Being On Your Best Behaviour While At The Vet

The veterinary clinic is a daunting place. This mandatory experience in a pet owner’s life is a bulging
bag of emotions. Here are some tips to get out of the clinic while still maintaining a shred of dignity.

The Duracell bunny

If the dog’s energy level is going through the roof, taking him like that to the vet will
only make matters worse. For most dogs, the clinic is a necessary evil and high energy
dogs can turn the whole experience into a nightmare. If the dog has no prior medical
history that suggests exercise would harm it, please do take the dog to the dog park
before going to the clinic. This will bring the dog’s energy level down, and the dog will
not create a ruckus in the vet’s waiting room and clinic,  saving  you  a  lot  of
embarrassment.

The no nonsense dog

Just like every human being is different, some dogs seem to resort to aggression to
handle a stressful situation. With such dogs, it is imperative to wait your turn outside
the waiting room or at a safe distance from the other patients. No one wants to go to
the vet with a cough and go out with stitches. These dogs should be made to wear a
muzzle  and  be  properly  restrained.  Veterinarians  would  also  appreciate  if  told  that
the dog might bite before they actually get bitten.

The impatient owner

Sitting  in  the  waiting  room,  tapping  your  feet  at  a  frantic  pace  while  huffing  and
puffing all the time, will drive the other pet owners nuts. This is also very inconsiderate
to  the  veterinarian.  Not  all  cases  take  the  same  amount  of  time  and  one  should
understand  that  the  veterinary  profession  is  not  an  easy  job.  The  veterinary
profession is physically and emotionally draining. Even a coffee and a quick bite to eat
is  sometimes  a  luxury  too  far for  some  vets  during  their  day.  Bring  an  entertaining
book with you to the clinic and bring something interesting like a bone to distract your
dog while in the waiting room.

Mr know it all

If while at the vet, one feels the need to pitch in some extra information, please do so
in the most polite way possible. If the veterinarian asks a question, please do answer
that particular question in the most accurate and concise way possible. It is also very
impolite to contradict the Veterinarian. If you have any doubts about the capabilities
of the said vet, just go and seek a second opinion.

The unrealistic one

A veterinarian can almost always tell if an owner is saying the truth or not. A dog can
never be skin and bones if it stopped eating properly a day before. Holding back the
truth can only harm your dog. Never let pride be in the way of your dog’s health. It is
better to accept that you have been neglectful, then to keep lying through your teeth
and making it very difficult for the vet to give a proper diagnosis.

The holier than thou

One must understand that their dog should not be influenced by the owner’s lifestyle
choices. Such decisions can put your pet’s life in danger. If the veterinarian says that
the particular life style choice is dangerous for your pet, please do take their word for
it. Vegan owners should not feed their dogs a vegan diet; being pro-life does not mean
that one should not neuter a dog expecting a litter of unwanted puppies. These are
just a couple of examples.

The crowd

Some people make going to the vet a family outing. This is not a very good idea. Most
veterinary  clinics  are  usually  very  small,  cramped  places.  Veterinarians  try  to  make
the most out of every inch of space to try to keep the costs down. Therefore having a
family of four in a small consultation room is not very practical. People having more
than  one  dog  should  not  bring  the  whole  pack  to  the  clinic  unless  they  all  have  a
scheduled appointment.

The penny-pincher

Healthcare does not come cheap. Veterinarians try their best to keep the costs down,
but  there  are  limits  as  to  how  much  this  is  possible.  It  depends  on  what  the
veterinarian might need to do to give a proper diagnosis. The veterinary profession is
not a well-oiled money making machine, and a lot of veterinarians help a lot of pets
belonging  to  people  in  great  financial  need.  Being  very  tight  fisted  with  money  is
impolite and gets in the way of veterinarians helping those pets belonging to society’s
neediest.