Have you ever woken up one day and started your normal routine only to greet your animal and realize they weren’t themselves? Just like with our children and others we are around often, we can typically tell when something is “off”. Since we can’t talk directly to our pets and have them literally speak back to tell us what’s wrong, we have to start to gather information from the past and present to determine if a trip to the vet is needed. The question of seeking veterinarian care for your pet can be a complex one. There are so many factors that play a part in this decision.
Typically, Yes, You Should Seek Veterinary Care
My quick and basic answer to this question is “Yes”. When a client contacts me and asks if they should call their vet about their pet’s symptoms, my first answer is always “Yes, if you have a concern about symptoms displayed by your pet, you should always seek proper veterinary care appropriate to the condition.”
When making this decision for my own pets, I ask myself, “What is my level of concern?” and “what are the symptoms I am witnessing?” Asking myself these questions first helps me to prioritize my next steps.
For instance, if my cat is experiencing some unusual itching and otherwise seems perfectly normal, my concern level would be low and I would take a common sense, wait-and-watch attitude. If the itching continues after bathing and grooming and then progresses to open sores, I elevate my concern and contact my vet.
However, when my horse suddenly begins exhibiting signs of colic my level of concern is immediately high. I collect the data about vital signs that my vet will need and call them right away.
Let Your Experience Level Inform Your Decision for Veterinary Care
Each individual pet owner must take their own personal experience into consideration when dealing with the health of their pet. New pet owners should rely on their vet to educate and guide them through this learning process.
I personally have years of experience dealing with all types of health conditions in dogs, cats, and horses. I have collected quite a bank of knowledge and experience in assessing symptoms and prioritizing my level of concern. If my dog breaks a toenail, I feel perfectly confident to treat that bleeding at home. That feels well within my skill and experience. If my new Guinea Pig looks “a bit off” I have no skills or experience to guide me, so I call my vet immediately.
My personal motto is, “if in doubt, call the vet”.
Finances Always Play A Part In Seeking Veterinary Care
One of the most difficult parts of this decision is the financial consideration related to veterinary treatment. In this day and age veterinary care has become very expensive. There is no getting around that fact. All too often my clients find themselves having to choose between paying the mortgage and getting the veterinary care that their pet requires. They may have to delay a vet appointment due to a lack of funds for payment. This is not an ideal situation for any pet owner.
I encourage pet owners to purchase pet insurance coverage in order to reduce the stress of this aspect of the decision-making process. I find that pet owners will seek veterinary care more readily if they know that their insurance plan will cover at least part of the cost of treatment. For more information on navigating pet insurance, please visit my recent blog.
Practice Prevention to Reduce Your Need for Veterinary Care
One of the very best ways that a pet owner can avoid the tough question, “do I call the vet”, is to prepare ahead and reduce the chance of the health condition before it becomes a problem. Preventive healthcare maintenance is worth every penny you spend. Your vet can help you determine what your pet needs to stay healthy at any life stage. Some of the key parts of wellness are:
- Annual exams by your veterinarian
- A healthy diet and regular exercise
- Regular grooming
- Immunizations and parasite control
- Providing a safe environment free of hazards
- Careful observation of symptoms of a problem
We all wish for healthy and happy pets. Do your best to support wellness through regular healthcare maintenance and don’t be afraid to rely on your vet to guide you through the inevitable injuries and illnesses that are a part of all pet lovers’ lives.
You can also consider using an animal communicator to help you communicate with your animal about its discomfort and behaviors. Animal communicators can also assist your vet in many ways.