Six questions pet owners should ask their vets

SINGAPORE – ​At the end of almost every consultation, I ask pet owners the same question: “Do you have any questions for me?”

Almost always, the answer is no.

Then I stand up, the owner gets ready to leave and suddenly the question comes up that he or she probably wanted to ask all along.

“Doctor, is she going to be okay?”​

I have heard this countless times over the past 15 years. And I understand why.

A vet visit can be overwhelming, especially when your pet is unwell. Within 30 minutes, you might hear about blood results, X-rays, unfamiliar medical terms, several possible diagnoses and a treatment plan, while half of your attention is still on the frightened dog or cat sitting beside you.

So, here are six questions I genuinely wish more pet owners would ask us.

1. What do you think is going on and what else could it be?

Medicine is rarely as straightforward as we would like it to be. Sometimes, we know exactly what is wrong. Often, we have several possibilities.

Veterinarians call these “differential diagnoses”, but what it means is a list of conditions that could explain what we are seeing.

Ask what they think is most likely, what else they are considering and what would help them tell the difference.

It gives you a much better understanding of how we are approaching your pet’s problem and why we may not have a definite answer yet.

2. What will this test actually tell us?

This is an excellent question. If I recommend a blood test, X-ray, ultrasound, CT scan or any other investigation, you should understand why.

What are we looking for? What could the test rule in or rule out? Most importantly, will the result change what we do next?

You do not need to understand every number in a laboratory report. But you should understand what the investigation is for and why your vet is recommending it.

You do not need to understand every number in a laboratory report. But you should understand what the investigation is for and why your vet is recommending it.

3. Does everything need to be done today?

Sometimes, yes. Sometimes, no. When several investigations or treatments are recommended, ask your vet to help you prioritise them. What is urgent? What would be ideal? What can reasonably wait?

This is also where I encourage owners to be upfront about their finances.

Please do not be embarrassed to tell us that cost matters. Veterinary care can become expensive, especially when hospitalisation, surgery or advanced diagnostics are involved.

I would much rather an owner tell me, “This is what I can manage, what can we do?”, than silently agree to a plan that puts him or her under significant financial strain.

Knowing your constraints allows us to have an honest conversation about what we should prioritise.

4. What are my options?

There is not always one “correct” treatment. Sometimes, there is a gold-standard option, but there may also be reasonable alternatives. These can differ in cost, risk, invasiveness, recovery time and expected outcome.

You can even ask: “If this were your pet, what would you consider?”

I get asked this frequently and it is not an unreasonable question. Your vet should not decide for you, but we can advise how we would weigh the pros and cons.

The most sophisticated treatment is not automatically the best treatment for every pet or family.

5. What should I be watching for at home?

Before you leave, make sure you know what happens next at home.

How soon should your pet improve? What is normal during recovery? What would worry your vet?

One of the most useful questions is: “What would make you want me to bring my pet back immediately?”

Write the answer down if you need to. When it is 11pm and your pet suddenly seems different, you will be glad you did.

6. Can you explain that again?

This may be the most important question on this list.

Veterinarians spend years learning medical terminology, and sometimes we forget that the words we use every day are not everyday words for everyone else.

If you do not understand something, tell us. If we go too quickly, ask us to slow down. If the explanation does not make sense, ask us to explain it another way.

And if you have forgotten half of what we said by the time you reach the clinic door, that is more common than you might think.

A good veterinary consultation should never feel like information being delivered in one direction.

You know your pet better than we do. We bring medical knowledge and experience. The best decisions happen when those two things come together.

So, the next time your veterinarian asks, “Do you have any questions?”, please don’t be afraid to say yes.

We really do mean it.