Exam Room Etiquette: How NOT to Behave at Your Vet’s Office
Discussions on a colleague’s blog stoked my agitation about rude exam room etiquette. If you’re a cell phone user, screamer, or lousy parent, this blog post is for you. Most people understand how to behave in any professional appointment. When I go to the doctor’s office, I sit quietly in the waiting room and then in the exam room, stay courteous, and express my health concerns. I wouldn’t even think about wandering the hallways or yakking on my cell phone. Here are some examples of how not to behave at the vet’s office:
Don’t Arrive Late and Then Act Angry When You’re Bumped to the End of the Line
Most veterinary practices operate on 15, 20, or 30 minute appointment schedules. Your 10-15 minute tardiness can drastically affect the flow of appointments when the schedule is full. Try to arrive early. If you know you’re running late, call the hospital. If you arrive late, be prepared to wait. It’s not fair for clients who arrived on time to wait past their appointment time due to your tardiness.
Stay Off the Cell Phone
Cell phone etiquette is generally terrible every where we go. I enter a public arena and often hear a loud one-sided conversation. That doesn’t belong in an exam room. If you are caught on your cell as the veterinarian walks into the room, promptly end the call. If you don’t, your veterinarian may just walk out on you. I’ve done it.
Don’t Take Your Pet For a Walk During the Appointment
This seems like common sense. If you are in an exam room waiting for the vet, don’t leave. On numerous occasions I have walked into an empty room. I would rather have Fluffy urinate or defecate on my floor (what, you think that’s the first time it’s ever happened?) than walk into an empty exam room. See scheduling crunch listed above.
Your Appointment is Not the Time to Start Disciplining Your Pet
Most pets, when confronted with the unfamiliar and sometimes terrifying prospect of their veterinary visit, will act uncharacteristically anxious, fearful, or aggressive. Vets expect this. I dread owners, who I sense haven’t invested much time in training the pet, that resort to screaming and correcting the dog in a volume loud enough the dogs in the waiting room obey the commands. On the other hand, I also loathe the owner who finds the pet’s biting, scratching, and fearful behavior hilarious. Don’t laugh and think it’s cute when your pet bites at my staff. Bites and scratches are serious threats to well-being.
Your Appointment is the Time to Start Disciplining Your Children
Children should never handle instruments in the exam room. They are expensive and not designed for little hands to bang and drop on the floor. It’s happened to me. Don’t allow your children to pinch, poke, or otherwise agitate the veterinarian. That’s happened to me as well. And it’s always a good idea to keep your kids away from Fido’s face during the exam and vaccinations. You cannot always anticipate fearful behavior and bites may ensue.
Those are perfect rules. It’s too bad that the same people who are insensitive enough to do any or all of these things will turn around and insist that you are mean and unprofessional to want to them to change their behavior. They always have excuses for why they do these things, and they usually start with “Well, I needed…” and very, very seldom end with “I’m sorry, it won’t happen again.”
1I work part-time at a vet and have seen all those behaviors mentions. I just don’t get it, especially cell phones! Good for you on walking out. Unfortunately, people that need to see these “rules” most likely won’t be the people that visit your awesome blog.
Thanks for this post. It would be a good addition to a vet newsletter (with your permission of course).
2How about, show the Office Staff at the clinic the same respect they show the Vet. ( hopefully they are showing respect ).
3The Lab Crew: I am very protective of my staff. Nobody gets away with treating my girls (and two guys) with disrespect. They all have permission to walk away from or hang up on anyone who swears at or belittles them.
4I think these are great. I’m nitpicky here but – it would cause my lab great distress to be forced to urinate indoors. And I’ve worked so darn hard housetraining my terrier that I’m not going to let her think it’s OK to go in the vet’s office!
5Mandy: Maybe I should qualify my statement, as I am prone to hyperbole. Realisitcally, most dogs are walked on the veterinary grounds prior to their appointment to get all the scents and smells. And, ideally, you’re not going to wait more than 15-20 minutes to be seen. Most dogs don’t actually have to go to the bathroom while they are in a room. They pace and act anxious, usually to escape and not because duty calls. Fluffy should be able to “hold it” for an hour. If not, I’m going to want a urine sample anyway!
6