Mê Thú Cưng - Pet Magazine for Vietnam Native Dogs in Vietnam Issue | Page 74

URBAN PETS Living with Pets in Vietnam
Finding the right veterinarian for your pet
When looking for a veterinarian for your pet, it is important to find one that is not only
well-trained and capable as a medical professional, but also one who will handle your
animal with care and treat you appropriately as a client.
By Catherine ‘Cat’ Besch
One of the first experiences your pet will have with
its vet is its first set of vaccines. This is a great time
to really test the quality of the clinic without being
under the stress of an emergency.
Upon arriving at the clinic, take notice of the way
that the clinic is organized. A clinic doesn’t have to
be large to be tidy. A well-organized clinic is easy
to clean, and this is the next thing you should look
for. Look around the floors and counters for any
signs of blood, urine, or hair. Infectious diseases
are spread easily in clinic settings with so many sick
animals coming and going, so it is vital that the staff
thoroughly clean after each client. The clinic should
not have any pungent odor either. This is a sign
that staff are not working hard to prevent disease
transmission. Also check to ensure that staff are
washing their hands between clients and sterilizing
all surfaces that patients touch after they leave.
When you are in the consultation area, notice if
the animals around the clinic are properly caged
and bedded, not tied down or on a chain. The
inpatients need to be put in an area where they are
not contacting new clients and are able to recover
in stress-free conditions without the constant
movement of staff and animals who are also under
stress. All cages should be clean, and the animals
should have a bowl of water, cats should have a litter
box. It is common in Vietnam to use wire-bottom
cages, but this is very uncomfortable and stressful
for animals if there is no bedding on top of the wire.
Bedding can be a towel or old blanket that covers
the wire bottom. If your vet is not aware of the role
of stress and pain on recovery, then you should
look elsewhere for a vet that understands these
principles.
When the vet approaches your animal, look for
a sense of calm and careful handling in which
animals are not being unnecessarily restrained
or hurt in the process of an exam. Also, for any
treatment or evaluation of your pet, the vet needs to
perform a basic exam including looking at the eyes,
ears, and mouth, plus feeling the abdomen for any
irregularities. Temperature should be taken and the
vet should listen to your pet’s heart and breathing.
During the exam, the vet needs to also interact
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with you and treat you, as the owner, with respect.
If the vet then diagnoses the problem and begins
treatment, he needs to explain what he is doing and
why to the client. This is a basic tenant of client
service and will keep you in the loop about what
your beloved pet is going through. A vet who talks
down to his clients and refuses to share information
about treatment is not worth working with.
Another important aspect of a vet clinic’s level of
expertise is the equipment that they use. Keep in
mind, though, that it is not always a measure of
medical competence. It does not matter if you have
blood machines, ultrasounds, and digital x-rays
if you lack the ability to read the results of the
diagnostic machines and treat a patient accordingly.
Having a piece of equipment and knowing what to
do with the results are very different things. It is
better to have an experienced and knowledgeable
vet than one who only has equipment and no clinical
expertise to rely on when the results come in.
If your vet is truly committed to animal welfare,
they will do more than provide a clean and stress-
free environment with high welfare standards for
their patients. They will also be involved in the
community’s animal welfare issues by promoting
sterilization for all animals to reduce the population
of unwanted pets who often end up in horrible
situation on the streets or stolen and sold for dog
and cat meat. A vet who cares for animals cares for
all animals, not just the ones who can pay his bills.