Isn't this a great quote to be on a vet's walls? |
We
recently published a post on Partners For Healthy Pets and AAHA. I met their representatives at the BlogPaws
conference and was intrigued with their information. When I began searching for AAHA accredited veterinarians
in our city, I was dismayed to find only three existed. After some research on each of these, I
selected the one that was a good fit for Bentley and Pierre.
Bentley
was the first to get to meet the new veterinarian. I called the University Veterinary Hospital
to make an appointment. It was surprising that they were able to schedule us for the same day.
The
first thing that I noticed when we walked inside was how pleasant and inviting
the waiting
room appeared. Friendly,
smiling employees offering bottled water or coffee greeted us. That was a first; my own doctor doesn’t even
offer me these things! When I glanced
around the room, I noticed they had some of my favorite dog and pet quotes on the walls. As a
certified “quotaholic,” I knew that I was going to love this place.
Two of the fabulous staff members;Jamie Green and Kristi Harlan |
Bentley
did his usual meet and greet with the staff, other patients, and anyone that
walked through the door. He really
should get a part-time job as a Walmart greeter. We didn’t have to wait long before someone
escorted us to a room. It was spacious,
chocked full of veterinarian handbooks, and had a table that lowers to the floor
and rises to the vet’s level.
This is so
much easier than having to lift Bentley up on the examining table. It also features a digital scale that weighed
him once he was settled. Our previous
vet had the giant scale on the floor and he would never stand still. This caused his actual weight to fluctuate by
five pounds or more. That makes a huge
difference in a dog. There was also a window
on his level which delighted him.
Another beautiful quote adorning the reception area wall. |
After
a few minutes Ashley, a vet tech came in and asked all about Bentley. She was very nice and professional, but
didn’t hesitate to get down and give Bentley some love. His tail never quit wagging. She got the basic information and assured us
the vet would be in to see us in a few more minutes. As we sat there waiting, my husband and I
discussed how impressed we were so far. If
the doctor was just as awesome, we had definitely found our new veterinarian’s
clinic.
Dr. Adam Foret came in and introduced himself. He
shook our hands, then immediately got
down to greet Bentley. He asked us more in-depth questions about our
boy and we gave him the complete history.
Once Bentley stepped up on the table and sat down, the doctor raised it
to his height. What took place then still leaves me in awe. We watched
and listened as Bentley received the most thorough physical exam that we had ever seen.
Bentley loves Dr. Foret! |
I
once read on Tails and Tales about their dog’s having an eye exam. As far as I can recall, no vet has ever done
more than look into our dog’s eyes.
Dr. Foret was different. He
actually examined Bentley’s eyes with a light, pulled down his eyelids, checked
for diseases, and only found mild conjunctivitis in his right eye. He gave us the name of an over-the-counter eye
drop we could use to clear it. Once he
finished with the eyes, he examined his nose, mouth, teeth (we were
complimented on the care we take with his dental hygiene), and his ears. From that point, I’m sure my mouth was agape.
We
watched in fascination as he preceded to exam his lymph nodes, cardiovascular,
musculoskeletal, abdomen, and abdominal organs.
He lifted each paw and bent it to check for aches or any popping. He told us that Bentley was unusual for a Basset
Hound because his front feet were properly aligned. You may have seen many photos of Bassets
whose feet turn out a lot. I was
very proud that we didn’t have any problems and Bentley is in excellent health.
"Look! A Bentley-level window!" |
I
mentioned a couple of things on him that was bothering me. He has a skin tag on his chest, but Dr. Foret
assured me that it was fine. If we ever
have to sedate him for a dental cleaning, they can snip it off. He said that he could do it sooner, but it would
strictly be for cosmetic reasons. We are
leaving it alone for now. The other
thing is a small knot that I could feel on his left hind leg. To be honest, I was scared it would be
something serious. When he diagnosed it
as a small follicular cyst, which is an ingrown hair, I gave a sigh of relief. He applied a little pressure and it
emptied. This didn’t bother Bentley at
all. He did tell us that it was likely
to fill again and if it ever became a source of irritation, they could remove
it. Whew! The two things that I was worried with was
nothing I needed to be concerned about after all.
Before
leaving, Bentley had his photograph made and we were handed a six-page Pet
Health Report Card. It listed all of the
results of our examination, some great health tips, and a brief history of the
Basset Hound. We were scheduled for free
six-week follow-up.
**We
went for that visit yesterday morning.
Once again, Bentley and I enjoyed the visit. He even got a chew bone, which is the equivalent
to a sucker at the pediatrician.
"My vet office has treats AND tennis balls!" |
If
you are not satisfied with your current family pet doctor or looking for a new
one, I strongly suggest you look for the AAHA accreditation seal. All AAHA clinics must meet stringent
regulations and submit to a rigorous review by veterinary experts every three
years. When it comes to pet health care,
many states do not routinely inspect hospitals and clinics. They only go in for an inspection when a pet
owner files a complaint. Accreditation
is voluntary, but it is a rigorous and time-consuming process. Since law doesn’t require it, not every vet
wants to go through the lengthy process.
While nearly 60% of pet parents think their veterinary hospital is
accredited, the truth is only 12 – 15% have gone through the evaluation process
by the American Animal Hospital Association.
I honestly thought the majority of pet clinics were accredited. Now that I know better, I have done better
and found a terrific clinic with a wonderful staff that proudly displays their
accreditation by AAHA.
Resources:
Probiotics
info: http://www.pet360.com/dog/health/are-probiotics-good-for-dogs/
AAHA
for vets: https://www.aahanet.org/
AAHA
for pet parents: http://www.aaha.org/pet_owner/
It
always makes me sad to have to re-introduce a PetSavers pup, because that means
they are still homeless. Beairdsley had
been at the shelter since June 18, 2011.
He was only five months old when he arrived. Please share his information so he can find a
forever family.
It’s
Tuesday, so we are joining our pals Dogs N’ Pawz and Talking Dogs for Tuesday’s
Tails blog hop. That means it’s the day
to share some wonderful dogs. Their only
fault is they are homeless. Please remember that sharing is
caring.
That's a fabulous vet who has tennis balls too! I will share Beairdsley's ad and I hope a lot of people will call for her... and a lot of people will read this wonderful quote of Mahatma Ghandi.
ReplyDeleteThe treats were awesome, but the tennis balls were exceptionally cool! The quote is one of my favorites. ☺
DeleteA great vet indeed..we are blessed both vets we have trusted have been excellent clinicians surgeons and friends..very hard to find but not impossible...poor sweet Beairdsley I hope finds a home soon...that is such a long time to wait :( hugs Fozziemum x
ReplyDeleteIt is just as important to have a great trustworthy vet as it is to have a good human family doctor. Thanks!
DeleteWhat a great visit, very professional and the place looks great! Every visit should be a great one!
ReplyDeleteIt was really an awesome clinic and everyone was super sweet. Thanks for dropping by today! ☺
DeleteThere is nothing better than finding exactly the right vet. We found ours almost three years ago now, also AHAA. They are totally awesome. Glad you are okay, Bentley. Don't worry about that cyst thingy. I get those 1-2 times a year. The goopy stuff that comes out is gross, but then it heals and I can go on with my normal business. I love that you have correct feet too, that is awesome. That is one difference with GBGV and PBGV dogs, we have straight feet but the PB's tend to have the Bassett turned feet.
ReplyDeleteThanks Emma. Does your mom take care of your cysts? It certainly looked easy enough, but I don't know if I could do it myself.
DeleteI have had such a hard time finding a good vet. Every one we have tried has not provided the level of care we like until the last one...and then he took a teaching position at U of FL and moved away! Now I need to find another new vet. I need to look to see if I can find an AAHA one here. Thanks for this post.
ReplyDeleteYou can go to the link under Resources for AAHA Pet Parents and type in your zip code. It will give you a list or in my case...three! haha!
DeleteWe're satisfied with our vet...he is close by and always available for emergencies. His staff is very friendly and helpful. But I have to say the exams he gives are not nearly as thorough as what Bentley got. Of course I'm not surprised that the closest AAHA vet in our area is 40 miles away. Not so easy when you have 5 pets to take. That's the problem with living in a rural area!
ReplyDeleteJan, Wag 'n Woof Pets
I completely understand. It's probably not easy taking five any where that is close to a vet's office! Our two are a handful!
DeleteVery impressive vet clinic and what a great post! I just feel so badly for Beairdsley and that he has lived so much of his life without a loving home. Sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sue! I feel so sorry for Beairdsley too. He is such a cute and happy dog. Maybe he will get his forever home soon!
DeleteThat's what I call a proper vet clinic, sharing.
ReplyDeleteSheba.
Thanks! We were so excited to find such a treasure. It is a difficult decision to choose a vet that is a great fit.
DeleteWhat a great vet visit. I think the tennis balls in the jar is the best thing ever. Thanks for letting us hear about your experience.
ReplyDeleteIt was a first for us! Pierre will go nuts when he gets to visit. He is a major ball fanatic!
DeleteBeairdsley is such a cutie. I hate it that he hasn't found a forever home yet. Thanks for joining the blog hop and tweeting about it! Sharing Beairdsley!
ReplyDeleteVisit us at Dogs N Pawz!
I love Tuesday's Tails and try not to ever miss the opportunity to share all of these great pets that need homes. Thanks for hosting! ♥
DeleteI'm glad you liked hearing about the eye exams. Veterinary ophthalmologists are rare, but definitely worth knowing! And it sounds like you had a fantastic experience with your new vet. I was surprised to see that our current vet isn't on the list, but there's another one much closer to home that is. I will be making some calls and asking some questions in the near future.
ReplyDeleteI was so intrigued by your (Mr. TaleTeller) post on Bunny and Kuster's visit to the ophthalmologist. I had never heard of such an exam for dogs. It was stunning to find out that we only have three in a city of our size. *sigh
DeleteIt sounds like you found an awesome vet, I didn't realize that most vets aren't AHAA accredited. Theo would go crazy if he saw a whole jar of tennis balls. We have to keep our extras out of sight or he cries.
ReplyDeleteMost people, like me, just assume all vets are AAHA accredited. When the representatives at BlogPaws gave me the facts, I was shocked! Poor Theo! It's hard to love tennis balls so much! Haha!
DeleteHow great that you found such a caring and thorough vet! I checked, and our vet is AAHA accredited, which is reassuring. Thanks for posting about it.
ReplyDeleteWhew! That's a great thing to discover. When I checked, none of the vets that i have ever used are accredited! I was dismayed. I'm so glad that we found Dr. Foret. ☺
DeleteThe specialist place we go to is AAHA accredited and we have pretty much the same type of experience. they know their stuff! Beairdsley sure is a sweet looking dog and we will share!
ReplyDeleteIt's great, isn't it? Thanks for sharing sweet Beairdsley. We are keeping our paws crossed. ☺
DeleteWow! What an interesting trip!! I am so so glad to hear that your concerns were nothing serious!
ReplyDeleteIt looks like a great place, super friendly and clean. Nice!
I will share this post and paws crossed for Beairdsley!
ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!