I'm not sure where to post this. It doesn't seem like it fits here, but I don't think it belongs in the Cat Care forums either.
I just realized why I have so many difficulties with any vet clinic I have to deal with.
Most businesses are required under the law to be handicap/wheelchair accessible. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a law that I can find requiring businesses to provide special accomodations for those with developmental or mental health disabilities.
I suffer from three different types of anxiety which includes social anxiety disorder, and I am also autistic. I recently discovered that I have suffered from Selective Mutism my entire life and didn't know it. My parents, teachers, and guidance counselor never picked up on it. Having Selective Mutism as an adult, particularly at my age, is actually very rare.
Everytime I have to take my cat to a vet clinic, ER, or speciality practice, it's like jumping through hoops. These hoops start out large and low to the ground. But if the cat's medical issue is complex (kidney disease), the hoops become higher and narrower, becoming increasingly difficult to jump through.
At some point, I start having a mental breakdown and huge anxiety attacks. I become very frustrated with the vet clinic. I can never get the info I want or the help I need. I'm sure they see me as an arrogant know-it-all when that's not the case. Being autistic, I see and process the world differently than most people. I have to have certain infomation to make the best decision for my cat. I cannot just blindly accept what the vet tells me just because they are the expert. I also pull from past experiences since I am a long time cat owner and care for feral colonies as well.
I had a veterinarian actually tell me, "you can't overhydrate a cat with sub-q fluid." WRONG! Too much sub-q fluids can potentially push a cat into CHF (congestive heart failure). Unfortunately, back when I was young, naive, and too trusting, I followed a vet's advice and my cat died due to CHF. This is a prime example as to why I don't just blindly follow a veterinarian's instructions.
Often times, my frustration and mental breakdown leads to a long delay in getting my cat the medical attention it needs. My brain shuts down and I cannot continue with whatever it is I need to do to help my cat. I am at and past a point where I can't do this anymore. I love cats and I love being able to take care of feral colonies, but I can't anymore. Dealing with veterinary clinics is getting increasingly frustrating. Part of the problem is due to veterinarian shortages as well as tech shortages. Veterinarians and techs around here are insanely busy and overworked. They don't have the time for each client the way they used to 15 years ago.
I will continue caring for the cats I have, all of whom were stray/feral cats at one point. But I will not be taking in or caring for anymore cats (or other animals) ever again. Any new cats that show up will be shooed away. I just can't take this anymore.
There are things a veterinary clinic could do for those of us with special needs, but I don't know if they would be willing to do that. It's entirely possible that neurotypicals (normal people) could take advantage of things, claiming they have a disorder that they don't really have.
Part of this post is a rant/vent and part of this is me asking you all for opinions and advice. Should I talk to my veterinarian who owns the clinic to explain my issues and ask for special accomodations?
I hesitate to post what the special accomodations would be because I don't want anyone taking advantage and making life more difficult for those of us who truly need help.
To those of you who reply after reading the ENTIRE post, thank you so much. I hate when people reply without reading my entire post. Drives me crazy because they always miss something.
I just realized why I have so many difficulties with any vet clinic I have to deal with.
Most businesses are required under the law to be handicap/wheelchair accessible. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a law that I can find requiring businesses to provide special accomodations for those with developmental or mental health disabilities.
I suffer from three different types of anxiety which includes social anxiety disorder, and I am also autistic. I recently discovered that I have suffered from Selective Mutism my entire life and didn't know it. My parents, teachers, and guidance counselor never picked up on it. Having Selective Mutism as an adult, particularly at my age, is actually very rare.
Everytime I have to take my cat to a vet clinic, ER, or speciality practice, it's like jumping through hoops. These hoops start out large and low to the ground. But if the cat's medical issue is complex (kidney disease), the hoops become higher and narrower, becoming increasingly difficult to jump through.
At some point, I start having a mental breakdown and huge anxiety attacks. I become very frustrated with the vet clinic. I can never get the info I want or the help I need. I'm sure they see me as an arrogant know-it-all when that's not the case. Being autistic, I see and process the world differently than most people. I have to have certain infomation to make the best decision for my cat. I cannot just blindly accept what the vet tells me just because they are the expert. I also pull from past experiences since I am a long time cat owner and care for feral colonies as well.
I had a veterinarian actually tell me, "you can't overhydrate a cat with sub-q fluid." WRONG! Too much sub-q fluids can potentially push a cat into CHF (congestive heart failure). Unfortunately, back when I was young, naive, and too trusting, I followed a vet's advice and my cat died due to CHF. This is a prime example as to why I don't just blindly follow a veterinarian's instructions.
Often times, my frustration and mental breakdown leads to a long delay in getting my cat the medical attention it needs. My brain shuts down and I cannot continue with whatever it is I need to do to help my cat. I am at and past a point where I can't do this anymore. I love cats and I love being able to take care of feral colonies, but I can't anymore. Dealing with veterinary clinics is getting increasingly frustrating. Part of the problem is due to veterinarian shortages as well as tech shortages. Veterinarians and techs around here are insanely busy and overworked. They don't have the time for each client the way they used to 15 years ago.
I will continue caring for the cats I have, all of whom were stray/feral cats at one point. But I will not be taking in or caring for anymore cats (or other animals) ever again. Any new cats that show up will be shooed away. I just can't take this anymore.
There are things a veterinary clinic could do for those of us with special needs, but I don't know if they would be willing to do that. It's entirely possible that neurotypicals (normal people) could take advantage of things, claiming they have a disorder that they don't really have.
Part of this post is a rant/vent and part of this is me asking you all for opinions and advice. Should I talk to my veterinarian who owns the clinic to explain my issues and ask for special accomodations?
I hesitate to post what the special accomodations would be because I don't want anyone taking advantage and making life more difficult for those of us who truly need help.
To those of you who reply after reading the ENTIRE post, thank you so much. I hate when people reply without reading my entire post. Drives me crazy because they always miss something.
