...Pants on Fire...

As a long time practicing veterinarian I have learned that some clients lie. Maybe a kinder way of saying it is, they stretch the truth.

Untruth after untruth will be reveled if you ask enough questions.  They tell the receptionist one story on the phone then tell the doctor a different story in the exam room. It is so fascinating.  Why do they do it?  How can we understand their motivations and get the real story so we can help their pets?

It happens almost every week in some small form, but it happened to me a few weeks ago in a big way.  

The story goes like this.

I had a couple come in with a beautiful, but quite ill parrot named Cass.  Cass was not feeling up to par and the couple was worried about him.  They told my technician that he was on a great diet and had never been ill before.  They also said that he was not on any medications.  They repeated the same story to me when I was examining Cass.  The owners seemed to love him very much and wanted what was best for him, so we drew some blood for testing and took some radiographs. When the results showed that Cass had severe liver disease we discussed a course of medications and diet modifications.  The couple was grateful and promised to adhere to my recommendations and bring him back for a recheck in a week to see if we were making any progress. 

The second time I saw Cass he was acting a bit better, however after more testing we realized that he still had a severe liver problem.  As I talked to the couple about next steps, they asked me to speak to another family member on their cell phone to explain the results.  I happily took the phone.  As I was explaining the tests results and my recommendations for an ultrasound of the liver, the person on the other end of the phone said, “He already had an ultrasound a few weeks ago.”  Flabbergasted I asked for more details.  He said that the bird had been seen by another veterinarian and had the same tests that I was recommending.  I could not believe my ears.  Why would the owners bring me a bird with a known problem and not tell me the complete history?  What kind of game were we playing here?  I asked which veterinary hospital and promptly called them.  When I asked the receptionist if they had any records on Cass she said, “Oh yes, we have a huge history on him.”   The other veterinarian told me that Cass had been visiting their veterinary hospital for 15 years and the bird was diagnosed with liver disease over SIX MONTHS ago and was on multiple medications for the problem. He also had radiographs, and ultrasound exam and was treated multiple times over the years for similar problems.

Once I had the entire history, I went back to speak to the couple to see if I could figure out why they chose to lie to me about his history.  I asked them about the medications that he was supposed to be getting from the other hospital and they magically produced a bag of at least 10 medications that they had but were not giving.  When I asked them why, they just looked at me and said, we didn’t think they were working.  I pointed out that when he was getting the medication they reported to the other hospital that he was doing better, but now he was ill after not getting the medication.

Oh, My!!  Why did they lie?

As a veterinarian I think it is our duty to be patient with “liars” and see the lies for what they really are, FEAR.  Fear of the unknown and fear that we may judge them for seeking a second opinion or not following our recommendations.   We need to be able to reassure people that we are all on the same team.  We need to be open to sharing information with other veterinary hospitals so clients will not feel that they have to hide information. We need the whole story before we can do our best work.

Gently ask probing questions in different ways and ask multiple times.  It seems that when I ask the same questions in different ways, I often get closer to the truth.  Also, be open to suggestion.  Most clients know their pets’ needs best, and want us to think as they do.  If they make a suggestion about their pet’s care, be open to it as well as being open to their opinions on treatment options.  

If you are a veterinarian or veterinary technician, be patient with the “little white lies” that people tell.  Understand that they are not doing this to harm us, but are just trying to navigate the fear they have of our profession.  Show them how much you care about the truth and the patient’s care to put them at ease.

If you are a pet owner, please do not hide important information from us, we really do love animals and want to help you and your pet.  We will be better able to help if you do not keep important information from us.   

We are all on the same caring veterinary-client-patient team.

The truth will set us all free.  :)

Dr. Julie Cappel