We asked a few of our favorite veterinarians and vet technicians to share their pet vet tips. Read what they have to say and learn how you can save time and money.
Medical notes aren’t just about your pet
Most vet practices keep extensive notes on behavior—both animal and human. If you act aggressively in the waiting room or examination room, it will be noted. Always treat the staff with the respect they deserve.
Fat owner, fat pet
Obviously, no professional office is going to say it. But if you are overweight and inactive, there’s a good chance your pet will mirror your behavior. C’mon…take a walk!
It’s a hospital, not a hotel
Don’t expect vet hospitals to turn the bed down and leave a biscuit on the pillow. Your pet stays at the vet because it needs medical care. The vet gets them healthy and back to home. You get to spoil them!
Vets aren’t clairvoyant
As often as their human counterparts, pets need diagnostic tests. If you say no to x-rays or blood work, how do you expect a doctor to make a diagnosis? The cheap comes out expensive when you make doctors guess.
Give ‘em the shot
Some vets don’t use painkillers for procedures they know are painful. They think that dogs and cats don’t need it or that feeling pain after surgery is good because it keeps them from moving around too much. Research shows that pets that are in less pain heal faster, sleep better, and don’t move around as much.
No-kill shelters—No such thing
Animals housed at no-kill shelters are routinely euthanized. Hopefully, it’s a matter of health and not a matter of overcrowding, age discrimination etc.
Your high-priced hybrid is a mutt
Puggle and Pomsky, and all the “Oodles” that people pay thousands for…they’re mutts, All-Americans or Heinz 57 mixes. Whoever thought up this marketing plan is a genius!
You wouldn’t drive a car without insurance
Some people think pet insurance is a waste of money and that they’ll never need it. You may not have had a broken water pipe in the house last year, but what if….?
Expensive food doesn’t make it good
Do some research and get the facts about your pet’s nutritional needs. More often than not, you are paying for the convenience of those little pouches and packets, not for the quality of the food.
Be realistic when choosing a pet
If you live in a small apartment, have limited access to the outdoors, hate to walk and work 12 hours a day, a St. Bernard may not be the dog for you. Can anyone say fish tank?
