Think physicians are the only ones pushing medical procedures overtreating? It’s nothing compared to veterinarians:
In Sicko, Michael Moore indicts America’s human health care, painting a portrait of a system so callous that the loss of life and limb is a matter of simple economic calculation. But in my experience, it’s almost impossible to find a callous vet when you need one.
(via a reader tip)
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{ 6 comments }
So ‘A’ according to the story teller knows that the dog is dead, yet rushes to the Vet and announces to the whole place the dog’s condition.
If A wasn’t there to spend money, then what was she there for? What reasonable health care provider would not then at least consider that they have an obligation to help. Firstly, they must consider that the pet owner’s diagnosis is premature, and secondly, if there is any possibility of resuscitatibility to be had, it must be had immediatly. And finally an appropriately short period of time was used to ascertain the owner’s consent for therapy; there was no time for a completely informed consent process and discussion of the different levels of care (’we have the full-code for $250, but for $125 you are entitled to two rounds of epi, ten minutes of chest compression and three defibrillations; $10 for each additional defibrillation’).
The blogger might have some good points to make, but the anecdote failed to illustrate the points intended.
If you are an idiot of such magnitude that you actually bring a dead dog to the veterinarian, you deserve whatever bill the vet will present you. Cheaper to bury the dog in the garden and plant a tree over it (as have I).
You can’t, and shouldn’t, protect people from their own stupidity.
The link didn’t work for me.
This was my impression too. The vet asked her if she wants him to try to revive the dog, she said yes. She could’ve told “no” or she could’ve asked “is it going to help?”.
They do have a point about vaccinations, though. All vet organizations and vet schools recommend less frequent vaccinations of cats (don’t know much about dogs) because of a very real risk of VAS (vaccine-associated sarcoma, a very aggressive cancer), estimated at about 1/1000 vaccinations. There are also many studies that show that immunity last longer, for some vaccinations like distemper, it may be life-long. They also don’t recommend FELV vaccinations for indoor-only cats. Yet many vets ignore these recommendations and insist on yearly vaccinations. Rabies is subject to state laws (even if the most common vaccine for it is approved for once every three years), but there is no reason to give other vaccines every year. There is also no reason to give FELV to indoor-only cats as they are chance of running away and catching it (it is transmitted by very close contact like sex or blood) is certainly less than the risk of VAS. 1/1000 for each vaccination seems like a small number, but given multiple vaccinations and the number of cats, it adds up to a lot of cats with a pretty deadly cancer. All because vets don’t follow the recommendations of both VAS task force, AAFP and all other major organizations.
Actually, the details of the case are very interesting. When the vet first examined the dog he informed the owner that he was sory, but the dog was dead. She requested another opinion. The vet left for a moment and returned with a cat. The cat climbed over the dog and poked and prodded it. The cat then looked up at the vet and shook its head.
“I’m sorry, yor dog is dead,” said the vet.
The owner was distraught and insisted on yet another opinion. The vet again left, returning with a Labrador. The labrador nudged the dead dog with its snout and pawed at it a few times. It looked at the owner and the vet and sighed as it shook its head.
“Well, I’m afraid that confims it – your dog is dead.”
The owner sadly accepted the verdict. When she saw the large bill, however, she was enraged. “What is the justification for such a huge bill just to tell me my dog is dead?” she demanded.
The vet replied “Actually, my fee was just ten dollars. The rest is for the CAT scan and the lab tests.”
Yet many vets ignore these recommendations and insist on yearly vaccinations.
__________
INSIST?? Do people either not have the option of walking out the door saying no- or not entering it in the future if their vet says something?
At my house I have decided to vaccinate every few years. My cats have been ever so healthy. I think we are going to lose our 13 year old soon from old age, but after losing another old cat and having spent thousands on interventions that prolonged life until he was so miserable and vicious from the pain— yeah, this time not so much. I would rather not go through eight months of hell and worry again, only to have to put him down.
I would recommend to all never to have outdoor cats. We have, because when we originally got cats it was still OK to let them roam. Our last little girl has been an indoor cat her whole life and has been incident free- no abscesses, no open wounds, and no limping. She lives in stark contrast to the boys over the last twenty years who have lived dangerously and cost us dearly.
And she doesn’t bring breakfast to us- always a bonus when it includes warm squirrel or rabbit on the menu. Blech.
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