It seems very disturbing that all of the energy of the video from the veterinary side has been focused on;
1. Defending why everything on the emergency side costs what it does. (I would probably use the words "so expensive" but I have to tread lightly and try to not incite any more riots).
2. On me. The attacks have been centered on me. Bullying, lashing out and hurting me. It has been a hard, painful personal attack.
Even between those two the point has been lost. The point of my outrage AND outcry for change was the pet. The patient. No one is talking about them EXCEPT the people who feel betrayed and let down by the veterinary profession (and me?).
This is not about YOU IT IS ABOUT THEM. The center of our profesion. The reason for our diploma. The one being we get up every day, work so hard, and make so little return on our financial, emotional, and deggedly tired investment.. our patients.
This, all of this, is just about them.
Where did they go in the arguing? The defending? The bullying?
They went where they always go.. into the shadows to be at the mercy of the world.
Stop pointing fingers, placing blame, and let's start every single discussion with
"HOW DO WE HELP THEM?"
Not just "how do we do it better?"
But with real, meaningful, tangible change.
The change is coming. If I have to carry it on my back alone, it will come. For you see, I am never alone. I am still that little girl in the woods seeking companionship in a world I don't quite fit into. I have the animals, my family, and now a ground swell of support from a place I never knew needed me.. the whole pet loving world.
It isn't that hard to find the compassion. Every single one of the vets who spoke out has it.. It just needs to be the first voice they listen to.. Let it guide you. Move mountains, be brave, and remember every one before us did it with less. Less fancy equipment, less skill, less overhead, and just as much compassionate dedication.
I am here. As I always have been. Trying to keep on trying. Never giving up on a case I think I might just be able to influence in a more positive direction. I hope the rest of the vet community, and pet loving world joins me.
As always, "if you ever have to chose between being right and being kind, chose kind".
Krista
1. Defending why everything on the emergency side costs what it does. (I would probably use the words "so expensive" but I have to tread lightly and try to not incite any more riots).
2. On me. The attacks have been centered on me. Bullying, lashing out and hurting me. It has been a hard, painful personal attack.
Even between those two the point has been lost. The point of my outrage AND outcry for change was the pet. The patient. No one is talking about them EXCEPT the people who feel betrayed and let down by the veterinary profession (and me?).
This is not about YOU IT IS ABOUT THEM. The center of our profesion. The reason for our diploma. The one being we get up every day, work so hard, and make so little return on our financial, emotional, and deggedly tired investment.. our patients.
This, all of this, is just about them.
Where did they go in the arguing? The defending? The bullying?
They went where they always go.. into the shadows to be at the mercy of the world.
Stop pointing fingers, placing blame, and let's start every single discussion with
"HOW DO WE HELP THEM?"
Not just "how do we do it better?"
But with real, meaningful, tangible change.
The change is coming. If I have to carry it on my back alone, it will come. For you see, I am never alone. I am still that little girl in the woods seeking companionship in a world I don't quite fit into. I have the animals, my family, and now a ground swell of support from a place I never knew needed me.. the whole pet loving world.
It isn't that hard to find the compassion. Every single one of the vets who spoke out has it.. It just needs to be the first voice they listen to.. Let it guide you. Move mountains, be brave, and remember every one before us did it with less. Less fancy equipment, less skill, less overhead, and just as much compassionate dedication.
I am here. As I always have been. Trying to keep on trying. Never giving up on a case I think I might just be able to influence in a more positive direction. I hope the rest of the vet community, and pet loving world joins me.
As always, "if you ever have to chose between being right and being kind, chose kind".
Krista
AMEN....
ReplyDeleteYou have my support...as do all the animals in need.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your truthful and kind words.
ReplyDeleteJust a pet mom here, but thank you for your words. We try hard to take care of our babies, but the lack of emergency care and the cost, make it very difficult. I support you in fixing the broken system.
ReplyDeleteI admire you for the video you posted, and agree with everything you said. I have been thinking for quite some time the costs are out of hand. I have spent a large amount of money on my three dogs the last year. Yesterday, I was pricing heartworm meds for my three little dogs. One is 7 lbs, one is 13 lbs and one is 14 lbs. The cost for a one year supply is $335.94. Wow! Sadly, even though I love my dogs dearly, am thinking they will be my last three because of the costs. Please please please continue, and shame on every single person that is attacking you!
ReplyDelete#fightingthegoodfight
ReplyDeleteyou called the veterinarians criminals..... that really caused "Blowback"
ReplyDeleteWhere do you refer your after-hours emergencies?
I called the fact that people don't have options, the price disparity is so wide, there is a significant lack of transparency, and the fact that pets get euthanized bc people can't pay and institutions (or vets) wont budge to change their "standard of care" and would instead euthanize, criminal. The fact that the term "economic euthanasia" exists in our profession at all should be considered criminal.
DeleteI never named a vet, singled out a vet, or business in the video.. maybe everyone just heard their own conscious pointing the finger at themselves?
What is happening in vet med these days should be criminal,, in my opinion it is clearly insane, unfair, and we HAVE TO DO BETTER!
for the rest of the "anonymous" commenting people; if you can't add your name I reserve the right to tag you as "spam".
Amen...It also seems as if there are more and more vets that act too hastily when caring for your pets.i know of incidents when two dogs were brought in for vaccinations (different ones ) and each received the others.then when it was discovered by the tech and the vet was told about it she had the tech re-do the vaccinations and deal with the upset customer ( one of those vaccinations was a Rabies ).later that day one of the dogs came back because of a reaction.there were also a couple of incidents of wrong surgeries such as operating on a wrong leg , removal of wrong lumps that were on the body and a puppy that was under anesthesia for while they figured out how they were supposed to do the surgery and most likely didn't do it right anyway because that puppy was dead in the morning ( it was left overnight with no one to care for it). there has also been at least one other dog that was lost and from what i was told the vet was on the phone the whole time because they didn't know what to do (this is a common occurrence by the way ).it's my feeling that there are too many people that get into certain professions only because they are smart enough to pass the classes and not because they really care about what they are doing ( MD's,Vets and Teachers to name a few ).so for me anyway when i get handed these outrageously high bills for what seems to be less than mediocre care it just makes my blood boil.
ReplyDeleteKrista, I totally support you in everything you have said - thank goodness, SOMEONE has said something about some vet's high prices! Hang in there, don't let them get you down, and know that you have a lot of people at your back. Take care, Roberta
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU,THANK YOU,THANK YOU!!! Thank you for being an advocate for all of us who love and adore our pets and are at the mercy of veterinarians,especially in emergency situations.I too have been in these situations and had to pay thousands of dollars or else euthanasia with no other choices in between and it is gut wrenching. You are very articulate and your message clear. You hit a nerve and its sad people can't just give their point of view in return without all the nastiness.Please know there are probably millions of people who cheer you on and are so grateful that this is being spoken about.I admire you very much.
ReplyDeleteHi, I've been following your blog for a very long time now. My friend, a veterinarian and my pets (past and present) doctor, has been experiencing exactly the same kinds of things you have been experiencing. She's been fighting the same battle and with basically the same results. My experiences with the animal ER over the 40 years of pet families (I have no children)have been a mixed bag of excellent and devastatingly horrible (2 months ago). The last was so horrifyingly bad, and for the VERY reasons you articulated so well, that I watch my remaining pets like a hawk and always know where the closest vet clinic is because I check them out before I go anywhere. You are not alone but you and the Doc K's of the world are few and far between. Good luck and let me leave you with this... I have lived long enough to say for sure that what goes around comes around (some of your commenters) and that if you wait long enough and with only minimum care the great majority of these persons reap exactly what they've sown.
ReplyDeleteDebbie at debbie25@hughes.net