By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — For Hutchinson veterinarian Jon Austin, the Kansas State Fair is a chance to see some folks he doesn't see often, even though he is a small animal vet.
"For the small animal guys, we will see a few folks that have pets with them in their campers that are traveling," Austin said. "I have a couple of workers who come to the fair every year. They bring pets to me for their annual things. It just kind of became convenient for them. I see an individual with the carnival and I see an individual with a food stand and I see their pets every year, so that's kind of fun."
An important point is that people food is not pet food, and especially not fatty food like you would see at the fair.
"Everything we eat has a lot of fat in it, because we want flavor," Austin said. "Our pets are not designed to digest fat. Nothing in nature is fat. If you're fat, you can't outrun your predator and you're dead, so stay away from people food. Stick to the pet food for your pets and they'll be healthier in the long run."
It's important, as always, to build a relationship with a veterinarian if at all possible, like these vendors have. They saw Dr. Austin initially for emergencies and he prides himself on building that rapport with both animals and their owners.
"They need to trust that the recommendations you make are the right ones and the ones that have the best interests of the pet's health at heart," Austin said. "When you communicate well and you are sincere and you do the best you can to do a good job, I think people realize that and appreciate it."
It's important for pet owners to think ahead when they can, as well, as it can sometimes take time to get your pet in for routine checkups, especially if an emergency arises.