A rant about an event that happened in the vet's office

[Vmax]

I took Max and Gus for their annual check up. All was well with the birbs, but the vet tech asked me to wait about ten minutes for the fecal test results to show. I didn't think that was a big deal.

This veterinary office has a nice set up. They require all small animals (including cats) to be caged...no biggie for me. All dogs have to be adequately leashed. The dogs have a different entrance and waiting room than cats and other small critters. It's quiet in their bird/cat/other waiting room, so I'm chatting quietly with the fids. Next thing I know, a woman enters the small animal entrance with a bird dog. She's noisy and well-healed. The receptionist is trying to get "Mrs. Smith" (I don't recall her name, but her face and her dog's face are seared in my memory) to bring her dog around to the dog waiting area and before she takes her dog to the dog waiting area, she spots my fids in their travel cages, kneels down in front of their cages and trains her bird dog on my FRICKING BIRDS!!! She thinks it's cute and her dog "hasn't had a good hunting trip in so long".

I'm sure my face was just stunned, as the vet tech rushed around the corner and escorted Mrs. Smith and her dog to the appropriate waiting area. This all happened rather quickly and I remained quiet. I confess, I was in shock. In the end, all was fine, but I was concerned about my birbs.

My travel cages aren't really sturdy enough to resist the interest of a full grown bird dog. I have decided to sew some little quilted cage covers instead of putting them at risk because of someone's insensitivity. Also, for the sake of my blood pressure and the fact that my first language is swear, I'd rather minimize the possibility of anything like that happening again...

Just grousing to peeps that might understand. Any thoughts or similar experiences? I'd love to hear them and how you may have (or wished you may have) handled them.

 

[Zara]

How frustrating (to put it kindly). I do not know what a bird dog is, I´m assuming a type of hunting dog. I have never had an experience like that or I´d have an assault charge on record as a memory of it.

my first language is swear,

I must say you did well to not let this dozy woman Have it!

Sounds like the receptionist noticed what was going on and did their best to intervene, so that is a positive note.

PS, Hope all went well with the tests

 

[Hjarta5]

Wow, I cant believe that woman!!! Im glad your vet staff was cognizant of what was happening and responded quickly.

 

[Leih]

That is SO RUDE! I hate situations like this where you're so shocked at what is transpiring, that it isn't until later you think of all the things you wish you'd said. I have terrible "stink eye", however, combined with social anxiety, so I'm positive I'd have been looking at her like she had three heads aside from whatever nonsense was coming out of her mouth. I have this image of her being one of those people who roll in like they're the only person in the place...

 

[simon777]

I would have given her my 'look'. I've been told I can look like I'm going to kill someone.

 

[JoJo&Loki]

[QUOTE="I have this image of her being one of those people who roll in like they're the only person in the place...[/QUOTE]

So do I! That’s so disgusting that someone would actually do that. I’m sorry for what you and your birds went through today. It’s completely understandable that you were in shock and couldn’t even tell her way to go.

 

[Yoshi&Raphi]

That makes me so mad! Their obviously pet birds.

 

[Shezbug]

Omg.
I’m glad your birds are ok.

I wouldn’t have kept quiet......my vet office knows me very well and is well aware of my feelings about other people’s animals pestering me at the vet clinic because I’ve had words with other pet owners there.
They deal with it well now and tell other wackos to keep clear of my dog/pets.

Once with my ferrets some crazy lady wanted her annoying jumping snapping miniature chihuahua thing to have a good introduction to my ferrets as it had never seen ferrets before and she let her dog right up against my ferret carrier I was keeping my dog clear of hers as my dog seemed unhappy about her overly energetic little dog being in our space ....I told her I’d happily put her dog in their cage for a formal meet up then proceeded to show her the missing chunks from my much larger dogs ears, lips and nose and explained that the ferrets did those through cage bars while the dog was stealing ferret food.
She was offended that I thought it was funny that my ferrets would have easily killed her tiny dog (much smaller than any rabbit they could have easily killed) and I offered to introduce them properly. What else was I supposed to do? She was way too ignorant to use polite explanations on as she didn’t want to listen, she wanted everyone to think her dog was cute. She hadn’t even noticed that my ridgeback x pit bull was ready and waiting to be told she was free to hunt and/or protect. Lucky for the silly woman that particular dog of mine was very well trained and didn’t move unless I told her she could but she made it known when she wasn’t happy with strangers being close to our things.
Some people are just stupid and it’s up to the good people like us to be as tolerant as possible. It’s not fair but it’s just the way it is!

 

[Ripshod]

The waiting areas are segregated and I assume the signs will be pretty clear. This woman is obviously an arrogant dunce who once told orally that she shouldn't be in there took exception to the advice and wanted to prove her dog was worth a lot more than all those silly birds.
Unfortunately these people are allowed to live in our civilised world.

​

 

[finchly]

the fact that my first language is swear

Some people are just stupid and it’s up to the good people like us to be as tolerant as possible.

And you can't fix stupid.... and it's really hard sometimes to be good like you, @Shezbug .

I've had similar things happen a lot at the vet. they don't have a specific waiting room, we all just go into one big mess. I also have a maltese, very quiet dog that never bothers anything, many health issues - and they'll let their jump on her, invade her space, etc. and grin at me. While I glare at them.

The strangest is when my bird chirps and they say "There's a BIRD in that carrier???" Hello. It's a vet's office! They do treat things other than your spoiled, ill-mannered dog!

 

[Dulli]

I'm not ok with hurting things but I would be ready to defend my birds from any threat animal or human. Thankfully you didn't have to.

 

[Hawk12237]

How frustrating (to put it kindly). I do not know what a bird dog is, I´m assuming a type of hunting dog. I have never had an experience like that or I´d have an assault charge on record as a memory of it.


I must say you did well to not let this dozy woman Have it!

Sounds like the receptionist noticed what was going on and did their best to intervene, so that is a positive note.

PS, Hope all went well with the tests

What is a bird dog? The hunting group of dogs on the list of hunting dogs. A good hunting dog will kill a bird faster than you can blink your eye.
My brothers are pheasant hunters and duck hunters ( not me) they have pointers, German short hairs and English pointers, and large spainels. These dogs will kill a bird in a heart beat. And they're strong dogs.

 

[Hawk12237]

And you can't fix stupid.... and it's really hard sometimes to be good like you, @Shezbug .

I've had similar things happen a lot at the vet. they don't have a specific waiting room, we all just go into one big mess. I also have a maltese, very quiet dog that never bothers anything, many health issues - and they'll let their jump on her, invade her space, etc. and grin at me. While I glare at them.

The strangest is when my bird chirps and they say "There's a BIRD in that carrier???" Hello. It's a vet's office! They do treat things other than your spoiled, ill-mannered dog!

Hey Tanya, some vets have just one waiting room, but they separate days for certain animals.
Dogs and cats one day, birds and others the next.
that's fine unless you have an emergency and show up there on dog and cat day that adds even more stress to an already stressful situation.

 

[BeanieofJustice]

That’s terrifying. I’m so sorry that happened, good that the vet staff was so aware of what was going on and stepped in. I would’ve done the same thing you did, it’s unbelievable what some people can be like.

It’s a great idea to put something around it so that your birds have some protection from any external events, animals and people.

 

[finchly]

Hey Tanya, some vets have just one waiting room, but they separate days for certain animals.
Dogs and cats one day, birds and others the next.
that's fine unless you have an emergency and show up there on dog and cat day that adds even more stress to an already stressful situation.

that'd be nice! This one has vets for dogs/cats and vets for birds, so there are no special days that I know of. They are diligent and try to get us into a room quickly. They board dogs so there is always a lot of barking. (We have barkers, so my birds just yell "CRICKET!" -- one of the dogs)

I also see a strictly exotic animal vet - That one is much calmer with just one vet and a small staff. And you'd never have a bird dog staring at your bird!

 

[Zara]

I also see a strictly exotic animal vet - That one is much calmer with just one vet and a small staff. And you'd never have a bird dog staring at your bird!

My vet is an exotic vet and he works alone. He has a store and the reception down on the streetlevel and the clinic is upstairs (the doorway is actually out in the street so they are separate entrances) I think he schedule's a gap between people because I have never seen anyone else with an animal waiting whilst being upstairs. Plus I always arrive just 2 mins before the appointment because its a 5 minute walk from my house. I'm just lucky that he is my vet I guess. (he is not my dogs vet, I take Jacob back to where I used to live to see his vet that has always seen him and spoil him rotton with treats)

 

[finchly]

My vet is an exotic vet and he works alone. He has a store and the reception down on the streetlevel and the clinic is upstairs (the doorway is actually out in the street so they are separate entrances) I think he schedule's a gap between people because I have never seen anyone else with an animal waiting whilst being upstairs. Plus I always arrive just 2 mins before the appointment because its a 5 minute walk from my house. I'm just lucky that he is my vet I guess. (he is not my dogs vet, I take Jacob back to where I used to live to see his vet that has always seen him and spoil him rotton with treats)

How nice! He sounds very similar to mine. I also don't see others there.

Only reason I don't make him my full-time vet is this is a vacation area, so in season it takes a very long time to get there.

 

[Lynn L.]

I volunteer for the local humane society helping with training classes. They teach people to decline allowing someone to meet their dog. It's great to practice ahead of time. 'Please keep your X away from my Y - insert your own however crazy reason here-'. You are fully within reasonable rights to tell someone to keep whatever pet or person away from your birds/dogs/cats/kids. Your post is great because it helps the rest of us prepare with what to say for a similar situation. 'Please keep your dog away from my bird since it took the nose clean off of the last dog that got close.'

 

[Leih]

That's a really great idea! My AV is exotics and dogs and cats and the waiting room is huge but not partitioned. It's a clinic with about 12 vets. Last time I was there there was this little boy sitting next to me, about 9, and he was soooo interested in Galahad. He had birds at home. He was sweet but he was so in my business. At least I knew he wasn't going to attack. Well probably not, some kids act like they're feral but he was pretty well behaved. I still wish they had separate areas.

 

[Vmax]

You guys are awesome! I have laughed and replayed the conversation I wish I had had when she oriented her pointer towards Gus and Max! This vet's office is the only exotic in town. Both of them are super nice and super kind to my little fids. I'm grateful to have them, but hadn't been in the office enough to know what was what, if that makes sense. I know it wasn't the animal's fault. They are usually doing what's in their nature. My nature can kind of be anxiety to total meanie when I am in unfamiliar territory. I know birbs aren't human or my babies, but they are...you know... my FIDS!

Yeah, just in case something like that happens again, I'm going to have my polite AND firm response rehearsed enough to let someone know what behavior is crossing a line and is therefore inappropriate.

I have this crazy scenario playing in my head: someone does something beyond the pail in the vets office, I let out a giant "angry bird" with the scream and seriousness of a flying set of bolt cutters: U2, M2, macaw, amazon or the like, but cartoonishly large with a "take-no-prisoners" look. Makes me giggle to myself.:coolparrot: