Reader's Digest May 2012 article

Part 3 of the Reader’s Digest May article, “50 Secret’s Your Vet Won’t Tell You.”

This section is entitled “What We’re Doing”

Number 11

“A lot of veterinarians have told me matter-of-factly that they still don’t use pain killers for procedures that they know are painful. They think that dogs and cats don’t need it, or that feeling pain after surgery is good because it keeps them from moving around too much. But research has shown that pets who are in less pain heal faster, sleep better, and don’t move around as much.” Dennis Leon, DVM, director at Levittown Animal Hospital in Long Island NY

OK, I know that none of you want to believe this, but pain medication and the whole idea of analgesia is a relatively new, novel, and for some vets, a radical concept. For those of you who price shop for your pets services this is often a missed item that you definitely want to know about when you think you are comparing a spay (for example) at two different vet hospitals. Some pain medications (especially the injectable NSAID’s are expensive, (at our clinic a 50 pound dog who needs a 24 hour dose of an injectable NSAID will cost about $40), so you want to know if this is included in your spay price and if not how can you make sure your pet has some pain medication provided. At my clinic I am always happy to sit down and explain to clients what they need to inquire about and what questions are very important to have answers to. Never forget the cardinal rule, “you get what you pay for.” At Jarrettsville Vet Center we give an injectable 24 hour dose of an NSAID, and then four days of this medication to take home after every dog spay. I want my clients to have something at home so that if their pet wakes up at 3 am screaming in pain that you have something to give them. (Haven’t you ever woken up at 3 am and needed an ibuprofen?)

If you get an invoice from your clinic and a pain medication isn’t listed I suggest you ask your vet why?

I will admit that I do not over medicate cats. This is a learned decision for me. I have had some cats get “soo pain free” that their original injury was made far worse because they decided they were well enough to try to bust out of their cage. I don’t want a painful cat I want a rested, calm, healing cat.

Also some cats seem to get dysphoric on opioids. This means they get vocal and act a little drugged. I always want to mention this to owners and sometimes we slow down on the pain meds.

Number 12

“At a veterinary meeting I attended, it came to light that more than half of the vets there had not licensed their dogs, which is required by law.” Patty Khuly, VMD

We, as vets are responsible to be good examples to our clients and our communities. Why wouldn’t you license your dog?

Number 13

“You should never give pets chocolate, because its toxic to most of them. But my cat is obsessed with it and is all over me when I’m eating it, so sometimes I give her a sliver. Just an itsy-bitsy, tiny one.” A vet in Cal.

OH MY GOD! This is a confession for your priest, not Reader’s Digest. Shut up! Don’t tell clients that we say one thing and then we do another. Think of the anarchy that could ensue? Think of the dying choco-holic kitties?

Number 14

“Every time we help a pet, we help a person. The classic example is the 80-year-old grandma who has nothing left in life but her cat. She’s a widow with very limited social contact, and the cat is what connects her to life. So when we help her cat, she’s really the one we are helping.” Phil Zimmerman, DVM

IS there really anything I can add to this?

Number 15

“When people surrender their pets because they can’t afford their problems, I often end up with them. I’ve got a three legged cat, a one eyed cat, three dogs that required major surgeries, one goat, and 11 chickens.” Sandy Willis, DVM, DACVIM, an internal medicine consultant in Seattle WA.

I am going to send Sandy a note telling her how happy I am to know that I am not alone! A goat? How does an internal medicine vet end up with a goat? I bet there is a great story there?

OK, here I go, dancing on the border of pissing vets off. Here’s my “secret” hint; if your vets office doesn’t have a clinic cat, or, your vet doesn’t have pets of their own, it might be time to see if they have lost their compassion? I once worked at a vet clinic where the vet would randomly euthanize the “house” cats, to teach the staff a lesson. He would let us try to save and re-home a cat, or sometimes a dog, but then would decide they were “too expensive to feed” any longer. He broke our hearts. The staff secretly hated him and we all left. If you take away your staffs empathy and compassion you take away the heart of your clinic, and nothing, seriously, no dollar figure in the world is worth that.

My clinic has a whole slew of pets that came in the door to be euthanized for various reasons. All of our guys were treated and are now up for adoption. (OH, please see our website! Wouldn’t you love a Staffie Bull terrier? He is as cute as a button?) www.jarrettsvillevet.com

Just in case you don't visit our website..Here are some of our amazing pets.