I'm so angry at that idiot money-loving (now my former) vet

[Freedom]

Time to search and research for another vet. Yellow pages, friends and neighbors, family members.

I've only ever had the paperwork get mixed up, as I take 4 at a time. My vet always has the owner take the pet into an exam room. From there, either the tech or the vet is doing the work, talking to you as they go through it. The tech gets the vaccines ready before the vet enters the room, the vet administers them. As I said, once,when we got to the front, a rabies shot appeared on the wrong cat's record. As I was there in the room, with my charts out in front of me, I knew that cat did not get that shot, and it was taken off. Then we found which cat DID get the rabies and didn't have it showing up, and added it there.

The cat does get removed from the exam room for blood draws and urine samples. I wait until the cat is brought back to me, in the exam room.

You can look - with out joining - at craigslist for your city and find postings about vets there as well.

[mrspunkysmom]

Nothing on Craig's List. Angie's list costs but it might be worth joining. I'm definitely putting up a web page on this.

I was in the room when he gave the shot.

ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, I have ot run the errands. Car needs gas and what not.

Anne

[QueenScoopalot]

There is no harm having two FVRCP vaccines within 6 weeks of each other. Normal protocol is one FVRCP, then boostered in 4 weeks to assure immunity. Many vets will give kittens that are 8 weeks and older a series of three rounds of FVRCP, but 2 is sufficient in most cases. The FeLV shot however SHOULD have been done on the hind leg as they're the vaccines that can cause carcinomas in the future. Sounds like things are a bit too rushed at your vets and they don't pay attention. I would not pay for the vaccine your cats weren't scheduled to get.

[momcat]

You have every right to be angry, we're talking about your cats here. It's surprising and especially disturbing that a tech is allowed to administer an injection without being supervised by the vet. Groucho and I have never been separated at a vet check up, our vet explains what she's doing and why every step of the way. The only time Groucho and I were apart was when he was neutered. Like humans, cats should never get the wrong vaccine. Apparently someone didn't check the chart or double check what they were putting in the syringe. Hopefully your kitties won't experience any problems as a result of what can only be considered negligence. You've definitely made the right decision to find another vet before this one makes any more mistakes. Maybe this should be reported to your state's veterinary board?

[Medusa]

If they were my cats, heads would roll! But that's me.

Blessings,
Mary

[Lorena67]

Oh, that's terrible! I hope your cats feel better soon, and that you find a better new Vet

[mrspunkysmom]

There is no harm having two FVRCP vaccines within 6 weeks of each other. ... The FeLV shot however SHOULD have been done on the hind leg as they're the vaccines that can cause carcinomas in the future. Sounds like things are a bit too rushed at your vets and they don't pay attention. I would not pay for the vaccine your cats weren't scheduled to get.

Actually it was two Distemper shots they each got. And if I hadn't prepaid for the boosters, he wouldn't have gotten that either.

I am tempted to ask for some of my money back. Reporting to a board would be good. I'll look into it.

Oddly enough, I'm not worried about Sams getting cancer (as he is the helathy one), but I am worried about Spunky. He's the one that had the carcinoma that wasn't vaccine related. At the first visit, this vet insisted the scar tissue was the return of the nodules. How dare he. Anywasy, the bumps subsided and there is no evidence of the surgery, other than his coat and marking are messed up. She had to take a big swatch of skin with the tumor.

Anne

[Catlady711]

There is no harm having two FVRCP vaccines within 6 weeks of each other.

Actually it was two Distemper shots they each got.
Anne

FVRCP IS the distemper shot.

FVRCP = Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia commonly refered to simply as 'Distemper'

[QueenScoopalot]

Actually it was two Distemper shots they each got. And if I hadn't prepaid for the boosters, he wouldn't have gotten that either.
I am tempted to ask for some of my money back. Reporting to a board would be good. I'll look into it.

They double dosed on the distemper/FVRCP vaccines? Two of the same shot for each cat? Overworked, and not observant if so. Shame on them.

[mrspunkysmom]

I guess I need to get that shot record. The FELV shot was what had to be boostered. And I stated the other poorly or so I think. One distemper in December was what was supposed to be given; however, after some reading I can see it was a year early. (He had the records from the previous vet.)

The critters needed the booster for FELV since they had never had one. So one shot in December and one today. A second distemper was accidentally given.

Like I said before, I don't usually vaccinate except for Rabies, due to the belief that we overvaccinate. If I can get life-time vaccinations and vets can get a lifetime rabies vaccination, why can't my cats get one?

But I also agree that that is too many shots. I've never had adverse reactions to shots in any of my critters. I've always been lucky. I will be watching Spunky over the next several weeks.

Thanks for all your kind words. Hopefully the vet will your anger across the miles.

Anne

[jennielynn1970]

Vet clinics today seem to be getting just like the doctors' offices for humans. They are all these huge practices, with multiple doctors and they charge an exorbitant amount of money for routine things. The one vet I adored actually left the VCA clinic he was at because he was so fed up with the increase of prices and what they said the vets had to do or what not to do. He ended up moving about 1 1/2hrs away from me, which won't work with my guys unfortunately, but he was great while I had him. The vet I had way back in the beginning of the 90's was this old guy, Dr. F. Murray Iobst. He was so neat. He was in his 80's (started practicing in 1942), and basically had hours on Mondays and Tuesdays by the time I found him in the 90's. He practiced alone, and had one or two vet techs with him. He charged $25.00 for a spay or neuter. He never charged for meds... gave them free. He did it for the animals. He loved them, and they all loved him. He passed away a few years ago, but I will never forget him.

I do love the vet office I go to now. It's a small place with only 2 regular vets, and one is great with ferals, and the other has a wonderful manner with the special needs and senior cats (he's also very handsome, lol). They are very reasonable in their prices, and my cats are treated well. I definitely believe in the small mom and pop places rather than the huge centers where it's all for profit.

[Kalei]

Wow I wouild be so angry, my vet I don't think would've let me watch my rabbit get spayed, I actually didn't even see the vets face or who it was.

[Catlady711]

Two distemper vacc. 6 weeks apart won't hurt anything, although I would refuse to pay for the extra shot, and based on the other things you said, I'd be looking for another vet.

Mix ups can happen although should be a very, very rare event. In the 6 years I've worked at the hospital we've only had one mix up, and mostly it was the owner was unsure of which vaccine they wanted. A client called wanting 'shots' (no other information), the receptionist tried explaining the various vaccines, and the owner specified the one for 'it's temperment' so the receptionist put it down as needing a distemper shot after confirming it with the owner. However once the owner came in and we discussed the second booster and the whole works, gave the vaccination, THEN it comes out they only wanted whatever it took for the license, which is the Rabies vacc. In this case it was more the owner not knowing or being clear about what they wanted rather than an actual mess up though.

I have never understood those 'package deals' that some vets offer. I've always thought it was a rip off myself. Where I work we don't even particularly care for people pre-paying. I guess in the past people have paid for shots and never came back, was a waste of their money, so usually we don't encourage pre-paying now.

I don't agree with a practice that takes ALL animals in the back for every little procedure. There are rare times that an animal actually is more relaxed away from skittish owners though. At our hospital we do most everything in the exam rooms with the owners there, unless we need blood for lab work, or need to use the lighting/equipment in the back that isn't available up front.

As for where a vaccination should go is a matter of debate even with some vets. My cats have gotten almost every vaccine in the neck (and Dusty's had yearly vaccinations since 1995) with only a rare bump that goes away in two weeks or less. The boss did find out that using a different brand of vaccine GREATLY reduced the bumps we were getting, and almost eliminated the ones that were sluggish afterwards. So brand does matter!

As for Sarcoma's, We have to remember the media will do ANYTHING to sell a paper and hype up whatever they think sells (ie pit bulls being more vicious than other breeds etc). Anyone can get/make a webpage now, so you can't simply go by the number of 'hits' on google to determine how common or rare something is.

Studies have shown that any needle poke can cause sarcomas, also including antibiotics and cortisones, as well as having NO vaccinations ever. However weighing the odds of getting a sarcoma vs. getting one of the diseases vaccines protect against, it's always better odds to vaccinate if your cat is at risk for those diseases, or if the law requires it (ie Rabies). There is no one good study that shows the particular odds, however it's been estimated that odds of a sarcoma are about 1-3 in 5,000-10,000 but odds of getting the disease a vaccination prevents is about 1-5 in 1,000. Sarcomas are rare, however the diseases vaccines protect against are NOT as rare. A good vet should be able to sit down to discuss your particular cats risk assesment and which vaccines are actually needed by your cat, and risks either way.

Cornell University

AVMA