The Incredible Dr. Pol - General Discussion

[Minivanessa]

1 hour ago, Rammchick said:

You might want to check out the show on YouTube instead, where it is called Bondi Vet.  It's generally in 30 minute chunks and less padded out.  It also has the added benefit of including some stories about Dr. Scott Miller, from Vet on the Hill.  He's an Aussie guy transplanted to the Richmond area of London (I think his show may be on Amazon Prime Video as well).  

Thanks. I was browsing through one of my streaming services and saw Bondi Vet was available, but didn't explore it. It makes sense that "Vets on the Beach" is a padded out rehash. It seemed they were hard put to fill an hour long show with that content. 

Edited September 13, 2021 by Jeeves

[whitehouses]

I just can't deal with some of these pet owners who wait for DAYS or sometimes an entire week when there is clearly something wrong with their dog! If my dog has diarrhea for 24 hours I'm calling the vet for an appointment, fecal test, etc. I know I probably take my dog to the vet more than most people, but seriously! You are your dog's (or cat's or whatever pet you may have) advocate! You have to take care of them and help them when they are sick or in pain. It's not fair to have an animal and let them suffer for even a few days to just try to "wait it out."

And don't even get me started on people who are behind or have no vaccinations. Seeing a two year old dog with Parvo or Lepto is just soooo unacceptable when it can be prevented. I wonder if the vets ever lecture the owners off camera—I know that my vet would definitely say something if medical neglect was clearly the cause of major issues or issues that became a big deal because they just didn't go in and get antibiotics at the first sign of their pet being ill. 

[Rammchick]

1 hour ago, whitehouses said:

I just can't deal with some of these pet owners who wait for DAYS or sometimes an entire week when there is clearly something wrong with their dog!

I'm not sure where you live, but where I live, there is a huge shortage of veterinary professionals thanks to pandemic burnout.  Sadly, there can be a long wait for an appointment, and even a wait at emergency clinics.  It's frightening to think that a pet needing immediate care couldn't be seen.  Not sure if this is the case here -- and yes, I'm with you on being annoyed at people who wait to deal with their animals' problems -- but there could be extenuating circumstances we don't know anything about.  

 

[BookWitch]

One of Dr. Brenda's cows  was hit and killed by a car.

Our hearts are with Dr. Brenda over the loss of her beloved Kirby.

Kirby was a 6 ½ year old American Lineback-Holstein cross steer trained to be part of an oxen team. He leaves behind his teammate Reid, his herd mate Zeiter, and his “Mom” Dr. Brenda Grettenberger and her family. Kirby has been returned to Dr. Brenda's family farm in Eaton Rapids for burial. RIP Kirby

Kirby's fatal injuries occurred as a result of a car accident when a vehicle struck him in his pasture. It is an important reminder to pay attention to all stop signs and traffic signals for everyone's safety, including animals.

Memorials in Kirby’s name can be made to Tiller’s International at www.tillersinternational.org or to Heifer International at www.heifer.org.

[LittleIggy]

Poor Kirby! The car went into the pasture? 😡

[BookWitch]

That's what it sounds like. Maybe going to fast and missed a turn or something. 

Can't find the article except on Dr. Pols facebook page.

 

[AncientNewbie]

Was 10/30 a new episode or a clip show edit billed as "new"? I'm curious when this will return. 

[RealityCheck]

For those who are interested, I saw a TV ad that the new season of DR POL will begin airing Saturday January 1, 2022.

[Rammchick]

Duct tape on feathers?!

[Eeper]

On 9/5/2020 at 11:08 PM, Rammchick said:

Ok, the dog, Abby, on this week's episode, looked like she might have had vestibular disease, which can resolve.  We saw him do no diagnostics, but Pol immediately said it was "something with the brain", and that there was nothing that could be done.  Actually, there are a bunch of things that can be done.  I don't think that dog needed to be put down.

I was thinking the same thing. 😞

[parrotfeathers]

On 11/13/2021 at 4:09 PM, RealityCheck said:

For those who are interested, I saw a TV ad that the new season of DR POL will begin airing Saturday January 1, 2022.

I hope it really is "new" and not remanufactured old episodes.

The young male vet left recently and moved to another state.  I liked him.

[DonnaMae]

2 minutes ago, parrotfeathers said:

The young male vet left recently and moved to another state.  I liked him.

Ray?  I liked him too.  Now he's in Manitou Springs, Colorado.  I hope Drs. Nicole and Lisa stay.

[Rammchick]

18 hours ago, parrotfeathers said:

I hope it really is "new" and not remanufactured old episodes.

The young male vet left recently and moved to another state.  I liked him.

Sadly, the best newer vets eventually leave him.  We don't even see a fraction of their lives, and what we do see looks grueling.  Just the weather alone would be enough to chase me out of there.

[DonnaMae]

Dr. Nicole is a native of Michigan, so the cold weather may not bother her.  I haven't seen any information on Dr. Lisa.   

[Rammchick]

4 hours ago, DonnaMae said:

Dr. Nicole is a native of Michigan, so the cold weather may not bother her.  I haven't seen any information on Dr. Lisa.   

It's not just the weather, of course.  Being called out at all hours of the night can get exhausting.

[DonnaMae]

2 hours ago, Rammchick said:

Being called out at all hours of the night can get exhausting.

But isn't that the job of a vet?  Not all emergencies happen in the daytime.  

 

[Bastet]

The weather, the lifestyle, the low pay, the physical difficulty of some of the farm calls, the ridiculous number of patients they're supposed to see in a shift -- it's definitely a place that's going to see some turnover, despite the "bonus" of being seen on TV.  I think it's probably a stepping stone for many new vets.

[CrazyInAlabama]

3 hours ago, DonnaMae said:

But isn't that the job of a vet?  Not all emergencies happen in the daytime.  

 

It depends on the practice.   A large/small animal practice like Pol's has emergency services, because there isn't anything else available.   They cover a wide area.   

However, if you're where there's a small animal emergency clinic, those practices often only refer after hours cases to the emergency clinic, and don't do after hours work.     I know some who moonlight doing extra shifts at the emergency clinic too.    

I've read recently that there are large animal practices that have stopped farm calls, so you either trailer the animal to the clinic, or pay a huge extra fee for a farm call.    Or there is another large animal vet that does the emergency farm calls.    Some vets don't do on farm calls any longer under any circumstances.         There are also places that simply don't have a vet within several hours for large animals.   

Texas Tech is opening, or might have already, started a vet school with the emphasis on large animals, with other animal care taught, but not the major focus the way other schools do.     That may eventually help, but it also will have to get experienced instructors, so some large animal vets may want to work teaching.      A large animal practice is expensive to run, and working iwth big animals can be very dangerous too.      

The hours, emergency calls, farm calls, and the workload at Pol's is brutal.    There is also the danger of injuries too.   Brenda got nailed in the knee a few years ago, Dr. Pol got a facial boo-boo too, Dr. Emily had some injuries too.    I'm sure that there have been other injuries we didn't even hear about.    I hate that they work all hours.    Falling asleep at the wheel, or having an accident can kill you.     

Edited December 24, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[Blergh]

On 10/17/2021 at 9:26 PM, BookWitch said:

One of Dr. Brenda's cows  was hit and killed by a car.

Our hearts are with Dr. Brenda over the loss of her beloved Kirby.

Kirby was a 6 ½ year old American Lineback-Holstein cross steer trained to be part of an oxen team. He leaves behind his teammate Reid, his herd mate Zeiter, and his “Mom” Dr. Brenda Grettenberger and her family. Kirby has been returned to Dr. Brenda's family farm in Eaton Rapids for burial. RIP Kirby

Kirby's fatal injuries occurred as a result of a car accident when a vehicle struck him in his pasture. It is an important reminder to pay attention to all stop signs and traffic signals for everyone's safety, including animals.

Memorials in Kirby’s name can be made to Tiller’s International at www.tillersinternational.org or to Heifer International at www.heifer.org.

That's the first time I've ever heard of Dr. Brenda having any family! Not that this is any of my biz but I hope she has someone in her life looking out for her besides cows!

[parrotfeathers]

Someone on facebook asked Dr. Pol (the official page but certainly not Dr. Pol himself) why he didn't spend some of that money he was earning off the show and build a room to hold his radiograph machine so they didn't have to keep going up and down the stairs.  The official answer was because it needed to be in the basement to absorb the rays.  Let me just tell you--her butt was raked over the coals by his fans.  I mean she doesn't have any skin left on her butt at all now.  She may as well asked Dr. Pol if he had a girlfriend.

I'm just wondering--does that mean all the other vets that don't have their machine in a basement are wrong?

[BookWitch]

New season started tonight. Dog with a broken leg, dog and goat getting nails trimmed, a horse being put down, a pregnant dog(never got an update on that one) and a few farm calls. Did have a guy bring in his cat after it stopped crapping for a week(!) poor thing was impacted. Sheesh. 

[LittleIggy]

Pulling hard 💩 out of a cat’s butt. Poor Dr. Lisa! 
That lady better get that Cane Coro obedience training. They can be aggressive. 

The woman with the little dog that got knocked up infuriated me. “I hope she lots of puppies!” A dog that size? She should have been spayed.
Poor horse. ☹️

Edited January 2, 2022 by LittleIggy

[Raiderred]

On 12/23/2021 at 6:41 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

Texas Tech is opening, or might have already, started a vet school with the emphasis on large animals,

Yay!  My alma mater!  They just opened this fall. We are in desperate need of large animal vets.  Thankfully we still have the ability to get farm calls for our horses.

[LittleIggy]

OMG, puppies! 🥰 I wanted to hug all of them!

It boggles the mind to see Doc Pol doing those calf deliveries. Dude is pushing 80!  
Love that the lady cared so much about her senior barn cat. Hope he does get a few more good years.

[Rammchick]

They now have a portable ultrasound.  Wow.

[Bastet]

5 hours ago, Rammchick said:

They now have a portable ultrasound.  Wow.

Welcome to the '90s, Dr. Pol.

[Rammchick]

On 1/24/2022 at 2:01 PM, Bastet said:

Welcome to the '90s, Dr. Pol.

I especially found his reasoning funny -- oh, I can feel it in there but this way, the owner can see it.  Um.  Yeah.  And how about your younger colleagues who maybe don't have as much experience as you have?  

ETA -- Anyone out there a vet who'd like to work for Pol?  https://jobs.avma.org/jobs/15993208/mixed-animal-veterinarians-wanted-for-busy-central-michigan-clinic?fbclid=IwAR1Vvt32NPFbd_gEhvnmq73sSQ-Ths6GWdb5Mtrsbu5Mgu2Yd-YxwvVkj68

Edited January 26, 2022 by Rammchick

[LittleIggy]

On 1/25/2022 at 10:45 AM, Rammchick said:

I especially found his reasoning funny -- oh, I can feel it in there but this way, the owner can see it.  Um.  Yeah.  And how about your younger colleagues who maybe don't have as much experience as you have?  

ETA -- Anyone out there a vet who'd like to work for Pol?  https://jobs.avma.org/jobs/15993208/mixed-animal-veterinarians-wanted-for-busy-central-michigan-clinic?fbclid=IwAR1Vvt32NPFbd_gEhvnmq73sSQ-Ths6GWdb5Mtrsbu5Mgu2Yd-YxwvVkj68

Two openings? I know Dr. Ray is gone…

[smittykins]

I could have sworn that they had a portable ultrasound at one point; I distinctly remember a pregnant Dr. Emily using it to see her baby after a farm call.

[CrazyInAlabama]

Not all ultrasounds are the best quality.    My vet had an ultrasound, and it wasn't very good, after he went with a newer model, the pictures were good.  

[deirdra]

6 hours ago, smittykins said:

I could have sworn that they had a portable ultrasound at one point; I distinctly remember a pregnant Dr. Emily using it to see her baby after a farm call.

I think Dr. Emily may have bought her own portable ultrasound.

[Rammchick]

There was something else modern he mentioned having that I don't think they had before -- possibly it was a Bovie.  Maybe all the new young vets have finally gotten through to him a little.  

[parrotfeathers]

42 minutes ago, Rammchick said:

Maybe all the new young vets have finally gotten through to him a little.  

I think these young vets are just surprised at some of the old fashioned methods he uses.   Some of them can take it and some can't and move on.

[Rammchick]

2 hours ago, parrotfeathers said:

I think these young vets are just surprised at some of the old fashioned methods he uses.   Some of them can take it and some can't and move on.

There are old methods that just work, and there's nothing wrong with that.  But some newer methods help you work smarter, not harder 😏

[DonnaMae]

Ray probably left because he wanted to be closer to family in Kansas.  He's now in a practice close to Colorado Springs, not too far from his home state.

[deirdra]

10 hours ago, Rammchick said:

There are old methods that just work, and there's nothing wrong with that.  But some newer methods help you work smarter, not harder 😏

Though like in human medicine, a lot of the younger people today base diagnoses 100% on numbers from tests and throw drugs at it to see if they'll help rather than actually looking at the patient to narrow down the possibilities.

[LittleIggy]

I loved Gandalf the White! What an adorable puppy with a great name. 

[LittleIggy]

When the woman said Khaleesi the Irish Wolfhound didn’t work out as a service dog, I wasn’t surprised. Sighthounds are not known for their ease of trainability. I know from experience with my late adored still missed Italian Greyhound Claudia. I’m sure Khaleesi is a big love bug like Claudia was.

That white bunny with little ears was tote adorbs.

 

[AZChristian]

9 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

When the woman said Khaleesi the Irish Wolfhound didn’t work out as a service dog, I wasn’t surprised. Sighthounds are not known for their ease of trainability. I know from experience with my late adored still missed Italian Greyhound Claudia. I’m sure Khaleesi is a big love bug like Claudia was.

I was just concerned with Khaleesi's owner being on crutches while trying to corral a big dog like that.  I'm glad she has a dog she loves, but since someone else seemed to be driving her around, I would have thought the it would have been safer for the driver to be the one holding the leash while going in and out of the doctor's office.

[Rammchick]

On 2/20/2022 at 6:08 AM, AZChristian said:

I was just concerned with Khaleesi's owner being on crutches while trying to corral a big dog like that.  I'm glad she has a dog she loves, but since someone else seemed to be driving her around, I would have thought the it would have been safer for the driver to be the one holding the leash while going in and out of the doctor's office.

Agreed, Khaleesi could pull her down easily, especially since she's clearly a bit of a goofball.  

[Minivanessa]

I've been streaming this show a lot lately. Good background noise while I'm doing some work in my home office. Today's random thought: I very much enjoy the way Dr. Brenda talks to the animals, and I'm glad the producers let us hear it. 

[parrotfeathers]

On 2/19/2022 at 10:47 PM, LittleIggy said:

he Irish Wolfhound didn’t work out as a service dog,

I love sighthounds and had a borzoi for 12 years.  She was such a great dog.  Sighthounds love being couch potatoes too (when they are done running).   I cannot imagine anyone thinking a dog that chases things that run would be a good service dog.   But I guess it would have held her up if she fell.

[BookWitch]

Second episode this season where they had to put a cow down because the calf was to big to get out.  When Nicole said C-section, the guys first thought was  if she could be bred again. Idiot. So he lost both. I hope the vets tell them off camera not to breed big bulls with small cows hoping to get big calves. It's frustrating to see that. 

[LittleIggy]

I have a totally blind cat, Aemon Targaryen. Aemon navigates fine. As Dr. Pol said, an animal born blind doesn’t know there is any other way to be. BTW, I wanted to climb into that pen of Dane puppies! 🥰 

Nice to see another person taking good care of her barn cat.

14 hours ago, BookWitch said:

Second episode this season where they had to put a cow down because the calf was to big to get out.  When Nicole said C-section, the guys first thought was  if she could be bred again. Idiot. So he lost both. I hope the vets tell them off camera not to breed big bulls with small cows hoping to get big calves. It's frustrating to see that. 

Poor Nicole really took it hard. 

Edited February 28, 2022 by LittleIggy

[Maisiesmom]

Love your kitty's name! And I also would love to crawl in a pen full of any kind of puppies! Love little ones, pups or kittens.

[Rammchick]

On 2/27/2022 at 6:08 AM, BookWitch said:

Second episode this season where they had to put a cow down because the calf was to big to get out.  When Nicole said C-section, the guys first thought was  if she could be bred again. Idiot. So he lost both. I hope the vets tell them off camera not to breed big bulls with small cows hoping to get big calves. It's frustrating to see that. 

Sadly, farming is a business, and these folks don't look all that well off.  I'm sure the expense of a surgery on top of what they already put into the vet visit was a deciding factor too.  Totally agree about the too-big calves.

[smittykins]

I saw a rerun recently with another cow who needed help delivering a large calf(fortunately, both survived).  The owner specifically mentioned that the cow would be bred to a smaller bull next time.

The cow’s name was Wilma and the calf named Bamm-Bamm.  And I regret that it took me WAY longer than it should have to get the connection. 😳

[Minivanessa]

A few more random thoughts from all my streaming of repeats of this show on Nat Geo Wild while I'm working at home.

Similar to the too-large calf situation: Pol went to a farm call for a sow having delivery problems. IIRC all but one of the piglets was born dead (and that one lived only a few days). He told the owners in no uncertain terms that they'd been overfeeding the sow and the piglets were just too big. They told him the sow in the adjoining pen was also pregnant. He told them "quit feeding her so much" so the piglets wouldn't be too big. And sure enough, the owners followed instructions, and the second sow did fine and all the piglets were healthy.

I'm not as enchanted with Charlie the mini-horse as I think I'm supposed to be. Just saying. Cool that he does therapy visits, but then so do a lot of other animals. 

I've now seen more prolapsed cows and pigs than I ever needed to see in my whole life. And I'm getting close to that with horses needing tubes down their nose. 

Dr. Nicole, Dr. Pol and the devil cat Buttercup made for some action TV, lol. I'm starting to estimate how long it will take a vet to bring out the sedation needle when confronted with a snarling hissing cat in the exam room. I understand they need to try to treat the animal without sedation if possible - which at least produces interesting footage for the show. Sometimes I'm surprised when they manage the treatment without sedation, so good for them. 

[Rammchick]

5 hours ago, Jeeves said:

Dr. Nicole, Dr. Pol and the devil cat Buttercup made for some action TV, lol. I'm starting to estimate how long it will take a vet to bring out the sedation needle when confronted with a snarling hissing cat in the exam room. I understand they need to try to treat the animal without sedation if possible - which at least produces interesting footage for the show. Sometimes I'm surprised when they manage the treatment without sedation, so good for them. 

I have a dog like this, who needs to be sedated for his annual exam, or the vet can't get a hand on him.  I guess animals like that don't make good TV, or we'd see a lot more of it (because I suspect my dog is not an outlier).

[ItsHelloPattiagain]

On 2/21/2022 at 6:10 PM, parrotfeathers said:

The Irish Wolfhound didn’t work out as a service dog,

A close friend of mine who is in a wheelchair had an Irish Wolfhound as his service dog.  It was the biggest dog I've ever seen.  He had her until she passed a few years ago.  

I just started watching Dr. Pol and I'm hooked.  The only parts I can't watch is when a dog or cat has to be put down.  Nope, nope, nope.  The rest is fascinating.