Vets Office Doesn't Give Appointment Times - Is this Normal?

[ytr45]

I was scheduling an appointment with a new Vet and the office informed me that they don't give an appointment time - just a day. They explained that this was because they schedule according to emergencies. I was a bit taken aback, that there was no appointment time for the day of the vet call. The office told me that I could call the morning of the appointment and they would give me an estimated time.

I am used to setting up appointments for a general time of the day, and if the vet has an emergency then of course my appointment is pushed back.

Has anyone else heard of a vet not giving any time for the appointment? They said I could request morning or afternoon, but they couldn't guarantee it. It felt a bit crazy to try to work with a vet this way - like I have to wait at home all day.

Are other vets doing this too?

[findeight]

You mean as a farm call or haul in?

I never had a vet that that made "appointments" for farm calls, just AM or PM. haul in there would be a vet there but you may still get pushed back if it is breathing and not bleeding.

The few times there has been an appointment such as a PPE, vet was at least 3 hours late anyway due to one emergency or other. if they are healthy, you gotta wait.

[lovemyoldguy]

That sounds just like my vet's practice - in fact, if you live in VA, it might be the same one. I only used them for a year and a half until Rebuff died (from old age), but I was ok with the scheduling. Inititally I too was taken aback - I've only ever worked with vets who scheduled specific times - but I found that it really wasn't a problem for me.

I did try and request a time frame when needed (eg, first in the morning, around lunch, etc) and they did their best to accomodate me. They were great about calling me about 45 min. out (at my request), which let me leave work and meet the vet. (That was a big plus for me - barring any scheduling issues at work, I was pretty flexible in my ability to leave the office for a couple of hours - just worked later into the evening.) If for some reason I wasn't able to meet the vet, she would see the horse without me.

Bottom line - it depends on your schedule and flexibility, but for me it wasn't a huge problem. And I LOVED my vet practice, so it was worth the slight inconvenience for really great care.

[RedTahoe]

My vet would aim for a certain time for routine stuff ("somewhere around 12-2pm"), but she would or her assistant would call if they were running late/had an emergency pop up. I gave her a 4-6 hour window.

[Cashela]

When I scheduled for shots I was told between 11 and 3.

[jennywho]

My absolute favorite vet was like that. For farm calls you could expect him any time after noon, hospital calls, be there at 8 and wait in line. They would call the farm when he was on his way. Somedays he would get there at noon, others at 10pm. He was such a great vet it didn't matter.

[Fairview Horse Center]

My absolute favorite vet was like that. ... They would call the farm when he was on his way. Somedays he would get there at noon, others at 10pm. He was such a great vet it didn't matter.

My absolute favorite vet of all time worked like that. He would schedule you for "first in the morning", or later, evening if you needed that, but with emergencies, and "add ons", he may get there at 9PM, or the office would occasionally call and say that he was on a bad emergency, and could they reschedule. If you really needed him to come that day, he would still show up, even at midnight.

I am sure it was hard on him and his family, but he was always there for his clients.

I never heard him turn down anyone that had to add on a horse or two because they found one lame that morning, or someone remembered they needed a Coggins Test, once he was there.

He was also a vet that responded to ANY emergency that someone needed him, even if their regular vet wouldn't. He came one day for me in a blizzard. His vehicle was stuck, but he had a neighbor that was able to get out, and they brought him to my farm.

What an AMAZING vet! I know he also accepted things like fresh corn if someone couldn't pay their bill. He also helped someone (driving nails and sawing boards) build a shelter for their horses when they had none. If I remember, that was when he was well into his 60s. Thank-you Dr Herbert "Jack" Howard!

[dab]

I've used about a half dozen vet offices over the years, and they all gave me appointment times, or at minimum a time range of no more than an hour -- They/their assistants would call if they were running late or had to cancel --

Is this vet willing to treat a horse you left in a stall/paddock if you can't be there? ... and discuss any issues with you by phone?

[trubandloki]

I am not sure it matters one way or the other if they give you a time or something vague like morning or afternoon. My vets office gives me a range; my appointment will start sometime between 2pm and 4pm or something like that.

Since large animal vets are known for being late (for good reasons, not a complaint) I do not see this range set up as any different than them saying they will be there at 2:00 and not getting there until 4:00.

My vet will also do that wonderful thing of calling when they are a designated time from my appointment. This allows me to hang at work until they are on their way to my place.

[jaimebaker]

For me it depends on what vet I use. The one I use for teeth floating I call a couple of weeks in advance and set up a time. If something comes up she calls but she's never more than an hour or two late. Another vet I can generally get there within an hour time frame if he's not on an emergency call. I had a different vet up this week for some stuff and I scheduled the appt last week. They said he'd be there between 2:30 and 4. He called when he was on his way. I would be too keen on AM or PM stuff. I need a 2 hour window or something. I don't live where my horses are so I'm not gonna sit on my butt all day waiting for a vet to show up (for routine stuff).

[JoZ]

My vet gives me a time but since it is subject to change, I don't think I'd mind the uncertainty of day or day part. Of course I currently work at home (but on a fixed 9-5 schedule so it's not as easy as people tend to think!). If/when that changes, I might crave a bit more certainty -- but whether I'll get it is another question!

[Huntertwo]

Mind gives you a time. Of course it is not in stone and they call if they are going to be late.

[atr]

Mine calls the day before to give me an approximate time. But that's usually a bit of a fantasy.

But, I've been the emergency that's held everyone else up enough times that I really can't complain. If he's more than an hour late I'll usually call the office for an ETA, so I can go do something else if he's going to be a while yet.

What really throws me is if he's early...

[arabhorse2]

Mine gives me a date, which is subject to change depending on emergencies. :D

Even my small animal vet won't give me a scheduled appointment, just tells me to bring the critter in on a particular date, around a certain time.

So OP, no, not that unusual at all.

[dwblover]

My vet in PA would just give a time of day like morning, after noon, or early evening. I do think that giving exact appointment times is probably not the best idea in a business where you can be called away to an emergency at any second. People get angry if the vet was supposed to come at 12 PM and didn't show up until 2:30 PM. Now, if your appointment was for the afternoon, then you can't complain, because the vet did indeed come in the afternoon. I think it just lets people know that there will be no exact time and I appreciate that. Funny thing is, my new vet always comes about an hour to an hour and a half early!

[TropicalStorm]

Mine gives a date and time. Usually with a half hour range. If they are going to be late, his office gives me a heads up. I wouldn't deal with a vet that couldn't even set a time. I understand that emergencies happen, and there have been times when the vet has been late. That's just fine, and totally understandable. But to not even give you a real appointment?-I can't afford to book a whole afternoon or DAY off to get routine vet stuff done!

[acoustic]

Well that can be a pain if they don't call you beforehand. I board my horse and would not want to sit out there from 9am until 5pm waiting on the vet, especially if I have to work. Our vet doesn't schedule a time for farm calls, but they will say either morning, afternoon, or evening, and if you request, will call you ahead of time, about 45minutes.

[Sebastian]

Huh...well, out here in So. Cal... We get appt times. Granted, they will change due to emergencies, but we still get a time.

Heck I even have one vet that tends to be early...I know...it's freaky!!!
Seb :)

[<3OTTB]

My vet gives me a day. That day they call sometime in the am to either give an estimated time or to say they are on their way. And as of lately they call when they are about 1/2 hr away to say they are on their way regardless of how late in the day it is. My area is short on equine vets so this is the best they can do. I will say that they have been very good time wise for emergencies.

[camohn]

I was scheduling an appointment with a new Vet and the office informed me that they don't give an appointment time - just a day. They explained that this was because they schedule according to emergencies. I was a bit taken aback, that there was no appointment time for the day of the vet call. The office told me that I could call the morning of the appointment and they would give me an estimated time.

I am used to setting up appointments for a general time of the day, and if the vet has an emergency then of course my appointment is pushed back.

Has anyone else heard of a vet not giving any time for the appointment? They said I could request morning or afternoon, but they couldn't guarantee it. It felt a bit crazy to try to work with a vet this way - like I have to wait at home all day. Are other vets doing this too?

With the bigger practice I used to use they did give appointment times (though of course no guarantee that is when they would actually get there....usually that day you got a closer estimate). The practice I use now I like the vet but it is a small mixed practice so the best they will do is give am or pm.If I was on the farm all day it would be one thing......but I have a day job at a medical office myself. I really can't take the whole day off to see what time the vet will show up. I have learned it is better to go with pm......if it is am and the vet is running really late then I have to cancel as I have to get to work myself. (And then I am peeved I took half a day unpaid for nothing). With PM if he is late no big deal......I am already home and can stay there.

[Fairview Horse Center]

With a vet practice that covers a lot of area, they can start filling in the day but as the day gets closer, their estimares get messed up as not enough appointments in an area are needed, so they need to re-organize their route. Small animal vets don't have this kind of problem as everything is in their office. They may start in one county, have an emergency in another, then try to see their appointment in THAT county/city/area, before going back to the first one. It may be right next door to their emergency, so crazy to drive an hour away, and have to come back to pull a Coggins Test, or recheck a wound.

The more back and forth they have to drive, the less appointments they can do in a days time, and they higher their rates will be.

The other thing you can do is to ask for the very first appointment in the morning. The later in the day, the more changes need to be made in the schedule.

[the_other_mother]

When I call for a routine thing, the receptionist takes a message and the vet calls me back...sometimes 2-3 days later..on the day he's coming out and usually calls me again when he's about 5 min away. I'm always home so it works out okay. If I have an emergency, he calls me right back and comes as soon as he can that day If he's going to be a while, and its not a DIRE emg, he has kept in contact with me during the day by calling every few hours to see how my horse is. Great vet!

[shakeytails]

Mine does make appointments, but I consider myself really lucky if he's less than 2 hours late. Once he scared the crap out of me 'cuz I was napping on the hay and he actually showed up on time! I don't expect any large animal vet to be on time for a routine appointment- if somebody's got an emergency, I expect the vet to attend to it first. My shots/coggins/gelding/preg check can wait.

[AKB]

You might ask for the first or last appointment of the day, depending on your flexibility at work. Then ask if you can call in the morning to get some idea of the vet's schedule. My vet will say, for example, that he is starting the day with a prepurchase, then has some rechecks in another part of the county, then has 3 horses in my neighborhood. I then know that I will not see him until late afternoon, if he has no emergencies. If he has an emergency, he will call us and I know to save him some leftovers from our dinner because he will show up late in the evening, tired and hungry.

You need to get to know the vet and his/her practice pattern. You can then figure out how to make the schedule work for you.

[onelanerode]

Mine gives an appointment time, and usually she's right on. If she's running more than ~15 minutes late, she lets me know. If she has an emergency, she (or the office) will call and tell me, which is fine. I generally take off half a day for vet visits anyway.

I've had a few last-minute cancellations due to emergencies, but I've also had a vet come out on a Saturday morning to do a lameness evaluation ... she was on call that weekend and didn't live far from my barn, so she said as long as I didn't mind the possibility of being interrupted due to an emergency call, she'd be happy to fit me in.

I wish my small animal vets were as punctual!

[BeastieSlave]

Oh man, yet another reason I LOVE my vets!!
I make an appointment for date and time. I have never been stood up, and don't think the vet's ever been more than half an hour late. There might have been a couple appointments that got pushed back, but not by much. Of course, there are a few vets in the practice and we like to schedule my farm visits for first thing in the morning.

[mypaintwattie]

My vet does appointments- so I have an exact time to be at the barn- then usually add half an hour since he's always running a little late:D If there is a major emergency and he is more than an hour late he calls to give me a better time... Love him!

[kdow]

One of the reasons my family likes the small animal vet we use for routine stuff is that he doesn't have appointments. He's semi-retired, and only does routine stuff (vaccinations, sicknesses that need to be seen but aren't urgent, etc.) and he just has office hours at certain times of day. If you need to see him, you take your pet, and if there's a line you wait, if not you get to go right in. Works out well for us - it's not a catastrophe if something happens so we can't make it on the day we planned to go.

(He does triage a little bit, but he doesn't really do emergency stuff - one time we happened to be in the area and Foxy got hurt and was bleeding, so we took her in and he saw her first for a few stitches, and I think that's about as emergency as he does - so it's mostly if there's a particularly poorly behaved animal or one that seems to be getting quite stressed out, he might let them go sooner just to get the animal out of the situation.)

Of course, the other reason we like him is because he's fantastic with our dogs, so that probably helps him set his hours the way he likes them. :) We're willing to go and wait for 10-15 minutes to see him because we know the dogs won't be stressed out or upset by the experience. (Both dogs actually run right up to his door because they want to say hi.)

So I suspect that the last point is true for a lot of places - as long as it's SOMETHING you can work with (like "any time during X day" would be problematic for a LOT of clients waiting for a farm call) then even if the way the practice is run isn't ideal for you, if the service and care IS very good, you'll put up with it.

[Seven-up]

I used to work for a maintenance company, and we never gave times either. If the customer really pushed, we could tentatively schedule AM or PM, and sometimes First Call, meaning the techs went to your house first, as soon as they left the office, but there were never any guarantees.

The reasoning behind it was there was no way to know how long it would take to fix a toilet, or an a/c unit, and if we made appt. times, we'd be on the phone all day long, saying, "I'm sorry we said he'd be there at 10. Yes, I realize it's 2. Sure, I'd be happy to check with him." Call tech, call back customer. "The tech says he'll be there by 3:30." 3:30 comes and goes, customer is even more pissed now. Even worse, what if a tech finished a job early? He'd have the choice of wasting time waiting for his next appt, or going early, and risk an angry customer who wasn't at home because his appt wasn't for another hour. And so on. It's a waste of time for the customers, the techs, and the office personnel; we would easily have 3 times the call volume if we made appts and were unable to stick to them.

Some people would complain, and there were some people who just couldn't operate like that because of their own schedules. I was personally pretty surprised, though, at the amount of folks who had no problem with us calling them at work so they could meet the tech at home. I didn't realize so many people had such adjustable schedules, but it worked well for most people.


Now, no a/c is an emergency, but not on the same level as a broken bone or gushing blood. You never know what you're going to find when you get out there, so I can completely understand not wanting to give times. They're most likely trying to avoid angering people, and the amount of people who get mad over no times is very small compared to the ones who are mad because the vet was supposed to be there 4 hours ago.

All that said, my vet gives approximate times. I had one scheduled to come out this morning at 9 for vacs and teeth floats. He had to reschedule due to (human) baby problems. As long as it's routine, I have no problem rescheduling. It's sort of the name of the game.

[Go Fish]

Who does your vet think he is? The cable guy?

My vets (I use two) give me an approximate appointment time, and, unless an emergency pops up, they are pretty good about getting there on time. I've found appointments later in the day tend to get delayed more than first thing in the morning.

[RiddleMeThis]

Not a horse vet at all, but the vet we take our dogs to doesnt give appointment times or anything really.

You just come in and if its an emergency they get to you ASAP. If its not you wait until the next vet is available (they have at least 6 there at a time).

[glitterless]

Yep. That's how it is with our vets, too. They've actually been unable to make it a couple of times. It's definitely frustrating when you have to book the time off work and they don't show up because of an emergency. On the other hand, I've been the one making the emergency call several times -- probably screwing up another client's day -- so I don't get too upset over it.

[username]

I have never had a large animal vet who was making a farm call give me more than a general estimated time of a visit, and usually they were off anyway. they always manage to make the date though.

as far as I'm concerned, I like it that way because if I need them I know they will be here asap rather than "fitting me into the schedule" . this falls under the catgory of being careful what you wish for I guess.

we are blessed here with a group practice that is truly wonderful about meeting serious needs. I've had vets make land speed records to reach us, vets who, having treated our horses, stayed in fairly close proximity for a few hours (by re-arranging "scheduled" visits) to be fairly certain that their treatment was effective, vets who hung with me throughout freezing winter nights, the vet who came at the drop of a hat for a sudden and awful bridge appointment, and never in over 35 years of dealing with them have I ever had more than a "certain day" appointment. till I read your comment I was unaware that folks expected this. I count my blessings, not the hours of the day....