My vet is leaving

[Obsidian_Fire]

mostly just posting for commiseration! The older, should-be-retired vet will still be at the clinic (he owns it), but this other vet has been there…? I can’t remember how long now, but has been 12-13 years? The whole town loves her, she is beyond amazing. The animals love her too. She’s an amazing diagnostician. It wasn’t posted ‘where’ she is going or what she will be doing, something in veterinary med still. She’s been my go-to vet for my cats ever since she was hired.

I have no idea who will replace her, or if they’ve even hired a replacement. I can’t imagine they haven’t, because this clinic is busy and full. No way can one vet keep up.

Anyhow… fingers crossed nobody has need of vet attention any time soon.

[beowulf]

Oh no I am so sorry. I totally commiserate. I had a nightmare of a time finding a replacement vet earlier this year after my current org was bought out by Blue Pearl and the availability of their vets tanked… Finally found a GOOD cat vet and he just announced last month he was retiring… Good for him and very well deserved but there’s a dearth of good cat vets in my area.

Hopefully you can find out where she is going, and maybe become one of her patients at her new practice…?

[2DogsFarm]

Totally Get It
My equine vet of 20+yrs retired his equine practice about 7yrs ago to concentrate on ACL surgeries in dogs.
His wife was a partner in the practice & she’d always done the majority of the small animals.
Luckily, I’d been visiting a friend’s barn when her vet was there.
I got to see her working on clients’ horses, liked what I saw & was able to get on her client list.
But…
Lately her frequent FB posts (personal page, not the practice) have hinted she may move from the area
I’m hoping this is just venting, as she had a Major Life Experience last year & has strong ties to this area.
She’s young & has tried getting an associate. Had one supposed to start last month… Who took a job closer to her home
If she does leave, I’m pretty much up a creek for horse care
Other equine vets in this 'hood are few & far between. And Rumor Mill has let slip some things that make me hesitant.
One alternative - not appealing - is the 1h haul to the vet college.
Hoping it doesn’t come to that.

[swmorse]

Oh man. Back when I was breeding horses and also had a boarding barn. Had a mare foaled out at the vet’s. Went to pick up her and the foal and her husband was helping us load.

He said, ‘I can’t keep it quiet any longer, she’s pregnant again!’ Oh he was so happy and excited. I had a friend with me and we both were ‘oh, how great, congratulations’ and all the other stuff you say to someone who makes that announcement.

Get in the truck to head home, get out of the driveway, look at each other and say ‘F&*!, dammit, she’s the best vet; great, what the hell’ and lots more along those lines.

The rest of the vets in the practice, including her husband, were good; she just was the best. Anyway, she had the baby, back in practice and all’s well. Not exactly the same situation, but I know how you feel.

Good luck with a new vet

[NancyM]

I moved away from my vets of choice. They were all close to retirement, and I did make the journey back to them on several occasions (5 hour trip) just because I was so disappointed with the local talent here. But I can’t even do that any more… do the 5 hour ship, because retirement has fully removed the possibility. I’m disappointed with most of what I meet locally, especially for horses. For our cats, I’m happy enough with one guy. He’s young enough, and has bought the clinic, and bought another spot to move the clinic to, and now has 6 more vets working for him (it used to be a much smaller business), but it’s very impersonal. It’s mostly small animals and OK for the cats, and if I need stitching done on a horse, it’s only an hour away (which I can’t get there in the winter anyway, and no, they don’t do farm calls, well, they CAN, but it costs $1200- I kid you not). The cats don’t need much vet work, fortunately. I need the relationship in order to buy what I need to look after my own horses, and it’s not easy to get those things, even just basic medications without a good personal relationship. The vet did agree to sell me what I need, but I returned home empty handed last week. I still have two shots of banamine left in the bottle, I was being proactive. And I don’t need it often. So I will talk directly to him again, about this. I am very spoiled by the relationship I’ve had with my previous veterinarians. I’m sad.

[rubygirl1968]

I’m so sorry! I have a favored vet at the practice I use and I always ask for her. I hope the new one is good too.

[Alex_and_Bodie_s_Mom]

I’m sorry! This is my greatest fear. I have one great vet, and the partner at his clinic is also quite good, especially with the horses. They just built a brand-new, nearly state-of-the-art clinic two years ago, so I’m hoping that means they are planning to stay put for several more years.

[Zevida]

That sucks, I’m sorry!

I had the same vet for 7 or 8 years then suddenly had an appointment with a different vet. Then the next appointment I scheduled I asked for my vet and they said she was no longer there. There had been no announcement or communication. I tried to use the other vets for a year and just did not care for their approach (bedside manner or level of care), not to mention I felt like they were taking on too many appointments thus I was spending too much time on hold and waiting in the waiting room.

I finally googled my vet’s name, found out she moved to a clinic 20 minutes away, and started going there. Annoying to move from a 5 min drive to a 20 min drive but I’m so much happier with this clinic and care.

[trubandloki]

I am so sorry.

I am at an age where it seems like all my professionals are retiring.
I don’t blame them.
But looking for a new farrier, vet, etc. is painful.

[Jarpur]

We used to have four local mixed practice clinics (equines included) that made farm calls here. One veterinarian died, one divorced and moved far away, another also moved far away, and the last one standing is semi-retired – only available a couple days a week, even for clinic visits. There is one other that sees horses at his mixed practice clinic on weekdays only (and his parking lot is a nightmare for a truck and trailer).

The vet I used for tough cases, about an hour away, retired and closed the clinic last month. Another practice about the same distance considers us just out of their service area, therefore no farm calls, and aren’t set up for horses that might be contagious, so no bringing in a sick horse.

I recently had to take a horse with a fever over an hour on the interstate to the nearest racetrack hospital to see a vet – very lucky there was such a place available, because the other choice was to haul almost three hours to the vet school. I don’t know what we’ll do if there’s an emergency with a horse that can’t be moved.

We don’t live out in the middle of nowhere, not even close! There are quite a few horses in this area, and people who can afford their care. But fewer veterinarians.

[Mango20]

I had the same dog vet from 1992-2001. He retired and his office manager bought the practice. I’ve been twice - once for a specific issue and once for annual visits. I got one vet for the issue and had a good impression of her and thought maybe I didn’t need to find a new vet after all. I got quite the opposite feeling from another vet who did the annuals. She never even came back to address a certain concern I had, and seemed to just rush through the basics of the two exams, which along with heartworm meds for one dog cost me close to $600. I think I’ll try some other vets this year.

[Obsidian_Fire]

Thanks all. My fingers are crossed that things work out going forward. I’ve tried to find out where the vet is going but haven’t had any luck yet.

[atlatl]

I’m fortunate that my local vet is family owned and Dr. K Jr is every bit as good as Dr. K Sr.

[volvo_240]

If they are being hush hush about where she is going, it’s probably close by!! Keep your eyes/ears open and Google her name- or honestly if you ask her directly she will probably share. It’s just professional courtesy to keep it somewhat quiet and not actively recruit clients to come with you.

[Jackie_amp_Starlette]

I have always been able to track down where vets have moved to by a Google search. Usually the new clinic announces the new vet or if she is opening her own, she will post it.

[Obsidian_Fire]

I have google-stalked, and FB stalked… nada.
I am going to call the clinic and ask directly.

[Go_Fish]

I feel your pain. I drive 85 miles round trip because the small animal vet I love moved to another practice. I have some very senior kitties and I know when the time comes, she’s the vet I want on board.