Entry tags:
Responsible Pet Ownership
So I was at work today, bustling from visit to visit and from pet to pet, and eventually I wound up in an exam room with a client, their child, and their pet, who was in for a routine checkup. And since I like (friendly, intelligent, well-behaved) children, and since it's Friday and I'm looking forward to a good weekend and I was in a good mood, I was taking my time and chatting with the family.
And the child in question clearly loved the pet thoroughly, and was a bit concerned about what was going to happen, so I did my best to explain as I went through my exam - how I was listening to the heart, and checking the eyes and ears, and feeling the belly and the legs. And because the child didn't want to see any needles, we took the pet out of the room when it was time to give the vaccines and draw a blood sample.
When we came back into the room a few minutes later, the child looked at the animal, then up at me, clearly a little worried, and asked why the pet was licking at its leg. I explained that we had wet the fur with alcohol to make it easier to take a blood sample. And at that, the child's expression transformed from one of mild worry to serious concern, as they looked up at me and said,
"But... if you drink alcohol, you can get sick! And you have to be 18 years old, and my pet isn't old enough!"
I'm not quite sure how both the child's parent and I managed to keep straight faces as we reassured them that no, the pet would be fine, given the circumstances....
And the child in question clearly loved the pet thoroughly, and was a bit concerned about what was going to happen, so I did my best to explain as I went through my exam - how I was listening to the heart, and checking the eyes and ears, and feeling the belly and the legs. And because the child didn't want to see any needles, we took the pet out of the room when it was time to give the vaccines and draw a blood sample.
When we came back into the room a few minutes later, the child looked at the animal, then up at me, clearly a little worried, and asked why the pet was licking at its leg. I explained that we had wet the fur with alcohol to make it easier to take a blood sample. And at that, the child's expression transformed from one of mild worry to serious concern, as they looked up at me and said,
"But... if you drink alcohol, you can get sick! And you have to be 18 years old, and my pet isn't old enough!"
I'm not quite sure how both the child's parent and I managed to keep straight faces as we reassured them that no, the pet would be fine, given the circumstances....