What a weekend...long rant

First Parker gets an abscess. So I'm soaking that twice a day everyday...which is a pain but it's almost gone now. Then Thursday morning I wake up and Parker is doing lip curls showing low grade pain and laying down. Not thrashing or rolling or looking at his belly...just very low grade. So we haul him to a new vet (new to the area...heard this guy was great) and the vet's not there. He won't be in until 1 pm...which is a pain because I called the front desk and they said "Yes come on in." Come on in to what?!? If there's not a vet there?!? So the vet tech just whips my trailer door open without asking me and almost had a terrible incident because I hadn't untied his head yet. We get sent home with Ace and Banamine because Parker started nibbling grass there and the vet wasn't there anyway.

Lunch time rolls around and Parker is laying down more. The vet is there now...a vet's office with a vet there! Yeah! So we go back. Sure enough he is colicking...we tube him all that good stuff he has to stay the night. Well my other horse was due for teeth floating so when we go back the next day for Parker I schedule Aggie to get his teeth done.

Well the vet tech (yes the same one that almost killed my horse by opening the trailer door) grabs the lead rope and says "I'll take it from here." Well my horse HATES stocks and doesn't trust anyone but me because I've owned him for 14 years and nobody else has ever worked with him. The vet tech tries to get him in there twice and then does that stupid rope shake yelling back up thing. Now I'm pissed. This is a 16 year old horse with osteoarthritis in his hocks and stifles and ringbone...and he was just violently backed up on cement. I walk over there and grab the lead rope. Well the vet tech won't give it to me. He is CLINCHING THE ROPE! So I repeat give me my horse three or four times...and literally thought I was going to have to kick the guy in the nether regions to get my lead rope. He stormed off. The vet came out at just that moment apologized and said its a "liability" to have owners walk their own horses in the stocks. I told him either I walk my own horse in there or I leave. So he let me walk my horse in there. Which my horse just followed me without any problems. Got his teeth done. Loaded up Parker he was 100% recovered from colic.

Needless to say we won't be going to that vet again because of their policies...which is a shame because he did an excellent job on the teeth.

On to the family drama. It was my daughters 1st birthday Saturday. My husband's parents have been divorced for 3 years. His dad wanted to bring his girlfriend of one year. His mom through a total temper tantrum and said that was "disturbing news." We didn't want to get into it. We said the girlfriend was invited and it wasn't awkward at all for us. Well she didn't show up and my MIL and FIL didn't talk the whole party. So immature.

Anyway...yesterday we relaxed.

What a weekend.

Kudos if you read that. I just had to rant.

Poor you! Sorry about your terrible weekend. I wouldn't go back there either!


You know what?! My mother didn't show up at my wedding because my dad brought his girlfriend! Does that make you feel a bit better?

Sounds like a crazy weekend indeed! I think the vet tech could of handled the situation a bit better but I dont blame the vet for having policies...people these days try to do anything and everything to get money for something or another!

[quote=hotreddun;361966 We get sent home with Ace and Banamine because Parker started nibbling grass there and the vet wasn't there anyway.


Needless to say we won't be going to that vet again because of their policies...which is a shame because he did an excellent job on the teeth.

[/quote]

First - using a tranq on a horse in gastro distress is not a good idea. It further slows the gut. I would of questioned why the need for a tranq. (Though Ace is very mild).

Second - it's the insurance that requires liability policies. Our clinic has the same policy.

Wow! What a stressful weekend! Hugs to you :).

So glad I could put my son first and overlook my deep distaste for his father (my ex) so that kind of drama is never even a thought at any occassions we are both at. Shouldn't be anyway as far a I'm concerned. Sorry you both have that to cope with too. :(

I questioned the tranq myself...which is why its unused in my cabinet. I decided to go back to the vet.

I think a lot of those insurance policies should be left to better judgement though. If the owner can calmly walk the horse in the stocks...why not let them? Insurance stuff is completely out of control in this country. I've always been allowed to walk my horse in at my other vets...which is why I'll be driving the 2 hours to continue going to that vet from now on.

I forgot a HUGE piece of the story re-reading it. Right at the same time that I was walking over to take back my horse the vet tech yelled to the another vet assistant..."GET THAT WHIP AND GET HIS ASS IN THERE!"

I told my husband that the vet office would have had a MUCH BIGGER liability issue if I kicked that vet techs a** right there in the hallway.

As a tech myself - we see a LOT of owners who cannot handle the horse in the situation at the clinic. Horse is nervous, owner is nervous, etc. As a tech we are a bit removed from the emotional side of the case.

If the doctor did a good job, you can always request certain techs not assist.

I wouldn't call yelling aggressively at my horse, yelling and threatening me, clenching on to my lead rope and yelling profanities within hearing range of my daughter "removed from the emotional side" if you ask me.

I see both sides of the story but this guy was out of control.

I just commented on your other thread about this, so sorry I am commenting slightly backwards!

I think the assistant could have definitely been more professional, but like MLS said, it's not that surprising. Insurance is out of control in this country because people are sue happy. We too have this policy at our clinic. Vets need to cover their butts or they risk being sued out of business.

When did he threaten you? I think I missed that part.