Unfortunately, or fortunately as the case may be, this tidbit wasn't from one of my clients but from another vet in the office. She was discussing heartworm disease and how it is transferred by mosquitoes. The owner said, "I've never had a mosquito in my house,
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My question would have been, "fenced with what, mosquito netting? How big are your mosquitoes?"
My colleague was more polite and did not ask these questions.
I'm sure the pet owner was saying it's fenced to show that the pet won't leave the property. I get bombarded with heartworm lectures all the time, and the vets won't take no for an answer. We just have to keep saying "no means no", because as soon as you start trying to explain your reasoning for not wanting a service, that opens the door for more pressure, argument, and misunderstandings. I actually had a vet roll her eyes at me the other day, and I wasn't even done explaining my reasoning before she judged me. I wish I could find a vet who can be polite, accept no for an answer, and then not make fun of me behind my back to her coworkers. But those are hard to come by.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry you have had bad experiences with your vets, I hope we are all not that pushy. Our clinic has posters in the rooms about heartworms and people ask so I explain. Sometimes owners have one dog on preventive but not another so I inquire to make sure they understand what they are giving and why. All new puppy visits get a brochure and free sample and then we follow up at the next visit to see if the owner wants to continue with the product. Some owners ask if there is anything else they can be doing for their pets, so yet again more options are given. As far as making fun of the owners, our jobs are incredibly stressful at times, and if someone says something that will help bring a little humor in, yes we share it. I wasn't given the name of the client nor did I ask so I don't feel like we were "making fun" of them. My family, many of whom live in other states, will ask me if anything interesting happened at work, so I share little things like this, instead of the more horrific and depressing things I see on a daily basis. I hope you can see it as just that, a little humor, and not as a bad thing.
ReplyDeleteI know in Florida they have screen fencing with tops and sides that enclose a whole area.
ReplyDeleteI hate mosquitoes, but they seem to be one of the things we have to live with and deal with. One positive about winter. . .no bugs!