Communicating effectively with veterinary clients is a skill all of its own.

When working to obtain an accurate patient history, avoiding certain questions will not only provide you with more accurate information, but also create an opportunity for discussion.

Here are five questions for the veterinarian or vet tech to avoid when speaking with pet owners.

There probably isn’t a topic more controversial in veterinary medicine than euthanasia.  A veterinary license provides us with the legal authority to humanely end the lives of our animal patients.   And although this is allowed, and most often medically necessary, it does not come without cost.

Good bedside manner is one of the most important skills that a veterinary professional can possess. Your ability to convey confidence and compassion to your clients is key to building a solid client base.  It’s true that you can be a successful clinician, save lives, perform technical services and diagnose rare diseases without good bedside manner, but your job will likely be a lot easier if you have a sparkling personality, especially in companion animal medicine. What can you do to help your patients feel comfortable?  

I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but almost every veterinary journal and magazine in the past 12 months has had an article about how to encourage cat owners to bring their pets in for routine wellness exams. Why is this? Is cat care really in crisis?

Communication, Compassion and Compliance

We have all heard that the majority of lawsuits in the medical industry occur due to lack of understanding between the doctor and the patient. Often it occurs due to lack of empathy for the client and the perception that the doctor doesn’t care about the patient or situation which occurred. Open, honest, and thorough communication between a veterinarian and a pet owner is crucial. Through good client communication, the owner will gain trust in your care and ability to treat their pet and will be more compliant.