Life With Clients

15 Outrageous Pet Owner Requests of Vets

May 8, 2014 by Andy Roark DVM MS

As the man pulled off his shirt and draped it over his dog, I remember thinking, “I hope my technician comes in right about now. No, wait. I don’t.”

The appointment had been uneventful until I informed the dog’s owner that his dog had a heart murmur. The man replied, “If you think he’s got a heart murmur, listen to this!” and off came his shirt.

While the request was odd, I have to admit I was intrigued. It turned out the man did indeed have a much more impressive heart murmur than his dog. In fact, he was just a week away from surgery to have the heart defect corrected.

As he retrieved his shirt and his dog, I couldn’t help but notice a look of almost paternal pride on the man’s face. It was as if he was considering his dog’s mild heart abnormality and thinking, “Yep, that’s my boy.”

While I’m glad that I got a chance to bring this little family closer, the incident did cause me to stop and consider some of the more unusual interactions between pet owners and veterinarians.

Above and Beyond

As a profession, veterinary medicine is one in which we are used to going to great lengths to meet the needs of the families we serve. Being asked to make a house call, visit a sick patient outside in the owner’s car or stay past closing time are all quite common in our line of work.

Still, even in this business, while we strive to make pets and their people as happy as possible, there are some requests that strike us as a bit much. On my Facebook page, I asked veterinary professionals to tell me some of the most bizarre requests they’ve gotten from pet owners. Here’s what they reported.

A Prayer for Dog Owners: A Devotional for Those Who Love Canines

March 24, 2014 by Andy Roark DVM MS

For me, medicine has always had a deeply spiritual component. I often say little prayers for my patients and their owners, and it is for this reason that I started to think about what I would pray for if I were a mere pet owner, and not a veterinarian asking for medical miracles. Here’s what I, as a dog lover, would say:

Dear Lord,

Thank you for the gift of canine companionship. Let me always strive to be the person my dog thinks I am, even if that level of awesomeness is completely unattainable.

Please remind me of the innocence of dogs and of my responsibilities to those I take into my home. Forgive me if I get frustrated with my dog, feed him the occasional table scrap or make him wear a holiday costume for a few quick photos. I promise I will try my hardest to always be a good owner, friend and family member.

Is It Your Vet’s Job to Keep the Cost of Care Down?

July 11, 2013 by Andy Roark DVM MS

“Veterinarians are in it for the money. If it was just about caring for pets, they wouldn’t charge so much.”

This is one of the most common misperceptions I’ve heard from pet owners. And let me tell you, it hurts.

Personally, I’m not in this career for the cash. Like most of my colleagues, I do it because I love it, and I chose veterinary medicine over other careers that might have been more lucrative. But I completely understand why frustrated pet owners say such things sometimes. As consumers, we’ve all been there — feeling as if all anyone cares about is getting money from us. That feels even worse when we are under stress and finances are tight. It’s no wonder these emotions frequently bubble up for pet owners caring for sick or injured loved ones.

Whenever I look at a cost estimate for a pricey surgical procedure, diagnostic test or medical therapy, I can’t help cringing. It’s not because I don’t understand why the cost is what it is — medicine is a sophisticated and technology-based field — it’s because I worry about how it will affect possibly cash-strapped owners and their pet-in-need.

But what should my role be, as a veterinarian, in keeping costs low? I wonder about that often, and I’ve never seen or heard an answer. It certainly wasn’t a topic covered in veterinary school.

Should Vets and Clients Be Facebook Friends?

May 9, 2013 by Andy Roark DVM MS

It just happened again. The little head-shaped silhouette in the top left corner of my Facebook page lit up, and a wonderful pet owner I recently helped reached out to be my online friend.

I have seen Mrs. Morgan a half dozen times in the last six months, and she is delightful. She has two English Springer Spaniels and a rabbit named Professor Snacks. (That name alone earns her huge points with me.) She seems like one of the sweetest people anyone could meet, and I’d love to be connected to her and her pets.

But just before I click the button to accept her as a Facebook connection, a surge of worry shoots through me. I think of how she might respond to some of the things I post on Facebook to friends and family. Will she be offended by reports of my parenting blunders, profanities in any of the articles I share or flippant comments about hard days at work? What will she think when she realizes that being a veterinarian is only a part (albeit a significant part) of who I am as a person?

What if there are things about her I don’t want to know? What if she tries to change my religion, sell me cosmetics or criticize me for activities that take me away from the clinic? What if she expects me to be on call for pet questions, comments and emergency care 24/7?

Originally Published: Vetstreet.com – May 9, 2013

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Are Annual Exams Really Necessary?

April 25, 2013 by Andy Roark DVM MS

Last year, in a much-discussed New York Times article titled “Let’s (Not) Get Physicals,” a physician reporter named Elisabeth Rosenthal argued that annual physical examinations for human patients are pointless. She cited a Canadian government task force recommendation to abandon annual physical examinations because they are “nonspecific,” “inefficient” and “potentially harmful” (in that they may lead to unnecessary tests). The task force said examinations should be replaced with intermittent screening tests for age- and risk-specific conditions (mammograms, Pap tests, etc.). Dr. Rosenthal argued that this logic is sound in the United States as well.

Scrutiny of annual physical examinations for people does not come as a surprise. Health care costs are soaring, and research consistently shows annual physicals don’t save lives. Most treatment is started because a patient feels sick and comes to the doctor — not because of findings in a routine examination.

So, do these human-side rumblings mean that we should re-evaluate the annual or biannual examinations that veterinarians recommend for pets? Are those trips to the vet with seemingly happy, healthy pets really worth the stress and effort for all involved? I’ve asked myself those questions repeatedly. Here are the key points I always return to.

[tweetthis]Are annual exams necessary? [/tweetthis]

Originally Published: Vetstreet.com – April 25, 2013 [Republished on Yahoo.com]

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My Veterinary Pact With You

March 11, 2013 by Andy Roark DVM MS

Successful relationships are based on clear expectations and commitments. For example, when I go to my favorite restaurant, I know I can expect their usual level of great service and delicious food. And the owners can expect that I’ll pay my tab, behave nicely and respect the “No shirt, no shoes, no service” sign. I hold up my end of the deal, knowing that they’ll hold up theirs, and vice versa. Same goes for my children’s day care. I bring my kids in clean, germ-free and with healthy lunches packed, and the staff does their part to make sure that my children are cared for, educated and looked after until I arrive on time to pick them up. We each know what to expect from the other.

As a veterinarian, I had a brainstorm the other day: What if expectations between pet owners and veterinary teams were just as clear? We each have our needs, abilities, strengths and limitations. Would we understand each other better — and work better as a team to care for pets — if we agreed on what’s fair to expect of one another? I think we might. Here’s what I believe pet owners should expect from me — and what I hope I can expect from them in return:

1) I, your pet’s veterinarian, promise that I will always act in your pet’s best interest. I’ll listen (I mean really listen) when you tell me what your concerns and questions are. In return, I ask that you remember that I am a human being, flaws and all. I have only two hands and one brain. At the end of the day, I have a family to go home to, too. I’m just a person, but I’ll be the person who puts your pet first whenever I see him or her.

Originally published by Vetstreet.com.

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