I chose my vet because they are very familiar with Basenji's- but I have had nothing but problems!! They have screwed up with giving him shots and end up sticking him a couple times for a shot, they gave him too many shots last time and he was in pain and sick so I had them put a note in his profile that he is to only be given ONE shot per visit! My fault for not being on top of it at the appointment but more so a mistake by the vet..First thing when I checked Oakley in the woman told me "okay, today he is getting his last distemper and bortadella" I said No, he isn't- this visit is for his distemper, and I am NOT getting the other because Oakley isn't going to a kennel etc. They kept pushing me the whole time saying he could get both at once and if that wasnt enough they stuck him twice for his distemper bc two people obviously couldn't get a 5 mo. old Basenji the first time! Then I asked if they could dremel his nails because I am waiting on new sanding bands to come in- I dremel him every week and because my supplier was out of bands it had been two weeks. They told me they could dremel them then the tech forget and told me I was done, I reminded him and then he told me only one tech. dremels and she was offā¦I said okay, well I just want the very tip cut off and reminded them he was a dremel dog. I said this assuming they would realize his qwicks are long because he gets dremeled vs. cut (mind you- I have never cut him) and so after a mess of screaming it took me, his mommy comforting him to let them do it. So, after thinking all went well they stood him up and blood comes dripping out from ALL his paws!!!!!! They cut 6-7 of his qwicks!! I was beyond pissed and livid. I wanted to buy some styptic powder just to have in case they bled at home and they told me just to use flour ( now I know I can use that but cmon'- if I ask just sell it to me) Lastly, they had the nerve to charge me 16.50$ for cutting his nails then told me they cut me a break on the technician fee when I complained. I am DONE! DONE! DONE! My poor Oakley is again in pain and trying to sleep it off. Clearly breed experience was what drew me in but I am now going to go to my local vet who listens to me, and doesn't tell me my dog needs to be vaccinated for everything in the book and get mad when I say no
Sorry to hear that you have had such a bad time with your vet. Lots of love and maybe extra treat for Oakley is in order. Yes I also would have changed vets and right away. I like a vet that listens to you and does what you like. Vet to me is like a baby doctor need to hear me and take the best care of my baby that you know how. Wish you the best.
Rita Jean
So sorry to hear about your vet visit. 
Sometimes there are just bad offices. I'm sure you will find someone who listens to you. Give Oakley a hug.
Thank you Schouiffy & Rita Jean- Oakley is resting on my favorite blanket and I gave him a little bit of Sprite (his favorite thing! ā¦you cant bring a can anywhere near him! I think he just likes the carbonated bubbles on his tongue) and a little bit of bison and rice. I just feel awful, I hate having him in pain after EVERY appointment... I am going to start titering him from now on... I just have to read up on it a bit more. Everytime he moves he yelps....and because they missed the first time in his left shoulder (where this shot should be given, they just stuck him in the hind muscle instead)- I am so angry! I am going to be getting my second and last basenji next season ( I hope a little red and white female) and I can't go this again, nevermind subject Oakley to this. I tell him all the time I wont let anything happen to him and then this happens....I feel like a bad mommy
I would also write a letter to the vet or if its a big business to the head of the hospital. This is totally unacceptable.
Yup, time to get a new Vetā¦ and I too would write to who ever is the owner of the practice. Not a surprise that they made his nails bleed... common practice because they get people that show up once or twice a year to have nails done, so they cut them as short as possible.
Question for you however, I think that in the entire time that I have used a dremel, I have only changed the band, tops 10 times?.... and I was doing up to 5 at a time... the sanding bands really did not wear down very much? I have been using the same band on the two girls since they came home over a year ago.
You've got to go to a vet that both you and Oakley are comfortable with. Obviously it is time for a change. Give Oakley a kiss for me.
I buy my bands at lowes and am able to do 5 dogs twice a week for about 2 months before I change them. I use fine grit and the whippets nails grow super fast. What part of MA are you located in? I have several whippet friends in the Berkshire region who may know of better vets.
I've experienced a bad vet and it's no fun. There are pet stores that trim nails real cheap and they do it so often that they are pretty good. It takes about 5 minutes. Buddy wears his down walking on the pavement but he does have dew claws which I trim myself and did cut one too close once.
I bought a dremel after I got Oakley and it only came with one band, as a precaution I take off the tip when I am done because I always worry Oakley will accidentally turn it onā¦ well, what I didn't anticipate was he would be able to jump a baby gate and of all things, end up chewing on a little band/tip....but you know what they say about people who assume! No surprise that the dremel wasn't the only thing of interest to him! :rolleyes: Lesson learned, I got a taller baby gate AND put the dremel on top of the refrigerator....He didn't do too much damage to it but it was soggy and so I threw it out. I could go to Lowes, .....hmmm... never thought of that! Needless to say, Oakley has had a piece of cheese and a little sprite (Lord help me later) and he is resting with the occasional squeal. I will be calling tomorrow to see which vet owns the practice. It is literally every time we go to the vets that he ends up in pain and I will not do that to him again.
I, really, interviewed 5 vets when I moved here, changed vets 3 times. Found one I liked, then he went nuts and disappeared. Really. Anyway, then I found my current vets and have been with them for 15 yrs. I have issues with the older vet pushing things, but I trust and love them with my animals and even though others cheaper, and I drive 30 mins to get there, I love them. I'd be leaving those folks so fast their heads would spin.
Piece of info, if you have a dremel brand and it ever stops working - call dremel. Mine died earlier this yr, I shippped it to them and they repaired it for free and sent it back within a week. I could have also traded up to a newer model for the difference in price between my old model and the newest model. I had been told about this by my breeder who has sent off many over the past 20 yrs.
I bought a dremel after I got Oakley and it only came with one band, as a precaution I take off the tip when I am done because I always worry Oakley will accidentally turn it onā¦ well, what I didn't anticipate was he would be able to jump a baby gate and of all things, end up chewing on a little band/tip....but you know what they say about people who assume! No surprise that the dremel wasn't the only thing of interest to him! :rolleyes: Lesson learned, I got a taller baby gate AND put the dremel on top of the refrigerator....He didn't do too much damage to it but it was soggy and so I threw it out. I could go to Lowes, .....hmmm... never thought of that! Needless to say, Oakley has had a piece of cheese and a little sprite (Lord help me later) and he is resting with the occasional squeal. I will be calling tomorrow to see which vet owns the practice. It is literally every time we go to the vets that he ends up in pain and I will not do that to him again.
That makes senseā¦ ggg... I hear that about "eating the band"!!!!
I hope that you can find a great new Vet and I would suggest that since poor Oakley has had such a bad time, you just take him in for his weight and love/treats so that he knows it is not like the "other" scary place.
My old boy, OJ, hated his first vet. To the point that all I had to do is pull into the parking lot and he would start growling. Once I changed Vets, he never growled again and was also very calm and relaxed at the clinic.
I guess I am very lucky and blessed with my vet clinic. When we moved to El Campo 30 + years ago, our Bs were the first they had seen. Dr. B contacted Texas A&M university Vet School and read up on them. He always listens to me about them. Their general office policy is for techs to handle the dogs in the room, but when I explained that my Bs did better with me doing the holding they tried it with a vet tech as back up and we never had a problem. My big sissy boy Cory, would hide his head under my arm while they worked on him. And as new techs have come on and tried to take my dog Dr. B. would just say no, she handles hers. He kept them current on everything needed while we were showing and they had more exposure. Now that we no longer show, we are on rabies only, and they understand that and do not pressure for other shots. Dr. B helped Cory across the bridge 4 weeks ago and they were so considerate in the whole process, he could not believe it had been 14 years, he had been Cory's vet from the first 8 weeks on. So definitely keep looking for the right vet, even if not a B knowledgeable one, they should be willing to learn. I emailed mine all the info on fanconi to keep in my Bs files and it was appreciated.
Sometimes a vet who isn't used to Basenjis is better than one who has preconceived ideas. They can then learn from you and Oakley. I've had 2 vets only in several years and neither had any knowledge of Basenjis. Both have learned a great deak from mine - after all they have to start somewhere.
I'm sorry that Oakley's had such a bad experience.
I tell my vet what I would like for my bā¦he may not agree with me 100% but at least he is willing to compromise with me. I only have done what my breeder and I feel is right for my b...we always space out the injections a week to make it easier on my b. You don't have to do what they want, a good vet will offer their recommendations and if you decline...they chart as such, no pressure! I hope you find a kind, respectful vet soon!
We were my vets first bs, and she read tons, called UGA about Arwen's eyes, and has been open to anything I tell them. They now have about 8 others.
Poor Oakley..I am so sorry you both had to experience such poor "bedside" manner and lack of expertise..
Give him hugs from Pippin and me.
And always remember, you are the one with the check bookā¦.. your opinion counts.. and if it doesn't and they (the Vets or the Staff) puts on the "We know better then you"... then for sure time for a new Vet...
However, keep in mind, so many times they (the Vets) are caught in situations where the owner clearly didn't care or think it was important enough to go to the Vet or can't tell them much about a situation... Sometimes, they are between a rock and a hard place.
But, certainly not in this case... with Oakley
My old boy, OJ, hated his first vet. To the point that all I had to do is pull into the parking lot and he would start growling. Once I changed Vets, he never growled again and was also very calm and relaxed at the clinic.
Pat, did you not have him collected? For several visits after my boyz were oh so hopeful whenever we pulled into that parking lot. :p
