Karen Lindsey's article in Veterianary Times

Re: Karen Lindsey's article in Veterianary Times

Silvia Maldonado — Fri, 26 Jun 2015 02:15:36 GMT

He should, indeed

Re: Karen Lindsey's article in Veterianary Times

Martin Atkinson — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 12:43:45 GMT

[quote user="Clare Tapsfield-Wright"]Hah! Just five starred you to thwart your bad boy image[/quote]

Re: Karen Lindsey's article in Veterianary Times

Clare Tapsfield-Wright — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 12:28:03 GMT

Hah! Just five starred you to thwart your bad boy image

Re: Karen Lindsey's article in Veterianary Times

Martin Atkinson — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 12:24:11 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]This must deserve a red star surely.[/quote] So did I get 5 gold stars for saying I deserved a red star, did someone agree with me or is someone just trying to deny me the satisfaction of joining the red star club?

Re: Karen Lindsey's article in Veterianary Times

Jo Dyer — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 12:19:59 GMT

[quote user="Stephen Courtney"]That article was far less about general home visits and far more about a very intensive home-visit based relationship with a vet ......... largely with a view to providing palliative care and eventual euthanasia, for clients who both want such a service, and can presumably pay for it.[/quote]

I read the article with interest and entirely agree with Stephen. The client sounded very caring, but definitely high-maintenance. If the kind of small-animal practice I work for tried to live up to her expectations, we would be setting ourselves up to fail, with bad consequences for all concerned. However, our profession is very entrepreneurial and it sounds as if she has found a practice catering to this niche market, which is great. I fully expect all sorts of diverse practices to emerge over the next few decades to cater for all types of diverse clients. What we cannot do these days is to try to be all things to all people.

Re: Karen Lindsey's article in Veterianary Times

Martin Atkinson — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 10:48:49 GMT

[quote user="Richard Carter"]....we weren't sure and the vet was absolutely accommodating, caring and comforting - something I try to remember..... [/quote]Richard (and Niall), I always remember this and the attitude I take when relating my experiences on here is not necessarily the one I express to the owner. I can be diplomatic, even kind and caring when the situation dictates, believe it or not. This does not mean that your vet didn't think you were an idiot for not knowing if the dog was dead he just didn't show it but after displaying his impeccable bedside manner probably went back to the surgery and said, 'You'll never guess what....'!

This must deserve a red star surely.

Re: Karen Lindsey's article in Veterianary Times

Hannah Wynne Richards — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 10:22:47 GMT

100% agreement with Luca.

Wynne

Re: Karen Lindsey's article in Veterianary Times

Luca Poddighe — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 10:10:05 GMT

My point of view in matters of home visit hasn't changed massively over the years. I personally think that it is important in some situation to be able to provide home visit and assistance, particularly to homebound people but not only. On the other end I tend to make clients aware that home visit is a more expensive and often poorer quality service as I cannot take with me the whole pharmacy and I have to base entirely on what they report to me on the phone that often is misleading. Therefore when it's possible I prefer if the client can bring the patient in.

Re: Karen Lindsey's article in Veterianary Times

Luca Poddighe — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 10:01:55 GMT

[quote user="Clare Tapsfield-Wright"]I was at a wedding when the vicar asked me if guineapigs hibernate. When I said they didn't he said " oh it must be dead then" .youd think he'd be familiar with death wouldn't you.

[/quote]

Have you pointed out that hibernate animals don't stink?

Re: Karen Lindsey's article in Veterianary Times

Luca Poddighe — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 09:47:27 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]Second - well when my GP client didn't know her own dog was dead then there is no hope. But really, a stiff, smelly, immobile corpse that hasn't moved or breathed for an hour - I think you've got to be pretty stupid not to recognise that. [/quote]

I would tendencially agree with Martin (now and then it happens ) though once I had a cat brought in consult by the owner mentioning he was not moving very much for a while. The poor cat was rigid as a plank. I was speechless.

Re: Karen Lindsey's article in Veterianary Times

Bob Russell — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 09:45:52 GMT

We just try to do our best. We visit if we are able to at the owners request. We encourage owners to bring the more sick or injured to us because it makes medical sense.

We are not there to get owners out of jams of their own making but would always try to help.

Occasionally we just cannot visit promptly enough and very, very rarely will refuse to visit at all. One occasional client with very unsuitable material showing on his computer is one example. What people view in the privacy of their own home is their business but not something I am willing to have a member of staff exposed too. We are a pretty broad minded lot here but even we have limits!

Re: Karen Lindsey's article in Veterianary Times

Richard Carter — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 09:13:36 GMT

As a child we had a labrador that died of a heart attack on New Years day - we weren't sure and the vet was absolutely accommodating, caring and comforting - something I try to remember when someone has got home after hours to find a personal tragedy unfolding - sometimes successfully, sometimes not.

Re: Karen Lindsey's article in Veterianary Times

Hannah Wynne Richards — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 09:02:54 GMT

Niall You're 100% right. Thanks.

Steve, actually the veterinary surgeon concerned had what was referred to as a "static" practice, but was more than willing to do home visits - as I do.

Karen Lindsey didn't expect home visits to be cheap, she fully acknowledged the necessity to charge appropriately for the extra time/expense involved. She just said how nice it was to find a veterinary surgeon prepared to provide that service when requested.

Wynne

Re: Karen Lindsey's article in Veterianary Times

Stephen Courtney — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 21:19:51 GMT

That article was far less about general home visits and far more about a very intensive home-visit based relationship with a vet who only does home visits, largely with a view to providing palliative care and eventual euthanasia, for clients who both want such a service, and can presumably pay for it.

I'm sure the vet she was so impressed with had little else to deal with at the same time,and certainly hadn't been dragged out of a busy evening surgery or was attending in her ( non existent ) lunch break or wondering how on earth she would get that dental done now....

It was also largely about comparing her own high maintenance requirements with an anecdotal report of an in-clinic euthanasia that left a third party feeling shell shocked - again, only one side of the story, and I'm sure we all have had to fend off complaints from upset clients whose memories of events differ sharply from our own. would take that with a large chunk of salt, sorry.

Re: Karen Lindsey's article in Veterianary Times

Clare Tapsfield-Wright — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 19:32:41 GMT

I was at a wedding when the vicar asked me if guineapigs hibernate. When I said they didn't he said " oh it must be dead then" .youd think he'd be familiar with death wouldn't you.

Re: Karen Lindsey's article in Veterianary Times

Martin Atkinson — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 19:29:16 GMT

[quote user="Niall Taylor"]It's not everyone that has our skill, experience and confidence in these situations, it's not everyone that is able to recognise when a cat is dead or not. I can completely understand why someone would want a visit to an injured animal, even though it is just to have us pick it up and take it to the clinic.[/quote] Agreed with the first part of your first sentence I haven' t argued against that.

Second - well when my GP client didn't know her own dog was dead then there is no hope. But really, a stiff, smelly, immobile corpse that hasn't moved or breathed for an hour - I think you've got to be pretty stupid not to recognise that.

And finally, we didn't object to the visit to pick up the cat, I even recommended it without any knowledge I would be paid.

So tish and pish to you.

Re: Karen Lindsey's article in Veterianary Times

Thomas Johnson — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 18:59:30 GMT

[quote user="Niall Taylor"]

I have a feeling Wynne meant she could remember people objecting to home visits, not that she objected to home visits.

[/quote]

I don't think there was anyone who outright objected to home visits, my memory is that the objection was to feeling that if a client demanded a home visit you had to go even if you didn't feel it was clinically necessary in case they complained to the RCVS.

I regularly do home visits, particularly for euthanasia, but also occasionally for things like vaccinations.

Re: Karen Lindsey's article in Veterianary Times

Niall Taylor — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 18:34:28 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]We just had a request from a member of the public to go out for a cat that had been run over outside their house. 'Can you bring it in' we ask, 'I don't want to touch it' comes the rely. 'Is it still alive' they were then asked. 'Its lying in a pool of blood' came the reply. 'Yes but does it look as if its still alive'. 'My wife says she saw it move its head'. Nurse despatched to pick it up as I'm operating and comes back with cold cat in full rigour and smelling of essence of corpse already. Are people really that stupid or is it just a ploy to get rid of a dead cat from outside their house. Microchip scan shows its their neighbour's cat, no reply on contact numbers but low and behold its only visit was for a charity neutering so little hope of bills being paid. and that's if it's not really the 'MOTP's cat and they're pulling a fast one. The saving grace is that it was dead and no agonising had to go on over what treatment it should get.

I just get more cynical every day. [/quote]

I can remember when I was a wee lad, one of the things that impressed me so much about our local vet - the late, much lamented and inspirational Les Clerihew - was when our white cat 'Spook' dragged himself to the doorstep with a fractured pelvis one morning after having been hit by a car. When we opened the door we were so scared, we knew nothing of how to handle an injured animal and although we did our best to comfort him and keep him quiet we were far too terrified to pick him up out of fear of causing him more pain and making the damage worse.

I can still remember my feeling of relief when Les called 'round within a short time of our phone call and took charge of the situation and how amazed I was that he could pick up such a badly injured animal in a way that was so gentle Spook didn't seem upset at all.

So tish and pish to your cynicism and 'stupid client' nonsense. It's not everyone that has our skill, experience and confidence in these situations, it's not everyone that is able to recognise when a cat is dead or not. I can completely understand why someone would want a visit to an injured animal, even though it is just to have us pick it up and take it to the clinic.

Niall

Re: Karen Lindsey's article in Veterianary Times

Niall Taylor — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 18:22:09 GMT

I have a feeling Wynne meant she could remember people objecting to home visits, not that she objected to home visits.

Niall

Re: Karen Lindsey's article in Veterianary Times

grumpyoldman — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 18:15:54 GMT

[quote user="Thomas Johnson"] don't remember anyone on here objecting to home visits.[/quote]

A lot of people objected to being forced into it, when it appeared to be being made compulsory ref Chickosi case. It should be entirely a matter for the individual. I just found they always seemed to want them when we were busiest , usually in rush hour , or weekends ,after evening surgery. It was and still is large breed dogs for euthanasia and disposal sometimes 90kg ,which is a lot for me to pick up these days on my own . They take ages out of a busy day and do not want to pay much. We have a notice up about end of life decision making and wrote something in a newsletter considering the large breed end of life problems,.............. they mostly ignored it .

Re: Karen Lindsey's article in Veterianary Times

Gerry Henry — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 18:15:39 GMT

Does that make her objectionable ?

Re: Karen Lindsey's article in Veterianary Times

Martin Atkinson — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 17:58:54 GMT

[quote user="Hannah Wynne Richards"]

I do.

[/quote]Lets face it Wynne, you object to most things!

Re: Karen Lindsey's article in Veterianary Times

Martin Atkinson — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 17:57:28 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]Microchip scan shows its their neighbour's cat, no reply on contact numbers but low and behold its only visit was for a charity neutering so little hope of bills being paid. and that's if it's not really the 'MOTP's cat and they're pulling a fast one. [/quote]Ye of little faith, owner called and paid for an individual cremation.

Re: Karen Lindsey's article in Veterianary Times

Hannah Wynne Richards — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 16:51:10 GMT

I do.

Wynne

Re: Karen Lindsey's article in Veterianary Times

Thomas Johnson — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 16:50:08 GMT

[quote user="Hannah Wynne Richards"]

Please read this if you are one of those veterinary surgeons who objects to home visits.

[/quote]

I don't remember anyone on here objecting to home visits.