[RaisinHall Tamworths]

Not odd, it is the law. The drugs are prescription only so they have to see the animals they are intended for. Your age, gender or anything else wont come in to it! Also if you wanted a prescription they would still need to see the sheep to be able to write one ?. Dont take it personally. I would be more concerned by a vet that doesnt care than one who wants to see your stock and make sure the drugs you want are correct and going to do the job. It is well worth working with your vet and getting a flock health plan drawn up ?

[Backinwellies]

At least I'll know for next time to go in wearing my dirty jeans, wellies, and checked work shirt. Because why would a female farmer ever want to look nice? 

maybe your school uniform would work on male vets 

[georgielmgm]

Yeh I understand where they're coming from now, but was kind of stressed when I wanted AB's for a particularly gross ear and they wouldn't give it to me, seeing as I wouldn't be able to get back to them until Thursday etc. But it's fine now their ears are clearing with purple spray, just got this 1 with some sort of infection in her lady garden  not funny for her obviously!
Ha! If only! We have to wear suits in our last year too so I'm reallly enjoying that... (get me back in my wellies now please)

[georgielmgm]

A photo for anyone that may be able to shed any light on her gynaecology problems!

[georgielmgm]

She also has a cough and is a bit of a loner...but she's the only texel so maybe she's been bullied out because of her differences! 

[gadge]

Its all a con, vet over charges for everything and requires to see your stock and exam them in which costs a decent amount everytime.

I appreciate the obvious need for them but it is ridiculous the mark up on any product and the willingness to charge you £50 to stand at the fence and say the stock is ok.

Now use Carrs Billington for most of our vet and med as they can dispense it or stump up for a prescription if needs be.  Definitely is cheaper in the long run.

[Me]

Did you used to be a lady Foobar? Not cheaper in the long run if the smaller practices go under and there is less competition, cheaper in the mid-run maybe

[SallyintNorth]

I would be horrified to hear of any vet dispensing antibiotics to anyone who had just walked in.  I'm pretty sure it would be illegal, and for good reason.

It's one of the reasons we tell newbie livestock-keepers to get to know their vet as one of the first things they do, not to wait until there is a sick animal needing antibiotics...

So I'm sorry that you have had some stress not being able to get the treatment you wanted for your sheep, georgielmgm, but as others have said, you will need to either take your sick sheep to the vet or pay the callout fee.

Our vet charges £20 callout, but sometimes you can get it a little cheaper if they can drop in when they are passing anyway.

I often feel grateful that, with larger stock numbers, we don't have to worry too much if we need the vet for one;  if you have only 5 sheep and need the vet, that's a big bill to spread over a tiny flock.  But it's not optional, it's just something that has to be budgeted for.

[Bionic]

I agree about getting to know your vet. When we registered they wanted to know which types of animals we keep and it was all logged.
Since that time we have needed to take sheep in for various bits and pieces anyway. Now if I ask for anything they just look me up and see that I keep sheep (even which breed) and then will dispense to me accordingly.

[shygirl]

crumbs sally - our callout is £55. but with horse vaccines only its only £6 if you let them say which day, and are prepared to wait in all day with no allocated time. we have took kids / lambs in but its an hour round trip.
i found as soon as you registered with animal health, you had to tell them which vet you had, and when we registered with the vet they wanted to know every animal we had.

[SallyintNorth]

We are in a very livestock-y area, so that probably helps the vet keep callouts reasonable.  Whether there's a tariff, and it's more for smallholders, I wouldn't know.

If your vet is primarily a small animal practise, then I would imagine callout fees would be much higher than we pay, yes.

[Roxy]

I had been with my old vet for many years.  Practice was taken over, and new vet will not dispense anything without seeing the animal. ....I have now moved to a new vets, who are brilliant with large animals.  I speak to the large animal vet over the phone, and for meds like wormer, eye cream etc. etc. and even injections, she has made them up, and left them hidden by an oil tank at their small animal practice, which is much nearer for me to collect.  Seems like this is a well used system, looking at what is in the box.

I would not expect them to dispense AB's though - in that case, I would get the animal to the surgery.  Our call out is steep, and then there is a £20 handling charge.

[charls]

We started keeping sheep a year ago and also had to have a farm visit before we could have anything prescribed. It was really straightforward, didn't cost anything, and the vet was very nice and enthusiastic (lucky us!) Anyway, we never have problems buying any meds from them. Helps if you go in and ask for exactly what you need (ask a farmer to guide you over the names of ABs or just ask the vet for advice on the phone). Our vets are so chilled out that recently, when our cats had the flu, they just gave us a needle to jab them ourselves. Seemed like a crazy thing to do, but I guess we're jabbing sheep here and there so it's no different really 

[Me]

Wow. First time for a long time hearing some positive things about vets on the internet, maybe they aren't all horrible cash crazed animal haters after all... 

[smee2012]

I envy those who have the same vet for everything! I currently have a small animal vet practice, a farm animal practice and then an equine vet! Makes it a lot more complicated when we have to leave extensive notes for house sitters when we go away 

I contacted the farm vets pretty soon after we got our sheep - they mentioned coming out to do a flock check (which was free) and so I said yes. He was here for about 20 minutes, chatting about the breed, what we intended to do with them, checking out our facilities etc. The only other two times I've had them out during the last 2.5 years was once to show me how to do sub-cut injections and the other time was this year, to check my mastitic ewe and give an injection in the eyelid on one of the new lambs. Other than that, I've just gone in/rung up to ask for any vaccinations or meds I've wanted and they've been fine with it. I've never had any problems with any of my vets (farm or small animal) - although I'm yet to need the equine vets so perhaps they'll be the bad ones!