I got an interesting email this week from my business insurance provider, The Hartford. It was about the 60 corporate “buzzwords” to stop using. I found about 20 that we use in veterinary medicine, but with entirely different meanings.
Back end/Front end– “Doc, he has a sore on the front end, and is weak in the back end.”
Bring to the table – “Nurse, can you pick up the cat and bring it to the table.”
Circle back– “Doc, sometime he just chases his tail and circles back endlessly.”
Client facing– This is after I do my exam, type my notes then turn to face the client to talk.
Cutting edge– The edge of the scalpel that I don’t put my finger on.
Drinking the Kool-aid– So you have some injured wildlife that is dehydrated. It is important to get it to drink the Kool-aid, especially punch flavored.
Elephant in the room– This is what we think when we have a hugely overweight dog in the room. But I am going to discuss it.
Getting our ducks in a row– Yes I see birds, and an occasional duck. If someone had multiple ducks, I might say this.
Going viral– What we fear when we have a Parvo outbreak. That is why we vaccinate pets and disinfected cages and table tops.
Hack-“Doc, when he wakes up in the morning, he hacks like he has a hairball.”
Heavy lifting– Something we try to avoid, use a lift table, or do team lifts. Usually it is a 100+ plus dog on the Xray table.
Killing it– Something we do humanely, when the quality of life is gone, and all options have been exhausted.
Low hanging fruit– “Doc, my puppy has been throwing up rotten peaches that have fallen off my neighbor’s tree branch over my backyard”
Move the needle– What we do when we have trouble collecting blood from a wiggly vein.
Ninja, Rockstar, Wizard– What really cute names for kittens or ferrets!
Ramp up– What we do to help large dogs with arthritis get into a car or SUV.
Socialize– a very important skill for all puppies & kittens
