Recently I have been in the unfortunate position of having water entering our basement at home. To rectify the problem I have been in discussions with contractors in regards to the removal of the old concrete, digging down to the weeping tiles and waterproofing the wall. All of this to be followed by the installation of paving stones to finish the area. I want the job to be done properly without taking shortcuts. From past experience with contractors, I have learned the hard way that if you are not on top of things and have not done your research there is an excellent chance that you are either going to be taken advantage of or you will get a less than professional job. Therefore, I have been combing the internet and educating myself as to the proper way to do this particular job so that I can talk intelligently with the contractors.
To my dismay, the more I learned the more frustrated I got with the many contractors I have had to look at the job. It seems that the majority of contractors have no interest in keeping up to date with the latest and best ways to solve a problem. Let me give you an example. From my research I found out that to lay patio stones the best way is to have a proper foundation layed under the patio stones which is easily compacted and allows water to seep through. I have had many of the landscape contractors come in and tell me that to lay the bedding they use "limestone screenings" which is basically the dust that is left after crumbling up limestone. This limestone screening is one of the worst products that can be used because it balls up into mud and is not very water permeable. Over time this leads to a less than satisfactory job as the paving stones will settle into this "mud". To be sure of what I read on-line I called the techicians at Unilock the originator of patio stones. They told me that its been almost 20 years since they started telling contractors that they should not be using limestone screening and were aghast that there are still contractors using the product. They went on to say that the best product is either 3/4' gravel overlayed by concrete sand or the use of a new product called "high performance bedding". A quick trip to the website of the Interlocking Concrete Paving Institute confirmed this advice.
When researching contractors, I went onto a review site called "Homestars" and started calling the highest rated companies. Guess what? Yep... you guessed it. The highest rated companies use limestone screenings. Why? Because its cheap. And if a company is cheap nowadays it seems to get high reviews. But, in the end, those homeowners who cheaped out will end up with a less than satisfactory job and be spending more money to repair it. That may take 3 years, 5 years or even 10 years but it will happen. Interestingly, the contractors usually give 1-2 years as warranty. Surprise! Surprise!
What does this all have to do with Veterinary Medicine? Well, unfortunately in our profession the standards across Veterinary Clinics vary tremendously just as they do between contractors. Would you believe it that there are still Veterinarians and Veterinary Clinics out there that are telling clients that animals don't feel pain and don't need pain medication for surgery? Some Vet Hospitals make it optional and allow the client to decide if they want pain medication for their pet who just had surgery. Could you imagine going in for an ovariohysterectomy in a human hospital and the doctor saying you don't need pain medication after an invasive abdominal surgery? I just have no tolerance for this lack of compassion and inhumane treatment of our beloved pets. Pain medication at our practice is NOT optional. This is just one example of how standards vary.
Many years ago, I came to the decision that I was going to take the high road at our practice and offer the best in up-to-date compassionate care. Rest assured, that everything possible is done to make your pet comfortable and safe. We cut no corners and are continuously attending continuing education to bring in the latest in what Veterinary Medicine has to offer. It is my promise to you that here at the BloorMill Veterinary Hospital we will always offer the best possible approach while keeping our fees fair and reasonable. I guarantee that we will never use "limestone screenings".
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