The practice of veterinary medicine has many challenges, but one of the biggest ones is communicating with clients. Whenever you work with the public you meet lots of different people with lots of different points of view. As veterinarians we frequently see people when they are stressed and worried about a sick pet, and that sometimes makes communication difficult. Frequently, we think we have been clear, and clients say they understand, but they really don’t always.

A prime example was Mrs. White. Mrs. White had several cats, who were very spoiled house kitties. For the most part, they were very healthy, but one, a big orange neutered male, Spot, was very prone to urinary tract infections (UTI). Several times a year, Mrs. White would have to pack him up in his cat carrier and bring him in to see me for a urinalysis. Mrs. White loved her kitties, and she wanted them to be comfortable at all times, so whenever she put Spot in the carrier she also put a towel in for him to lie on and to have something that “smelled like her”.

Spot, like many cats, truly disliked his carrier and disliked car rides even more. Whenever Mrs. White put him in the car, he would cry pitifully during the whole ride. The other thing he would invariably do was pee in the carrier. So by the time they arrived at my office, Spot always had an empty bladder, making it impossible for me to get a urine sample from him. A urine sample is crucial to diagnosing a UTI, so I would have to admit Spot to the hospital for the day and give him some subcutaneous fluids to help him make urine.

Spot having to stay in the hospital, even for a few hours, was always very upsetting to Mrs. White, so after this had happened a few times, I recommended to her that she not put the towel in the cat carrier the next time Spot had a UTI. I hoped that without the absorbent towel, Spot might not pee in the carrier at all, but if he did, as long as the carrier was pretty clean, I could probably collect the urine from the carrier for the urinalysis.

As expected, a few months later, Mrs. White called to schedule an appointment for Spot for a UTI. I had my receptionist remind her, not to put the towel in carrier and she promised she wouldn’t. The next morning, bright and early, Mrs. White and Spot were in my office for their appointment. Mrs. White proudly announced to me that she had not put the towel in the cat carrier. My technician took them into the exam room, and a few minutes later she came up to my office giggling. Then she told me why. Instead of putting the towel in Spot’s carrier, Mrs. White had packed in with several pairs of her panties!!! When asked why, she had told my tech that he just had to have something with her scent since he got so upset in the carrier. My tech didn’t have the courage to ask Mrs. White if the panties were clean or dirty, and neither did I!!! And yes, of course, Spot had peed the carrier and had to be admitted to the hospital. Again.