The Incredible Dr. Pol - General Discussion

[Kohola3]

19 minutes ago, Bastet said:

That reindeer farmer is my favorite client; he clearly cares about them as animals, not just as his business product.  We have twice so far seen him sleep out in the barn to monitor and comfort a seriously-ill reindeer.

They absolutely do.  They are totally devoted to each and every animal, it's very interesting to talk to them.  They have huge events at Christmas with Santa and all but they really love to talk to people who truly want to be educated about the animals.  Very, very nice people.

[palmaire]

@Kohola3, I don't have access to NatGeo Wild, but the show is on Hulu if that helps. New episodes are available about a week after they air on TV.

This is such a comfort show for me that I actually paid for a couple of episodes (Charles' wedding being one of them) before I realized it was included with Hulu.

The new vet has such a bright-eyed outlook; I hope she sticks around.

[Kohola3]

41 minutes ago, palmaire said:

@Kohola3, I don't have access to NatGeo Wild, but the show is on Hulu if that helps. New episodes are available about a week after they air on TV.

Thanks for that but I don't have that either.  Bummer!

[MSterling]

6 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

Thanks for that but I don't have that either.  Bummer!

I buy seasons on Google Play when my mom is out of town and I can't go over to her house to watch. It's $15 a season or $2 an episode and new episodes are usually posted by the Monday after they air. Looks like you can buy it on Vudu. I think I bought a season from iTunes once, and you can probably get it anywhere they sell tv shows online, like Amazon. You can buy season sets of the DVDs from National Geographic's online shop.

[LittleIggy]

OMG, that little baby alpaca was the most adorbs thing! 🥰 I wanted to reach into the tv to cuddle her/him.

Projectile pus! 🤢

Dr. Michelle also has a Master of Public Health degree. Impressed.

Poor horse. 😞

[BookWitch]

I don't know which was worse-the horse with the rupture or the pus fountain. I can't even imagine the smell for either of them. 🤢

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, BookWitch said:

I don't know which was worse-the horse with the rupture or the pus fountain.

I perhaps should have gone into medicine rather than the law, because I like peeling, popping, or piercing things, no matter what comes out.  I loved the pus fountain.

Regardless, by far, the horse who had to be euthanized.  Poor horse, and poor owners. 

I only saw about half the show - another fucking breeder, but at least only one puppy - so I missed a lot.  But Jan and Diane went to the Galapagos Islands?  Cool!  I remember seeing that referenced in an article, talking about their travel breaks - they'd be going there, then later a trip home to the Netherlands.  If that order is correct, it's interesting we saw it in reverse so far apart on the show.  (The trip home has already been shown at least once in reruns, and it always amuses me for how much more advanced the procedures he observes are compared to how he does things.)

[CrazyInAlabama]

I'm sure they've gone to the Netherlands several times in the past few years.   He's quite the celebrity there from what I've read.      The Galapagos trip sounds wonderful.    However, I'm worried about the upcoming ankle replacement, and hope it goes well, and stops his pain.   

The poor horse with the rupture was so sad.    I found the pus fountain fascinating, but am very glad that they don't have smell a vision TV yet.    The Alpaca baby was so cute!   

My understanding is that vet school can be super difficult to get into right out of undergrad, so many of the prospective vet students do an associated Master's program to strengthen their credentials, and get them into school.   

[Blergh]

OK, I'm about show just how 'cityfied' I am but it seems to be that a large portions of his patients' barns, stalls, corrals and even farm yards  on the show seem to have a rather large amount of manure that both grown animals and their young stand in often ankle-deep and more. I know that one can't keep spots where animals are pristine and immaculate at all times but how many animals truly would desire to constantly be standing in their own waste? Would anyone think that dogs, cats or even pet birds constantly being in that state not be considered neglect on the part of the human owners. And, yes, I know that there is a GREAT deal of work to do on farms 24/seven and I by no means am belittling that, but it's one thing to just have   small clumps here and there atop the  barn floor hay, grass or ground that just happened before a human could sweep it but it's quite another to just let masses of it accumulate for who knows how long .  I know that Dr. Pol has built  a good rapport with his human clients and himself grew up on a farm but I have to wonder if he's ever considered that these amounts could be contributing factors to his patients' not being in the best of health?

[Bastet]

Heads up: Tonight's new episode airs at 8:00 EDT instead of 9:00, because that new Animal ER show premieres from 9:00-11:00 (and then the Dr. Pol episode repeats at 11:00).

[CrazyInAlabama]

This is also the season finale.     

So Dr. Pol had his ankle replacement, and Diane is going to stay home while he is non-weight bearing?  That's the toughest job I know.      

Edited March 31, 2019 by CrazyInAlabama

[LittleIggy]

How is that farmer going to live down calling in Dr. Pol to geld a heifer? 😆

Another pus fountain horse! 🤢

Had that woman had the unvaccinated dog for two years or had she just gotten it? If the former: 🤬!

[Bastet]

I'm annoying even myself with the repetition, so in future seasons, let's just assume a standard "damn these breeders" sentiment in each of my posts.

So I'll move on to:  Two years old and no vaccinations.  Four days of not keeping anything down and pooping blood before Pedro gets to a vet.  Sigh.  That poor little lethargic doggy was cute in the midst of his illness, and I hope he indeed recovered thanks to that burst of broad-spectrum treatment.

Chloe the kitten made me nervous with her crackling sounds.  She seemed way too young for congestive heart failure, so I'm glad an extended course of antibiotics for a stubborn case of pneumonia seemed to be all that was indicated; I hope it worked out.  (I wish we got updates on everyone.)  Poor little thing, starting out life so sick.

Buckwheat the horse so filled with pus it was running out his nose was one crazy sinus infection.  The thick stuff that came out of the bone was gnarly; what relief he must have felt having that pressure relieved and the infection cleared up.

I feel bad for the farmer calling for a castration of what turned out to be a heifer being showcased, but Charles made the same mistake, so hopefully he's not too embarrassed by it making air.

The fish hook dog draped over his owner's shoulder while still groggy was a sweet sight, but if he'd had a more-experienced vet, he probably wouldn't have been knocked out to begin with.  No harm, no foul, though. 

Laura the llama's distress with choke was hard to watch, especially knowing she'd been suffering overnight, and for her to just die like that made me cry. 

"Enough is enough" is probably what precipitates most everyone's decision to have a joint replaced.  It was definitely the case with my mom's knee replacements.  You're out of commission a while, and the physical therapy necessary to make it worthwhile hurts, but it's a whole new world afterward.  I'm glad Dr. Pol had the ankle surgery, and wish him well in his recovery.  And wish Diane well dealing with him during recovery, because that's not fun, either.  I wonder what the real-life timing of her back surgery in relation to his ankle surgery was.  And that was quite a posse he had with him entering the hospital at 5:40 in the morning, so even though we mostly see Charles, it's obviously a close family.

Edited March 31, 2019 by Bastet

[walnutqueen]

14 hours ago, Bastet said:

I'm annoying even myself with the repetition, so in future seasons, let's just assume a standard "damn these breeders" sentiment in each of my posts.

OK - I'll take over.  Fuck all breeders.  Fuck all people who do not spay & neuter their pets.  Fuck all people who don't vaccinate their pets.  Fuck all people who don't seek medical treatment for their pets until it's too late, or almost too late,

We're still good, @Bastet, amirite?

[LittleIggy]

Question: Should I get a forum started for “Animal ER”?

[walnutqueen]

1 hour ago, LittleIggy said:

Question: Should I get a forum started for “Animal ER”?

Of course!  Although, I am sad to say, the first episode didn't really resonate with me ...

[Rammchick]

9 minutes ago, walnutqueen said:

Of course!  Although, I am sad to say, the first episode didn't really resonate with me ...

Me neither, unfortunately, and I love and watch all the vet shows.  

[LittleIggy]

11 hours ago, walnutqueen said:

Of course!  Although, I am sad to say, the first episode didn't really resonate with me ...

Well, I can’t find the “Request a New Topic” place! 

I like Animal ER. I was upset that two puppies (that teeny Chihuahua Chico and a Bichon) had broken legs because of children. Chico was stepped on by a toddler and the Bichon was being held by a child and jumped. Kids, especially young ones, need to be supervised around pets. Chico’s cast was bigger than he was!

[crimsongrl]

With the new site update I don't think you need to request a forum anymore. You can create a topic in Other Lifestyle Reality Shows (or is it a Candid Reality Show?).

I only watched the first hour of Animal ER and couldn't get into it. All the similarities to Live PD gave me a good laugh though.

Edited April 1, 2019 by crimsongrl

[Bastet]

Exactly; you don't need to request anymore, because it's a thread rather than a forum, so you just create a topic in the appropriate genre (which I guess would be whichever one this, The Vet Life, etc. are in).

[LittleIggy]

Okay, got the topic started! 

[hnygrl]

Where is the Animal ER Live thread? I wanna trash this show! Couldn't believe they didn't do a trocar for that poor bull that was soooo bloated and then when they did, it wasn't a proper one. And it's not live.

[walnutqueen]

56 minutes ago, hnygrl said:

Where is the Animal ER Live thread? I wanna trash this show! Couldn't believe they didn't do a trocar for that poor bull that was soooo bloated and then when they did, it wasn't a proper one. And it's not live.

https://forums.previously.tv/topic/92594-animal-er/?tab=comments#comment-5176327

[LittleIggy]

Dr. Pol is back on July 13 (day before my birthday!)! 😄

[SRTouch]

Doc Pol in the news

[Rammchick]

Did anyone hear how his ankle replacement surgery went?

[SRTouch]

On 6/29/2019 at 5:27 PM, Rammchick said:

Did anyone hear how his ankle replacement surgery went?

No, but have seen preview where Doc Pol is rolling through clinic on one of those knee scooters. So guess it will be addressed in a couple weeks with the new season.

[LittleIggy]

1 hour ago, SRTouch said:

No, but have seen preview where Doc Pol is rolling through clinic on one of those knee scooters. So guess it will be addressed in a couple weeks with the new season.

Yeah, Doc is zipping along on that scooter! 😆

[walnutqueen]

He's like the geriatric Dutch Energizer Bunny - the man just cannot slow down.  He has so much vim and vigor, I'm beginning to suspect he's somehow psychically sucking the life force outta me, because I'm exhausted just watching him!  ;~)

[Bastet]

The interstitial with Dr. Pol comparing scars with the client who’d had the same surgery was funny (especially when he told everyone to plug their nose since his sock was off).  I also liked, within the episode itself, watching him use Charles as his gofer.

I missed the intro to Pig Pig’s story – how did she get hurt, and how long ago was it that so much tissue had died?

Charlie Barley having to be pushed out of the clinic made me laugh, because usually you see that trying to get an animal into the vet’s and when it’s time to leave they can’t get out of there fast enough.  Those urinary blockages are so painful, I’m glad he got in just in time and fully recovered. 

With Twix, it seemed odd there was no option between splinting and amputating, so I assumed what they meant was there was nothing else they could do there - she’d have to go to a specialist for orthopedic surgery - and as the story went on that indeed became clear.  It’s a shame the owner couldn’t afford the surgery, because with clean breaks like that I bet Twix would have healed up beautifully.  But as Tater shows, three legs are plenty, so Twix will be fine. 

Speaking of Twix's story, has anyone ever seen that splint they use all the time anywhere else?  I have never seen another vet use one of those.  It looks so rudimentary, but maybe it’s actually genius.

At first I thought Booka was abscessed, but it was symmetrical so I realized it must have just been the shape of his face. 

Edited July 14, 2019 by Bastet

[BookWitch]

18 minutes ago, Bastet said:

I missed the intro to Pig Pig’s story – how did she get hurt, and how long ago was it that so much tissue had died?

She was attacked by a dog(shocker!). Seems to be a lot of animals getting attacked by dogs out there. I hope off camera they file some type of report or get animal control out there. It's like every episode has a dog attack now.😐

[Kohola3]

So sad that I cannot watch this great show.  I don't get the channel.

[LittleIggy]

Booka had a big ol’ face! I wanted to hug him. 

I wondered about why no operation on Twix to begin with too. Probably cost prohibitive for the owner. Always great to see Tater!

Pig Pig was too cute! Little fatty!

Charles the gofer! 😆

Poor Charley Barley! I’m not male, but even I was crossing my legs during his procedure. 😏

Edited July 14, 2019 by LittleIggy

[iwasish]

On 7/13/2019 at 10:08 PM, Bastet said:

The interstitial with Dr. Pol comparing scars with the client who’d had the same surgery was funny (especially when he told everyone to plug their nose since his sock was off).  I also liked, within the episode itself, watching him use Charles as his gofer.

I missed the intro to Pig Pig’s story – how did she get hurt, and how long ago was it that so much tissue had died?

Charlie Barley having to be pushed out of the clinic made me laugh, because usually you see that trying to get an animal into the vet’s and when it’s time to leave they can’t get out of there fast enough.  Those urinary blockages are so painful, I’m glad he got in just in time and fully recovered. 

With Twix, it seemed odd there was no option between splinting and amputating, so I assumed what they meant was there was nothing else they could do there - she’d have to go to a specialist for orthopedic surgery - and as the story went on that indeed became clear.  It’s a shame the owner couldn’t afford the surgery, because with clean breaks like that I bet Twix would have healed up beautifully.  But as Tater shows, three legs are plenty, so Twix will be fine. 

Speaking of Twix's story, has anyone ever seen that splint they use all the time anywhere else?  I have never seen another vet use one of those.  It looks so rudimentary, but maybe it’s actually genius.

At first I thought Booka was abscessed, but it was symmetrical so I realized it must have just been the shape of his face. 

That splint is a very old technique. The vets on All Creatures Great and Small used it. It’s really a genius invention. And it’s generally successful. I think in this case the owner had difficulty keeping the cat’s movements restricted (I was distracted during the show) Veterinary medicine is so expensive now, I’ve heard Dr Pol say he tries to keep costs down and still give good medical care. He’d rather they bring the animal in for care than to let it suffer. I’d love to know what he charges for some of these cases. I’m betting  its a fraction of what I would pay here  in northeast NJ. Just an annual wellness check, with bloodwork, fecal test and vaccinations runs close to $450 per dog. 

[Rammchick]

59 minutes ago, iwasish said:

That splint is a very old technique. The vets on All Creatures Great and Small used it. It’s really a genius invention. And it’s generally successful. I think in this case the owner had difficulty keeping the cat’s movements restricted (I was distracted during the show) Veterinary medicine is so expensive now, I’ve heard Dr Pol say he tries to keep costs down and still give good medical care. He’d rather they bring the animal in for care than to let it suffer. I’d love to know what he charges for some of these cases. I’m betting  its a fraction of what I would pay here  in northeast NJ. Just an annual wellness check, with bloodwork, fecal test and vaccinations runs close to $450 per dog. 

Wow...

Perhaps it was cut out, but I figured Emily would've at least brought up the possibility of orthopedic surgery performed elsewhere.  This practice doesn't have the resources for it, and considering their through-put, they'd never have the time to do it.  Where's Noel, the SuperVet when you need him? 😉

[Bastet]

43 minutes ago, Rammchick said:

Perhaps it was cut out, but I figured Emily would've at least brought up the possibility of orthopedic surgery performed elsewhere. 

She probably did, or she may not have even bothered, knowing - as became clear in a later segment - the owner couldn't afford it.

I sometimes have to remind myself, when I'm cringing at something, where this clinic is located - it's a very small, very rural town, with not a lot of true poverty but a very modest median income (nearly $20k less than the state as a whole), and Pol is the only veterinary clinic for about 15-20 miles.  I think the closest specialists/proper hospital are nearly 100 miles away.

Edited July 15, 2019 by Bastet

[CrazyInAlabama]

The orthopedic practice is in Grand Rapids, MI.    And some are sent to the state vet school in Lansing too.   

I saw the rerun of the K-9 Bloodhound that was so vicious his owner couldn't do routine care for him.  My question is that after the orthopedic vet in Grand Rapids said they could do surgery, but it would require aftercare, and the owner couldn't do it, why didn't they just give the dog the euthanasia shot then?   It seems ridiculous to drive all the way back to Pol's, and do it there.  

[2727]

It's a dilemma for a pet owner who can't afford specialized hospitals or even standard vet fees: Do you trust someone like Dr. Jeff who has several times done a surgery he admits is a first for him, or go to a vet like Pol who doesn't have the expertise (and perhaps equipment) to do orthopedic surgery and jumps to the most radical solution? (I would also guess in this case that the amputation was no charge or deeply discounted since its owner worked at PVC.)

Also? Put a danged collar on the cat so she doesn't tear off her splint!

I'm glad to hear the vets specifically mention pain relief more since that's one of the things they've been criticized for. I wondered if Dr. Emily had given that poor goat a sedative or anesthetic before rooting around in his urethra.

I've never been around farm animals or horses and am always amazed when I see a large animal just stand there and let people poke around an inflamed penis or open wound. (And yet they almost always shy away or vocalize when getting a shot.)

Edited July 16, 2019 by 2727

[BookWitch]

According to Dr. Emily's twitter, she left the practice sometime in the last six months. She and her family moved to Virginia. Wonder if she got tired of the big animal stuff. 

[2727]

Oh no! I wish Emily and Tony the best but will miss her on the show; I enjoy her dry pragmatism.

At least she lasted quite a bit longer than most of the young vets who cycle through PVC.

[SRTouch]

1 hour ago, BookWitch said:

According to Dr. Emily's twitter, she left the practice sometime in the last six months. She and her family moved to Virginia. Wonder if she got tired of the big animal stuff. 

I'll miss her.... 😕

[pasdetrois]

I found this about Emily's move:

"“When your boss verbally berates one of his staff b/c she won’t do something unethical/illegal so bad the CLIENTS are consoling her tears.” She said later in a tweet that her friend in another clinic posted that by accident on her account. I screenshot it before she deleted it."

Unlike most other viewers, I have mixed feelings about Dr. Pol. He has a pretty healthy ego and I find him abrasive sometimes. Also, he's rough on farm animals, although it appears this has gotten a little better. (Yes I know farm animals are treated roughly everywhere, but it doesn't have to be that way.)

Edited July 20, 2019 by pasdetrois

[2727]

Wow.

@pasdetrois, where was that posted? How could someone at "another clinic" access Emily's account?

I'm a little dubious that Dr. Pol would act that way, but we all have our moments and he can certainly be a bit brusque and rushed in his interactions. His run-ins with the licensing board about deficiencies of care at PVC are well known.

I wonder if Brenda and the other on-camera vets get a salary from the show? Pretty shitty if they don't.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I wonder if the deleted posting was about a vet at the current practice, and not Dr. Pol's?    And to access someone else's account, the phone could have been left on that app, and someone picked up the wrong phone.  

I always wondered how long being on call for long hours, 24/7, could be done with three kids, and the husband working at the practice also.   I'll miss seeing Dr. Emily, but I wish her the best, and hope she found a better situation.  

Edited July 20, 2019 by CrazyInAlabama

[Bastet]

Based on what we've seen over the course of the series, I'd readily believe either scenario if stated by Emily herself - she simply got a job offer in a location that was better for her family (paid more, didn't require her to be on call, etc.) or she couldn't work there under such old-school conditions/attitudes anymore and opted to relocate.  Her husband also worked at the clinic in a vague role and they have a passel of kids, so any decision to uproot was based on evaluation of her career's trajectory, and she seems a good egg so I wish her luck.

[LittleIggy]

To the idiot with the hunting dog: Quit harassing bobcats and your dog won’t get mauled like that! 😡 Then he puts the dog into that kennel contraption in his pickup bed. Couldn’t she at least sit in the cab with him?

Glad the kitty with the respiratory issues got better. He had beautiful green eyes like my Neela.

Wow, that adorable Great Dane puppy grew like a weed! 

[Bastet]

6 minutes ago, LittleIggy said:

Glad the kitty with the respiratory issues got better.

I diagnosed him with congestive heart failure secondary to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy through the TV upon intake based on experience with a friend's cat, so I was annoyed by the "he's fine now, playing with the others" follow-up, because if that is indeed what he has (he'd need an echocardiogram to confirm, which she'd need to travel to get; I am so happy to live in a big city), his play/exertion should be limited to maximize his lifespan.

Speaking of my big city privilege, I cringed at the makeshift oxygen box they put him in, since here I have ready access to a proper oxygen chamber (much bigger, with a "porthole" to reach in without opening the main door and letting too much oxygen out, and hooked up to monitors).  Like I said above, I cringe a lot at the crude practices on this show, but I also appreciate the context.  It's why I love this show in spite of my mixed emotions about it.

I kind of had this episode on as background noise while I did other things, but I can't with yet another breeder - this time patronized by Charles.  Beth remains criminally perky, and I'd never have a father-in-law to begin with (I have zero interest in marriage) but would certainly never call my hypothetical FIL "Dad" or, especially, kiss him on the lips (and I do not do hand-holding, which she seems perpetually engaged in), but I rather like her in spite of our differences.  She clearly loves animals, and that goes a long way with me.

Charles I still want to shave and bathe most times I look at him, though.

I've never heard of a bobcat attacking a larger animal, but they're not common here so I looked it up - it seems to be rare, but does happen.  Learn something new every day.

Because I wasn't paying proper attention (but it may not have mattered because they're spotty on follow-ups on this show), did we get an update on the cow with the odd gas bubble whose labor they induced?  I loved Dr. Emily smelling the gas.  And felt so sorry for that cow with two people's arms shoved up in her business simultaneously!

I liked the goat lady with a bunch of hay in the back of her truck.

[LittleIggy]

If the bobcat were at bay, I’m sure it would defend itself by biting/clawing. 

I have no problem with responsible breeders. Some people like specific breeds. I had an Italian Greyhound, Claudia, that I got from a breeder. I had her for almost 17 years. She died seven years ago, and I still miss her every day.

Edited July 21, 2019 by LittleIggy

[Bastet]

3 minutes ago, LittleIggy said:

I have no problem with responsible breeders.

I don't think there's any such thing in a country in which several million cats and dogs are euthanized in shelters each year not due to illness, injury, or temperament, but solely for space - there are that many more of them than there are homes.  If someone wants a specific breed, they can generally find an adult via shelters or a puppy/kitten via rescues.  If they can't, boo fucking hoo.  Wait.  Save a different life instead.  Whatever, just don't compound the homeless pet overpopulation crisis.

[pasdetrois]

On the subject of Pol's facilities: I wish they'd move their X-ray stuff to the first floor. With all of their income, can't they add space to accommodate equipment so they don't have to carry animals up and down the steps?