CASUAL TREATMENT
After bringing my dog in twice to Shaker this past year for specific health concerns, I noted the lack of energy brought to my pet's examination. A casual, weak attention brought by Dr. Welsh.
First, I had concerns from the sudden eruption of scab like blemishes on her skin. Dr. Welsh simply parted her fur to make a cursory inspection from a two foot distance, and then declared that they were all warts.
He offered no reasons as to why warts might erupt at the same time, or if they might indicate any underlying issues. He made no effort to inform me--even for reassurance
He did not care to view the scabs with a magnifying glass to determine if they even had a signature texture of warts. He declared with authority that they were warts, and so I had no insight other than the certainty expressed by this Dr. Welsh.
But they weren't warts. They all fell off at once, only days afterward. Leaving the original questions, namely, what were these scabs and what might they indicate about my dog's health?
Dr. Welsh gave only a literal and figurative shrug of his shoulders.
I paid for a second concern regarding the worsening of my dog's eyesight. This, out of love and concern for her and to determine if there was anything that we might be able to get ahead of that might be causing her diminishing vision:
Maybe medication to improve blood flow to the eye? or simply nutritional supplements?...I seem more capable at speculating about what to do to improve my dog's vision, than Dr. Welsh seems to be to expend energy enough to blurt out any considerations that he was intended to learn in vet college.
A urinalysis was an essential, as I had seen the sadness of a friend whose dog went blind from diabetes--to see his dog barely move on the floor until my friend would guide her by the leash to the door.
After Dr. Welsh learned that my dog had lost the ability to focus on treats dropped above her so as to snap them out of the air, Dr. Welsh floated a couple of torn up pieces of floating tissues--I suppose to see if my dog could focus on items descending only one tenth of the speed of a small, shooting dog treat.
Dr. Welsh didn't find interest enough to offer insights regarding what any owner might expect relative to their eight year old dogs vision, or whether my worry might be reasonable.
With another figurative shrugging of his shoulders, he declined to take my dog's observed diminishing eyesight as much of anything worth exploring. That might be by committing to a more complete and caring examination--
--like why not examine my dog's response and skittishness when a rapidly moving treat is dropped over her head? The very benchmark action that brought me in to see Dr. Welsh?
I think he used the entirely uninformative floating tissues only because he was averse to going into the adjacent room and retrieve some treats--why else would he not attempt to replicate the very action/response that brought me in to seek his council?
Rather than making that simple action part of his exam, "Maybe go see a (highly expensive) canine Opthamologist," was his only recommendation.
Why not say why? Why not offer some of the possible reasons and conditions that might bring an eight year old dog to begin losing her vision?
And on, and on.... anything like that effort that a truly committed and caring vet--caring for both pet's well being and owner's piece of mind--would do as common practice.
It leaves me with no other explanation than that Dr. Welsh doesn't care any longer, or took some objection to me personally that he took out with spite on my dog. Or, that he is simply jaded and are growing too weary to fully commit.
Possibly more concerned at cultivating the relatively easy and passive business of selling pet goods. He has found enthusiasm enough, at least, to send out incessant advertising emails to his client's to sell his wares.
It's doubtful that I will regain the faith or confidence necessary to trust Dr. Welsh or his practice to care for my dog anytime again. Because he truly doesn't seem to care much.
Wonderful staff, clean offices, kind vet, great place to take your pet.
