Tweet
O.K the puppy update. I finally decided on a preventive health care regime and even implemented it. Again a lesson learnt about what clients go through. I have injected thousands of pets but somehow injecting my own is terrible. Will I hurt her, will she hate me forever? All questions that clients must be thinking and perhaps we should acknowledge their anxiety and then relief when it is all done.
The next thing is dog training. This is nearly as bad as trying to decide on a nursery school. Which dog trainer should I go to or should I do it myself? Surely I should be able to train my dog. Thankfully I realise my complete weakness in this area and set out to look for a dog trainer. This is really hard. Who will be good enough, how do I know if they are any good? These are all questions that clients will ask. With an initial false start, we find a trainer from the notice board in the local vets – obviously the vets is the best place to go but we did ask various people on the dog walking circuit for back up. So note to self when in practice make sure there are good links with reputable qualified dog trainers (those key opinion people we know we should have links with, yes I have been to the lectures).
So Tess goes to dog training! I wasn’t at the first session but was glowingly told of the moment of pride when she actually came back when told to COME …… hurray. Tense moment when all the other puppy owners are watching – will your puppy behave? She did, the star.
The next trial is the moment they are ill. This is becoming very like having a second three year old in the house. Everyone comes down in the morning and Tess just isn’t right. The vet (me) is consulted and the diagnosis is, “yes she is a bit poorly and I agree she doesn’t seem right.” Brilliant. My parents are overwhelmed by my education. It gets better when a vet friend comes round in the afternoon and has the same diagnosis, “yep she isn’t 100%.” Two vet brains and we decide that the best course of action is wait until tomorrow and then we will know if she really is unwell or cured. As you can imagine everyone in my house is impressed! She is better the next day.
But it made me realise again that actually it is a worry and there is a bit of guilt. Have I overdone it on the walk with her the day before, is it the dead something she ate on the fell, what if it is serious and I am not doing anything about it immediately? Thankfully the rest of the family could off load their concern and guilt on to me, the vet in the house, but clients can’t do that. If I hadn’t had a degree of confidence in my,” she will be fine tomorrow,” prognosis I would have happily paid somebody to reassure me. So when the client rings up and the pet is just not right get them in and check for them. The pet is probably fine but the worry of the owner may be huge and reassurance is valuable.
Keeping thinking like a client. Oh and as you can see she is growing into a real lady (and not spoilt at all)!