Hi Everyone,

Last week I got a letter in the mail from the vet school. When I opened it up it was a letter stating that my vet had made a monetary donation to the companion animal fund in memory of Megan. I was surprised to say the least. When Meg was put down they had done a pawprint for me and then sent me a sympathy card...and now this donation. It made me cry...for I felt that Meg was more than just a client to them. Have any of you heard about vets making donations in memory of your pets?

Tracey

Tracey,

That sounds amazing! What an honor for Meg to be remembered that way. I would have much rather had that in memory of my Vernie Girl instead of the "we're covering our butt for misdiagnosing your cat 4 days before she died" sympathy card I received yesterday .... grrrrrrr!

Do I sound bitter?

It's OK to be bitter, for awhile anyway. I'm so sorry that you had such a bad experience. I know a few other people here have had bad experiences with their vets. I think it makes a difficult time even harder when you can't trust your vet. I'm very lucky to have such a wonderful vet. I've always known that Meg was one of her favorites (she cried when she had to put Meg down) and these extra little gestures from her have meant the world to me.

The days do get easier. I never thought that it would happen but it did, just like everyone here said it would. I find myself smiling more when I think of Megan now rather than bursting into tears. I still miss her more than words can say but even though my heart broke when I lost her, what she gave to me in her 5 years with me is inmeasurable and I'll always treasure my memories of our time together.

I hope your bitterness and sadness is soon replaced with smiles and happy memories.

Tracey

Tracey, I do too ... I really do ....

I think that any vet sending out donations like that is more than just a "vet". They are a HEALER.

I sent MY vet a card thanking her for her patience and the wonderful sensitivity she showed me when my guys died. It is hard, hard work - and people often forget to thank them for all the good things they do.

Vernie's Mom I am sorry your vet was not quite so sensitive... This is why I never became a vet - having the life of a little one of ANY species being dependant upon MY not making a mistake was TOO much responsibility!!

What a wonderful gesture from your vet!!! I didn't even get a sympathy card from my vet, or the emergency hospital where Zipper died!! I'd be happy just for a card from them, but a donation in their honor!!! Amazing!! Some people out there really do care!! I did get a sympathy card from the cremator of my dog last night when I picked up my dogs cremains from the emergency vet clinic!! With a certificate of cremation in a nice keepsake tin with the cremains inside. But, no one cared at the vet! I felt like the only thing the vet was sorry about was the fact that they weren't going to get more money out of me for my Zips condition. When I took him in on thursday, they wanted visits every 2 weeks, and put him on lasix and then were going to put him on heart pills, and do more $125 x-rays every 2 weeks, and they told me this could go on for awhile. Well, he didn't make it past Saturday night. Needless to say doggie daddy doesn't want to use that vet for our other furbaby ever again. He no longer trusts them, and the fact that they didn't extend any condolences to us, and yes I called them the monday after to tell them he didn't make the weekend! So, you have had a wonderful outpouring of support from your vet! Please don't leave that vet!! --------Zippers Momma

like in any profession, there are good vets and not so good vets. at very least, your veterinarian
should send a sympathy card (emergency services not as much because of the volume of patients
they receive and they are usually not your pet's day-to-day caregiver). i think the donation to a
fund of some sort is a great idea, and i will pass it along to my ex-wife (who is a vet) the next time
we talk. in my opinion, any vet you regularly visit (at least annually) who does not recognize and
condolence your loss is not a vet you should return to for other pets. unlike human doctors, vets
care for not only animals but the people who love them as well.

Tracy:

What wonderful news.. Your lil' Megan must've really touched the heart of your vet....

After "joining" LS, after our darling Ernestine was put to sleep - in the vet's office, we were "visably" broken!!! I know that we all are after our beloved furbabies are put to sleep, or have died.... The "finality" of it all stinks!!!

I loved hearing how so many people received a condolence card from their veterinarians.. really, I loved it. I mentioned to Ben & we both said, "what a nice thing to do".

I said to Ben, (this was after our Ernie had passed over Rainbow Bridge--about 3 weeks after), "I should write a note to our(?) vet & let him know that, "at the very least" it would've been very nice & thoughtful if he had sent out a card to us, saying that he was sorry, etc., etc....."
Sure, receiving a card like that 3 - 4 days "after the fact" would send the tears flowing again, (they haven't even stopped yet!!!!), but, gee, it would be REALLY NICE TO KNOW THAT THE VET CARED....

Already, our lil' girl Lucy (one of the two we adopted from the shelter - the lil' boy is "Yo-Yo Ma) had to go to the vet twice, and I had chosen the vet Ben & his family had used. My mother also takes (well, we take), "Scooter" there - Scooter was Ben's cat who needed to find a home when he moved in with me..... Ernie was ill, so we couldn't take in a furbaby.
Anyway, I worked in the medical field for 20+ years, my last position was working in Pediatrics as an office manager. We did a lot of things to let them know that the kids were thought of....

I know that the vet we had for our darling, beloved Ernestine, deserves to hear from me.....Really, it is the "VERY LEAST HE COULD'VE DONE"!!!!! (...how much does a printed condolence card cost, when you buy like 1,000 of them at a time?? Can't be talking about more than 25 cents/card....)

Denise, Ben, Lucy & Yo-Yo.......

Hi Everyone,
I am sorry to those who have had bad experiences with their vets.
I am still a bit bitter, but I guess my vet tried.
They were nicer after we had Mittens put to sleep. They sent a card with a note about Rainbow Ridge. And they also sent a flower with sympathy. But then we got the bill, and I feel they were softening us up for the staggering blow of the bill.
Also, that Thursday night I was with her at the vet and they had her in a fishtank to give her oxygen (and that is another thing, as much as they charge for everything and a stupid fish tank with a plywood lid is the best thing they can come up with for administering oxygen?) I was standing there talking to MIttens and petting her every once and a while to let her know I was there and loved her and wanted to be there to comfort her, and I was crying my eyes out as I stared helplessly at her in that stupid, cold fish tank....and no one asked me if I was okay or tried to offer comfort. Then I had to follow one of the guys that worked there down to the emergency clinicx where they were going to keep her overnite so they could watch her progress. Then I had to go pick her up(and she was still in that stupid fish tank) and bring her back to my vet. They kept her there that day and medicated her and tested her and I had to wait all day waiting to here from them. I found out that she had emphasema and something had triggered a severe ashma attack, they said she only had 50% lung capacity at that time. Friday evening I went to the vet and waited for my husband to get there from work and talked to the vet. I kept asking if keeping her on the medication was going to do any good and would she get any better and the blasted vet would not give me a straight answer. I kept saying that if she wasn't going to improve, why should we prolong her agony? I asked if we should put her down and she wouldn't give me straight answer. I was not happy. Needless to say we made the decision to end her suffering....and it was so hard...and i feel like she didn't even know I was there at the end. I kept talking to her and touching her, but she wasn't responding..
Sorry. All that money and they could do nothing...nothing..

Janice...missing my beautiful Mittens so much...

Tracey, the three vets at the clinic that Luba went to (all three had seen her throughout her life) gave a donation in her name too. It really helped me feel better.

In addition the put her photo up on their memorial site, and I've had several "check ins" after Luba passed.

It helps a lot to know these people care doesn't it?