Our Vet's Office

I got home from running errands today and let the puppy out of her crate to go outside.  She seemed really squinty and I was chuckling to myself that she was trying to adjust to the sunlight when I realized that, actually, she wasn't squinting, here eyes were just very swollen.  Awesome.  So I loaded the dog and the kids back in the car (including poor Harriette who thought she was about to take a much needed nap) and drove to the vet's office to get the dog some benedryl and steroids.

It's a little hard to tell, but her left eye is very swollen.  This was about a half hour after the shots, and the swelling had already started to go down. 

Aside from being mildly annoying and inconvenient (not to mention a little damaging to the old pocket book), it was actually a fairly pleasant experience.  I love our vet's office!  We found the vet when we had to have Jager put down, and they were so incredibly thorough and sweet.  They did a full exam of Jager and then x-rayed her shoulder to make sure there was nothing we could do for her. When we made the decision to put her down, they didn't make us feel guilty, and in fact, were extremely supportive and kind. After we put her down, they made a little clay mold of her paw-print for us.

When we took our new puppy the first time, we brought the whole family, mainly because Cyrus was having some anxiety about the vet.  Everyone was extremely kind and welcoming.  They even gave Cyrus a ride on the exam table.  The exam itself was very thorough.  In addition to the vet, there were two techs helping to exam the puppy, and an additional tech taking notes on a computer.

The puppy had to have some tests done, and instead of having a tech or secretary call, the vet herself called with results. And, as he sometimes does, Cyrus answered the phone, thinking it was his dad.  When I apologized for my three-year old answering the phone, she said "oh yes, I thought that was Cyrus on the phone."  She remembered his name!  This was baffling to me - I've had doctors I've seen several times who don't remember my name, let alone my kid's name!

We also got a letter in the mail a few days later, handwritten by the vet, congratulating us on our puppy and giving words of encouragement.

We saw a different vet today, but she was equally kind and engaging with my kids, and didn't even seem to mind that Hattie was screaming her tired little face off through most of the visit.  When it was time to check out, someone came to me in the exam room so that I didn't have to juggle my wallet and the kids and the dog up at the counter.

It feels good to be completely satisfied with a place I have to go on a regular basis.  I feel like I've had to lower my customer service standards to where I am happy if I just get so-so service.  I like knowing that my dog is in good hands, and that, not only will I be treated with respect and kindness, but that people will go out of the their way to make my experience as positive and easy as possible.  This is the way it should always be!