So sad for Dr. Pol..

[rememberthenight]

His tv show horrifies me. That is NOT standard operating care for veterinary care for a small animal clinic or large animals. Now I am all for practical thinking, and sometimes there is a place for some older fashion common sense vet care. And I will even admit, sometimes we need to take a shortcut to get everyone out alive during a random large animal visit… but it is the exception to the rule… not the rule… and it just happens over and over with Dr Pol. And he is proud of it. That is just bad medicine. Hold my beer, bad medicine. Not cool.

NI can be avoided with friesians. You MUST supervise their births.

[Laurierace]

OMG, it was NI? I never watch the show so just assumed it was septicemia. NI is even worse as it is 100% preventable if you know what you are doing.

[2horseygirls]

Nat Geo Wild could give a rat’s ass about best practices (from a friend who has been in the entertainment field for 20+ years). Their show “Animal Storm Squad” was about a team that was literally escorted out of Texas by law enforcement for failure to slot into the command structure and follow orders. The team was also in the middle of copyright infringement mediation, and Nat Geo Wild could have cared less.

[Ghazzu]

I cannot watch that man.

[rememberthenight]

Laurierace- I don’t know that it was NI. I can’t watch the show, They wouldn’t given enough information anyway. But friesian… blood disease and a weak baby all raises flags for me.

[dr_j]

@2horseygirls

Nat Geo Wild could give a rat’s ass about best practices (from a friend who has been in the entertainment field for 20+ years). Their show “Animal Storm Squad” was about a team that was literally escorted out of Texas by law enforcement for failure to slot into the command structure and follow orders. The team was also in the middle of copyright infringement mediation, and Nat Geo Wild could have cared less.

As suspected. I have watched that show in “awe” over the last few years. Not the good kind of awe… and while his practice is very similar to many in rural areas most have upped their standard of care. What puzzles me most is why they would not have a technical adviser to at least edit out the procedures that have caused alarm among fellow veterinarians and licensing boards? I could make a list almost every episode of violations of standard of care. It’s sad when I can see he has misread the radiographs from half way across the room on TV. Nat Geo must not care much.

[SWatson]

I wonder if this is what prompted a recent question on Quora re: foaling out mares…

I cannot watch incompetence happening on any chanel for any reason, especially if it’s presented as if it’s a “professional”. Lord knows how the lay folks interpret that nonsense!

[LauraKY]

@Laurierace

Dr Pol should have his license stripped permanently this time and perhaps do some jail time.

What she said.

[TullyMars]

I saw an episode where he very watches a palomino hurl itself over backwards pounding its head into the ground repetitively. Give it a little Dex and see what happens… So dangerous and the horse really needed intervention. No intubations for any more comprehensive procedures in office, and I can’t stand the slob son. I also cannot believe that the majority of the owners allow the animals to deteriorate over hours and days and days. WTF people… get your animals to the vet!

[ladyj79]

I have never seen the show, but a simple google and oh, yeah, he’s dutch. Yep, this sounds very much like dutch farmer mentality.

[Spotless]

My Nana (who is not animal savvy, especially livestock, so please don’t harp on my 84 year old Nana) was telling me about Dr. Pol’s show and how she loved it. I had never seen it, but she was telling me about one episode where a sow had a prolapsed uterus. Apparently he shoved it back it and sewed it up with no painkillers, sedatives, or anything. The pig was screaming.

I told my Nana that that wasn’t humane practice and must have been horrible for the pig. She no longer watches the show.

[CdnRider]

Ugh! As an RVT, I don’t know what’s worse… that he is allowed to practice medicine despite repeated disciplinary action with multiple offences recorded OR that thousands upon thousands of people watch him in awe without a second thought about what they are watching.

I saw a clip where he did an eye enucleation on a dog…i thing a pug (even better, a breed that is already an anesthetic risk)…with only injectable drugs, no IV, no monitoring with machine or person, unsterilized instruments, wiped the surgical field with paper towel and he may or may not have worn gloves. While I realize not many may understand all the possible consequences of any one of these problems, but everyone has to think that at least one thing about this situation was wrong. The dog is lucky he lived.

[Sistersiouxz]

Most everything on TV is a waste of time, however, since I got rid of mine in 2005, I really don’t know what’s on now. I do know that in '05 the unreal reality shows were going great guns. An horrendous waste of time IMO but they were (are?) popular. Why?
. I have faith that current programs are just as worthless as 10 years ago. Why would people watch this doctor? Is this the kind of treatment they would accept from their medical doctor? As long as the sponsors are paying the bill, his pathetic life will continue to be seen. Sorry, am I ranting?

[Red_Rabbit]

The Incompetent Dr. Pol.

One of the most horrifying things I saw was a farm call to a sow that had stalled its labor. The “doctor” reached in and determined she had a stuck piglet - it was too big to come out. What happened next had my jaw on the ground: he gave the sow oxytocin. !!! You NEVER give oxytocin to an animal that has a piglet/puppy/etc., that is physically stuck. The pig, of course began shaking and convulsing, probably because its uterus and the rest of its insides were rupturing. The “doctor” just stood there mumbling, “I don’t know what’s happening, I’ve never seen this before.” Of course the piglet never budged and the sow died. I wanted to throw a brick through the TV.

[system]

I stopped watching him several years ago. Horrifying.

[SendenHorse]

this show makes me SO MAD! ugh!

[Mara]

^^^ I only have seen one episode and that sickened me enough. It was the one with the puppy who had been mauled by an adult dog. Pol examined the puppy, commented that it was in shock, then gave it a shot of steroids (I gather he’s quite fond of steroids for everything - never mind that steroids are contraindicated in cases of shock/severe trauma) and tossed it in a cage. No IV fluids, no O2. Of course the poor pup died.

[luvmyhackney]

I don’t watch his show. He should be in jail or at least stripped of his vet license. Gives a bad name to competent vets.