Talking to Your Vet: Navigating The Appointment

Talking your pet to the veterinarian can often be a confusing experience. Sometimes it can also be nerve wracking or upsetting. Knowing how to communicate effectively with your vet can make the appointment routine easier for everyone and more informative for you.

Before your appointment:

Keep a written log of any behaviors that your pet is exhibiting that deviate from the norm. Write down any questions that you think of, no matter how silly they may sound, and bring this log with you to your appointment. Remembering everything that you wanted to ask is almost impossible once you're in the exam room.

If your pet is having any diarrhea or other gastrointestinal problems bring a stool sample. It may be gross, but having a sample can be of incredible importance in diagnosing certain problems such as parasites. You only need a small amount, about the size of a quarter. Make sure that the sample is no more than 8 hours old.

At your appointment:

First and most importantly, never be afraid to ask questions! If you don't understand something or just want more information please ask. Veterinarians and their support staff love animals and it's their job to help you effectively care for them.

Before you see the vet a tech will take your pet's temperature, heart rate and respiration rate, this is called a TPR. At this time tell your tech if you need refills on any heart worm and/or flea and tick preventatives. You can also give the tech any fecal samples you've brought.

The temperature will be taken rectally.

The tech will also ask you some basic questions, like “Is your pet eating and drinking OK? Are they coughing or sneezing?” and “Are they having any vomiting or diarrhea?” They will also ask you what kind of food you are feeding your pet. The importance of this information can't be overemphasized. Food can be a cause of many different problems. As a vet tech I often heard the answers “That's my spouse's job” or “I get whatever is on sale.” Please do not give these answers. You should always know what brand and variety of food your pet is eating and their food should not be changed constantly. This is very bad for their overall health. Please know what your pet eats.

If your pet requires medication, don't leave until you understand what each medication does and it's dosing instructions. Certain meds, like steroids, can have very confusing dosing regimens. Anytime that medications are prescribed you will probably be asked to come back for a follow up appointment. Do keep this appointment! The vet wants to make sure that the medication has done its job. If a medication is very expensive ask if it can be filled at a regular pharmacy for a lower price. This can be the case with many common antibiotics. Your vet should have no problems writing you a prescription and your regular pharmacy will not think it's strange to fill a prescription for an animal. They do it all the time.

After your appointment:

Review the information that you have received and make sure that you understand and are comfortable with everything. If you have any questions, call your vet! That's what they are there for.

A Basic New Kitten Guide

Who doesn't love a kitten? They are mischievous, charming, little balls of fluff. If you've made the decision to bring a kitten into your family you will definitely need to be prepared!

Kittens have a propensity for getting into trouble, and they will continue getting into trouble as they become cats; unless you set them on the right track. Before you bring kitty home make a trip to the store. Here is your kitten shopping list: bowls, good quality kitten food, 2 uncovered litter boxes, clumping litter, litter scoop, 2 scratching posts, a tall cat tree, a few engaging cat toys, a collar and an ID tag.

You should know the litter box formula: 1 for each cat in your house plus 1. So for your new kitten you should have 2 litter boxes. Place one on the main floor of your home in a private area and place the other on another floor where your kitten will spend a lot of time. Show your kitten the location of the boxes and nature should take over.

Cat trees and scratching posts are very important for your cat. You won't want your kitty scratching the furniture or curtains, and declawing is very painful and traumatizing for your cat, so proper redirection of scratching instinct is paramount. Put a post in your living room and in any other rooms where there are items that may be fun for a cat to scratch on. Sprinkling cat nip on the posts will draw your cat's attention to items that you want them to use and encourage interaction.

Cats like to be high up to survey their surroundings and for safety. Make sure that your cat tree is tall enough to fulfill that need. Don't skimp on the height, 5 feet is often the minimum for a cat to feel safe. Shorter than that and they may not use it, and take to sitting on something that's off limits. If need be, use an end table with a larger surface area than the base of the tree to prop it up higher. Place the tree in front of a window for extra kitty fun!

Cats are very self sufficient, which can make them easy and ideal pets for a busy family. But, they are also intelligent, athletic hunters and will use your home as a playground to exercise their natural behaviors. This makes enrichment very important. You must be prepared to give your kitty an outlet for his energy and accept that there may be scratches on your furniture and litter tracked through your carpet.

Cats are amazing animals, they can be just as loyal as a dog and twice as funny. Enjoy your new friend, and most importantly, let your cat be a cat!

For info on choosing a veterinarian see the “Basic New Puppy Guide!”