• DVM360_Conference_Charlotte,NC_banner
  • ACVCACVC
  • DVM 360
  • Fetch DVM 360Fetch DVM 360
DVM 360
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
By Role
AssociatesOwnersPractice ManagerStudentsTechnicians
Subscriptions
dvm360 Newsletterdvm360 Magazine
News
All News
Association
Breaking News
Conference Coverage
Education
Equine
FDA
Law & Ethics
Market Trends
Medical
Politics
Products
Recalls
Regulatory
Digital Media
dvm360 LIVE!™
Expert Interviews
The Vet Blast Podcast
Medical World News
Pet Connections
The Dilemma Live
Vet Perspectives™
Weekly Newscast
dvm360 Insights™
Publications
All Publications
dvm360
Firstline
Supplements
Vetted
Clinical
All Clinical
Anesthesia
Animal Welfare
Behavior
Cardiology
CBD in Pets
Dentistry
Dermatology
Diabetes
Emergency & Critical Care
Endocrinology
Equine Medicine
Exotic Animal Medicine
Feline Medicine
Gastroenterology
Imaging
Infectious Diseases
Integrative Medicine
Nutrition
Oncology
Ophthalmology
Orthopedics
Pain Management
Parasitology
Pharmacy
Surgery
Toxicology
Urology & Nephrology
Virtual Care
Business
All Business
Business & Personal Finance
Hospital Design
Personnel Management
Practice Finances
Practice Operations
Wellbeing & Lifestyle
Continuing Education
Conferences
Conference Listing
Conference Proceedings
Resources
CBD in Pets
CE Requirements by State
Contests
Veterinary Heroes
Partners
Spotlight Series
Team Meeting in a Box
Toolkit
Top Recommended Veterinary Products
Vet to Vet
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Advertisement
By Role
  • Associates
  • Owners
  • Practice Manager
  • Students
  • Technicians
Subscriptions
  • dvm360 Newsletter
  • dvm360 Magazine
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us
  • MJHLS Brand Logo

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences™ and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

When a colleague's expectation crosses the line

April 1, 2015
Marc Rosenberg, VMD

Dr. Lee Grant owned a three-doctor practice in a resort area of South Carolina. He had thrived during the last 15 years by reaching out to local pet owners while also welcoming vacationers with open arms. He was proud to be a veterinarian and had been an officer in his local and state veterinary associations for more than a decade.

Dr. Bill Rader retired from practicing veterinary medicine two years ago. He sold his busy small animal practice and moved from the frigid northern part of the country to spend his retirement years in beautiful South Carolina. Dr. Rader had always had a Labrador retriever as a pet. He loved the breed and had been spending more and more time with his dog since he retired. In recent days, he had noticed that his dog had become a bit lethargic. He observed paleness in the pet's gums and knew that medical assistance was needed, so he called Dr. Grant and scheduled an appointment.

Upon arrival, Dr. Rader introduced himself as a recently retired veterinarian. In light of this background, he asked Dr. Grant if he could participate in the care of his pet. Being the collegial person he was, Dr. Grant consented to Dr. Rader's request. A complete workup was done, including an abdominal ultrasound. It became clear that the Labrador had a splenic mass. Both doctors agreed that surgery was necessary. Dr. Rader then requested to scrub in on the surgery.

At this point Dr. Grant started to feel uncomfortable. His retired colleague did not hold a license to practice in South Carolina. In addition, he could prove to be a distraction in the operating room, impacting the health and well-being of the patient. Dr. Grant shared his feelings with Dr. Rader, who reluctantly complied with Dr. Grant's decision. Fortunately, the surgery went very well. The dog recovered uneventfully, and Dr. Rader removed his pet's sutures himself 10 days later. Dr. Grant sent his retired colleague a bill for his services with a 15 percent discount as a professional courtesy.

Dr. Grant soon received a check in the mail accompanied by a letter. Dr. Rader reported that the pet was doing well but that he was as disappointed both in Dr. Grant's refusal to honor his request to participate in the surgery and the minimal monetary courtesy that had been applied to his bill for professional services.

Advertisement

Dr. Grant was flabbergasted. He felt he had treated his fellow veterinarian very generously, but then he remembered that no good deed goes unpunished. Do you think these doctors acted and reacted appropriately?

Rosenberg's response

Most veterinarians attempt to extend professional courtesy and respect to their colleagues, as Dr. Grant attempted to do with Dr. Rader. But a clinician must also keep in mind the regulations that he or she is bound by when issued a state license. It is true that a license is not required for an owner to humanely administer care to his own pet. But Dr. Grant took on his colleague's pet as a patient and at that point had to meet the standard of care mandated by his licensure.

If Dr. Grant had allowed Dr. Rader to participate in the surgery and order certain medical protocols for his pet, he could have placed himself in a gray area of adherence. In this case, Dr. Grant acted ethically and courteously, while Dr. Rader was out of line. There was no requirement that a discounted bill be issued, and it was inappropriate for Dr. Rader to object to the amount of the courtesy. Hopefully this will not deter Dr. Grant from offering colleagues courtesies in the future.

As for Dr. Rader, retirement was an excellent decision.

Related Content:

Law & Ethics
The biggest legal threat to veterinary professionals
The biggest legal threat to veterinary professionals
How to set yourself up with lawsuit protection
How to set yourself up with lawsuit protection
Bill addressing veterinary shortage in Arizona signed into law
Bill addressing veterinary shortage in Arizona signed into law

Advertisement

Latest News

An update on copper concerns in pet foods

Dental hacks to make every case more manageable

Q&A with a keynote: Walter Brown, RVTg, VTS, ECC

News wrap-up: This week’s headlines, plus dvm360® launches its first CE podcast

View More Latest News
Advertisement