What are the most serious mistakes pet caregivers make?

1. If they have a multiple pet house hold and notice that there is vomiting, diarrhea , or urinating outside the litter box they do not isolate the cats to discover which at is having the problem.
2. They mistake straining to urinate for straining to defecate.
3. Poor appetite and weight loss is either not recognized or not taken seriously enough.
4. They are afraid of anesthesia so much so that they never have their pets teeth cleaned.
5. They believe that the terms Premium and Natural insure their pet is receiving a healthy diet.
6. They over feed their pets and allow them to become obese.
7. They do not take repetitive vomiting as seriously as they should.
8. They do not allow their veterinary to perform preventive blood and urine screens.
9. Poor appetite and weight loss is either not recognized or not taken seriously enough.
10. They don't follow their veterinarians instructions:
• a. Do not give medication at proper frequency
• b. Do not continue medicating long enough or come remember to come in for a refill
• c. Do not come in for indicated recheck exams
• d. Stop medication when symptoms disappear
• e. They use left over medication to treat a new condition that they think is the same as a past condition
11. They can not give their veterinarian a good history
    
    • a. Wife sends husband or child in with pet without proper information
    • b. Have not isolated sick pet from other pets in house
    • c. Lets sick pet go outside to urinate or defecate without being there to observe
    • d. Doesn’t know which leg pet is lame on.
    • e. Does not bring in past history from previous vet.
    • f. Provides misleading information :
      
      1. embarassed about their neglect and try to cover up
      2. poor observation because they are not home enough, they are too busy, or have multiple pets
      3. misinterpret their observations - i.e. straining equals constipation
      4. forget important info because they have not written it down
      5. Say that the wrong leg is lame because they face the animal and use their right or left rather than the pet’s.

What are the most commonly misinterpreted symptoms ?

1. Bronchial spasm mistaken for retching or vomiting
2. Gagging mistaken for coughing
3. Regurgitation mistaken for vomiting
4. Constipation and straining mistaken for urinary obstruction
5. Weakness is mistaken for lameness.
6. Neurological lameness is mistaken for musculoskeletal lameness a refill.
7. They do not come in for incidcated recheck exams.
8. They stop medication when symptoms disappear.
9. They use left over medication to treat a new condition that they think is the same as a past condition.
10. They can not give their veterinarians a good history ie.
11. Wife sends husband or child in with pet without proper information
12. Have not isolated sick pet from other pets in house
13. Lets sick pet go outside without observing urination and defecation
14. Doesn’t know which leg pet is lame on.
15. Does not bring in past history from previous vet.
16. Provides misleading information due to:
    
    • a. embarassment about the poor care and try to cover up
    • b. poor observation because they are not home enough because they are too busy, or have multiple pets
    • c. misinterpreting their observations - ie straining equals constipation
    • d. forgetting important info because they have not written it down
    • e. identifying that the wrong leg is lame because they face the animal and use their right or left rather than the pets
      
17. They misinterpreted symptoms which results in a misleading history:
    
    • a. Bronchial spasm mistaken for retching, vomiting, or coughing
    • b. Gagging mistaken for coughing
    • c. Regurgitation mistaken for gaging or vomiting
    • d. Urinary obstruction mistaken for straining to defecate (especially with cats)
    • e. Weakness mistaken for lameness
    • f. Neurological lameness mistaken for musculoskeletal lameness