Communication from a vet: don’t know what to make of it!

[Cinnamontoast]

Anyway, for anyone interested in my 'furbaby', I'm going to request a transfer of all findings so far to the RVC for a second opinion/proper biopsy.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

LOL! Thankfully that isn't commonplace on my FB groups. You need to start hanging around with a better class of person paddy

Perhaps you need to post about this group on the 'FB groups you have left' thread

 

[Clodagh]

I’d not cope with an email like that and would probably get seriously out of shape, myself!
Thank goodness for mixed practices where they are practical and efficient.

(Took a terrier in once who had taken it upon herself to go five rounds with a badger, the vet (equine) said ‘ do you want her pretty or functional?’ We agreed functional was the way to go. Job done.

I do also see that any furbaby mummy and daddy’s would get bent out of shape over such a dismissive attitude.

Professionalism works for me.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Now I do love my squiggly munchkins, however the word fur baby makes my insides curdle and professionals using language like that is a big huge no from me.

 

[cbmcts]

The dog's mummy thing has been around for at least a decade

10+ years ago I went to collect the dog after xrays. I was a bit nervous as it was a rottie who'd been lame for a while and of course the suspicion was bone cancer. So I'm sitting in the waiting room, not far off tears with worry and one of the nurses came out and handed me a (very nice) black Labrador bitch. I'm just opening my mouth to go 'she's not mine' when one of the receptionists, in the poshest voice possible , booms across the room ' that's not Millie's mummy, that's Conan's mummy'. Deathly silence, then hysterical laughter from about 10 people

Same visit, I get called by the vet into the back rather than the dog brought out. Terror again but I find my dog sparko on the floor of the tiny xray room, covered by a blanket with a note pinned on saying Do not disturb. The vet explained that he'd only had a light GA - he reacted badly to GAs and took a full week to recover normally so since it was only xrays, they give him the least possible - he started coming round before he was back in the cage and decided that he was going to stay where he was, thank you. They spent the entire day stepping over him by all accounts rather than disturb him

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Wind My neck in? Goodness me, here's me thinking I started the thread! ?

doesn’t give you the right to put words in peoples mouths but whatever ?

 

[CorvusCorax]

???

 

[P3LH]

???

 

[scats]

I don’t like ‘fur baby’ (my head just pictures a weird hairy human baby...) but I am guilty of answering the door to my customers when they come to collect their dog with “here’s your mum/dad/grandma”

 

[ycbm]

I have heard people complain about their pets being called Sqiggles Smith (petname owner surname) and I always wonder how they expect the vet to distinguish between Squiggles Smith and Squiggles Jones any other way.

I like it. And we do call ourselves Mummy and Daddy, very silly but that's in private, I don't expect my animal care professionals to do the same because they don't know how anyone else feels about it.
.

 

[SOS]

I have heard people complain about their pets being called Sqiggles Smith (petname owner surname) and I always wonder how they expect the vet to distinguish between Squiggles Smith and Squiggles Jones any other way.
.

Maybe they’d prefer Alfie no743 or Bailey no221

If we just called out the first name half the waiting room would walk into the consult room. Most dogs are called the same 20/30 names haha!

 

[Clodagh]

I took an Indian game hen who the fox had caught to the vets.
Her name was Mildred… I like the surname being added, when necessary (as it was for Mildred).
She survived, btw, although she looked like an anatomy lesson.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Fur baby… honestly, what is the world coming to.

The vets probably can’t win though - if they don’t go all squishy and revolting then the Facebook fur mothers might be up in arms. I suppose the impression of being uncaring (however idiotic and misguided) would be more damaging to business than the impression given by using unprofessional language. Sensible people aren’t going to stop using the vet if the treatment is excellent but the animal is referred to as a fur baby. The fur baby brigade might stop using a vet even if the treatment is great, just because they think they don’t… luff their fur baby just as much as they do ??‍

Sadly, we do seem to just get to a position of adjusting communication and behavior to accommodate this sort of thing.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

I hate the term 'x's mummy' - unless I have pushed it out of my hoo-haa then I'm not it's mummy. Plus with my cats 'pog's servant' would be more apt

I took a friend's cat to the vet yesterday for routine jabs etc, it's a hairless kitten and he has called it b*llsack (i secretly love the name)... I'm glad the waiting room wasn't full though as I also don't want to be known as 'b*llsacks mummy' either!!

 

[blackcob]

They are not the only Ballsack out there! ?

Agree that if you have a Poppy/Milly/Molly/Ruby/Bella/Daisy/Luna you will inevitably be called by firstname surname, best to consider the combination before naming in case it has amusing consequence, as you might when naming a child. Or else go for a variation on Ballsack.

 

[Pinkvboots]

It's just not very professional to use those terms really and I can't stand the saying fur baby it's awful, I think I would have to mention it to them and just say it's just not the done thing.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Our small animal vets use pet name and owner surname and I have no problem with that.
If they ever referred to a fur baby (bleurgh!) I'd look round to see what they were referring to.
Am glad to say that neither equine nor small pet vets stray from being uber professional tho ?

 

[ester]

I do genuinely think they can't win, they will be too uncaring for some and too fluffy for others! Best just to find one that fits your ethos I think.

 

[paisley]

Maybe they’d prefer Alfie no743 or Bailey no221

If we just called out the first name half the waiting room would walk into the consult room. Most dogs are called the same 20/30 names haha!

Back in the day of going to charity dog shows, the whippet was always registered as 'Alphonso Waggapants, First of his Name '

Honestly think that although sometimes you cant do right for wrong, in this case the vets communication almost feels like something put up on Instagram.

Given you've got consent forms to sign, it might be more sensible to add a section regarding how you'd like to be contacted during your pets recovery

 

[P3LH]

Ours does pets name and family last night. I’m alright with that. An aunt had a cat named as such because of their last name, and they used the same vets. Always makes me smile to remember a particular old vet who would always call them in with ‘Edgar Edgar - and don’t hold the horses!’

 

[Berpisc]

Fur baby… honestly, what is the world coming to.

The vets probably can’t win though - if they don’t go all squishy and revolting then the Facebook fur mothers might be up in arms. I suppose the impression of being uncaring (however idiotic and misguided) would be more damaging to business than the impression given by using unprofessional language. Sensible people aren’t going to stop using the vet if the treatment is excellent but the animal is referred to as a fur baby. The fur baby brigade might stop using a vet even if the treatment is great, just because they think they don’t… luff their fur baby just as much as they do ??‍

Sadly, we do seem to just get to a position of adjusting communication and behavior to accommodate this sort of thing.

Facebook fur mothers, love it ??? ??.
Agree it must be hard for vets these days, I dont mind being called in the surgery with my surname after the pets name as this is clear to all concerned. Cant abide fur baby though.

 

[Cinnamontoast]

The actual vet sent me a very professional yet sympathetic email. Nice lady, I just want a second opinion and with luck, a diagnosis. I rather think we will just have to forge ahead with an operation.

I am definitely puss cat's and Beau's mother!

 

[poiuytrewq]

I like the dog name/surname thing.
I particularly like it when (pre covid) OH and I who have different surnames used to take the Labradog brothers together for their jabs and they called his dog by my surname!
It really annoyed him! ??
I refused to correct them as he asked, what a bloody idiot I’d look explaining that “yes that surname belongs to the yellow one but can you refer to the black one as Spud Bolter please”
Just no!!

 

[scats]

I had a guinea pig called Jimi Hendrix, so I used his full name at the vets. They obviously added my surname in too when calling him in. Im sure the rest of the owners were waiting for some grand animal to go in and there I was with my little fat brown guinea pig. Ever the rockstar.

 

[Cinnamontoast]

I’m seriously tempted to name the next dog ‘Dog’ à la Good Omens. I like short sharp names for easy recall, Dog is as good as anything else!

 

[Karran]

Although Mrs Spaniel is a nickname I use, she was called that for the first 6 weeks I had her as her "real" name doesn't suit her and I couldn't think of anything else. She only just missed out on it being her name at the vets because the ex registered her under her real name as he said he couldn't sit in the surgery and hear Mrs Spaniel (surname) get called out.

 

[minesadouble]

I recall reading someone objecting to the term fur baby and pondering how anyone might feel to have their human baby referred to as a 'skin dog' ?
I'd love to try that phrase out on someone!
I'm with you OP, it would massively put me off the practice, I detest the 'fur baby' thing.

 

[TheOldTrout]

Is this the same vet as had jazz playing when you're on hold on the phone?

 

[Cinnamontoast]

Is this the same vet as had jazz playing when you're on hold on the phone?

Yes! It’s apparently the most expensive hospital in the south east. Whilst I was waiting, there were (very clean) Range Rovers coming and going. One lady was talking about her alpacas.

 

[islander]

My brother in law had a cat called Knob, don’t ask!
He used to chicken out when it went to the vets for injections and said its name was Puss.