Any science nerd worth his or her salt is a Gary Larson fan. The guy is a genius. I can’t possibly pick a favorite one of his cartoons (though the bummer of a birthmark is up there), but anyone with a dog will remember the famous “Blah Blah Ginger” cartoon:
We all know this experience is not limited to conversations with dogs.
With kids, with co-workers, and especially with clients, I have to watch their eyes while I’m talking to see if they are glossing over and getting that “uh huh” blank stare. When I was first starting out, I spent a ton of time with each client explaining what I thought was going on, the differentials, and the pathogenesis of disease, as well as my plan for getting to the bottom of things.
I still do this, with clients who want it. Some do not. While I blah blah on, they are tuned out waiting for me to hurry up and just give them the estimate for treatment, which they will either approve or decline.
The key to success in these cases, to making sure the owner agrees to the course of action that the pet needs in order to get better, is to figure out what their “Ginger” is. If you can get their attention with the key phrase they find important, it makes life much easier. It usually boils down to two main things.
Case 1:
If you don’t treat it now, it will turn into a much more expensive problem.
Case 2:
If you don’t treat it now, YOUR PET COULD DIE
Obviously, approach number 2 must be used judiciously. If you said this about a pet with, say, a cherry eye, you’d probably get a lot of complaints. But in situations where it’s true- and there are plenty of those as well- sometimes you really need to emphasize the important stuff.
I’ve noticed that referring to what could happen when you don’t train a good “come when called” can perk up a drowsy class, but yeah, you can’t go to that well too often.
Best dog/cat Far Side? http://bit.ly/93haW4
But I’ll never forget: http://bit.ly/bUeNZE
One of my favorites, and I can’t FIND it anywhere, is the one where a cow shows up in a full leather outfit, and the mom tells her friends he’s being provocative or something to that extent.
P.S. I am still working on the come when called.
I totally remembered the birthmark one!
When I went to the vet about a month ago, I noticed that there were options on the intake form about which communication method I preferred. They ranged from “just give me the price” to “give me the complete scientific explanation.” I thought that was interesting!
That is brilliant! I love that.
First I have to say that I have a coffee cup with that cartoon on it! Classic! And I’m more of a “give me everything” pet owner. Don’t just say the bloodwork was fine – tell me the numbers and where they fall within the range.
I am too, which is why I assumed everyone else would be too- until I learned better. lol.
I’m with Tonya — I’m a “tell me everything” (and sometimes give me copies) kind of person.
Cartoon-wise, if you like Far Side you might also like Rubes. Here’s a link to a gallery: http://www.rubescartoons.com/cartoon-gallery.html. The secret behind whipped cream one is awesome. She also had one (can’t find it) with a very embarrassed female cow — caption was “Hey everybody! Bessie milked in her pants again!” The first time I saw that it was on a card and I laughed so hard I was doubled over and crying right in the middle of the store.
I definitely see the crossover appeal! Plus Fairy Tale references for the win.
This is actually really funny because I just took Pru to the vets today for a heart worm test and I always intently listen to what her vet says and ask various questions. I guess it makes sense that the majority of us Pawcurious readers say the same. I don’t think we’d be reading this blog otherwise 😀
If I could build a whole clientele of readers, I would be set. 😀
I am with Ashley .. 🙂
I’m also with Ashley – I try and ask alot of questions and find out what the best treatment would be even if its more expensive. I’m more in the ‘blah blah blah’ camp when my car is at the mechanic.
Mechanic? Heck yes, me too. huh? Radi-what?
The name of one of my dogs was actually inspired by this Far Side cartoon:
His name is Zanthar Octavius, destroyer of carpets
I can’t understand why owners can’t be more interested (involved?) in their dogs’ health. I want to know every little thing, blood count, what that bone is and why it’s sticking that way, is it possible that my idiot could have eaten something bad, ect, ect, ect. These are my kids, not my toys, for pete’s sake!