Guess what! Veterinarians are humans too. We give you advice and we know the right recommendations, but sometimes being human trumps being a veterinarian. It might make you feel better to know that we face the same struggles you do. Here are some things that you might not expect from me:
I forget to brush my dog’s teeth.
A dog’s teeth should be brushed every day. Dental plaque can become dental tartar in 36 hours, so it is best to brush every 24 hours. Intellectually I know that this is true. But sometimes I get busy with other things and this necessary chore gets pushed aside. We are only human, right?
My dog eats cat poop.
This habit is completely revolting. I know what kind of bacteria my dog ingests every time she practices coprophagia (poop eating). Cats have a very different digestion than dogs or humans. Since they are obligate carnivores (absolutely must eat meat), their fecal matter can seem like a food item to a dog. My dog looks at the poop and thinks, “Don’t throw that out. Here, I will help you with it.” And she eats it every chance she gets. I know… gross. Even more reason to make sure I brush her teeth, right?
I give my dog table scraps…sometimes.
I used to tell my clients never to feed table scraps, but actually, if you’re careful, you might actually help your dog. There are foods that humans are starting to call “superfoods” that could benefit your dog. These are items like blueberries, whole grains, flax seed and coconut oil. But BEWARE, garlic, onions and members of the Allium family are superfoods to people and dangerous to dogs. Don’t share fatty or processed foods and always limit portion size.
I had fleas and yes, they bit me.
Clients tell me all the time that they have had a dog all its life and it never had a flea. Surely they know in their hearts that this is impossible! I will not argue with them in my exam room, but even my own dog has had fleas. When we rescued her, she shared some fleas with my home. Within 2 weeks, the eggs they laid had hatched out into an infestation enough to be biting me! It took a while to get control, even with the best products, so trust me– Every dog that is not covered with a veterinary labeled flea product has fleas.
I like another vet to treat my own animals sometimes.
There are times (in fact most of the time) that I treat my own pets for their assortment of ailments. But there times when I need to just be “mom” and not the doctor. One of these times is euthanasia. So when I tell my clients or write that I know how it feels to be on the other side of the exam table, I do. I don’t trust just anyone with my animals either. Just like you, I need a relationship with someone to develop trust. I have an associate veterinarian that I love and trust. If it comes down to highly emotional times, I just want to wear one hat and I let her be my vet.
Related: How will artificial intelligence change a veterinarian’s business?
Hopefully bearing my soul will help you feel less like the Lone Ranger. We all love our dogs with stinky poop breath, begging for a handout. Does it make anyone feel better that the vet’s dogs are just like yours and the vet is just like you?
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