Hello!
I too volunteer with rescue that relies on private veterinarians but we are urban and 12 years old, so I acknowledge that our experiences will be not exactly on par with yours. We have had amazing luck with partnering with private veterinarians because they have been willing to learn about "shelter" medicine, for us and other rescues they work with. But everything takes time. The relationship takes nurturing to build mutual trust and respect. With time, I've shared resources from ASPCA Pro and UC Davis Shelter Medicine and others.
I will also say, while we do keep some medications on hand, we never dispense them with a veterinarian's diagnosis and ok. So, yes, we go for every sniffle and case of ringworm. Truth be told, I won't even give sub-q fluids without approval, because of the risks if there is an unknown heart condition.
As far as vaccines you can do and timing, I have found that ASPCA Pro is so useful for vaccine charts, etc.
I know veterinarian care can be expensive and that is a concern for us every day, since we do take this approach. We are fortunate to have primary veterinarians who work with us and do provide a discount. We even have a relationship with one who will volunteer to come to our primary foster home for basic care like rabies vaccines, snap tests, and initial exams. I take none of the support for granted and am thankful and make sure they know how amazing everything they do for us is and how we couldn't do it without them. We treat them like the partners that they are.
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Diane Metz
Volunteer
Orange Street Cats, Inc.
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-28-2023 02:02 PM
From: Anonymous Member
Subject: Working with a private practice veterinarian
This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous
Hi everyone, posting anonymously because I don't want to anger anyone that may be involved with our organization.
As a very new no-kill shelter in a rural town our options are very limited on vets and none of them are "shelter vets" . I've just recently discovered I should be vaccinating at 4 weeks or immediately upon intake instead of waiting for 8 weeks. and that anything under a year needs to do the full regime of every two weeks! This could have saved me 3 Parvo cases.
I'm trying to get an idea of how everyone else works with a private practice vet and how to educate them on what we as a shelter need. They want us to bring every sniffle to them. They do not want us to purchase any medications except through them even though they signed a form giving us access to their online pharmacy. They are telling me that any diagnosing or treating that I do at the shelter is illegal and I am practicing veterinary without a license. Is this par for the course? Do other shelters pay an office visit for every little sniffle or case of ringworm? Does your vet allow you to stock up on medications you frequently use at the shelter (clavamox, prednisolone, trazadone) Prescribed by the veterinarian but cheaper to bulk buy.
How does your shelter and veterinarian work together?
Thank you.
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