Secretary at the Vet office made a weird comment

I had a weird experience with the secretary at my vets office. My mom was being talkative as she always is. lol And telling the lady how much she loves our cats, and how friendly they are. That she had no idea how loving a cat can be.

The secretary was friendly but she had this look on her face like we had no idea what we were talking about. She said that if animals could speak they would say terrible things about their owners and say how much they hate us. She then started talking about a client that had a dog, the dog attacked the owner. She says the owner swore the dog was the kindest dog and has no idea why he did that.

She says animals just snap one day sometimes, even if we are loving. 

I started telling her its our responsibility as pet parents to treat them with respect, and realize that they are animals after all. I dont think animals just snap, something must be happening to them for it to happen. 

I dont know the experience just left me with a weird feeling. if she feels that way towards animals why is she working at a vet office??

I think you should report that conversation to your vet or to the hospital manager, or both.  It's inappropriate to share those feelings with clients -- you are the perfect example, it makes you feel weird.  This woman needs some coaching so she can make the clients of the hospital  comfortable.

She or somebody at the office probably got bitten recently. Pets freak out at the vet's office more often than you'd think, and some vets often have to treat ferals or strays that are very difficult to deal with.

I, too, think she should be talked to by the vet. If she really is that uncomfortable around animals who will 'snap' at any time I'm sure these feelings are conveyed to the animal and will make them feel even more scared and stressed. Just like a horse 'knows' when a rider is inexperienced. I know my oldster Burt is the most laid back, calm, and nonvocal boy in my bunch, but at the vets he is a hissing, vocal, wild eyed demon.  Vet employees should take caution with every animal that comes in and should be confident enough to know how to handle a stressed out scared pet, if not they should find another job.  I love all animals, but definitely have enough respect for EVERY animal I don't know to be alert to every signal they are giving me, if you have been around animals enough you should know what to look for. She may have just got bit or scratched and a little stressed and wary, but that should be treated as a learning experience, not a topic of conversation with worried pet owners. 

hi i am new here and i need help understanding this topic

terestrife said:

 
I dont know the experience just left me with a weird feeling. if she feels that way towards animals why is she working at a vet office??

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Unfortunately, this happens more often than not, that there are people who just take a job anywhere, whether they like it or not.  I would start by asking the vet about this.  How you go about it is entirely up to you.  But I'd ask if the employment process is more rigorous than just asking "do you like animals?" and "do you fire those who are found to mistreat patients?  Then I'd tell the vet what the secretary said.  And ask if she ever has anything to do with the patients.  

I've left certain offices because of the attitudes displayed by the ancillary staff, which also makes me think the vet either doesn't have a say in the employment process or they are just too busy to screen properly and need the help.  Any help at all.  Even bad help.  

That does sound like inappropriate talk for someone who is the front face at a vet's office. I would probably say something to the vet (perhaps in a polite email).

I think I know what she's talking about, but I think it's seen very different by animal lovers and non animal lovers. My cats are wonderful, sweet, loving, happy, all the great stuff. But for example my Pythagoras ran into the hallway of my building and was frolicking on the stairs, but then he decided to scratch at the neighbors' door one floor up. I think he probably was confused and thought it was our door. It was cold, and I was not well-dressed, so I needed to just bring him back in. He panicked and seemed to think I was taking him out instead of in and freaked out for about 5 seconds until he saw the correct open door, then calmed down and went in. In the process he gave me a pretty bad scratch with his back paw on my chest. He's never tried to scratch to hurt me or anyone, and he was trying to run then, not hurt, but I think a person who didn't love cats might see that as "snapping one day". I have a friend with large dogs who had a completely accidental incident that actually resulted in serious injury to my friend. I'm very much not a dog person, but my understanding is that this might well have been prevented by better *training* of the dogs, but I don't doubt his reports of their sweet and affectionate *personalities*. Again though, I see a non-animal-lover saying "he thought his dogs loved him, but then they just snapped!"

But even if she feels that way, it's at the very least inappropriate customer service when your primary customers are animal lovers. If I was in an emotionally vulnerable place, like one of my cats being ill or injured, hearing that right at that moment could be seriously upsetting.

It is unethical to share information about someone else's pet. Even if names were not used talking about another client is wrong. Unless you feel the clinic reflects her opinion there is just a bad seed sitting at the front desk who lacks professional courtesy.

One thing worth mentioning.  If that vet has a history of bites from animals, maybe it is more an indicator that the staff don't know how to handle them, not necessarily a bad reflection on the pets themselves.  As I mentioned once before, my kitty Nat is a lover, not a fighter.  But one mobile vet came and treated him too roughly.  You could tell by her manner that this vet was more used to dealing with dogs.  Well, Nat bit her!  I know my own kitty way better than any vet ever could and I know he would not bite someone unless he was very scared.  She called him a brat.  She never got to come back.  Since then there have been 2 mobile vets that have come and drawn blood for his phenobarb level.  He never bit either one of them!  

I'm kind of glad this secretary shared this information just because it is very telling about this vet office, imo.  

Nothing makes a vet visit more stressful than a vet tech that doesn't like cats. It's like the drew the short straw that morning. The one that started WW3 with Kitten by scruffing her in the middle of the back was the reason we ended up at the Vet From Hell. The vet at the other clinic was very good but this wasn't my first run in with her staff and their attitude about cats. Someone started a thread a while back about how do you feel when the vet takes your pet in the back.

I feel uncomfortable. In the case of the clinic with the inept tech I wouldn't permit it.

I had this discussion with our new wonderful vet at the VCA. Her opinion was scruffing wasn't good for either the cat or the people handling them. Their skilled techniques got Mook who has a t shirt that says Stranger Danger though an exam that included both ends , a blood draw and a urine sample without a hiss or raised paw.

So if you're greeted at the door with unprofessional behavior your antenna should be perked up to see if that is the culture of the practice. Which is established by the vet or just a rouge employee that will probably get sorted out all on their own.

I'd mention it to the vet.  I'd mention anything concerning your pet's health, up to and including issues with staff, to your vet.  Their reaction to it will tell you whole volumes about whether or not you might want to consider changing vets.

Kittenlover0326 said:

 
hi i am new here and i need help understanding this topic

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hi and welcome! 

have you read through the rest of the replies? if so, was that helpful for you?

if not, we can try to explain it for you.

I'm wondering if the vet shares her opinion of animals?  I would definitely say something to my vet if someone in the office made those comments. I can't imagine it happening though because my vet is such an awesome person and very loving and compassionate, and never gives up on a cat until there is absolutely nothing else that can be done. 

That is so weird. It's like she doesn't like animals or something. Kinda in the wrong line of business if that's the case.

Misty8723 said:

 
I'm wondering if the vet shares her opinion of animals?  I would definitely say something to my vet if someone in the office made those comments. I can't imagine it happening though because my vet is such an awesome person and very loving and compassionate, and never gives up on a cat until there is absolutely nothing else that can be done. 

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What's her number?

Misty8723 said:

 
I'm wondering if the vet shares her opinion of animals?  I would definitely say something to my vet if someone in the office made those comments. I can't imagine it happening though because my vet is such an awesome person and very loving and compassionate, and never gives up on a cat until there is absolutely nothing else that can be done. 

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Mine too. Some of the experiences I read about here on the site makes me so happy to have such a great vet!  All the staff are just as great! Angel had a wonderful tech that always worked with him. She is the one who taught me how to give fluids, & how to feed him through the e-tube he had his last week.  She also made a point to come out front on that last day, & give me the biggest tightest hug!  When I am ready for another one, I will be back there.  ...I do miss them.  It was also a blessing to have a cat only hospital in town! 

Thanks everyone for the wonderful replies.

i wanted to add some information to the topic. the vet i went to, was the original vet that i took my cat to. its also the vet i took elsa too. mostly because the first visit is free and then you just pay for the shots, etc. i had a find experience with kitty, but with Elsa, when he gave her some shots, on the 2nd one she made a sound of pain and there was a bit of blood. i decided to not take cats there anymore. but since its close to my home, i decided the other day to go there to pick up some revolution flea medicine. thats when i had the experience with the secretary.

i do have another vet that i go to when my cats are ill. the first time i took kitty, she had to be bundled up to get shots, and given a sedative, because we had to check for a UTI and she was very frightened. the next time i took, oddly enough, she was a lot calmer. the vet and the assistant were able to calm her down with their voices. 

i might just get my flea medicine from my current vet when i next take them for a checkup.

i dont know if i should still pursue doing something with the first vets office? i wont be taking any new cats there. id rather save up for the visit cost and take them to my current vet.

sorry for the late reply, i didnt get an email notification about the responses. thank you everyone!