Crazy Client Questions
Dec. 5th, 2006 06:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
draggonlaady1: On Friday, I saw a 4 week old pomeranian puppy with a severely swollen head. X-rays revealed a possible fracture in the left eye socket, and a wide-open fontanelle (the "soft spot" that's supposed to close by birth or within a week after). I carefully explained to the people that hydrocephalus was a major concern given the pup's age and presentation, and the cause and possible treatments of hydrocephalus (referral, intensive imaging, shunting...expensive!). Started the pup on steroids to try to reduce swelling. On Saturday, the daughter of the people who brought the pup in calls, and I explain the whole thing again. Today, the daughter calls back and says the pup's head is more swollen, and he smells funny/foul now, he's not nursing well, won't stop crying and he's vomited up worms.
So what's her question, you say? "Can you give me the information on referral?" no. "Should we put him down, since he's getting worse and I don't want him to suffer? no. "Are the worms causing this?" YES! that was her question. Despite being specifically told that hydrocephalus is caused by improper growth and development which obstructs drainage of fluid from around the brain, THREE TIMES she asked if the worms were causing it. (She also, in a stunning display of not listening, thought that when I told her I had given the puppy an injectable steroid to try to take some of the swelling down, that I had vaccinated it. Apparently the only possible interpretation of "injection" or "shot" is "vaccine".)
2: I answered the phone today. I shouldn't do that. It's a woman who wants to bring a dog in because it's been coughing for about 2 months now. And do I think it's worms? NO! I can think of several causes for coughing in an elderly dog, but worms is NOT high on the list.
So someone please explain to me how it is that SO MANY people think that relatively innocuous intestinal stow-aways cause SO MANY things? Seriously--I have been asked now if I thought the problem was worms in cases of: limping; sudden severe weight loss in 17yr-old (or older) animals; eye trauma; fevers; severe, watery, foul-smelling diarrhea in unvaccinated puppies (Hell, I wish I had a buck for every time I get asked THAT! I could retire already); upper respiratory infections; urinary tract infections; skin infections; ear infections; abscesses; and now hydrocephalus and (probably) heart failure.
So what's her question, you say? "Can you give me the information on referral?" no. "Should we put him down, since he's getting worse and I don't want him to suffer? no. "Are the worms causing this?" YES! that was her question. Despite being specifically told that hydrocephalus is caused by improper growth and development which obstructs drainage of fluid from around the brain, THREE TIMES she asked if the worms were causing it. (She also, in a stunning display of not listening, thought that when I told her I had given the puppy an injectable steroid to try to take some of the swelling down, that I had vaccinated it. Apparently the only possible interpretation of "injection" or "shot" is "vaccine".)
2: I answered the phone today. I shouldn't do that. It's a woman who wants to bring a dog in because it's been coughing for about 2 months now. And do I think it's worms? NO! I can think of several causes for coughing in an elderly dog, but worms is NOT high on the list.
So someone please explain to me how it is that SO MANY people think that relatively innocuous intestinal stow-aways cause SO MANY things? Seriously--I have been asked now if I thought the problem was worms in cases of: limping; sudden severe weight loss in 17yr-old (or older) animals; eye trauma; fevers; severe, watery, foul-smelling diarrhea in unvaccinated puppies (Hell, I wish I had a buck for every time I get asked THAT! I could retire already); upper respiratory infections; urinary tract infections; skin infections; ear infections; abscesses; and now hydrocephalus and (probably) heart failure.
