10 ways to be a better client..

While you may not like to think about taking your pet to the vet, you will have to be seen by a veterinarian multiple time in your pet's life. In order for this to be a good experience for everyone, you need to have a good relationship with the entire staff of your veterinarian.
Here are some things that you can do to make sure you have a good relationship with your vet.

1. Make sure that you have a veterinarian BEFORE you have an Emergency. You should have your pet seen by a vet before anything happens. This way you know who to call when you need to have your animal seen. You would be amazed at how many people wait to call, until their animal is sick.
2. Be Kind. In a world where we deal with so many clients who are struggling(and/or unhappy with us), a friendly face can go a long way to make our day brighter! Wither it is a difficult client before you or a euthanasia of a favorite pet, it is hard to smile through all the heartbreak that we see.
3. Learn about us. Ask any veterinarian or technician, and they will tell you we all have favorite clients. They are the ones that know our name and ask about our interests outside of work. Learning a little about us can make us feel special, and we will do the same for you. We may even go above and beyond to help you.​
4. Be respectful of our time. We know that your time is valuable, but so is ours. Please show up for your appointment on time. Please make sure you have an appointment, Don't just show up with your pet. You also should not show up with another animal just hoping we can squeeze it in. This is incredibly rude and puts us behind in our schedule for the day.
5. Be understanding when we can't fit you in. The number of veterinarians and technicians is dwindling, even as the number of pets is on the rise. This means that we simply can't see everyone! Most clinics are booked out for weeks or months.
6. Or if we don't have the ability to handle your emergency. We can't just drop everything to help your pet in an emergency, especially if your pet needs to have surgery. Most clinics don't have overnight staff to watch your animal. For these reasons we may recommend going to another clinic or an emergency clinic in a bigger town. 
7. Always let us know beforehand is finances are a concern. We understand how money can affect the decisions that you make when it comes to care. However, just let us know what we are working with. That is much easier then agreeing to everything and then realizing that you can't pay for the bloodwork and x-rays that are all ready done.
8. You should never make your irresponsibility our problem. If your pet doesn't have their shots up to date, and they need to go to the kennel tomorrow, this isn't our problem! You have probably been planning your vacation for months, so you should have looked into that at the same time. Besides, we probably sent you a vaccine reminder so that you would schedule an appointment to keep your pet up-to-date on vaccines. We will try to help you but we just might not have any room in the schedule.
9. This also includes any sickness that you now feel is an emergency. If your pet has had an ear infection for five days, don't expect us to squeeze you in the day that you decide it is an emergency. If you pet has been vomiting, call right away and schedule something as soon as possible. Don't get mad when we can't fit you in because you waited to call!
10. Also, make sure that you listen to our advice (not your friends on FB, the breeder or the groomer).  When one's pet is sick, the first thing that people do is ask for advice form their friends, or strangers on the internet. They will take anyone's strange advice, before consulting professionals. It also amazes us how many people trust the opinions of their breeders and groomers over the people that went to veterinary school. Now, many of them are very knowledgeable, but if something is wrong, you really need to talk to a professional.​

It also helps to put yourself in our shoes. When we say that we don't have time to see your pet, we don't have the time or staff to see them. We have probably overbooked ourselves, and simply do not have the time. At other times we may not have the staff to properly care for your animal.

Article written by Shelley Wenger CVT in The Dog Journal OCT/NOV 23