we need to remember that a lot of vets don't really like cats. sad, but true..... cats are seen as rather disposable.... we have a 24-hour-emergency clinic here owned by a vet who hates cats.... and two of the three emergency vets here regularly declare the cat will die before morning unless surgery costing $750 minimum--payable in full--is done..... (no one i know has ever accepted that verdict, none of the cats expired before getting to their regular vets, and few actually needed the surgery the er vet said they did....)
on another thread, i put the link to the american association of housecall vets--it's really worth looking into. vets ARE like human doctors--some are good, some are better, some are HORRID. the trick is to find out BEFORE AN EMERGENCY what kind you have..... we need to interview our vets about their experience, their attitudes (especially about FIV and FeLV), their emergency payment policies, their willingness to consult with specialists and/or do research, what anesthetics they use, etc. it's impossible to think rationally when it's an emergency--and we need to remember that WE are hiring THEM. some vets can't stand being questioned, others welcome it.... perhaps we should work together, as caretakers of special cats, to come up with a "questionnaire" of things we've all learned to look for? and the COLDEST vet i've ever worked with was at a cat-only practice! -- MaryChristine AIM / YAHOO: TenHouseCats MSN: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ICQ: 289856892
