Everyone has dealt with a nightmare driver, teacher, neighbor, or irritating person in the grocery line. However, sometimes even the best of us can slip and make comments that turn us—yes, us!—into a nightmare for someone else.
At LazyPaw Animal Hospitals, we unfortunately can’t help but overhear waiting room conversations from time to time. These three are some of our favorites! Please read on and think more carefully before blurting to avoid treading on an animal lover’s feelings.
The dreaded over-share.
It’s natural to seek camaraderie, and many people want to chat in the waiting room at the vet’s office. It makes sense, after all—everyone there is an animal fan. However, it’s not the best place to open up without prompting about your pet’s past horror stories. You may think saying something like, “My dog ate a couple pairs of underwear once. It took a week for her gut to rupture,” will capture the interest of your waiting room neighbor, but chances are they will only be upset or prefer not to know. And please, the world at large begs you, never tell a stranger, “We’re going to let our children experience the miracle of childbirth by letting our little girl here have a litter or two.” This is just plain uncomfortable.
The google-certified veterinarian.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this one: “Heartworms aren’t a problem for cats.” As a trained, educated veterinarian, I can tell you that heartworms are definitely a problem for cats. Many people hit the Internet for answers, and while I absolutely value online research as an important tool, it is only a tool—not a trump card against what a professional doctor advises. By all means listen to the advice of Great Aunt Edna or Google until the cows come home, but at the end of the day, trust the medical information from your vet. After all, we went to school for many, many years to become doctors!
The non-expert trainer.
Everyone with a pet believes they know best when it comes to how to love and manage their animal, and that’s their right as the pet’s parent. That’s why it’s generally not advisable to offer sweeping advice or statements about what dogs, cats, birds or any animal in general needs to be happy or behave well. We often overhear advice such as, “If your dog has an accident, rub his nose in it.” Our advice is to leave the advising to veterinarians, animal surgeons, and professional animal trainers.