Overheard at the live pet owner panel
Fetch dvm360 conference lets pet owners off the leash to discuss what they think about going to the veterinarian and the services practices offer.
Kids and clients say the darnedest things. At Fetch dvm360 conference in San Diego, Brian Conrad, CVPM, hosted his third live panel featuring local pet owners answering questions about their experiences with veterinarians while conference attendees listened in from the next room.
This means that the panel can't hear the groans and laughs they're eliciting from the things they say. And, oh, the things they say! Here's a selection of the opinions expressed from the pet owners:
Why one pet owner doesn't like to take her cat to the veterinary hospital regularly:
“She's overweight, and so when I go, they tell me she needs to lose weight. But I really like her overweight, so I don't want to hear it constantly. She's healthy, from what I can tell.”
Why a visit for heartworm preventives doesn't seem worth it:
“The only scenario I've been told is, ‘Oh, what if a bat flies in your chimney?' and that seems really unlikely. So to stress my cat out just doesn't seem worth it.”
What pet owners think of AAHA:
Moderator: “Has anyone heard of AAHA?”
Panelist: “Like the band?”
*cue A-ha's “Take On Me”*
Why pet owners might pay more for an injectable over an at-home pill:
“My cat is like a cough-up-the-pill wizard.”
At the end of the panel, panelists made it clear, again, to moderator Brian Conrad that they'd all like more transparency in why veterinary practices charge what they do-especially if one practice charges more than other nearby places. These pet owners wanted to be fully educated consumers.
