Don't Bring Your Pet to an Ugly Vet

Title: Don't Bring Your Pet to an Ugly Vet
Word Count: 723
Author: Gary Kurz

Don't Bring Your Pet to an Ugly Vet
In my work with people whose pets have passed away I have
gained a lot of experience about pet health care and
safety. One of the most surprising things I learned is
that all veterinarians are not alike. I don't know why
this was a surprise to me. Perhaps it was because like
most pet lovers I just assumed that people in the animal
care business had great big hearts and were very
conscientious about an animal's well being.

Unfortunately, I found that this is not true. The
veterinarian field is no different than any other. Its
ranks are populated by people with different ethics, values
and motivations. Most veterinarians are great people who
care about both their human and animal clients. But there
are those few who do not. They care only about making
money and being affluent. The care they give may sometimes
be adequate, but often it is not. They lack compassion and
just do not care. They are ugly veterinarians.

Complaints about veterinarian indifference and poor conduct
arrive in my mail routinely. Unless a veterinarian commits
an extremely egregious or unlawful act, there is not much
recourse that you can take. There are regulatory bodies and
a legal system, but I think you will find that animals and
their people do not usually get a fair shake in these
situations. One only needs to look at the number of
animals put down in shelters each day to know what
importance society places on them.

The best cure then is prevention. We who keep animals need
to set the bar on what is acceptable to us in terms of
animal care and then choose only those veterinarians who
meet our standards. The following suggestions are offered
as a guide and should be at least your minimum
considerations:

• Meet with the Veterinarian. A veterinarian who
understands the importance of your pet to you should have
no problem finding a few minutes to meet with you. My
veterinarian always comes out to talk with me before he
sees one of my pets and once in awhile he calls me
unexpectedly to see how they are doing. If you detect
reluctance by either the Veterinarian or their staff to
accommodate a short introductory meeting, you probably
should take this as a negative signal.

• During your introductory meeting, you should ask about
services that they provide. You may have a special need
that they do not accommodate. One of your concerns might
be after hours and weekend emergency care. They may or may
not provide that service and you need to know before your
need arises.

• You should observe the general appearance of the office
and facilities. Are they clean? Is there an overpowering
foul odor? Is the waiting room adequate? How professional
does the staff look and act? If possible and if it can be
done discretely, ask a waiting client how they like the
clinic.

• Ask for a schedule of costs. Most veterinarians charge
about the same for services, but some have greater
overheads than others (i.e. upscale neighborhoods, more
employees, etc.) and must charge a little more. You don't
want any surprises on your visits. Animal care can be
expensive. Added or unseen expenses might hurt your
budget. Don't be afraid to ask.

• If you are satisfied with the veterinarian, the staff,
the facilities and costs, then call and make your first
appointment. Even though you may not need to, ask for a
specific date and time to see how responsive they are to
your personal needs. Don't be unreasonable. Select a day
and time for the following week. If they cannot
accommodate you, ask them why they cannot. There may be a
good reason (i.e. the veterinarian might be going on
vacation, etc). If they say they are just too busy, this
might not be a bad thing. Generally, good clinics draw the
clients. You need to look at all the facts and then
decide. It might be worth the wait.

There should never be routine complaints about a
veterinarian. If people would do their homework, they
would select a capable and caring veterinarian and not an
ugly one. If everyone would do this, those ugly
veterinarians who come up short would not get new clients.
They would soon be out of business and most us would not
miss them.

About the Author:

The author is a retired Coast Guard Officer with over 32
years of service. He is also a Baptist Preacher and Bible
Teacher. He helps those grieving the loss of a pet to
understand the Biblical evidence that proves they live on.
His most popular book, "Cold Noses at the Pearly Gates"
delivers hope and comfort to the reader in a very gentle,
yet convincing way. Visit at http://www.coldnosesbook.com
for more information and tips.

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