BBC TV: Secret Filming at a Vet Clinic

Even liking my vet that I had before, I have never been happy leaving my dogs there and always insist they do any procedures possible with me watching and/or helping. Can't always be the case of course. I know once when I left my Bichon there her paws were all wrapped in bandages when I picked her up because they were hurt and bleeding from trying to dig her way out of the cage apparently.

Even hospitals with children need watching as much as possible. When my youngest was in for hip problems at a year and a half, the nurses very often bandaged her legs improperly causing the circulation to be cut off. I used to rush in, in the morning to do them myself. Even then the morning I arrived for her surgery, someone had put them on too tight the night before and so surgery had to be delayed These "professionals" make loads of mistakes. I check everything as much as I can these days. I have seen so many errors, from misdiagnosis to totally incorrect medication.

Makes me sooo mad.

Those videos are heartbreaking to watch. Unfortunately I bet things like that happen in almost all vet offices. I have never felt comfortable leaving my dogs at the vet or anywhere else without me, but sometimes you have to (ie: spay/neuter, etc) and you just hope they treat your pets well.

A couple of years ago I worked part-time at a dog daycare where they also boarded dogs, and I couldn't believe how cruel they were to the dogs there sometimes. On the outside, people see a happy place to leave their pets to play while they're at work, but on the inside it is awful. The dogs went down for "naptime" for 2 hours each day where all of the lights go off, etc (even employees couldn't see around, I had to carry a flashlight) and it was to be 100% quiet in there or one of the employees would literally scream at the dogs to shut up. All I was thinking is, "these poor dogs don't know what nap time is, you can't force them to sleep, and they are in complete darkness in a strange building with strange dogs". I had always wanted to take London to a daycare, but after that, I never would.

Nikki's Mom said:

BBC - Panorama - Panorama

Warning! Disturbing images:


BBC News - Panorama - Secret filming raises questions about pet care

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I've been a vet tech for 25 years. This is an HONEST statement. In those years, I've seen one vet mistreat an animal. He was the first vet I worked with (an associate of my boss's) and he was told, never again or out the door he would go. I never saw it happen again. I've worked with some of the most compassionate people ever, including my current boss. Our policy on handling animals for blood draws is, less is more. Many times, Dr H is on the floor by herself, getting blood. We pride ourselves for having the whole package. Treating our clients well and their pets.

This saddens me. Not only the videos, but how people take that bit and generalize it, dramatizing it, to make it an "across the board happening". When one of my dogs was at the Univ. for ultrasounds, she never even saw a cage. She sat on the laps of the techs all day.

Please do not let this make you worry about your dogs in the care of a vet clinic. Yes, you need to choose your vet carefully, but you won't be able to stay right there with them, as they have surgery, etc. Trust me when I say, I really have only seen it once.

As far as the dog getting injured at the clinic, you bet we would have owned up to that and I can see how it could happen. You have a dog with really sensitive skin, easily torn and it stops dead in its tracks when going into the cage, as you are shutting it. Happens. But to cover it up like that... not sure how often that would happen. I've worked at two clinic. (worked with alot of associates, but two owners). Neither would have done what that clinic did. I've seen mistakes made by newly graduated veterinarians. The clinics have always owned up to their mistakes. They are people. they are gonna make mistakes. Mistreatment, no.. Again, I can say, honestly, one vet, one time.