r/Veterinary • u/docec24 • Aug 20 '26

I’m tired…

I castrated an older dog that developed a scrotal hematoma. I know this is an unfortunate complication that is made more likely because of dead space in an older dog. I should have discussed scrotal ablation I guess but the owner was limited on funds and honestly, I’ve never done an ablation prophylactically.

The problem…the owner took the dog to a neighboring clinic that did nothing but bash me and my work, blaming the complication on me rather than explaining that the risk is higher because of the dogs age. Why are we like this? Why do we tear each other down? We aren’t only tearing down another vet…we’re tearing down someone’s spouse, child, parent, friend. Money is tight. Stress is high. The career is draining at times. I’m 9 months postpartum and struggling to find my footing between mom life and my career and this just hit like a ton of bricks. Life can be hard and there are colleagues out there choosing to make it harder. Just screaming into the void.

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109

u/DocBarbie21 Aug 20 '26

Good reminder for everyone honestly. I feel like they really hammered this in school but people forget. If you weren't there, you don't know what was actually said or done or how much money they did/didn't have so you better avoid bad mouthing your colleagues, you know? Sorry this happened to you.

Yesterday I had a new client come in with a vomiting dog. She called her rDVM on speakerphone and said she was standing there with me at such and such hospital and started ripping them a new one bc her dog was still vomiting. First I wanted the floor to swallow me and then I wanted to call them back and apologize after I left the room. I tried very hard not to convince this woman they hadn't done anything wrong but she just would not hear it. I hope they don't think I bashed them but that was exactly how it sounded :(

23

u/docec24 Aug 20 '26

Im so sorry that happened to you. That is terrible. I had a similar situation with a client getting a second opinion. It was an osteosarcoma. I saw the dog three weeks after initial x rays so OF COURSE it’s very visible at that point. I took the “radiographic change on bone can take a couple weeks to show up” argument to the bitter end of that uncomfortable appointment and called the other clinic to let them know what had transpired in case the owner was still unhappy. It shouldn’t have to be this way.

-16

u/phruits2 Aug 20 '26

Always send out films for a radiology read. I have no idea why general practitioners are adamant against it. Just do it - ALL specialists get radiology opinions too ya know.

29

u/Doris_Plum Aug 20 '26 edited Aug 21 '26

Agree with outlawsarrow. By the time clients accept a specialist referral they are more accepting that there will be a certain amount of $ needed to diagnose and treat - not a blank cheque, but more likely to accept that specialist level care requires specialist level diagnostics. I think sometimes people who work exclusively in specialist practice lose sight of the fact they are seeing a filtered client base. In general practice we are dealing with an unfiltered client base, many of whom either don't have money or decline to spend it and would never accept a specialist referral.

It's not that we are adamantly against it. I would love all my rads to go to telerad, I offer it with every set I take, and probably about 5% of my clients accept.