Overview
You are more likely get back on a horse if your dismount is smooth rather than if you are bucked off. The trauma of a difficult dismount may hinder your desire to return to the saddle; pet ownership is similar.
When clients have a peaceful end-of-life experience with their pet, they will heal more quickly, return to pet ownership more quickly, and more readily be back in your clinic. The clients that feel that the loss of their pet is “so traumatic, there's just no way I'll ever get another dog” are usually the ones that we want to have adopt another animal! Those are the clients that truly care for their pets, providing good medical care and giving animals safe and loving homes.This end-of-life experience applies to more than the actual euthanasia process. The experience begins much sooner, when a chronic or terminal condition arises, even if that condition is simply “old age.” The presence of an undesirable situation leaves the client feeling cornered. Emotions are heightened. There is more sensitivity to a veterinarian's communication. Each may contribute to the client's difficulty in making a decision on a treatment plan. Therefore, how veterinarians respond and adjust their communication in this tense situation will impact whether treatment plans are accepted, productive, and helpful to the pet and client.
In this chapter, we will first explore the mentality of clients by understanding the emotional impact of chronic disease. We will explore how to establish relationships with clients, how they respond to stress, how to best approach clients, and finally how to adjust your verbal and nonverbal communication to reach maximal effect and avoid conflict.