Welcome to Gaia! ::

Okay, well I haven't been on here in a while and I want to know what you guys thing since you probably don't remember me. Its been a really long time since I have used this guild.

Anyways, I want to know what you think of my vet?

- I show goats and whenever I need to go get health papers he gives them to me free.
- He always charges on the cheap
- I had a goat get a caudal epidectomy, similar to a vasectomy for only around $45 if I remember correctly. The incision where this was ended up getting infected due to the time of year, flies, and dirt floored pen. Went back in later and was given shots to give him. Ernie (the goat) is fine now.
- This kidding season was my first. I had a doe go down due to what I think was Pregnancy Toxemia. About 2 or 3 days after she topped eating all together, hay and everything I call the vet and he gives me the meds to induce this goat. Keep in mind she hasn't eaten in a few day and is weak. Temp drops and calls the emergency number for the vet and gets his partner. She refuses to come see my goat. Friend also calls the emergency number and tells her she needs to come out there and also gives her a piece of her mind. No success. Give the first shot(steroids for kids lung development) around 11pm. Morning comes around and time for second shot. Give it and within two hours this doe is not getting up. Rush goat in after hours to the vets office. Vet cant see me until 1pm. We arrive right after closing time for the vets. Vets partner comes out and sees us waiting. Doesn't look at us at all event though there is a goat that obviously cannot get up and is in major distress. Vet finally arrives and starts IV. We leave so he could get to work. by 6pm the goat is dead.
- Days old kid gets navel ill and I take him into the vet. Chances for survival unsure. Kid gets antibiotics. Acts much better the next few days and goes down fast a few days later.
- 3 month old wether gets head stuck in fence and dominant wether beat him and knocks his head out of the fence. The 3 month old ends up with a severely broken horn. Takes the goat into the vet and vet stays after hours to operate on my goats heat. I watch the whole procedure. Vet uses local anesthetic(lidocaine) on the kid and in about 15 minutes proceeds to use a de-horner. Clamp style to finish the removal of the horn. Then the vet sews up the hole in the goats head, washes the blood off of his head and wraps him up. He then give Penicillin and Tetanus antitoxin. Total cost of vet visit. $35.75. This goat is still in healing as this was a few days ago.

I have had good and bad experiences with this vet, particularly his partner. I want to know what yall think about him. Sometimes I think he is a great vet, but other times I think that something may have not been the best decision.

Sorry for the wall of text.

Sounds like your primary vet is pretty good, their partner not so much. Have you spoken with your primary vet about how their partner has treated you and your goats?

I know when I had my goats I used a multi-vet practice. Unless it was literally life or death only one of the 5 vets on staff were allowed to see my goats after I lost 2 kids to misdiagnosis. My primary vet gave me his home number for emergency use only. In the 10 years that I had my goats I called that number once and that was because the vet who killed my kids was the one on call that night.

On the infected navel, are you dipping the hooves and umbilical cord in iodine after they've had their colostrum?

Your vet sounds amazing, though I don't know what kind of vet you have exactly since you deal with goats.
But 35 dollars for fixing that horn? Or whatever it was. That's amazing.
Everytime I take my reptiles into the vet for a checkup visit it's 80-100 dollars...

I see. I'll remember that next time. smile