Today an owner told me I have the worst job in the world. His reasoning was not what I expected. Said owner’s dog was dropped off for an exam by the pet sitter. She said the dog was just not acting right. The owners were out of town and could be expected to… Read More
Life With Clients
Clients Behaving Badly: A Day in the Life
Recently, I saw a dog for a sarcoma. The consultation was arranged after the owner was yelling at our staff in the waiting area that he needed be seen immediately for the tumour that had been growing on his dog’s leg for the past year and was not bothering the dog. However, he had spent… Read More
10 Wrong Things Pet Owners Say About My Salary
“I bet I paid for this exam room.” “That’s a nice wedding ring, bet my dog’s bills paid for that.” “I bet you live in a giant mansion with all the money you have made off my cat.” “I put your kids through college.” “I paid for all those cruise vacations.” “Is that your Lexus… Read More
What a Tough Week Taught Me About Life With Pets
Today was mentally taxing. It was the kind of day where you realize that you’ve been working for eleven hours and you’ve only had a granola bar. When your head finally hits a pillow, you’re so tired the room is spinning but you can’t shut your brain off. My alarm will buzz in five hours,… Read More
Are You Breaking the 6 Commandments of Professional Courtesy?
In veterinary school, our ER clinicians had one rule that still sticks with me today: “Never talk badly about the referring DVM to a client.” One important reason for this rule is that the client’s report of what the other vet said may not be exactly accurate. Whether the client was distracted by emotional distress… Read More
Do You Practice Like Pet Owners Are Watching?
Pet owners can’t always be with their pets while they’re at the clinic, but what if that wasn’t true? Would it affect how you act treat any patients (or team members)? [tweetthis]Practice like pet owners are watching… and eating popcorn.[/tweetthis] Read More