When I first started practicing in Twin Falls, Idaho, in 1980, clients almost always accepted my recommendations for their pet’s health. It was almost like a professor-student or pastor-congregation relationship. We, as veterinarians, are trained to recommend what is best for the pet regardless of the costs it may entail. While not all my clients could afford that level of care, only a few ever questioned my medical advice.

After 43 years in practice as a companion animal veterinarian, I can say the effective methods of client communication have dramatically changed. Easy access to information has allowed clients to a bottomless pit of resource materials—from great to not-so-great—on preventive care. Similarly, if the pet is sick, clients try and diagnose the problem and come up with a treatment plan before they even make the first call to a practice.

Most of us do the same thing when it comes to expert recommendations for human healthcare (remember COVID vaccines?), and you can say this is part of the “new normal” medical professionals like us need to get used to.

Indeed, times have changed. More and more people have become skeptical and do not hesitate to challenge authority.

A different time

When I started practicing, I would deliver a well-prepared speech detailing the necessity of a series of vaccinations and parasite control for puppies, plus nutrition counseling, sterilization recommendations, and some tips on housetraining.

Veteran veterinarians like me remember recommending yearly booster vaccinations for DHLP and FVRCP without parvovirus or feline leukemia vaccines.

We saw many dogs with distemper, even though a vaccine was available. External parasite control for fleas and ticks was chemical warfare, with collars, sprays, dips, powders, and foggers as our primary weapons of mass destruction.

Internal parasite control from 35 years ago was gallon jugs of Panacur dosed out for roundworms and hookworms, Marmaduke’s Filaribits given daily for heartworm, and Cestex for tapeworms.

I could give the “puppy talk” in my sleep. Clients? They just nodded in a show of understanding and agreement. I did not feel the need to connect with clients on a deeper level other than professional-client relationship. Sure, I was friendly, but science always trumped soul. 

Personal touch

Now, my puppy or kitten talk is much different. We no longer recommend yearly boosters for all vaccines, and parasite control has become simple, yet remained safe and effective.

There are now other important things to talk about to new pet parents besides nutrition and housetraining: supplements, dental care, microchip identification, enrichment activities, and helping the pet and pet parent to enjoy Fear Free veterinary visits.

I no longer speak merely as a person of authority, but, instead, I communicate with them as a proud pet parent, too. Here are a few talking points I use in the practice:

1) “How did you come up with your pet’s name?” – There are always smiles and a story of how the name came about, which is a good conversation starter. Doing this pleases the client and helps me remember the pet’s name.

2) “Did you know I have the world’s greatest pet?” – After a pause, I add, “So do all my clients.” After this conversational tactic, I tell the client that I’m going to examine their pet from top to bottom, front to back, and, if necessary, from the inside-out using diagnostic tests. I also tell them I’m working with my nurse (I give his or her name) and we will be communicating what we observe about the patient.

3) “I’m sure you’ve had other discussions about your pet with a breeder, the shelter, family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, or a pet store employee. You’ve almost certainly also gone on the internet and searched for general pet health information or breed-specific recommendations.” – This comment makes clients smile and nod, but I proceed to tell them that, as a professional, it is my job to always fall back to the science and studies that show the risks pets face and base our professional recommendations on the current best information. Then I pivot to what I do for my pets, saying that, while many pet products are labeled “veterinarian recommended,” the recommendations they get straight from their veterinarian and personalized to their pets are more important.

I give my clients a detailed outline of my own pet healthcare protocols. I tell them I follow professional guidelines in giving vaccinations, with some given yearly and others every three years. I explain why the recommendations differ per type of vaccines. I share what brand of food I feed my pet (and whether it is kibble, canned, or fresh) and why I use food puzzles instead of food bowls.

In other nutritional advice, I talk about the importance of giving gut and joint supplements for a healthy immune system and healthy joints. Further, I tell clients my pets have been microchipped for permanent identification and that we do some kind of daily oral care, which can be teeth brushing or dental wipes. I then let the veterinary nurse add any of her personal recommendations. We give the client the exact names of the products we recommend and use personally.

I know most of you schedule extra time for the first puppy or kitten visit. If you are dealing with breeds prone to specific medical conditions, advise the client and share information on prevention and treatment.

Combine your professional recommendation and your personal pet health protocols and you will have clients who trust and respect you, connect with you, recommend you, and even become friends.

TRIVIA TIME

Make vet visits extra fun and informative for your clients with general and insider knowledge about pets. You can use these talking points to start: 1) “Did you know dogs are unique in the way their nostrils function independently and that they can breathe in and out at the same time?” 2) “Did you ever wonder why many dogs have white tips on their tail? This is because back when dogs had more utilitarian roles as hunters, it was easier to see a white tail in tall grass. This genetic trait has been passed down through generations.” 3) “See this foot pad that doesn’t even touch the ground? What could it possibly be for? Well, it functions like a brake pad when a dog needs to come to a screeching halt.” 4) “Your Pomeranian came from a place called Pomerania, an area straddling modern-day Poland and Germany.”

Marty Becker, DVM, writes regularly for Veterinary Practice News. Dr. Becker is a Sandpoint, Idaho, practitioner, and founder of the Fear Free initiative. For more information about Fear Free or to register for certification, go to fearfreepets.com. Columnists’ opinions do not necessarily reflect those of Veterinary Practice News.