Dang, are the veterinarian offices slammed around here in suburban Chicago.

One of our rabbits is sick and I am taking him in tomorrow night. Now the little rabbit is not eating like she should and I called to make an appointment for her with our vet and best I could get was 10 days and they told me they are no longer taking new patients. However if she gets really sick my vet always does her best to see her the same day if she is working and thankfully she is not critical yet. Luckily I have a good stock of left over meds to help in the mean time. Rabbits are prone to digestive issues and they can get really sick and die within days without the right care. Often they need a infusion of fluids however as they quit drinking and become dehydrated.

As a last resort there is a 24 hour emergency animal hospital about 20 miles away but it is usually several hundred dollars to walk in the door there for anything beyond basic care and they emailed us that they are slammed too and often a 5 hour wait to see your pet there these days and you have to wait in the car due to Covid 19.

Anyhow are others experiencing the same, difficulty getting a timely appointment with the vet? I wonder why that is? Maybe some local vets have closed their doors possibly permanently if not temporarily. The vets around here are doing only curbside service and the whole Covid 19 situation is probably hurting their efficiency quite a bit. Extra steps to maintain sanitation alone must be a real PIA not to mention all the extra phone calls and picking up pets and returning them to the cars.

The vets I have are very good people and care deeply about their patients and their families. This must be very difficult times for them. I don't see the whole curbside service thing changing any time soon.

I cannot speak to the Vet business. I presume Pritzger considered them essential businesses, but I do not know. A lot of small businesses have closed permanently because there has been such a drop in business. All the additional precautions that one has to take affects the bottom line. I think a lot of people put off the vet visits because of money. Vets are good people.

Sorry to hear about your bunnie. Our longtime vet is like an HMO with about 10 vets on staff. Right now they require humans to sit outside in their cars in the summer heat while they take the pet inside for treatment. Courtesy curbside service stinks! Even with that many vets on staff, appointments have a few days wait unless it's an emergency.

We have a goldendoodle with an ear infection. Friday the vet said they could squeeze him in on Aug 13. Right.

Up here it's a combination of things. They have to space out appointments due to increased cleaning, you have to wait in your car (no more lining up 4 visits for the Dr to go right down the row).

Some offices are outright closed, increasing the work for the ones that are open.

People are spending more time with the animals and are quick to see issues (not acting right) also increasing the workload.

Many grooming places are still closed, pushing some things to the vet's office (nails, anal glands, hair mats).

Basically everything you mentioned is was what explained to me by friend who is a vet tech. They all want to care for these animals, but need to do so in such a way that the State won't shut them down.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
I cannot speak to the Vet business. I presume Pritzger considered them essential businesses, but I do not know. A lot of small businesses have closed permanently because there has been such a drop in business. All the additional precautions that one has to take affects the bottom line. I think a lot of people put off the vet visits because of money. Vets are good people.

Yeah they have been open all along, but with curbside service. Yes vets and their staff are good people and I know they hate to turn down a pet in need but one can only work so many hours in a day. Just now I see our little rabbit eating her lettuce and that is a great sign she is feeling better.

^^^^^^^^
Good to hear!

If you’re up in my neck of the woods (Spring Grove, IL) I can recommend a very good vet. Any time I’ve ever needed their assistance they have gotten me in immediately, although I have been a client of theirs for quite a while for all of our dogs. Just let me know if you are close and want the practice name.

quote:

Originally posted by Largefarva:
If you’re up in my neck of the woods (Spring Grove, IL) I can recommend a very good vet. Any time I’ve ever needed their assistance they have gotten me in immediately, although I have been a client of theirs for quite a while for all of our dogs. Just let me know if you are close and want the practice name.

Thanks for the offer , but that is quite a ways from us. Also vets that really good with rabbits are harder to find. Awesome that you have such a great vet! Our vet is a specialist for exotic pets and she always works with also if the situation gets dire.

My vet is always busy which is why they're building a second clinic. However, they're great about fitting in when something non-routine occurs.

In fact, last week my nearly 20-year old cat's eating pattern changed (very important to monitor with her underlying health conditions). Originally, when I called they were going to get her in an actual appointment in 2-days, but the front desk spoke with the vet and the vet said she'd fit her in the next day. Ended up being a drop off and pick up since the vet was fitting her in between surgeries and appointments. She also has a tech that is really good with cats so the tech has all of the blood and urine drawn and analyzed so the vet has a more complete picture. It also meant that when I picked her up at the end of the day she went home with the needed medications and there wasn't another day of delays.

That was not my experience today.

I took my 15 year old cat in at 8:30AM, dropped him off, and just got back home with him.

Currently they have curbside pickup and drop off only, no walk in allowed.

Best wishes to your little bunny.

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:
My vet is always busy which is why they're building a second clinic. However, they're great about fitting in when something non-routine occurs.

In fact, last week my nearly 20-year old cat's eating pattern changed (very important to monitor with her underlying health conditions). Originally, when I called they were going to get her in an actual appointment in 2-days, but the front desk spoke with the vet and the vet said she'd fit her in the next day. Ended up being a drop off and pick up since the vet was fitting her in between surgeries and appointments. She also has a tech that is really good with cats so the tech has all of the blood and urine drawn and analyzed so the vet has a more complete picture. It also meant that when I picked her up at the end of the day she went home with the needed medications and there wasn't another day of delays.

That is awesome to hear! Our vet is off on Mondays but she answers her phone if her office calls. We had a really sick bunny last year and from home she made arrangements to have a tech give our bunny and infusion of fluids and injection of needed medicine to out her back on track in short order. She has also worked us in on a Thursday, which is her surgery day, to care for a really sick pet. She is wonderful.

First of July, took my soon to be 14yr old mixed breed dog to the vet for an exam and consultation. Service was curbside drop off and pick up. Eventual consult was over the phone.

My concerns with Sugar (my dog) were ... Inappropriate / abnormal panting. Eye discharge predominately in the left eye. Couple of abnormal growths. Mobility issues.

For five hundred eighteen dollars ($518.00), I got peace of mind that no medical conditions I was not already aware of were revealed. The vet ordered a Thyroid panel and said the lab work would be back by the end of the week.

When I spoke with the vet on the phone following the exam, he really didn't do a lot of talking about the exam or evaluation other than to say Sugar is in good shape for a 13+yr old while simply acknowledging all the lumps, bumps, growths, inappropriate panting, mobility issues and watery eye(s). I mostly asked questions to try and get some clue from him concerning his assessment. Nor did he suggest any further tests or treatments for the existing conditions. He just said to keep doing what I was doing with joint supplements I've been giving Sugar.

Several times the vet referred to Sugar as "he", before I corrected him.

I wondered if Sugar had been say, a 3-4yr old with these conditions, would a vet have prescribed a course of action or further procedures to address or correct Sugar's issues? Maybe the procedures and such are too risky for a very senior dog, maybe some feel that at 13+ and realistically, how much time does Sugar really have left regardless of medical care. Honestly I don't know if there is any difference in the way a vet might examine and evaluate a patient. Just thinking out loud.

So I accepted the vets explanations and seemingly lack of urgent concern. I didn't hear from the vet at the end of the week when the Thyroid panel lab work was expected to be completed, so I called the clinic the following week and was told by the front desk that the vet would call me when the panel results were back. Fast forward almost a month and I hadn't heard from the vet concerning lab results, so I called again last week. I was transferred to the vet and he explained it had simply slipped his mind to call me and the results were back and everything looked normal.

I really wonder what kind of care Sugar really got when he didn't even know her gender when discussing his exam evaluation. And then the missed call concerning lab results. I wonder if a Thyroid panel was even sent off actually.

At the end of the day, besides my peace of mind, the vet recommended Rimadyl / Carprofen for pain that I didn't even suspect Sugar had. I told the vet that Sugar didn't tolerate Rimadyl well. Upset stomach and nausea. So the vet wrote for 90 Tramadol tablets ... and good for 3 more refills totaling 360 50mg opioid tablets. Sugar also got a nail trim. And that was about it.

Sure feel like I would have gotten better vet service if had been allowed inside with Sugar. And I think everyone from the vet down at the clinic rather enjoys that pet owners aren't allowed inside.

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:
My vet is always busy which is why they're building a second clinic. However, they're great about fitting in when something non-routine occurs.

In fact, last week my nearly 20-year old cat's eating pattern changed (very important to monitor with her underlying health conditions). Originally, when I called they were going to get her in an actual appointment in 2-days, but the front desk spoke with the vet and the vet said she'd fit her in the next day. Ended up being a drop off and pick up since the vet was fitting her in between surgeries and appointments. She also has a tech that is really good with cats so the tech has all of the blood and urine drawn and analyzed so the vet has a more complete picture. It also meant that when I picked her up at the end of the day she went home with the needed medications and there wasn't another day of delays.

i went thru 2 cats not eating, one 14, the other 7, $3k later for blood work, mobile sonogram + other charges i can't remember, they were both ok, just didn't like the food.

now i keep a bag of purina one/sensitive skin/stomach on hand.

when one or both stop eating, i change to purina one for a week.

I live on the far NW side of Chicago. We have struggled with Vets for several years. Either having the wallet drained or not being able to get in was the main problems.

We also found when one of our animals would get very sick the "regular" Vet would refer us to a 24hr Emergency Vet because of there "expertise".(especially well versed in the wallet draining procedure).
It was during one of these episodes that we discovered the University of IL. Veterinary school in Champaign IL.
We were blown away with there dedication,skill,and responsiveness to our animals and our needs. While not being inexpensive we have found there charges VERY reasonable.They have 24hr emergency so your pet can always be looked at right away with no appointment needed. You can also schedule regular Vet visits.

We now look to the UofI vets for all our pets needs.They treat ALL animals from rabbits to horses.
Worth a call, worth the drive.

quote:

Originally posted by armored:
I live on the far NW side of Chicago. We have struggled with Vets for several years. Either having the wallet drained or not being able to get in was the main problems.

We also found when one of our animals would get very sick the "regular" Vet would refer us to a 24hr Emergency Vet because of there "expertise".(especially well versed in the wallet draining procedure).
It was during one of these episodes that we discovered the University of IL. Veterinary school in Champaign IL.
We were blown away with there dedication,skill,and responsiveness to our animals and our needs. While not being inexpensive we have found there charges VERY reasonable.They have 24hr emergency so your pet can always be looked at right away with no appointment needed. You can also schedule regular Vet visits.

We now look to the UofI vets for all our pets needs.They treat ALL animals from rabbits to horses.
Worth a call, worth the drive.

Great story. Wife actually contacted them I believe last year as we lost a rabbit to kidney stone. There is a laser procedure or such that can be done for that but our guy was too small for it.

That is a bit of a drive around 2 hours but will keep that in mind as we would gladly do it if the situation warranted it.

quote:

Originally posted by airbubba:

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:
My vet is always busy which is why they're building a second clinic. However, they're great about fitting in when something non-routine occurs.

In fact, last week my nearly 20-year old cat's eating pattern changed (very important to monitor with her underlying health conditions). Originally, when I called they were going to get her in an actual appointment in 2-days, but the front desk spoke with the vet and the vet said she'd fit her in the next day. Ended up being a drop off and pick up since the vet was fitting her in between surgeries and appointments. She also has a tech that is really good with cats so the tech has all of the blood and urine drawn and analyzed so the vet has a more complete picture. It also meant that when I picked her up at the end of the day she went home with the needed medications and there wasn't another day of delays.

i went thru 2 cats not eating, one 14, the other 7, $3k later for blood work, mobile sonogram + other charges i can't remember, they were both ok, just didn't like the food.

now i keep a bag of purina one/sensitive skin/stomach on hand.

when one or both stop eating, i change to purina one for a week.

Thanks, but she has advanced stage kidney disease so she can only eat low phosphorus, low protein foods. Purina One has nearly double the amount of phosphorus she can safely eat.

quote:

Originally posted by grumpy1:
Thanks for the offer , but that is quite a ways from us. Also vets that really good with rabbits are harder to find. Awesome that you have such a great vet! Our vet is a specialist for exotic pets and she always works with also if the situation gets dire.

Yeah in the last month or so we’ve had to call on our vet, once was via facebook messenger after hours when our boxer got stung by a bee above his eye.

A month or so prior to that he had an infected anal gland...that was a Friday night convo via facebook messenger and she saw him the first thing that Saturday morning.

Just last Tuesday the same dumbass boxer got stung by a bee on the bottom of his paw and he went into anaphylactic shock within minutes. Had they not gotten him in immediately we would have lost him...it got that bad.

And the latest was just tonight. Our french bulldog female just got spayed Friday and it looks like she might have popped a stitch along with an infection....vet got her in at 6pm when they were supposed to close. Gave us some antibiotics and wants to see her again first thing in the AM to see if the antibiotics have kicked in enough to fix the stitches.

We’ve gotta have frequent flier miles with our vet....but she knows how much our dogs mean to us so she always bends over backwards for us and helps them out when needed. I can’t say enough good things about her.

quote:

Originally posted by grumpy1:

quote:

Originally posted by armored:
I live on the far NW side of Chicago. We have struggled with Vets for several years. Either having the wallet drained or not being able to get in was the main problems.

We also found when one of our animals would get very sick the "regular" Vet would refer us to a 24hr Emergency Vet because of there "expertise".(especially well versed in the wallet draining procedure).
It was during one of these episodes that we discovered the University of IL. Veterinary school in Champaign IL.
We were blown away with there dedication,skill,and responsiveness to our animals and our needs. While not being inexpensive we have found there charges VERY reasonable.They have 24hr emergency so your pet can always be looked at right away with no appointment needed. You can also schedule regular Vet visits.

We now look to the UofI vets for all our pets needs.They treat ALL animals from rabbits to horses.
Worth a call, worth the drive.

Great story. Wife actually contacted them I believe last year as we lost a rabbit to kidney stone. There is a laser procedure or such that can be done for that but our guy was too small for it.

That is a bit of a drive around 2 hours but will keep that in mind as we would gladly do it if the situation warranted it.

The Vet school at the University of Wisconsin in Madison also gets very high praise. Maybe that's a closer option for you.

My wife is a hospital manager for a vet hospital here in town. They have to limit the number of appointments they can take each day and do the whole curbside thing. She has been run ragged over the past month or so. Lots of new quarantine pets, people noticing things about their pets since they are spending so much time with them are both contributing factors. No end in sight. She’s putting in 16 hour days to help reduce payroll costs. Revenue isn’t up because of the reduced patient load. On top of all that she gets pissed off customers all day long. I feel awful for her.