Saturday, January 29, 2011

Thank you, Walt Disney et al

Have you ever stopped to think about all of the different venues that somehow contribute to our profession? Over the past few years, I have made a concerted effort to avoid the phrase "the back room" or any variation thereof.

Why?? Well, think about all the lovely movies that refer to taking the animal star to the "back room" where untold horrors will occur. Homeward Bound, Lady & the Tramp, Beethoven, just to name a few.

Yes, I love these movies and am an avid Disney fan but they do contribute to some of the negative emotions clients feel about veterinary medicine. Many times before I thought about this I would refer to taking a beloved pet "to the back," meaning of course the very plain, safe treatment area to protect both the pet and the owner while a benign procedure was performed, only to be greeted with a horrified look and extreme reluctance to relinquish said pet into my hands. It took me a little bit to connect the dots but since that time I've always imagined what horrifying images must be going through the poor owner's mind...

And so I say "Thank you" to the movie industry as a whole for adding more work for us.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I agree we should be careful about the circumstances under which we take a pet "to the back". Sometimes I will explain, "I need to take him to our treatment area where I have more assistance, or better lighting, or he may do better away from his owner, etc." For most patients, though, my tech and I can do what we need to in the exam room with the owner (eg draw blood, trim nails, etc.)