When We Bring An Animal To The Clinic, Please Do So Wisely

I am compelled to write this over a recent case, if only for the information and attention of new rescuers when they bring their animals to the clinic for treatment.

Please be informed and be aware that clinics and hospitals (humans’ and animals’) are some of the least hygienic places to be at. If I go to a human clinic and there are people coughing or sneezing, and if I am weak, it’s very likely I would contract the disease too. Can I then blame the clinic for causing me to be sick? The same applies to us if we bring in animals to clinics. For example, when I bring my cats or Bobby to the clinic, I’d rather wait outside if I see lots of sick animals waiting inside. And for the umpteenth time (sorry, folks, but this must be said), please do not leave/board your animal at the clinic if it is not necessary. Do whatever you can in order NOT to expose your animal to the clinic environment. It is definitely NOT the healthiest place to be at, and this has nothing to do with the cleanliness of any clinic, but is due to the fact that clinics are places where sick animals are brought in and sometimes, boarded. Oftentimes, they may carry contagious and severe diseases which have not been diagnosed yet.

So when we bring an animal to the vet’s, please be vigilant, and if we think the animal is at risk of catching any diseases, wait at a “safer” distance or leave and come back later.

Some questions we may wish to address:

(a) Has our animal been vaccinated yet? If not, it can easily contract numerous diseases at the clinic.

(b) Is our animal in a weakened state? If so, it can also easily contract a disease.

(c) Can we wait at a “safer” place, if there are many sick animals waiting in line?

(d) Is boarding necessary? If not, please take our animal home as soon as any procedure is done.

Once Cleo was advised to be boarded for her food intake, urination and bowel movement to be measured. I almost freaked out for fear she would catch a disease. Maybe Cleo sensed my anxiety, so she quickly ate, urinated and moved her bowels so that I could take her home!!

I have seen perfectly healthy animals contracting diseases AND dying just because the owners or caregivers did not want to remove them from the vet’s. It’s sometimes this sad attitude of “Hey, I pay for boarding, so I’m entitled to it”. Yes, we are, but what are we subjecting the animal to in an unhygienic environment?

Can we blame the clinic if this happens?

To answer this, can we blame the human clinic or hospital if we contract a disease after going to it? Did we get the disease from the clinic environment or maybe from elsewhere? I trust all vets and human doctors would do their best to quarantine known ill patients. We must remember that some diseases may be dormant or not apparent in certain patients.

My vet always warns me if I bring in a newly rescued kitten for a check-up, “Look, you’re bringing an unvaccinated kitten into the clinic, I don’t know what disease other cats have, your kitten might contract a disease and die”.

Sounds morbid, but it’s true.

So, yes, we need to bring our animal to the vet’s if medical attention is needed, but let’s please do so wisely.

Source: http://myanimalcare.org/2012/01/31/when-we-bring-an-animal-to-the-clinic-please-do-so-wisely/

Tweet

AnimalCare

AnimalCare is a registered society that promotes caregiving to street animals and helps in their neutering and medical needs. AnimalCare has a Medical Fund, Food Fund and Education Fund.

More Articles   |   Pets For Adoption   |   Website