Vet in the Centennial, CO area

R

rattman

Member
I have cross posted this in the Main Bird Dog Forum in the hope of receiving a greater response.

I am searching for a new veterinary practice in the Centennial area (University and Arapahoe) and am hoping for suggestions from satisfied bird dog owners. I have had my English setter inoculated against rattlesnake bites yearly and would appreciate having access to this procedure. Overall, my current vet practice has changed with the retirement of my long time doctor and is now run by a couple of women (nothing wrong with that) who are clueless about the care, feeding and hardships that a hunting dog requires and endures (definitely a big void there). These new vets are much more attuned to urban pets and have consistently promoted unnecessary procedures- including suggesting unnecessary surgery for the temporary swelling of a muscle and predicting the need for tooth extractions prior to a dental examination. Neither of which were valid and were avoided through my diligence and familiarity with my dog. I get the impression that gouging owners is a part of their modus operandi. Their indifference to a sudden gastrointestinal problem (referring me instead to an emergency clinic) and their discontinuation of offering the rattlesnake inoculations are the final straws. I would appreciate any guidance- especially for a vet who is familiar with bird dogs.

Thanks.
 
Vet

I attend an Emergency Vet Clinic hosted by the Rocky Mountain Pointing Lab Club last summer. The class was held at the Deer Creek Animal Hospital in Littleton and the presenter was Dr Todd Rezac. He is gun dog owner and takes his dog out hunting, so he know just what we are up against. If I lived closer he would be my go to guy.
Also the RMPointingLabClub is hosting a snake avoidance class this May. Go to the web-sight for all the details, all breeds are welcome.
 
I'm with Mtnlab! Deer Creek is a great place for a working dog. I'm up in Thornton but am considering making the trip down there for Dr. Rezac. I too have attended the first aid class with him. He understands our dogs are more than lap dogs.
 
Thanks for the replies/suggestions. I called Deer Creek Animal Hospital and attempted to speak with Dr. Rezac. The receptionist assured me that he would give me a call. It's been almost 2 weeks and there has been no attempt to contact me. That, combined with a surprising number of negative reviews of Deer Creek, has led me to another vet who has consistently treated the dogs of some of my family members with care and consideration. He may not be a hunter but he's a very good vet.

Incidentally, Deer Creek, my new vet and several other vet practices to whom I made inquiries all do not carry the preventative rattlesnake vaccine by Red Rocks Biologics. I was very much hoping to discuss this with Dr Rezac. Two of my former vets, whose practices were located in high density snake locations- Sterling, CO and Buffalo, WY- highly recommended the vaccine and both cited a decline in yearly fatalities from envenomation for those dogs who received it. Both would lose one or two dogs to snakebite each year before they began administering the vaccine to their clients' canines. I may forgo having the vaccine administered since I don't hunt the early seasons in Montana, Oregon and Wyoming any longer.

Thanks again for the help.
 
I heard the snake bite shots do not work, from my yuppie urban vet. Don't know whether that is true but that's what I was told. I was also told by a lady, who coincidentally happened to be cleaning my teeth at the time, that she had a client tell her a few weeks before that he had two hunting dogs who had both been through the snake avoidance training and they were both bitten after that by rattlesnakes.

So, just like everything else in the world today, it's hard to know what or who to believe. Me? I just don't put my dogs in that situation because I know if they found a rattlesnake, they would try to roll on top of it...something about the smell of snake that they cannot resist...
 
avoid VRCC like the plague!!! Over priced and do not like hunters or hunting breeds..

We LOVE Indian Tree in central denver! Its far from you but I promise it would be worth it!
 
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