Good idea/bad idea (home PTS stand-alone service)

RE: Good idea/bad idea (home PTS stand-alone service)

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Sun, 26 Nov 2017 22:55:17 GMT

[quote user="Neil Wheadon"]Dan Nixon, a senior analyst at the Bank of England, argued last week that people were spending so much time checking their devices that a “crisis of attention” might lie behind the country’s sluggish productivity.[/quote]

I think that very likely.

RE: Good idea/bad idea (home PTS stand-alone service)

Neil Wheadon — Sun, 26 Nov 2017 14:56:14 GMT

For those without Times access

The start says

Everyone reaches for a noisy smartphone, but the device may have become so damaging a distraction that its effects showed up in the dismal set of official UK growth forecasts outlined in last week’s budget by Philip Hammond, the chancellor.

Dan Nixon, a senior analyst at the Bank of England, argued last week that people were spending so much time checking their devices that a “crisis of attention” might lie behind the country’s sluggish productivity.

RE: Good idea/bad idea (home PTS stand-alone service)

J G Wray — Sun, 26 Nov 2017 14:38:12 GMT

I wonder where this opinion came from and which generation its aimed at

Cyber-slackers doom UK economy

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/cyber-slackers-doom-uk-economy-85b8mzgzx?shareToken=b706dc87741c37e076616676e545e6af

RE: Good idea/bad idea (home PTS stand-alone service)

Gillian Mostyn — Sat, 25 Nov 2017 21:49:20 GMT

[quote user="grumpyoldman"]I remember one guy who was almost always at least 30mins late for everything. [/quote]

Wow. I was a laid back boss but even I would have 'got formal' with that bloke!

[quote user="grumpyoldman"]Nice bit on Radio 2 the other morning sounded really really good ,well done to you. [/quote]

Thank you! Can you keep a secret? It was my radio alarm...and I was in bed in my nightie the entire time!!

RE: Good idea/bad idea (home PTS stand-alone service)

grumpyoldman — Sat, 25 Nov 2017 21:16:31 GMT

[quote user="Gillian Mostyn"]

I can honestly say that in no practice in which I have worked or owned has ANY staff member regularly turned up 15 mins late. If you found that to be the case in your practices Anthony I would suggest there was possibly a problem with staff morale.

[/quote]

You have been lucky , I remember one guy who was almost always at least 30mins late for everything. No problems or issues just could not get out of bed and the clutches of his partner.

Nice bit on Radio 2 the other morning sounded really really good ,well done to you. I am assuming he did not have a radio alarm.

RE: Good idea/bad idea (home PTS stand-alone service)

Gillian Mostyn — Sat, 25 Nov 2017 20:13:05 GMT

RE: Good idea/bad idea (home PTS stand-alone service)

Nicola Cole — Sat, 25 Nov 2017 20:08:49 GMT

Do you honestly have vets that regularly turn up 15-25 minutes late for work?!

RE: Good idea/bad idea (home PTS stand-alone service)

grumpyoldman — Sat, 25 Nov 2017 18:43:10 GMT

[quote user="Anthony Todd"]turned up only 15 minutes late any way,[/quote]

If only that were true ,usually at least 25 with more excuses than Reginald Perrin.

RE: Good idea/bad idea (home PTS stand-alone service)

Anthony Todd — Sat, 25 Nov 2017 18:33:02 GMT

I'm just amazed that modvets today seem preoccupied with "hours of employment" when, if they took less than an hour to spay a cat, and didn't need a coffee before starting the list, and turned up only 15 minutes late any way, they'd be sitting on their rears most of the day and could easily attend the dedicated client, with an ancient lab. that really needs a visit.

Even if it was near the 5 or 6pm cast iron, reinforced concrete barrier of nokoff time!

I mean, after all, these sort of requests happen all the time!!

RE: Good idea/bad idea (home PTS stand-alone service)

grumpyoldman — Sat, 25 Nov 2017 17:47:22 GMT

I suspect some people maybe over thinking this one. We do our own house calls when required and they often involve euthanasia. Aside from variable amounts of wailing and gnashing of teeth, and in some parts of the City not wanting to touch anything in the house, its probably quite a good game financially if you don't get stuck in traffic.

The danger, if that is all your doing, is the visit to the toxic pyo that just needs to go back to the practice for a spay or a GVS that the client thinks has had a stroke and just needs some time and a wee suck on the vivitonin and pred will just get bagged without being offered appropriate treatment, because appropriate treatment is not part of your remitt/business plan. From that point of view alone the RCVS needs to take a long hard look at who is doing it and why. How many visits and euthanasia cases turn into visit and treat the patient? 10% maybe 25%, in some areas.

RE: Good idea/bad idea (home PTS stand-alone service)

bevs2251 — Fri, 24 Nov 2017 23:19:36 GMT

The vet I mentioned was a relative new grad who'd done vet as a mature age student so thought he knew best (i.e that 20mls Lethobarb was enough to take with him for a 30-40kg dog) ! Guess that taught him a lesson in humility ! I'd been graduated several years but he rarely listened to my advice (he was a few years older than me) ! Paid for his hubris by looking stupid + causing angst for the owner on top. Needless to say, the partnership we entered into ended up very badly (i.e in court !).

RE: Good idea/bad idea (home PTS stand-alone service)

Michael Woodhouse — Fri, 24 Nov 2017 13:23:31 GMT

[quote user="Anthony Dennison"]In that case I would have an extra 20ml syringe (or 2 if it's a massive dog) in the pocket. [/quote]

We have a James Herriot style on call bag we can chuck such things in.

RE: Good idea/bad idea (home PTS stand-alone service)

Anthony Dennison — Fri, 24 Nov 2017 13:22:30 GMT

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]

[quote user="Anthony Dennison"]I always have a spare bottle in my pocket when I euthanase an animal at the practice, let alone when I go out on a home visit![/quote]

I'd need bigger pockets (500ml bottles here)!

[/quote]

In that case I would have an extra 20ml syringe (or 2 if it's a massive dog) in the pocket.

RE: Good idea/bad idea (home PTS stand-alone service)

Michael Woodhouse — Fri, 24 Nov 2017 13:08:08 GMT

[quote user="Anthony Dennison"]I always have a spare bottle in my pocket when I euthanase an animal at the practice, let alone when I go out on a home visit![/quote]

I'd need bigger pockets (500ml bottles here)!

RE: Good idea/bad idea (home PTS stand-alone service)

Anthony Dennison — Fri, 24 Nov 2017 09:32:52 GMT

[quote user="bevs2251"]One vet I worked with did a house call euthanasia on an OESD. Only took 20mls Lethobarb with him - wasn't enough so he had to bring the dog back & finish it off at the clinic, then return the body !! Not a good look. Always take the whole bottle with me. Thankfully, haven't had to do any house call euthanasias for a couple of years now ![/quote]

I always have a spare bottle in my pocket when I euthanase an animal at the practice, let alone when I go out on a home visit!

RE: Good idea/bad idea (home PTS stand-alone service)

bevs2251 — Thu, 23 Nov 2017 06:00:40 GMT

I read recently about a female vet in NSW (or maybe it was Victoria) somewhere who is setting up one of these end of life/palliative care/euthanasia home care services. She seemed compassionate and ethical in the article. Not something I would care to do.

I always found home euthanasias quite stressful. Often times it was not a practice client anyway whose animal had not had treatment in years. Sorry, but in these cases I would just do the job, show mild compassion & leave asap. Owners usually would do home burial for these or call a cremation service. Always go with a nurse these days + take Zoletil with me (great for the vicious ones - give sc & virtually anaesthetised with good BP so veins don't collapse. Often use it anyway as far less stressful to the animal than fighting to get a vein).

One vet I worked with did a house call euthanasia on an OESD. Only took 20mls Lethobarb with him - wasn't enough so he had to bring the dog back & finish it off at the clinic, then return the body !! Not a good look. Always take the whole bottle with me. Thankfully, haven't had to do any house call euthanasias for a couple of years now !

I think there is a place for this service but ones promoting ancillary services such as Reiki is a definite no-no in my books.

RE: Good idea/bad idea (home PTS stand-alone service)

Martin Atkinson — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 12:25:40 GMT

[quote user="Clive Ansell"] Clients phoned the next day to request return of ashes - they were told if they could afford that, then they would have to pay for the OOH call out, consultation and euthanasia first - they came in and threw £500 on the counter! [/quote]You may recall the erm....traveller whose dog was bleeding out from a cut on its penis and unfortunately died despite your best efforts. A deposit was paid for the treatment but the balance was never settled and his companion paid £150 for an individual cremation but when no money was forthcoming for the actual surgery I advised him that that was going towards the treatment and there would be no IC unless everything was paid within a week.

There was some subsequent argie bargie, the 'traveller' was (allegedly) put in prison for some other offence, the 'companion' extorted the £150 out of his wife after he tried to cancel the card payment but his card company wouldn't as he'd used his PIN, then he threatened to sue me for it. I had a word with the VDS who said that strictly speaking our contract with him was for the IC not the treatment and they wouldn't be able to defend it. However I told him that I knew he'd got the money back, he made veiled threats of retribution, I told him to sling his hook and it all went quiet.

Fun times.

RE: Good idea/bad idea (home PTS stand-alone service)

Clive Ansell — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 11:18:16 GMT

It wasn't a pedigree Siberian hamster named Basil was it?

RE: Good idea/bad idea (home PTS stand-alone service)

bob lehner — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 11:12:15 GMT

[quote user="Wren"] on the farm where I found a dead rat swimming in the bulk tank whilst doing their herd health assessment.[/quote]

Q. What's this rat doing in your bulk tank?

A. Breast-stroke.

(Yes I know it's an old joke...)

RE: Good idea/bad idea (home PTS stand-alone service)

J G Wray — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 10:23:26 GMT

[quote user="Wren"]where I found a dead rat swimming [/quote]

Remarkable. Did you video it?

RE: Good idea/bad idea (home PTS stand-alone service)

Clive Ansell — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 10:19:39 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]These are also usually the ones who proudly announce that the sarcopenic pet with advanced CKD, severe FAD and fulminating periodontitis has never needed to go to a vet in its life. When I suggest that maybe if it had we wouldn't be having the discussion over euthanasia at this time they seem somewhat nonplussed. [/quote]

I find these annoying, they begrudge every penny they have to spend on their pet and moan about it, and then at the end will spend £150 upwards having ashes returned in a fancy casket.

I remember a case several years ago. I agreed to see and PTS an elderly neglected SBT with a football sized abdominal mass, while on OOH call free of charge, as per practice policy in cases where there was a welfare concern. Clients phoned the next day to request return of ashes - they were told if they could afford that, then they would have to pay for the OOH call out, consultation and euthanasia first - they came in and threw £500 on the counter!

RE: Good idea/bad idea (home PTS stand-alone service)

Neil Wheadon — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 10:11:27 GMT

and when you gently suggest that we can do something about all the condition X, they come up with condition Y and so it goes on...

Neil

RE: Good idea/bad idea (home PTS stand-alone service)

Martin Atkinson — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 10:04:24 GMT

[quote user="Gillian Mostyn"]

[quote user="Julie Innes"]My most hated thing is people phoning round for the cheapest price for euthanasia. How sad is that.[/quote]

It is, but if there is a £20 difference, and your disposable weekly income is £30, it is perfectly understandable.

[/quote]These are also usually the ones who proudly announce that the sarcopenic pet with advanced CKD, severe FAD and fulminating periodontitis has never needed to go to a vet in its life. When I suggest that maybe if it had we wouldn't be having the discussion over euthanasia at this time they seem somewhat nonplussed.

I'm sorry but I have no sympathy with these people, if you can't afford a vet you can't afford a pet, with the exception of impecunious pensioners whose pet is their sole companion.

RE: Good idea/bad idea (home PTS stand-alone service)

Wren — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 09:53:02 GMT

[quote user="Neil Wheadon"]Never ever refuse a cup of coffee from a farmer, even if like me you hate Camp Coffee with TB ridden milk.[/quote]

Rule 3 - but do ask for it black, especially if you're on the farm where I found a dead rat swimming in the bulk tank whilst doing their herd health assessment.

Going back to the original subject, I agree that it would be a pretty awful job to have. It's something a lot of us take some job satisfaction from doing well, but as your only job...? I'm not fond of the phrase 'compassion burnout', but I think it would happen pretty quickly in this scenario.

RE: Good idea/bad idea (home PTS stand-alone service)

Gillian Mostyn — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 09:09:56 GMT

[quote user="Julie Innes"]My most hated thing is people phoning round for the cheapest price for euthanasia. How sad is that.[/quote]

It is, but if there is a £20 difference, and your disposable weekly income is £30, it is perfectly understandable.