Up Selling Veterinary Pet Care (long story)

Naturally

Naturally

Well-known Member
Location
Corner of Walk 'n Don't Walk
Background: Been using the same local vet clinic for 19 years and across 3 different dogs.
Current dog is with me in my avatar. That's Mason and he turned 14 in September.

December last year, Mason got a one year Rabies Vaccination.
As we were checking out of the clinic, I asked why they didn't give Mason a 3yr Rabies Vaccination?
(A dog will qualify for a 3yrs Vacc if the one year vacc hasn't expired or is within 1mo of expiration)
Tanya said, "You have to ask for it."
I think the real reason is they'd rather see us there one year at a time.
Helps cover office overhead and all ya know.

So this morning I had a text message on my phone stating that Mason needed an appointment scheduled.
But the text message didn't state the reason for needing an appointment.
Later found out that those messages are automated and the clinic didn't actually send it out themselves this morning.

But seeing it's been a year since his last Rabies Vaccination, I figured that is what the reminder was for.
So I called the vet clinic to schedule an appointment for the Rabies Vaccination ... Melanie answered the phone.

Me: I'd like to schedule an appointment to have Mason's Rabies Vaccination administered. I'd like a 3yr vaccination this time.
Melanie: We can schedule an exam and vaccination next Monday afternoon.
Me: Mason doesn't need an exam. I just need to bring him in for the Rabies Vaccination.
Melanie: The state (veterinary) board is cracking down and requiring an exam before the vaccination.
Me: Well, Mason was just at the clinic last month and had an exam.
Melanie: (after looking at the records) Oh okay, we can just schedule the vaccination then.
Me: Great, but just to be clear, the state now requires an exam before giving the Rabies Vaccination?
Melanie: Yes, (again) they are cracking down.
Me: Thanks, and we'll be there Monday afternoon.

So I got off the phone with Melanie at the vet clinic and immediately called The Alabama State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners.

I explained to the lady that answered the phone that my local vet clinic insisted the state now required an exam before administering a Rabies Vaccination.
The lady put me on hold for about a minute to check things out. Back on the line she explained there was absolutely NO requirement for an exam before giving a Rabies Vaccination. She did say that it was customary for the patient to have a history with the clinic. I explained I'd been going to the same vet clinic for 19yrs and the lady said fine then, only need to go get the vaccination.

I called my local vet clinic back and Melanie answered again ...

Me: Hi Melanie, I just got off the phone with The Alabama State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners and found out there is absolutely NO requirement for an exam before giving the Rabies Vaccination. I just wanted to correct that information you were giving out.
Melanie: Can you hold on a second, I need to check something with someone.
Me: Okay .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... ....
Melanie: Amy said that requirement was covered in the Veterinary Practice Act. The State Medical Examiners you spoke with is not what I was going by.
Me: Okay thanks Melanie, I'll see what I can find in the Veterinary Practice Act. Bye.

So I looked up the Alabama Veterinary Practice Act and low and behold, right there on the title page it said the document was from The Alabama State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners ... the people I'd spoken with and the people Melanie said didn't have anything to do with the exam requirement.

I called the vet clinic back and Melanie answered:

Me: Hi Melanie, sorry to bother you again on the subject of a Rabies Vaccination. You said the Vet Medical Examiners had nothing to do with the exam requirement before administering a Rabies Vaccination. You also said that state requirement was covered in the Practice Act. Well Melanie, I found the Practice Act is actually issued by the Vet Medical Examiners. Furthermore, I did a word search in the 88 page Practice Act document for the word Rabies and found it appears twice in the Practice Act document. And in neither case where Rabies is mentioned, does it have anything to do with Rabies Vaccination requirements.

The actual State Rabies Vaccination requirements are covered in 2024 Code of Alabama Title 3 - Animals. Chapter 7A - Rabies and NOWHERE in that document of State Rabies Vaccination requirements is an exam prior to the administration of a Rabies Vaccination listed as a state requirement ...

Melanie: Sorry for the confusion, I just thought that Monday would be a good time for a yearly exam along with the Rabies Vaccination. That was before I saw Mason was just here and examined last month.
Me: Sorry I misunderstood then. I thought you were telling me it was a state requirement to conduct an exam before administering the Rabies Vaccination and that is wrong and I just wanted to clear it up. That would have been a completely unnecessary expense and it sounded like you were misinforming people. Sorry I misunderstood. We'll be there Monday afternoon for the Rabies Vaccination. Have a great afternoon. Bye.

I question EVERYTHING doctors, vets and their assistants tell me. Too many lessons learned over the years.
 

Last edited:
Man after my own heart. I do the same and have gotten my butt in a sling with my vet. Not the clinic, the vet. She doesn't like being questioned and holds a grudge.

Sadly, I will be looking for a new vet. It's complicated since I have one that needs regular medical care and switching her is going to be difficult.
 
Good luck @robin416 !!! Depending on what is at stake, I might take that risk. After all, if the vet can't be up front and honest ... among other things ... let the chips fall as they may. It's all about the pet and companion. Luckily after 19yrs with the same vet, when I've asked him for a referral to a specialist, he hasn't taken it personally. He knows all I care about is the best care possible for my dog(s).

My local vet has decades of experience and performs all kinds of invasive operations as required for example. But the thing is, my local vet is not a vet board certified surgeon. Few vets are actually. So my local vet gives me a referral to a board certified surgeon the next town over when needed. The vet in the next town over is the only vet board certified surgeon in the whole region. He was formerly a department head of veterinary medicine at a university in Virginia before he had a bad auto accident that left him in a wheelchair. So he set up a private practice about twenty years ago and Dr. Martin is a year or two older than me and still working. Bless him.
 

Yes, up selling veterinary services apparently is widespread, like requiring a prescription for Hill's Prescription Diet W/D dog food, which of course means a vet exam is "required". There's not one single molecule of medications or controlled substance in Hill's Prescription Diet W/D dog food, it's a very good quality product, but there is no rational justification for it being prescription only...other than insuring veterinary services generating added income.
 
Naturally said:
Good luck @robin416 !!! Depending on what is at stake, I might take that risk. After all, if the vet can't be up front and honest ... among other things ... let the chips fall as they may. It's all about the pet and companion. Luckily after 19yrs with the same vet, when I've asked him for a referral to a specialist, he hasn't taken it personally. He knows all I care about is the best care possible for my dog(s).

My local vet has decades of experience and performs all kinds of invasive operations as required for example. But the thing is, my local vet is not a vet board certified surgeon. Few vets are actually. So my local vet gives me a referral to a board certified surgeon the next town over when needed. The vet in the next town over is the only vet board certified surgeon in the whole region. He was formerly a department head of veterinary medicine at a university in Virginia before he had a bad auto accident that left him in a wheelchair. So he set up a private practice about twenty years ago and Dr. Martin is a year or two older than me and still working. Bless him.
Click to expand...
We might be neighbors. The mention of the auto accident is why I think we might not live all that far apart. He did surgery on one of mine.
 
Good for you, Naturally. You handled it well.

I read local chat about people that are being told they have to pay for exams if they want other things looked at. A few have found other veterinary clinics that donā€™t require the exam. I hate the strong arm tactics.
 
Naturally said:
Background: Been using the same local vet clinic for 19 years and across 3 different dogs.
Current dog is with me in my avatar. That's Mason and he turned 14 in September.

December last year, Mason got a one year Rabies Vaccination.
As we were checking out of the clinic, I asked why they didn't give Mason a 3yr Rabies Vaccination?
(A dog will qualify for a 3yrs Vacc if the one year vacc hasn't expired or is within 1mo of expiration)
Tanya said, "You have to ask for it."
I think the real reason is they'd rather see us there one year at a time.
Helps cover office overhead and all ya know.

So this morning I had a text message on my phone stating that Mason needed an appointment scheduled.
But the text message didn't state the reason for needing an appointment.
Later found out that those messages are automated and the clinic didn't actually send it out themselves this morning.

But seeing it's been a year since his last Rabies Vaccination, I figured that is what the reminder was for.
So I called the vet clinic to schedule an appointment for the Rabies Vaccination ... Melanie answered the phone.

Me: I'd like to schedule an appointment to have Mason's Rabies Vaccination administered. I'd like a 3yr vaccination this time.
Melanie: We can schedule an exam and vaccination next Monday afternoon.
Me: Mason doesn't need an exam. I just need to bring him in for the Rabies Vaccination.
Melanie: The state (veterinary) board is cracking down and requiring an exam before the vaccination.
Me: Well, Mason was just at the clinic last month and had an exam.
Melanie: (after looking at the records) Oh okay, we can just schedule the vaccination then.
Me: Great, but just to be clear, the state now requires an exam before giving the Rabies Vaccination?
Melanie: Yes, (again) they are cracking down.
Me: Thanks, and we'll be there Monday afternoon.

So I got off the phone with Melanie at the vet clinic and immediately called The Alabama State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners.

I explained to the lady that answered the phone that my local vet clinic insisted the state now required an exam before administering a Rabies Vaccination.
The lady put me on hold for about a minute to check things out. Back on the line she explained there was absolutely NO requirement for an exam before giving a Rabies Vaccination. She did say that it was customary for the patient to have a history with the clinic. I explained I'd been going to the same vet clinic for 19yrs and the lady said fine then, only need to go get the vaccination.

I called my local vet clinic back and Melanie answered again ...

Me: Hi Melanie, I just got off the phone with The Alabama State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners and found out there is absolutely NO requirement for an exam before giving the Rabies Vaccination. I just wanted to correct that information you were giving out.
Melanie: Can you hold on a second, I need to check something with someone.
Me: Okay .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... ....
Melanie: Amy said that requirement was covered in the Veterinary Practice Act. The State Medical Examiners you spoke with is not what I was going by.
Me: Okay thanks Melanie, I'll see what I can find in the Veterinary Practice Act. Bye.

So I looked up the Alabama Veterinary Practice Act and low and behold, right there on the title page it said the document was from The Alabama State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners ... the people I'd spoken with and the people Melanie said didn't have anything to do with the exam requirement.

I called the vet clinic back and Melanie answered:

Me: Hi Melanie, sorry to bother you again on the subject of a Rabies Vaccination. You said the Vet Medical Examiners had nothing to do with the exam requirement before administering a Rabies Vaccination. You also said that state requirement was covered in the Practice Act. Well Melanie, I found the Practice Act is actually issued by the Vet Medical Examiners. Furthermore, I did a word search in the 88 page Practice Act document for the word Rabies and found it appears twice in the Practice Act document. And in neither case where Rabies is mentioned, does it have anything to do with Rabies Vaccination requirements.

The actual State Rabies Vaccination requirements are covered in 2024 Code of Alabama Title 3 - Animals. Chapter 7A - Rabies and NOWHERE in that document of State Rabies Vaccination requirements is an exam prior to the administration of a Rabies Vaccination listed as a state requirement ...

Melanie: Sorry for the confusion, I just thought that Monday would be a good time for a yearly exam along with the Rabies Vaccination. That was before I saw Mason was just here and examined last month.
Me: Sorry I misunderstood then. I thought you were telling me it was a state requirement to conduct an exam before administering the Rabies Vaccination and that is wrong and I just wanted to clear it up. That would have been a completely unnecessary expense and it sounded like you were misinforming people. Sorry I misunderstood. We'll be there Monday afternoon for the Rabies Vaccination. Have a great afternoon. Bye.

I question EVERYTHING doctors, vets and their assistants tell me. Too many lessons learned over the years.
Click to expand...
You remind me of my husband. Unlike me, he questions everything and usually ends up educating them on their own systems. šŸ˜Š
I need to do better.
 
This has all been very interesting.

i mostly go to an all animal clinic for the last 22 years. I also have a sports medicine vet I call for extreme issues with my horses. Until the new vet came on board at the general clinic, I also had a vet who Specialized in equine dentistry, but her clinic is far enough away that just the trip fee five years ago was $140. So three vets, from three facilities and that was my choice from digging around and asking questions of other horse people to secure the best mobile vet care possible when itā€™s needed.

The general vet has never made me jump through hoops when it comes to dog vaccinations. He brings the vaccinations with him when he does spring shots & brief exams for the horses. I request the exams, they are not mandatory.

The vet does not examine my dogs when he comes up to the house to administer their rabies vaccinations. If he does see an issue, he will ask me to get them to the clinic.

BTW, my horses also get rabies vaccines. Rabies is not rampant in my county, but there have been one or two reports in the far NNE part of my County to raise an eyebrow.

I also talk to my vet regarding infectious diseases in our area, I donā€™t just do the bobbing dog head and stick my head in the sand. With horses one has to ask questions and that generally covers the dogs.
 
Just thought of something. It's Alabama. What does Alabama have? They have vaccination clinics. The only requirements really are that the animal is able to walk on it's own. No exam needed.

So, @Naturally encountered is sounding more an more like it was just what it was. An upsell. Or a completely ignorant Melanonie.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top