Timeliness of Vet Care

[Stacy]

This is in reference to the post about Winnie, but something that made me think and I wanted to get some opinions and I didn’t want to hijack the other thread.

How long does it take people to get their doodle in to see their primary vet for a minor illness, injury, concern?

I feel like as part of their business model vet’s should be setting aside a certain amount of time per day to see animals that are unwell. I don’t mind waiting a week or two for an appointment for their yearly shots/wellness check/chronic issue. But if my dog has vomiting/diarrhea/lethargy/bleeding/pain I expect to be seen the same day.

I am half-heartedly searching for a new primary vet. I don’t need one right this minute (who needs a regular vet when you have a whole handful of specialists!) And that’s one of my biggest concerns. And one of the reasons that I stayed with their other vet for so long. It was a walk in clinic. If you needed to be seen, you were seen that day. You might have to wait a few minutes, but they would make sure you saw the doctor.

I can’t tell you all how many times in the human world I see people and they tell me that they tried to get their child into the doctor’s office but they didn’t have any appointments so they told them to go to the Emergency Department. I think that’s just wrong. The Emergency Room and the Emergency Vet have a very important role, but they shouldn’t have to be a substitute for a good general doctor. For one thing it costs, I think, $80 - $100 just to walk in the door for something that is urgent but not emergent. It just seems like a misuse of resources all the way around.

Anyway, I was just hoping to get some thoughts and experiences on this. Am I going to be able to find a vet who meets my demands when I start looking? Or am I expecting too much? 

[Haley, Yeti, and Phin]

Every time I've needed Yeti to see a dr he was seen that day or the next. When he was a puppy he had diarrhea problems and we had to take him in at the drop of a hat 3 or 4 times and they were always so good about getting him in.

[Stacy]

This is so reassuring. I guess I'm going to actually have to interview some vets in the area. There are vets that get them in same day. I've just heard people say that they had to wait days to get an appointment and it concerns me. I don't mind waiting for the dentist. There are rarely life and death dental emergencies!

[Ginny Nightingale]

I have often been at my vet and had to wait because an emergency came in and he saw the animal immediately--although it is annoying to wait, I try to remember that it could be me bringing in one of my dogs and wanting help right away!

[Stacy]

People emergency room perspective here - we always wish we could tell people that you should be so glad that your loved one isn't rushed to the back immediately. It means they are basically okay. It is annoying. And sometimes the wait is really long. But feel bad for the people who don't have to wait!!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

The vet in my town is walk in - no appointments made ever.  Emergencies are taken immediately, the rest of us wait.  The vet in our vacation town does both.  You can make an appointment or pay an extra fee (it isn't that much) for walk in.  If they can make your walk-in into an appointment, they will.

[Stacy]

I only know the one walk in vet. I really like the way it works. I don't know why more of them don't do it. Maybe I should apply to be the office manager and I could create the perfect veterinary clinic! That vet is really just too far away now. That and the fact that they almost killed Ava...

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I can usually get JD in the same day, but there can be a really long wait. Occasionally, if it's a day when my regular vet is doing surgery, we may have to see one of the other vets. 

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

We can normally get in the same day for an illness but sometimes it isn't our regular Vet.  Other times they will tell us if you want to bring her in and leave her we will work her in.  I don't like doing that, but if I have to I will.

[Debbie and Toby]

It definitely would be beneficial to have a vet that would be available on the same day, especially in the case of emergency or illness.   A couple years ago we switched to a vet that we have been very happy with. They are open 24/7 for emergencies, and have regular office hours 6 days a week. In the case of illness or injury they have always been able to get Toby in the same day. There are 4 vets working out of this office, so even if our regular vet isn't available, we have the option to see one of the other vets, whoever happens to be scheduled that day. We have been quite happy with all of them. Recently, we had to go in on a Friday eve, about 7:30 pm, and even though they were already closed, our dr was called in. We were charged as a regular office visit because they are our regular vet and they do not charge "emergency rates" if you are a regular patient there. They do not schedule appointments after regular business hours, but they are available if needed for illness or emergency. I feel we have been very lucky to have found this place. They are almost an hour away from us, but so far they have worked out very well for us.  Our previous vet always charged an extra fee of $35 to be seen the same day. 

[Amy and Annabelle]

Annabelle goes to a large vet clinic where there are several dr's besides the dr/owner. So someone could see her on any given day right away in case of an emergency. It may not be the one you regularly see, but one of them would be available to handle the emergencies or walk-in's that day. For a non-emergency walk-in, you could sit there and wait a long time, but you would be seen that day. After hours they are partnered with the university veterinary hospital. It is a lot farther away for me though. I hope I never need it.