{"id":1565,"date":"2020-06-16T11:55:00","date_gmt":"2020-06-16T16:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/?p=1565"},"modified":"2022-07-11T10:44:11","modified_gmt":"2022-07-11T14:44:11","slug":"how-to-be-your-pets-best-advocate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/how-to-be-your-pets-best-advocate\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Be Your Pet’s Best Advocate"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As a pet owner,\nyou are responsible for your pet\u2019s wellbeing. You need to be your\npet\u2019s best health advocate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m regularly\nsurprised when I hear pet owners confess that they are \u201ctotally\nconfused\u201d or overwhelmed after a visit with a family vet or a vet\nspecialist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They may be confused because of their own stress level during the visit, because of their emotional state, or because the vet used hard-to-understand medical jargon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As between friends, family members, and even countries, the root of most problems is miscommunication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So maybe having a\nchecklist would help you avoid misunderstanding your pet\u2019s care and\nmake better decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, every\ncondition, every pet, every visit is different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But let\u2019s see\nif we can come up with guidelines that will work for most visits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s go over\nimportant points to remember before, during and after your visit at\nthe vet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before the\nvisit<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

. Research:\nBefore your visit, research the practice and the vet. Is it a general\nor a specialty hospital? Are you meeting with a generalist or a\nspecialist? A generalist will have the letters DVM after their name.\nThere is one exception: general vets who graduate from Pennsylvania\nhave the letters VMD after their names.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A specialist will\nhave the same letters (DVM or VMD), followed by more letters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A board-certified\nsurgeon (like me) will also mention something like DACVS or Dip.\nACVS, which stands for Diplomate of the American College of\nVeterinary Surgeons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A board-certified\ninternist will also mention DACVIM or Dip. ACVIM, which stands for\nDiplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The list goes on,\ndepending on the specialty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If they don\u2019t\nhave those additional letters after their names, they cannot call\nthemselves specialists. It does not mean they aren\u2019t competent to\ntreat your pet. It does mean that they are not considered specialists\nby our governing veterinary organizations and shouldn\u2019t call\nthemselves specialists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t always trust what you read online, however what have previous pet owners thought of their interactions? Pay a quick visit to the practice website, Facebook page and Google description. I would stay away from other more \u201cquestionable\u201d sites, which I won\u2019t mention here. One is notoriously unreliable. Enough said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

See what the\ncommon theme is: was the vet especially kind? A true pet lover?\nGenuinely caring? Easy to understand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tough part is what to do with negative comments. Are they real? Or are they posted by disgruntled clients who can never be satisfied, are chronic complainers, or who wrongly accuse the vet for being the worst simply because they can\u2019t afford their treatment?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you really want to be thorough, you can visit the website of the veterinary board for your State and make sure your vet\u2019s license is in good standing, and that no complaint was filed against them. It\u2019s public information. It\u2019s a bit extreme, but not completely ridiculous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

. Goals:\nWhat are your goals going to the vet? Make a list of 2 or 3 important\nquestions you have. Not 10 or 20 or 30. Limit yourself to 2 or 3.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

. Quality\nof life: How is your pet\u2019s quality\nof life now? Has it deteriorated? Are you trying to improve it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

. Symptoms:\nBring a list of the problems or symptoms you\u2019ve noticed with your\npet, and when. Keep a log, either on paper, or in a physical\ncalendar, or digitally. If there is a known cause, write it down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example:\n\u201cJuly 10 – not using right back leg normally after playing ball.\nJuly 15 – limping about 33% of the time. July 20 – limping 75% of the\ntime.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

. Medications:\nPrepare a list of all medications, vitamins and supplements. In\naddition, bring the actual drugs with you, just in case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Include every\nmedication you give, why you\u2019re giving it, the prescribing doctor,\nand the dosage. You can provide a simple log like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

. Drug name\n(generic or brand name).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

. Prescribing\ndoctor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

. Reason for\ngiving it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

. How much you\ngive (in tablets, capsules, mg or ml).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

. How often you\ngive it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

. Any reaction or\nside-effect noticed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example: \u201cOn\nApril 25, Dr. Smith prescribed gabapentin for pain control. I give\n300 mg every 8 hours. Chelsea is doing much better on it. No\nside-effects noticed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This information\nis very important to a vet. We need to know what works and what\ndoesn\u2019t. And we also need to make sure there are no interactions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

. Allergies:\nBring a list of known allergies or bad reactions: fleas, grass,\npollens, chicken, carprofen\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

. Records:\nIf you\u2019re going to a new family vet, be sure to have a copy of\nprevious medical records that include previous vaccines, conditions\nand treatments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

. CPR:\nIf your pet might need anesthesia, you will be asked if you want your\nvet to do CPR or not in case of serious emergency. Rather than CPR,\nthe form may ask if you want to resuscitate your pet. If you don\u2019t,\nwe call this DNR, or Do Not Resuscitate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not\nmentally prepared, you may not be ready to answer the question and\nsign on the dotted line. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t be scared\nor offended. It\u2019s not a prediction. It doesn\u2019t mean anesthesia is\na death sentence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s merely a\nprecaution. Should something bad happen (which is incredibly rare),\nyour vet won\u2019t have time to call you and ask what you want to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They need to know\nahead of time. So please think about it ahead of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the\nvisit<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

. Understanding:\nIf you don\u2019t understand the plan, ask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you don\u2019t\nunderstand a specific word, ask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are\ncompletely lost, ask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t be shy or\nembarrassed. You understand things in your own profession. Nobody\nsaid you had to magically know everything about vet medicine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You do however\nhave a responsibility to understand the care provided to your pet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ask questions\nuntil you understand what you sign up for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

. Testing:\nAs an example, make sure you understand why a test is recommended.\nWhy is this blood work needed? Why are these X-rays recommended? Why\nis a CT scan, an MRI or an ultrasound necessary? Your vet won\u2019t\n(shouldn\u2019t) recommend an unnecessary test, but you still need to\nunderstand why it\u2019s recommended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ask when you will\nreceive the results of the test. Make a note in a calendar. Be sure\nto follow up if you don\u2019t hear from your vet or a nurse. Of course,\nmake sure your contact information is accurate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

. Medicating:\nIf a new medication is prescribed, make sure you understand why you\nare giving it and how. The basics are written on the label, but not\neverything fits! What does it do? Should you give with food? What\nside-effects might happen?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

. Hospitalizing:\nIf your pet needs a procedure or surgery, ask if it will be done as\nan outpatient or inpatient basis. If an overnight stay is required,\nask whether your pet will have supervision. Be aware that 99% of\nfamily practices do not have anybody in the building overnight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is not\nnecessarily a problem, it\u2019s simply something you need to be aware\nof and you should fully understand and accept. You could choose to\ntake your pet home or to a local emergency clinic overnight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

. Discharging:\nAfter a procedure, such as surgery, you should receive written\ndischarge instructions. Take the time to make sure you review, line\nby line, usually with a nurse, your pet\u2019s discharge instructions.\nAsk questions. Take notes. Who can you call if you have question once\nyou get home?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

. Diagnosing:\nIf you receive a diagnosis, make sure you understand the exact name\nof the condition. Don\u2019t be shy about asking how to spell it if\nyou\u2019re not sure. Have someone spell it out for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ask questions.\nWhat is this condition? How convinced is your vet? 25%? 50%? 100%? Is\nit a working diagnosis, ie a suspicion, or a certainty?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do we need\nanother test to confirm the suspicion?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the\ntreatment? What is your vet\u2019s personal experience with it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is the treatment\ncommon and standard? Is it rarely offered? Is it experimental?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

. Recapping:\nRemember the list of 2 or 3 important questions you created before\ngoing to the vet (see question #1)? Did you get them answered?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the\nvisit<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

. Impressions:\nHow do you feel after your visit? I don\u2019t mean mentally, since you\nmay feel angry, overwhelmed or depressed. I mean how do you feel\nabout the vet you met? Do you feel trust? Does your experience match\nthe online reviews you\u2019ve read? Are you ready to follow the\nrecommendations you heard? Are your comfortable with your experience,\nthe hospital, the staff and the doctor? What does your gut tell you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

. Education:\nEducate yourself. Read the information your vet gave you. Visit\nRELIABLE web sites to learn more about the condition. Websites from\nvet schools, your family vet and specialty hospitals should have\ntrustworthy information. Rather than relying on chance, ask your vet\nwhich websites you can trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be extremely\ncareful with information you find on random sites, chat rooms and\npersonal sites. The problem with the internet is that anybody can\nclaim to have much more knowledge than they really do. Vets cringe\nwhen they read the false but convincing information you can find \u201cout\nthere\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

.\nRecommendations:\nWhat are the pros and the cons of the treatment recommendation? What\nare possible complications? What are possible side-effects? What\ncould go wrong? What are the chances of success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

. Decisions:\nIf you need to make a decision about a specific treatment for your\npet, you don\u2019t have to do it alone. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you met with a\nspecialist, make the big decision with your vet. Get your family, or\na trusted friend, involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My 2 cents: don\u2019t\ntake advice from friends and family members who do not own a pet.\nThey may have good intentions, but they probably cannot understand\nthe emotional bond you have with your pet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And from\nexperience, I can tell you it\u2019s very likely that they can\u2019t\npossibly understand why you would be willing to spend money on an\nanimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The list above is\nfar from exhaustive, but it should be a good start for you to ensure\na successful visit with your vet. It will help you become a great\nadvocate for your pet. And it could help you save your pet\u2019s life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phil\nZeltzman, DVM, DACVS, CVJ, Fear Free Certified<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As a pet owner, you are responsible for your pet\u2019s wellbeing. You need to be your pet\u2019s best health advocate. I\u2019m regularly surprised when I hear pet owners confess that they are \u201ctotally confused\u201d or overwhelmed after a visit with a family vet or a vet specialist. They may be confused because of their own […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[249,157,9],"class_list":["post-1565","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-pet-advocate","tag-phil-zeltzman","tag-veterinary-medicine"],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Be Your Pet's Best Advocate | Dr Phil Zeltzman\u2019s Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As a pet owner, you are responsible for your pet\u2019s wellbeing. 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