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What to do? Changes at vet hospital


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I have been going to the same veterinary clinic for over 13 years.  Last year, without any advice to clients, the hospital was sold to Best For Pets.  Vets who’d been there for years were suddenly gone and vets who’d always been there started to work fewer and fewer days.  New vets appeared (and disappeared) and did not inspire confidence.  A “practice manager” was appointed who had never heard of giving clients a smile and chewed gum.  

 

My little boy, Mezza, isn’t well and I rang on Thursday only to find that the vet who has worked his case for a long time isn’t available until late Monday - now working only Mondays and Tuesdays.    This particular vet has always been so wonderful and so caring, ringing late at night with follow ups, etc etc, but if you need to book a week or more in advance that caring and wonderfulness aren’t much use when your pet gets sick suddenly.  

 

One of the vets who has been there as long as the one mentioned above was also one of my absolutely go to vets - caring, excellent and experienced, always helpful - has changed as well.  She used to be unfailingly cheerful, instilling confidence.  All these attributes seem to have disappeared and she now looks unhappy most of the time.  Some one else mentioned to me how she seemed to have changed.  

 

I don’t know whether any of these changes have to do with the change of ownership, but it has to be assumed that that is the cause.  So many changes in so little time.   

 

Anyway, as hard as it is (and scary) I need to start looking elsewhere I think, but where to start?  There are a few veterinary clinics around me (I live near Hornsby), but vets are a bit like doctors:  how their abilities or otherwise are viewed is very subjective.  

 

I have rung today and the only vets on are one to whom I would not take a pet rock and the other is one of the newcomers and I know little about him.  

 

Damn damn damn.  I hate changes.     

 

 

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My wonderful supervets also sold their clinic to Best for Pets as they wanted a lifestyle change ie, working less days a week, much less stress etc.  After a couple of years they left.  I have still been using the clinic but it is a continual stream of vets, mostly locums.  I became quite friendly with one of the long term locums and I can definitely see why they like to live that lifestyle and why there is such a shortage of vets.  

 

I feel your pain LMO.  I'm thinking I will have to take the non-routine stuff up to Berry vets now, it will be worth the drive.  I have a friend that lives in the Sylvania area that has an awesome vet but that is too far for you.  I can ask on the Sydney Cavalier page if you like.

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Thanks @jemappelle.     I have posted on a couple of local community pages and have been inundated with recommendations LOL.  My head is spinning.  A couple of places are beginning to stand out, though.  Among other plaudits for a particular vet, one poster said the vet was “pratical” which sounded good to me.   

 

I can certainly understand people selling up for a better lifestyle, but there has to be something wrong when there is such a huge turnover of all levels of staff.   

 

Four of the vets where I have been going would get unending gold stars from me, but two have gone and the two I have continued to see are not there enough.  

 

Sad and scary.   

 

 

 

 

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54 minutes ago, jemappelle said:

My wonderful supervets also sold their clinic to Best for Pets as they wanted a lifestyle change ie, working less days a week, much less stress etc.  After a couple of years they left.  I have still been using the clinic but it is a continual stream of vets, mostly locums.  I became quite friendly with one of the long term locums and I can definitely see why they like to live that lifestyle and why there is such a shortage of vets.  

 

I feel your pain LMO.  I'm thinking I will have to take the non-routine stuff up to Berry vets now, it will be worth the drive.  I have a friend that lives in the Sylvania area that has an awesome vet but that is too far for you.  I can ask on the Sydney Cavalier page if you like.

Are the Berry vets the one with the tv show??

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@Loving my Oldies... Galston Vet Clinic is well worth the drive from your place... Andrew and Sandy (partner vet owners of the clinic) are the loveliest people who go that extra mile for both the animals AND humans.

 

They are at 7 Arcadia Rd, Galston - Ph: 9653 1622 - 8:30am - 6pm Mon to Fri, and 9-12am on Saturdays

 

I rocked up yesterday unannounced with a very poorly little calf, and Sandy dropped everything to accommodate and get him better... she didn't even get to eat her lunch, but didn't mind at all.

 

If you are after vets with sound animal healing skills and good old fashioned caring and great client skills, you won't find a better vet closer to you IMHO.

 

T.

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That is some recommendation, @tdierikx :thumbsup:   Galston is not far as the crow flies, but the roads around here are getting worse and worse.  Even before restrictions were lifted, I had to go out to Dural and it took me ages.  The traffic was horrendous.    I can get to my current vet in under 10 minutes.   

 

I have had some very promising recommendations from my queries on FB and will investigate a couple of places closer to me.  Will certainly keep Galston in mind, though.   

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The traffic can be pretty dismal on Pennant Hills Rd and up New Line Rd at times, but if you are ever stuck in need of an exceptional vet, Galston are well worth the traffic hassle IMHO.

 

I'm totally fussy about my vets as you may already have gathered... I don't recommend if I wouldn't use them for my own pets... if my local awesome treating vet ever closes, I'd drive all the way out to Galston to have them as my preferred vets. I'm so lucky to have them for the work farm animals... they are the best!

 

T.

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I’m sorry this happened. I experienced it some years back after our vet of 15 years sold to Greencross. :( 
 

Dr Penny Mead at Hornsby Vet is recommended by someone I know who has an anxious dog if that helps.
 

I’d also look on the Fear Free Pets website.

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You could message Stormy , she lives at Berowra , but I’m sure she has a really good vet that she’s gone to for years . 

I have a similar issue , my wonderful vet passed away suddenly from motor neurone desease. Since then the other owner took charge who I never liked , he upsells and treats you like an idiot. He told me once I would kill my dogs feeding raw as he pushed their food . All the other vets there are new and young and are clueless. They constantly leave the room to “ go consult with a colleague “ . The only upside is they are well equipped with their own ultrasound machine . 

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@juice, now that you mention Stormy, I have some vague recollection of going out there with a rescue dog - it would be years ago.  I used to keep a document detailing the people associated with rescue who I’d been in touch with and for what reason as well as their IRL and DOL names.   I wonder if I can find it.  I seem to recall that she moved to Brisbane ??  Maybe she returned ? 
 

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I can recommend Anthony at ActiVet in Carlingford, it's his own practice.  He's a lovely caring vet, on Pennant Hills Road and has seen my elderly dogs over the years.  More difficult for me to get there with traffic so it was ok if i could get in on a Saturday.

 

For a closer vet, I'd also recommend Beecroft Vet, one of mine gets groomed there and recently became very ill suddenly, i drove there as Hornsby wasn't allowing you in with them and he was almost unconscious.  The vet at Beecroft was just lovely and caring, my boy was in there for 4 days on a drip with Vestibular Disease.  All the staff were amazing and so kind.

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It’s a pity you can’t get to speak privately to those vets you knew and trusted and find out what’s going on or if there’s any way you can get your dogs treated by them.

 

how sad that the company doesn’t seem to be living up to it’s name. It’s certainly not best for vets that’s for sure.

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For a while I kept googling my preferred vet and vet nurses to see if they had switched clinics, so you could try that? I was expecting a mass exodus as I could tell the vet in particular was unhappy. Malcolm was so comfortable with them and the old clinic itself, but even that has gone. He used to direct our walks there to weigh himself (lol) and say hi to his friends! :( 

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