End of Week Post

End of Week (7/23) – Why I love the ‘I told you so’ look

This shall be the first of a weekly posting by myself, Isaiah and will be in regards to different subjects that were brought up during the week. I hope it gives readers an insight to the behind-the-scenes of Animal Hospital of South Milwaukee.

The first visit to an unfamiliar veterinarian is always nerve-wracking to a pet owner. You don’t really know whether you can trust the new veterinarian and their staff for the healthcare of your family’s pets. I know that feeling: I felt the same way when I first brought Tundra , my dog, in to a new veterinarian. Does this individual know what Tundra’s needs are? Does he/she know what my financial situation is? Can I trust him/her and the staff to handle her with care and make decisions on Tundra’s and my best interest? Or is he/she just watching out for the bottom line? These are all questions which circle around in the owner’s mind while grappling with other decisions. We, at Animal Hospital of South Milwaukee, have always been adamant about collecting all medical records of a patient and gathering any history, lifestyle details or information  which the owner might be able to offer. This allows us to know the individual situation of each animal and owner before recommending vaccinations or treatments to them. Unfortunately, this does not always go over as smoothly as one like to presume. This detailed practice can sometimes be viewed as troublesome and nonsensical. Furthermore, if all of this effort showed nothing was amiss, it would seem like it was all for naught. And sometimes, the aggravated owner will give the ‘I told you so’ look. There is nothing wrong with that look. In fact, I love that look. It gives me a sense of relief and joy to confirm that the pet has had all the proper vaccinations, treatments and that a complete picture of their health status has been made. However, sometimes it does the opposite and combing through the pet’s history helps us uncover missed details and mistakes that needed to be corrected-something I do not enjoy informing the client.

Case in point: A client came in with her cat. He has had a chronic dental condition and upon an examination, a dental with multiple extractions was warranted. The vaccination history, something which had little to do with the dental problem, was not received till the day of the dental. The client had requested that if any vaccinations were required, we had the green light to do so. I looked through the records and noticed that the records showed a handwritten “Rabies 3 year” note. However, when the vaccination label beside that note was looked over, it seemed similar to the 1 year rabies vaccine. I brought this to the client’s attention and she was sure that the previous veterinarian had mentioned it was a 3 year rabies vaccine and a 3 year rabies certificate accompanied it. Dr. Murphy and I contacted the manufacturer of the vaccine and confirmed that the vaccine, with the serial number matched, was labeled only for a 1 year duration. This led to the unfortunate and depressing act of informing the client regarding the situation. Not only was the vaccine given manufactured for only a 1 year duration, but it was also expired. I truly believe that I am a member of this profession and that everyone in this field is a colleague. I do not take any joy in informing pet owners of mistakes made by anyone in this profession, whether it be by my own staff or those belonging to other hospitals. A mistake reflects badly on everyone in the field and should never be brought up in a smug or arrogant manner. At the end of the day, the mistake was caught and it was corrected.

To those reading this End of Week entry, please do not take offense if your veterinarian or the staff of a veterinary facility requests for your pet’s history and medical records. We do so to protect everyone’s interest, especially your pet’s. And please, I welcome the ‘I told you so’ look.