When Lisette first wrote me, she included a list of things she would do differently, based on the knowledge she has gained since Herbie's death. I couldn't improve on it, so I will quote it here, with her permission:

1. A suggestion from a website written by Dr. Richards of vetinfo.com:
   Watch the vet do a complete physical, which should involve the following steps: look in mouth, check ears, check eyes, listen to heart and lungs, get weight, and take temperature. The vet may also: palpate organs, tap on chest wall and abdomen to hear hollowness or solidness, visually inspect gait, posture, haircoat, gum color, and tug on skin at back of neck to check for signs of dehydration. If you notice something is overlooked, you might add a gentle probe, like, "did his eyes look ok?"

1. Ask for a written copy of any test results and for written information about the anesthesia and surgical procedures used (not just for seeing the results ourselves but also in case we needed to seek treatment from a different vet on an emergency basis).
2. Ask what exactly was going to happen while the animal was under.
3. Ask what could be done to minimize the time the animal was under.
4. Ask what monitoring the vet would do during and after (cats apparently have more trouble just after anesthesia than do dogs; they also can have trouble regulating temperature during and after the anesthesia).
5. Ask what warning signs we should look for when the animal came home.
6. Get written instructions from vet about meds and about trouble signs to watch for. There is just too much going on in a vet visit, like any medical visit, to process and remember it all.
7. Write down on paper all the symptoms that you are worried about when visiting the vet, including information about recent history and timing and duration of symptoms. This would help especially in an urgent care situation where you might not be communicating clearly.

1. If I didn't like any answers or got glib reassurances that everything would be fine, I would go somewhere else.

Sometimes, despite every possible precaution, a beloved pet is lost to us after surgery. Knowing that we and our veterinarian have done everything humanly possible does not bring back our friend, but it can help relieve the inevitable feelings of guilt that follows such a loss.