NOV. 2006

Checkup time
Get your pet ready for a visit to the vet

By Chandra Orr
Copley News Service

Whether you’re stopping by for a routine checkup or tackling more urgent matters, eventually a trip to the veterinarian will be necessary. With a little planning, pet owners can minimize the stress on themselves and their animal companion.

“Taking your pet to the veterinarian is not always an easy task, so you want to make the most of your visit,” said veterinarian Lynn Buzhardt of the Animal Center in Zachary, La. “The more information you can garner from one visit, the better off your pet will be.”

To get the most from a vet visit, Buzhardt offers a four-point checklist to help pet owners arrive prepared and depart with the information they need.

1. Provide a good history.

“The first questions that will be asked are, ‘How is your pet doing? Is he eating and drinking normally? Are his elimination habits normal?’ This gives us good, basic information that we can build on with the physical exam,” Buzhardt said.

Make a note of your pet’s eating and drinking habits, elimination frequency, sleep schedule and activity level. Also come prepared with the name of the animal’s current food, an exact measurement of how much he eats each day and a list of current medications, including over-the-counter medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements.
“You basically want to report everything that goes in that animal’s mouth. Sometimes pet owners take it for granted when they fill the food bowl, but we like to know exactly how much is being offered and how much is actually being consumed,” Buzhardt said. “We also need to know about any diet supplements and any treats, as well as any over-the-counter insecticides used on the animal or in the home.”

2. Keep track of changes in your pet’s routine.

Pet owners should also keep track of any physical or behavioral changes in the animal. Report any new lumps, bumps, areas of hair loss or skin problems, and be sure to keep an eye on your pet’s ears and teeth. No matter how insignificant the changes may seem, the vet needs to know about it.

“It goes back to one basic foundation: These animals can’t answer our questions. We might know if your pet is running a fever, but it’s hard for us to know what their appetite or activity level is like without the pet owner’s input,” Buzhardt said. “Very often, the owner will surmise that a pet is not feeling well based on very small changes that they note at home. We need to know about those changes in behavior because animals simply cannot answer the questions for us.”

3. Bring in a recent stool sample. Your pet will thank you.

It’s an unsavory task, but pet owners should provide the veterinarian with a recent stool sample. While this step isn’t mandatory, it can save your cat or dog from additional stress.

“It’s just one of those extra little things that will help out,” Buzhardt said. “We can get a stool sample, and we don’t mind doing that in the clinic, but it’s a little uncomfortable for the pet and it’s often a small sample.

“If the pet owner can find it within themselves to pick it up out of the yard or scoop it out of litter box, then we have larger sample to work from. The key is, it has to be a fresh sample from within the past day.”

4. Take notes - and keep good records.

“It’s important to have things in writing for two reasons,” Buzhardt said. “First, we’re distracted at the veterinary clinic and we don’t absorb everything being told to us. Second, very often the person who brings in the pet is not the primary caregiver, and they want to share important information with the person who takes care of the pet.
“What we find is that most veterinarians now provide written information to the client in the form of a health report card. If we find something wrong, we make a notation of that. It helps remind people of what we talked about.”

Be sure to hold on to those reports and printouts. While your veterinarian will have your pet’s medical history on file, a personal copy may be useful down the road.

“It tells you, historically, what the cat or dog has been treated with,” Buzhardt said. “If you change veterinarians, then you have an accurate history, and if you’re on vacation it’s important to have that information as well.”

© Copley News Service