Good to know! When a client wants a drug from the human pharmacy we do look it up for them, in the PDR, but I just didn't know off the top of my head for that one. I know where I work we do encourage people to get their antibiotics (certain ones) at the grocery store near us, that does 7 different types of antibiotics for free.

I posted here about weird redness on my face....do you think this could be fifth's disease? I'm 29 weeks pregnant.... http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=401086

ok, now I'm panicking. Could it be fifth's disease??? I don't have any other symptoms. And the rash was GONE this morning, and it isn't rash like as much as burning and hot, like when my eczema flares up. Did I mention we don't have insurance for another month???

So , last night and tonight all of a sudden my face gets red, blotchy, flushed, and itchy. I have eczema issues, and it is like that....I feel like I took a REALLY hot, long shower...this is what my face does if I do that. (so i don't, lol, i take warm short showers). But I didn't shower at all yesterday, and today I showered at 10am and it is now almost 7pm. What the heck? I'm not itchy anywhere else, I haven't eaten anything unusual, nothing. Anyone have a clue?

The price for the flea medicine and the microchip were probably the most expensive part. I don't know why people think vet's shouldn't charge to feel for tumors, listen for murmurs, (common), check for periodontal issues or stomatitis, etc. What you described is more than my human doctor does at most of my visits, and yet no one expects that to be free.

And with that history, of being in the office regularly, we would have just given you the pills, then charged you the next day when you came in, and put a note on the chart. But if you hadn't been in the office in 15 months, and neglected to schedule an appointment in time for more meds, we wouldn't. But, as I said above, we would wave the dispensing fee the next day, if you did come in. Please realize that vets lose money hand over fist, every single day. When an animal comes in dying we try to save it, or at least make it comfortable, knowing that there is a chance the client will never pay us for that. The file box of "owes money" clients is huge, and most never ever pay. Most recently I think of the little pit bull puppy that was near death, dehydrated, bloody diarrhea, had parvo, was almost comatose, and while we were stabilizing it the owners just walked out and never came back. We stabilized it, nursed it back to health in a separate area, paid workers overtime to take care of it nights and weekends, and eventually found it a home a month later. That is not an isolated case, it happens EVERY week almost, at least every month. There are always animals there recuperating that will need homes, plus the clients that take the pet home but never pay, etc. Trust me, other than the big mega business places like Banfield, vets are NOT in it for the money. They just aren't. And the poor techs and support staff certainly aren't. They could make more money working at the Gap in the mall probably, and save their backs from almost certain injury, prevent the exposure to scabies/ringworm/leoptospirosis/etc. They are there for the animals. But.....the only way to continue to stay open, and be there for the animals, is to try to run it like a business. Otherwise you go bankrupt and can't help anyone. When overhead was lower this was easier. Back in the day you didn't have to pay for expensive drugs to keep on the shelves, you only had a few drug options. You didn't pay (for years and years and years) on digital xray machines, as they didn't exist. Anesthesia was cheap, because gas anesthesia wasn't an option. Certainly you didn't have leases on ultrasound equipment, laser scalpels (best tool ever, but never pay for themselves), etc. The overhead in a veterinary clinic is tremendous, plus the insurance, etc. Then, if you really want to provide good care you want certified technicians, you want to provide continuing ed, etc. I don't know of almost any clinics that can afford to provide health benefits,or any benefits other than some free pet care. Sorry I'm venting here, but the overhead/training/etc are SOOOOOO much higher than people realize (it isn't like a doctor's office, it is like a doctor's office, pharmacy, labratory, diagnostic center, and surgical hospital all in one). But yes, I hope they waived the dispensing fee when you went back. It is automatically put in by computer, but can be taken out by hand. And I don't think you are the client from hell, by any means.

Although that is great for you, it means that the vet probably doesn't make enough money to pay a living wage to his employees, or pay for ongoing training for them. Licensed, Certified Veterinary Technicians with 3 years of schooling, that have passed a national and state licensing exam make way way way less than an unlicensed physicians assistant with 6 months of schooling in the human world. I loved my job, but it is long hours, LOTS of continuing eduacation, physically demanding, often leads to significant injury, and you cannot make enough to support yourself, let alone a family. The reason is that everyone expects the vet to give away their time for free. But, they also want an educated staff that is totally dedicated to their animal.

Roomba.

PLEASE call the police. Seriously. This is what you pay taxes for, this is what they do. They will NOT be annoyed or think you are silly, they will be glad you are putting it in their hands. Think of it this way, if you don't call, and the guy does do something illegal, won't you wish you had called? He might retaliate and slash your tires or something, and you want it on record that he police already know about him.

Yup, call the non emergency number. Explain what happened, and that this guy is freaking you out. Give them his phone number and name and they will have a nice chat with him and tell him to leave you alone. If he doesn't leave you alone after that than he is "disobeying the lawful order of a police officer" and they will handle it. I had to do this once when my ex husband's ex girlfriend started calling me and harrassing me. She didn't do anything illegal, but was really freaking me out. The cops were super nice, and went to her house and told her in no uncertain terms to leave me alone. (she was no nicer or more reasonable with them than with me, so at least that was on record too, if it had continued.)

I've done this many times at the clinics I worked at, but generally for clients that are in often. A cat with cancer that hasn't been seen in over a year might not fall into that category....although if the owner asked nicely we'd do it. OP, I'd go in and simply say, I know it was my fault for not calling to schedule my appointment sooner, but normally I don't do that and I was hoping you could waive the dispensing fee since I was just in yesterday picking up pills. If you ask nicely like that I'm sure they will do it for you. Do not act angry though...or it could turn into the very valid case of "failure to plan on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part." Again though, how often you are in would make a difference.

Dosage might be an issue though...a cat with cancer generally weighs less than 10lbs....not many kids do.

OH, forgot to say, prednisolone and prednisone are not exactly the same thing. Many cats cannot break prednisone down to prednisolone, so you have to give it to them already broken down. I honestly can't remember off the top of my head if that effects the price, or if prednisolone is available at human pharmacies.

First, you are lucky they sold you ANY meds. Legally, they can lose their license for prescribing it to a patient they haven't seen in over a year. Seriously. The law is that they have to have a "doctor patient relationship" which in most states is defined as having seen the patient within one calendar years. So they put their medical license on the line here. That said... This is typical for all vets and most pharmacies. It isn't the counting to 5 that you are paying for. It is for someone to find your chart, look up previous medications and any possible contraindications, check the weight of the animal, then go find a doctor, interrupt them if they are with a patient, get permission to dispense the pills, then count out the pills, etc. It really is a process. Making 2 dollars off of that process wouldn't be right. AT the same time, if you were coming in the next day we wouldn't charge another dispensing fee, as a general rule.

There are actually several doctors in my area that won't take unvaccinated patients. But there are also several that have no problem with it.

Have you spent time on Starfall.com with him? You said he is screen motivated...maybe turn that into a strength? Simple, does colors/letters/numbers and has songs here and there.

I know at least one homeschool group meets at a park in Dr, Phillips.

If you meant my group, we actually meet in the downtown Orlando area mostly....or Altamonte. The co-op i'm part of also meets in that area.

Hugs!!! I have a son that wasn't diagnosed with his illness (Asperger's) until he was 11. I know the guilt of looking back and seeing all the signs in restrospect, and feeling so awful that you didn't realize it sooner. You are doing the best you can. And your daughter is going to be fine.

Look at Essentials in Writing.

I agree. We can't give you a blanket answer because this would be such an unusual situation to deal with that it would require a very specific solution I would imagine. With kids that are not special needs I just would explain the same way I explain everything else. No, you can't wear your pajamas to school, pajamas are for bed. No, you can't wear your bathing suit to church, it isn't appropriate for church. No, you can't go naked at the grocery store, we wear clothes at the grocery store. Yes, that man is naked, but he is a statue, not a real person. Real people wear clothes at the park.

I will admit, even I, who has NO issue with nude art normally, turned off a documentary on pompeii that was spending way too much time detailing the multi person tea parties in the art. My son was 10 at the time and that was a bit much.

HOnestly, anything as long as it is rigorous. Also, has she volunteered at all? The biggest thing is good science and math, and continuing that way long term. Vet school is harder to get into than medical school. Organic chem kicked my butt, lol, and I ended up an English major, then getting licensed as a veterinary technician.

Also, a dear friend died recently, leaving her 2 year old and her husband. Watching them...I couldn't do that to my husband. I just couldn't. I'd choose myself over the babies.

I don't know what I'd do....if I die the babies would have to be born anyway, so I don't know that it would make sense to try to keep them in. Also, if I already had other kids they would have to be my priority....they need me as their mom and leaving them and two new twins with special needs motherless....I couldn't do that to my husband.