# Weird Tales from the Vet Clinic **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 28, 2006, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-tales-from-the-vet-clinic/385845 "2006-12-28T06:51:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-tales-from-the-vet-clinic/385845/21 "2006-12-29T00:39:19Z")
[QUOTE=Zsofia] So if my dog gets out of his responsibly secure fence and I’m lucky enough that somebody finds it and calls me, somebody’s gonna _charge me_? I’d be pissed too. [/QUOTE] Many people realize that is the consequence of the dog getting loose and pay the fee because perhaps they realize that the other option could have been their pet getting run over and maimed or killed or never seen again. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-tales-from-the-vet-clinic/385845/22 "2006-12-29T02:38:02Z")
Do they charge me when my house catches on fire and they send the engines and the men in the hats with the hoses and all? I mean, I’m not saying it’s unfair, I’m just saying I’d be surprised there would be a fee and I might be upset, not having expected it. ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-tales-from-the-vet-clinic/385845/23 "2006-12-29T03:09:51Z")
Aside from helping to defray the costs of Animal Control, the fee for impounded pets is also there to discourage repeat offenders. Some folks just can’t be bothered to fix their fences. Generally, these are the same people who can’t be bothered to get the animal neutered or current on its vaccines. When springing the dog from jail starts to hit their pocket books, they pay attention pretty quick, either by fixing the fence or giving the animal up for adoption. Clearly, there are pros and cons to this policy, but I can understand why some counties would implement it when they see the same damned dog turning up again and the owners keep turning a deaf ear to the officer’s suggestions. ---
**Author:** ![conurepete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@conurepete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/conurepete)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-tales-from-the-vet-clinic/385845/24 "2006-12-29T04:33:24Z")
My George bird would attack the vet. Not just bite, but “shoot out of the carrier like a rocket-propelled grenade and ricochet around the room until you can sink your beak into Dr Keith”, attack. I would have to restrain the bird and cover its eyes before the Vet could come in the room. He made Bitey faces at Dr Keith. George did not try to get away, he just really really wanted to harm the Vet. George bird weighed the same as 2 bottles of nail polish, but never really figured out that being related to dinosaurs does not make you a velociraptor. ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-tales-from-the-vet-clinic/385845/25 "2006-12-29T05:02:16Z")
[QUOTE=Zsofia] Do they charge me when my house catches on fire and they send the engines and the men in the hats with the hoses and all? I mean, I’m not saying it’s unfair, I’m just saying I’d be surprised there would be a fee and I might be upset, not having expected it. [/QUOTE] I don’t know about firetrucks, but you’ll get a hefty bill if you call an ambulance. ---
**Author:** ![lisacurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/41988e/32.png) [@lisacurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisacurl)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-tales-from-the-vet-clinic/385845/26 "2006-12-29T05:12:42Z")
[QUOTE=Zsofia] Do they charge me when my house catches on fire and they send the engines and the men in the hats with the hoses and all? I mean, I’m not saying it’s unfair, I’m just saying I’d be surprised there would be a fee and I might be upset, not having expected it. [/QUOTE] One thing I’ll point out is that you are assuming that if your dog gets out of your secured area, then Animal Control would be immediately called and your dog would be immediately picked up. Again, I’m speaking only of my area, but the Animal Control department for my county is very understaffed and underfunded. They generally only respond to calls if the animal is an imminent danger to the public. In my neighborhood, if I see a dog with a collar, I will approach it if it’s friendly – and since I carry doggie treats in my car, that’s usually a given 😃 – and check the tag. I’ve brought dogs back to their owners just around the block or whatever. And lord knows I’ve let the irresponsible guy next door know that his dog had jumped the fence too many times to count before he finally got a new section of fencing put up. Another reason why it pays to at least be on noddingly friendly terms with your neighbors, I guess. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-tales-from-the-vet-clinic/385845/27 "2006-12-29T13:31:01Z")
My cat Lloyd, who is thick in every sense of the word, seemingly has the ability to release his fur as a defense mechanism. He’s pretty timid, so when he found himself shut up in a tiny room with me and the vet, he responded by exuding clouds of flying fur. Within moments, the vet and I could barely see each other. ---
**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-tales-from-the-vet-clinic/385845/28 "2006-12-29T13:51:23Z")
[QUOTE=Pullet] You’re right on all counts. But most people don’t realize that vets are doctors, too, and stuff you tell them is protected by law. [/QUOTE] That may be the case in California (I don’t know California law-and frankly it sounds a bit surprising), but it is not necessarily so in other states. For instance, in New York the only medical professionals protected by evidentiary privilege are licensed physicians, dentists, podiatrists, chiropractors, nurses, psychologists, clinical social workers, and rape crisis counsellors. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-tales-from-the-vet-clinic/385845/29 "2006-12-29T14:39:20Z")
Definitely not the case in many countries, actually. And in many countries the only information that’s protected in your relationship with your doctor is your analytical results and your state of health; if a doctor knows you’ve been shooting up stuff you shouldn’t, he’s supposed to call the cops (it’s the case in Spain). ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-tales-from-the-vet-clinic/385845/30 "2006-12-29T14:48:50Z")
[QUOTE=Zsofia] Do they charge me when my house catches on fire and they send the engines and the men in the hats with the hoses and all? I mean, I’m not saying it’s unfair, I’m just saying I’d be surprised there would be a fee and I might be upset, not having expected it. [/QUOTE] Sorry Zsofia, mst dog pounds/humane societies operate on a shoe-string budget, so if charging you 60.00 because your dog got out keeps them in business and allows them to continue their work, so be it. Think of it as one of the possible costs of owning a pet, such as unplanned necessary trips to the vet. ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-tales-from-the-vet-clinic/385845/31 "2006-12-29T16:48:55Z")
One difference between the fire truck and animal control is that we all live somewhere, but having pets is a privilege and a choice. So it’s more appropriate for taxes to cover fire protection and fees to cover animal control. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-tales-from-the-vet-clinic/385845/32 "2006-12-29T17:02:05Z")
[QUOTE=Poysyn] Sorry Zsofia, mst dog pounds/humane societies operate on a shoe-string budget, so if charging you 60.00 because your dog got out keeps them in business and allows them to continue their work, so be it. Think of it as one of the possible costs of owning a pet, such as unplanned necessary trips to the vet. [/QUOTE] Well, I certainly wouldn’t have broken in and stolen my dog! (Also, I paid the city shelter $58 AND took an adult cat off their hands a few months ago, and I hadn’t even done anything wrong!) ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-tales-from-the-vet-clinic/385845/33 "2006-12-29T17:09:22Z")
[QUOTE=Pullet] 4. The folks who openly admitted in a full waiting room that their dog had eaten their stash of marijuana. [/QUOTE] I’d be wary of any “Special Brownies” they served. ---
**Author:** ![Mint\_Julep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bc79bd/32.png) [@Mint\_Julep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mint_Julep)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-tales-from-the-vet-clinic/385845/34 "2006-12-29T17:14:01Z")
[QUOTE=Dung Beetle] My cat Lloyd, who is thick in every sense of the word, seemingly has the ability to release his fur as a defense mechanism. He’s pretty timid, so when he found himself shut up in a tiny room with me and the vet, he responded by exuding clouds of flying fur. Within moments, the vet and I could barely see each other. [/QUOTE] I am giggling like a little school girl. Funniest Mental picture of the day, by far. ---
**Author:** ![hawksgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ed655f/32.png) [@hawksgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawksgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-tales-from-the-vet-clinic/385845/35 "2006-12-29T17:43:49Z")
I (and my co-workers) are fully convinced that ALL of the crazies come to our hospital. We get the unusually kind people who bring us treats when we couldn’t save their pet but are grateful for the efforts and such, but we also get the loony ones. One woman would sit on the floor, chanting, and hold a statue or something and a crystal. She proceeded to tell other clients that her crystal was “healing” and asked if she could touch their pets with it. One man was outraged that his dog was not waiting in the waiting room for him. I kept calling students, doctors, and techs to bring the dog out, but there was a holdup. He was being belligerent to me and made me upset too. He decided to go ahead into the depths of the hospital to find it. Bad idea. We don’t like that. I sent our one male receptionist to get him back. Then there are the ones who walk in and demand to speak to their vet RIGHT NOW. Thing is, they brought their pet in on emergency, and their vet is currently handling someone else’s emergency. Either that or the vet is actually performing surgery on their pet at this very moment. But they want to talk to them NOW and don’t understand why they can’t. Sheesh. ---
**Author:** ![hawksgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ed655f/32.png) [@hawksgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawksgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-tales-from-the-vet-clinic/385845/36 "2006-12-29T17:45:20Z")
Sorry about that, on a funnier note, I now know that kitty litter in a dog’s intestines = cement and that an adult lab can swallow an entire pair of boy’s underwear whole. ---
**Author:** ![lisacurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/41988e/32.png) [@lisacurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisacurl)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-tales-from-the-vet-clinic/385845/37 "2006-12-29T17:48:55Z")
[QUOTE=Zsofia] Well, I certainly wouldn’t have broken in and stolen my dog! (Also, I paid the city shelter $58 AND took an adult cat off their hands a few months ago, and I hadn’t even done anything wrong!) [/QUOTE] The $58 was no doubt for the spaying/neutering/vaccinations they provided to the animal, as well as for the care and feeding that it needed until it was adopted. It costs a lot more for an animal shelter to adopt out an animal than to simply destroy it. ---
**Author:** ![Rock\_n\_Roach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Rock\_n\_Roach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rock_n_Roach)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-tales-from-the-vet-clinic/385845/38 "2006-12-29T17:51:58Z")
Let me preface this by saying that the vet I currently take my animals to is a caring, knowledgeable doctor and we were fortunate to have him as Rocky’s vet. As for my tale of horror: I won’t mention the name of this vet from North Versailles, Pa on Rt 30 near Taylor’s Motel. My dog was an extremely docile black lab and went about 90 pounds at the time. His tail got caught in a screen door as it closed and bled a lot. I took him to this Dr no-name. Dr. crap gave my dog a shot to knock him out so he could look at his tail. Shot did not knock the dog out completely so Dr gave him another shot. After looking at the tail the doctor said it could not be stitched and taped it up. Dr then gave my dog another shot to “wake” him back up. Dog did not wake up after 10 minutes. Doctor waid he was closing and dog had to leave. I backed my truck up to the front door of the office. We slid Rocky across the waiting room floor and lifted him into vehicle where I let him sleep it off at home. Dr. idiot did not mention that the wrap job could not get wet nor did he offer an elizabethan collar. My dog licked it often. I was concerned and took Rocky back to vet who said that the cut got infected and his tail needed amputated. I got two other opinions and and a new vet that day who performed the amputation. ---
**Author:** ![lisacurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/41988e/32.png) [@lisacurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisacurl)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-tales-from-the-vet-clinic/385845/39 "2006-12-29T17:53:29Z")
Er, in other words, a lot of traditional municipally-funded animal shelters consider adoptions as something of an inconvenience. By traditional, I mean the old-school animal control philosophy of rabies prevention, go out and shoot the dangerous ones, and bring the extras back and kill them as efficiently as possible. The very unenlightened types of animal shelters, not the SPCA/Humane Society types that actually are committed to adoption. Even the more enlightened rescue type shelters are perpetually strapped for funding, and it is very much more costly to house an animal until it is adopted than to just get rid of it. Hence the fee for adoption. ---
**Author:** ![lisacurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/41988e/32.png) [@lisacurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisacurl)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2006, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-tales-from-the-vet-clinic/385845/40 "2006-12-29T17:55:15Z")
That previous post was a follow-up to my other, but **Rock n Roach** got in between. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-tales-from-the-vet-clinic/385845.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-tales-from-the-vet-clinic/385845.md?page=3)