As a pet owner, the veterinary clinic or animal hospital is your first port of call when your pet is showing concerning symptoms and you are seeking a diagnosis and an effective treatment plan. The veterinarian’s main objective is to ensure your pet receives quality care that restores and even improves their health and wellbeing. We love animals and we want to see them well again – as much as you do.
But what happens when the vet cannot cure your pet? In this article, we address the responsibility of the vet and the pet owner; what makes diagnosis and treatment possible and what makes it difficult; and what to do when the vet doesn’t have all the answers.
How does the vet diagnose your pet?
Before any diagnosis can be made, there are three parties to the veterinary consultation that must be acknowledged: the vet, the pet and the pet owner. Two out of the three parties are pivotal to the success of any intervention – namely the vet and the owner, who speaks on behalf of the pet.
The vet is a medical expert in the field of small animal health, educated and trained to understand small animal anatomy in order to diagnose and treat problems with your pet’s health. The vet knows most of what there is to know about your pet’s anatomy, but they are not mind readers and cannot communicate with your pet to understand where their pain or illness is located.
This is where you, the pet owner, need to contribute – to speak on behalf of your pet.
The vet sees hundreds of patients every month, while you only see you own pet/s: you know their condition, their behaviour, their habits and their quirks. It would probably make life so much easier if pets could talk, but since they can’t, you have to be the vet’s eyes and ears at home. When you come in for a consultation, the vet relies on your observation as well as how your pet is presenting, to begin the process of examination. The vet cannot do their job without your input. Therefore, they need every bit of additional information they can get from you, especially the history of when the symptoms began and what may have led up to your pet being ill.
Animals are as biologically complicated as people are, and this information-gathering is a critical part of enabling the vet to piece together a picture of what may be wrong with your pet.
History taking
The first thing the vet will do is ask you questions about your pet. This is called history taking, and it lays the foundation for the problem-solving the vet needs to do to reach a diagnosis. The history taking will include questions about your pet’s activity levels, appetite, urination, defecation, a history of limping or pain, what is in the environment at home, and whether anything has changed, etc.
The truthful answers to these questions will give the vet an idea of the things that may be affecting your pet’s health. As the owner, it’s your responsibility to be aware of what your pet is experiencing – you are the closest thing they have to being able to speak, so give as much information as you can. Don’t hesitate to bring your pet to the vet if you suspect something is wrong, and always be honest about what has happened. The vet will not judge you, but rather, they will be glad you are seeking help for your pet – irrespective of the circumstances.
Clinical examination
After noting the information the pet owner provides, the vet will do a clinical examination, which involves some uncomfortable things like having your pet’s temperature taken with a rectal thermometer, abdominal palpation (which can be painful if there is something going on with your pet’s internal organs), and looking in their ears, eyes and mouth.
A lot of the physical examination involves the vet getting into your pet’s personal space in an already unfamiliar environment, which may make your pet feel threatened. If you know your dog or cat is nervous and may potentially bite, it’s a good idea to let the vet know in advance. Most vets have lightning-fast reflexes, but sometimes a pet is faster, especially when they are in pain or nervous, and feeling defensive. Most dogs will never bite their owners, so you become the safety net between your pet and the vet, and may need to hold your pet firmly while the vet performs the physical examination. If you are concerned at all that your pet may harm you or you cannot adequately restrain them, communicate this – the vet will have a contingency plan, such as a muzzle or a caring, experienced handler to come and assist.
Diagnostics
If the vet has an idea of what’s going on, but needs to confirm it with tests, there are a number of diagnostics they can run: blood tests, urinalysis, skin scraping, faecal analysis, ultrasound or X-rays, and, if necessary, exploratory surgery. The vet will perform tests based on the most likely diagnosis, but if a blood test comes back normal, they may move on to imaging, and so eliminate possible diagnoses until they come upon an accurate diagnosis. The testing process provides insight into what may be happening in your pet’s body, but it may not always be 100% accurate. Each step towards a diagnosis is just one piece of the puzzle.
The role players in your pet's treatment
Once the vet has reached a diagnosis, they will offer a treatment plan to restore or improve your pet’s health. Most of the diagnostics procedures and some in-hospital treatments (surgery, drip, injections, etc.) don’t involve you. However, many treatments will require the administering of medication for days or weeks after you have left the vet clinic or hospital, which is entirely your responsibility. Medications and treatments only work if they are dosed correctly, so make sure you understand the vet’s prescription instructions, dose as instructed, and always finish the course of medication – especially antibiotics.
If wounds need to be cleaned or ear and eye drops need to be applied, they must be done as instructed. The vet knows better than anyone how difficult animal patients can be when it comes to administering medications. With this in mind, here are some tips for giving medication to dogs:
- Hide the tablet in something tasty such as a Vienna sausage, a small piece of cheese, ham, or a blob of peanut butter (make sure it’s plain with no added xylitol, which is poisonous to dogs). Give a few pieces of the treat in quick succession, with the tablet hidden in the third or fourth piece, with the fifth piece to follow quickly so that your dog doesn’t suspect a ruse. They will gobble it up without even tasting the ‘funny’ treat.
- Place the tablet in the back of the throat behind the tongue and your dog will swallow it on reflex. Ask the vet to demonstrate how this is done. This method is for those dogs who cleverly and stubbornly nibble on the treat and spit out the tablet. Give your dog a treat after they’ve successfully swallowed the tablet, just to positively reinforce the experience.
Tips for giving your cat a pill: As most cat owners know, cats will not willingly eat medication, regardless of how well it’s disguised. Cats will need direct oral dosing of their medication. Ask the vet to demonstrate the technique for pilling a cat, then have a few practice rounds yourself. Once you have the knack of pilling your cat, the next obstacle is to catch them to actually give them medication. After day three, your cat will have learnt to avoid you when it comes to giving them their medication. Positive reinforcement can work well in this scenario: as soon as you have successfully pilled your cat, give them a super tasty, high-value treat so that they associate the pill with a positive experience.
Monitoring treatment response
Aside from administering treatment at home in the correct dosage and at the correct intervals, it is also the pet owner’s responsibility to monitor your pet to see if their health is improving with the treatment being provided. If your pet is not getting better nor responding as expected, you must bring them back to the vet for a follow-up.
Some pet health issues are complicated or chronic and may require several diagnostic steps and treatment options to get it right. Never skip a scheduled follow-up appointment, because this appointment is for the vet to monitor your pet’s response to treatment and keep track of their progress.
Vets are generally extremely busy with consultations, treating in-hospital patients, performing surgeries, researching cases, and managing their practices. They will try to stay on top of everything, but it’s impossible to keep each and every case front and centre of their attention when they see hundreds of pets each month. That is to say: your own pet’s progress is your responsibility to monitor outside of the consultation room. If you have any concerns, queries, are looking for test results or want to share updates, don’t hesitate to contact the vet to ask.
There is no one better than you, the pet owner, to be the eyes and ears of your vet when it comes to your pet’s health. We rely heavily on you for the majority of the information about your pet. Without your care, commitment and involvement in your pet’s treatment and aftercare, the vet has no chance of achieving a successful outcome for your pet.
The need for a referral
No veterinarian can know everything there is to know about small animal medicine. If a range of diagnostics approaches and treatment options have not resolved your pet’s health issue, your pet can be referred to a vet specialist – be that for orthodontics, neurology, cardiology, nephrology, endocrinology, etc. We care about your pet and want to see them healthy and full of vitality, so we work hard – with your help – to provide treatment and care for their wellbeing.
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