Do you text your vet?

[going_gray]

My horses are here on our small farm. I went out last night around ten to check water buckets and to turn off stall fans. I could hear a horse coughing as I walked into the barn. It was my 18 year old mare who has summer allergies. When I checked on her, I could see she was having some breathing challenges (raspy sounds). I ran back up to our house and texted my vet with a description of her breathing.

Within five minutes, my vet had texted me back, told me to give her some banamine, check her in an hour, and text him back. She was fine when I went back out at 11 and no strange symptoms this morning. Texted him again this morning and his response was to start soaking hay and wet down grain am and pm. (Really dry weather right now.)

I love being able to text my vet. It saves phone calls. I have sent pix as well to help him see what I see. He usually responds quickly. Is this unusual? Do you have vets that you can text about your horse questions? Do you find this helps you handle your stress when something is not quite right?

[skipollo]

Oh yeah, whenever I need something I text him. He’s super quick to get back to me, and it’s nice because I can send him photos/videos of any issues my horse is having. Saves a lot of $$ and time for both of us to not have to come out to the farm all the time.

They also email my bills to me so I can just pay online instead of waiting for a bill in the mail. SO much nicer than writing checks.

[trubandloki]

I have cell numbers and email addresses for a couple of the vets at the practice I use.

If we are in the middle of dealing with something and they say to call them direct or text them then I will.

If it is something like what happened to you, I feel it is more fair to call the practice and deal with the vet that is on call that night.

[Nestor]

I will text for either simple things, like quick questions (used to text for meds, but they have an online pharmacy now), making an appointment, or updates on an issue.

At the outset of any emergent issue, I call. During business hours, I will call my preferred vet directly on their cell phone. For anything after hours, I will call the practice and talk to whoever is on call.

But yes, texting is so much easier. Particularly for updates, I assume that texts are less likely to bother/wake them.

[Libby2563]

My vet is a solo practitioner so there is no practice to call. If it’s an emergency, I call (his cell phone–the only number I have for him) because I think texting by its nature is more of a “get back to me when you can” form of communication. If I want to schedule a routine appointment or have a non-emergency question, I am more likely to text. I also send him pictures of wounds etc if I have a question about how to deal with it. I love that! Like others have said, it saves us both time and saves me money. I really don’t think he minds because he is super busy as it is. I always thank him profusely when he gives me free advice.

The only downside to texting is that he travels internationally quite a bit and I won’t realize that unless I call and listen to his outgoing voicemail message (where he tells clients who is covering for him while he’s gone).

[kashmere]

Yup, but I am very mindful of respecting his time and not treating my texting privileges as a free hotline any time I have a question. I love the convenience and speed of checking in quickly about something and appreciate that he takes the time!

[KBC]

Yup, text works great and I can send pics if needed, as long as we are talking about routine stuff. In an emergency I would call.

[Scribbler]

My vet is in single practice. He has an office email address where I would send any queries that weren’t 911 urgent, like asking about wormer brands etc. Those get filtered by his office manager. She also sends the bills by email and has my credit card on file. We also set up appointments by email.

I have texted him about colic symptoms. I use his emergency personal number. I think it’s better and easier than phoning when you know someone is working with horses, driving, or asleep. Indeed I rarely phone people anymore compared to the number of times I text.

If it was a big clinic with an on call after hours vet I would use whatever they had, a phone or text or whatever.

[TWH_Girl]

I do, yes, on occasion. My daughter in law is my vet’s admin assistant though, so that helps with communication too!

[mmeqcenter]

Yes, I almost exclusively text the vet and farrier; it far easier and quicker for both myself and the other person. When vets and farriers are bouncing between appointments all day, with emergencies popping up in between, it is extremely difficult for them to find time to actually make a phone call and talk to someone for 5, 10, however many minutes. Reading a text and responding takes all of 1-2 minutes, which they can do in between tasks, in between appointments, etc., or even have their assistant make the reply while the vet is doing something.
I only call if it is an emergency, and I call the office emergency line.

[CPL713]

I’ll text my vet if we’re already working on something, but if it’s a new thing, I call the office. I work with a practice consisting of a few different vets and 1 head vet. I think it’s probably really dependant on each vet’s style and preference, but I try not to contact them individually too much because I want to respect their time and schedule. Like I said, I think it’s all dependant on who you’re working with and the relationship you have. As long as everyone is being respectful, I think being able to text is amazing!

As a side note, I exclusively text my farrier. lol

[Training_Cupid]

I call the vet. I don’t like texting in a work context, I prefer people to email or call me in my professional capacity and do the same myself. Occasionally the vet will text me to say he’s on his way or whatever.

[FraggleRock]

I text to make appointments or when I have a question, but try to be considerate . In general people call the clinic and make appointments that way, but my regular vets have given me their cell numbers I don’t mind texting. Sometimes they will ask me to text them pictures for quick updates on injuries too

[Heinz_57]

Dissenter here…

I’ve never, ever texted any of my vets. I don’t even have personal cell numbers. If I need something, I call; if it’s routine, I just give the message to staff to have the vet call me at his convenience about XYZ question. If it’s an emergency, again, I just tell the staff, they consult the vet while I wait on hold and I’ve never had an issue getting a same-day farm call.

Calling is far more efficient for me, and I think leaving the “paper trail” via office staff is better for the vet’s organizational system; the messages get documented into the horse’s file, which the vet then has on hand when he returns my call. I don’t have to remind him that we talked about XYZ a month ago because it’s all right there in the file.

[betsyk]

I call the practice first, because if it’s after hours I don’t know which vet is on call, and if it’s during work hours, I would need to talk to the receptionist to schedule a visit, anyway. I might text the vet after a call to follow up: “I’ve given meds as directed for 24 hours and no change. Do you want to see him again?” I also think it’s more considerate of their time in the moment as well. If they’re at a call and see a text from me, they have to either ignore it and remember to check it later, or they interrupt another client’s visit to read my text. That doesn’t seem right.

Texting pics of a wound is great but I make the initial contact through the receptionist/answering service so I send them to the right person. If the vet I text is off and not carrying her work phone, it doesn’t do much good to send pics and expect a response.

[Texarkana]

I generally don’t text the vet unless they do so first, or tell me to do so. I feel like texting is just as intrusive as calling; maybe even more so because it can be harder to ignore (for me at least) when you see part or all of the message instantly.

Although I will text when the vet asks for an update, especially if it’s a positive one that doesn’t need a response. You know, the “Dobbin is back to normal this morning! Thanks!” type updates.

[Can_tFindMyWhip]

In my own line of work, I hate being texted at odd hours by clients. They know they have my cell phone number, and they know I see it. So if I do not respond right away, that know I decided that their problem isn’t as important as they think it is. And people don’t like that. They get pissy with me when I call them the next day, so I am in a no-win situation. I either have no real off time, or I have irritated clients. So with my own vets, farriers etc, I treat them how I would like to be treated, and wait until the next morning to say anything about anything (unless it is a true emergency obviously).

I have also spoken to vets who say 90% of the calls and texts they get in their off time aren’t really that urgent. So I hope everyone that does call or text their vet at 10pm is realistic when assessing how serious the issue at hand is.

I also know a vet who has billed clients who she feels text her too much. While I am not sure that I agree with the tactic completely, it certainly gets her point across. She feels people are fishing for information via text to avoid paying her for her services. She takes the time out of her day to asses her clients’ needs and offers up advice, and she is not going to work for free, so she bills them.

I know there is a large veterinary practice in my area where all the vets have a seperate line attached through their cell phones that they can mute if they are not on call. I think that’s a good idea because they are entitled to their privacy whenever they want it.

[Peggy]

Text one vet and especially the farrier as the major form of communication, trying to respect normal working hours. The farrier does her schedule on Sundays and says to contact her then to find out what day she’ll be at the barn, so I do that. Have also texted both out of normal business hours when they’ve asked for an update. But not early or late at night.

The most efficient way to reach the other vet is by email.

[Groom_amp_Taxi]

My vet is one of two in a practice that has NO office staff. He prefers people call his cell and leave a voice message - I know because I’ve asked him. I think it’s probably because he’s like my husband and finds it difficult to type on his phone! Sometimes he doesn’t respond to the first voice message if he’s really busy and the reason for the call is not urgent. He has actually told me multiple times to keep calling if I don’t hear back within a day - I think he sometimes uses this as a way to make sure people really want or need whatever they are calling about - especially during repro season when he is busiest. Note he has never NOT responded in an emergency or urgent situation.

I have texted him updates like “the abscess blew out the heel”!

[freshman]

Text message is the most amazing thing ever. Best thing ever. Vets love it, too. Mostly.

That said, not every vet gives out their personal number or makes themselves available by text to every client on their books. Because people are crazy. And blow up their phone at all hours over every single nutty thing they or their friends ever saw or imagined in every species of animal they own and want free advice on the spot without ever seeing the creature or paying for service. Not to mention their current huge bad debt or the fact that they haven’t had them out to their farm on a paid call in over a decade. And then text them gory photos of a giant neglected wound that they noticed last week with maggots in it at 11pm on a Sunday night. What can they do at home for that? Or pick up at Walmart or Tractor Supply?

There is a voicemail or paid answering service for those jokers. But it is real hard once they have your cell number. Basically you’ve got to check every message anyway, including those, which will make you regret every technological communication advance of this century.

Luckily most clients are great. And the advantages of text go both ways for sure. Most vets learn to ignore most messages or have a system to redirect senders when they are not on/out of town/if no response. And learn to not care if callers can’t follow instructions. But it is still a gray area, for sure. It causes A LOT of stress.