Pet Pause
local vet once had a client with a sick Jack Russell Terrier. The vet asked his client if he had seen any symptoms. No, there was no coughing, sneezing, vomiting or diarrhea. The dog was eating, drinking and eliminating normally. The best the owner could do to describe the condition was to say "his bounce is broke."
As a fellow Jack Russell owner, I knew instantly what he meant. Back at vet school we called these cases "ADR's." This impressed the clients who did not know it stood for "ain't doin' right."
When your pet is ADR you will need to tell your vet what you've seen. Veterinarians have to be good listeners. Since pets can't talk, all the information about the problem comes to the vet filtered through the pet owner's history. Some pet owners give really good histories.
My auto mechanic gives the best histories because he writes everything down for me. I suppose I should return the favor. He knows a good history is important to an accurate diagnosis. It may save both time and money on diagnostic testing. I'll tell you some tips to giving a good history to your vet and making sure your vet gets it.
Before going to the vet, write down the things you've observed. When was the last time your pet was normal? What symptoms have you seen? Does the problem seem to be getting worse? If you've seen another vet for this problem already be sure to get a copy of your pet's medical record faxed to the vet you will be seeing. Good veterinarians welcome second opinions. The medical record should contain a complete medical history for every problem.
When a client is giving a medical history, the vet should listen. Surprisingly, sometimes they don't. They may not even realize it at the time. When I first started practicing, I found it hard to "tune out" everything else and listen actively to a patient history. I took a class to improve my listening skills. I discovered I was so busy putting together a list of possible diagnoses in my head I couldn't listen very well to what the client was telling me. I had to learn how to listen actively.
Now after 12 years of listening practice, the person in front of me has my undivided attention. How can you tell if your vet is listening? Watch for body language. If he has one hand on the door he's probably running behind schedule.
Active listening takes both time and two-way communication. If he doesn't seem to get it, try asking him what you just said before proceeding. You might be surprised. Even the best listeners sometimes need to hear things repeated two or three times.
The biggest problem I get when I take a history from an owner is sorting out extraneous information.
For example, a client will sometimes interrupt a medical history to wax nostalgic about a similar problem with a pet they had in childhood.
The next few minutes will then be devoted to a vivid description of that other pet's problem, its diagnosis, treatment and outcome. Unfortunately these digressions, while often entertaining, rarely shed light on the current animal's problem. What's worse is that afterward the poor vet can't remember which pet had which symptoms.
Try to be concise and chronological. Stick to one pet and one problem at a time. Answer the simple questions with a yes or a no and expand on the subjects you feel really need clarification. Quantify whenever possible. It's one thing to tell me your pet is vomiting. It's much more helpful to say, "My pet has been vomiting about three ounces of yellow fluid every three hours since I gave him half of my candy bar 12 hours ago." Tell the vet what you know as completely and accurately as possible. Just like with dogs and computers, it's "garbage in, garbage out."
Glynn Echerd, DVM, is the veterinarian and owner of Kindness Pet Hospital at 440 First St., in downtown Los Altos. You can call Dr. Echerd at 948-8287 for more information.