Osu Greyhound Wellness Site

[rycezmom]

I wanted to go to the OSU website this morning and look up a normal greyhound lab range and was unable to access it now without registering and paying an annual $99 membership fee. Whats up with this and when did this start. This makes me very very sad.

[Guest Energy11]

Wow! I just went there too, and saw the login. I guess they need to donations in order to keep their program running ... that is all I can think of.

 

Here is another site that will give you your information:

 

http://www.recycledracers.org/FAQ/greyhound-blood-values.html

[DaisyDoodle]

Yes, and unfortunately, the membership fee is for the calendar year, rather than for 12 months, so it becomes even less of a bargain as the months pass. I was really bummed, but I paid it because I had a question about Daisy. It's also very cumbersome to use the referral system they have as well. It took me three or four tries to get all the information I wanted to send them to go and I still had to use regular email for some of it rather than their system.

 

Oh well, it's still really good that they are there; but I, too, wish we'd had some kind of heads up.

[rycezmom]

Maybe this is why we never got a reply from OSU a bunch of weeks ago about the "thing" in Rose's chest. Sad, sad and more sad.

[DaisyDoodle]

When I wrote them through the old channels, they sent a reply pretty quickly about the "new" system, FWIW. I'm so sorry for whatever's going on that you need to talk to them.

[Guest eaglflyt]

Does OSU still do free consulting by email?

[HopeForHounds]

Does OSU still do free consulting by email?

 

 

I will send Dr Couto an email to make sure.

 

I had no heads up either. To be honest, I was floored! Given the amount of money Hope for Hounds raises I would have expected to, at least, be told ahead of time.

[greyhndz]

WOW! I'm really surprised to hear this, especially because of the recognition it receives, and also the donations generated by people visiting the site.

 

Please remember GreytHealth. We've been out there for years, and Suzanne Stack DVM has always been a fantastic resource for the Greyhound community. www.GreytHealth.com

 

Also, Bill Feeman DVM has a wonderful educational site here.

 

So don't despair -- there are plenty of excellent greyhound health sites at your disposal.

[Batmom]

I'm not surprised. They get asked to do a lot of free consulting, which has to put a burden on their resources. I wish the individual subscription were lower, but I can understand why they priced it as they did.

[Guest boondog]

They mentioned at the conference in March they were planning on doing this. I just didn't realize when it was going to take effect. I also assumed we would be given advance notice. However, I really don't mind paying the fee given how wonderful they've been.

[Guest Mom2Shiloh]

I'm pretty bummed because I honestly couldn't afford it... oh well. I understand needing money but I'm afraid this is not real good P.R. and I really support the program every way I'm able

[Guest eaglflyt]

I understand if they need to charge a fee for consulting, since I'm sure they're flooded daily with requests. However, I really don't understand putting all the basic information like lab value differences, heart size difference, etc. to subscribers only status. That was all just basic greyhound info. about how they differ from other breeds.

 

I am glad to see that the Greyhound conferences are now listed as an annual event.

 

I agree that $99 for a Jan 1 - Dec 31 membership seems high to me. Of course, I'd pay it immediately if Ady Bea became really sick. But, to just have info. access, it's pricey.

[Guest momofevie]

I understand if they need to charge a fee for consulting, since I'm sure they're flooded daily with requests. However, I really don't understand putting all the basic information like lab value differences, heart size difference, etc. to subscribers only status. That was all just basic greyhound info. about how they differ from other breeds.

 

I am glad to see that the Greyhound conferences are now listed as an annual event.

 

I agree that $99 for a Jan 1 - Dec 31 membership seems high to me. Of course, I'd pay it immediately if Ady Bea became really sick. But, to just have info. access, it's pricey.

 

Completely agree. I'm disappointed that many of us will not be able to use this valuable resource any longer.

[Guest SusanP]

I bet they'd get a lot more subscribers if they kept the price minimal. As it is, I can't see ever using this resource again.

[BauersMom]

I'm not surprised. They get asked to do a lot of free consulting, which has to put a burden on their resources. I wish the individual subscription were lower, but I can understand why they priced it as they did.

 

If that was the problem, then the simple solution is to charge for consults. The "membership" to lock down all information seems really silly.

[Batmom]

Good point. You would think the basic info and FAQs would still be there, with perhaps a "membership required" notice on the email address.

[Burpdog]

I'm sure this is a work in progress since it's new and those with concerns/ideas should email them and voice them.

[Guest MZH]

I went to my own website (Greyhound Articles Online) to check to see if the links were still working and was surprised to see everything had changed on this one!

 

The registration form is also still buggy. I tried to register, not knowing the fee, and it kept telling me my email addy and confirm addy didn't match so it it wouldn't accept me. (The addys did match.) It takes a long time to fill out the form, too, and after doing it twice to no avail I gave up. I would pay the $99 just to keep up for my website -- if I could get registered.

 

One can't contact them unless registered, which I couldn't do. Not unless one has the old contact addy, anyway, which I don't have handy.

 

I would gladly pay a reasonable consult fee and cost of chemo, God forbid we ever need it.

 

Has anyone else been able to register?

 

PS The Grassmere Animal Hospital in Nashville has wonderful greyhound info too. I'll link to that one next.

[Batmom]

For those looking for cancer etc. trials, drugs, etc., I notice UW-Madison has some things posted: http://uwveterinarycare.wisc.edu/rdvm/trials.htm . The info was last updated in February but you'd want to call them anyways to get current requirements/benefits.

 

Batman was seen and had diagnostics done at the small animal clinic there. Great people, reasonable cost, fast and easy to get an appointment.

[joejoesmom]

Response from Dr. Couto

 

I sent the following email to Dr. Couto, along with some of the comments in this thread (FYI, from time to time I copy some of the posts on greytalk that sing the praises of his group and send it to him to help keep morale up):

 

Dr. Couto,

 

Although I am usually able to tell you about all of the great things that are said about you and your team on Greytalk, I thought you would also want to know about the negative things that are coming up lately in response to your new website (actually its about the charge).

 

My main question: Are phone and email consults still available at no charge or do people have to pay the $99 and submit the consult through the website? In other words, what do I tell people who need to contact you?

 

Jane

 

 

Here is his response.

 

Thanks for the input Jane, and I really appreciate the comments you sent us from concerned Greyhound families. Here are some clarifications:

 

The funds generated through the new website will be used for the exact same things that all the other donations: all things Greyhound (financial assistance for clinics, free chemotherapy program, research, and outreach). As you all know, we do not have a budget (since the program doesn’t officially exist…); we believe this mechanism is be reasonable way to generate funds to hire people and care for the hounds. As you also know, as of now, if I am not in Columbus we do not have any “Greyhound experts at OSU” (in other words, a person a program does not make).

 

We were not “allowed” by OSU to advertise the new website and inform the Greyhound community until this week (tomorrow), since we needed for all the formatting to follow OSU guidelines (funny enough, it was designed by OSU…). Consequently, we were not able to e-mail folks ahead of time with the pros and cons of the new site. We wanted to announce the website BEFORE it went live.

 

We are doing consults and sending material to everybody, independently of membership; it is stated in the opening page that being a member is not a requirement for us doing a consults.

 

we are talking to industry (and other sources) to sponsor owner membership to the Program.

We are also looking at ways to make some materials available to the Greyhound community without subscribing.

 

Currently, between Drs. Marín and Zaldivar, both full-time grad students, and I (full-time oncologist) we do 20-30 consults a day, via phone and e-mail (about 8 hours a day-literally a full-time job); we also see Greyhounds every week, even when I am not on clinic duty, and continue to do clinical research on the breed. Unfortunately, until now we did that on a shoestring, and we cannot continue doing it that way due to a number of factors.

If you think about it, when a family who subscribes brings their hound to OSU, they will receive way more than $99 in financial assistance (you cannot buy a single dose of chemo for that amount of money…). The bottom line: we need everybody’s help. As of now, the only 2 choices we have are to grow the program through mechanisms like the membership, or to eliminate it altogether. And as you suspect, we want the former.

 

Both the Dean and Department Chair have been supportive of creating a dedicated Greyhound Service, but of course, we need to generate the funds to do it.

 

I hope you understand. Thanks again for all your help, and hope the “kids” are doing well

[MP_the4pack]

Jane, thanks for the info.

 

I hope that OSU realized how steep $99 is. I think they would actually get more money charging $30. Because I'll bet that at that price, there will be 4 people subscribing for every one that would subscribe at $99. If my estimate is right (and it's just a plain old hunch!) it would bring in $20 more.

 

MP

[HopeForHounds]

I agree Mary Pat. I can't afford the fee and had only an inkling this was coming. I'm struggling with my personal feelings on this, considering what I do all year for OSU. I pretty much live and breathe HfH and I can't access the info to help someone in a crisis.

 

On the other hand I know how much a struggle keeping this program going has been for Dr Couto. I wish we had had a chance to consult and suggest alternatives to what is currently going to be in place. My fear is that hounds will fall through the cracks.

[Guest Swifthounds]

I'm not sure I see the point in a health and wellness program that only allows access to basic health information by subscription, but makes chemo no charge. So much of the information offered on the OSU and other health and wellness sites are beneficial because they address overall wellness and health issue and can help one avoid some of the chronic diseases before they reach a critical point. While that's less true of cancers than other diseases affecting greyhounds, it's true of most diseases.

 

No disrespect to Dr. Couto, but $99 per calendar year is pretty steep for the average greyhound owning family and regardless of why there was no advanced notice given, people will feel ambushed. Much of the information posted was beneficial to all, even those of us who have never had a consult, could never travel to OSU for services or treatment, and would likely never have an occasion to obtain free chemo drugs.

[joejoesmom]

I will be collecting all of the responses and forwarding them all to OSU.

 

I also agree that $99 is too steep and made this suggestion in my response to Dr. Couto's email of today. I asked whether there was any analysis done regarding how many people would subscribe based on the price. I suggested that for a smaller fee, they might get enough additional people signing up to make up the difference (and then some).

 

As to providing the chemo for free: I believe (and I may be totally wrong) that Dr. Couto gets a lot (or at least some) of his chemo drugs for free or reduced cost (as part of funded studies). I would imagine that he would not be allowed to sell the donated drugs.

 

Then we could have the situation where some people would get free chemo (if they are lucky enough to get in the study) and others would have to pay. Also, I would think it would be necessary to add some overhead to ensure the appropriate paperwork gets done to prove the "sold" chemo was separate from the chemo available to the study. Perhaps this wouldn't take much effort -- I don't know.

 

The OSU Vet Hospital charges $24 each visit just to create the chart, etc. Then there is the doctor's fee on top of that. On clinic day, greyhounds are seen for an additional $49 I believe. If they were to charge for phone / email consults, the hospital might require a formal chart for each consult (once again, I don't know if this would be the case). If so, then $24 of the consult fee would go to the hospital, not the Greyhound group. So the question is, what is reasonable for an email or phone consult? They would have to charge $49 just to get $25 for the Greyhound group. Is this reasonable? Would it be worth the extra time necessary for them to input everything into the official OSU computer system? I would guess that they would need more than $25 to cover the additional paperwork. For those who haven't witnessed it, OSU creates extensive "take home notes" as part of an official visit. It is the same no matter what department you see -- therefore I assume that it is required by the hospital. I have received as much as 10 pages detailing complete doctor's notes, test results, follow-up suggestions, etc. I have seen a vet student entering the data for a shorter visit (about 4 pages of take home notes) and it took about 15 minutes.

 

They would probably need to create a set of different fees, based on the type of consult and the time it takes them to respond. You probably wouldn't know in advance what the charge would be. Also, the nature of what they do (OS and hemangio in particular) require quick responses. I know they don't want to add anything that would slow the process down.

 

Although he hasn't said this to me in so many words, I believe Dr. Couto is trying to get the program set up so it could continue without him. My guess is that he is looking to the future to a time that he might not want to work so hard. I speak from experience, it is tough getting older

 

I know I don't have any answers. I'm sure Dr. Couto would love to hear any suggestions from the greyhound community as to how to permanently fund the program into the future.

 

Jane

Edited June 1, 2010 by joejoesmom

[Guest MZH]

Perhaps it's time for Dr Couto to leave OSU and set up his own consulting practice. I know this is simplistic since I don't have the facts. If Dr C is looking towards retirement or working part time he could have his own consulting/vet practice; he could do what he wants, when he wants, minus the research.

 

Many of us would be totally willing to pay for consults; he is a veterinarian and should be paid for his knowledge. We personally will never be able to go to Ohio for treatment but I wish we could, between him and Dr Feeman being there. Losing free chemo is an issue but paying for a consult isn't, not for me anyway. Charging $99 to look at the articles and newsletter library to fund the program is a stiff fee. If he needs a place to host his articles, the photos and the rads, I'll be happy to put it all on Greyhound Articles Online and it won't cost anyone a dime. (There's always Greythealth too, of course, and Greyhound Adoptions of Ohio's site.)

 

As for funding anything, I suspect if all of us who consulted with him or who have our vets consult with paid him a fair fee, he could continue helping the hounds that way. It just wouldn't be through OSU.