'I didn't call the vet because...'

There are many reasons why people don't take their pets to the veterinarian. "Because the vet will make me do something I don't want to do" shouldn't be one of them.

I've been a pet writer since 1991. In that time, I've probably received enough snail mail and email asking questions about pet health, diet, and behavior to fill my house. So I think I'm qualified to identify a trend that has persisted over time.

Someone writes me with several paragraphs -- or pages -- about their pet's medical issues. They list the symptoms they've observed, the remedies they've tried, and lots and lots of minute details about the time of day the pet exhibits certain symptoms, the color and consistency of discharges, and the entire history of every bite of food said pet has ever consumed.

In a huge percentage of these missives, nowhere are the opinion of the pet's veterinarian, the results of the veterinarian's physical exam, nor any diagnostic tests mentioned.

The only way I ever respond to this type of letter is by asking, "What did the vet say?"

Sometimes they reply telling me what the vet said, but usually they say they haven't been to the vet, even in the cases of pets with fairly troubling symptoms that have persisted for weeks or months.

Now, I realize that some pet owners cannot afford to go to the vet, or can only do so if it's a dire and acute emergency. There are some resources to help these pet owners get care for their pets, but they're not easy to find and don't usually cover the entire amount. It's a bad situation and I sympathize with the people caught in it.

They're not who I'm talking about here.

I'm talking about the ones who respond to my query about the vet with some variation on the following sentence: "I don't want to go to the vet because he'll just put him on antibiotics," or whatever treatment the person doesn't want the pet to receive, or thinks will be futile.

Let me explain this as simply as I can: No veterinarian can "put your pet" on anything without your consent. And if they try, it's your responsibility as your pet's owner to ask for something more from your veterinarian than to have a prescription shoved in your face.

If that seems overwhelming to you, I understand. Confronting authority is hard. Learning to have an equal and productive partnership with an authority figure is also hard. Hell, finding a good veterinarian is hard, let alone one who is located within driving distance and has good communication skills.

But here's the thing: Your pets can't find their own veterinarians, can't advocate for better care, can't even tell the vet where it hurts. They are entirely dependent on you to do that.

If you feel your veterinarian doesn't listen and doesn't see you as a partner, you need to either speak with her about that and see if you can fix things, or find a veterinarian with whom you have some rapport.

Additionally, even if you have a hard time communicating with your veterinarian, he may still have extremely valuable information about your pet's condition to give you. Vets have, after all, seen thousands of pets with these same symptoms. They know what diagnostic tests are available and which are likely to narrow down the diagnostic and treatment possibilities for your pet.

They can also write prescriptions for pain medication as well as drugs for bacterial, viral, or fungal infections that might be at the root of a pet's symptoms.

If nothing else, they can help you rule out a lot of things you were "treating" your pet for with your home remedies, and ideally allay your worst fears.

Of course, just as there are vets who have poor communication skills, there are vets who don't practice good medicine. They don't keep up with advances in the field, don't use good diagnostic skills, and shove an antibiotic and/or steroid at everything. These are bad vets, and you shouldn't be giving them your money in the first place. The answer, however, is not to stop going to the vet, but to find a good vet.

You may be locked out of the pet health market by finances, or live somewhere there simply are few or no veterinarians, but your own lack of backbone should not be allowed to compromise your pet's health, nor prevent you from accessing the information necessary to make an informed decision about her care.

You can set the stage for better care the minute the vet enters the exam room by telling him you're not just looking for a prescription, but a diagnosis and an understanding of your pet's condition before the exam. Be friendly but clear. You may find your vet welcomes a client who really wants to get to the bottom of a pet's health condition; many people actually get pissed off when their vets want to run diagnostic tests, assuming they're just doing it to pad the bill.

Even before that appointment, go to trustworthy veterinary sites -- I highly recommend VeterinaryPartner.com, the pet owner website of the Veterinary Information Network -- and search for accurate information about the conditions you suspect your pet has. See what diagnostics are usually done in these cases, and what the treatment options might be. This can help when you're in the exam room with your veterinarian.

Still too overwhelming? I get it. Maybe you're shy, or maybe you're just too close to the issue to be objective. Find a friend or family member with more detachment to come with you and ask the tough questions.

Finally, remember that taking some time to consider your options is not just okay, it's admirable. If your veterinarian tells you something you don't understand or don't like, tell her you would like to think about it, unless she feels that would put your pet's life at risk.

Maybe you just need a few minutes to re-group. Maybe you need to sleep on it. Unless your pet needs emergency surgery or is really suffering, a few hours or a day usually won't make that much difference.

Ask your veterinarian to give you a written diagnosis and include any information you want to consider, including costs. If you came alone, get on the phone and talk it over with a trusted friend. Or go home and visit some of those reliable Internet websites again, and see what you can find out online.

If you're still unsure, either because you think the vet missed something or because you can't afford everything that was suggested, ask your vet for options. Be honest and open about financial constraints, or things you don't understand.

If the vet acts as if you're being unreasonable, get as much out of this particular appointment as you can, and as soon as possible, start your search for a new veterinarian who will welcome a client who is thoughtful and thorough.

But don't just slink away into the darkness whining about what you think your veterinarian will do or say. When you do that, you're abdicating a huge hunk of the very real obligation you have to your pet: To be her advocate, and take care of her as best you can. Be strong. Keep the faith.

 

Comments

[Carol Olson]

Thank you so much for speaking about this issue, I would like to add, Many many years ago, I had a dog with Parvo's, Now his brother had just been put down from it and the owners of this dog didn't have the money to put him in the vet for a few days, so they had him put down :( at the moment my dog started getting physically sick, I rushed him to a different vet, and since I was low income and also couldn't afford to put him in the vet for a few days, I asked the Vet if he could sell me the medication and IV's and let me take care of Rocky at home, he understood and did sell me all I needed for $148.00 which was much easier then the over $2000.00 they wanted to do it for me. Rocky didn't fight when I did the IV's or put my hand down his throat to put the pills down. He is a 1/2 Rot 1/2 Akita and knew I was only helping him. He is a happy 14 year old dog now, and God Bless that vet for allowing me to get everything I needed to save him. Ask your vet for the medicine and instructions if you can't afford to keep him there to be treated, some vets are more than willing to help you in any way possible to save the life of a beloved pet.

[Loganbacon]

Carol, you were fortunate to have such an understanding vet. Many are not so flexible. But what I think is a corollary to Christy's points, is that even knowledgeable internet sources can't diagnose a seriously ill animal online, and owners need to use some sense or risk losing their pets. I have lost count of the number of times I have been on a listserv, bulletin board or blog to read someone post that their pet has been displaying frighteningly serious symptoms (and for some period of time) and seeking advice from others on there. Is blood coming out of any part of your pet and the cause is not a minor cut? The dog has bloody diarrhea, urine, vomit? Has been vomiting for more than a day? Has had really severe diarrhea for more than a few hours? GET TO A VET. Is your pet screaming in pain at the slightest touch? Will not eat or drink? Cannot defecate? GET TO A VET.

[madmama]

If you live in Florida, you can get antibiotics for your pet for FREE with a vet's prescription. I couldn't figure out why my dog kept getting awful bug bites, even with the preventative medicine - turned out that he needed antibiotics! GO TO THE VET!

[LizFM]

I would be so much happier if more vets would be real diagnosticians. While it is true that advances in diagnostic testing have made life much, much easier for pets, vets and owners who can afford it, too often the last decade or so, I and other pet owners of my acquaintance have been offered an all-or-nothing stance...told flat out: either pay up front for several hundreds ($400-700) of dollars of exhaustive bloodwork, x-rays and ultrasound, or just pay for an office visit and take your pet home. ZERO middle ground.

[Cierra]

Thank you for this post. When I wrote in my first book [My Best Friends Have Hairy Legs] about ultimately coming to the decision to have my pug, Tink, put down because of her liver shunt/bladder stone issues, I was chastised by a vet who wrote a critique of my book on Amazon.com for NOT spending more money to help her. Having my best friend put down was never about not wanting to or being able to afford to spend the money on her. It was about her quality of life. I was fortunate to have had vets who worked with me for seven years to try to make her quality of life better, including aqua-puncture, massage, Chinese herbs, and natural foods. I now have my big dog and a recent rescue on a wellness plan which allows me to pay a low monthly fee, but takes care of their health issues [to a point]. I'm not a vet, and my coursework in holistic care for companion animals was only to give me information for making my fur-kids comfortable and healthy. Whenever there is a serious issue, I would take them to the vet, just as I would a bio-kid. I am thankful to have had vets who were compassionate about my fur-kids quality of life and not just looking for money like the vet who slammed me and my book.

[Jennifer]

The owner can ask the vet, "Why are you giving my pet antibiotics?" There should be a good reason for it and the vet should be able to explain why like based on a test result!

Thankfully, I have a good vet who will refer my pets to a specialist if necessary. I have heard from friends about vets who will not do this and will try to diagnose a problem that goes on for months. I have heard this about skin problems.

[Dr K]

Taking a minute to regroup is good advice, particularly when you receive an opinion or diagnosis you were not prepared for. Some vets need to be reminded that this is their profession day in, day out. To lay people, the terminology can be confusing. Pressure for quick decisions only makes a tough situation worse when trying to do right by a family member.

[paula]

Thanks for sharing and I have written about this on my pet blog. I went to the same vet for years with a variety of my pets. Each visit got worse and the staff ruder. The final straw came when I was asking for help about an issue and was treated very rudely over the phone again. I found another vet that is caring. I am low-income and that's why I went holistic. Better, healthier, cheaper (in long run) and no antibiotics. Luckily, I haven't had any serious illnesses or injuries!