Veterinary medicine involves lots of sloppy warm kisses and friendly tail wags on a daily basis. And overall, it’s a very rewarding profession. But not every day is all puppies, kittens, healthy pets and treatable diseases. As a veterinarian, I often see frustrating, sad and even gross things. Recently I posted a blog discussing surprising things your veterinarian loves. Here is my list of the top six least favorite appointments or procedures we see:
1. Neglect
The top of my least-favorite list is any appointment or disease that stems from neglect or was preventable. Unfortunately this happens! It’s often hard for animal lovers and pet insurance enthusiasts to imagine that someone wouldn’t treat their pet like one of the family. But it does happen. Often the neglect isn’t malicious or intentional, but stems from lack of knowledge. For example, injuries sustained after leaping out of the back of trucks, which could have been prevented by tethering or securing the dog correctly (or not putting the pet in the back of a vehicle at all.) Other diseases of neglect could include sunburn from being outside too long, skin issues stemming from poor grooming habits or excessively long toe nails. Even periodontal disease that has been left too long can cause the pet pain and discomfort.
