Rude clients can really ruin your day :-(

Vets work hard; long hours and very busy days, for a probably a lot less than people think. You certainly don´t go into veterinary for the money. You do go into it however, for a love of animals and a desire to help them. So, it can really ruin your day when, despite trying your best, a client decides you have not done your job properly and says so loudly and vehemently.

Today I saw a client, who we hadn´t seen before, who brought me her cat who had been injured. The cat had come home the night before dragging one hind limb and since had stayed in his bed and refused all food. It was immediately apparent to me that this cat had suffered a very serious fracture to the femur of one of its hind limbs and was in a great deal of pain.

I discussed with the owner that he needed immediate treatment and x-rays to assess the degree of damage. I informed her of the costs of the procedure but also warned that the x-rays were only a diagnostic procedure and that fixing the fracture, or amputating the leg, would be a separate amount but that I couldn´t give an accurate prognosis or cost until I knew the extent of the damage. At this point it became clear that this cat was not insured and the owner may not have been able to afford the diagnostic x-rays or the treatment. So, I discussed another, very valid, form of treatment, euthanasia.

I left the client in the room with her mother to discuss the options as I appreciated this was a horrible and big decision for them. However, five minutes later the client, her mother and the cat all left my consulting room and also the practice! I chased her outside and asked why she was leaving. She replied that she found my attitude ´insensitive´, that I was only interested in the money and she was taking the cat away. I was shocked by her accusations, I felt I had dealt with the situation well, given an honest appraisal of the cats condition, been realistic about the costs and the prognosis and given her the opportunity to consider a course of action in private. I was also extremely concerned that this cat was suffering and in pain and the owner was refusing to treat it. In the end I made it clear I was only interested in the fact that the cat received treatment and I was very concerned that she was leaving with it. The owner informed me she would take the cat to another clinic and left.

Thankfully, episodes like this do not happen very often but when they do they are incredibly depressing and frustrating for a vet. Firstly, even if you are sure you have handled things correctly and to the best of your ability, you start to doubt yourself and wonder if you are to blame for the situation. Secondly, particularly in cases such as these, when an animal that clearly needs treatment is brought into your clinic, you then are responsible for its care. So, what do you do if the owner refuses? In this case this cat did visit another local vet, was given medication and eventually euthansased. However, had I not know this I would have had to ring other local practices and if I couldn´t ensure the cat had seen a vet, I would have had to contact the owners again, or even refer them to the RSPCA.

In the end, the most important thing is that the animal receives care and certainly, once you have calmed down from the situation, there is always something you can learn from encounters like these. However, as I told myself on the day, it is important not to dwell. The very next client who came through the door was effusive in her praise and incredibly pleased with my skills. Which just goes to show, you can´t please all the people all the time, no matter how hard you try!