I also want to add calling in first. I called my vet literally today cause my cat was panting and acting kinda weird and I wasn’t sure if I should bring him in (first time cat owner, only had him about 6 months so I’m still working out what’s normal and what’s not) and the receptionist asked me some questions and got one of the techs on the line and she told me to monitor him for like half an hour and if he got worse to bring him in. I did and turns out he was just gassy from zooming too hard cause he let out the NASTIEST fart like 5 minutes later and then was fine lmao, glad I didnt spend the money, but doubly glad the vet staff was so encouraging and calming on the phone (they also got a kick out of it when I called back and told them what happened and that he was fine XD )
Sounds like me. I thought I saw my cat swallow a big piece of plastic so I call them up and they told me to monitor her… two days later the little shlit pulled the piece of plastic out from under the TV stand where she’d stashed it when I freaked out and tried to take it from her because she looked like she was trying to swallow it!!!
Ok, but do me a favor and wear gloves, so my cat doesn't get a different infection from your last patient. The responsible vet will not be named. Yes, I kept logs with photos btw.
My first visit to a new vet, he dropped everything mid-check and ran from the room. Turns out a dog had eaten rat poison. Twenty minutes later, he came back in, apologized, told us why he left so fast. We were happy to wait and the other dog was fine in the end.
My rabbit and I were once in the vet's waiting room, awaiting our turn for a vaccine. We'd been waiting a while because they were behind schedule (afternoon appointment). Then in came a dog who needed urgent emergency surgery. Once the dog and relevant staff had gone through to where they needed to be, I offered to come back another day. They looked surprised and grateful. When bunny and I returned, the same dog had come in for a post-op check. The vet and his staff remembered I'd offered to reschedule! and introduced us to the dog, told us what had been wrong and why he needed urgent attention, and thanked us profusely for understanding. To me, it just made sense to go - the dog obviously needed immediate care. It surprised me how much the vet staff seemed to appreciate this small act.
#2 reminds me of when i kept a color coded calendar of when my dog started peeing on the floor (it turned out to be dementia but at first dr just wanted to say UTI until she saw my chart lol)
Been going to the same Vet since 1998. She pretty much knows what my answers will be when bringing anyone in for surgery (really? you have to ask if people want their pets to have pain killers??? Is this a thing??), but asks the questions anyway. She has cared for many of my pets and cried when anyone passed. All my GSD lived to be 12 -13 years old, my Mixed breed lived to be 16. all my cats lived between 17 to 21 years. so she looked after them their whole lives. If I call and just say "they are acting off" trust me she has never berated me for bringing them in.
In some circumstances painkillers might not be the best idea in the days after surgery when the pet is recovering at home. Whereas a human can be told to be careful of the wound a pet needs pain as a reminder to nurse the injury. That's why vets will ask and may recommend not sending painkillers home.
@@ElizabethJones-pv3sj You are ABSOLUTELY WRONG. Pain killers reduce the inflammation cascade which impedes healing after a limited point. If you believe that pain killers are a bad thing in any case you need to go to school and get an actual medical degree. No vet worth their salt would refuse to send home pain killers and any one that would should be brought up before their board.
@@kkirsch3583 while the only surgery my cats have received was desexing between 3 different vet practices in different cities and decades apart none has sent home painkillers or even offered. Perhaps the norm in the US is to send home painkillers but if it's not the norm throughout the world there is going to be a reason for that. I'm definitely going to trust the treatment plan I receive from my vet who has actually seen my cat and done the surgery over someone shouting on the internet.
@@kkirsch3583 Thank you for being a great patient advocate! People can post things for so many reasons. Misinformation however intended is still misinformation. Actual vets know what's what.
Lol I was born with 5 chambers in my heart. Every time I'm at an appointment or in the ER and a nurse asks for my meds and allergies, I show them the doc I have on my phone listing everything 😂. They're always like holy crap, you are awesome!
Yeah, but doctors hate the detailed list of everything that's been going on. They think it's a sign of malingering. I used to try to document as much detail as I could about my neurological disorder to make their job easier, but eventually realized the only way to get actual help was to play stupid and bring someone else with me who could play the confused, desperate loved one who just wanted answers. That made them feel smart enough to care. smdh
@@m0L3ify Those are just bad doctors and I'm sorry that you've had to deal with them. My doctor absolutely loves it when I bring in updates on any of my conditions, even if those weren't the reason that I was there and even if he had to refer me to a specialist. My specialists are usually happy to listen if I think one of my other conditions might be influencing the condition under their specialty. There's a stereotype about neurologists and neurosurgeons, though, and let's just say, your experience fits right in. I hope that everything is being managed as well as it can be and that you have found or soon find one that does actually care and listen without needing to feel like Dr. Smartypants!
@@wolfoftheages I'm glad! And yeah, my primary doctor listens really well now. I have everything managed pretty well, but boy it sure would have been nice to find a doctor like that in the beginning! I really needed it back then. It pushed me to find ways to manage it myself, so I guess it was for the best. Silver linings! I still don't document things like I used to, tho.
Seconding #4. I worked for a small biotech company in clinical trials and we got a handful of thank yous from our trial participants and their families. The entire 4 years I was there those letters were displayed in a place of honor in our break room. We were that happy to have them.
For #6, I ended up taking my cat to the vet because she looked overweight, like she was small but I couldn’t even wrap both my hands around her waist. Turns out she had a perfect weight, I had just never encountered a cat with that body type before. The vet did say he was happy I was worried about my cat’s weight and that I made sure she got checked out just in case.
I feel like people are really quick to label animals overweight these days (not directed at you! I just mean I see people who don’t acknowledge that there’s a wide amount of normal for cats, and they can easily be underweight too)
I had a similar situation, my kitten at 7 months was over 10 lb. But the vet just said he's just a large-boned cat who is at a perfect weight for his size! (Most human weight charts don't seem to take frame size into consideration either.)
I didn't know about the primordial pouch and my boy being long haired it didn't really show but one day while petting and grooming him I found the beginnings of a fatty "lump". I got him a vet appointment for the next day because I was worried it was a cyst or at worse cancer. I felt so dumb when the vet explained it. But he complimented me on noticing the small bodily change in him.
Rofl I had one girl that was super over weight. Brought her sister in to see if she was... Nope! Same weight but her sister has a longer body by like half an inch and is just stockier. Same litter too. The vet had a good laugh and said sometimes litters can have polar opposites.
I have a cat with a large ribcage. She looks a little chunky (especially with her very long fur) from certain angles but she's the perfect weight according to the vet.
My parents didn’t tell me how bad my dog had gotten with an infection (they didn’t want to upset me). Got him to a vet as soon as I found out, but it was too much for him. I do wonder if he’d still be here had they gotten him the care when he first started showing symptoms. Rest easy across the rainbow bridge, Cosmo ❤
Wow, our vet must really like us! Actually, I know he does because last time my husband brought out cats in for their regular vaccinations and checkup, he actually said, "I wish all pet owners were like you two." I was so proud!
I once brought my cat back to the vet after getting her vaccinated there cuz she started to show distress, hiding, meowing and limping, and I panicked, brought her back, turned out it's just a side-effect of getting pricked in the wrong way - sometimes you get lucky and the sting subsides quickly, but sometimes the muscle gets hurt and then it REALLY hurts for a while. But ye she was fine. Another time I brought her in despite my mom telling me she'll be fine was when her leg was stuck in half-open window (since most ppl here are american, just google european windows that can be partially opened) for an unknown period of time. If we didnt get the emergency procedures for her, she'd be dead from crush syndrome. We were lucky she was only stuck for about 20 minutes. It's better to check the pet more than necessary than less than necessary.
I did the same after my girl got some teeth out and stopped eating. I was so worried something was wrong, but she just needed another day or two of pain meds, because even watered down, her wet food hurt to eat! Glad your cat was okay!
About that first story...the same exact (EXACT!) thing happens to humans too, when humans get vaccinated. It's called SIRVA, which stands for shoulder injury related to vaccine administration, and can take a year or three or more before the pain and restricted arm movement range goes away. Source: can't take off my shirts normally
I think I scored with the staff at my last visit. They give me an appointment for vaccine, I thought it was earlier than usual but I’m no good with dates. Finally once at the clinic the vet check the files and realize the tech had make a mistake. The staff was really sorry for the mistake. I ask them to check when my cat was due for his geriatric blood test (my cat is 17) and remember that the vet want a thorough follow up on some of the results. The yearly test was due in 4 months but I went with it so I don’t have to take another appointment and they don’t lose an appointment slot for nothing. They also like me during pandemic when they start explaining me an expensive procedure for my then 15 years old. Probably most people would have choose to put the cat down. I hesitate a little (it was real expensive) but the chance of recovery and good life quality for a couple of years were high. After a 5minutes discussion I just say, well what the heck, go for it, I was suppose to go in Europe and now we can’t travel, I will just put the money of my trip on the cat!
Having someone else on the phone is also good for humans. I live in South Jersey. My son lives in Florida, my daughter lives in Germany. I had to have heart surgery. When I had any appointments with the surgeon before my surgery, I did a conference call during the appointment. The doctor was fine with it. That way they knew what was going on, and could ask questions. I didn't have to try and tell them everything and possibly not be able to answer questions.
Some of these reactions, I swear we got when I moved and scheduled a well pet visit. We weren't due for anything, I emailed them the records from the previous vet ahead of time, all I wanted was for the staff & vet to see my dog "on a good day" and get a baseline idea of her condition. A few months later, she seemed just generally uncomfortable and not herself, and the staff & doctors could see too that she wasn't acting normal. They took it very seriously and were so helpful and got her back to feeling 100% again!
The last part reminded me of my sister taking our dog to the vet because he was too quiet and well behaved. Turned out he had babesiosis. Fortunately it was caught early and so treated quickly. For the record, both our dogs are on anti-tick pills. There were a few occasions when I called my sister during a visit because the vet asked something and I thought she could know the answer.
I work at a grocery store, so when I can, I try to bring snacks for my vet and the folks there. They've always taken such good care of my pets, and I love them for it!
I'm all about #2. 🤣 I'm pretty sure I've sent my husband to the vet with a list that outlined what I had been observing with our pet. And always try to be patient. The vet staff is literally working with a bunch of animals in there, so many crazy things could happen
I thought my Fiona (diagnosed with megacolon) just couldn’t poop after an enema, so I took her to the closest emergency vet 45 minutes away. Turned out she had a blood clot reach her brain. They bought her just enough time after bringing her inside to get her back to my arms to pass with me holding her. I sent them a huge box of mixed chocolates from Amazon and a thank you email. They couldn’t do anything for her, but the fact that they were there at all was so important for my own sanity. Just being able to give me an explanation of why she crashed and I lost her so I didn’t blame myself was so important. The way they washed her and dried her and took care of me until I was ready to go… it must be so hard to be an ER vet where your losses are undoubtedly higher than average. I wanted to give them some show of gratitude. They sent me a card in return. So did my vet. And Fiona’s pet insurance. She really was a special girl who had touched so many hearts.
It really varies, doesn't it? I keep all records and when a pet's case gets complicated I also bring in a one-page timeline of the pet's major medical events. Some vets look at all the stuff I bring in and discuss it thoroughly, while others don't even skim the paperwork... sigh
…seeing that this stuff is above and beyond makes me realize that I wasn’t imagining getting better service at the vet than other folks 😅 But my vet and her staff are absolutely exceptional so it’s easy to give that energy back.
I just found your channel and I LOVE it! My son and I rescue feral cats so we're back and forth to our vet all the time. She said that she really disliked dealing with ferals because of how vicious they can be. One of the first things we do with these cats when we trap them is start socializing them. We've only had two ferals that had to be TNR. The others have been tamed and we've kept them. We have 5 fully feral cats in our house with our housecats. They're all neutered. 2 were trapped at 5 months, one at 9 months, one at 7 months, and a 2 year old who gave birth to 4 kittens a month after we trapped her (and her two 5 month old kittens). We kept one and found homes for the other three. You'd never know that they used to be feral. I have some videos on my YT page of these amazing cats. Our vet's receptionist told me that the vet used to hate hearing that they had a feral cat booked in. Now her first question is "Is it one of Casey's ferals?" and, if the answer is yes, she visibly relaxes. You folks have a tough enough job as it is. The least I can do is make sure the feral cats I bring in won't/don't hurt anyone. 🧡🧡
We adopted 2 feral cats last year. Its taken some time but they lay in our lap now, they both greet us when we come back to house if we went out and one of them sits at the back door and meows for me till I come in from smoking a cigarette on the back porch. They just seem to crave love and cuddles! I’m sure this isn’t the change in every feral cat but I can’t tell you how rewarding it’s been! They’re definitely worth of a chance and lots of love, like any other cat! We couldn’t be happier! ☺️
For #4 my beloved cat was put to sleep whilst we were out of country (he was ill and we knew it was coming) to thank the veterinary staff for being so kind to him I got them a box of chocolate.
When I got my hedgehog Chloe, I made she to get her used to being touched and handled in specific ways, so vets and their techs would be able to examine her so much easier. It gave me a chance to check her over when we practiced, and it would be less stressful for her to deal with when she’s in a strange environment. Plus I know if a hedgehog doesn’t want to be touched, then it’ll be impossible to handle her without sedation, and that would be an even worse situation for her. I’d personally recommend this for a lot of other pets owners. I heard from someone how important and helpful it is, and seeing the truth of it makes me want to spread the word too.
My cat May had a comprehensive exam at a pet hospital a few years back. The exam was completed, but the hospital was very busy. I believe I daydreamed while waiting. I just sat there... I already had pet insurance. They apologized and marked off the pedicure for free. And immediately brought out my MayMay.(yes that was intentional , MayMay is one of her nicknames)
We have the MOST caring, skilled, sweetest vet ever! He is a “country vet” with his clinic in the little town about an hour and a half from us. There are vets who are closer in distance to us, but we will ALWAYS go to him! He loves our cats (we’ve had 3 in the last 15 years plus the 2 we have now) as he does everyone’s pets! He : doesn’t charge for your first visit if you’ve adopted from a shelter/rescue organization! Amazing! He: doesn’t charge when his patients’ owners have to make that difficult decision to end their pet’s life due to its quality of life - old age, untreatable medical issues, etc. - he not only does the procedure at no cost, he has a special room where this is done and owners can hold their pet as he gives the injection if they want to. You can stay in the room before and after the end-of-life shot as long as you want/need. He has boxes of tissues in the room too, that he lets you know about, as he leaves the room to give you the time you need with your pet. He: doesn’t charge vet fees to kids who are in 4-H, showing their animals! Even for a farm call to see/treat the animal … no charge. Amazing?! Yes! We love him and deeply appreciate him as our vet and as a deeply caring human being!
After my BFF cat passed, I sent my vet's office a heartfelt email thanking everyone profusely for everything, and they sent me a card signed by a lot of the staff. I never expected that, I'd gotten so used to being in that transactional mindset where they're just strangers doing a job. Reading that card still makes me bawl like a baby.
My current vet has been taking care of my cats since 2004. When he left the clinic and started his own practice, I followed him. For routine exams/vaccinations any vet with a nice manner is great, but for serious issues or my elderly cats in decline, it must be Steve! He has been treating my current three their entire lives.
Now I understand why we got a lot of appreciation at our vet's office. Thanks for posting and helping us to understand how we can help you better. The vets and their staff who take care of our cats are great and we trust and care for them deeply.
The staff at the clinic my kids go to love us. Whenever there's a new vet or tech, I always tell them, "I'm not your average pet owner. I know 'vet speak'.
Damn, 5 and 6 are common occurrences for me… And this makes me think I should take in a couple tins of chocs for my vets. They really are absolutely phenomenal.
We have had emergency cases where our dogs got pushed to the front, so when someone else’s pet was in trauma, I fully understood. Anyone that brings their pet in when it is in crisis is tops with me. People that don’t like pets won’t bring them in, so compassion! Don’t stress the staff or the doctors, reschedule your appointment or wait calmly!!! We have been to many emergency clinic, we work with rescues, and seen people become poop holes. Totally uncalled for!
My Mom once shot a video of our family dog limping so that the vet could see what was going on because he was super excited at the vet so no limping. Poor guy at arthritis from the time he was six years old. Also, they would warn the vet staff to take him in as soon as possible and wait outside. He was the perfect patient but wasn't dog friendly and only loved three people in his life. He didn't mind the vet though. We miss Willie, but Ginger is a much friendlier and sweeter dog than he is. We can take her places like her personal favorite place Petco.
After some really bad experiences we finally found some vets who are fantastic. Live in rural France and most vets are very focused on cattle and don't really care about cats very much, but this team is totally different, they really really want the best for the animals. We gave them a card and chocolates at Xmas. Things don't always work out with pets sadly but it's the best thing ever to have a vet who's doing their very best and is truly committed to helping animals, I know i can trust them and that's huge. There's a wait sometimes but that's just how life works, I'm grateful they're triaging intelligently - if we have an emergency i know they'll be there for us. I may have done one or two timelines of symptoms too 😂 We've wound up caring for several cats going through FIP, which involves working with a volunteer group to get the meds since they're not officially licensed, and our vet has been fantastic with that too, providing amazing support while respecting the volunteer's in-depth knowledge even though they're not necessarily professional vets themselves. So much love for caring vets, so grateful.
I’m famous for sending photos and videos ahead of time. One time I sent videos of my dog’s cough with relevant timeline, by the time I had the appointment my vet already had two theories and we treated him successfully and quickly. And a short appointment for my stressed pup. My dog wasn’t always coughing so it was very helpful to have it on video
Prior to my dog being diagnosed with SLO, I was chatting with some members of our breed specific group about her symptoms. I was noticing them on a Friday night (a month after she had to have her first nail surgically removed). One of them had my dog’s direct uncle who has SLO. From there, we found four other direct line family members that has the same condition. I contacted my dog’s breeder (had the dad) to see if any of her dogs had it, and since they didn’t, determined that it came from my dog’s mom’s side. My breeder has since stopped breeding from that line and won’t do business with the mom’s breeder anymore. I typed up all of this information with lineage flow chart highlighting the members of my dog’s family with confirmed SLO. Took it to the vet the following Monday. He took a look at it and was so grateful. He confirmed SLO since he has a dog that has it and is acutely familiar with it. He was just amazed at all the information I gathered in the two days prior to the visit. My dog’s health and comfort is serious business.
Capture videos and pictures to illustrate the situation. Often, my dog's anxiety spikes so much on the way to the vet's office that she doesn't exhibit the same behavior once we arrive. Sometimes my vet would ask me to text pictures.
I've been worried about annoying the vets with my printed notes in the past. I don't trust myself to make sense verbally all the time, so this makes me feel a LOT better. On the flip side, I've noticed it seems to be of little interest to human doctors. (And I swear I keep it short on a single page lol.)
I noticed that too. I have a 1 page summary of my health history (I just followed what was on the intake forms) that includes the current list of meds. A couple of my doctors want me to fill/update their online forms. I do and give them a hardcopy of my summary, but then they still ask me the same exact questions during intake.
I've done this as well. Last time in, having handed over my info, I'd gotten a bit irritated by the time the third round of questions came. And no, they do not read any materials handed in, nor do they "share" notes. You also can't request one exam with all the doctors present at one time, either.
Literally a vet was happy I brought in my dog to be induced to vomit. Took us about 30 minutes to get to the vet and they were so happy the crisis was avoided because we took fast action. She got into a bunch of allergy pills so I took her in at 1AM on a Monday night lol
I legitimately have this video playing on repeat in my head every time I bring my cat to the vet. I even saw that look of aww and gratitude when I told the ER nurse I had a digital copy of my cat's most recent lab work ready and available for them. ❤
My vet and vet clinic staff are AMAZING. My cat has never been healthy but has gotten significantly worse in the last two years and they are with us every step of the way. I thought I was being silly for keeping a Google sheet but it turns out I’m not. My cat and I are so lucky to have them. The whole clinic loves my girl despite her spiciness!
The nurses also love when you do things like this, know in the UK we do alot of nurse clinics and it's great when a owner understands or is knowledgeable about their pet, also a owner who is prepared to LISTEN and do what we suggest is also a blessing.
I have an excel sheet with a daily chart where I keep track of everyone's food and water intake, BMs, urination, medication and a notes section for other stuff like vomiting or anything out of the ordinary. I know that's probably way over the top but I have 6 cats and 2 dogs so if I don't it can be hard to remember details when I need to go to the vet for whatever reason.
As the pet of a medical person and an architect, my cat (patient with CKD) now has "Ms. Fuzzy Knuckles Puke Log." It includes the Puke log, weights, oral intake, medications given, and shifts in food preferences. Unfortunately this came after we discovered a 3 lb weight loss and that we had both been cleaning up way more puke than normal - but not telling each other because it was so routine. Communication!!!
I'll never forget how excited the vet was when I pulled my Pig Folder out of my bag when taking my guinea pig in to a clinic I'd never been to before. The folder has weights, notes about their health & passed medications when relevant. I'm always grateful to my vet who will listen to any obscure ideas I get when dealing with their health. He's never once called me silly and explained why something would or wouldn't work. Botox for jaw pain wasn't going to work in such a small animal but cranberry juice without added sugar in hand-feeding formula for chronic cystitis was safe and worth a try.
I'm so glad to know that vets like it when you've basically monitored everything about your pet's behavior for the past two days lmao I always feel like I'm being too much
I was going out of the country for a vacation so I left my pet sitter an authorization form. I knew that I would be hard to reach if anything happened so I wanted to make sure my dog was able to get any care that she needed. The authorization letter had my permission to act on my behalf, my pet's details, vaccination records & medications, and my credit card info. As it turns out, my knuckle headed dog scraped her paw on the gate on day one so the pet sitter took her to my vet...who was very happy that I had done up the letter.
I caused one of those emergencies once, our elderly dog Katie collapsed suddenly and was struggling to breathe. I brust into the vet office yelling for help. I felt terrible bypassing everyone waiting with their pet. Sadly, there was nothing they could do other than ease her passing. I was glad i wqs with her til the end. I walked back into that waiting room with tears falling down my face clutching her collar and tags. Any angry faces of waiting owners i think turned solemn.
Lmao I get the same reaction from medical peeps when I'm asked about my meds and allergies and pull up the doc on my phone 😂. I'm always like...ya , not my first time !
BECAUSE I love my puppies, I love my veterinarians!! They have this psychic ability to ask the questions I didn't even know to anticipate. Dr. Naig, Dr. Ware of Laveen..my family loves and appreciates you. You have seen us through almost 20 years (beginning to end, baby to senior) of treasured companionship :)
Not just vets love, vet assistant and vet techs love. Please because we are often the ones taking the medical history for the doc 🥹 Also don’t go “there are no concerns” and then as soon as you get to the doctor you spill your heart out… because doctors always think we are not doing our job well enough
Thank you! from someone who has had to take elderly pets in, or fosters at the worst times. I appriciate all that everyone who works at the clinic does for me and my loved ones. Esp. when they know I may not be leaving with them that night or when one of mine enter palliative or any other endd of life care. esp when you have watched that particular individual grow from pup or kit. I know it is hard on you guys also
I wish the vet clinic staff around where I live was this nice! My mother tried to call in our family cat who was drooling weird (she never drooled before) and then had red tinged drool indicating bleeding. The receptionist basically told us to piss off and to not call since she wasn’t dying. While being tested, the veterinarian was very condescending and snapped at us for not bringing her in sooner. She even insisted on testing all this other stuff and saying that we were starving and dehydrating her (she lost appetite, the only reason we were able to come in sooner and we have several water bowls around the house.) She had to be put down later that day and the vet didn’t even apologize.
As a kitty foster carer, I spend a lot of time at our vet surgery with both our own cats and my foster kitties. (Each new foster needs a health check at a minimum, and the majority need neutering, vax and microchip if they're otherwise healthy). I truly appreciate all the staff there, so whenever I bake for a fundraiser, I try to make a few more cupcakes than I expect to sell. That way, on my way home I can take a box of treats in for the staff... 🧁
oh yes! I love my Vet, she is soo great with the fosters! Makes me feel good to know I can count on emergency antibiotics on a holiday. I always feel bad calling the day before 4th of July for a new foster that has UTI, Eye issues, ear issues, ect. but She always says it's better not to wait. I so appriciate my VEt and all her staff!
I made my son's hospital staff a card because of this! They really appreciated it. I'd love to bring them food but I'm worried I wouldn't make enough ^^'
lol the printed out paper reminds me of when I had to take my elderly cat to the vet during Covid. Since I couldn’t be in the room with him I basically typed up a sheet to send in with him with details I would have otherwise had to tell them over the phone. It included how long the issue had been going on, my concerns, and the previous steps we had taken to combat his issue. Pretty sure I was the favorite patient that day. The vet said she loved getting a write up that thorough. If you’re curious, it ended up being food allergies and my sweet kitty has done much better on a prescribed diet.
When I give the vet a lot of information I always feel bad, because I feel like I'm bothering them/slowing them down with a lot of information. I'm glad to see it's probably appreciated! Hmmm giving a card would be fun :)
Yeah, I think I called my vet on a weekly basis for the first few months when I brought my dog home over a year ago. She's my first dog and even though I'd done some research before hand and had her signed up for training and got the equipment and stuff I was still calling and asking... "Is this normal?" I didn't even know what kind of dog I had when we brought her home. Didn't officially find out for another year with DNA results. Was told Dalmatian/ Lab/ Boxer mix but what I really had was a Pitbull /Aussie/ German Shephard mix. Not quite sure how you could have confused that combo but whatever. 🤷🏾♂ Oh and I usually send the vet's office a quarterly gift basket of snacks since they also have a day care that my dog goes to three days a week. How can you not want to say thank you to the people that care for your pets when you aren't around?
I definitely do the second one. Even noting things like life changes or possible stress causes because I know those are factors. The more info I can give the less guess work for the vet and techs and hopefully a better and more accurate answer/diagnosis.
My ocd makes me a "good mom". Every time my pets needed a treatment we went back with a full chart, what medicine I gave exactly when, and also when was feeding time. And I even sent pictures while waiting the next appointment, or brought the picture with me. I think our vet likes me :D Once I even made a recording of my cat's heart with my phone, because he was diagnosed with a grade 3 heart murmur, but he's really afraid of everyone, so I thought it could be good if the doc could hear how is that heart sounds at home. It's only a grade 1 :) I didn't give card, but at summer I usually buy frozen ice cream in the nearest store to the stuff :)
My moms toy poodle Ollie actually does have Addison's disease and has to be seen once a month for his shot. I always bring lil ducks and trinkets to give the staff. They all love it and ask when I get new ducks in.
1:43 this one reminds me of a sweet moment between me and a couple waiting with their dog at the vet. I work at an animal shelter and I tend to do a lot of the vet runs, we had recently brought in some dogs in rough shape from an abuse case which ended up taking more time than was planned bc one was SUPER scared and one was dog reactive at the time. As me and the vet tech were loading up afterwards, the tech turned to a couple parked out next to us waiting in their car and profusely apologized for the wait, and they were SUPER sweet. They insisted on how we didn’t need to apologize and were very respectful, even asked if it would be helpful if they took their excitable dog for a quick walk for more quiet as we got the dogs back in the shelter van. Me and the vet tech looked at each other with the same “omg I want to hug this person for being super sweet and helpful without us even asking” face. I told the couple the dogs’ story and they thanked both me and the tech for helping them out and doing what we do, going right into the story of how they rescued their dog. It was a really amazing moment and it is very relieving to do vet runs without worrying too much about rushing certain animals to accommodate everyone’s schedule. We all appreciate the kindness lol
I once brought my dachshund in for what I thought was an infected nipple. Dachshunds are prone to getting non-cancerous lipomas as they age (just a quirk of the breed); I was trying to squeeze the "pus" out of a lipoma. XD I was embarrassed, but the vet was happy to check and find out it wasn't an infection!
I have birds, and I am EXTREMELY cautious with their health and bring them in if they so much as poop A New Color. We’ve caught respiratory illnesses so early and it made treatment much more effective BECAUSE it was so early. I also try to provide as much context as possible; my newly adopted cat has been having cold symptoms and not responded to antibiotics, so I made sure to mention he does go into the bird’s spaces so he is exposed to the dust parrots naturally produce in case there was a chance he was allergic to it. 😂 Vet thinks he just has a stubborn cold so we’re doing antivirals now
My vet loves that I bring my snake in for a check up. There's nothing wrong with her, but I like to have a professional get a look at her just in case. I guess preventative care isn't common for reptiles.
A tip related to #6: Call early. Pet is looking "off" but not sure it's a problem?? Call and talk. The receptionist can take symptoms, and let you know their schedule. If you've brought them cookies before, they may even hold the last appointment of the day for you if you need it (and go home early if you don't lol.. just kidding, there's no way they ever get out early)
Did number 3 when my Ryley broke his leg and the first vet recommended a femoral head ostectomy (he referred me to a local vet who could do the surgery within what I could get a loan for) and I did some research on it before I saw the second vet. PSA! If you can wait to get your male kittens neutered until they’re 9 months, DO! If you neuter them before that a growth plate in the head of the femur is very weak for the first three years of their lives and can even spontaneously break if they gain weight. Or in Ryley’s case, smack into something at just the wrong angle. He’s fine now, actually more playful and adventurous than before if anything. So happy he wasn’t traumatized by the incident
Great, amazing video with a lot of humor 💐👍🏻😻 about serious topics. I agree on all of it! Our 4 cats and I have no problems going to the vet clinic at all, after more than 20 years of knowing each other (with my first cats and the ones we have now, 2 seniors will be 15 in July). I am grateful for good care. Know the meds and stuff peoples names, every christmas bring a Cookie basket with printed fotos of the cats. It is not easy dealing with patients who cannot talk and their people who worry about them. Appreciate you vet people a lot!
I once brought my cat in because he had sudden appetite increase and I was afraid it was a thyroid issue Because I have two elderly cats with major chronic issues they see me about once a month and I’m pretty sure the receptionists all recognize my voice on the phone at this point
In regards to being patient with wait times. I stopped going to a vet office after my cat got seen 3 hrs after her appointment time twice. Both times it was cause there were the 2 normal vets and her vet that only was at that office on Tuesdays. So every Tuesday, he saw all the animals at the clinic cause the other 2 vets wanted a more experienced vet to lay eyes on their patients. I started taking my cats to see him at his normal office. While it’s further, I don’t have to worry about her anxiety meds wearing off in the waiting room. But now I get anxious after 15 min of waiting 😅
I know for sure my vet loves that I can do my cats' glucose curves at home and that I keep a close eye on their health. I'm the sort of cat mom that even with 6 cats I can usually tell who has done what in the litterboxes.
I am definitely client #2, whether for me or my pets. I always feel a bit silly having a written out timeline, but I am glad some docs appreciate it at least!
The few times I took my cats in right away, it was always serious. Urinary blockage, blocked bowels, early signs of hyper thryroidism, dehydration. All required an overnight or all day visit.
Took my dog to the vet thinking she had an ear infection and hasn’t been hearing well suddenly…..turns out she just really like the ear scratches she has been getting and her possible hearing loss is probably due to age or she just really prefers dad cause he is the one. Scratching her ears 😂
Three of these happened to me on Friday. (1) I took my cat to the emergency vet because I wasn’t sure what was wrong but she was acting weird after using the litter box. My regular vet was booked but I just didn’t think this could wait until Monday. (2) She had blood work done the previous week and I emailed them the lab report. Finally, (3) a severe emergency came in after we had been seen but not treated (turns out she had an anal sac burst-rare in cats!) and it was 3 hours before they brought my cleaned-up cat back to me. They were apologetic but I reminded them that last year they rushed me back when my cat suddenly started panting uncontrollably, and I was just grateful her issue wasn’t life threatening this time and we could wait. They were very pleased with me. 😂
You forgot one: BRING POOP SAMPLES. Seriously, I was treated like the official teacher's pet when I would bring my kitty to the vet and have a poop sample from that morning in a ziploc bag with me. Nothing like fresh poop to put a smile on a vet's face! 💩🙂
I have had many good experiences with vets, sadly this wasn’t one. My sixteen year old cat started mouth breathing. I immediately called the vet and was told it was an emergency but they had no space to see her that day. She died in the bus on the way to the third vet I called. She would have died regardless but we would have just crossed the road instead of waiting on a busy corner for the bus. She wouldn’t have been in so much fear 😢
Omg my vet was so excited. I had to get a stool sample cause i noticed my girl had some blood in her stool. The issue is wouldn't poop near me. No other changes in her diet or energy level. It took over a month. When i called and asked if it was okay they were happy to hear i had been trying the entire time. I live a lone so no one else could collect it and plus i have two cats. Would be impossible to tell whose was whose. ((Also turned out to he weight related. Got her weight under control and never had it happen again. Shes so much more actice now and zoomies all day.))
Me with my detailed seizure chart of dates, times, length of seizure, type of seizure, recovery time and attitude... 3 different vets. Only 1 even gave a shit. The others, including a neuro specialist, didn't even look at them. 😒 Oh, and the one that looked at them was the vet who actually ended up being helpful. 2 years seizure free!
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
I also want to add calling in first. I called my vet literally today cause my cat was panting and acting kinda weird and I wasn’t sure if I should bring him in (first time cat owner, only had him about 6 months so I’m still working out what’s normal and what’s not) and the receptionist asked me some questions and got one of the techs on the line and she told me to monitor him for like half an hour and if he got worse to bring him in. I did and turns out he was just gassy from zooming too hard cause he let out the NASTIEST fart like 5 minutes later and then was fine lmao, glad I didnt spend the money, but doubly glad the vet staff was so encouraging and calming on the phone (they also got a kick out of it when I called back and told them what happened and that he was fine XD )
I'm dying 😂😂😂😂. I've had that happen too! 🤢🤢
You're a good kitty cat mumma ❤
Sounds like me. I thought I saw my cat swallow a big piece of plastic so I call them up and they told me to monitor her… two days later the little shlit pulled the piece of plastic out from under the TV stand where she’d stashed it when I freaked out and tried to take it from her because she looked like she was trying to swallow it!!!
Ok, but do me a favor and wear gloves, so my cat doesn't get a different infection from your last patient. The responsible vet will not be named. Yes, I kept logs with photos btw.
Try some different foods. We do not have this problem with ours. I can't recommend particular food though, because your cat may be different.
I had a client once that emailed ahead of her appointment an entire powerpoint presentation complete with pictures!
I was that patient 😂🤣
😂
😂😂😂😂 noooo way
My cat has eosinophilic keratoconjunctivitis. My vet asks that I email her pix whenever there's a change.
@@1RealRoyalPain❤❤❤
My first visit to a new vet, he dropped everything mid-check and ran from the room. Turns out a dog had eaten rat poison. Twenty minutes later, he came back in, apologized, told us why he left so fast. We were happy to wait and the other dog was fine in the end.
My rabbit and I were once in the vet's waiting room, awaiting our turn for a vaccine. We'd been waiting a while because they were behind schedule (afternoon appointment). Then in came a dog who needed urgent emergency surgery. Once the dog and relevant staff had gone through to where they needed to be, I offered to come back another day. They looked surprised and grateful. When bunny and I returned, the same dog had come in for a post-op check. The vet and his staff remembered I'd offered to reschedule! and introduced us to the dog, told us what had been wrong and why he needed urgent attention, and thanked us profusely for understanding. To me, it just made sense to go - the dog obviously needed immediate care. It surprised me how much the vet staff seemed to appreciate this small act.
#2 reminds me of when i kept a color coded calendar of when my dog started peeing on the floor (it turned out to be dementia but at first dr just wanted to say UTI until she saw my chart lol)
Been going to the same Vet since 1998. She pretty much knows what my answers will be when bringing anyone in for surgery (really? you have to ask if people want their pets to have pain killers??? Is this a thing??), but asks the questions anyway. She has cared for many of my pets and cried when anyone passed. All my GSD lived to be 12 -13 years old, my Mixed breed lived to be 16. all my cats lived between 17 to 21 years. so she looked after them their whole lives. If I call and just say "they are acting off" trust me she has never berated me for bringing them in.
In some circumstances painkillers might not be the best idea in the days after surgery when the pet is recovering at home. Whereas a human can be told to be careful of the wound a pet needs pain as a reminder to nurse the injury. That's why vets will ask and may recommend not sending painkillers home.
Or the pet may already be on another medication, or be allergic to one of the active ingredients
@@ElizabethJones-pv3sj You are ABSOLUTELY WRONG. Pain killers reduce the inflammation cascade which impedes healing after a limited point. If you believe that pain killers are a bad thing in any case you need to go to school and get an actual medical degree. No vet worth their salt would refuse to send home pain killers and any one that would should be brought up before their board.
@@kkirsch3583 while the only surgery my cats have received was desexing between 3 different vet practices in different cities and decades apart none has sent home painkillers or even offered. Perhaps the norm in the US is to send home painkillers but if it's not the norm throughout the world there is going to be a reason for that. I'm definitely going to trust the treatment plan I receive from my vet who has actually seen my cat and done the surgery over someone shouting on the internet.
@@kkirsch3583 Thank you for being a great patient advocate! People can post things for so many reasons. Misinformation however intended is still misinformation. Actual vets know what's what.
Nurses love the same things for our human patients!! ❤
Today they were incredibly happy that I brought myself in while the oral thrush was barely noticeable. They said that makes it a lot more treatable.
Lol I was born with 5 chambers in my heart. Every time I'm at an appointment or in the ER and a nurse asks for my meds and allergies, I show them the doc I have on my phone listing everything 😂. They're always like holy crap, you are awesome!
Yeah, but doctors hate the detailed list of everything that's been going on. They think it's a sign of malingering. I used to try to document as much detail as I could about my neurological disorder to make their job easier, but eventually realized the only way to get actual help was to play stupid and bring someone else with me who could play the confused, desperate loved one who just wanted answers. That made them feel smart enough to care. smdh
@@m0L3ify Those are just bad doctors and I'm sorry that you've had to deal with them. My doctor absolutely loves it when I bring in updates on any of my conditions, even if those weren't the reason that I was there and even if he had to refer me to a specialist. My specialists are usually happy to listen if I think one of my other conditions might be influencing the condition under their specialty. There's a stereotype about neurologists and neurosurgeons, though, and let's just say, your experience fits right in. I hope that everything is being managed as well as it can be and that you have found or soon find one that does actually care and listen without needing to feel like Dr. Smartypants!
@@wolfoftheages I'm glad! And yeah, my primary doctor listens really well now. I have everything managed pretty well, but boy it sure would have been nice to find a doctor like that in the beginning! I really needed it back then. It pushed me to find ways to manage it myself, so I guess it was for the best. Silver linings! I still don't document things like I used to, tho.
Seconding #4. I worked for a small biotech company in clinical trials and we got a handful of thank yous from our trial participants and their families. The entire 4 years I was there those letters were displayed in a place of honor in our break room. We were that happy to have them.
For #6, I ended up taking my cat to the vet because she looked overweight, like she was small but I couldn’t even wrap both my hands around her waist. Turns out she had a perfect weight, I had just never encountered a cat with that body type before. The vet did say he was happy I was worried about my cat’s weight and that I made sure she got checked out just in case.
I feel like people are really quick to label animals overweight these days (not directed at you! I just mean I see people who don’t acknowledge that there’s a wide amount of normal for cats, and they can easily be underweight too)
I had a similar situation, my kitten at 7 months was over 10 lb. But the vet just said he's just a large-boned cat who is at a perfect weight for his size! (Most human weight charts don't seem to take frame size into consideration either.)
I didn't know about the primordial pouch and my boy being long haired it didn't really show but one day while petting and grooming him I found the beginnings of a fatty "lump". I got him a vet appointment for the next day because I was worried it was a cyst or at worse cancer.
I felt so dumb when the vet explained it. But he complimented me on noticing the small bodily change in him.
Rofl I had one girl that was super over weight. Brought her sister in to see if she was... Nope! Same weight but her sister has a longer body by like half an inch and is just stockier. Same litter too. The vet had a good laugh and said sometimes litters can have polar opposites.
I have a cat with a large ribcage. She looks a little chunky (especially with her very long fur) from certain angles but she's the perfect weight according to the vet.
My parents didn’t tell me how bad my dog had gotten with an infection (they didn’t want to upset me). Got him to a vet as soon as I found out, but it was too much for him. I do wonder if he’d still be here had they gotten him the care when he first started showing symptoms. Rest easy across the rainbow bridge, Cosmo ❤
@SiberianHuskyF1 I am SO SORRY you have to live with that thought. Be well.🥀
"i think somethings wrong with my cat he showed me affection"
Wow, our vet must really like us! Actually, I know he does because last time my husband brought out cats in for their regular vaccinations and checkup, he actually said, "I wish all pet owners were like you two." I was so proud!
I once brought my cat back to the vet after getting her vaccinated there cuz she started to show distress, hiding, meowing and limping, and I panicked, brought her back, turned out it's just a side-effect of getting pricked in the wrong way - sometimes you get lucky and the sting subsides quickly, but sometimes the muscle gets hurt and then it REALLY hurts for a while. But ye she was fine.
Another time I brought her in despite my mom telling me she'll be fine was when her leg was stuck in half-open window (since most ppl here are american, just google european windows that can be partially opened) for an unknown period of time. If we didnt get the emergency procedures for her, she'd be dead from crush syndrome. We were lucky she was only stuck for about 20 minutes.
It's better to check the pet more than necessary than less than necessary.
I did the same after my girl got some teeth out and stopped eating. I was so worried something was wrong, but she just needed another day or two of pain meds, because even watered down, her wet food hurt to eat! Glad your cat was okay!
I have seen warnings about the windows that open at the top specifically naming this as a danger. (They’re rare in the US. Most of ours slide.)
About that first story...the same exact (EXACT!) thing happens to humans too, when humans get vaccinated. It's called SIRVA, which stands for shoulder injury related to vaccine administration, and can take a year or three or more before the pain and restricted arm movement range goes away.
Source: can't take off my shirts normally
@untitledaccount3338 holy shit, that's a long period of recovery, too long. I'm sorry you're going through that!
@@ShipperTrash Much appreciated! It is getting better, though (just very slowly). Hopefully it's not as long for cats!
I think I scored with the staff at my last visit. They give me an appointment for vaccine, I thought it was earlier than usual but I’m no good with dates. Finally once at the clinic the vet check the files and realize the tech had make a mistake. The staff was really sorry for the mistake. I ask them to check when my cat was due for his geriatric blood test (my cat is 17) and remember that the vet want a thorough follow up on some of the results. The yearly test was due in 4 months but I went with it so I don’t have to take another appointment and they don’t lose an appointment slot for nothing. They also like me during pandemic when they start explaining me an expensive procedure for my then 15 years old. Probably most people would have choose to put the cat down. I hesitate a little (it was real expensive) but the chance of recovery and good life quality for a couple of years were high. After a 5minutes discussion I just say, well what the heck, go for it, I was suppose to go in Europe and now we can’t travel, I will just put the money of my trip on the cat!
Having someone else on the phone is also good for humans.
I live in South Jersey. My son lives in Florida, my daughter lives in Germany.
I had to have heart surgery. When I had any appointments with the surgeon before my surgery, I did a conference call during the appointment. The doctor was fine with it. That way they knew what was going on, and could ask questions.
I didn't have to try and tell them everything and possibly not be able to answer questions.
Some of these reactions, I swear we got when I moved and scheduled a well pet visit. We weren't due for anything, I emailed them the records from the previous vet ahead of time, all I wanted was for the staff & vet to see my dog "on a good day" and get a baseline idea of her condition. A few months later, she seemed just generally uncomfortable and not herself, and the staff & doctors could see too that she wasn't acting normal. They took it very seriously and were so helpful and got her back to feeling 100% again!
The last part reminded me of my sister taking our dog to the vet because he was too quiet and well behaved. Turned out he had babesiosis. Fortunately it was caught early and so treated quickly. For the record, both our dogs are on anti-tick pills.
There were a few occasions when I called my sister during a visit because the vet asked something and I thought she could know the answer.
I work at a grocery store, so when I can, I try to bring snacks for my vet and the folks there. They've always taken such good care of my pets, and I love them for it!
As a retired vet tech, snacks are always welcome! Sometimes we didn’t have time for lunch if an emergency came in 😊
I'm all about #2. 🤣 I'm pretty sure I've sent my husband to the vet with a list that outlined what I had been observing with our pet. And always try to be patient. The vet staff is literally working with a bunch of animals in there, so many crazy things could happen
I thought my Fiona (diagnosed with megacolon) just couldn’t poop after an enema, so I took her to the closest emergency vet 45 minutes away. Turned out she had a blood clot reach her brain. They bought her just enough time after bringing her inside to get her back to my arms to pass with me holding her.
I sent them a huge box of mixed chocolates from Amazon and a thank you email. They couldn’t do anything for her, but the fact that they were there at all was so important for my own sanity. Just being able to give me an explanation of why she crashed and I lost her so I didn’t blame myself was so important. The way they washed her and dried her and took care of me until I was ready to go… it must be so hard to be an ER vet where your losses are undoubtedly higher than average. I wanted to give them some show of gratitude. They sent me a card in return. So did my vet. And Fiona’s pet insurance. She really was a special girl who had touched so many hearts.
I'm glad to see this. I am sometimes unsure how our vet feels when I walk in with our 3 ring binder of info for all our animals!
It really varies, doesn't it? I keep all records and when a pet's case gets complicated I also bring in a one-page timeline of the pet's major medical events. Some vets look at all the stuff I bring in and discuss it thoroughly, while others don't even skim the paperwork... sigh
…seeing that this stuff is above and beyond makes me realize that I wasn’t imagining getting better service at the vet than other folks 😅 But my vet and her staff are absolutely exceptional so it’s easy to give that energy back.
I just found your channel and I LOVE it! My son and I rescue feral cats so we're back and forth to our vet all the time. She said that she really disliked dealing with ferals because of how vicious they can be. One of the first things we do with these cats when we trap them is start socializing them. We've only had two ferals that had to be TNR. The others have been tamed and we've kept them. We have 5 fully feral cats in our house with our housecats. They're all neutered. 2 were trapped at 5 months, one at 9 months, one at 7 months, and a 2 year old who gave birth to 4 kittens a month after we trapped her (and her two 5 month old kittens). We kept one and found homes for the other three. You'd never know that they used to be feral. I have some videos on my YT page of these amazing cats. Our vet's receptionist told me that the vet used to hate hearing that they had a feral cat booked in. Now her first question is "Is it one of Casey's ferals?" and, if the answer is yes, she visibly relaxes. You folks have a tough enough job as it is. The least I can do is make sure the feral cats I bring in won't/don't hurt anyone. 🧡🧡
We adopted 2 feral cats last year. Its taken some time but they lay in our lap now, they both greet us when we come back to house if we went out and one of them sits at the back door and meows for me till I come in from smoking a cigarette on the back porch. They just seem to crave love and cuddles! I’m sure this isn’t the change in every feral cat but I can’t tell you how rewarding it’s been! They’re definitely worth of a chance and lots of love, like any other cat! We couldn’t be happier! ☺️
For #4 my beloved cat was put to sleep whilst we were out of country (he was ill and we knew it was coming) to thank the veterinary staff for being so kind to him I got them a box of chocolate.
When I got my hedgehog Chloe, I made she to get her used to being touched and handled in specific ways, so vets and their techs would be able to examine her so much easier. It gave me a chance to check her over when we practiced, and it would be less stressful for her to deal with when she’s in a strange environment. Plus I know if a hedgehog doesn’t want to be touched, then it’ll be impossible to handle her without sedation, and that would be an even worse situation for her. I’d personally recommend this for a lot of other pets owners. I heard from someone how important and helpful it is, and seeing the truth of it makes me want to spread the word too.
A vet tech told me that Chloe was the only hedgehog she had been able to examine without having to sedate.
My cat May had a comprehensive exam at a pet hospital a few years back. The exam was completed, but the hospital was very busy. I believe I daydreamed while waiting. I just sat there... I already had pet insurance. They apologized and marked off the pedicure for free. And immediately brought out my MayMay.(yes that was intentional , MayMay is one of her nicknames)
We have the MOST caring, skilled, sweetest vet ever! He is a “country vet” with his clinic in the little town about an hour and a half from us. There are vets who are closer in distance to us, but we will ALWAYS go to him! He loves our cats (we’ve had 3 in the last 15 years plus the 2 we have now) as he does everyone’s pets!
He : doesn’t charge for your first visit if you’ve adopted from a shelter/rescue organization! Amazing!
He: doesn’t charge when his patients’ owners have to make that difficult decision to end their pet’s life due to its quality of life - old age, untreatable medical issues, etc. - he not only does the procedure at no cost, he has a special room where this is done and owners can hold their pet as he gives the injection if they want to. You can stay in the room before and after the end-of-life shot as long as you want/need. He has boxes of tissues in the room too, that he lets you know about, as he leaves the room to give you the time you need with your pet.
He: doesn’t charge vet fees to kids who are in 4-H, showing their animals! Even for a farm call to see/treat the animal … no charge.
Amazing?! Yes! We love him and deeply appreciate him as our vet and as a deeply caring human being!
After my BFF cat passed, I sent my vet's office a heartfelt email thanking everyone profusely for everything, and they sent me a card signed by a lot of the staff. I never expected that, I'd gotten so used to being in that transactional mindset where they're just strangers doing a job. Reading that card still makes me bawl like a baby.
Snacks and gifts are so very much appreciated. ❤
My current vet has been taking care of my cats since 2004. When he left the clinic and started his own practice, I followed him. For routine exams/vaccinations any vet with a nice manner is great, but for serious issues or my elderly cats in decline, it must be Steve! He has been treating my current three their entire lives.
Now I understand why we got a lot of appreciation at our vet's office. Thanks for posting and helping us to understand how we can help you better. The vets and their staff who take care of our cats are great and we trust and care for them deeply.
The staff at the clinic my kids go to love us. Whenever there's a new vet or tech, I always tell them, "I'm not your average pet owner. I know 'vet speak'.
Damn, 5 and 6 are common occurrences for me… And this makes me think I should take in a couple tins of chocs for my vets. They really are absolutely phenomenal.
I work at a boarding kennel, and i'll say that when clients bring snacks it's THE BEST!
We have had emergency cases where our dogs got pushed to the front, so when someone else’s pet was in trauma, I fully understood. Anyone that brings their pet in when it is in crisis is tops with me. People that don’t like pets won’t bring them in, so compassion! Don’t stress the staff or the doctors, reschedule your appointment or wait calmly!!! We have been to many emergency clinic, we work with rescues, and seen people become poop holes. Totally uncalled for!
My Mom once shot a video of our family dog limping so that the vet could see what was going on because he was super excited at the vet so no limping. Poor guy at arthritis from the time he was six years old. Also, they would warn the vet staff to take him in as soon as possible and wait outside. He was the perfect patient but wasn't dog friendly and only loved three people in his life. He didn't mind the vet though. We miss Willie, but Ginger is a much friendlier and sweeter dog than he is. We can take her places like her personal favorite place Petco.
After some really bad experiences we finally found some vets who are fantastic. Live in rural France and most vets are very focused on cattle and don't really care about cats very much, but this team is totally different, they really really want the best for the animals. We gave them a card and chocolates at Xmas. Things don't always work out with pets sadly but it's the best thing ever to have a vet who's doing their very best and is truly committed to helping animals, I know i can trust them and that's huge. There's a wait sometimes but that's just how life works, I'm grateful they're triaging intelligently - if we have an emergency i know they'll be there for us. I may have done one or two timelines of symptoms too 😂 We've wound up caring for several cats going through FIP, which involves working with a volunteer group to get the meds since they're not officially licensed, and our vet has been fantastic with that too, providing amazing support while respecting the volunteer's in-depth knowledge even though they're not necessarily professional vets themselves. So much love for caring vets, so grateful.
I’m famous for sending photos and videos ahead of time. One time I sent videos of my dog’s cough with relevant timeline, by the time I had the appointment my vet already had two theories and we treated him successfully and quickly. And a short appointment for my stressed pup. My dog wasn’t always coughing so it was very helpful to have it on video
I try to anticipate what will be needed at the appt. ahead of time, but I'm going to add a few things after watching this. THANKS!
Prior to my dog being diagnosed with SLO, I was chatting with some members of our breed specific group about her symptoms. I was noticing them on a Friday night (a month after she had to have her first nail surgically removed). One of them had my dog’s direct uncle who has SLO. From there, we found four other direct line family members that has the same condition.
I contacted my dog’s breeder (had the dad) to see if any of her dogs had it, and since they didn’t, determined that it came from my dog’s mom’s side. My breeder has since stopped breeding from that line and won’t do business with the mom’s breeder anymore.
I typed up all of this information with lineage flow chart highlighting the members of my dog’s family with confirmed SLO. Took it to the vet the following Monday.
He took a look at it and was so grateful. He confirmed SLO since he has a dog that has it and is acutely familiar with it. He was just amazed at all the information I gathered in the two days prior to the visit. My dog’s health and comfort is serious business.
Capture videos and pictures to illustrate the situation. Often, my dog's anxiety spikes so much on the way to the vet's office that she doesn't exhibit the same behavior once we arrive. Sometimes my vet would ask me to text pictures.
I've been worried about annoying the vets with my printed notes in the past. I don't trust myself to make sense verbally all the time, so this makes me feel a LOT better. On the flip side, I've noticed it seems to be of little interest to human doctors. (And I swear I keep it short on a single page lol.)
I noticed that too. I have a 1 page summary of my health history (I just followed what was on the intake forms) that includes the current list of meds. A couple of my doctors want me to fill/update their online forms. I do and give them a hardcopy of my summary, but then they still ask me the same exact questions during intake.
I've done this as well. Last time in, having handed over my info, I'd gotten a bit irritated by the time the third round of questions came. And no, they do not read any materials handed in, nor do they "share" notes.
You also can't request one exam with all the doctors present at one time, either.
Literally a vet was happy I brought in my dog to be induced to vomit. Took us about 30 minutes to get to the vet and they were so happy the crisis was avoided because we took fast action. She got into a bunch of allergy pills so I took her in at 1AM on a Monday night lol
I legitimately have this video playing on repeat in my head every time I bring my cat to the vet. I even saw that look of aww and gratitude when I told the ER nurse I had a digital copy of my cat's most recent lab work ready and available for them. ❤
My vet and vet clinic staff are AMAZING. My cat has never been healthy but has gotten significantly worse in the last two years and they are with us every step of the way. I thought I was being silly for keeping a Google sheet but it turns out I’m not. My cat and I are so lucky to have them. The whole clinic loves my girl despite her spiciness!
The nurses also love when you do things like this, know in the UK we do alot of nurse clinics and it's great when a owner understands or is knowledgeable about their pet, also a owner who is prepared to LISTEN and do what we suggest is also a blessing.
On the Dayi went to pickup my CubaDog’s ashes I picked up cookies for everyone at the clinic. They always took amazing care of him.
I have an excel sheet with a daily chart where I keep track of everyone's food and water intake, BMs, urination, medication and a notes section for other stuff like vomiting or anything out of the ordinary. I know that's probably way over the top but I have 6 cats and 2 dogs so if I don't it can be hard to remember details when I need to go to the vet for whatever reason.
As the pet of a medical person and an architect, my cat (patient with CKD) now has "Ms. Fuzzy Knuckles Puke Log." It includes the Puke log, weights, oral intake, medications given, and shifts in food preferences.
Unfortunately this came after we discovered a 3 lb weight loss and that we had both been cleaning up way more puke than normal - but not telling each other because it was so routine. Communication!!!
I'll never forget how excited the vet was when I pulled my Pig Folder out of my bag when taking my guinea pig in to a clinic I'd never been to before. The folder has weights, notes about their health & passed medications when relevant. I'm always grateful to my vet who will listen to any obscure ideas I get when dealing with their health. He's never once called me silly and explained why something would or wouldn't work. Botox for jaw pain wasn't going to work in such a small animal but cranberry juice without added sugar in hand-feeding formula for chronic cystitis was safe and worth a try.
I'm so glad to know that vets like it when you've basically monitored everything about your pet's behavior for the past two days lmao I always feel like I'm being too much
I was going out of the country for a vacation so I left my pet sitter an authorization form. I knew that I would be hard to reach if anything happened so I wanted to make sure my dog was able to get any care that she needed. The authorization letter had my permission to act on my behalf, my pet's details, vaccination records & medications, and my credit card info. As it turns out, my knuckle headed dog scraped her paw on the gate on day one so the pet sitter took her to my vet...who was very happy that I had done up the letter.
I caused one of those emergencies once, our elderly dog Katie collapsed suddenly and was struggling to breathe. I brust into the vet office yelling for help. I felt terrible bypassing everyone waiting with their pet. Sadly, there was nothing they could do other than ease her passing. I was glad i wqs with her til the end.
I walked back into that waiting room with tears falling down my face clutching her collar and tags. Any angry faces of waiting owners i think turned solemn.
Lmao I get the same reaction from medical peeps when I'm asked about my meds and allergies and pull up the doc on my phone 😂. I'm always like...ya , not my first time !
Making notes for the next time I see our vet! 😂
BECAUSE I love my puppies, I love my veterinarians!! They have this psychic ability to ask the questions I didn't even know to anticipate. Dr. Naig, Dr. Ware of Laveen..my family loves and appreciates you. You have seen us through almost 20 years (beginning to end, baby to senior) of treasured companionship :)
Those shocked & impressed facial expressions always make me laugh 😂
All of these things will also be very appreciated by your own doctor when you go as well.
Not just vets love, vet assistant and vet techs love. Please because we are often the ones taking the medical history for the doc 🥹
Also don’t go “there are no concerns” and then as soon as you get to the doctor you spill your heart out… because doctors always think we are not doing our job well enough
YES.
I swear I know how to take a proper history!
Thank you! from someone who has had to take elderly pets in, or fosters at the worst times. I appriciate all that everyone who works at the clinic does for me and my loved ones. Esp. when they know I may not be leaving with them that night or when one of mine enter palliative or any other endd of life care. esp when you have watched that particular individual grow from pup or kit. I know it is hard on you guys also
LOVE our vet techs! They’re so good at my vet’s office.
Inspired by you, I brought my vet’s office a big box of Ferrero Rocher. You were right - they were psyched.
I wish the vet clinic staff around where I live was this nice! My mother tried to call in our family cat who was drooling weird (she never drooled before) and then had red tinged drool indicating bleeding. The receptionist basically told us to piss off and to not call since she wasn’t dying. While being tested, the veterinarian was very condescending and snapped at us for not bringing her in sooner. She even insisted on testing all this other stuff and saying that we were starving and dehydrating her (she lost appetite, the only reason we were able to come in sooner and we have several water bowls around the house.) She had to be put down later that day and the vet didn’t even apologize.
As a kitty foster carer, I spend a lot of time at our vet surgery with both our own cats and my foster kitties. (Each new foster needs a health check at a minimum, and the majority need neutering, vax and microchip if they're otherwise healthy).
I truly appreciate all the staff there, so whenever I bake for a fundraiser, I try to make a few more cupcakes than I expect to sell. That way, on my way home I can take a box of treats in for the staff... 🧁
oh yes! I love my Vet, she is soo great with the fosters! Makes me feel good to know I can count on emergency antibiotics on a holiday. I always feel bad calling the day before 4th of July for a new foster that has UTI, Eye issues, ear issues, ect. but She always says it's better not to wait. I so appriciate my VEt and all her staff!
My vet: This might take a while, you might wanna go and come back?
Me: Oh I have my whole day planned to come here, no problem!
I made my son's hospital staff a card because of this! They really appreciated it. I'd love to bring them food but I'm worried I wouldn't make enough ^^'
lol the printed out paper reminds me of when I had to take my elderly cat to the vet during Covid. Since I couldn’t be in the room with him I basically typed up a sheet to send in with him with details I would have otherwise had to tell them over the phone. It included how long the issue had been going on, my concerns, and the previous steps we had taken to combat his issue. Pretty sure I was the favorite patient that day. The vet said she loved getting a write up that thorough. If you’re curious, it ended up being food allergies and my sweet kitty has done much better on a prescribed diet.
Again. So. On. Point.
So accurate. Love the detailed lists. And always love it when they bring thank yous (snacks especially lol)
When I give the vet a lot of information I always feel bad, because I feel like I'm bothering them/slowing them down with a lot of information. I'm glad to see it's probably appreciated!
Hmmm giving a card would be fun :)
Yeah, I think I called my vet on a weekly basis for the first few months when I brought my dog home over a year ago. She's my first dog and even though I'd done some research before hand and had her signed up for training and got the equipment and stuff I was still calling and asking... "Is this normal?" I didn't even know what kind of dog I had when we brought her home. Didn't officially find out for another year with DNA results. Was told Dalmatian/ Lab/ Boxer mix but what I really had was a Pitbull /Aussie/ German Shephard mix. Not quite sure how you could have confused that combo but whatever. 🤷🏾♂ Oh and I usually send the vet's office a quarterly gift basket of snacks since they also have a day care that my dog goes to three days a week. How can you not want to say thank you to the people that care for your pets when you aren't around?
When I clicked on this, I thought it was gonna be about cutesy things people do, but this makes much more sense to me.
Dude your faces crack me up. Please keep these memes coming. 😂😂😂😂😂
I definitely do the second one. Even noting things like life changes or possible stress causes because I know those are factors. The more info I can give the less guess work for the vet and techs and hopefully a better and more accurate answer/diagnosis.
My ocd makes me a "good mom". Every time my pets needed a treatment we went back with a full chart, what medicine I gave exactly when, and also when was feeding time. And I even sent pictures while waiting the next appointment, or brought the picture with me. I think our vet likes me :D
Once I even made a recording of my cat's heart with my phone, because he was diagnosed with a grade 3 heart murmur, but he's really afraid of everyone, so I thought it could be good if the doc could hear how is that heart sounds at home. It's only a grade 1 :)
I didn't give card, but at summer I usually buy frozen ice cream in the nearest store to the stuff :)
Also, when I see we'll be late because of the traffic, even if it's just 5 minutes, I inform the clinic straight away.
My moms toy poodle Ollie actually does have Addison's disease and has to be seen once a month for his shot. I always bring lil ducks and trinkets to give the staff. They all love it and ask when I get new ducks in.
1:43 this one reminds me of a sweet moment between me and a couple waiting with their dog at the vet. I work at an animal shelter and I tend to do a lot of the vet runs, we had recently brought in some dogs in rough shape from an abuse case which ended up taking more time than was planned bc one was SUPER scared and one was dog reactive at the time.
As me and the vet tech were loading up afterwards, the tech turned to a couple parked out next to us waiting in their car and profusely apologized for the wait, and they were SUPER sweet. They insisted on how we didn’t need to apologize and were very respectful, even asked if it would be helpful if they took their excitable dog for a quick walk for more quiet as we got the dogs back in the shelter van. Me and the vet tech looked at each other with the same “omg I want to hug this person for being super sweet and helpful without us even asking” face.
I told the couple the dogs’ story and they thanked both me and the tech for helping them out and doing what we do, going right into the story of how they rescued their dog. It was a really amazing moment and it is very relieving to do vet runs without worrying too much about rushing certain animals to accommodate everyone’s schedule. We all appreciate the kindness lol
I once brought my dachshund in for what I thought was an infected nipple. Dachshunds are prone to getting non-cancerous lipomas as they age (just a quirk of the breed); I was trying to squeeze the "pus" out of a lipoma. XD I was embarrassed, but the vet was happy to check and find out it wasn't an infection!
I have birds, and I am EXTREMELY cautious with their health and bring them in if they so much as poop A New Color. We’ve caught respiratory illnesses so early and it made treatment much more effective BECAUSE it was so early. I also try to provide as much context as possible; my newly adopted cat has been having cold symptoms and not responded to antibiotics, so I made sure to mention he does go into the bird’s spaces so he is exposed to the dust parrots naturally produce in case there was a chance he was allergic to it. 😂 Vet thinks he just has a stubborn cold so we’re doing antivirals now
My vet loves that I bring my snake in for a check up. There's nothing wrong with her, but I like to have a professional get a look at her just in case. I guess preventative care isn't common for reptiles.
A tip related to #6: Call early. Pet is looking "off" but not sure it's a problem?? Call and talk. The receptionist can take symptoms, and let you know their schedule. If you've brought them cookies before, they may even hold the last appointment of the day for you if you need it (and go home early if you don't lol.. just kidding, there's no way they ever get out early)
Did number 3 when my Ryley broke his leg and the first vet recommended a femoral head ostectomy (he referred me to a local vet who could do the surgery within what I could get a loan for) and I did some research on it before I saw the second vet.
PSA! If you can wait to get your male kittens neutered until they’re 9 months, DO! If you neuter them before that a growth plate in the head of the femur is very weak for the first three years of their lives and can even spontaneously break if they gain weight. Or in Ryley’s case, smack into something at just the wrong angle.
He’s fine now, actually more playful and adventurous than before if anything. So happy he wasn’t traumatized by the incident
Great, amazing video with a lot of humor 💐👍🏻😻 about serious topics. I agree on all of it! Our 4 cats and I have no problems going to the vet clinic at all, after more than 20 years of knowing each other (with my first cats and the ones we have now, 2 seniors will be 15 in July). I am grateful for good care. Know the meds and stuff peoples names, every christmas bring a Cookie basket with printed fotos of the cats. It is not easy dealing with patients who cannot talk and their people who worry about them. Appreciate you vet people a lot!
There have been times when a vet office was so busy that I resisted the urge to get up and ask if they needed any volunteers to help out.
I once brought my cat in because he had sudden appetite increase and I was afraid it was a thyroid issue
Because I have two elderly cats with major chronic issues they see me about once a month and I’m pretty sure the receptionists all recognize my voice on the phone at this point
In regards to being patient with wait times. I stopped going to a vet office after my cat got seen 3 hrs after her appointment time twice. Both times it was cause there were the 2 normal vets and her vet that only was at that office on Tuesdays. So every Tuesday, he saw all the animals at the clinic cause the other 2 vets wanted a more experienced vet to lay eyes on their patients. I started taking my cats to see him at his normal office. While it’s further, I don’t have to worry about her anxiety meds wearing off in the waiting room. But now I get anxious after 15 min of waiting 😅
I know for sure my vet loves that I can do my cats' glucose curves at home and that I keep a close eye on their health. I'm the sort of cat mom that even with 6 cats I can usually tell who has done what in the litterboxes.
This is so sweet and good advice at the same time.😊
I am definitely client #2, whether for me or my pets. I always feel a bit silly having a written out timeline, but I am glad some docs appreciate it at least!
These skits are hilarious. On a side note, I think we all know what the good doctor's favorite hooch is. LOL
The few times I took my cats in right away, it was always serious. Urinary blockage, blocked bowels, early signs of hyper thryroidism, dehydration. All required an overnight or all day visit.
The reactions on this are great! 😂❤
Ms. Nesbit 😂😂
Took my dog to the vet thinking she had an ear infection and hasn’t been hearing well suddenly…..turns out she just really like the ear scratches she has been getting and her possible hearing loss is probably due to age or she just really prefers dad cause he is the one. Scratching her ears 😂
Three of these happened to me on Friday. (1) I took my cat to the emergency vet because I wasn’t sure what was wrong but she was acting weird after using the litter box. My regular vet was booked but I just didn’t think this could wait until Monday. (2) She had blood work done the previous week and I emailed them the lab report. Finally, (3) a severe emergency came in after we had been seen but not treated (turns out she had an anal sac burst-rare in cats!) and it was 3 hours before they brought my cleaned-up cat back to me. They were apologetic but I reminded them that last year they rushed me back when my cat suddenly started panting uncontrollably, and I was just grateful her issue wasn’t life threatening this time and we could wait. They were very pleased with me. 😂
You remind me a whole lot of John Shepard from Stargate Atlantis!
❤
the slow clap 😂😂😂😂
You forgot one: BRING POOP SAMPLES. Seriously, I was treated like the official teacher's pet when I would bring my kitty to the vet and have a poop sample from that morning in a ziploc bag with me. Nothing like fresh poop to put a smile on a vet's face! 💩🙂
I have had many good experiences with vets, sadly this wasn’t one. My sixteen year old cat started mouth breathing. I immediately called the vet and was told it was an emergency but they had no space to see her that day. She died in the bus on the way to the third vet I called. She would have died regardless but we would have just crossed the road instead of waiting on a busy corner for the bus. She wouldn’t have been in so much fear 😢
Omg my vet was so excited. I had to get a stool sample cause i noticed my girl had some blood in her stool. The issue is wouldn't poop near me. No other changes in her diet or energy level. It took over a month. When i called and asked if it was okay they were happy to hear i had been trying the entire time. I live a lone so no one else could collect it and plus i have two cats. Would be impossible to tell whose was whose. ((Also turned out to he weight related. Got her weight under control and never had it happen again. Shes so much more actice now and zoomies all day.))
I always worried I annoyed the vet with my timelines and details. I'm glad to hear it's not actually bad
Me with my detailed seizure chart of dates, times, length of seizure, type of seizure, recovery time and attitude... 3 different vets. Only 1 even gave a shit. The others, including a neuro specialist, didn't even look at them. 😒 Oh, and the one that looked at them was the vet who actually ended up being helpful. 2 years seizure free!