We’re discussing pet ownership responsibility in the month of September, so it only seems appropriate to discuss proper veterinary clinic etiquette. Being a mixed animal veterinarian, I’ll also have a farm call edition of this list in a future blog post, so keep your eyes open for that! Let’s face it. I’m eight months pregnant and getting snarkier by the week, so this type of topic is right up my alley. I realize that if you’re a client of mine and you’re a regular reader of this blog, you’re most likely one of my “A-list” clients and I’m probably preaching to the choir. However, it’s possible you might be doing some of these things and not know that it’s an annoyance or taboo in a clinic. If some of these things apply to you, take note for the next time you bring your pet into a veterinary clinic. If none of these things apply to you, there’s probably some entertainment to be had in reading this blog anyway. Plus, you can give yourself a pat on the back for being such a great client. The following is my list of “Bye Felicia” moments, which is my sassy way of listing things you should NEVER do in a veterinary clinic. Enjoy! 1. Fib about your pet’s medical history, medications, dietary intake, etc. Liar, liar, pants on fire! Just kidding, I realize that sometimes things might be omitted or left out of your pet’s medical history just due to forgetfulness. That’s totally understandable. When I ask if your pet is currently on a medication and get an answer of, “No,” I assume that your pet is literally on no medications. When I ask if your pet is on year-round heartworm, flea, and tick preventative, I mean is your pet on these products monthly for a year-round basis. Not “all year” with the exception of the months of November, December, and January. I also must investigate the common problem of omission when discussing a pet’s dietary history or what type of food they eat. . These conversations often go something like this: “What kind of food do you feed your pet?” “Well, I’m not sure. Most of the time it’s a dog food in the green bag. You know what kind that is, right?” “Okay, does your dog get a certain amount of food each day? How often are they fed? Or is your dog fed ad lib?” “Well, I feed two cups of the dry food twice a day.” “Is that a measuring cup? Like the ones you use in the kitchen?” “No, it’s a Break Time Big Gulp cup.” “Does your pet get any extra table scraps or treats?” “Absolutely not! Oscar only gets his dry dog food, and that’s it.” Then the husband standing in the room pipes in and says, “Well, remember that you feed him a 12 oz ribeye every Sunday when we grill?” “Oh yeah. But that’s only once a week!” The husband adds, “And Oscar gets half a plate full of spaghetti on Wednesdays, which is spaghetti night.” I then do bloodwork and confirm that Oscar’s pancreatic enzymes are elevated. I ask, “Are there any other high fat foods that Oscar gets on a regular basis?” The wife replies, “Oh yeah. We forgot to mention that we pour the bacon grease from breakfast on Oscar’s food every morning.” You get the idea. Veterinarians are used to having to pry information out of clients sometimes. Not only does this scenario make it difficult to do our job, take extra time, and make it harder to run diagnostics with an incomplete medical history, but leaving out information can be dangerous to your pet. For instance, certain medications can interact poorly and be dangerous when given together, so it’s important for us to have a complete list of medications your pet is currently on (which includes over-the-counter medications you might be buying from Wal-Mart or elsewhere). If you bring your dog in because he’s sick and got into your stash of marijuana or other drugs (including prescription), please tell me because I can’t treat your pet without knowing what they ate. I’m not the DEA, I just need information so I can treat your pet adequately. Help us do our jobs and ensure your pet gets the best care by giving us complete information. 2. Answering your cell phone in the exam room. “Well, Mrs. Smith, I’m sorry to tell you that after Roscoe’s exploratory surgery, we found a tumor on his liver. I think the best course of action from here would be…” *phone rings* Client: Hello? Oh, hi sweetheart! Wait, I told you not to buy the cheap hand towels because they’re not soft enough!...No, I told you this yesterday!...” *conversation goes on for a few more minutes* You see what I mean? When you bring your pet into the veterinary clinic, you’re paying for our expertise and knowledge. Nothing is more frustrating than being interrupted by a phone call in the middle of giving that expertise. Please be respectful of our time and hold your phone calls until the appointment is over. 3. Throwing a fit when we need to muzzle your pet. I’ve experienced this one a lot lately. At our clinic, we want your pet to have the best experience possible with as minimal restraint as we can, however, my staff and I also are very experienced at reading body language in a dog or a cat. This scenario usually goes something like this: I approach the dog and it looks a little scared and apprehensive. I slowly move my hand toward it to begin my exam, and it turns and snaps at me. I explain, “We are going to put a muzzle on Sparky. Looks like Sparky is a little scared today, and better safe than sorry.” The client replies, “Oh, Sparky doesn’t bite!” Me: “Really? Because he just turned and snapped at me.” The client says, “Here, I’ll just hold his head for you.” I would not like to have someone who is completely inexperienced with animal restraint hold the head of a dog that is a fear biter. I reply with, “Ummm...No thanks!” and then I put the muzzle on the dog. This is a scenario where it’s my way or the highway. If a dog is growling, trying to bite, or showing signs of aggression, a muzzle is the best precaution to ensure that I, my staff, and you don’t get bit. So please don’t argue with us when we need to muzzle your dog. I don’t muzzle dogs without good reason. 4. Refusing to pay. This probably happens more often than you think. People will bring their dog in for treatment, go to the front desk for check out, and then act surprised that payment is expected, pretend they forgot their wallet, or act like they don’t understand the payment plan that’s been explained. In other instances, people want to pick and choose what services their pet gets. They’ll say, “Why do I have to pay for an exam? I just want my pet to get vaccinated! She doesn’t need an exam!” We’ve even had people cancel their credit card or check payments after we’ve saved their pet’s life. Look, most veterinarians aren’t out to price gouge people. However, it takes a lot of time and money to keep a veterinary business running. Remember that a veterinary clinic is a business, and payments are needed to cover the cost of treatment and keep the business running. Would you go into a retail store, a medical doctor’s office, or your dentist and claim you don’t have any money to pay for goods and services? Doubtful. And if you do, let me know how that goes for you. 5. Letting your pets run loose around the clinic. I can’t stress enough the importance of bringing your dog to a veterinary clinic on a leash. Cats and sometimes even very small dogs can be brought in carriers. Even if you’re confident that your dog is well behaved around other dogs, you don’t know what the leashed dog in the waiting room is going to do. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen someone walk in with an unleashed dog that sniffs around and approaches another dog in the clinic that is leashed that doesn’t appreciate the attention. This can be a dangerous situation for the animals and the people involved. Please be responsible and leash your pet when you bring them to the office. If you have a retractable leash, lock it at a relatively short distance so you can adequately control your dog. Also, don’t carry your cat into a veterinary clinic. Many of you have found that the car ride alone to the veterinary clinic can be stressful for them. If you walk in with an already stressed cat, and it sees other unknown animals in the waiting room, it is likely to claw the crap out of you at the very least and possibly even escape. We’ve certainly had cats get loose outside of the clinic when people are trying to carry them to their cars. A carrier is by far the best way to transport your cat and some small dogs to the clinic. Don't have a carrier? It's probably a good idea to purchase one if you have a cat, but if you need one on short notice, my clinic has one that we loan out to clients for transport to and from the clinic. 6. Put up roadblocks. These clients drive veterinarians crazy. When a client is paying you to be their pet health expert yet denies and refutes every recommendation, it can be quite frustrating. There is nothing wrong with questioning your health care team on issues that are important to you. However, I have had many appointments where clients refuse every diagnostic or treatment option I present to them. No, my pet does not have fleas. My pet is not obese! My dog’s teeth aren’t rotting out of its mouth. No, my dog is too old for surgery. No, bloodwork is too expensive. Can’t you just give my dog a shot and cure it? I have to wonder in these cases why they brought their pet to a veterinarian in the first place? Sometimes the answers to our pet’s health problems are simple, and sometimes they’re not. Either way, veterinarians usually don’t have a crystal ball that tells them what is wrong with your pet. Tests often need to be done to achieve that. Nor can we cure your pet by placing hands on them (most of the time). Treatment might involve you medicating the pet at home. These clients often demand, “Cure my pet, but don’t run any tests, don’t touch him, don’t send home any medications, and did I mention he bites?” Let’s have some realistic expectations, here. 7. Try to tell my technicians how to handle your pet. Everyone has dealt with someone who likes to micromanage. In a veterinary clinic, you’ll inevitably get a client that wants to tell the technician how to handle, hold, or restrain their pet. Please trust that my technicians have been trained in animal restraint and handling to keep the pet comfortable and prevent injury to everyone involved. You may think you know your animal, but chances are they know how to handle animals better than you. Our restraint techniques are designed to keep you, your pet, and us safe. Also remember that most of us entered this profession because we like animals and want to ensure that they are safe and comfortable. 8. Rely too heavily on Dr. Google. As a veterinarian, I am not intimidated or offended by clients that research conditions or pet health issues on the Internet. Personally, I think it’s great that you’re taking an active interest in your pet! However, it can be frustrating when your recommendations contradict their Internet research, yet the client is insistent what they found on Google is correct. Client: I think I’m going to go ahead and use this homemade apple cider vinegar recipe to get rid of fleas on my dog instead of the preventatives you recommend. Client: I’ll NEVER feed the prescription Science Diet dog food that you’re recommending because it has corn in it. And everyone knows corn is EVIL! Client: I didn’t give my cat the antibiotics you sent last week because the Internet told me it doesn’t have a urinary tract infection (which culture results later proved otherwise). Please understand that not all information on the Internet is accurate. While I was attending a breastfeeding class a few weeks ago, a young woman raised her hand at the end of class. She said to the instructor, “I read on Google that it’s good to boil your breast milk before you feed it to your baby.” This is the kind of information you find on the Internet, people! There are a lot of buffoons running their mouths on the Internet. I’m obviously not one of them! Ha! If you want a list of great, reliable Internet resources on a variety of pet-related topics, visit my website at the following link: http://howardcountyvet.com/internet-resources/ 9. Tell us what your breeder recommends. I can’t tell you how many times I have clients bring in a brand new puppy, complete with a packet full of misinformation from their breeder. These packets usually include “facts” stating that this particular breed of dog can never eat grain, is sensitive to anesthesia, should only get a half dose of rabies vaccine, shouldn’t be vaccinated for rabies until six months of age (it’s three months of age, by the way), should have a heat cycle before being spayed, etc. Anytime a client hands me one of those “breeder packets,” it’s all I can do not to rip it in half and throw it in the trash. You may also be surprised to know that it’s surprisingly difficult to reverse the word-vomit on these pages and educate clients on pet health. Many of them will defer to their breeder on pet advice. You’re right. The advice I’m giving you is purely based on years and years of school and experience and hundreds of thousands of dollars I’ve invested in my education. Feel free to go ahead and do what your breeder recommends. If you’re wondering what the requirements are to become a dog breeder, the answer is there really aren’t any. There’s no reason to believe they know anything about pet health, especially compared to someone with a doctoral degree on the subject. Does it make more sense to trust someone who has made it their life’s work to keep pets happy and healthy or someone who wants to sell as many dogs as possible and get them out the door? Hmm… Other common recommendations we get are from people at the natural food store. Need to deworm your pet? Feed it diatomaceous earth! Want to cure parvo or diarrhea in general in dogs and cats? Apparently the common recommendation is to give everything fermented goats milk. Gross! A colleague of mine says, “I just say in my compassionate, yet authoritative voice, ‘Well, let’s discontinue that...and never give it again.” Honestly? The only fermented products you should trust are wine and beer (but don’t give that to your pets!). 10. Phone trees! “Hey, Dr. Stroupe! Could you call my wife/husband/brother/family friend/neighbor/homeless person and tell them everything you just told me?” I realize that it’s good to keep everyone in the family in the loop, but it’s an extremely inefficient use of our time to have to call three different people and explain the exact same thing. It’s best if all interested parties can schedule the appointment at a time when everyone can attend so questions and issues can be brought up at that time. While we’re on the subject, please don’t send your teenage son with your sick dog to the clinic that doesn’t have a friggin clue about what the dog’s symptoms are, how long it’s been sick, what tests are okay to run on the dog, etc. It’s very difficult to work up a pet without a good history or idea of what tests you’re willing to run. 11. Asking us to fill prescription medications without seeing your pet. “Hey, Dr. Stroupe! Tucker’s ears are itching again. Could you just fill the prescription for “X” medication? It works every time!” I then look at the record and realize the dog hasn’t been seen in five years. Listen, there’s a reason certain medications are prescription. We can’t diagnose a pet’s condition over the phone. Even though you think you know your pet, you have not been trained to diagnose and treat your pet, which is why it should be examined by a trained professional. Examinations and tests are crucial for diagnosing a problem and sending home the appropriate medications. Guessing what is wrong without seeing an animal and sending home a random medication is not a way to practice medicine. 12. Walking in without scheduling an appointment or showing up late. It’s important to know that most veterinarians do not encourage walk-ins at their clinics. Sure, we understand that emergencies can pop up. However, just randomly showing up with your itchy dog, cat to vaccinate, or load of cattle to work is not usually appreciated. Scheduling can be tight in veterinary clinics, and walk-ins can throw things off in a major way. I’ve had a client randomly show up with their flea-infested cat and then storm out because I was busy in the back stabilizing a dog that had been hit by a car. Yeah, dude. Don't let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya. Showing up late can throw things out of whack as well. I’ve had Saturdays where I’m nearly double-booked all morning. My first appointment shows up 10 minutes late and throws the entire morning off schedule. Please be respectful of the fact that we often have many, tightly scheduled appointments to see in a day. Schedule your pet’s appointment ahead of time and try your best to be on time. If you’re running behind, give us a call and let us know. We may be able to work you in at a later time or reschedule you. This is not meant to be a tirade against my wonderful clients. Most of my clients, especially regular clients that have learned the ins and outs of the veterinary clinic, know these things already. Actually, they’ve probably been in the clinic before when someone hasn’t followed these suggestions and see how it can create chaos. If you have done one or two of these things before, remember the examples that I explained and how it could affect your pet or other pets in the clinic to keep it a safe and respectful place for all.
1 Comment
Chris
4/26/2023 09:17:00 pm
Cats are low maintenance and simple to care for as pets. All that remains to be done is to love and enjoy your cat once you are familiar with the fundamentals of feeding, using litter boxes, grooming, general health, and safety. You can check more cat care tips at PetCareRx.
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Jessica Stroupe, DVM
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August 2017
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