Do all vets do this?

[TreasonousBastard]

Whilst digging through some old mail looking for dunning letters, disconnect threats and insurance cancellation notices I came across a sympathy card from the vet's office for the cat Bastion, who died last month.

It was a real card, with real signatures from the staff.

I thought it was a very nice touch.

[lukasahero]

1. That is nice

And I am sorry for your loss.

Good vets will usually do that.

We took our young cat, Theo, to a vet we had never been to before (it was an emergency in the middle of a blizzard - yes, seriously). We had to put our little boy down (enlarged heart). A few days later we got roses and a card from the office - everyone on duty there must have signed the card. It was extremely touching and certainly far beyond our expectations.

Again, I am sorry for your loss.

[Gormy Cuss]

2. Maybe not all, but many do.

It is a nice touch.

[MorningGlow]

3. Our vet did last summer, when our male kitteh, Dilbert, passed,

even though Mr. MG took him to the emergency vet after hours on a Friday night, and because they ended up euthanizing him the next day, our regular vet never saw Dilbert at the end. It was indeed very nice of them.

Condolences on the loss of your Bastion. :hug:

[Captain Hilts]

4. Most do. Veterinarians and their staff actually LIKE their patients, unlike doctors for humanoids.

[Maine-ah]

5. my vet does the same thing

[Paper Roses]

6. Several years ago, our very special Kitty died. She was under

care of the Vet for the 14 years we had her. As a kitten, she was abused and left to die in an abandoned apartment. She had asthma, heart problems and would have severe bouts of wheezing and difficulty breathing. Along the way, she developed kidney problems. She was on Prednisone for years. She had other problems too. Her teeth had been kicked out. She had trouble eating some foods because it hurt to chew. One of the things we had to do was to have her stubs of teeth cleaned frequently. Because of the asthma and other problems, the vet never used anesthesia. Kitty was good as gold and allowed the procedure to be done without any clawing or fighting while being held.

When she died of complete kidney failure, we were devastated. About a week after her ashes were returned to us, we got a nice, long, hand written letter from the Vet talking about how special this cat was and that she was the only cat whose teeth he cleaned without knocking them out first.

She was funny, smart and loving. I think she knew we loved her and was grateful we rescued her. I wish I could clone her, I would in a minute.

Right now I have no pets but once in a while I will see the Vet who is now retired. We chat and asks if I have another cat yet. I told him I have not found one who speaks to me like my kitty did. He understood what I meant.

[EndersDame]

7. Mine did. I knew he was the one for us when he comforted my kitty whilst taking his temp!

He is truly a caring man.

[Bertha Venation]

8. my vet's office sends a card and flowers

I've never been so moved.

[TZ]

9. Mine did.

AND made a donation to research at Cornell on cat diseases in Turtle's name. How awesome is that? I LOVE my vet...

[GoCubsGo]

10. I got one from my vet

I still have it, even though my cat died four years ago. I am not sure she was the one who even signed the card, but that's okay. My vet took my gravely ill cat home with her overnight to keep an eye on her. (She has a special portable hospital for such cases.) That is going well above and beyond, IMO. My vets are one of the few good things about this shithole town I live in.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

11. Mine has. He was absolutely super when my dog was fighting cancer.

He wasn't even involved in the surgeries and chemo but he called me every so often to see how things were going.

[LisaM]

12. We had that happen

We tried to save one of our dogs a few years ago with surgery. It didn't work but we got nice cards from both the surgical vets and the vet who had referred us. I saved them also.

[Kaleva]

13. First thought Veteran's office was sending out cards for deceased cats.

Dear Major Tom (Ret.),

We are very sorry to hear about the passing of your cat. Puffy lived a long and happy life and will be missed by all.

Sincerely,

Your regional Veteran's Affairs Office

P.S. We found your application for disability compensation that you submitted five years ago. It is currently under review and will be forwarded to the main office upon completion of said review for further review.

[quakerboy]

25. That was my first thought as well

And my second was "how would they know?". I mean, they are good even though they are very busy, but that would be a large step beyond just good.

[av8rdave]

14. I've had two different vets do it for two different pets

Apparently, at least some do. It is definitely a nice touch.

[dgibby]

15. Not only does my vet send sympathy cards,

he does not charge for euthanasia, and he'll bury your pet in the graveyard on his farm, all at no charge. He also gives discounts for multiple pets.

[Rambis]

16. Ours does

small town Iowa- We got one for our 15 year old golden retriever that passed last year. Our 18 year old cat is there now getting more IV fluids so I feel another card coming.:(

[TreasonousBastard]

17. Wow! Some stories from you guys! There's something special...

about veterinarians.

Or, at least some special veterinarians.

[geardaddy]

18. Yep, when Piggy died I got a card

with signatures.

[TrogL]

19. I got one from the pound

My old tom just wasn't coping any more so I took him to the pound to be put down (it's cheaper than the vet).

I got a sympathy card a few weeks later.

[MiddleFingerMom]

20. When I read this, I thought your were talking about the Veteran's Administration...

.
... and I thought, "WOW... they really have improved in their sensitivity towards
the emotional strains on ex-soldiers.
.
Obviously... I never should have re-enlisted.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
I lost a very special cat last year.
.
.
I know.
.
.
I am very sorry for your loss.
.

[Bucky]

21. A lot of them were traumatized by their experiences in Vietnam & are now quite sensitive

[Catshrink]

22. Mine does...

When I had my two older cats, litter mates who hadn't spent a night away from each other ever, put down in October, I got a lovely note from my vet's office. They assured me that I did the right thing, even though it was hard. It meant a lot.

[baldguy]

23. When my Zelda died, mine didn't.

One reason I decided to switch vets.

[Skittles]

24. yes my vet sent me a sympathy card, signed by him, his wife (also a vet) and staff

a couple of months later he shot and killed his wife before turning the gun on himself.....I still have that card :cry: