TheBakersfieldCalifornian.com

Whether for a routine visit or in an emergency situation, when you enter a veterinarian's office you expect knowledgeable and professional care for your dog from a highly trained and compassionate doctor and his or her staff.

But the ultimate success of a dog's treatment cannot rest entirely on the experience and skill of the veterinarian.

It also requires good communication and follow-up care by the client.

Due to the demands of crowded schedules, unanticipated emergencies and the stress an owner feels when bringing in a sick or injured dog, it becomes extremely important to maximize your time in the exam room with your veterinarian.

So I decided to ask several veterinarians, "What can a client do to optimize their appointment time with the doctor and help their dog get the best possible care?"

The following suggestions were stressed as the most important.

* Write down a list of questions you want to ask the vet, and bring it with you.

Even some small change in behavior that seems unrelated to the reason for your visit can be important in giving the doctor a complete picture of your dog's health and can help catch minor problems before they turn into larger and more expensive conditions.

This also prevents you from self-irritation on the drive home for forgetting something you meant to ask the doctor. Been there, done that!

* Give accurate descriptions when bringing a dog in for problems like vomiting or diarrhea.

Remember to talk about when the condition started, how long it's been going on, the last time the dog ate, change in eating habits, or if there has been a recent switch from the diet normally fed.

Also, describe the color, consistency or blood if present, and bring a stool sample.

* Compliance.

Follow medication and treatment instructions as given; medication should be given until gone. Do not discontinue giving it because the dog seems to have improved.

If your dog suffers an adverse reaction to the medication or its condition worsens, you should notify the veterinarian's office immediately.

Return for rechecks as instructed, even if your dog's condition appears to have improved.

The doctor wants to physically examine the dog to determine if the treatment is working, and may choose to continue or change medication based on that exam.

* When seeing a new veterinarian:

Bring in all medications the dog is currently taking so they can be noted on the dog's chart. This is very important as some medications can react badly when combined with others.

Advise of any drug or food allergies.

Advise of any conditions or illnesses the dog has been treated for and any previous surgeries.

* Be honest about your financial situation.

Veterinarians understand that many people are on fixed incomes with a limited amount to spend on their pets. How much an owner can afford to spend is not a judgment of how much they love their dogs.

The veterinarians I spoke to said owners need to know that it's OK to ask for an estimate, and that giving the doctors financial guidelines saves unnecessary embarrassment and allows them to treat the dog within the owner's budget.

By following these simple protocols, you can be sure that you are doing everything possible to assist your veterinarian in providing your dog with the best possible care.

A big thank you to the doctors and staff at Coffee Road Animal Hospital for their gracious help and answering all my questions for this article.

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From the State Humane Association of California comes good news for anyone who has been angered by the thoughtless behavior of dog owners who lock their pets in cars and leave them to suffer or die from overheating.

Thanks to the efforts of Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, D-La Canada Flintridge, and the Department of Motor Vehicles, California will become the first state to include language regarding animal safety and a warning about the dangers of leaving pets in cars in its driver's manual.

The changes, which were announced Aug. 9 in Pasadena, will be added to the 2011 edition of the California Driver Handbook and warn drivers that it is against the law to leave an animal in a vehicle in unsafe conditions.

Penalties for animals that are injured or killed run up to $500 in fines, six months in jail or both.

While these fines are no stiffer than the ones that apply under the existing California Penal Code 597.7, the fact that the language is included in the Driver Handbook is a positive step in educating owners that ignorance of the law is not an acceptable excuse for cruel and inhumane treatment.

Working with the DMV, Portantino accomplished this change to the Driver Handbook without imposing legislation or spending additional taxpayer money.

-- Sherry Davis is a dog trainer/owner of CSI 4 K9s. E-mail her at doglady@bakersfield.com. These are her opinions and not necessarily those of The Californian.