Does anyone know whether vets will return to treating pets in the surgery, now that things are getting back to normal, and not in the car park?  I sincerely hope that this is not going to become the norm!!  Earlier this year my elderly dog Hannah badly fractured her cruciate ligament and had to be operated on.  When we collected her she was brought out to the car park in considerable pain of course. It was absolutely pouring with rain (cats and dogs) and we had to pay the bill standing out there in the rain and in our panic neither myself nor my husband could remember our pin numbers!!! - we did in the end of course but the last thing you need when your animal has undergone an operation and is distressed is having a card machine waved under your nose!!  We have been with the practice for several years and have 2 cats and 2 dogs and expect a bit more understanding in such an upsetting timexx

Thats is such a shame it was dealt with like that .
Brooke had to have a major ip to cut a nerve in her spine ,she was taken from me in tje carpark and returned carefully the same way. Payments were fine later by phone . They also have a cover for u to stand under should the  weather be bad
All three vets I have been seeing in the last year have been really helpful working in similar ways but not yet back to having us in the building
I was allowed in the building on one occasion when we sadly lost our cat on the vets table . Theu were so kind and thoughtful allowing me to come in and have time with him.
I am sorry  you have had a different experience

Having read your reply Furriefriends I do have to say that when I lost my sheltie Grace a month ago the vets were very kind and allowed myself and my husband to sit with her in a quiet room for as long as we liked and I paid the bill the next day by phone - so that was a good experience and I was very grateful.  But all the same I have had far too many consultations in  the vets' carpark - so let's hope things go back to normal soonx

At the very least you should have been able to leave immediately and then phone up to pay the bill on the phone. That is awful :(

My vet is already back to seeing clients in consulting rooms, with windows and doors open and masks on.

> At the very least you should have been able to leave immediately and then phone up to pay the bill on the phone. That is awful :( <br />

Absolutely!!  Ever since the first lockdown, I've paid our bills over the phone.

I'll have to look at my vet's website to see what they are currently doing.  I'm not going to tempt fate re any recent visits!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ps   My washing washing machine is making horrible grinding noises and I suspect is my next big expense

Add - This is what my vet is still doing (hope it loads)
https://tamarvets.co.uk/  No it's not - Covid 19 - click to read!

My vet is letting one owner in again now. But he’s a one man band. I work in small animal rehab and we expect to allow people back into the building after we’ve both had our second vaccine, probably the beginning of July.

Unfortunately. Because the dogs have been so focussed and well behaved on their own.

Just checked my vets and they are allowing one person to go in and sit in the waiting room whilst the dog is in the consulting room. You have a shouted conversation with the vet through the open door. It’s not ideal as Isla wants to be with me so it’s a bit of a struggle to persuade her to stay, in her case it would be better if they just took her in from the car park as before and came out to talk to us before and afterwards.
Hopefully things will be back to normal over the next couple of months

My vets jyst asked us to ring the surgery to make payment when we get home.

Our vets are a mixed animal practice. Their farm and so-called 'business' clients have 30 days to settle their accounts. Us hapless pet owners are required to settle by credit card at the time of our appointments. These 'appointments' have taken place in the car park while our animals are treated inside. There are no signs of us being allowed in the building any time soon. We also had a dog put to sleep last year - in the car park. We sat on the wall in the rain while the vet attached a catheter and a long line. Then we went back to our car to be with her at the end. The vet did her best. But it's all a bit dispiriting.

That is so sad, if I were you I would have a ring round practices near you. I recently changed vets due to moving and was very surprised to find out that they allow one owner (although they make exception to more in certain circumstances) in as long as you wear a mask and stay in the car until they call you in. I can go in the room and everything with my girls. They had organised it so well that you wouldn’t cross paths with any other customer at the reception when paying etc, I’d only ever see someone at the other end of the waiting area coming in from outside to go straight into the consultation room. But my previous vet didn’t do this, I think the practice can decide what they do basically. It is a shame though because I totally understand where you’re coming from, I’m so grateful I can now go in especially because my girl had a bad experience a few months back at our previous vets where she went in on her own and came out so nervous - they’d obviously been too rough with her as she had always loved the vets before then (she’s coming round to loving the attention again with good experiences)
When I asked the vet about letting people in, she said they’d been doing it throughout the last 12months every time an official lockdown had been lifted as they understand how important it is for owners and their dogs to be able to come in together

Just remembered  more recently my regular vets   send me an account and I pay by bacs. . The referral vets two different practices I just ring them shortly afterwards .
All I seem to have been doing in the last year is seeing one vet or another

That's how my Inka was PTS 4 weeks ago, on my lap in the Car, with long catheter iver the door for vet to administer.

That is a much more advantageous way of doing things furriefriends. It helps the clients and saves the practice the 5% levy that comes with credit cards if you can do a direct bank transfer from home. It also relieves the congestion in the car park if the clients aren't hanging around waiting to pay!

I am getting to the point of ringing round now Madforlabs. Seems a shame after 40 odd years but there again, no-one should do things just because they always do them. I think a change is in the offing!

I had a dog PTS in the back of our car just before Covid, because she was scared of vet practices and I didn't want that to be her last experience - we had a heavily pregnant dog at home who I didn't want to upset by having another dog PTS in front of her. So the vet came out to see her in the boot of our car at a quiet time of day. I quite preferred doing it there as well, and being in my own car with her. It was a quiet time of day though, the end of the day.

> we had to pay the bill standing out there in the rain and in our panic neither myself nor my husband could remember our pin numbers!!!

Hells Bells!  I can't believe that, I would have been so bloody mad.  Probably would have changed vet.

I've had a lot of veterinary bills in the last couple of weeks.  I probably owe them over £500 (must remember to phone and pay!)  But nobody has chased me for money.

I know the big hospital vets around us aren't allowing people in but we can be sent a text link to pay online or over the phone, you can pay in person In the carpark.
Smaller vets seem to be allowing 1 person in the consult room at a time wearing a mask, no mask jo entry.

I think our current vet practice seems to be amongst the strictest both in terms of not allowing clients in the building for over a year now, and being required to pay by card in the car park at the time of our appointments.

I shall be looking around locally to see if I can do better. Some practices seem to keep up a cheerful Facebook presence with frequent updates and photos, news items etc. I know it's not the main thing but sometimes a bit of feelgood factor goes a long way.

I did what you suggested Madforlabs and found out some details of other local vets. I've now registered with one of them and so far it seems much more to my liking there. But I haven't told my old vets why I have left. They will know as my new vets have requested my dogs records. Did you tell your old vet why you left?
I don't want to seem rude, but also don't feel the need to tell them a list of my objections!
What do people usually do when they change vets?

> What do people usually do when they change vets?

You just change!  Vets prices are high.  We pay for their service.  If you change your butcher, do you feel that he should have an explanation?  I don't.

You're right Jean. It's just that we've been there for such a long time that I felt a bit of a personal connection. But I'm sure I've done the right thing by moving on. Thanks for your input.

I changed vets last year after being with them for 40ish years. When they opened a branch in the village they were brilliant, 7 surgeries a week and same vets long term, when I left they had closed village branch, become part of a 'chain' set up, vets who thought they knew my dog better than I did and did not/would not listen, and very little chance of seeing same one twice. They now have a dismal reputation!
The vet I prefered to see (mostly successful if you could make appt 10/14 days in advance) left and I followed. I did promise her I was not stalking her at 1st appt in new place

When, for a collection of reasons, I moved from one of the two vets here, to the other one, the original vet phoned to ask why..... awkward because overall, it was just his lack of 'bedside manner' that finally made me move on.  Before that move, I moved from two other practices down here in the SW before I finally found one who I've been with now for quite a number of years, I felt I could work with.   Neither of the previous two contacted me to ask why I moved - in both cases, it was pretty obvious why (long stories!). If, for whatever reason, I feel I'm not getting a good enough service for my money, I have no hesitation in moving on!!

I used a different vet last year due to covid. The vet I would normally use ceased to do any surgeries at the local practice I could get to- only was doing things like spay miles away where I could not get to as no transport.
now they have resumed surgeries I will return

Good for you Esme - I hope you’re much happy there! As regards to whether you tell them...that’s entirely up to you. I’ve got all girls registered to 3 practices. There’s no rule saying once you give your details to another practice you can’t continue being on the previous books. I’m particular about my vets so after we moved I continued seeing the same 2 (at different practices) but when I tried to make an appointment recently and found out the vets I trusted were away or booked up I looked into one that’s closer to where I now live, which turned out to be great as they allow you in. I’ve been very happy and much more comfortable with the newer closer one so will go to that one the most now. I haven’t let the others know I’m changing because I want to stay on their books, there are vets at different practices who I trust for different things. My original vets I’ll always stay on long as the guy who owns it is still the head vet, he specialises in orthopaedics so I will always get him to do the xrays for hips and elbows.
Basically what I’m short, if you will never go back there and there’s not a vet there that you like more than others you’ve come across then there’s no need to let them know - one practice years ago that I left I never let them know.
But if you want them as a back up then you can still be on there books no problem

> The vet I prefered to see (mostly successful if you could make appt 10/14 days in advance) left and I followed. I did promise her I was not stalking her at 1st appt in new place <img class="fsm fsm_lol" src="/images/epx.png" title="lol" alt="" />

I’ve done this twice with a particular vet - she’s been involved with one of my girls since she was 6 weeks...I trust her unequivocally and she respects and hears my thoughts which I value so much in a vet, as well as her being an absolute star with the dogs and making them feel so comfortable

I haven't let the others know I'm leaving because I want to stay on their books

My new vets told me they would need my dogs records so I had to authorise them to contact my old vets. Then the old vets phoned me because they said they needed my permission to transfer the dogs records. So I said yes I would like them to transfer the records. As it was someone from admin and not anyone I know I didn't give my reasons. And they didn't ask. But basically they do know. I can't imagine going back there. For one thing I guess I'd have to go through the whole rigmarole again!

> I’ve got all girls registered to 3 practices. There’s no rule saying once you give your details to another practice

I do the same. I have mine registered at works vets which is further and more expensive but they have great out of hours service, and then with a nearer vet I use normally.

If you change vets (and no reason why you shouldn't) you'll still stay on their records for at least 10 years by law - heck, we still have records on ours where the pet is 34! (We've assumed it's died and we haven't been told!) The problem arises when you continue to use the original practice because, although it's strongly recommended that the new vet contacts the original practice, some don't, there's a very real possibility of pets being overdosed or being prescribed medications which are incompatible. It's very important that the two practices liaise fully with each other, for your pet's safety.

> It's very important that the two practices liaise fully with each other, for your pet's safety

Definitely keep all vets updated etc. I’m very open with the vets we see that we also go elsewhere depending on who’s available and what they need to be seen for etc. They have their records and although they don’t contact each other I do let them know if mine are on any medication or have been treated for something else etc.
We’re currently away in wales (we live in NW England) and the dogs are registered at a vets here, their records aren’t up to date (we last came in 2019) but if we needed to go then I’d let them know if they were currently taking anything or if anything major had happened since we last visited.
Thankfully when we do go to the vets it’s usually only minor, and not often - touch wood!

When we moved west, I told my then vet we were leaving the area, and gave her a present - a Basset figurine - to remember us by.  She'd been such a great vet and of anything about moving across country, I missed her.

When moving once down here, as far as I'm aware none of them (there were 3 practices involved) contacted or were contacted by the previous vet.  I got the impression (and none of mine was on ongoing medication at the time) they were just content to look at mine with fresh eyes and weren't bothered about what had gone before.  I gave each new vet permission to ask for their medical records, if needed.