I am not sure which is worse - Ringworm or Stupid Vets!!!

My little guy Squeekie, developed a spot on his head a couple weeks back that looked to me like Ringworm. I called the vet immediately to get treatment right away, since I read people can catch it. It is a big vet office with a lot of vets. I was in such a hurry to get help, I agreed to an appointment with a vet I had never seen before. At the appointment, I have never met a vet that was so distracted and disorganized! The Vet Tech was constantly having to remind him of basic things he needed to do for the exam. I told him my fears about Ringworm and suggested a he use Woodlamps I read about online to check. He dismissed it as “not possible” because they were housecats. I have never dealt with this before, so I deferred to his professional judgement. To put my mind at ease, he sent me home with a general anti-bacterial / anti-fungal cream to use for 10 days on the spot. The whole appointment I felt rushed. The spot cleared up a week later and life went on (but I already decided not to go back to that vet!).

Well, wouldn’t you know it - a week or so later I have Ringworm (only a small spot - but still!)! Because I did not know to take the proper precautions, I get infected! My husband also has a dry, itchy patch of skin in his mustache! This is just GROSS! I am so angry! I called and left a message for my usual vet to call me back and let me know if the cats need meds (because I read they could be carriers?) and what I have to do to get rid of this. My usual vet is very very good. I honestly don’t feel that I should even have to pay the vet’s office more money for the bad vet’s mistake. As far as I am concerned, they are responsible for putting my family’s health on the line due to his incompetence. Ringworm is about the easiest thing to spot. I am pretty sure they teach that in “Vet 101”. Has anyone dealt with this before? Have any advice on how to handle this whole thing and get us fungus-free? :?

 

You poor things!!! That is one thing that I have not had to deal with sorry.... Stupid vet I would have insisted on having someone who was not busy to help even if it meant I had to wait. That's horrible to have the tech keeping him on track!!

There would be no way I would pay anything else in this matter it was his mistake/misdiagnosis/treatment!!! I would be insistant that they remedy the situation pro bono!!

 

you will still be expected to pay the vet bills as your cat did clear up. Bedside manner isn't wouldn't render a verdict for your side of not paying the bill. Better to just pay the bill to keep your credit from being affected and just keep the vet's name at the back of your head and insist you never have him again.
Better yet - call the clinic and make a complaint about him. Be sure to let the clinic know that yes your cat's ringworm cleared up but due to the vet's lack of caring you and your husband now have it and require treatment. That perhaps if this vet had taken some time with you to make sure you knew what to do to make sure the ringworm didn't spread you wouldn't be in the situation you are in now.
And then tell them you would like to continue using their clinic for your pets but you would appreciate having a general exam for your cats and not be charged an office visit next time - or you will do everything in your power to get the word out.

 

I wanted to mention -years ago my vet's office hired a receptionist that came from the bowels of hell.
She was HORRIBLY rude. She'd offer advice (which I took very lightly) and then when you'd ask her another question she'd say "oh should I know I'm not a vet"
she was exceptionally rude and nasty. I've worked in customer service for many years and I know most people's first impression of a business is what happens at the front desk.
So one day during an office visit I mentioned to the vet that either the secretary goes - or I do and I've been taking pets there since I was 16!!! I'm way beyond that now
His office manger (whom I'd known since I was 16) called me later that day and whispered into the phone "he fired her"
When I spoke with the vet he told me he'd been wondering why so many people had been calling asking for their pets' records and were leaving....I was the only one who had the nerve to say anything to him

 

I will pay for treatment of course, but I just don't feel that I should have to. I already paid for all the treatments I had done with Squeekie from before, I just meant any future meds or creams to clear up the problem. If the vet would have spotted the ringworm when it first started, then a household outbreak could have been prevented and both cats may not have needed treatment.

I guess I just needed to vent. If the vet would have even told me it was "possible" it could be ringworm or given me any possible explanation at all for the rash, then maybe I would have not been so put off. I am sorry, "I don't know.... it looks like a rash or something *duh*" is not acceptable. He almost did not give me a cream, but I was so insistent. I did talk to my normal vet and mentioned something about "not being happy" with the other vet's service. I was not rude about it, but felt it needed to be said. You never know, I may not be the only one. That vet's office usually has exceptional vets and service.

As far as the ringworm goes, my vet said if the cats do not have any sores, then I am likely not going to get infected again after my treatment. Plus, he said the ringworm meds are pretty rough on a cat's system. Does this sound correct to you guys? Has anyone dealt with ringworm? I am just interested in getting it gone and out of my house!

 

Vent away
I've never had to deal with ringworm, but know many Siamese Rescue fosters who have and it can be tough to get rid of.
I believe ringworm itself can have a negative affect on a cat's immune system until it's cleared up.
Most fosters who have had cats with ringworm also end up with it themselves. Luckily in the New England states ringworm isn't all that common. Southern states it's a must for fosters to bathe all incoming cats. Here we do only if the cat had lived outside for some time or was in a shelter and origins are unknown.

 

Mary: love the new Icon BTW.
Lovemykitties yea I don't think that you should have to pay for any further meds I agree and that's what I was leading to in my earlier post. Not that you should get reimbursed for anything just to have them take care of the situation that could have been avoided. If he had actually spent the time and "knew" what he was doing instead of referring to the vet tech for what he should do next.
good luck with getting rid of the ringworm that is something I have not had the "pleasure" of dealing with yea......

 

Well, thankfully neither cat currently has any noticeable hair loss or sores. I still have plenty of the ointment left from Sqeekie’s treatment too, so that will help. Now all we have to do is get this icky stuff off my husband and I! I am scrubbing the house down today with a bleach 1/10 solution and vacuuming just in case (I read online that can help). We also should add some bleach to the water when we do laundry.

Hopefully we can get it off of everyone and be done with it, but I am just keeping a watchful eye and doing “daily inspections”. Knowledge is power and now that I know what I am dealing with, I am sure we can get this under control. Mary sent me a nice article on what to do to get rid of it. I am mostly just annoyed at the vet. I think of it as the “suck cherry” on the “ice cream sunday” of a horrible vet experience.
:mrgreen:

 

What a frustrating situation! It must be annoying to know it could have been avoided... At least you know which vet you won't be using anymore. Good luck getting rid of it!