On Sun, 13 Jun 2004 12:59:14 -0500, "jmcquown"
wrote:

It's a RANT. Pardon me if I've told this before, but I got something in the
mail yesterday which I didn't look at until today and it's set me off again.
(sigh)

For the most part vets and their tech's are really nice people (like our
recently 'outed' tech, Mischief here!). But I swear, the animal hospital
where I used to take my dog Sampson, can they be any more obtuse?

Sampson went to the RB in November, 1999. He was nearly 18 years old. They
had been treating him for years with daily medication for congestive heart
failure. He was on special low sodium prescription canned food the last 5
years of his life. They were small 'half cans' of food at about $25/case
for (IIRC) 10 cans. There was another pill he had to take daily as well, I
can't recall now what it was for. He was also being treated for "doggie
dementia" with a medication called Anipryl which cost about $80 a month. I
couldn't afford any of this but somehow I did it anyway. On November 3,
1999, I took him for his final visit.

Two weeks later I got something in the mail from the company that mfg's
Anipryl. It was a certificate for a Free First Trial of this drug for
"senior" dogs who exhibit symptoms of doggie altzheimers. I was about to
write it off as coincidence until I noticed they had my vet's return address
stamped inside the correspondence, suggesting I redeem it there. I was
FURIOUS! They'd given my name and address to this drug company!

I like to think I'm a fairly competent writer. I can be clear, concise and
to the point. I can also most definitely let the reader know, in scathing
terms, just how angry I am. I wrote to the drug company rep and did just
that. I informed her my dog had died two weeks earlier. I let her know in
no uncertain terms, no one offered a "freebie" of this expensive drug the
entire two years he was on it even though I couldn't afford it. I demanded
to be taken off their list immediately. I cc'd and mailed a copy to his
vet.

A week or so later I got a hand-written note of apology, not from the vet
who had treated Sampson all those years, but from the owner of the clinic.
He said yes, they did make my info available along with info on other
"senior" pets who might benefit from this medication. He indicated they had
no idea Sampson was so ill. Excuse ME? Ever think to pull his chart and
see what you guys were treating him for, not to mention his extreme age?
And that he was already ON this medication, so the certificate for a Free
First Trial wouldn't have done me a damned bit of good anyway?

(deep breath) I went through my mail from yesterday this morning. I got a
letter from this same clinic about a new heartworm injectible for my dog.
Hello. You put him to sleep in 1999. Why the hell am I on a mailing list
for this in 2004?! Stuff like this just chaps my ass. But unless I get
another stupid correspondence from them, I won't act on it. If, however,
for some reason going forward they think I still need reminding about caring
for my dog they'll be hearing from me.

Jill

Try to be philosophical -- probably new people who were not properly
trained. Several years ago, a neighbor took in a stray yellow cat
whom she dearly loved. The cat became ill and she asked me to drive
her to my Vet (at that time), which I did. The cat was diagnosed with
FIP and the Vet said he was near death. They treated him for a couple
of days until he died. That cost my neughbor $500.

In a couple of weeks, I got a letter from the Vet thanking me for
sending business to them. Nothing was said about the poor, suffering
cat that died.