Dog care, symptoms, health issues, and dog health advocacy from an owner's perspective. In loving memory of Jasmine.
How do you feel about large veterinary hospital chains? Do you like them or hate them? I have always been partial to smaller veterinary clinics. My instinct tells me that corporatization and good care don’t mix—what do big corporations care about more, their profits or the end-user? One of my veterinary friends has left such a chain specifically for those…
As is true for all healthcare professionals, veterinarians sometimes develop tunnel vision. Now and then, they become so focused on test results that they fail to consider whether or not these results actually make sense in relation to the animal sitting atop their exam room table. When the patient’s appearance says one thing and test results indicate something different, astute…
Except for emergencies, what is your preferred way of communicating with your veterinarian between appointments? What is theirs? A phone call seems most convenient, and you can discuss things in greater detail. But your veterinarian has other things to do during their day than sit at the desk and wait for the phone to ring. Sometimes you do need to…
Are the criteria for picking an animal vet clinic identical to choosing a veterinarian? Are those one and the same? And which is more important to quality veterinary care? When looking for the highest quality veterinary care for your dog, it is important to consider both things—the animal hospital and the veterinarian. There are overlaps but you cannot substitute one…
Did your veterinarian answer all your questions and addressed your concerns? Are there things you forgot to ask? Don’t ever leave the vet’s office unless you’re fully satisfied that you understand what is going on with your dog. You should be walking out either with a diagnosis and a treatment plan or at least a plan of action and further…