When I used to work for a charity clinic, I ended up often seeing all sorts of clients. One memorable character I encountered was a middle-aged lady who brought her dog in for a skin complaint. The dog was a large crossbreed, who was scratching and licking himself excessively all over (not just the butt and genitalia and then your face - like most dogs do!). This was a result of him being itchy and so his skin looked red and irritated.
I examined the dog while the nurse held him on the table for me. On his fur, there was an army of fleas all over. His body was crawling with the little blighters! Not only that all the faeces they had produced (black specks) made him look like a walking flea sewage system!! Poor dog I thought to myself.
I explained my findings to the owner (a little surprised she hadn't noticed the fleas herself). My recommendation was to initiate some flea treatment (drops on the back of the neck) for the itchy boy and give him some tablets to stop the scratching in the meantime. I also recommended that she treat her house for the flea eggs.
So what was her response? "Thank you - how kind of you to treat my dog. I appreciate your professional advice and of course, I will take your recommendations and start relieving the discomfort of my poor dog". I wish it was that easy.......nothing close!!
This lady was absolutely drunk. The alcohol on her breath was so strong, that her just breathing on the dog would probably have been enough to kill the fleas (or at least make them intoxicated enough to fall off sideways!). Her response to my advice, was that I had no idea what I was talking about and that all her dog needed were steroids to stop the scratching. She denied that there were any fleas whatsoever on her dog.
At this point, I tried to point out the fleas for her to see with her own eyes, the little parasites crawling around her dog's body. The fleas were absolutely all over the dog, with a population density like Singapore, with bodies everywhere. The owner said that I was lying and there was nothing there. Understandably, I was getting irritated by this lady's stubborn and drunken behaviour.
Eventually, I lost my cool. I pointed out to the lady that both myself and the nurse could clearly see the fleas and that if she didn't have her beer goggles on and could actually see with any clarity at all, she would also be able to see them! I told her that she clearly didn't value my professional opinion and promptly sent her and the poor dog on their way (probably back to the pub!).
The following day, the lady returned to my clinic and sheepishly apologised for her behaviour the previous day. She agreed that my diagnosis was correct and took both the flea control and medicine I recommended. I think she probably bought for me a bottle of wine as a peace offering but ended up drinking it herself in the end!
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