The Vet

May you never experience the absolute disaster that was our first experience at the vet.

When filling out my application for Diego, I already had to fill out what veterinarian we would go to, and was expected to have an appointment in the first week to get him checked out. When you’re new and naïve to what it can mean to bring a rescue into your home, this seems logical. Although, when you’re speeding to get an application in, who is actually researching and finding the perfect vet that they can get in and see within a week? Let’s be real. Looking back this was one of the moments that led to us spiraling out of control.

It was a Wednesday. Diego paced in the back seat of the car as I drove to a local pet hospital, occasionally poking his head through the center to watch out the front window. We had been together for nearly five days, and I was a bit nervous about our first appointment. It felt like a big deal. We walked in and woman asked if she could pet him. I was a little unsure, just because of this “popping” behavior that was happening. Sometimes when a person would bend over him, he would pop up quickly. I allowed her to try, and things were fine.

The tech took us into the room, stood at the table, and talked to me while I grabbed a seat. She tossed a treat towards Diego, but he was uninterested. Then she went to get the veterinarian; we’ll call her Dr. A. She came in all smiles, bantering with the tech about what kind of breed he was. “He’s very aloof, like a Chow.” “Maybe!” Then she proceeded to sit on a rolling chair and addressed him.

Diego lunged! Her chair shifted. I responded, holding tightly to the leash in order to keep him back—bewildered. From there it all just went to hell as he barked at her. What’s happening?

It felt like she had been in the room for all of five minutes before she sized up the situation to tell me this not perfectly quoted, but seared in my brain, message. “If you ever think you want to have children, you better think twice about keeping this dog. He could kill someone. I’ve worked with thousands of dogs, and they always show a signal. This dog is unpredictable! He could be mentally unstable. I would not recommend this for your first solo dog. He would need home training, and it would be hard. Do you really want a dog that you’ll never be able to play on the floor with?”

If I ever want to have children?
I got a dog because I’m single and nowhere near having a family of my own, and want to take care of someone other than myself. My younger self thought I would have kids by now and I don’t. So what, I should get rid of my dog that I committed to for my imaginary children that I may or may not have? How dare you!

He could kill someone?
What…just what?

You wouldn’t recommend this dog for me?
Like I can’t handle this? I’ve had dogs before. I just never took them to the vet alone to get a rant from a medical “professional.”

Never be able to play with?
You haven’t even been with him for more than a few minutes. How can you jump straight to that?

She kept talking at me as tears built up and dripped onto my mask, and the tech just quietly stared. Dr. A wouldn’t stop!

Then she seemed to jump back into her duties and relayed to the tech they would to give him two vaccines in the back room away from me. “We’re going to get a muzzle on him. I am not getting bit by this dog.” Her tone…so insensitive! It was a nightmare, and after all that they failed to give him his vaccinations and left him even more on edge.

The tech talked to me privately at the end and said that if I did decide to keep him after this that they would not discriminate and try to work with him, but he couldn’t come back without taking two medications before his next appointment. She let me go to the front desk and pay a small fortune for an appointment with no real results, however I was buying 12 months worth of medication for flea and tick, as well as heartworm. Would I even need it?

As we got into the car and drove home, I began to sob uncontrollably. It was hard to see through my tears, and I couldn’t catch my breath. It wasn’t until later that I realized I was having an anxiety attack!

What I wish I knew then

Plan ahead and do your research when selecting a vet. I’ve been meaning to write a letter to Dr. A, but I haven’t been able to come to a place where I don’t want to write in ALL CAPS yet.

Knowing what I do now, I wish she would have said that because he is a rescue and that I had him for only a week it might cause too much stress to give him vaccinations, but potentially in the future I should consider the two. I wish she would have showed compassion. I’m sure she’s a great vet for puppies that have never seen trauma, but I didn’t get the vibe that she preferred working with rescues.

Another thing to know, not all medical professionals are knowledgeable when it comes to behavior. They can be both, but it’s not guaranteed.

My new vet specializes in both. When Diego came to her, she fed him high reward wet cat food on a stick while keeping her distance. She said she wasn’t even going to touch him that day because he was stressed and we would have to wait. When his surprisingly sharp bark came out, she still talked to him and called him a good boy. She explained how we would use medication to help him so that hopefully training can be more effective.

She was also real with me and said that it might not work, and then I need to consider what quality of life he would have if it doesn’t. That’s all for another day, but the point is she had empathy, and in this type of situation I needed that. Choose your vet carefully. If you’re using a recommendation from a friend that has a different situation, it’s still worth putting in a little research.