I was away at college when my
family euthanized my childhood dog (Brandy, a cocker). They drew straws over
the holidays freshman year to decide who would tell me. I spent the following three years
sans canine companionship, but I swore someone – by golly – was getting me a dog
for graduation. My then-boyfriend, now-husband, obliged and in the spring of
1990, I adopted my first dog as an adult at the age of 22. She was a young
Dalmatian I named Penelope
Grace, and she provided lifelong adventures of both the veterinary and
behavioral variety.
I was your average pet owner, with average needs, average expectations, average everything. I did not know better.
These days, I’m a different
kind of dog girl.
I’ve spent time on staff at the American Animal Hospital Association and the
American Humane Association. For
several years, I volunteered at an animal shelter and sat on the
board of the National Council on Pet
Population Study and Policy (a coalition of animal welfare agencies that
studies euthanasia of unwanted pets as if it were a disease killing millions of
animals each year). I’ve spent time at veterinary conferences with experts from
around the world. I’ve interviewed the top thinkers in many specialties for all
kinds of articles in both consumer and trade magazines.
With my dogs, I’ve been
through several major orthopedic surgeries, hemangiosarcoma, kidney disease,
accidental poisonings, thyroid problems, a rattlesnake
bite, and most recently … Lilly whom you all know well. She takes two meds every
day and needs hardcore behavior modification work to function in the modern
world.
I’m no longer your average
client. My expectations of a veterinarian and a veterinary practice have
changed.
***
So, today, we have our first wellness exam with our new veterinarian. I hope it goes well.
Should you face a similar decision, I recommend these posts by veterinary blogger Dolittler:
In particular, I took her advice, sucked it up, and made the call to request our dog’s medical records be transferred. I had hoped they could be faxed, but the solution to mail them (because they are extensive) worked out fine because I had them sent to me, and I’ve made a copy to keep. I’ll see if I can also follow her advice to get a copy of the records for each appointment from now on.
I did not get into a long discussion about why I needed the records. I just stated that I did, and when the receptionist asked if I was transferring to another hospital I said only, “Yes.”
It’s actually interesting to read through the dogs’ medical records and see what is said, what is missing, etc. For example, I would have thought the emergency/critical care hospital sends records from care they give. But, there isn’t a single thing in Lilly’s file about the snakebite from fall 2008.
In very abbreviated form, our selection process included:
- Starting with AAHA-accredited veterinary practices within a certain driving distance
- Polling friends and neighbors about their experiences (if any) at these practices
- Checking online resources and information available by phone
Fingers crossed that we made a good decision. Stay tuned.
I hope it goes well. Good luck.
I’m sure you are doing the right thing. We love our vet. He is the most caring, compassionate individual…more so than our ‘ex-dentist’. Our dogs have no problems walking into the vet office; I have seen dogs cower at the door of other vet offices.
Your past experience with organizations was very interesting…thanks for sharing that.