Puppy, Kitty, and even Hamster Love

by Shannon M. Pecora, M.A.

Stream Valley Veterinary Hospital

            What is a pet?  Ask that question of ten people, one hundred people, or one million people, and you may get just as many different answers.  The responses will probably range from, “just an animal,” to, “my furry child.”  And the truth is it may be hard to find an answer that is necessarily right or wrong.

            One thing pet owners should know is how many of us in the veterinary field feel about your and our pets.  In general, they are more than just our patients.  We regard them—dogs, cats, parrots, hamsters—as family members, deserving of the same preventative measures, medical attention, and level of care and compassion as anyone else in a household.  In fact, you may hear veterinary staff refer to your pets as our friends, buddies, or pals as we develop our professional relationships with them and you.  This is because we often get to know them so well throughout their lives, from their first juvenile visits and subsequent wellness exams, to emergency visits for illness or injury and even the final day that we say goodbye.

            All of this is not say that we believe our attitude is the only “acceptable” one to have toward companion animals.  We know that many of our clients share their couches and easy chairs with their dogs and cats.  Their kids may reserve at least an hour every day to play with the family’s gerbil or parakeet.  Maybe every time someone in the home makes a trip to the pet supply store, the ferret gets to go, too, attached to his harness and leash.  However, we also understand that some of our clients have a barn cat solely to keep their horse stalls free from mice.  There are those who maintain a corn snake terrarium as a home décor conversation piece.  These pet owners care about their animal’s health, of course, but wouldn’t buy their pets Valentine’s Day gifts this month.

            I, for example, affectionately call my eleven-year-old dogs my “Stinky Bears” and my “Little Loves,” but will not chastise you if your “Rover” is simply known as “Rover.”  The bottom line is to be sure that Rover’s care matches his lifestyle and medical needs.  Appreciating the difference in our clients’ views about pets, veterinary professionals strive to strike the balance between the maximum level of services available and the ideal and necessary treatment for each pet.  That means we need your input.  Would you like us to recommend an acupuncture specialist to complement a physical therapy regimen, or would you rather start with at-home rest and massage during an injury recovery?  Should we sent out that fatty mass for biopsy, or are you just relieved for the time being that we were able to remove it?  We just need to know that we are acting humanely, that your pet remains safe and healthy while under our care.

            Whether you find the nicknames your veterinary staff has given your pet endearing, cutesy, or just plan silly, know that, in the end, those nicknames really mean that we care.  So share your concerns and qualms with us as we create treatment plans together.  As a team, we can make decisions that take individual needs...to heart.        

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