, not driving all over creation ( in these parts never getting out of second and third gear ) just to give shots and worming meds.

Anyway, "better the devil you know..."

I'm going to drop this lady and find someone else.

Liese, the rescue horse we recently took in has always been seen by the vets of VA tech so I was glad to see your post. I'll call and talk to them and see if they frown on us giving her shots. It takes them an hour or so to get out here but it would be comforting to know I could get someone out in an emergency. I'm sure her breathing problems are only going to get worse as she ages.

But if worst comes to worst, as my husband says " bullets are cheap!"

Pauline

Wise idea. I'd have no use for a vet that's ranted at me that she's not going to respond to an emergency call.

I order most of my stuff from Revival, and yes rabies too but there's a long list of states they can't sell it to

http://www.revivalanimal.com/Default...cd2=1182959516

Our vets only do large animals, they have us doing as much as we can ourselves, shots, IVs, drenches, pinging DAs. Otherwise there's no way they could get the job done in a reasonable length of time. I'd say if any vet has time to worry about whether or not you're giving your own shots there must be a reason they aren't busy.
Now, people DO need to learn more about giving shots. I still see way to many needles being given in the rump when they don't need to be.

There's one vet around here that will make a barn call but he's so busy ya can never get a hold of him and he will not return calls.
The only other goat vet in the area is a real idiot...trying to tell me epinephrine has never been available OTC and would not prescribe or sell me a bottle to keep in my fridge, I've kept it here for years from the feed store. He told me the only way there clinic would prescribe or would treat my goats is if I registered my animals with them as a patient...but right now they're not taking new clients.. Also added that my animals have to be on "there" preventative meds program to be seen by them.
This is the same clinic/ animal hospital I took one of my best German Shepherd to 5 years ago for an infection above his eye that got quite bad then only worse because the vet there was convinced with my dogs symptoms had rabies....quarantined him for observation with no meds, Big Ben died that next morning and without calling me they sent his head to Raleigh for testing which came back negative...then to charge me 220.00 for the service...
A good vet around here would have all the business he could want

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My husband used to give all our dogs and cats their rabies shot - and we bought the vaccine from the vet. He told us that individuals could no longer give the shots as it was a live vaccine.

He always checked our cows for us at least once a year, so he just started bringing the vaccine and 'shooting' all the dogs and cats at that time. We were a stray pet magnet and sometimes had as many as 30 of them. He only charged a one house call visit for all of them, however.

We recently took our two cats (only livestock these days). Usually, we just get rabies shots. This time they just weren't looking well, and Frontline was not getting the fleas.

This new vet checked them both out, cleaned and doctored for earmites,wormed them, gave them each a vitamin and rabies shot and 6 applications of Advantage. The total bill was only $98 - I almost fainted - expected at least twice that much.

When my husband asked, She said the fleas around here had gotten immune to Frontline and they do seem better since the Advantage. So thanks to whoever suggested that on another thread.

I have the vet come out twice per year. Once to preg check the cows, and in the fall for an overall view and health check.

When he is here I have him give what shots are due to whatever critter may be up next.

My personal feeling is that by allowing his business the two profit trips to my place, he is very willing to help me at 2am when I need it.

With that being said, there have been many times where the vet will teach me what/how to do something knowing I will then do it going forward.

For example, the first time I had a calf that needed to be tube fed, the vet came out to see what was going on. Rather than feeding the calf, he taught me how to do it, telling me I should be doing this going forward. In return I bought the tube feeder from him. I could have picked it up for $8 less at the store, but the education that came with it in preventing future vet calls made the money well spent.

The relationship between vet and farmer is critical. Vet needs to understand you need to save money to make a profit. Farmer needs to understand they need to stay profitable to be there at 2am.

Give and take.

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This whole concept is so bizarre!

It's like a plumber getting angry because you know how to turn on your own faucet...
Imagine a plumber saying, "if you don't call me once a year for an annual plumbing check, I won't come for your emergencies."

Vets are there to provide a required service.
This person is demanding that you hire her to perform an unneeded service!
If you don't pay her for this unneeded service she will punish you by refusing
to come when her services ARE needed?
What a wacko!
You should make a copy this thread and send it to her!

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I am a HUGE fan of my local Vet-Bonners Ferry Veterinary Clinic!
He's a great ole "grab 'em and stab 'em" functioning professional! Superb staff, and immaculate clinic. His new pt small animal vet is a wonderful person, as well.
They kindly help situations that we can do at home, and have spent endless times advising over the phone, telling me just what to do. I spent years in my area before I found the jewel of the bunch. A great Vet is a treasure beyond price!

Pauline, that's just crazy. I'm wondering if it's just that particular vet, or the region you're in?

Around here I've used vets from all sorts of different animal hospitals and clinics; livestock specialists and 'poodle' vets (when I was showing my goldens) and none of them was irritated that I gave my own shots. Golly...the expense of vaccinating litters of puppies would put most breeders out of business.

Can you imagine your vet's reaction if she knew people were actually catrating and tail banding their own sheep out there?

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Mustang Diaries

"It's called a lance...hellooo!"

I do my own shots.

I do my own minor surgeries.

I have seen far too many incompetent 'profesionals'.

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http://www.mofga.org/Programs/FarmAp...2/Default.aspx

cdrfrfggfvhv[QUOTE][U][I][B]

SherryR could you translate that please?

P.

I've noticed that some vets won't recognize any shots if you do them yourself. A vet that my daughter use to work for said that if someone came in and said they gave their animals their vaccines themselves and had proof---they would treat the animal as if it never had been vaccinated. I was like HUH? Why? The biggest reason was like someone said----the other places don't know how to store vaccines or they aren't shipped right and a few other things that just didn't make sense to me.
I have always done my own vaccines except for rabies. I have records for all my critters and I put the labels of the vaccines in them. My vet will look at my records and puts the name of the vaccines and the dates I gave them in his records.
But there are more and more vets around here that won't except you doing your own shots.