So, I’ve written about some of the more annoying things clients can do or ask of us. To be fair, the majority of our clients are considerate and polite. It’s like always having something funny and typically negative to say about your spouse or kids when you’re telling stories in public – if I spent all of your attentive time talking about how sweet my husband can be or how squishy my kids’ cheeks are, you would quickly grow bored and may have to hold back your gag reflex. So, I decided I’d write about the good guys (and gals) who keep me in this profession – and will try to keep it entertaining.
Mr. Dean:
When I was working at my first job in South Carolina, it was my first time being a small animal vet and there was a huge learning curve. When I first met Mr. Dean, he was an imposing character. Older man, gruff, zero time for formalities or politeness. Not that he was rude, but he surely didn’t take the time for making you feel better about yourself. He was a hunter and had his pack of beagles. One of his beagles he brought to me wasn’t “doin’ too good” and we ended up diagnosing with kidney failure.
Mr. Dean was a very concerned owner. He would come to the office and just talk to me about his dog and his condition often and let me know how he was doing. I told him over and over about the basics of kidney failure and that a low protein diet was important to help his dog’s kidneys, but he continued to tell me how he makes him hand rolled meatballs every night for dinner and he “knows it’s not right, but he just loves them”. Then, he finally got to where his dog would eat biscuits. So, every morning, Mr. Dean and his wife would get up and make biscuits from scratch just to feed to their ailing dog.
Eventually, his dog got to the point where it was time to make “the decision” and Mr. Dean asked me to come to the house to euthanize his beloved beagle. This gruff, hardened man softened greatly at this point. It was hard to see, but we had been working so closely with his dog that I knew it was time to say goodbye. After his favorite beagle had passed, he gave me a tour of his property and his “hunting kennels”. These were not your typical hunting dog kennels – they were immaculately clean, the dogs were all allowed into the house at some point during the day. This gruff old man who spends his time hunting rabbits and turkey, even had a couple of turkeys that he had taken in as pets. I don’t know much else about him, but if I died and came back as a beagle, I would certainly want to come back as one of his.
There was one guy that I met after helping him deal with his ailing old boxer and then, eventually, euthanizing. In the next few weeks, we were all so happy to see him come in with a new little bulldog type puppy. That little puppy was just a little hopping ray of sunshine! He made us happy, but most importantly, he made his mourning owner happy. Everything was as usual through puppy vaccines, neuter, and into his first year of life. And then, it happened. The owner rushed this young dog into see us because he had been seizing and would not stop. We worked on him for what felt like forever, giving anti-seizure medicine, placing an IV, running blood, had him on monitoring, but we could not get him to stop seizing. I called my boss as I was still a new graduate and asked what else we could do. He told me to try giving tiny amounts of the euthanasia solution (which is just a concentrated anti-seizure medication) until the seizure stopped.
This was the point where I had to make the decision of whether to allow this dog to continue to seizure or give him euthanasia solution to SEE IF IT WOULD work. This was in the middle of nowhere with no access to emergency veterinary care, I was alone, I was still wet behind the ears, and everyone was looking to me to fix it. I went outside the building and started crying. This was all too much for me. Then I thought of one of the girls working there as an assistant and how I had heard her talk about how weak girls can be in situations of stress. So, I stopped crying and went back into the building and started titrating euthanasia solution (pentobarbital) until the sweetest little bulldog stopped seizing.
It took him almost 12 hours to come back to consciousness, but when he did, he wasn’t the same happy, go lucky sweet puppy. He was angry, charging the cage, growling, snapping. I talked to the owner and said that this can sometimes happen with the post-ictal phase where the brain is recovering and that we would just need to give him more time. He did not recover. Finally, the owner came in to see him to see if the dog would recognize him. He didn’t. Just like with us, he charged the opening of the cage, trying to bite this sweet man who was dealt too many unfair hands. Then the owner made the heart wrenching decision to euthanize. We could not even reach into the cage to get to the injection port in his IV line. We had to just stab the needle through the plastic line and give it that way.
Broken hearts are a commonality in this profession. That owner didn’t deserve that. He was a great owner, always wonderful to us, and was even gracious after the fact, knowing that we had done everything we could.
There have been farm clients that understand that we are hot, tired, likely deprived of calories. I had one client who brought me out a freshly made smoothie in a glass after I had worked on her horse’s lacerations. Numerous clients who have brought out water, soda, coffee, some even offered beer or wine. I had one client invite me in for lunch after working on his horses. I met his family, felt 100% too grungy to be in this nice of a house and around this much money, but it was so nice to feel welcome, especially when being called out for an emergency. Small animal clients who bring us buckets of coffee and doughnuts, buy us pizza, or a sandwich spread, cookies, baked goods for Christmas, even a card sent just saying thank you.
I had one client in Michigan, who, upon hearing that I was leaving, brought in a present of a bottle of wine made from their grapes in their garden (not a vineyard), displayed on a wooden wine bottle holder the owner made from wood from their own trees. The wine bottle was decorated with a picture of the horse that I had helped them with. I still have that bottle on my kitchen counter and am afraid to mess it up by opening it.
There have been so many good clients, it’s hard to tell a full story about each of them. There was the client who was comforting ME while I was euthanizing HER horse. She was very worried about me and having to do the procedure. There was one who gave me a beautiful drawing of their dog I had worked on. There are all of those who have their animal caught and restrained for us when we get there, or let us know ahead of time that their dog or cat has been known to bite – instead of waiting until we have finished listening to their heart and then suddenly have to dodge the teeth coming at our face only to have the owner say “yeah, I thought he might do that” – and ALL the ones that understand that we are slammed with sick patients and don’t grumble at us when we fly into their exam rooms, hair disheveled, 15 minutes late.
Then, there are all the clients who just make our job easier and, dare I say, worth while by the simple act of *drum roll!!!!* following our suggestions. It’s that easy. Sometimes, when I see a client coming in for a recheck, I get excited that they are actually coming back! And then, when I find out they’ve been giving the medications as I said (though I understand some animals are difficult to medicate – but at least they gave it “the old college try”) and using the products I told them would help the most – talk about a heart fluttering moment! I’m not even talking about spending all the money on all the available diagnostics and treatments, just giving a medication every 8 hours like I said, or applying ear medication once EVERY day, or decreasing the number of treats and food given and getting their dog to lose weight.
Some clients have really grown into our lives and become our friends that we think of on a daily basis, even if we moved far far away – Mr. Dean, I still “peench ” them dogs real hard before I give an injection, and you’re right, it seems to help.
Some clients feel the need to connect with us with gifts, which is awesome!
But, as medical professionals, we mostly only get to revisit the cases that are not improving despite the hours of research and brainstorming we have been giving to that animal; who have the call backs from clients complaining or upset; who pour hours of emotional weight onto people; consoling them or talking them through difficult decisions, knowing bad news and preparing to tell the owner who is waiting so hopefully in the room for something “easy” to fix, telling them bad news and just watching as the shock hits them followed by the collapse of their shoulders and welling of tears. ALL DAY. EVERY DAY.
So, being a polite, considerate owner when things are okay for you and your pet, or taking advice on treatment for your animal, or letting us know when something got better (even if we totally expected it to) is all it takes to be a good client in our eyes. Unfortunately, sometimes, we have to put up walls of armor through humor, usually dark humor, so I apologize to those who were offended by my last post, but at the end of the day, we’re all just softies who can’t watch movies where animals get hurt, and who break down crying when we watch a Subaru commercial, but sometimes have to use sarcasm as a way to make it through the day.
Incredible heart wrenching moments for you . When u stepped outside to cry, i cried with you…life n death in your work must take a emotional toll on you. Thank you for caring for all animals that cross your path on your veterinarian journey. Your a inspiration to all of us, and i see that with the pol reruns how much you truly care for the animals you treated. Hugs to Dr. Emily
Thanks, Dr Emily. I’m a retired nurse. I’ve felt the same way, embarrassed that I was overcome with emotion in some moments, but so grateful to my families who taught me so much. I am so grateful to my vet of 35 years and I always bring in goodies. Love you for all you do. I know you understand how much our fur babies mean to us. PS I’m one of those who exclaims that my dog can’t have fleas. Lol. Don’t worry, he gets Revolution monthly. Love, Mary from California
Dr Emily, I so very much appreciate my vet. She has been there with me through good times, bad times and even worse times. She smiles and celebrates with me when treatments are successful and she holds my hand and cries with me when we realize there is nothing more we can do. I hope she considers me a good client because I try to make her job as “uneventful “ as possible, under the circumstances..lol. ..and I try to bring baked goods for the staff. 😁 Thank you for your musings and your sarcasm. Thank you to my Dr Sue, who I call my friend, for her honesty, compassion and on occasion, sarcasm.
Ditto that!
♥️
Great article! I love your point of view on things. I thought the wine bottle and handmade box was incredible.
This post brought tears to my eyes. Very long story as short as possible… 2 months ago my little buddy and an emergency splenectomy due to a very large tumor that had ruptured. It was the dedication and commitment of two fantastic vets at the clinic that saved her life. That night my sister went to the store and bought a ton of fruit, candy, chips, cookies, and other snacks that we took to the vet clinic the next day along with a thank you note featuring a picture of my little buddy on the front. It was the very least I could do for the people who took such good care of the one I love. Incidentally, the tumor turned out to be sarcoma but not hemangiosarcoma or histoocytic. Every day extra day I have with her now is a special gift.
You must always remember that one negative comment or outcome weighs disproportionately against a thousand praises and laudatory results! You do admirable and humane work!
Seriously Emily……I think you are an incredible vet. I don’t know how you do it. I really enjoy this blog. I have learned so much from your perspective. I have great respect for what you do….certainly a high stress job and an emotional one too. I can tell that not only do you care about the animals but you care about the owners. That says a lot about you. I loved you and Tony on the show….my favorites! I love English Springer spaniels and have owned two amazing ones. I lost my last one 2 and a half years ago. It almost killed me. I was so devastated that this is the longest Ive ever been without a dog and I hate it. I would love to have another but I don’t think I can go through that pain again. It’s the worst and you know…they hardly ever just pass away in their sleep. Seems we always have to make the decision. Thank you for writing this very honest and emotional side of a veternarian.
I seen your post about your beautiful dogs that let a huge hole in your heart and I completely understand really. It’s a pain that will always be there but I am also up in age and I must tell you that I personally feel you should reconsider getting a another dog, let me tell my reasoning. First you know you would give that dog the best life it would ever have . Think of it has really saving the dog cause you are. It could end up in home where the people mistreat them or all kinds bad things . 2. Your dogs would want you to help another dog live a great life. 3. Having another DOG TRULY HELPS YOUR PAIN REALLY IT DOES. YOU ARE REPLACING YOUR DOGS CAUSE YOU CAN’T , EVER DOG HAS ITS OWN PERSONALITY AND SWEETNESS. BUT HAVING A NEW DOG WILL HELP YOU FROM THINKING CONSTANTLY ABOUT WHAT YOU LOST AND SWITCH YOU TO THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE . IT WILL ALSO GIVE YOU PURPOSE AGAIN. YOY MYST GET UP AND OUT OF BED TO TAKE OF A DOG . YOU WILL GET SO MORE EXERCISE BY TAKING THE DOG OUT FOR WALKS WHICH IN TURN WILL KEEP YOU HEALTHIER AND HAPPIER. BUT MIST IMPORTANTLY THERE ARE SO MAN Y DOGS THAT NEED HOMES , SO MANY THAT B ED YOU!!!
First of all as a fur baby mommy I’d like to say THANK YOU for always putting your all into all those fur babies, farm animals, strays somebody rescued off the road, just every animal brought to you for care. I watched you for several years go above and beyond to help the sick and the dying continue on with a dignity that should be afforded to all animals! There’s a special place in heaven for people like you❤️.
I was very fortunate to have found 2 vets who were like you. They were and one currently is still those doctors who gave everything they had to save not 1 but 2 of my babies. They both had emergent situations that required surgery. Dr Buckley in Killeen, TX spent the entire night in his clinic with my Lady Bea and called me at 6:00 am to tell me she came thru even after he didn’t think she would, but he kept trying. And three days later when she all of a sudden started hemorrhaging from her rectum, he again stayed with her and poured over books and called other vets for help. It seemed my dog was one of those rare dogs who had an allergy to catgut, I firmly believe that had it been any other vet she wouldn’t have made it.
Last summer when my Sadie Eleanor had A suture put in behind her hip she stayed so patient when I’d take that cone of shame off so she could eat (that dog was magic- she could have all her stitches out in less than two minutes!). Dr Shardy just took it all in stride. By the third time around Sadie piddled on the table and they saw how concentrated her urine was and instantly checked it and started her on meds for a UTI. That same visit she ran a SMAC and saw her sugar level was 465 she immediately started her on insulin donating the insulin and syringes because she knew we were quickly reaching that wall. And not 2 days later Sadie seemed to have 2 seizures on a Saturday and when we called the answering service Dr Shardy called us within 2 minutes and told to get to the office and she would be there in 5 minutes. In the end she wasn’t diabetic after all, her UTI had caused the elevated sugar and the insulin had caused not seizures but a severe drop in her blood sugar!
The reason for my long story is that I watched you and I wanted to make sure any vet I chose had to be like you! Even tho we have long since left TX and Dr Buckley, based on my admiration for you, I chose to stay with Dr Shardy who is just like you!
So again THANK YOU for being you!!
We’ve been going to the same vet practice since we moved to our town in south central PA in 1987. There have been staff changes and ownership changes over the years but the care hasn’t faltered throughout. They helped us with classic IVDD and got us to a specialist practice in Maryland so our boy could have back surgery. They’ve been there with us as we’ve euthanized our 4 beloved dogs Over the years and celebrateD the arrival of our new girl rescue from AL. It’s hard right now not to be able to interact face to face due to Covid. Anyway our vets are as important to us as our own physicians. Thank you for your dedication and I’m happy for you that you’ve found a new practice that allows for more time with your family. Those years go by so fast enjoy while you can.
Thank you Dr Emily twerking
( LOL ) for being real to life and sharing yours!
The way you fight for each animal is an inspiration. Sometimes just knowing a doctor cares about their pet makes a really hard situation more bearable.
Dr. Emily….I’ve been in the sales/service industry for over 30years and I understand that some people I’ll excited to see and others I smile through it and try to keep my attitude in check.
I’m the guy like Mr. Dean in the sense that I have a pack of beagles and I have everyone of them spoiled rotten and no other beagler would put up with them! Heated dog houses and water warmers in winter and sun shades and lots of trees around for summer cooling. But mine all come back when I call them and we’re not waiting a couple of hours at the truck for “Old Blue” to come in. Of course he’s just trying to jump one more bunny! He’s not in the next county chasing a deer?!? Right!
I just experienced loosing one of my dogs. She hurt her back in the kennel a month ago. I took her to my vet where X-rays confirmed a bad disc. I followed the medication schedule and she improved a little. Then she turned worse and became paralyzed from her waist back. I moved her in the dining room so she could be close to my wife and myself and caring for her would be easier. Maybe just seeing and hearing us would help? After two more weeks of shoving pain pills and muscle relaxers down her throat she decided to stop eating and drinking water.
I called my vet and made “that” appointment. Dr. Leslie May DVM talked me through our options and made an assessment of Izzy’s condition. We made the final decision and I thought my world had ended. I’ve not cried that hard in a long time. I have Izzy’s sister Molly and the two were so different. Molly seems to bust through life with reckless abandonment and is healthy as can be. Izzy has had Glaucoma, Pyometra surgery in April and then this in her short 6.5 years. She will always be remembered for her love and ability to find a rabbit when it seemed no rabbits were there!
I appreciate my vet and her allowing me to loose it without judgment and keeping it together in a professional manner. I felt like Izzy was being helped by a loving caring professional. She was allowed to move from this world into the next in dignity.
I thank you and all veterinarians for serving “us” the crazy pet owners! I hope I’m a good client and try to always bring a positive attitude in to any appointment. I look forward to posts! Thanks for bringing humor to your stories because I know caring for people’s pets is worse than being a Dr. for our real children! I hope
Dr Emily I have sso much respect for you as a great lady, mom, wife and the wonderful vet you are because I’ve grown to you from watching you caring for animals that were so I’ll no one thought they would live .One story that I love was that baby pig you and your friends at Dr Pol’s office worked on so hard and he made it because of your hard work and when you brought him home to live with your family I thought you were a angel to do that with a new baby and 2 other little ones 🤗 but they were so sweet wanting to see him and pet him. Your sweet hubby is your perfect match as he is just as loving and caring as you are. I have so much love for you and I know you’ll save many animals in your life because you were sent from heaven to be the the vet you are.
And your a great mommy to those sweet children 🤗 . Thank you Dr Emily for being you and just know your missed alot but never forgotten.
Hugs Maria
Your compassion for animals and owners was very evident when you were on the Dr. Pol show. I can no longer get the show, but there were several episodes showing how hard you tried to help animals. The little pig episode was truly interesting and rewarding because the little guy, Winston, recovered. Another episode I remember is when a dog was brought in and you tried your hardest but he crashed right on the table. It was unexpected and it was found out he had something so rare, no one could have saved him. Your compassion and disappointment was evident. Welcome to Virginia, and I hope you stay a long time.
Love this , you are a special person
I know exactly how you feel. I am an acupuncturist not so very far from you now. I also have an animal license so i know how it is to chase a pony down for an hour. Thru mud and rain. Sigh.
So i do understand. I do have a tendency to joke my way around .
I love your blog post. I appreciate your honesty and information. I’m glad that you are doing these posts as I miss you so much on Dr. Pol!
Love your blog n stories. Consider your own show as a vet in Va? I’d watch Keep writing we read
So refreshing to know how ‘a vet’ feels and reacts, have enjoyed very much the last blog and this one! As though invited ‘in’ to witness your day! Of course we still see Dr. Emily on re-runs on TV and this I have to share; our Schnauzer Max still rises to watch when he sees or hears the word Dr. Emily, he has watched you stitch up many a pet and does not settle until you are done! He indeed misses ‘his Dr. Emily!’~~~now you have a blog from a furry fan about how I am sure many pets have enjoyed watching! Our boy Max is a mini that we re-homed from a breeder after we lost our 7th Schnauzer (rescued from puppy mill) to chushings disease ~~~~he did not follow the rules of his standards and weighs in at now 29#’s~~~he does not bark at any people, or animals, loves to give hugs and go for walks at the mall where everyone is drawn to him for their hug~~~he is a one of a kind~~~still in-tact in case we find a mate for him~~~he would want you to know about him~~~cause he is people too!
As a hospice nurse- I know what you mean about long days, sometimes just needing to sit down and have a drink of anything wet. Some days I don’t even have time to pee! I can relate when you said an owner of a horse you were euthanizing was comforting you. Some days it’s just too much. I had a man who was not my patient, I was on call, and he had passed away. His sister was caring for him. She was the most beautiful soul. She brought me to tears with her sense of peace, her faith, and her thankfulness for my visit. I thanked her for “filling my cup”. She gave me back my faith and hope. I had a lot of death that week, and I was at the end my rope emotionally. And this kind, wise, wonderful woman brought me back. Thank you for reminding me of her! I had forgotten about her!
Grande medico la Dr Emily!
Brava, sensibile, umana mi piacerebbe conoscere te e la tua meravigliosa famiglia ❤️
I never understood why Vets had such a high rate of suicides because they have the coolest job ever; then I started watching all the vet shows. I can’t get through any episode without crying or getting emotional and now I understand why the darkness can be overwhelming. I said in a recent comment that through you, the blog, and shows I realized that I wasn’t the most responsible pet owner. Trying to get my grandkids in 4h we decided to raise our own goats. Bought a small herd of 6. I read extensively, talk to other owners, and me and the kids are learning how to do herd health checks, and what all to look for. I have become a more informed owner mostly because of you. I’m glad you have so many wonderful clients, that makes the job much better. Just remember even on the darkest, emotionally devastating day at some point you made a difference. You made a difference for me and my pets and I’m 2000 miles away. For this we all say thank you.
Always interesting to hear from the ‘other side of the aisle”. After all, we are all human and we all have feelings and emotions.
Thanks for the stories- so interesting!
I understand euthanasia, but I think its not necessarily kind to the animal. I think that we as pet owners want so badly to relieve the suffering of our dying pets that we think its humane to put them to sleep. We had a dog that was on her way out and she was just sleeping. My wife wanted to have her put to sleep and we did but it was extremely nerve racking to the dog. We should have just let her sleep until she was gone. My daughter had a dog that had a heart ailment that made him swell up with fluid. Now that was a case where it was necessary. My view now is if they are just moping and sleeping when its near the end of their life, just let them die on their own and keep them comfortable. Plus, we think animals think like we do. They don’t. Thanks for your website!
I’m not a “regular” Dr. Pol watcher, but I always pause my channel surfing when I come across the reruns.
That being said, I was somewhat saddened when you left, as I always enjoyed your obvious commitment to the caring of animals. Now, after signing up to this blog, I find you and Tony to be the type of people that I can easily relate to. I suspected this for the most part, but could never be sure after the “Hollywood Spin” gets added to the episodes.
I am finding this blog fascinating from the “behind-the-scenes” perspective, and appreciate your candor. While missing you on the show, I have now found a way to stay in touch with a person I admire. I’m NOT a FB’er (don’t like the privacy infringement that the platform is rife with, so cancelled my account), and have discovered that your personal likes/dislikes coincide with mine in many ways.
Keep being who you are, as that is the key to happiness in Life. Continue your obvious Love of life, and connection to the spiritual realities. That is what will change this world for the better.
My sicerest respect and Love to you and Tony, and your Loved ones.
Dr Emily
Thank you for sharing. Its difficult here to find a Doctor here to come to your home to euthanize, but mine did. She tried to comfort our family as best she could. It meant a lot. I know you feel that way to all your patients. Thank you and for all you do.
Mahalo