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There is a new member of the family. Tess has arrived. She is an eight week old labrador puppy. A cute bundle of floppy skin, gangly legs and sharp teeth. Against all of our better judgements she is ruling the house and so far we are loving it!
Being the veterinary qualified person of the house, “what to do with a puppy” has naturally gravitated my way. But somehow it seems a whole lot harder to decide what is best when it is your own puppy.
Having been in practice for years, particularly interested in preventive health you would think I should be dictating precisely what her healthcare plan is. But….
Which food? What vaccine regime - We want to get her out socialising as soon as possible but want her as protected as possible? What vaccine components should I use and when? Having recently reviewed some of the literature on L2 v L4 vaccines I should know which I am going to give her but then any theoretical risk seems higher with your own. Then there is the internal and external parasite treatment, which ones to use, taking into account the two year old in the house who also needs protecting. Combine this with another medically qualified person being involved and coming to a decision is not as automatic as I thought. There is a lot of research paper reading going.
I have realised that I am experiencing what a client goes through with their new pet. It is probably the best CPD for understanding the client journey that you can have. Living the human pet bond is invaluable and a great experience (as well as some chewed feet).
It reinforces the multitude of emotions that clients go through when trying to do their best for their pet. Wherever you go to purchase anything for a pet there is a huge amount of choice and information available as well as literature coming through the post. Choice is a privilege but can also be very confusing. If I am debating what to do as a veterinary professional then you can imagine how clients must feel when overwhelmed with options. That is why we need to make it easy and accessible for clients to get everything that they need to keep their pet healthy at our practices. This also needs to include the education aspect. Our knowledge and ability to educate pet owners is something we often undervalue.
As a veterinary practice we should be proud of the knowledge that our collective practice team has and we need to value it. Educating owners about their pet’s health is often the first step to bonding with a client. Clients will attach a value to the information and education that they get from the practice. Pre purchase consults with a member of the veterinary nursing team are a fantastic way to educate prospective owners on all of the things they need to know and do with their new pet before it even arrives. It is a great opportunity to bond with a client, gain their trust and reinforce the fact that the veterinary practice is the place to get accurate, evidence based information relevant to their individual animal.
Gudrun Ravetz
Vet, Junior Vice President BVA and Consultant to Denplan
www.pethealthplans.co.uk
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