One Question That Helps You Speak Up at the Vet | Pet Parent Power Up

One Question That Helps You Speak Up at the Vet | Pet Parent Power-Up

Host: Amy Castro

Summary

Many pet parents walk out of the vet with a big receipt and a lot of regret, not because they forgot to ask questions, but because they hesitated. In this Pet Parent Power-Up, Amy explains why fear of sounding difficult, cheap, dumb, or judgmental keeps pet parents quiet, and shares one simple self-check question to unlock the conversation before the appointment even starts.

Links

PetParentHotline.com

Transcript Note

This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity and readability. Filler words, repeated phrases, and false starts have been removed where they did not affect meaning. Timestamps are included for reference.

Chapters

00:00 Receipt and regret at the vet
01:07 Why hesitation matters more than forgetting
01:39 The real reason pet parents stay quiet
03:15 The one question to ask yourself before the visit
04:46 A common vaccine example
05:41 Why wording fear shuts people down
06:23 Why naming the fear unlocks the conversation
07:02 Vet-speak, assumptions, and communication gaps
09:04 The 30-second prep before your visit
10:14 What’s coming in the full Sunday episode
11:18 Closing message

Transcript

Amy Castro (00:09.846)
If you’ve ever walked out of the vet with a big receipt and a lot of regret because you didn’t ask about your options, priorities, or the cost of something, this episode is for you.
You’ve reached the Pet Parent Hotline, your lifeline to practical solutions for your toughest pet parenting challenges. I’m your host, Amy Castro, and I’m here to help you cut through the noise and turn expert advice into decisions you can actually understand, can afford, and can follow through on.

So let me start here. If you’ve ever been at the vet and had a thought pop into your head like, wow, that’s a lot of money, or there has to be another option, or I don’t know if I can do this right now, but then you decided not to say anything, this episode is for you.
Not because you forgot. Not because you didn’t care. But because something made you hesitate.
And that hesitation matters more than most people realize.

A lot of important pet care decisions don’t just happen at home. They happen in those short vet visits, often under pressure, when money, uncertainty, or tradeoffs are involved. And when the conversation doesn’t really happen in that room, your pet doesn’t get a clear plan. You just end up with a list of recommendations you’re not sure how to act on.

Amy Castro (01:39.395)
Most pet parents don’t stay quiet at the vet because they don’t have questions.
Now, sure, sometimes you don’t know what to ask, and sometimes you really don’t have questions. That’s not what this episode is about.

This is about the times pet parents stay quiet because they don’t want to sound like they’re questioning the vet. They don’t want to sound dumb. They don’t want to sound cheap. They don’t want to sound anti-vaccine. They don’t want to sound difficult. Or they don’t want to sound like they waited too long to come in.

So instead of asking what they’re really thinking, they nod, smile, agree, and move on.

And what makes this even harder is that sometimes the vet or tech will even ask, “Do you have any questions?” And you still don’t ask. Not because you don’t have one, but because you don’t know how to ask it without sounding bad. Or you’re not even clear yet and you don’t want to walk out feeling stupid.

That hesitation is the real problem.

Amy Castro (03:15.180)
There are a lot of tips I could give you about being an effective advocate at the vet. You’ve probably heard them before, like writing questions down in advance. And those tips can help.

But if your biggest struggle isn’t forgetting your questions, and it’s more about worrying how you’ll be perceived if you ask them, then I want you to try something different.

Before your next vet visit, there’s one question I want you to ask yourself before you even leave home.

"What am I worried this question will make me sound like?"

That’s it. You don’t have to analyze it. You don’t have to fix it. Just notice it.

Because that concern is usually what keeps people quiet.

If I ask about this vaccine, will I sound anti-vaccine?
If I ask if the bloodwork is necessary, will I sound like I don’t trust them?
If I ask about cost, will I sound cheap or irresponsible?
If I ask about timing, will I sound like I don’t care enough?

Those split-second worries shut people down.

Amy Castro (04:46.434)
Let’s say the vet is going over vaccines your pet is due for, and the thought pops into your head, “Do I really need to give all these vaccines?”

It’s a simple question. But you’re not worried about the question. You’re worried about what it might make you sound like.
Like you weren’t listening.
Like you don’t trust their judgment.
Like you’re trying to cut corners.

So instead of asking, you stay quiet.

But here’s the important part. When you ask a question like that, you’re not trying to be difficult. You’re trying to understand what’s right for your pet.

Amy Castro (05:41.624)
Sometimes the way a question comes out can accidentally sound more confrontational than you intend. It can sound like you’ve already decided. And that fear is exactly why a lot of people avoid asking anything at all.

But today isn’t about perfect wording.
Today is about recognizing why you didn’t ask in the first place.

Amy Castro (06:23.416)
And on our next full episode, I’ll show you how to ask these same questions in a way that makes your intent clear, helps you avoid the perceptions you’re worried about, and gets you the real answers you need.

Because you’re not saying, “I don’t believe you.”
You’re not saying, “I don’t care about my pet.”
You’re not saying, “I know better than you.”

You’re asking for information so you can make a decision you actually understand and can follow through on. And that’s responsible pet parenting.

That’s why this one question matters.
What am I worried this will make me sound like?

Once you name it, it loses a lot of its power.

Amy Castro (07:02.882)
Vets and techs explain things all day to people with very different backgrounds. Some people are brand new pet parents. Some have had pets for decades. Some know a lot. Some don’t.

They don’t know where you fall unless you speak up.

Sometimes they slip into vet-speak. That doesn’t mean you’re dumb. It just means they need to translate. Asking what something means doesn’t make you difficult. Most of the time, it just reminds them to slow down.

And that helps everyone.

Your pet doesn’t benefit from you staying quiet to be polite.
Your pet benefits when you leave with a plan you understand, can afford, and can actually follow.

Amy Castro (09:04.802)
Hesitation leads to confusion.
Confusion leads to poor follow-through.
And that hurts pets.

Here’s your simple 30-second prep before your next visit.

Write down one question you’re hesitant to ask.
Next to it, write what you’re worried it’ll make you sound like.
Bring it anyway.

If you get flustered, read it off your phone. Nobody cares. They’d rather you ask than leave unsure.

Amy Castro (10:14.894)
On Sunday, we’ll talk about how to ask those questions in a way that sends the message you intend, so you can walk out clear on the plan, the need, and the cost.

Today was about unlocking the conversation.

Amy Castro (11:18.360)
So before your next visit, ask the one question.
Unlock the conversation.
Because you and your pet deserve clarity, not a receipt and regret when you walk out of the vet.