Bella and I did some more ground work today and it was good. Tonight I went out and gave her an apple and a little massage and scratched her udder for her.
I had a lot of fun with the dogs today. Took Huck and Blue through the bank drive through. They said I have to bring them in next time so they can pass the pup around. :) Then went to get a coffee (I try not to splurge but my coffee at home had a dead earwig in it.) and the coffee lady in Potlatch is so awesome. She gave them each 3 big treats. So now Blue is learning the joys of the drive-thru. Huck knows the drill so well he's alert and drooling before we even get to the window.
Then we went for the puppy's second shot and wormer. He's almost doubled in weight! And thank goodness, the heart murmur is gone.
I'd kinda like your opinion here. It's a long story but the point at the end is this question: Is three an unreasonable number of dogs? Mainly I'm just kinda ranting though...
There's this vet that I can't stand and my dogs don't like her either. A few years back we had a couple emergencies and couldn't avoid her. At the time, we had a rescue dog, Ben.
He was a super lovable chocolate lab who had lived his life in a filthy kennel and had bad mange and was kinda old for his age. I spent hundreds of dollars on getting him well, which isn't really the point, but it's part of the story I guess. His days here were filled with happy running and playing with the kids, and lots of love. Eventually his knees gave out. The cruciate ligament snapped. This vet had the gall to rub it in my face that we "couldn't afford" the surgery for him because we had "so many dogs." That wasn't the case at all! Even if I could have afforded it I wouldn't have spent thousands of dollars to put him through surgery and rehab for both knees. Or even one. It just wasn't even a consideration in my mind.Now, every time I see her in there, she greets me super cheerfully and makes some sort of jab about all my dogs. Like today, "She's always getting puppies! She just can't help herself!" Excuse me, but this is my second puppy...
And - We only have 3 dogs! We've never had more than three dogs. Is that a lot of dogs? To me it's the upper limit, but it's reasonable. Certainly not hoarding or anything. And the fact that we're in at the vet with them and current on everything shows we're not neglecting them. Besides, look at how healthy they are. Well, besides India, but she's just old. She gets daily meds for her arthritis, plus several arthritis supplements my vet recommends, and they get some of the best dog food on the market. And they all get plenty of attention.
Maybe she thinks we still have the dogs that have died over the years, and the strays I've brought in to scan for microchips. I'm about to the point where I'm going to confront her on it. I know I should just let it pass but it also wouldn't hurt to nicely point out that I don't have fifty thousand dogs. And it might make me feel better. She really ticks me off.
11 comments:
WTF! That vet is a twit. I will give you my opinion after I have recovered...lol
Uh yeah, that would bother me. You should talk to her. People like that need to learn better manners--especially if they're going to be working with families with animals. Personally, I don't believe in expensive surgeries. I love my animals dearly, but they are animals. We are surrounded by so many humans who can barely afford to make their mortgage payments and never see the doctor--if I'm going to spend thousands, it's going to be on one of them. What I do though, is give my animals the best preventative care, feeding, exercise and companionship so that their life, however long it is, is the best it can be. I don't know when this all got so twisted that some people think that owning an animal means you have to run to the vet and get surgeries for every illness. When I was growing up it wasn't that way. But on the flipside, I don't run to the doctor for myself for everything either. In fact, I rarely go. I think we're over-medicalized...and I'm married to a doctor--so go figure.
How rude. We have 3 and I dare anyone to tell me thats too many. Pistol Skeeter and Maggie agree with me.
That's just totally rude. Avoid that woman at all costs. And next time she does say something, let her have it. Tell her you only have 3. Geez.
I have 12. I'm forever at the vet's office. I work there sometimes! He makes fun of me, but all in good fun.
Definitely don't stand for that nonsense from a vet. That's not cool.
I'm in vet school, and while they try to teach us not to judge our clients, I think it is still very difficult for some vets to keep their personal opinions out of their practice, whether or not their opinions are actually founded. I have issues with my horse vet (thinking that mustangs are inferior), and my parent's dog's old vet (tried to give my mom lessons on how to handle her dog - unsolicited suggestions when it really wasn't warranted), and other vets that won't treat animals unless they are spayed or neutered....it is a profession fraught with bias, although it shouldn't be because we are supposed to be professionals. That vet's attitude would bother me too (and I don't agree with some expensive procedures on animals even though I am in vet school). I say talk to her if it really really bothers you, but you might also not be able to get through to her. Of course, her attitude is also influencing others in the clinic too...maybe speak to your personal vet about it? 3 is not a lot of dogs. Until Josh died this summer, we had 3 dogs! And prior to that, we had 4!
That sounds so incredibly irritating! Next time she says something, I'd mention that you only have 3. 3 doesn't seem like that many at all. Heck, when I first met my in-laws they had...5 I think? Ranging in size from a rottweiler to a yorkie, lol. Now they are down to 3 and one of those is getting old :( As long as you can take care of your dogs, who is anyone to say how many is 'too many'? I think your dogs are adorable :) I wish we could get a mini Aussie :/
I've had three a lot. Generally when one is getting old, if the righ tpup comes along, I get her, so sometimes we have two, and sometimes three. I don't want a lonely only dog or to buy the wrong dog because I'm in a hurry to replace one that has gone. Like you, my hubbie feels that three is enough in a house. I'd be willing to squeeze in a couple of little ones. :) But he is right that with three you can fit them in the car easily and take them everywhere, get them all on the bed for a nap, stuff like that.
I won't do expensive stuff on mine just because you can, either. There is pressure that can make us feel like bad pet owners if we won't go as far as we can, but after doing it a time or two and still losing the dog, I think it is kinder to the dog to take a less invasive approach, or to let them go. Quality not quantity is my motto, for me as well as the dogs!
There are certain people who decided they have figured people out with just a little bit of information. Sometimes they don't even have their info right, but to them it is enough to judge someone and to put another person in a certain category.
You would think this vet would want people to have lots of pets that they love and take care of, good for business and all that.
You don't have too many dogs. Most people in the country have three or more.
I may only have a single Maine Coon cat and no dogs ... but if it were me and that vet made snide comments like that to me, I'd tell her to mind her own business! And if it came down to finding a vet in an emergency, I'd go elsewhere to find that vet! You don't have to put up with people's rudeness, regardless of who they are!
??? I have six kids and I hear people comment negatively about that all the time. We also have three dogs. I think they are happier together - they romp and play and sleep together. They are pack animals, so I would think it is perfectly fine. Don't worry about it... she is a crazy lady.
Three seems to be a good number. That's how many dogs we have in our family as well :)
I've had a few vets like that as well. Either very opinionated ones or anti mustang ones. The worst vet that I've found is in the next town over from us, my Dad drove my neighbor and his dog to this vet because the dog had been attacked by some other dogs. They got to the vet and before they even looked at her they wanted my neighbor to sign a waiver saying they could euthanize her if they thought it was necessary. She wasn't even injured to that extint that would warrent euthinasia and I couldn't believe they would want you to sign that before bringing you into a room and examining the dog/animal first.
I agree with the others about confronting the vet if you go back to her and she says something. Maybe just ask her how many dogs she thinks you have an then correct her when she answers it wrong. I think some people don't realize how rude they come across until you say something to them.
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