7 Popular Excuses Vets Get From Pet Owners
Posted by Unknown in Pet, Veterinary Issues on Monday, 13 May 2013
You may be
surprised (or not) to hear how often pet owners make excuses for their
pets — and themselves. Here are seven of my favorites.
1. She’s Not Fat!
It’s just fur.
She’s a solid dog. The breed is supposed to look that way. Her coat just
makes it look like she’s carrying a few extra pounds. She’s big boned
and beefy by nature. She just ate and always looks bloated afterward.
None of these
excuses tends to work on me. Sorry. Still, if you want to euphemize by
calling her Rubenesque, that’s OK with me. But let’s be clear on what
shape of woman Rubens was extra fond of.
2. She’s Never Done That Before!
This is the
excuse that comes after the pet has [insert obviously unsafe practice
here] and managed to (predictably) get herself into trouble.
Jumping out of
the back of a pickup truck in rush hour traffic qualifies — as does
swallowing a bone whole, so that it needs to be cut out of her
intestines. Allowing a “strong swimmer” to try her luck during a rip
current advisory is one choice example that you can file under “What
were they thinking?”
3. She Won’t Let Me Brush Her Teeth.
It’s not
necessarily an overt falsehood, but nine out of 10 times, my clients
never gave tooth brushing a good try — despite the YouTube videos on the
subject I’m wont to recommend.
4. She’ll Starve If I Don't Feed Her This Way.
For cats
(especially fat ones), I worry that they’ll develop fatty liver disease
if they miss even a couple of meals in a row. Still, this doesn't mean
that you can't make a serious effort to switch over to a more
appropriate, veterinarian-recommended diet if your cat or dog is
overweight. I mean, what will you do when she refuses to adapt to a
specialized diet that she may require one day?
5. I Only Feed Her "This" Much.
Clients almost
always hold up their thumb and forefinger one centimeter apart while
delivering this message, but that doesn’t make me even one bit more
willing to believe that they’re feeding her less than that porker
deserves (this term, by the way, is used with much love and only
positive intentions). Whatever they’re feeding — I don’t care if they
swear that it’s just five kibbles a day — I’ll tell them that it’s too
much.
6. That Lump Showed Up Overnight.
You may have
noticed that thing just last night, but be honest with yourself: Do you
really think that a golf ball-sized tumor appeared over the course of
eight hours? Not likely.
7. My Dog Does Not Bite.
Oh, really? Then what are those teeth marks doing on my hands?
