Doctor Vent

This is going to be a bit of a rant on human and critter doctors. Both are serving the public and need to have some listening and communication skills. Being a pompous ass is not going to get you very far.

I don't envy them, in this day and age the general public is much more informed via the internet.  Your job as a doctor is to be up to date on the most current protocols and have the communication skills to advise your clients on any misinformation they may have attained. It more of a PR position than actually treating clients. I sure wouldn't want the job!

Competent doctors not only listen to their clients, but they retain the information and use that to help diagnose.

Dear human doctors,
If I tell you that I went 5 hours northwest over the weekend. Went hiking in the mountains,  spend the next 2 days picking over a dozen deer ticks off my dogs, then developed a bulls eye rash on my inner thigh within a few days, pay attention! Don't proceed to tell me that dog ticks do not carry Lyme Disease. Although that fun fact is true, it is irrelevant to the conversation. Don't act like your patient is an idiot and belittle them. Don't tell them that you see patients all the time who pick ticks off their dogs and then think they have Lyme Disease just by touching the tick.  I realize there are many idiots in the world, but do not automatically assume I am one of them. If I actually go to see a dr, there is usually a good reason for it.  Lastly, do not tell any patient anything unless you are up to date on what the CDC recommends.  It just makes you look like an idiot and fractures any trust your patient has in you. People should be able to trust their doctors.

Dear vets,
You guys have it even harder. Over the past few years I have developed less than a zero tolerance for any mistakes. I am a nightmare client, but your many colleagues have made me this way. One bad experience after another has made me the crazy owner who questions every single thing you tell me. Everything you diagnose. Everything you prescribe. Everything you suggest. I try not to be rude about it, but you better be able to tell me why, how, and what my other options are. Your got into this field to work with animals. Hell animals are the easy part!

Really good doctors can also interact properly with the pet parents. If I leave our appointment feeling like I needed to be more of a Momma Bear, you're not going to get any repeat business. If you listen to my crazy ideas, really listen, and talk to me like a human, you will have one hell of a loyal client. Don't ever tell someone their pet needs something just because that's what you reccomend. Tell us why. Be knowledgeable. If you need to go research and get back to me, I am 100% fine with that! No one knows everything and I would rather things are double checked instead of guessed.

Don't bring extra unnecessary people into the room and just tell me that you need extra help holding my dog who stands there politely. If you have someone who wants to observe, just tell me that! Please make sure they are quiet and not distracting during the exam. Don't rush and half ass my appointment! I paid a crap ton of money and rushing makes my dogs anxious and makes me not be able to ask all my questions

Dear vet techs,
Please learn something about body language. If a dog is shy and scared of strangers, screeching while trying to call the terrified dog over to you, will not get you far in this field. Exams should be a quiet calm environment. It's better for the vet, owner, and easier on the dogs that way. Rubbing the terrified dog all over, while they are frozen in fear will get your face ripped open at some point in your career. It will not be the dog's fault that you asked to be eaten. Pushing on that same dog's butt while asking the vet if the dog should sit, will get you bitch slapped by the Momma Bear who is trying their hardest not to kill you. I do feel bad about this vet tech rant. You just didn't know any better and the vet should have corrected you, but she was not doing her job correctly.

Bonus Dear petsmart check out person from two weeks ago,
Don't keep repeating that I 'Really take such great care of my dogs' Of course I do! That instantly gets my hackles up. Who are you to pass judgement on me??? I'm sorry you see so many fat, long nailed, smelly mouthed, greasy mutts. A better way to phrase this would be "Your dogs are gorgeous! They are so soft!" Those are complements. the above is some backward offensive crap.

PHEW! I feel better now! I need to rant more. Today was Sunshine's last acupuncture appointment and I'm back to being anti Dr for me. I'll just treat myself with antibiotics when I can and only go to the Dr if my arm is chopped off. Tomorrow is another day for us all...