The Dangers of Waiting Too Long

Everyone does it.  You want to try things at home, try to solve the problem by yourself, maybe try to save a little cash; but sometimes the problem is just too big for home remedies, and a professional needs to be involved.  This is true in every aspect of our lives, from doing taxes, to fixing the plumbing, to your pets’ health.

Recently, I have seen a rash of these particular cases.  The potentially easily treatable cases that have now become medical nightmares.  These are some of the most feared cases to grace the veterinary appointment book.  We know you meant well, and that you were not trying to do any harm to your pet, but often some of these problems can get out of hand really quickly.

The skin case.  Regardless of the cause, skin cases can go from bad to worse over a small period of time.  Maybe you noticed a couple of spots of hair loss, or some mild itching originally.  First you invested in a lot of the over-the-counter products to see if you could manage the problem yourself.  Then those over-the-counter products helped just a little, just enough to give you the confidence that you had the problem well in hand, and then in the blink of an eye, a month has past, and your dog is covered in sores, or is bald.  Clients that may not have experienced this might laugh at this dramatic tale, but it really is something we, as veterinarians, will often face.  Unfortunately, by that point, the client is frustrated, and wants quick results, and the treatment and recovery time is so much more extensive.  Skin may seem like such a minor thing, but skin diseases can tailspin very quickly in our busy lives.

The urinating outside the box cat.  At first it doesn’t bother you.  Sometimes your cat pees outside the box, you use the cleaner, and you move on with your life.  But time and again, this problem becomes progressively worse, and you are really starting to resent the air that your cat is breathing.  You finally bring the cat to the veterinary office, dripping with scorn, with a sarcastic ultimatum of fix him or else.  Of course, we all love our pets, so we never get to that point, but you know where this is heading.  We promise, cats are never urinating outside the box out of spite.  Even if the veterinarian does not find a medical cause for this cat behavior, there are many other reasons for this concern, and we want you and your cat to live amicably together.  Its important in these cases not to let the frustration build to a terrifying level before you seek veterinary care for these cats.

The Fleas.  We know, everyone knows about fleas, everyone knows what to do about them, and Veterinarians only sell those expensive products to make extra cash.  Well, we promise you, the reason we sell those “expensive products” is because we trust they’ll work.  We don’t want fleas on your pet or in your home any more than you do.  You are wasting your money on those flea shampoos and flea dips, and house bombs, and over the counter topicals.  You will spend way less on veterinary products, and experience way less frustration, in the end.