I've noticed a sometimes panic-inducing trend in clients: they hear but don't listen. This was most prominent in a conversation with a client recently. It is incredibly important to pay attention to what your veterinary staff tells you, we don't talk just to hear our heads rattle. That being said, I present another Letter To A Client.
Dear Ms. Almost Killmydog,
Fifi has had a cough for a few days so you brought her in to be checked, which was a good idea. We had been treating her for congestive heart failure and it was suggested changing her furosemide (diuretic) dosage frequency from once to twice a day to help get the fluid out of her lungs and from around her heart, which is why she is coughing. We sent you on your way having been reassured that you had her, "heart meds at home," only to receive a phone call from you later that afternoon. What's that? The only medications you have for her at home are metronidazole and enalapril? Ok, let me look up your notes. Hmm, it seems it was furosemide that was suggested to be increased and you should not have left over metronidazole since that is an antibiotic and will not help her coughing. No, that does not mean that Dr. Friendly meant the enalapril, it says furosemide and we would be happy to get you a refill if you need one. No, that does not mean you can just give an extra enalapril. No, do not give extra enalapril. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD WOMAN DON'T DO IT!! Listen to what I am saying, don't just let it go in one ear and out the other! Especially when it comes to medications, and here's why:
1) When it comes to antibiotics, ALWAYS finish them regardless of if they're yours or your pet's. The reason for this is that the first few doses get the weaklings, and the more of the antibiotic you take the more of the infectious bacteria you kill off. This is why you're asked to take them for a certain number of days. If you tell your vet staff that Fifi has left over antibiotics, you can be sure that they will tell the rest of the staff and we'll all roll our eyes and think you're an idiot. We'd like to avoid that and be proud of our clients for being smart enough to simply finish giving a medication for the prescribed treatment period. It's really not that hard. We are never proud of our clients for conserving medication for, "just in case," reasons or because of expense. This I did not say to you, however it was all I could think about for a few moments after my panic at the rest of our conversation subsided.
2) Diuretics and blood pressure regulating medications ARE NOT THE SAME. I know you are not in the pharmacological loop, but there is a major difference. Blood pressure regulating medications are just that, they lower (or raise depending on the drug) blood pressure according to dosage. Diuretics are medications that help the body regulate fluid, and are often used in conjunction with blood pressure medication to treat congestive heart failure, as the diuretic will help the body get rid of fluid build up in the lungs and around the heart.
3) Your dog is on enalapril to LOWER her blood pressure. Just because it is one of her, "heart meds," does not meant that you can substitute and extra dose of it for a missing dose of one of her other, "heart meds," unless you want to kill her. Why? Because the dose we have you give her daily regulates her blood pressure to within normal range. Any extra dose will make her blood pressure drop to a dangerous range and she will need emergency care that you obviously cannot afford since I'm sure that if you had that kind of money you'd groom her more often than once every six months to a year.
It is extremely aggravating to come across this blatant idiocy, especially with the frequency that we do. How often do you do this to YOUR doctor? If you do at all, I pity them. It's one thing to ask a question, it's another to do so and ignore the answer. Open your ears and freakin' listen, otherwise you could accidentally kill your pet and WE would not be to blame.
