@JeanLouiseFinch wrote:
@Moonchilde wrote:
I used to watch it and thought it was okay. Now that there are so many other vet shows on, I prefer the others to this one. My favorites are Dr Jeff, the exotic animals practice in FL, and Yukon Vet.
I have never liked Charles; honestly, he gives me the creeps, and I very much think he’s ridin’ on mom & dad’s coattails here. I like the younger woman vet, who’s been there several years, out of all of them.
I used to be fonder of the whole show, but I decided that the more I watched, I was fine mostly with the way he treats the farm animals but he doesn’t seem to care as much (JMO) about pets. There are a lot of vets and veterinarian organizations that don’t feel he practices good 21st C veterinary medicine. I didn’t see that at first, but after several years I do see it now.
@Moonchilde- I can see your point about Charles. Yes, he's there to help on the farm calls, but around the office it seems like he does as little as possible.
I do disagree with your assessment of Dr. Pol though. I've watched him have to put down his own Great Dane - heartwrenching. I've also watch him save a cat that needed an amputation rather than put it down. That cat it now the 3-legged office cat. As for what other organizations say about him not practicing good 21st Century veterinary medicine, I that can be debatable. Do they indicate why they feel that way? What makes you think that?
Improper sterilization of materials and equipment or not operating/treating in a sterile field was one complaint. At the time the complaints were being made there were many articles online. If you google “complaints about dr pol” you will see several references, to put it mildly.
The state of Michigan’s vet regulatory agency has censured and fined him based on the recommendations of other vets.
The following is from a country vet whose practice is similar to Dr Pol’s practice.
“Many people who watch the show love Dr. Pol because they think “old-school” means caring about animals and not charging a lot of money to do what he loves.
“Well, I’m a bit old-school, I love my patients, and my clients’ pocketbooks are never far from my mind. In terms of pricing, I have been told by a number of veterinary business consultants that my prices are too low.
“Be that as it may, my gripe with Dr. Pol is that “low prices” never has to mean substandard care or unnecessary deaths. Dr. Pol may look like the wonderful ol’ family farm vet, but his medicine is totally outdated.
“He could be compassionate and considerate of folks’ finances, leave all the bells and whistles behind, but understand that animals have a pain center and surgery requires clean gloves.
“Let me give you some examples from the show:
“A dog’s tail is amputated on an exam table without proper anesthesia or sterile technique.
A dog’s femoral head (top of rear leg bone) is cut off without proper pain medication and sterile technique.
A mauled puppy is placed in a cage and dies.
A dog who probably had a ball stuck in its GI tract dies without the benefit of hydration or surgery.
“A Boston terrier’s eye is removed without sufficient anesthesia, pain meds, sterile technique or intubation (anesthesia delivered via a tube down the trachea so this brachycephalic dog can breathe). They have enough trouble breathing when they’re awake!
“Those are just a few sad cases that should not be happening in this day and time. Dr. Pol’s fans believe his kind of veterinary medicine is acceptable because he isn’t a high-faluttin’ city vet who costs a ton of money.
Well, take this from me, a non-high-faluttin’ country vet: Basic standard veterinary practices don’t have to cost a lot of money.”
It’s all down to what you want or don’t want to believe. I don’t think the actions that have been taken were without any merit - governmental bodies don’t usually do that. The issue in this article’s author’s particular complaint is pretty basic - Dr Pol doesn’t seem to believe, in many cases, that animals need pain relief medication. I can’t even imagine, if it was my animal.
Do I think he’s the worst vet ever? Of course not. But he’s practising in some ways that’s somewhat old-fashioned, which can have downsides as well as benefits.
I don’t condemn everything he does, but I don’t applaud everything he does, either. I make my own judgments based on what I see and read. Others may read and view the same thing and come up with a different opinion; that’s life.
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