I just finished writing an article about a crisis in veterinary medicine with the mental health and overall wellbeing of veterinarians and their veterinary hospital teams, driven in part by the increased demands for veterinary services and the increased abuse they face from cranky clients. Recently, I've also become aware of more and more people in my circle of dog lovers -- online and otherwise -- getting fired by various veterinary hospitals across the country.
I find it hard to believe that ALL of these folks are being major jerks. Still, it seemed like an urgent need to discuss what's happening, why, and how NOT to get fired as a veterinary client. Here are my best tips + a video explaining (sometimes ranting) about what NOT to do.
I don't go into this in the video, but I said something similar on social media with some friends, which is basically this. While I understand why people are getting fired as veterinary clients more these days and goodness knows I'm a major supporter of veterinary teams, I'm also hopeful that the pendulum will swing back to a normal spot, where veterinary clients are allowed to express their concerns, ask questions, and advocate for their pets ... without being fired. Total compliance and instant acquiescence should not be required by everyone, every time ... especially in emergency situations when people are freaking out and having a hard time processing everything ... especially from the parking lot.
That said, what I share in this video is on behalf of veterinarians and their teams who are currently being treated abusively at levels never before seen.