So it goes like this:
I was at work and it was the busy part of the afternoon when all the patients that were in for surgery that day were being discharged.
Being rushed off my feet and trying to cater to what seemed like hundreds of people all caring for their pets and wanting what's best for them I barely noticed this lady abusing one of our nurses as I rushed by to go discharge another patient.
She happened to be abusing one of the sweetest and most softest spoken nurses I know. Who knows what it was about? Maybe the lady was distressed over a critically ill pet that required expensive emergency surgery - in that case I can kind of understand (although it's not the nurse's fault, or anyone's for that matter that an animal may require an expensive surgery - it's just how it goes. [The government doesn't subsidise veterinary medicine like it does human medicine - this is a HUGE subject that I can go into later]). In situations where someone's beloved family member is critically ill and it depends on their financial situation to decide on the pets fate, people can become very distressed.
Any way back to the story at hand. As I was popping a little kitty cat into a cage so he could go home, the nurse walks out the back looking frazzled. I ask her if she is ok and she slowly nods her head. Unfortunately being abused by people is part of the job description. :/.
So I check the list of which kitties to discharge and chose the next one to do. It was a little kitten that had been speyed (ovariohysterectomy for those who want to know the full term! :D).
The nurse looked over at who I had chosen.
"Good luck" she said, "that was the lady that was abusing me out there".
What on earth was she abusing our nurse for? Her perfectly healthy cat was in for a routine spey.
So I prepared myself for the imminent abuse that I would undoubtedly receive, picked up the kitty's chart and headed out to the battlefield.
When discharging patients we have to go through a list of discharge instructions with the client, to ensure that the animal will be looked after properly, not pull its sutures out or get an infection or be in any pain or discomfort while they heal.
Ok. So here is our conversation. Any thoughts I have are in between asterisks.
Me: Kitty's owner?
Evil hag: Yes, yes that's me.
Me: Ok let's head over to this corner here where it's nice and quiet and I'll go through the discharge instructions with you.
Evil hag: Ok
Me: Ok so kitty has had an anaesthetic today and with anaesthesia-
Evil hag: Yes, yes I know what an anaesthetic is I've had 12 cats.
*I wasn't going to tell her what anaesthesia was, I was telling her how they feel after anaesthesia*
Me: Ok, well because she has had anaesthesia she will feel a little bit groggy and tired tonight, so you need to keep her separate from other pets so she can heal properly for at least the next 2 days.
Evil hag: I'm not keeping them separate from each other, they won't like that.
Me: Well please try.
Evil hag:They are cats, they will do what they want.
*How hard is it to put a cat in a separate room?*
So I continue on with the instructions.
Me: Make sure that when you get home you offer her a small amount of water. If she doesn't vomit or have any nausea, then after half an hour you can offer her a bigger drink. The same goes with food; offer her a small meal when you get home, if there is no vomiting or nausea after an hour then you can offer her a larger meal.
Evil hag: I'll just give her her whole meal when she gets home.
Me: She may feel quite nauseous due to the after effects of the anaesthesia and be sick if you offer her too much food at once.
Evil hag: (evil glare)
I continue on with my instructions:
Me: Don't be concerned if she does not want to eat tonight.
I then discuss pain management and give her Kitty's pain relief.
Me: Ok so one of the most common complications with recovering from surgery is excessive licking of the wound, so if she starts to lick it too much then she will need a head collar-
Evil hag: Did you put in melting sutures?
Me: (confused look) Melting sutures?
Evil hag: The ones that dissolve
I look at her in a confused state as you very rarely put dissolvable sutures in the skin of an animal unless it is wild (and will kill you if you attempt to take them out later), as dissolvable sutures in the skin are very good at wicking bacteria into the wound.
Me: No they will need to be taken out in 10-14 days.
Evil hag:They'll be out in 3 days then.
Me: No you need to bring her in in 10-14 days.
Evil hag: Why?
Me: Because it takes that long for sufficient scar tissue to develop and be strong enough to not allow the wound to reopen.
Evil hag: No, I meant they will take them out themselves in 3 days.
Me: Yes, so that is why she will require a head collar, to PREVENT her from taking her own stitches out.
Evil hag: That won't stop the other cats from taking them out.
Me: Yes that is why you need to keep them SEPARATE from each other.
Evil hag: (evil glare)
Me: Ok so don't let her run around, jump or frolick for the next 5 days as we don't want her to tear her sutures out.
Evil hag: She's a cat, you can't stop her from running around or jumping.
Me: That is why you need to keep her confined in a SEPARATE room.
Evil hag: You people are weird, you obviously don't know what cats do. You can't confine them, they are cats. You don't know anything about cats.
Me (getting fed up at this point): We deal with cats every day.
*I know what I'm talking about, I have a degree in veterinary medicine, I kinda studied about cats and other animals for 5 YEARS OF MY LIFE and have NOW WORKED WITH THEM FOR FREAKING 40 HOURS A WEEK,48 WEEKS A YEAR. Plus I have also owned/ lived with 12 cats. Because apparently owning 12 cats gives you a degree in veterinary medicine these days. Not slaving away for 36 hours a week in lectures and practicals and over 30 hours a week of studying for the first 4 years and then 60-80 hours of clinical rotations, night shift, no lunch and study on top of that in the final year and passing exams in a 5 year degree that requires a minimum of a A- grade to enter. No, no, you just have to have had 12 cats apparently*
*Also the other clients don't seem to have a problem with these instructions*
So at this point I just gave her the medication and went out the back to fetch Kitty.
I picked her up- she was such a sweet little kitty and said to her:
"Oh Kitty I guess we'll be seeing you back in a few days with an infection. I'm sorry you have such an owner"
I popped her in the cage, walked out briskly into the reception handed the hag her poor cat and left, hoping like crap this kitty doesn't get an infection due to her owner's arrogance, for her sake, but also for ours.
 |
| Poor kitty. That woman did not have the most attractive butt, nor does she deserve for it to be represented nicely. |
The thing that really gets me, is I was providing a service for her, I was helping her out, trying to prevent any pain or suffering for the cat and trying to prevent her from having to spend more money in the future if her cat got an infection. Yet she had to be rude to me, and try and make me sound stupid (in a field that I have studied and work in daily). The stink thing is I have to bite my tongue, I can't tell her what I am actually thinking. I can't tell her that actually she is a stupid cow and by the sounds of things I am way more intelligent than she will ever be (as she has to try and make other people look dumb so that she can feel better about herself).
The thing about these people, is anyone listening in on the conversation can tell what kind of cow this woman is, they don't agree with her, even if she thinks she is so smart.
It's also funny too, because after I had dealt with her I went and talked about her with everyone else and they all started telling me stories of how rude and bitchy she is. So the whole clinic knows she is a cow. What on earth has she gained from acting like that? More people hate her?? Yay??
On a side note: When people get all grumpy and you have done EVERYTHING to help them and been as polite as possible and they are grumpy because you under-quoted them by 2 dollars or their pet wasn't seen sooner because an animal in a critical state came rushing through the doors, or you told them you can't see their vicious dog without a muzzle on and they say something like "I'm NEVER coming to this clinic again!!!" it's hilarious.
Am I supposed to be mortally offended and upset that you don't want to come here again? What was the point of saying that? If you are in such a state of mind that you feel you must say that, then we are pretty damn happy that you are never coming back again, we don't want you. We don't want our staff being abused again. So you telling us you are never coming back again, doesn't upset us in the slightest. We are actually freaking exhilarated that you are never coming back again.
Also we are able to fire clients. So any people who are rude to us, we can refuse to see them, unless their animal is in an immense amount of pain and needs immediate attention.
So just because you pay money for a service it does not make you immune to people not giving you that service in future.
You can tell this lady really made me angry.
See, there was no reason for her rudeness, and look how it's affected me and others.
Rant over.
Ps. Do I have to credit where I got the "seriously guy" from, or is he just that well known? I think it was from Knowyourmeme.com.
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