What You Give Comes Back Many Times

I always enjoy telling this story to young vets, because it is a good lesson about life.

Tommy was a 5 year old male cat owned by a lady named C.  She had two toy poodles and Tommy, and she was a client who could not afford more than a rabies shot each year for her three pets.  The rabies shots were required by law in our county. I would recommend other vaccinations and heartworm preventative but she always declined because her husband would not let her spend any money on the animals. 

Tommy the cat became very ill, though, and C. had to bring him into the office.  Tommy could not urinate because his urethra had become obstructed by a gritty, sand-like substance.  This condition was commonly seen in male cats in the 70’s.  The treatment involved anesthesia for the cat, then saline solution was backflushed to dislodge the plug, the bladder was drained and flushed, and the cat was given antibiotics and urinary acidifiers.  This treatment usually cost close to $100 then.  C. agreed to have the cat treated and when she picked Tommy up she paid the bill with money that she had managed to save.

But, three days later, C. was back with Tommy who was plugged up again.  She said she could not afford any more treatments and wanted Tommy put to sleep.  As I took Tommy back to euthanize him, I was so frustrated by my inability to fix him.  Many cats we treated returned for re-treatment.  The choices were to keep unplugging them or to perform a surgical procedure which I told C. about during her first visit.  The urethra is essentially straightened out to make the male cat’s anatomy more like a female.  This surgery was very expensive and totally out of C’s budget.  Even unplugging Tommy again was more than she could afford.  So Tommy was going to be put to sleep because veterinary medicine and I had failed him.  In later years it was discovered that the ash content of commercial cat food was causing the problem.

But I decided not to put Tommy to sleep but to treat him for free.  I unplugged him and C picked him up the next day, thanking me for treating him and explaining again that her husband was upset she had spent any money on him.  I could tell C was embarrassed by the whole event.  My worry was that this treatment also would not be successful. 

I did not hear anything from C after this for almost 9 months.  I thought that possibly Tommy had re-plugged and she had taken him somewhere else to be put to sleep.  When she eventually did come into the clinic it was with the two poodles, and unlike other visits she now wanted all of the vaccinations and preventative tests and medications for both dogs.  She told me she had gotten a real estate license and was now in business and had her own money and was going to spend it on her pets.  I reluctantly asked about Tommy.  She said he was fine but still had bouts of urinary problems and was going to schedule the surgery for him while she was in today.

A week later C brought Tommy in for his surgery and again expressed her gratitude for the free treatment I had done instead of putting him to sleep.

Well, C turned out to be a great real estate agent.  She sold many houses over the years.  She always asked people if they had pets and if they did she told them she had a great veterinarian and highly recommended they bring their animals to our clinic.  Over the years she referred more new clients to us than anyone else, all because I had treated her cat for free and hadn’t put him to sleep.

When I tell this story to young vets I finish with my philosophy of practice: Do what is right for the animal and the rest will turn out alright.