In an ideal world, all veterinarians would receive training that would enable them to communicate in a meaningful way with pet owners. Until then, however, owners who share Mary s views need to take the initiative. Your pet s physical health 2. Your pet s behavior Chances are your veterinarian automatically will give you information regarding any physical effects of the problem because that s the focus of his or her training. However, if that person provides this information in a manner you don t understand, say so.
Most veterinarians don t deliberately try to confuse owners.
They just forget that owners don t speak the same language they do. Consequently, it s up to you to remind them. If you find it difficult to concentrate in a busy veterinary setting, don t feel embarrassed to ask the veterinarian to write down any critical points for you. Because veterinarians often don t think about how a certain medical problem may affect a pet s behavior, you may need to remind them about this. By knowing about any behavioral effects in advance, you can make preparations to avoid or cope with these if and when they arise.