To the Clinic, Jeeves

You might be surprised at how many animals use the services of a chauffeur. They arrive at the clinic with a human chaperone who is not their full-time companion. That person waits with them until their name is called, guides them into an exam room, and proffers a credit card at the close of the appointment. It happens because some pet owners are under the (mistaken) impression that transport and payment are the key ingredients in a vet visit. A critical missing element here is information about the pet’s home life. You are always going to have a better outcome if your pet visits the vet accompanied by the person who possesses the most pet-related information.

Here’s an example: human being arrives at the clinic with a dog that is urinating inside the house. Before touching the animal or spending any money at all, a detailed series of questions needs to be answered. Was she previously house trained? Any other behaviors that are out of the ordinary? Is there a specific time of the day or situation that seems to trigger it? Urinating in the house can be a manifestation of behavioral issues that stem from advancing age, heat cycles, or anxiety. Has anything changed about her eating habits or her body weight? Appetite information helps a lot in determining the scope of the problem. Is she taking any medications for another health condition? These can substantially affect how much she needs to urinate, or even make her more prone to bladder infections. What about supplements? Pet owners often don’t think of these as “medications” and so they neglect to mention it. One example: cannabis and some CBD preparations may affect the timing of urination, causing it to occur at inappropriate moments.

Eyewitness accounts of the issue that brought your dog to the vet are absolutely invaluable. Is she rushing to get to the door when these accidents occur? Trying often to urinate, but not much is coming out? That means urine testing and imaging are at the top of our to-do list; we’re looking for painful conditions of the bladder. Is she producing great big puddles that smell like nothing? That usually calls for blood testing first, since we are now most suspicious of her pancreas, adrenals, thyroid, and kidney. Is it possible that the urine spots appear while she is napping? That’s a whole different picture from any of the previous scenarios and calls for an entirely different course of therapy. Does she even know this is happening, or does she walk along, oblivious, with drips and dribbles trailing behind her? Different again… totally different.

Clearly, the most knowledgeable person needs to be the one in the exam room with your pet at her doctor’s appointment. If you’re that person, and you don’t have all the answers, don’t sweat it. No one knows every minuscule detail about their dog. But next time you’re weighing the idea of sending an Uber driver (or helpful neighbor, or teenage son) in your place, be sure to consider that an inefficient use of your time and money may be the ultimate outcome.

Dr. M.S. Regan