“My pet is so healthy, they’ve never been to a vet!” – what your vet is thinking

I look down at the elderly staffie on the table in front of me and inwardly sigh. True to the breed, this gorgeous dog is wagging his tail and looking at me like I’m the most interesting person he’s ever met, but I can see he’s struggling. The muscle wastage and long nails that speak of having not been able to walk properly for a long time. The thickened pigmented skin that says long-standing itching. The scarred ear canals that resulted from years of ear infections left to their own devices. The truly awful breath that tells me I really don’t want to see just how bad the teeth are.

We as vets see this presentation, or those very similar, almost every day. They may come in for a booster. They may be here because the owner has decided all that weight loss over the last six months might be a bit odd. They often come in for euthanasia because the client has decided that enough is enough. In every scenario, our ability to effect positive change for this animal is less than it would have been had we seen them sooner.

Here are a few other things your vet hears a lot, and what we think inside:

“It would be nice if they could talk, wouldn’t it?”

I sometimes really appreciate that animals can’t talk, imagining the expletive-ridden tirades that some would direct at me! Sometimes I really wish they could (please, Cat, why won’t you eat?) The reality is that animals can talk to us, just through a language of history, symptoms and physical examination. Your vet went to university for at least five years, and even before we become experienced, there are lots of subtle changes that we pick up on as soon as we see the appointment list, let alone laying eyes on your pet. Occasionally, there are a few surprises and curve balls, but most of the time the lack of speech is not really a barrier to us. Just allow us to be the translator for your pet.

They’re just getting old”

As I get older, I enjoy good food, good company, time in the fresh air, and being active. I know that my aging body may stop me from doing some or all of these things, especially if I am in pain, so I intend to be proactive in my lifestyle and use medication as and when advised by my doctor. It is no different for our pets. Getting old is not in itself a disease, but it can come with a lot of disease, most of which is manageable if not curable.

Joint pain from osteoarthritis is probably the most manageable condition that vets see animals suffering from in silence. Think about any person you know with arthritis; do they scream and shout all day? Or do they just get on with life, sometimes grumbling about that continuous background ache? Cats are especially good at hiding their pain, often just appearing sleepier and more still, whereas what they are silently telling your vet is that they are in agony and just don’t want to move. The good news is that there are so many ways that this pain can be managed, early and progressively, with less and less reliance on medication as your vet works with paraprofessionals like physiotherapists. I regularly direct my clients to the excellent free resources at Canine Arthritis Management, a veterinary-run not-for-profit organisation that educates clients about all the exciting ways we can help our stiff animals live better.

“I don’t want them messed around with”

Having some dignity in our old age is something we all hope for, and many of us become vets rather than doctors because we give our pets more dignity in the choice of treatments. Pets should be pets, enjoying time with their favourite people, not spending precious weeks in hospitals. A hot topic in the veterinary world right now is ‘contextualised care’, an academic way of expressing what GP vets have always done, namely knowing that just because we can do something does not mean that we should. Where the line between these two extremes rests of course, varies from vet to vet and owner to owner, but it’s always worth an honest conversation about it. You may find that there are non-invasive and medical options that can effectively treat your pet and keep them happier for longer, rather than letting them get worse because you didn’t know what was possible.

“How much is all this going to cost me?”

Most of the time, the subtext behind not wanting your pet ‘messed with’ is an understandable concern about how much financial liability you might be opening yourself up to. Remember that it is your vet’s job to give you all the options, then you can work out the best solution for you and your pet together. Vets are all pet owners too, and we feel the pain of unexpected bills just the same. All we ask for is honesty, so that there are no unpleasant conversations further down the line. Saying “the money doesn’t matter” is a red flag for a bill that’s not going to get paid, which of course, pushes prices up for everyone as the practice takes on the debt.

“I was worried that you’d just put them to sleep”

Seeing a medical professional about a loved one is always a difficult thing, and it’s completely understandable to fear the worst. Sadly, usually by the time we hear this statement, it means a disease has got beyond reasonable treatment, and the best option for the animal’s welfare is euthanasia. Despite public perception sometimes vets do not like putting animals to sleep! But we all appreciate that it is a kind and appropriate action we can take when all the other options mean pain and suffering. The word ‘euthanasia’ means ‘good death’, and isn’t that what we would wish for anyone we cared for? The best way to avoid this outcome is to come and see us as soon as you can, when hopefully there are more options on the table.

The value of preventative health care – what your vet is hoping for?

The healthiest pets see their vet once or twice a year, for a full MOT and annual vaccinations. We record weights and notice early changes up or down, and we can see what has changed since the last time we saw you. Vaccination eliminates the heartbreak of death from preventable disease (something we are unfortunately seeing more of with vaccine scaremongering). Chronic diseases (such as heart, liver and kidney failure, arthritis and diabetes) as well as all types of cancer are more easily treated with longer survival times when they are picked up early. Chronic skin disease will never kill your pet but it will make them miserable, and we can control this almost completely with consistent treatment.

Best of all, when we see your pet regularly, we get to build a relationship with you and your pet. We can earn your trust, and your pet gets to have a positive experience without fear because they don’t feel awful every time they walk in the door. At the heart of it all, vets just like pets and people, and the conversations when your pet actually is healthy always brings a smile to your vets’ face.

About the author

Siân has worked in small animal general practice vet since qualifying from Cambridge Vet School in 2011. She loves getting better results for her patients by making sure that owners feel heard and understood, finding the best solutions for each individual pet and family.