I hear the statement all the time: “Nobody wants to be a large animal vet anymore! They all just want to work 9-5 and sit in an office.” Having been a large animal vet myself and having access to thousands of vet moms online, I have heard all the reasons for leaving and they’re all about the same. Are we lazy and just don’t like getting dirty? No! We love throwing on muck boots and being armpit deep in a cow (as odd as that sounds). Is it because we don’t like the odd hours of on call? Sometimes, but with enough vets to share the call and with responsible owners, it’s really not that bad – and, no, we don’t mind getting up at 3am for an emergency… as long as the emergency was first noticed at 3am (that same day). Is it that young folks these days don’t know an honest day’s work? Stop it, silly, we love working, we love helping people, we love getting dirty, but we also respect ourselves and know how to keep our job from becoming our entire life.
***Warning: all examples provided, as crazy as they sound, have actually been experienced by me or another vet***
*****Warning #2: some gruesome pictures at the very end. All animals pictured are alive and completely healed from the picture thanks to fast acting clients*****
1. Complain about the bill. I’ve already written a piece on how little money vets make so I won’t be long winded, but large animal vets already make less money than small animal vets as a general rule, but when you add in the number of extra hours, the drive time between calls (loss of production time), it can be even harder on their pockets and lives. Unfortunately for the vet and for the farmer, many times a 2am call 30 miles down the road costs the vet more to perform than the farmer is willing to pay. So, when the farmer gets the $400 bill for his cow, he may get upset at the cost – it’s just a cow and she only got 2 injections! Large animal vets know it’s a fine balance, but when you’re out for 3 hours in the middle of the night and have to show back up to work at 8 am and work another full day, it can also detract from your production for days to come. Not to mention the fact that most large animal clients are billed and when we sometimes don’t receive payments in a timely manner, we have to withhold paying our bills or even employees. – This is also the reason most vets won’t do payment plans even in small animal. I believe in my Disney movie loving heart that people ABSOLUTELY intend on paying every cent of that bill, but things come up, electric bills, hospital bills, and dare I say, some people never intend to pay. I would estimate we never see 80% of the payment plan money – thousands of dollars a month vets don’t get for believing in people has slowly soured us.
2. Only call us when you’ve tried everything else including what your neighbor’s cousin’s beet farmer friend suggested. You’ve been walking this colicky horse since 10Am, have given it 3 injections of banamine (in the muscle *cringe – see picture below*, have tried your neighbor’s recommendations of sticking an onion up the horse’s rectum, coating the tongue in a bottle of cayenne pepper, and now you and the horse are soaked in mineral oil you tried to get the horse to swallow and has perhaps aspirated. It’s now 11Pm and you call the vet – the one that you haven’t called since 4 years ago on Christmas morning when you had a foundering horse that you’d already bled 3 gallons of blood from because your friend said it would work – but it didn’t cause that’s not how any of this works. Or, you saw that your cow that was due to calve had her tail up and some membranes hanging out three days ago and now she’s down in the mud (likely rotting from the inside), or you and all your friends have already been inside the cow and despite only having a head and one leg for presentation, you went ahead and tied her head to a tree and chained the calf’s one leg and head to a tractor and had the cow suspended in the air before you gave up and called me (because now she’s down – likely a broken pelvis). As the entire veterinary community, we want you to know something – We would MUCH rather you call when you think there might be a problem and we can ask you questions and decide if it’s an emergency (and go see your colic at noon when there’s light out and the horse isn’t 90% dehydrated now from walking) than wait until the animal is practically unsalvageable. Also, your bill will be much more reasonable the earlier we see the problem. As much as you think we cost to use, we stay alive with regular visits, the “bread and butter” as one boss called it – vaccines, coggins, heard health, etc and we are much more likely to jump out of bed to help you if we have a good working relationship with you and your farm.
3. Try to save costs by compromising good husbandry and only calling us when you have an epidemic. We don’t like getting called out to clean up a disaster situation that could have been prevented with a little more money, forethought, and elbow grease. Why are all of your calves getting sick and dying?
3a. Are they kept in clean, dry bedding out of the wind, rain, snow, heat, sun? Access to clean water, non moldy/spoiled food? Pens cleaned and sanitized between animals? Animals kept far enough apart to not lick or touch each other (so they can’t spread diseases)? You would not believe how much of an impact good husbandry can have on the health and production of your animals.
3b. Are you vaccinating? No? Do it – vaccines are amazing tools we have that can be given as early as birth to EASILY prevent deadly diseases that *gasp* can’t be fixed with an antibiotic injection. Also, talk to your vet about a smart deworming protocol for your herd – deworming every 6 weeks is often not recommended anymore due to resistant worms (especially in goats/sheep).
3c. Are your animals being fed a diet that works best for their species? Spoiler: even though grain makes them gain weight faster, they need roughage (ie. hay) to keep their bellies happy (yes, even pigs). In fact most ruminants (cows, goats, sheep, etc) would have better health with little to no grain (think bloat, rumen acidosis leading to founder, liver abscesses, urinary blockages in male goats, etc) Good quality hay too, NOT straw or that hay that’s been sitting in the pasture for 5 years, is mostly black, and will likely cause respiratory issues for you and the animals when you break it open.
3d. Water, water everywhere! Clean water, water that doesn’t have 2 inches of ice on top of it – buy a deicer – water in multiple places if you have numerous animals and the bullies are guarding it, water that doesn’t have an electric current going through it (check that 10 year-old deicer)
4. Don’t have your animals caught when the vet arrives. I cannot tell you the number of times, after I ask them to get a halter on the cow and at least tie her to a truck or tractor before I get there and the farmer will absolutely INSIST the cow is down and “she ain’t going anywhere”. Then, as soon as my vet truck pulls up to the farm, that pet cow that was bottle raised and loves you and is so sick now she cannot even lift her head will reach down deep into her soul, grab what’s left of her water buffalo ancestry, jump up and scramble away. She will then lead an hour long chase across pastures, through woods, and briars before finally falling into a creek, losing her will to live and attempting to drown. Don’t expect us to rope or dart her. Unfortunately, they have dropped Rodeo Clown 101 and Rhino darting from the veterinary curriculum, at least since I went to school. Basically, if you have large animals, have the equipment needed to handle them – gates, corrals, chutes or head catches would be amazing, trailers that work. Make sure your horse will load in a trailer if needed. Have halters, ropes, etc. Don’t expect us to halter break your 2 yo stud colt when it has a laceration and you haven’t touched it since it was born. It’s stressful and inefficient if we get there and you’re chasing animals around when we already have 3 more emergencies waiting on us and you may get charged for the time.
5. Get annoyed when we can’t be to your place immediately. There is often only one vet working after hours calls and if we’re at someone’s farm, soaked in birthing fluids and wallowing around in the straw trying to pull a calf when you call and we don’t call you back for another 30-45 minutes and THEN won’t be to your place for another hour because you’re on the opposite pole of our practice range, please be understanding – we’re trying.
And, here are other requests from a group of 12,000 vet moms:
1) Just give me your address – GPS works great in most areas – no, I don’t know where the old Hamilton place used to be or that oak tree that was cut down a few weeks ago – also have easily visible, large reflective numbers or name on both sides of your mailbox.
2) Don’t leave the bull in the herd up until pregnancy checks. It’s much easier to estimate a breeding date when the cows are 30-90 days bred and there’s not a bull currently trying to breed the cow behind you in the chute.
3) Don’t call your vet after hours for non-emergency questions that can wait until regular business hours; scheduling appointments, etc. We have families and a life outside of vet medicine, please allow us to live as much of it as possible.
4) Please don’t call us after hours for advice on how to treat something you have no intention of having us come out for because we’re expensive. Also don’t ask us to teach you how to do something you see us doing like passing a nasogastric tube on a horse (please, for the love of God, don’t try to tube your own horse or stick a hose down their throat to “wash out the choke”) just to save money next time – bringing me to my next point
5) Animals are expensive. Please carefully consider this and basic husbandry for the animal you are about to buy or rescue. Rescue animals are often even more expensive because of all the health issues they come with. If you can’t provide it the care it needs, you haven’t rescued it, you’ve just relocated it – there, I said it.
6) Don’t call us out for an emergency that could wait until normal business hours just because it’s more convenient to you. A 5-day duration lameness in a horse at 11pm because you have to work tomorrow and don’t have time? Me too! No thanks.
7) Colicky horses (can sometimes looks like straining to urinate as well) – A) call as soon as you suspect – 5% dehydrated animal much easier to correct than 50% and with colic, hydration is 90% of the problem. B) Don’t walk the horse more than 30-60 minutes before calling – walking/trotting/even a short trailer ride can help immensely, but not to excess; the more they walk, the more tired and dehydrated they get. C) Let a laying horse lay. If they start rolling (and not getting up with a big ole’ shake off) then get concerned. Even a colicky horse can be allowed to lay quietly – think of how you would feel if you went to the doctor with a stomach ache and they put you on a treadmill for 4 hours.
8) Don’t comment on my size as a woman. You, sir, also cannot body slam a 1500lb steer, so lets let the drugs I brought do the talking.
9) Please admit to any and all treatments already given before I arrived. This goes for small animals as well – think he got into weed? just say it *big, tired sigh here*, we’re not calling the cops, but knowing that can save you $500 in bloodwork/diagnostics/referral to a neurologist.
10) Don’t ask us to look at your other horse who has had a weird, flakey skin condition for the past 2 years and also needs a coggins while we’re out treating a laceration on another animal at 2am.
Bonus: Please don’t pull a nail out of an animal’s hoof before we get the chance to shoot x-rays to see how deep it penetrated and whether it got the bone or joint.
We love our jobs and we want to help. Call as soon as you think you have an emergency. Please, the easier you make it on us and the more we can help you, the better our doctor/client relationship will be and the longer we will stay with the large animal work. Be nice to your vet. Please.
As is often the case, people are the strangest animals themselves 🙁
I totally agree
I would like to think that I’m a good animal mom and try to be respectful of my wonderful vets time and resources I try to treat what I can but I also know my limits. Dr Ashley has always been there when I needed her and treat my animals and myself with respect and kindness. I try not to take advantage of her and try to have my animals caught and well behaved. She will never know how much i appreciate her caring for my horses in a time that is hard to find a farm vet, let alone a good one. From all the animals and myself….we love you dr Ashley and staff!
No one should ever treat animals this way, first sign there’s a problem you already know you can’t preform, handle or assist, don’t try and save a buck you probably will never pay, these animals are your livelihood, treat them with respect and make the call to the vet, just breaks my heart what people do, 😢
I may not be a veterinarian. But as the owner and sole operator at Morrison’s Hoof Care since 2001. I would like to say two words. Amen sister!!! The problem with many Horse owners can be summarized in this one statement made to me Recently by a client. Her “ Rescue Thoroughbred” had required a sedative every six weeks, (each time shoes were applied) for the past three years. Yet the horse was only becoming progressively more violent and dangerous towards me. After the latest incursion, in which I managed to get 4 shoes on with only suffering two or three rearing up and striking out explosions. And not without suffering sufficient pain to my spinal cord. I then advised her to try lunging the horse an hour or so ahead of our next appointment if she wanted to continue using my services. Her statement that sums up the problem with “Why Good Farrier’s are sooo hard to find”.? It was thus. “I can’t do that, I have no time”. Yet SHE expects me to (have time) to fight her horse for 2 1/2 hours Because “She has no time”? This makes sense how? 🤣 One day (when I retire) I plan on writing a Book Entitled “14,000 reasons why your farrier is late”
You write that book and I would definitely read it!
Looking forward to reading it!😂
This is all true!! People just don’t think!! I’ve seen it many times on the show and I want to cry for you!,,
I agree with everything stated. Plus I buy my worming medicine and other supplies from my vet. Yes, of know I can get these items cheaper from the local feed store or a catalog. However, when one of my horses has a bad colic in the middle of the night my vet will come.
The local feed store or catalog will not give a darn.
Miss you guys!! i really liked reading this, i also feel like this sometimes!!!
Its so sad all those things really happen……..
Please people don’t treat an annimal that way !!!
I’ve always said the more I have with people the more I love my dogs. Some people have no sense.
I agree 100%! After almost 13yrs (13th b-day March 3, 2020) with my Sierra (female Great Dane), I have come to the conclusion that human beings could learn a tremendous amount about life (loving those closest to you unconditionally, forgiveness, loyalty, strength, etc…)!
I have the deepest respect for large animal vets. When my beloved horse got kicked by a rambunctious pasture mate I got a call from the farm owner where he was boarded at 1:00 a.m. I asked the vet over the phone…do I have time to come see him. No. I need to put him down. Broken bones. I said do it. Now. I don’t want him to suffer one more second. The vet didn’t know my horse had been struck by a car a few years earlier (insert the antics of a major escape artist here) . The vet and I agreed that the previous injury most likely began a gradual decline in the integrity of the bone and when he got kicked it just happened in just the right spot and fully broke. My horse was already retired and living a relaxing life after being shown in eventing and used as a Pony Club mount for many years. I will always miss him. But I’m so fortunate that we had a vet that would jump into action to go and see that his pain ended quickly. And yes. His bill? Paid in full and worth every penny.
I would add that for many cases that if you’re having the vet come out for a farm call, it would be polite to have the animal/s cleaned up a bit to get a lot of the caked mud off when healthy to do so and provide the vet the ability to clean up if needed before having to get back in their car and leaving. This may be just a hose or a place to change out of bloody clothes as a courtesy.
I love and respect my large animal vets they are a husband /wife team and absolutely the best!
Love watching you work on TV and find myself (though a small animal person) nodding along to all these recommendations. As much as I will miss your intellect and sarcasm on the show, glad to find and read your blog.
OMG I couldn’t deal with all the ignorance. I definitely give you credit for dealing with the sheer stupidity. I’d probably knock the snot out of them!
Amen Dr. Emily. I only have dogs myself but as soon as I noticed they are not acting like themselves, I call my vet. They advise me what to do or have me come in.
My dad has cattle and pigs. He knows them like he knows himself. The minute he has noticed something is wrong he is on it.
My parent taught me if you are going to be a animal owner, it is your responsibility to take care of it. There will be expenses so prepare yourself for a rainy day.
You just said it all so well. AMEN, AMEN, AMEN
Susie, I agree with your parents. They are like a son or a daughter. They feel pain, and fear when they are sick, just like us, and it’s our responsibility to take care of them.
This is why I cannot work with the public. I am a dog breeder/owner as well as a horse owner.
I tend to call the vet too often rather than not enough. The peace of mind is worth the $$$ to me. No, my wallet doesn’t always agree, but my dogs tend to live a long life and I have a very happy, healthy almost 26 year old horse.
Some of the clients I saw on the show you were on had me screaming at the TV. Nope, I couldn’t stand there and be quiet about some of it.
I do appreciate what you do. I appreciate my veterinarians who care for my animals.
Oh my gosh, yes, clients bringing in animals with huge ulcerating tumours etc. that have obviously been ignored or animals that have never been vaccinated; it makes me cringe. Don’t get an animal if you can’t afford it’s basic care 😤
I have lots of animals and work on the premise that if you call the vet immediately you see or feel something’s not right, it works out cheaper than leaving it for a few days to “see if it sorts itself out” to become acute.
I am grateful to live in a spot where I have accessible large vets within 30 miles— I am a big believer in giving them the routine work of health certificates, brucellosis and buying my vaccines from them. We’ve had one late night call for a calf I could not pull myself, I’d of lost the cow and calf both without them able to respond to a 10pm call. They were short handed, the doc who was on call was exhausted and wrung-out in the middle of calving season when the clinic was one vet short. We saved them both and he headed home after midnight. The next chance I had to get to town I delivered a thank you note and coffee gift card to the clinic for him. 4 or 5 months later I ran into him and hadn’t seen him since that night and the first words out of his mouth was a thank you for that coffee card. I was happy to show appreciation and hope it helped in a stressful time for him and all the other vets in the clinic. Appreciate the quality vets you have if you have them!
I knew it ! My wife and I would say those situations had to piss you off !
You needed to vent! Good for you.
Larry
Dr Emily, I enjoy reading your articles so much. You bring a realistic view of a vet’s life behind the scenes. I had to put my 19 year old cat down a few years ago but I was comforted by the compassionate service. 😢 👍 Since reading your blogs, I look at vets with even more respect.
On the lighter side, I will always remember you on TV with Dr Pol when you said you could eat a sandwich with your hand Inside a cow’s rectum. That was so funny! 🤣 I look forward to reading more of this. 💕
Don’t know why anyone would complain about a vet bill if calf pulled out alive and cow is fine. That’s part of the cost of raising these animals. It’s a lot harder on female vets with small children
as the children need mom often., once children get older they need mom less and perhaps mama vet can do more if chooses to do so. I know vets chg more in NY but than everything is expensive in NY
(don’t know if you and Tony might blog about, Pet Insurance)
Much in the way a vet will complain about an owner. It’s just venting. It’s not personal.
There’s a certain amount of truth in this for all healthcare providers, animal or human. In an emergency situation, you are seeing patients/clients in some of their worst moments & you have to make some allowances. Hopefully, hearing Dr. Emily’s stories will help the animal-loving public make some allowances for their vets in return.
#5
I totally understand this post although I am not a vet. I have watched Dr Pol since the beginning and wondered many times “what the heck was this client thinking??” Good grief! You guys aren’t miracle workers. Call when there is a problem…not three days later!
My heart goes out to all of you because when I have watched different vets on Dr. Pol have to chase animals to treat them, try to pull calves with the animal unrestrained in an open space or the dumdum who seriously injures an animal doing DIY then calls u to clean up the mess, I get angry and yell ugly things at the TV!!They don’t know the toll it takes on the vet, emotionally, physically and mentally. Love Tony herding the little guys!! Thx LOTS Dr Em.
I am absolutely loving all your stories! Keep them coming👍🏻
Dude, I have watched in wonder when you or the other Drs on DP have been called out and have run all over the place to help a farmer catch a cow. Or wondered why they weren’t prepared so you can come in and do the job easily and be gone and on to the next one. There were few farmers on the show I thought were smart and got it. But the vast majority of them were….dumb. Cheap.
The guy with the sick goats that were screaming, ugh. I can’t watch it, it makes me sick and angry. Glad to know I was not wrong about feeling this way. Good luck to you and the fam. If you ever want to pursue another tv show you will have built in fans. Please think about it!!! Linda
I often wonder if vets ever seriously call out clients for their neglect of pets/livestock.
Had my horse go down with colic.
Called vet — I’d only just moved to that part of the country — and was told he’ll be at least 2-3 hrs.
I asked if it’s okay to treat with homeopathic meds I have on hand, told him what and how much I planned on giving, and was told it shouldn’t have any impact on any drugs he might need, and to go ahead.
Two hours later horse is up (no, I didn’t walk him, it’s not necessary) and we had poop.
Called the vet back to tell him it is not urgent, and that I’m keeping an eye on his status, but that he doesn’t have to rush to our side.
It was 7pm by that time, pitch dark outside, freezing cold and a snow storm. I told him if anything changes, I will call, but not to risk life and limb on our account, as conditions were treacherous.
I could practically hear the sigh of relief.
We made an appointment for the morning, instead, just a checkup to make sure all is well.
All was well. 🙂
Had a great relationship with that vet, and at a vaccination appointment much later, he told me he was very grateful I’d called back to tell him not to rush.
“A lot of owners would have had me come anyway, even though there was nothing for me to do.”
To me, that’s just not on. Vets have a life too.
Thank you for this blog. I worked for an equine veterinary clinic for over 20 years. I have seen all of this and more. Thanks for the pictures. It is much better to call early than later.
This is probably one of the best article’s/ blogs I have ever read! I was always astounded when you went to this farms and the cows were out running loose! No horses to round them up, no squeeze, no working corrals! Our vet would have got in the car and said call me when you have them in the lane.
I think this is a great blog. We will miss Dr. Emily on Dr. Pol but this keeps us in her life. Also I would love to have her husband take over the blog sometimes.
We live fairly close to the OSU (Ohio) university vet school. I wouldn’t dream of taking our animals anywhere else. Their level of care is, I believe, as good as it gets. They have two sites closely colocated. One is for companion animals and the other is for large animals. If you show up at the companion clinic with an emergency up front its $300 before it goes any further, Full Stop. It doesn’t mean they don’t care or are just money grubbers. It does mean that in order to provide their services to others they have to exist. If they can’t pay their bills they’d have to close. People who chintz on their bill are usually the very ones who’d scream bloody murder if they thought they were being chintzed for something they did. 1 Timothy 5:18 – a man is worthy of his hire.
While reading this I pondered how these large animal owners take care of their human families. We just have one very very spoiled rescue lab mutt and we have our vet number memorized. I saw a clip on the show about a lab who had an abscessed anal gland and I just cringed. Our spoiled fur baby has anal gland issues and we make sure she gets in to see the vet tech as soon as she scoots or starts excessive licking. I never want her to experience an abscess! Some people have no brains! Thank you Dr. Emily for loving all animals!
The extent of my experience with large animals (I’m not a vet) goes only as far as watching Dr. Pol. But even I have seen things on the show that irked me. Examples: making the vets capture the animal running through the fields, waiting for hours or days before seeking professional help for an illness or delivery, etc. The one that always gets me–when asked how long the large, or small, animal has been suffering with this: Oh, it started a week ago. Or, we watched for a few days, while the poor thing lay semi-comatose in the corner, or vomited its organs up. Grrrrr!!!!!
I liked your commentary. You don’t see the stupidity or rudeness on Cable vets.
I agree treat your vets well. Develop a good relationship.
As a retired vet tech that’s about your size ..all I can say is a big Amen! After watching Dr.Pol and what all of you have gone through .. I felt for everyone of you. This list should be printed out and handed to all. Ignorance is not bliss.
It’s dangerous for the animal and the owner. Before you rescue or purchase an animal..research.. you’ll be glad you did. Love all your blogs! So interesting!
I used to own horses and would do anything I could for them to make life a little bit easier for the horse, the vet, the property owner, and myself. Yes it got costly but it was all worth it. I’m no longer in the business as I can’t afford it and I did have to go on the payment plan. And yes, I owe no one anything. But some people have no sense whatsoever. And they’re the ones that really push my buttons. I really don’t know how you can put up with so much stupidity. So now I completely understand your view and why you did what you did. Hopefully life gets better for you and your family. If I ever get back into the horse scene, I sure would appreciate having an awesome vet like you.
you or the other Doctors been called out and have run all over the place to help a farmer catch a cow. why they weren’t prepared so you can come and do the job Instead you had to look for the rope and look for a pole to tie it❗️
My mom who was a farmer, called the Vet right away, didn’t waste any time.
Also, the stables were clean❗️ You delivered calf’s in manure$ YIKES
You are to be commended, did your work with a smile 😊 even when you were almost ready to have a baby!
We’re retired dairy farmers, and are appalled at the conditions we see (on TV) some clients seem to think is OK for you to work on their animals… unrestrained animals, poorly restrained animals, knee deep in “mud”, standing on ice for crying out loud….
Agreed. Surprised to see the animals standing in muck!
I’m not even a vet, and sometimes I watch the show and think, why do the farmers think they know more than the vets do? Ugh!
Tip of the iceberg shared, to be truthful! Love most of the ‘Vet’ Programs of TV, but I am not an idiot and want to scream when any are brought in (or Vet called out) when clearly the wait has been far too long. I so want to scream!!! Still remember your cat patient with a ‘sore bottom’, that was filled with magots……..how had that not been noticed? Dr. Emily, your heart and gift is horses; I hope one day they can at least be a side-line hobby!
Going to take a chance here and refer to James Herriot (Alf Wight), hoping that you aren’t completely fed up with comparison to him. The stories of Herriot mirror much of what you wrote about. I was struck by this but have no deep conclusions to make other than “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”
How are those Virginians treating you?
Sorry for all the bad side of your profession. Still very proud to have seen this little Southern Bell working as a large animal Vet
God bless your work and all other vets.
So many are under educated.
Take care and thank you for your service.
Wow! Great article. I often wondered while watching the show, how do these people get away with being so abysmally unprepared for the vet to arrive? I mean… they called, they know you’re coming.
I was a vet tech, I have tremendous respect for anyone that can make it through vet school. And then do the work and deal with the people, sheesh! That being said, there are some arrogant a**hole vets traipsing the countryside. I’ve been told to “just get ‘cha another one “ when my very sick horse wasn’t responding to his treatment. Rather than entertaining the notion that his diagnosis was WRONG , which it was, he gave up. That was ten years or so ago. I am still using the vet that came when I called and saved that horse.
Dr Emily, I am thoroughly enjoying your blog and would love to hear from Tony also.
I’m so paranoid with my animals , Iv never waited more then 20-25 min with any of my horses, cats or dogs to call my vet so she can tell me if it’s truly an emergency. But by now, Iv pretty much got emergencies down and at least know what to do until she gets here depending on what it is. Also, I don’t blame any of you on the no pmt plan thing, I get it. With animals, comes $$ so we have to expect that. I’m just grateful that my vet does give me a multiple pet discount (16 animals)
This is SO me too!
Last week I took my 15-year-old cat in because I was afraid he was developing diabetes. My vet, Clarissa Zuver, did his blood work and said he’s fine–*really* fine, for a cat his age–and seemed pleased that one of her patients’ moms was following her advice. He’s been on a couple of meds a day for a few years and I make sure he gets them. I make sure everyone in the house gets their meds, including the animals. I’m also lucky I have a great vet!
Dr Emily I am so sorry for the way large and small animal vets are treated. Call me silly but I didn’t realize the stories that we see are only a handful of the cases you all took care of.
I found myself questioning why people waited to the point that there was almost nothing that could be done for the animals. I do know anything about farm animals but could not understand why any farmer would wait until hours past the amount of time it should take for delivery of the baby before they called for help. If they own several animals and this is there lively hood, do they not know how long it should take for the baby to be born? Why would they leave an animal in labor all day and wait until after hours or the middle of the night to call?
If you go the the hospital for an emergency you know the bill will be a lot more than a regular office visit so why would anyone think emergency care for an animal would not cost more than a visit to the vet clinic? When I would see an emergency call that brought a vet back to the office after hours, most of the time the owners would tell you there pet had been sick all day and showing symptoms for many hours. I thought to myself “how inconsiderate and cruel these people are.”
Most of all I am sorry that it took the obvious passion, drive, joy, pride and desire to help and care for these animals away. I love watching Dr. Pol, not only to see the things he did for animals but to see the other vets show all of the loving care they gave to the animals.
I loved watching you and all the staff at the clinic. You all are wonderful caring, compassionate people with a real desire to help all animals. I don’t blame you for moving on where you can still provide car for animals but still enjoy your husband, children, family and life.
Maybe this blog will open more than my eyes to see a vet more as care provider for a family member. You all deserve our admiration, respect and common courtesy any care provider should get.
Bless you Dr. Emily, today, tomorrow and always.
I’m shocked by some of the stories,although completely believable. Happy to say that we took good care of our animals, they are our livelihood after all. Always had them ready for the vet. You good nature and patience speaks well of the kind of person you are.
What on earth???? for the last pic. Guess I’m googling next. That poor horse.
Yes I am wondering too. How did injections in the neck do that?? I am a horse owner.
Banamine is irritating to muscle tissue. Irritated muscle tissue is an ideal home for Clostridium bacteria. Clostridium kills muscle. It is bad, bad news. Treatment is intensive & includes surgically removing areas of dead tissue, so the horse ends up with multiple incisions & healing takes forever, assuming the horse survives.
Seeing as even liquid Banamine can be given by mouth if necessary, there’s really no need to risk the intramuscular injection.
I did think some of those barns were just breeding grounds for who knows what. Even the ceilings , rafters were just caked on muck.
I hope you’re enjoying some relaxing time now and feeling much better.
Emily, well said!! After reading your latest post I must say I am amazed at some of the crap you put up with as a vet. It is too bad that people like that caused you to feel you had to explain yourself but maybe it will sink in to some of their heads!!! Keep up the good work. Your new place of work is very lucky to have you. You have a wonderful way with the animals as well as the people you are helping.
Spot on! My sweetie is a farmer with beef cows. He also works at the stockyards weekly assisting the vet there. Whenever we watch Dr. Pol and the people don’t have the animals at least penned up, he just shakes his head. The vet he work with will not chase an animal. If you don’t have it in a pen or a chute available, they tell you once you’ve done that, they will look at your animal.
I always wondered if some if on the show wasn’t done for effect and drama.
Wonderful article. Watching the different vet shows, especially Dr Pol, I have often just shook my head at what people thought was appropriate care of animals. You would think that people who profess having animals for generations would be more knowledgeable about how to care for them. Unfortunately, as a retired RN, people aren’t much smarter about human healthcare, when to call the Dr and paying the bill. Totally understand!!!
I’m a vet student in Brazil and the situation here is not different, that’s why I don’t intend to be a large animal vet, unfortunately. I think all of animals should be treated with respect and kindness.
Excellent post.
I love your blog. This is awesome advice. We know we all love our animals, big, small and in between and know what you do isn’t cheap. Yes, I have a $1000 cat but it would have been so much more if my wonderful vet hadn’t worked so hard with me . After 10 days I told her I can’t afford to continue we might just have to put him down. She called me back and said no we won’t charge you bit for meds and what it takes to get him well. Another 10 days and I finally got to bring Hopper home. I know it cuts into the bottom line on farmers, we have raised cattle and pigs. It’s tough but we tried our best to do what we knew to do and not call in the middle of the night. There are emergencies and then there are EMERGENCIES. Know the difference or learn the difference. Love you Girl!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! I’m married to a large animal vet and truer words/examples have never been spoken. It’s so much better to call when you first notice than at 2am… is anyone at their best at 2am??
Loved watching you on the show both with the animals & the people…gonna miss it😊 Love your blog too!
I always wondered why a lot of the times the animals weren’t ready for you when you got to those calls…it just seemed like a common sense thing…in my opinion😉
Good Luck to you and your family!
Have 2 old (11yrs) Chihuahuas that are our “girls”. 1 has had multiple surgeries bad knees bad gut all very costly. Paid little @ a time til cleared. Now ok but sister’s turn. Started having 2 pee after bed time. Result? Diabetes. Insulin twice a day. Frosting on the cake? Seizures! All under control now but who knows how long. They’re never left alone more than an hr. Or ask 4 a “babysitter”.
You are doing such a great job for you girls
As a retired College of Veterinary Medicine employee, surrounded for years by my own large and small animals plus friends (students and doctors from work) I have seen or heard about all of the above and more. Animals are seldom the problem but owners often are. I frequently wished the law didn’t require us to release an animal back to its ignorant, misguided or malicious owner.
I have a lot of respect for veterinarians and their staff so I do everything I can to make their job easier; have the animals caught and most of the mud knocked off so examination is easier. I make sure their working area is cleared of any other animals including dogs, and there is sufficient light. Easy access to water etc. I always have a cold water waiting for them as well and pay them on the spot. I’m not wealthy but I keep a 0%credit card for this very reason. I seldom have to wait long for a vet to come. Is folks made it easy and paid like they should they might find their vets wanting to take good care of them.
I know I shouldn’t have, but I laughed on ‘#4 have the cow caught and tied to a truck or tractor before I get there’ I know people like this 🙁 This article should be required reading if you want to own large animals. Thanks for writing the article.
I always wondered – as I was watching the show – what was going through your mind (and the other vets as well) when these animal owners are so ill-prepared, with none of the proper equipment, or set-up, to take care of these animals. I realize that area of Michigan is low-income (for real, they still have dirt roads?!…), but some of the conditions those animals live in are deplorable. Even the small animal owners, who care so much for their precious pups, but not enough to get them their routine vaccines.
I really miss watching you on the show, but I understand completely. The chaos and the endless call….. I’m not a vet, but I work in medical imaging and took call for 20+ years, and I have been in your shoes as far as getting home and the little ones are excited to see you, only to get called out again a short time later. Or the times that you have to drag them along with you in the middle of the night. My mental health was suffering and I was to the point of quitting, when my present job opened up, in a private office with no call or off-hours.
I hope that you are much happier at your job now. I certainly think Virginia would be a much happier place to live than Michigan, at least in the winter! I am loving your blog and am looking forward to the next post and Tony Takeovers are good as well!
God Bless and be happy Dr. Emily!
3a – watching the tv program you were on always made me wonder if some of the farmers ever cleaned their barns. There you vets were, knee deep in mud, manure and whatever delivering these calves or stitching a stomach.
I have been in and out of horse barns over 30 years. To the barns with dirty water pails, moldy hay, a strong urine smell and filthy stalls, I would love to say to those owners would you drink that water, sleep in that dirty stall every night and eat food that could give you colic, a death sentence for horses. If their answer is no, why would you expect your animals to, let alone your vet or blacksmith to be subjected to that!
To new people who dream of having a horse in their backyard, I say. Have you taken riding lessons for two years, know the difference between colic, navicular or founder or the difference between a bit of dust in hay versus mold, they are light years away from having a horse! One wrong feeding, then a painful death for their new horse. One beginner put her horse out with the cattle and when it ate the cattle feed, died the next day. Cattle feed has ingredients that are poison to horses. One man said why would he need to read a book on horse care or take riding lessons? I simply asked him if he got his drivers licence in a crackerjack box? Stupid, stupid, stupid. Another person and I were talking about wormers and how you needed to worm them on a schedule or left untreated the worms would eat the linings of the intestines, leaving weak areas that could shut down the passage of the food, creating hemoraging and a bad bad death for the horse. When the woman admitted she had had horses for years and never wormed them and then what she said next floored me. She said that was most likely the reason her last horse had died.
These idiots get in trouble and then expect for the vet to fix their mistakes and blame the vet when the horse dies anyway,
And lastly to all you farmers out there that have barns with 2-3 ft. of slippery, filthy, dirty, smelly barns or pens, at least have some consideration for your vet. Have your animal in a CLEAN stall when they arrive. They should not have to work in shit! Many episodes on calls that Emily, and Dr. Pol have been on were in such circumstances. Shame on you!
It was always mind boggling how many calls all of you went on where the farmers expected you to round up their cattle or jury-rig a gate instead of a shoot so you can work on their cattle.. They should have proper working equipment if they’re going to have animals or be in the business. Not your responsibility! You’re there to treat, not round-up.
I’ve been a nurse for 40 years (human not animal) and have seen more stupidity & ignorance than anyone could imagine! I think that the way I feel about people having children probably also applies to people having animals- they should have to have a license! Will miss seeing you on the show but loving your blog!
Dr. Emily You are a good teacher! thank you for your insight
After reading this, I’m surprised there are any large animal vets working. It is super hard for a large animal vet to raise a family, especially a vet mother. How about an Incredible Dr. Emily tv program in the future ???
Be as nice as you can. As someone who was IN horses for 25 yrs, before moving to a place with no real large animal Vet. I took the time to train(safely work around horses), teach (odd things like a joint tap, etc), hold hands( assist in take a tumor off the inside hind leg RIGHT next to udder, of a pregnant mare(she had been kicked badly 2 months earlier)). Let her do a AI breeding at 1am!, because she had a great dinner party to go to…… It took! With a new Vet right out of school. She always was good to me afterwards, & she knew when I called, it was for real.
When I watch you on Dr Pol, I was amazed at how much you guys had to do to treat the animals. I would say to my son: “What is wrong with these people!?!? Why are they waiting so long to call a vet?!?!” Or “Why don’t they already have the animal contained or caught & ready for the vet visit!?!?” It would make me so mad (so I can only imagine how you felt) that they weren’t prepared! I was a herdsman (actually heardswoman) on a dairy farm for years & have my own hobby farm now, but would never call the vet until the animal that needed treatment was contained and ready.
I think you are awesome & I’m glad I found your blog. I look forward to reading more & hope that your lives are heading in the direction you want! Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
IT MAY BE A WASTE OF TIME, BUT WORTH A TRY, PRINT OUT EVERYTHING YOU WROTE ABOVE AND GIVE A 2 PAGE LEAFLET TO ALL ANIMAL OWNERS. WALK IN CUSTOMERS AND EMERGENCY.
NOW, WILL THEY READ IT? OR CAN THEY READ OR UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU WROTE? IS A HORSE OF A DIFFERENT COLOR.
I love you. Wouldn’t change a word you said. (Insert laughing emoji that is secretly dying inside.)
Thank you so much for your article. I would add, please do not call that retired horse trainer, (me) in the middle of the night for a medical emergency! I am not a veterinarian, even if I give MY horses their immunizations myself. It stresses me out. Do not call that neighbor, relative, 4h leader or boarding facility. Call your Vet. Get to know your local large animal vets. Have your animals checked at least once a year, even if you don’t think there is anything wrong with them. Trailer them in. Have dental work and fecal tests done. I hate going to do an evaluation on a horse for a client and ask for vet records for a horse the seller is asking $5000+ for and the seller (proudly) telling me the horse hasn’t been sick in the 5-10yrs they have owned it!
AMEN!!! People need to do some research before acquiring farm animals and house pets. If they would give the wormers and immunizations according to recommended protocols they wouldn’t have so many problems or expenses. It always costs more to fix something after the fact! So glad you put in black and white. Same with “human” animal medicine. They don’t follow orders or they wait until they’ve been sick all day .before getting help!!!
Great article! I must tell you though that water buffaloes are quite gentle. People use bulls and cows and steers as draft animals for plowing and pulling. They have been bred for gentleness for many generations.
Al those things I thought about while watching the show and wondering how you kept your cool. I could not be a vet. I would not hold back. Love you guys.
Is there an email address to which I could request permission to reprint this article in a camelid newsletter?
what camelid newsletter do you put out?
Most vets will not see your pet with full payment at the time of service anymore. So quite a bit of the comments on this post are not accurate.
*without full payment
Try working with clients that wont vaccinate their horses for a disease that kills vets (HENDRA), make up at sorts of reasons for not vaccinating (when its actually about the cost) and then expect you to look after their horse when it is sick.
Wonderful post. I’d like to hope I’m one of those “good” clients! I had horses until last year when we said goodbye to my old retirees (29 & 30) so no more horse calls on the farm but I do have dogs and respect and love the vets I’ve used. Also did not know until reading the rest of the blog that Dr. Emily had left the show, she was my favorite on there for her sense of humor and can-do attitude. Enjoyed all the entries by Dr. Emily and Tony. Welcome to the Blue Ridge of Virginia, hope you love it here as we do. We are neighbors in Fauquier just south of you.
I was sick with flu and didn’t see this post until today. Thanks for confirming what my husband and I always thought was true. Why would clients wait so long, and why would they not have animals controlled for you? I think stupidity is a big part of it…to say nothing of the producers wanting to make it look like “fun.” I’m so sorry you and the others had to put up with all this. I remember seeing Brenda kicked so hard by a donkey that I was scared for her. She tried to remain calm, but I’m sure she wanted to kill someone. Also, I’ve seen you work in the most unsanitary conditions known to humankind, but the farmers don’t seem to notice or care. How can they continue to keep animals in such awful, dirty places. I know cows are about muck, but they shouldn’t be allowed to be so dirty on dairy farms. C’mon, people, clean things up a bit! I also know winter is tough, and it seems the worst conditions are in the winter when nobody can be cleaned. Why do the producers ALWAYS film in the worst messes possible? Except for Rooftop Landing, most of the places are hideous. I love the show; I love Dr Pol and Brenda and you. I’m so glad you got out alive and hope conditions are better for you and your family in VA. I couldn’t help but notice someone’s comment about Alf Wight, where all the TV vet stuff started. At least, because they were re-enactments, the conditions were slightly more palatable. The new reality version of that show set in Thirsk is wonderful. I’m sure you’ve seen enough that you don’t watch other TV vets. Sorry for going on and on! I just hope you realize you are appreciated by so many people. Publish your list as a handout for all clients! We’ve only had cats and dogs, but your recommendations made perfect sense.
As a viewer who doesn’t own pets but had children, I am appalled by what owners do – let a lump grow to the point where what was nothing has now become cancerous, call you after a cow has been in labor for a day and are disappointed when the calf doesn’t survive, and so on. It is a testimony to you and your sense of responsibility that you still went on arduous calls, or treated an animal that you know might have a small chance of survival because an owner waited too long.
I was thinking about this post and our years of watching the show. We are in our 60s and have learned so much! From time to time I would see young girls saying they wanted to be a vet like Dr Brenda or Dr Emily and had this thought: How about a series of videos titled something like “So you want to be a vet” and go over proper feeding, proper cleanliness, the importance of not waiting until a problem gets very bad, what classes to take in school, how to apply to vet school, and so on. My son loved informational videos on construction, firemen, police, etc when he was growing up. Or, perhaps a YouTube channel and I think you can monetize the channel. It would help future vets, help the kids who need to know how to take care of their animals, and even for the adults who seem to not have a clue as to what they are doing and shouldn’t even own a dust bunny! Hoping for lots of happiness for you and your family here in Virginia!
Hi Dr Emily, I know this is a question that better falls under How I grew as a vet but it just occurred to me. The Pol’s didn’t read that blog and become angry with you did they, or cause you grief in your new position? I would hate to think that anyone could or would cause you problems, especially for just being honest in your feelings. I also wondered if they were angry or upset when you tendered your resignation? Thanks for any feedback you want to impart!
Wow. A well said and full of good advice blog! I admit I am guilty of the waiting to call part but not for life or death instance. Always been about I simply didn’t have the money. I get the “well then you shouldn’t have a pet” response to a degree. But for the emergency stuff you just can’t help that. My dog had, and forgive me for not knowing exactly the name of it, what could be described as gastroenteritis in a human about 4 years ago. It was sudden. She was fine and healthy 1 minute and the next bleeding from her hind in everywhere. Only 1 emergency vet where I live (population over 200,00) and just to see her was $500 up front. Thankfully my daughter’s fiance offered to pay and she spent the night in ICU and the next couple weeks healing. Recently another dog of ours had pyometra and thankfully our vet didn’t charge an arm and a leg but still set us back a lot of money we really don’t have. However, now I understand even more why having a pet spayed is important. Paying for a spay would have been a little cheaper but honestly not by much. I will miss seeing you on Dr Pol but glad you are doing what’s right for you and your family. Thank you for your continued compassion for animals as well as this pg for us all to continue to keep in the know about you and your family!
Dr. Emily, I think you would enjoy reading the James Herriot books about vet med in the 1940s. I tried to enter vet school in 1947 but they didn’t allow women, so I married a vet instead.