Dale Atkin wrote:

I don't think I'd think of giving the client a copy (any more than I'd think
it was necessary to make copies of all the x-rays, or take recordings of the
heartbeat, lung sounds, etc, etc). I'd certainly provide a copy on request
without hesitation (or charge), but I don't think I'd volunteer.

I hope you rethink this. This smacks of paternalistic medical
practice, where "the doctor knows best." You may have clients
who don't want to know, who just want to be told what to do. But
if you've gotten anything from participating in this forum, you
should have picked up that many people want to be fully informed
about their pets, that many people WILL want all of the data,
that your judgment will be questioned at times and you will need
to be prepared to defend it.

I'd strongly recommend that you start to "think of giving the
client a copy" and at least ask your clients if they want copies.
For things like x-rays, it's not unreasonable to charge for an
extra copy (although if you use digital radiography, a "copy"
could be an image file transferred from your computer to my thumb
drive).

W/r/t things like heart and lung sounds, it's not something I had
ever asked for, but when one of my dogs developed a heart murmur,
the vet asked me if I would like to listen, told me what to
listen for, and handed me the stethoscope. When the dog later
had an echocardiogram, the specialist wanted me to be in the room
so that he could explain what he was seeing.

I think it *very* important that the vet explain the results to you, and
what they most likely indicate, why they indicate that and where you need to
go from there.

And be *very* clear when the results indicate more than one
possible diagnosis, or when the vet himself is unsure.

FurPaw
--
Don't believe everything that you think.

To reply, unleash the dog.