Making a complaint about a vet

Have you done it before? Did it improve the situation, do you know if they were reprimanded, or did it worsen the situation/cause friction with them or other staff at the practice?

I've been back and forth recently with Kiki about her thyroid, initially saw a fab vet (head of the practice actually), but then he was sick and I ended up seeing another vet. This is when I wanted to query the blood test results about the possibility of hypothyroidism. I just felt like the vet really couldn't be bothered to listen to me - he started off the appointment actually saying "I'm not even sure why you're here, I haven't looked at Kiki's file" (I'd made the appointment the day before and he'd actually been in the appointment room on his own before I went in, so time to at least glance at it!). Then wasn't really keen to listen to me at all re. borderline hypothyroidism, wasn't keen to look at any of the articles I took in (I'd highlighted relevant parts so not as if he had to browse it all), told me "you could diagnose yourself with anything if you Googled enough" (way to patronise me) and basically I just kept talking and talking until he finally said he'd consider it. I stressed that I wasn't saying that I'd Googled it and decided that was the cause - infact, I'd made the appointment to discuss the possibility of medication like Clomicalm for her separation anxiety, but just wanted to rule out the thyroid being an issue, but he just kept implying it was a complete stretch to think it was that, and if anything why hadn't I assumed it was hyperthyroidism (er, perhaps because her thyroid results were right at the bottom of the range instead of the top? ). He kept blabbering on and on about being worried about hyperthyroidism - which I've since read is pretty difficult to do with Soloxine anyway.
Anyway, despite telling me he "wouldn't sit on it too long", he took ages to look at the paperwork and whenever I rang to check up, he made excuses. I'd stressed at the appointments that we'd had some regression with her SA and I was eager to trial the Soloxine ASAP because of that. I wasn't expecting a response within hours but it took a week for me to get an answer - and only because I called myself. When I called he had a real stroppy attitude, he actually answered the phone asking "what do you want?" and told me in a huff that he'd dispensed the Soloxine - no one had called to tell me so how was I supposed to know?! He said he'd asked someone else to call me, but he'd told me himself that he would contact me, and they only call my mobile so if I'd missed the call I'd have had a notification or voicemail.

Anyway, the Soloxine seems to be helping so we went back for our checkup today, had blood drawn to re-test and got some more tablets. I specifically booked with the head vet again and had a lovely appointment, his attitude is just polar opposite to the other vet. While he was off drawing blood from Kiki I could see her screen left up on the monitor - and was annoyed to see several notes by this other vet that have peed me off and made me debate making an official complaint. Firstly there's one saying how he doubts the credibility of Dr Dodds - but he's not contacted her and showed no interest in researching her (I actually doubt if he read the articles I gave him because he said several things that suggest not - e.g. insistant we do a repeat blood test 6 weeks later when most of the articles I gave him state that so he should have known I'd be totally fine, if not requesting it myself). There was a note from a receptionist, when I dropped the claims form in I hadn't put the reason for the claim, not being sure if it would go under separation anxiety or hypothyroidism. The receptionist had put a note of the screen saying could they hold off on the form to prevent any problems with the claim or me having to pay two excesses (e.g. one now for SA and one for hypothyroidism if the tablets worked/she continued on them) but right underneath this vet had put a note to file the form as separation anxiety - fair enough, their call and it's good of them to do direct claims anyway so I'm sure they want their money ASAP, but someone could have called to let me know. Then there's a note from the time I got dispensed the tablets and phoned to query if they were to be given once a day or twice a day - I mentioned about studies showing Soloxine to have a half-life of 12-16 hours (so giving twice a day gets a more level dose) and this note on the system was in his same patronising tone saying he'd tried to call and not got through but that all their medication had a shelf life of a year and no medication would ever have a shelf life of 12 hours. Yes, you paid so much attention to my message then

I don't know if I'm just taking it personally, or if he's got an issue with me. He used to be great actually, the vet of choice when I had rats as he was always so open to alternative medications, research I took in, etc. so this is all a real surprise to me now, but then I had a rabbit die suddenly and he did the PM and basically accused me of leaving the rabbit to die a slow, painful death as the PM results indicated such a high level of coccidia that it would have had violet diaorreah for weeks - said rabbit had been in to their practice a week prior due to my concern over some slight weightloss and been deemed perfectly healthy and just in need of some extra food due to colder weather! I hadn't seen him since, not for any reason but just because I hadn't been in half as often once I stopped doing rehoming of rats etc., but I had no qualms seeing him again, I figured he'd had a bad day at the time or something. I don't know if he remembers me from that incident or if he's just completely lost any sense of customer service, or if I'm overreacting, but today's appointment was just such a contrast it's made me question why I put up with being spoken to so rudely. Just trying to decide if it's actually going to achieve anything or not - I'm hesistant to stir things up as I don't want to change vets, 95% of the time I'm more than happy with them, I love that they do 24/7 emergency cover in-house, there's several vets I'd trust completely with the lives of my pets, but as a paying customer I just feel like this vet has decided I'm nothing better than a bit of dog poo on his shoe

Maybe instead of writing a complaint, just write a letter setting out what's happened and how you feel unsatisfied by the way he treated you, but also mention you're happy 95% of the time with the practice, especially with the head vet. Leave it to them to act how they see fit

Oh yup - I was thinking more of a letter to the head vet rather than a complaint through the RCVS as I don't think it's serious enough to warrant the latter, Kiki got her treatment in the end and I can just make sure I see someone else now so it's not a matter of life and death, just really the lack of any respect to be honest. When I went in to collect the meds I actually saw him and was hoping he wouldn't spot me because I was dreading yet another patronising comment, it did quite get to me - which is why I'm wondering I'm making a bigger deal of it, but then I reminded myself that I haven't done anything wrong, I've just asked them to be extra sure that my dog doesn't have a condition that's missed and untreated because her results are within range, if only just there. It's not like I even questioned his judgement as such, because he wasn't the one doing the initial consultation or the one who looked over and deemed the results as fine - I was just presenting an alternative from a vet who's specialised in the subject and asking him to consider it as a possibility. The fact that he prescribed the meds means he can't have thought it was that an insane idea because surely he'd have been obliged to refuse on the grounds that he didn't think it was safe/beneficial

When I got told off and made to feel like a 5 year old when Ollie was ill once and was told yet again he was overweight which I knew but it didn't matter what I tried he didn't knock the weight off I now know why it was a problem he had underlying conditions which we didn't know about then. So my question was can you give me an example of how much to feed to which he asked what did I feed and when I said raw I got the lecture from hell and told I should of brought a fox instead of a dog. I decided to do something about it.

I rang the receptinist when I got home and she suggested writing a letter to the practice incidentally the vet we saw was the main partner to complain she said if we talked to the clients like that we would be out of a job and that she would flag us up not to see him again.

I did and we didn't and not much longer after that incident we moved vets.

I didn't get a reply back but wasn't really that bothered it just made me feel better.

I originally spoke to the Head Vet over Reah when they demanded a £100 up front before they would admit her, after she was so ill with an obstruction, and I had to call my hubby out of work as an emergency (he's a bus driver too) but the Head vet was far from any help in agreeing that this was unacceptable practice saying that this was NOW their rules.
Plus having learnt afterwards from the Vet who operated that if it had not been for my persistence (screaming and shouting/threatening to go to the papers, at staff and agreeing to wait till my hubby arrived with his credit card as long as they took her in) she would of been dead within 40 mins due to peritonitis, I then rang their head office, after being (what I thought) fobbed off I wrote to the Royal Veterinary College who investigated.
After receiving a few phone calls from the RVC etc my own vets knocked £300 off the bill as a gesture of good will and sent a letter of apology since then they have treated me with nothing but politeness and friendliness.....and even if they hadn't it wouldn't matter to me I'd of just changed vets as I thought their practice out of order

They should have a practice manager to whom you should address your concerns & I would also send a copy for the senior partner in the practice.

If you do not get any joy then you can go up to the RCVS.

Personally i would made an appointment to see the Senior Head Vet & outline my concerns to him/ her, only then if you feel you are not getting somewhere, would i consider putting it in writing.

I wouldn't write a letter initially. You'll just be the 'client that complains'. I know that sounds harsh, but that's the truth about human nature.

The best and most adult way to sort this, IMHO, is to request a meeting with the Practice Manager. If your feeling up to it, request the other Vet as well. I would list all my concerns and here's the really important bit - you must state what you want to happen next.

If that meeting doesn't work, I would then consider writing a letter. I believe going to an official body would be the next course of action after that.

HTH

You may remember I went through this recently when a vet at my old practice told me to take Lily home, when she was in a terribibly distressed state and leave her in a room to get on with it, all because they were about to close on a Saturday.
I rushed her to a nearby vets and she had suffered a mild stroke after severely reacting to some medication the old vet had given her. The new vet took her straight in and kept her on a drip even though they were about to close too.
I wrote a letter of complaint stating the facts as they had happenned. I had a letter back from the head vet saying the vet concerned would write to me.
She did but tried to gloss over it as though she had been proffesional, she forgot to answer about her rudeness in the middle of the waiting room and how she kept rolling her eyes at me me and telling me I was fussing as always, because I was saying my dog was not right at all.
I was going to go to the RCVS but I know they would all gloss over it and deny most of it so as I am more than happy with my new vet I have just let it go, but I certainly wouldn't recommend them to anyone and would tell them why.