Under our care or not, that is the question?

RE: Under our care or not, that is the question?

Bob Russell — Thu, 13 Aug 2020 11:59:31 GMT

But the dog that was itchy and needed good flea control or the 10 dogs with uncomplicated diarrhoea would have been sorted by phone calls to the clients usual vet or out of hours service. Cost to insurance company next to nothing. Risk to patient minimal.

Veterinary consultations (ass opposed to triage) by video are downright dangerous IMO. This vet could tell the abdomen was soft and painless by remote control. Apparently the Environment Agency are looking into the case. Thoughts are that it is some form of waste dumped iwhere the dog had access.

This owner did get a very warm and cuddly transcript of the consultation though!

This may be the way money is pushing the profession but it is absolutely the wrong way.

RE: Under our care or not, that is the question?

Gillian Mostyn — Wed, 12 Aug 2020 16:22:03 GMT

[quote userid="2131" url="~/001/veterinary-clinical/small-animal/f/misc-clinical-discussions/29281/under-our-care-or-not-that-is-the-question/224850#224850"]So in the end it cost the insurance company a lot more. I hope.[/quote]

...but the 10 clients whose dogs were itchy but just needed good flea control, or the 10 dogs that had uncomplicated D+ that just need to miss a meal, have saved them even more.

RE: Under our care or not, that is the question?

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Wed, 12 Aug 2020 13:36:19 GMT

[quote userid="6550" url="~/001/veterinary-clinical/small-animal/f/misc-clinical-discussions/29281/under-our-care-or-not-that-is-the-question/224849#224849"]

We have been treating a dog that had two 'vet' consultation linked to an insurance policy. Vomiting and lethargic.

By the time it was properly examined it required IVFT, bloods and intensive nursing. Just to save the insurance company a bit of money.

[/quote]

So in the end it cost the insurance company a lot more. I hope.

RE: Under our care or not, that is the question?

Bob Russell — Wed, 12 Aug 2020 13:32:41 GMT

We have been treating a dog that had two 'vet' consultation linked to an insurance policy. Vomiting and lethargic.

By the time it was properly examined it required IVFT, bloods and intensive nursing. Just to save the insurance company a bit of money.

RE: Under our care or not, that is the question?

Julian Earl — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 19:14:45 GMT

[quote userid="3169" url="~/001/veterinary-clinical/small-animal/f/misc-clinical-discussions/29281/under-our-care-or-not-that-is-the-question/224827#224827"]Julian, when you were in practice how many of the sheep you prescribed medicine for, did you personally examine first? I am very content that they were still ALL under your care and that care was real.[/quote]

All of them OF COURSE!! If you can believe that etc., etc...!

When I say all, I mean most, certainly if it was a novel condition described for that farm. It would depend on how sick the animal was described to be of course. I think that my cynicism will have to respect the judgement of my colleagues in deciding when physical presence is essential Especially in these days of mobile phone filming and photographs being easily transmissible?

Thanks. Michael, Point taken!

RE: Under our care or not, that is the question?

Sarah Keir — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 15:33:22 GMT

My feeling is that the majority of vets respect the fact that they gain so much more from a physical exam than a telephone or video consultation and ask for cases to come in now. There will remain a small percentage that use this hopefully temporary measure to other ends. I hope it is temporary otherwise the online/video consulting companies will be quids in and the visits to brick and mortar vets will drop.

RE: Under our care or not, that is the question?

Michael Woodhouse — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 14:18:49 GMT

Julian, when you were in practice how many of the sheep you prescribed medicine for, did you personally examine first? I am very content that they were still ALL under your care and that care was real.