Vetcetera A veterinarian’s 10 commandments for pet owners

June 14th, 2008  

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Adding a little:
# follow up on number 3- Thou shalt take information found on the internet with a grain (or three) of salt, and see who is behind the info.
# Thou shalt not use internet message boards as a replacement vet, and don't try to have fellow internet users diagnose your pet.
# Thou shalt not give your pet human medication without consulting your vet.

Xslf June 14th, 2008 09:45:00 AM

Thou shalt not give one set of information to the vet tech, and another set of completely contradictory information to the vet.

Thou shalt not be too embarrassed to mention that thy dog always needs to wear a muzzle for shots/nail trims/blood draws.

Thou shalt not bring thy kitty without a carrier or thy dog unleashed, then let them roam the clinic waiting room.

Thou shalt not tell thy vet that thy dog receives 2 cups of food per day while avoiding the fact that the "cup" is a Big Gulp from 7-11.

Megan June 14th, 2008 10:42:00 AM

Thou shall mention Fluffy's tenancies towards bitting before said biting occurs.
Thou shall not laugh when Fluffy attempts to bite any member of staff.

Megan, love yours! Especially the first one!

Alli June 14th, 2008 04:05:00 PM

#1 If you must bring your toddlers with you--do not allow them to run around the waiting room with high piercing screams or run over to pat everyone elses leashed pet!! (use muzzles & harness/ leashes-if necessary ;)

#2 come prepared with written notes of symptoms/dates/events, questions & concerns, & current list of medications/dosages

Any advice from the readers how to gracefully convey that you want to address needed concerns/issues, but you aren't a bottomless pit of cash? People I know, ask me that question.

Barbara A. Albright/New Hampshire June 14th, 2008 04:25:00 PM

Dr Khuly, will you be doing a post on the commandments for vets, as seen through pet owners' eyes?

Mary June 14th, 2008 06:35:00 PM

Thou shalt not use a flexi leash just because it gives your little dog more freedom to explore and annoy other dogs.

Elizabeth - from Nova Scotia June 14th, 2008 06:52:00 PM

Thou shalt not make an appointment for one pet and then bring three.

robyn w June 14th, 2008 07:11:00 PM

And OK Mary, here is one for you, through a client's eyes:

Thou shalt not speak to me using medical terminology I cannot understand. Thou shalt speak to me in layman's terms and provide me with client education handouts.

After 14 years in the the veterinary profession, I find communication the biggest hurdle to overcome. Clients are often silent because they are overwhelmed and have no idea what the vet is talking about.

robyn w June 14th, 2008 07:16:00 PM

Thou Shalt Teach Your Pet That Wearing A Muzzle Does Not Equal The Scary and One Should Not Prepare for a Battle To the Death (or Nail Clipping.)

Cait June 14th, 2008 07:18:00 PM

Thou shalt not wait until Saturday at 3:30 PM (ie, right before we close up shop for the weekend) to bring in your pet cat/dog/other for uncontrollable vomiting, diarrhea, inappetence, bleeding and/or limping of several days' duration. ARGH! Just a pet peeve of mine! I'm tempted to print up the prior submissions in a nice fancy, official-looking font to post by our front door (LOL).

meowdoc June 14th, 2008 07:33:00 PM

As a pet owner:
seeing things other clients do

Thou shalt not assume that every dog wants to be petted. Especially when said dog is growling and bearing teeth.

The owner of said dog shalt not sit there smiling and say "don't worry, he won't bite"

If thou can't control thy dog, thy should wait outside

If thou can't control thy kid, thy should wait outside


from the client perspective:
thou shalt not assume I know everything. Even though we all know I'm going to go home and research this, I do not have letters behind my name.

Thou shalt not schedule appointments knowing the vet is not going be be in yet

Thou shalt not tell me you're running on time when your waiting area is full and/or clients are overflowed outside

Thou shalt not make me pull information out of you in terms of a medical problem, medicine or side effects, or what would constitute an emergency

Thou shalt not belittle me

cheshire June 14th, 2008 09:33:00 PM

Meowdoc - if it makes you feel any better, people do this all the time when they're the ones having problems, too. They're not making the pets wait because they're "just animals" or anything. Small comfort that it is...

Shiny June 14th, 2008 09:59:00 PM

Ooo, ooo, I have pet owner versions too!

To my vet:

Thou shalt not assume that I subjectively decided that my dog had a fever (pet owners have dog thermometers, too!), then lecture me about how the temperature of a dog's nose has nothing to do with its core body temperature.

Thou shalt inform me how much thy services will cost before they are performed.

Thou shalt respect thy vet techs, assistants, and receptionists.

Thou shalt trust me enough to inform me when you made a mistake, as I trust you enough to care for my pet (I promise I won't sue you if you weren't being negligent or malicious).

Thou shalt not put on thy lecture pants when asked about homemade diets or reduced vaccine protocols, and shall instead listen to my concerns respectfully and without judgement. Then, thou shalt respectfully tell me your experiences and concerns with the above topics. Last, thou shalt allow me to make an informed decision based on our discussion.

Thou shalt obtain continuing education from sources other than company reps.

Thou shalt take care of thyself to avoid burnout, in order to be the best vet you can be for our pets.

Megan June 14th, 2008 10:12:00 PM

<<Thou shalt not put on thy lecture pants when asked about homemade diets or reduced vaccine protocols, and shall instead listen to my concerns respectfully and without judgement. Then, thou shalt respectfully tell me your experiences and concerns with the above topics. Last, thou shalt allow me to make an informed decision based on our discussion.
>>

this is a good one. My vet is excellent, but since I know other people who have asked their own vets, (different than mine) about these two topics since I have gone to home made food and reduced vaccines and gotten quite the attitude.

LorriM June 14th, 2008 10:51:00 PM

Ooohhh! I thought of a few good ones for my fellow vets that carry the emergency overnight pagers (fortunately I have not had encountered these more than once apiece):
Thou shalt not page me at 3AM to request a refill of prescription food
Thou shalt not page me at 3AM to discuss the pros and cons of your pet's upcoming spay and dentistry (scheduled for that day)
Thou shalt not page me at 3AM to discuss your pet's problem at length (whilst repeatedly declining to bring your pet in to see me at the hospital) because your "regular vet" doesn't see emergencies
Thou shalt not page me at 3AM to confirm that your hospitalized pet is sleeping soundly at the clinic

meowdoc June 14th, 2008 11:07:00 PM

Thou shall not expect "your" vet to work 24/7 (with out any vacations) and thou shall be willing to see an associate vet if the situation is urgent.

Thou shall not attempt to avoid diagnostics by waving various crystals over thy pet while veterinary staff wait, afterhours, to begin treatment.

Meghan RAHT June 15th, 2008 12:04:00 AM

I think I'm going to have to rewrite my list. Problem is, "the thirty six commandments" doesn't have the nice ring of just "ten."

Dr. Patty Khuly June 15th, 2008 11:18:00 AM

Here's a couple more for vets:

Though shalt not make me wait 20 minutes after my now hysterical cat's examination to pay my bill.

Though shalt have a waiting room of a size comensurate with the size and fees for your practice so that I don't have curious dogs peeking into carriers at my terrified cats. In fact, given thy fees and size of practice thou shouldst have a separate waiting area for cats and dogs.

2CatMom June 15th, 2008 12:58:00 PM

For vets:

Thou shalt admit when you don't know something and present an alternative, whether it is a second opinion, a biopsy, a couple of days to do research, etc.

Thou shalt present all possible alternatives to any treatment, including "no treatment", explain the costs of each possibility, and provide written instructions in great detail for any medication or treatment to be given or performed outside the clinic locale. And thou shalt not spend more than 15 minutes doing this, lest thy patients have to wait. Also, thy shalt be cheerful at all times.

Thou shalt give estimates for procedures when requested, and thy estimates should include all possible costs so the owner has a reasonable range of cost.

Thou shalt accept that not all clients will be a good fit for thy practice.

For patients:

Thou shalt not assume that your vet knows everything. Thou shalt also not assume thy vet knows nothing.

Thou shalt accept that if your vet admits he/she is unsure about something and presents an action plan, thou shalt not tell all your friends about your stupid vet.

If thee are not happy with thy current veterinarian, thou shalt immediately seek out a veterinarian you are comfortable with, and explain to your previous veterinarian why you have left the practice when you call to have your records transferred.

Thou shalt set aside a minimum of $1000 in a savings account or on a credit card that is available at any time to provide unexpected or emergency care for thy pet. Thou shalt not simply refuse to pay the bill once thy pet is treated. Otherwise thou shalt be sent to collection.

Thou shalt accept that thy veterinarian is a fallible human being who nonetheless strives to provide comfort to thy pet in the best way he/she knows how.

Thou shalt treat thy vet's staff with respect, and if feeling disrespected, thou shalt speak politely with thy veterinarian or practice manager ASAP about said issue.

anonymous in boston June 15th, 2008 01:06:00 PM

Well put! I totally agree.
And now here are the 10 Commandments from a dog's perspective:
http://blog.helpinganimals.com/2008/05/the_10_comm...

KP June 15th, 2008 07:37:00 PM

A few corresponding commandments for Vets and their staff:

2-Thou shalt not commit the sin of silence. Asking questions will get thee further than speechlessness.

2A - Vets shalt not interrupt or talk over your clients assuming you know what they are going to say. It's a pretty quick way to shut people up and shut them down.


4-Thou shalt not call the veterinary staff with absurd questions or demands to speak to the veterinarian for no decent reason.

4A - If thy receptionists are going to be responsible for answering client questions they must know what the heck they are talking about, including such things as being able to read the directions on the prescription and not guessing as to why they don't match the number of pills in the bottle.


8-Thou shalt always explain thy pet’s condition quickly and accurately, free of extraneous information and consistent with thy co-owner’s.

8A - Thous shalt not assume your clients have any idea what information is extraneous and what might be relevant. Thou shalt understand that your clients get upset, frightened and nervous when their pets are sick, and that they don't always know the quickest, most accurate way to describe the issues. Thou shalt cut them a little slack, they are there because they care about their pets.

Anne June 16th, 2008 12:00:00 AM

A few corresponding commandments for Vets and their staff:

2-Thou shalt not commit the sin of silence. Asking questions will get thee further than speechlessness.

2A - Vets shalt not interrupt or talk over your clients assuming you know what they are going to say. It's a pretty quick way to shut people up and shut them down.


4-Thou shalt not call the veterinary staff with absurd questions or demands to speak to the veterinarian for no decent reason.

4A - If thy receptionists are going to be responsible for answering client questions they must know what the heck they are talking about, including such things as being able to read the directions on the prescription and not guessing as to why they don't match the number of pills in the bottle.


8-Thou shalt always explain thy pet’s condition quickly and accurately, free of extraneous information and consistent with thy co-owner’s.

8A - Thous shalt not assume your clients have any idea what information is extraneous and what might be relevant. Thou shalt understand that your clients get upset, frightened and nervous when their pets are sick, and that they don't always know the quickest, most accurate way to describe the issues. Thou shalt cut them a little slack, they are there because they care about their pets.

Anne June 16th, 2008 12:00:00 AM

I've got a few good ones for clients:

Thou SHALT assume that IF your veterinarian were able to, s/he would treat your pet for free, because your veterinarian truly does have your pets' best interests at heart, however Thou SHALT NOT ignore the fact that a veterinary hospital is a business, and has staff and bills to pay, and must make money to keep it's medical care at the highest quality it can be. If thou has financial concerns, thou shalt make them clear to the staff from the beginning, and not wait until after the bill has reached $1000 to inform them that you only have $50 to your name.

Thou shalt not assume that your pet's problem is more important than the five other people who were in the queue before you arrived. It may be true that your pet's problem is more important, but the veterinary staff are trained to recognize this and will see that your pet receives the attention it needs.

Thou shalt not bring your pet to the vet and tell him/her that Fluffy has not eaten in 3 weeks and has been vomiting up blood for the last month and then get angry with him/her for not being able to save your pet. Vets have a responsibility to help your pets, but thou as a pet owner have an even greater responsibility to recognize your pets distress. You know their behaviors best after all.

And this one is particularly relevant, as it happened to me just today:

Thou shalt not call your veterinary hospital for a prescription food refill and refuse to tell us your pets name, and instead scream at the staff for making your day stressful. Would you walk into CVS asking for Vicodin and refuse to tell them who you are? We have a responsibility to make sure that your pet is receiving the correct medication as many medications can seriously harm a pet that doesn't need them.

No joke, I had a woman SCREAM at me on the phone that she was having a really stressful day and her pet's name wasn't important, and could I just fill the script for her prescription food.

Tara June 19th, 2008 08:09:00 PM

This sounds a bit arrogant and self centered to me. I read this thinking I would read something insightful and inspirational about pet ownership. This went over like a lead balloon. Having owned and rescued many pets in my lifetime, I would like to offer some insight to vets. I wish that MORE of you were less concerned with the almighty dollar. Each of you could provide some free or low cost care to abandoned animals or low income pet lovers. You could also provide some pro bono services to your local shelter. You could provide free sterilization to a x number of animals each month.
You will still have a nice home, vacations, nice cars and private tuition for your children. I am an idealistic individual that believes our vocation should also be a form of ministry to the world.
I am not asking you to do anything I do not do myself. I am a soon to be retired teacher and counselor. These are some of my observations after 60 years of rescueing,supporting, loving, and grieving for hundreds of animals on a modest income.

Judy Sandlin June 22nd, 2008 12:36:00 PM

thanks

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