Yikes! Am I a dead beat client, as I yet again didn't gift my vet at Christmas? I have hairless dogs and cats....my vet bills are usually in the $6,000 plus dollar range every year....and I should give my vet a gift? I've never even received a multiple pet discount, even when I bring in 4 at the same time!!

I'm self employed, and make my each of my clients upwards of a half a million dollars a year...I don't receive gifts from any of them... or even a "thanks for a job well done." I simply get to keep my job.

This year we actually had to visit when we didn't expect it, so we weren't ready with our gifts.

Last year though, we hand-painted paw-print xmas balls for their tree :-)

For the staff fruit and veggie trays. For my vet 10lbs of lobster and a beautiful Addison Dogs calendar with my Addison's boy in it..
I often drop off things for the staff at different times of the year.. but I love the coffee box idea, had not thought of that.

For my former, long-time vet office, I used to bring thank you gifts throughout the year - donuts, Girl Scout cookies, etc. At the holidays I would bring FairyTale Brownies to the staff but more personalized gifts to the doctors ( ties, bottle of wine) depending on the doctor.

However, I recently started with a new vet this year and have not developed any kind of bond yet. Maybe it is because I was at the other place for such a long time or maybe I just need to look for a place that clicks but this year, my vet's office did not make it to the top of my list - before it was automatic. While I have not clicked with the new office, I do appreciate how thorough and informative they are so I will probably bring cookies to the entire office before they close for the holiday.

Sadly,I had a contentious ending with the other vet's office ( the practice manager was most unpleasant) but I really miss the docs so will probably have something delivered to them as well. I really appreciated the care they provided to my dogs.

The vet clinic is the only gifting I do during the holidays. They deserve so much more because they take such good care of my herd throughout the year.

I try to give clinic gifts that are consumable and don't take shelf space. Plus, I know that they get an overabundance of sweets and perishables during the holidays.

I have already delivered a huge box of assorted fancy coffee beans (I know they have a grinder for the wonderful coffee they put out for clients), cocoa mixes (one was Ghiradelli..it was kinda hard not to keep it!) and assorted teas. There was also a package of paw-shaped sticky notes for each person so everyone got a little something to take home.

My vet got a sizable gift card to a local specialty grocery store (he had mentioned how much he liked it a couple of years back) and a small tree ornament of an angel holding a cat.

I love the idea of the "Get Out Of Jail Free" card. Of course, my house has several foster failures so it would pretty much be an "I'll Adopt Your Next Homeless Cat With Medical Problems" card. I'll have to wait until I don't have multiple expensive critters, though. (Hopefully that'll be a long time.)

I just dropped off 3 pounds of cocoa dusted belgium truffles. So, is this a good gift or not? 've used this same praactice for many years. This is the first time I've given them a gift at all. For what I pay, they should be giving me a gift! OK, my vet and the staff have been particularly wonderful, they deserve something. So now I need to come up with something else.

After I was in the ER every night for 6 weeks for a time consuming IV medication infusion (for me, not a pet)I had a deli makeup a huge sandwich platter for the staff. they loved it. Maybe that is what I could do.

By the way I bought a 1 pound box of the truffles to try and they are fabulous but very rich. Could take a very long time to consume 3 pounds.

I do agree that those of us who have very, very expensive vet bills could be given a break once in a while. Not a freebie but some consideration. My husband was laid off this summer, I am disabled and we have had 2 dogs with several serious chronic conditions that are very expensive to treat and require multiple visits, tests and treatments.

I'm not certain how we will continue to pay the vet bills. It's a tough time. I want my dog to receive whatever is needed. Just don't know how we'll pay for it.

I suppose that is not my vet's problem, though. Back to the gifts, I am lucky to have a practice that takes exceptional care of my animals and me. They certainly deserve a thank you. Hope the truffles were welcome.

Care Credit (http://www.carecredit.com/vetmed/) is a great way to finance your animal(s) healthcare needs while paying what you can. (I have no affiliation with this company).

Yeah if you have good credit.............

Your credit rating gets a bit tattered with unemployment, you have extremely expensive prescriptions and medical bills. Didn't look into carecredit, afraid of a refusal or high interest. Guess I will. Wish me luck! It's a reality I'm sure many of us face.

We have so far provided the care for our animals. 3 ACTH tests in 4 weeks, along with the medications for Cushings and other major chronic conditions for just one of our dogs gets expensive fast though. I can't not do it. How could I wathc my dog suffer when there is something that can be done?

We love our animals. They depend on us. Their care is not optional.

Unfortunately, neither is the care for ourselves!

I am lucky to live in an area where excellent care is available for animals and humans. Need to figure out how the heck to continue to pay for it! So, expensive personal gifts are certainly not at the top of my list this year.

We do give 'best client' gifts sometimes. At one hospital I worked at the staff would vote on one client to fire and one client to treat to a free service (usually an expensive one for a loyal client who simply couldn't afford it). The vote was a great morale booster for the staff. It empowered them in a way nothing else could.

Where I work now we do something similar. We'll treat one loyal client who can't afford a needed procedure to a no-charge fix-em-up. We cut no corners. Yesterday I did a near-full mouth extraction on a kitty. Best feeling ever.

We also got our clients a coffee machine last year. Totally worth it.

Ironically, though, it's the clients who spend the most money who don't get more than the java.

I'm with GrandCynth on this. Although I can see bringing in something homemade to a practice with whom one has a long-established connection, the expectation of a gift is utterly inappropriate in a professional relationship. My vet's office expects pay for service at the time that service is rendered, and I expect quality care from them in return. Many people struggle to afford quality food and vet care for their animals (we have four rescues), yet somehow manage to provide it. I don't take gifts to my internist or gynecologist; do you? In any case, any extra cash I may have is earmarked for animal rescue and rescue causes. Perhaps more vets should consider making donations to those causes on behalf of their clients/patients during the holiday season (and year round) rather than expecting truffles and trifles from them. (And please, if you have extra baby blankets and towels, please take them to your local no-kill shelter, who I promise you is barely getting by.)

Call me Scrooge, but I don't want any gifts. Cards with photos of the animals are always appreciated, though. I save those.

Sorry, you caught me on a bad day. A client delivered a very inappropriate, almost stalker-ish gift at the end of the day yesterday and I'm struggling to figure out how to respond.

It's been driving me crazy all day ~ I'm dying to know what constitutes a stalker-ish gift.

Inappropriately expensive (not a wealthy client) and a little personal. This client has had many losses in her life and has problems setting limits. The issue is, I'm her veterinarian, not her friend. There are also other elements I'm not comfortable sharing here.

I sent her a thank-you note today. Still, the situation made me uncomfortable. I'd have preferred a photo of the horse wearing antlers, honestly.

What an uncomfortable situation to be in! My sympathy goes to you, and well as wishes of an otherwise peaceful Christmas or whatever it is you celebrate (political correctness demands that I add this qualification :-).

This season our practice decided to forego the Secret Santa mutual gifts, and instead we "adopted" a rescued tiger who lives in a sanctuary. As for gifts from clients, it was the traditional candies and cookies, some home-made, and wine. I certainly don't expect gifs from clients, for Christmas or on any other occasions. They pay good money for good care. I have kept all the cards I have received, the most moving ones occasioned by end-of-life care and euthanasia, and I read these cards when I need reminding of why I got into this profession.

I'm with GrandCynth and cspasser. My vets provide good care for my animals, and I pay them for that. My own doctors don't expect holiday gifts; I'm not sure why my pets' doctors would.

Certainly if you've been with one particular practice for a long time and have a real bond with the vets and/or staff, that's another matter. But I am struggling to pay necessary bills, and will have a very sparse Christmas, and do not need a heapin' helpin' of guilt for not "tipping" PROFESSIONALS at this time of year.

But I always send a card to let the vet and the staff know that they are appreciated. I usually travel during the holidays and the board bill for 2 large dogs and 2 cats seems like a pretty good gift to me.
I used to have a vet that I gave gifts to, but he was one of the best, most kind hearted, skillful vets I have ever met, and his staff was fabulous. I would do anything to have a vet like that out here.

In years past, I haven't given a gift to the vet practice we use. This year I decided to pack up some homemade cookies and biscotti for them. My 10 yr old Border Collie/Spaniel mix seems to have something going on all the time and we rarely go a month without having visited the vet so we are *almost* on a first name basis with everyone there. Also, we absolutely adore the vet we usually see so this year it seemed appropriate to do something special.

...not when I "should".
Even though most people expect to find my veterinarian's picture under the definition of "curmudgeon" in the dictionary, I think he's great. His office isn't fancy, but his prices are relatively affordable and his care is first rate. I have multiple health issues which prevent me from holding a regular job, yet the government says I'm not bad enough to be officially disabled, so I have to make-do the best I can for my animals and myself. When I happened upon an old, but functional, hospital ultrasound machine for free, I took it to him. I knew he could do more good with it than it could bring me in scrap value. He later told me he saw one just like it go for over $2000 on eBay, which did not surprise me. Since then, I'm pretty sure my veterinarian knows I'm thinking about him all of the time, not just at this time of year.

As a client whose pet has been in the hospital recently, I sent my Winnie's vets a thank you card and some cookies (corgi-shaped, naturally) for being such wonderful doctors throughout a frustrating and difficult case.

As a vet, I don't expect anything from my clients (especially since I'm a baby vet without many regular clients yet), but I have gotten a few cards thanking me for helping their pets be happy and healthy for the holidays. The treats and such are fun, but the cards are the BEST :) Especially at this time of year, when there are so many euthanasias and money for diagnostics/treatment is scarce... it's nice to remember the patients who had good outcomes this year.

And as a vet with some of the best techs ever, I just finished making a batch of candied orange peels as part of the doctors' thank-you gift to our technicians. Yum yum. I love the holidays :)

My vet hospital held a fundraiser a week after Thanksgiving for the 4 shelters they support. It was held at a restaurant, and we got 20% off the meal price. The balance was matched by the vet hospital and donated to the shelters. All the vets and their staff showed up, and it was a great time. This is what they wanted instead of gifts, and they do it every year.

Until this yr I always tried to show my appreciation for the care that my dogs rec'd during the yr. I agree with the other person who wrote about spending max $ due to chronic cond. We spend more than can affordalso on disab and on a "tight $ rope"too.I wanted to con't. with gift this yr but had issues several times with my vet where I felt that 'x' did not want to be bothered with "the chronic cond" & was "having a hard time healing"...which p'd me off & hurt. Isn't this what I am paying for? Isnt this their job?In x's defense tho I have also been granted some no chg favors occasionally. I've mxd feelings as to what to do-haven't done anything yet. I don't do gifts only in expectation of favors.It is to say THANK YOU (howevr little I can afford)for your care and concern, but now feel that I'm not getting anymor. If I had to lv my dog there, I would NOT be comfortable nor secure that they would be looked after other than just being "a job to do". Maybe I"m too sensitive but the warm fuzzy is gone.Its a shame because I really thought a lot about and respected this vet initially and thru the past years. Can't do "hot and cold" when it comes to the health and welfare of my pets.

I really believe that my vets go the extra mile in caring for my pets. I am so grateful for every year I get with my elderly cocker. Ornaments were the gift of choice this year.

As an animal hospital employee I get to enjoy lots of homemade treats and scrumptious boxes of chocolates. They are a nice treat, not very good for my waistline though :(

I never expect anything from clients, and what I love even more than treats is a sincere thank-you for the care we have provided. The best reward for me is knowing that I helped an animal and their person through an illness or death.

Our clinic a few years back started giving gifts to our top clients. We use our computer software to establish the "top spenders" and then go through the list to pick out our best clients. Out of the "top spenders" are local kennels and breeders and pet owners that not only spend a lot with us but care deeply for their pets. Staff is also welcome to nominate clients that may have not made the list that year but are obviously great pet owners that have a special realtionship with us. The gifts we give out are nice- this year baskets loaded with wine and goodies, and boxes of nice cookies. We send out Christmas cards to every client.

I agree with posters who said the vet and staff provide professional services for which they are promptly paid. I give gifts for special circumstances;a tech who always seems to look out for us, for ex., or if a vet did something exceptional, like a vet I took a stray to who waived some diagnostic fees because she knew the circumstances. Otherwise, I do almost think that clients deserve a token of some kind when we spend hundreds, sometimes thousands patronizing their practice. In the end, neither is probably expected. These are some nice ideas though to avoid chocolate overload!

I just had to take a foster kitten unexpectedly to my vet this morning for an eye problem and luckily I had already baked them a loaf of lemon poppyseed bread yesterday. I have a great vet and they go out of their way to accomodate and help me with my kitties as well as my foster kittens. They rock!!

I'm going homemade this year. In the past I've gotten my vet gift certificates to good local fare, but not this year. My vet is originally from MN and a very big Twins fan, so a homemade fleece Twins blanket seemed fitting. He's gone way above and beyond for may dogs, and even gone so far as to donate time with a non-profit organization near and dear to my heart. He's truly one in a million!

We always do a cookie/treat tray and thank you card. It's not the most original gift, but it's all-inclusive (wouldn't want to forget anyone), and there's no guesswork involved. And I love playing with frosting, haha.

I LOVE the folks at my Vet's office. When one of my dogs was close to death almost 2 years ago, they saved her life and gave her such wonderful (and LOVING) care, that I became a part of their fan club. Yes, it is true that this is their job -- but I know that not everyone does their job and brings such a personal touch of caring to it. I have been bringing them various gifts ever since -- on the aforementioned dog's 14th birthday this year, I brought a birthday cake with her photo and a big thank you on it.
I am making chocolate lollipops for them this weekend -- in the shape of greyhounds (my breed), paw prints, and cats and dogs. It doesn't cost a lot but it shows my appreciation.
As a teacher, I often receive gifts of appreciation from my students' families. I know that they don't have to do this, but it is nice to be recognized in even a small way. I do the same for the wonderful Vets AND staff who care for all of my dogs.

I'ved been going to the same clinic for over 15 years now ... awesome folks and who go above/beyond for the rescues. This year was homemade goodies, i.e., fresh salsa with chips, 'smores (pretzels w/chocolate and marshmallow cream), and a 1/2-pint signature salt blend. Staff gets their own jar of salsa/chips and gift cards to Starbucks. During the year, I'll drop of baked goods and fresh veggies from the garden.