Prepare For Your Veterinary Visits

January 31, 2020 Bernadette

black cat reading computer — Basil reads the list.

As I reviewed information from last weekend’s Online Cat Conference and looked up references I also encountered other articles of interest on veterinary sites.

Basil took an interest in this particular article, possibly because he’s still not convinced about the veterinarian’s intentions, and if he could read he’d understand that it is all for his own good. Being a former feral kitten he can sometimes be difficult t convince. When we went to a veterinarian’s office when he was young he was wary, but just made a lot of faces and was a Very Good Boy. I had done as much as I could to make it easy for him so that the veterinarian would be able to do her work.

Now we see our house call veterinarian which is easier for him, but I still make preparations for the cats she will see, and have all my paperwork and notes and questions in order so I don’t take unnecessary time. But even with my wonderful house call veterinarian, there are still times when I need to take one of them to a veterinarian for diagnostics she can’t do, or surgery, or on the occasion she’s away.

Preparing for your veterinary visit, long before your visit

Part of caring for your pet is being aware of their physical condition, and of changes in it, tracking these changes and describing them to your veterinarian. Your veterinarian depends on this information, as well as any prior records you may have that aren’t in that office and medications prescribed by another veterinarian. Also, you should turn off your devices so you have no distractions when you listen and discuss your pet with your veterinarian, and make sure you understand what they explain to you, and any follow up you need to attend to.

Your veterinarian spent years learning what was necessary to take care of your pet, and continues to learn new things each year as procedures and treatments and even equipment rapidly change. Your veterinarian is also likely a small business owner or works for a small local business, and needs to be as efficient as possible in order to keep costs in line with what you can afford.

The list of tips below can be found on the American Veterinary Medical Association’s (AVMA) website under “Public Resources” for “Yourvet”, information for working with your veterinarian for the best outcome for your pet.

Accustom your pet to its carrier and to traveling in the car;
If your veterinarian doesn’t already have your pet’s medical record on file, bring it with you or have your previous veterinary team send or fax the records – or, at a minimum, bring your own notes on your pet’s health and medical history. Don’t send your pet with a person who doesn’t have the information the vet will need to help your pet – or if you have to do this, thoroughly document your pet’s current condition on paper and make sure you’re available by phone to answer questions that may come up;
Arrive on time or a few minutes early for your appointment;
Unless your children can sit quietly without distracting you or interfering with your veterinary team’s ability to examine or treat your pet or talk to you about your pet, consider leaving your children with a babysitter while you take your pet to the veterinarian;
Turn your cell phone off while you are in the exam room;
Know what medications your pet is receiving (including supplements), as well as how much, how often and how long it is given, and/or bring them with you;
Share your observations and concerns with your veterinarian – after all, you know your pet better than anyone else does;
Ask questions. Ask until you understand;
Ask for handouts, brochures, or even reputable online sources of information about your pet’s condition;
Follow your veterinarian’s recommendations. They’re given for one very important reason – to keep your pet healthy.

Here is the link to the original article.

Read more articles about Health and Safety and Veterinary Medicine.

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Great Rescues Day Book:
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day book with cat portraits — Great Rescues Day Book

This information is part of what’s available in Great Rescues Day Book!

Each month features one of my commissioned portraits of a feline or felines and their rescue story along with a kitty quote on the left page, and on the right page the month name with enough lines for all possible dates, with standard holidays and animal-themed observances and events. Great Rescues also includes a mini cat-care book illustrated with my drawings including information on finding strays or orphaned kittens, adopting for the first time or caring for a geriatric cat, a list of household toxins and toxic plants, or helping stray and feral cats and beginning with TNR.

Each book includes also 10 sheets of my “22 Cats” decorative notepaper with a collage of all the portraits in black and white so you can make your own notes or write special notes to friends.

The portraits in this book, collected as a series, won both a Certificate of Excellence and a Muse Medallion in the 2011 Cat Writers’ Association Annual Communication Contest, as well as the 22 Cats Notepaper mentioned below.

Copyright

All images and text used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission, although links to your site are more than welcome and are shared. Please ask if you are interested in using and image or story in a print or internet publication. If you are interested in purchasing a print of an image or a product including it, check my animal and nature website Portraits of Animals to see if I have it available already. If you don’t find it there, visit Ordering Custom Artwork for more information on a custom greeting card, print or other item.