Appreciation gift for a great veterenary clinic

December 31, 2005 12:36 PM

My dog cut his leg last night and had to have surgery on it. My vet was closing at noon today but he and his staff are staying open late to fix the leg. I'd like to get them something to show my appreciation. Please help me think of something really great. This is the friendliest most caring veterinary clinic I've ever seen.

I'm looking for something for the whole office to enjoy. I'd like to stay away from candy and alchohol since so many people are watching their weight. Do people really like fruit baskets? Should I send flowers? Thanks for any ideas.

posted by BoscosMom to pets & animals (18 comments total)

If it's for the whole office, i would go for something like a fruit basket kind of thing. My grandparents send us something like that every year and it's always welcome. Theirs usually includes some expensive mixed nuts, candy assortments, jams, teas, cheeses and other assorted goodies that the wife and i love, but would probably never buy on our own.

Otherwise you might want to consider something like movie tickets for everyone. But yeah, i would definitely stay away from booze.
posted by quin at 12:43 PM on December 31, 2005

Oh, and good luck to your pup, i hope the surgery goes well.
posted by quin at 12:45 PM on December 31, 2005

Treat the whole office to a lunch?
posted by Thorzdad at 12:49 PM on December 31, 2005

A big box of clementines! Maybe some pet-treats? Most people who work at vet clinics have dogs & cats, they will appreciate treats for their animal friends.
posted by bug138 at 12:52 PM on December 31, 2005

I'd go with gourmet stuff in a basket, just keep a wide selection for the diet people. The markup on delivered baskets vs. build your own is 3x, so you can do a lot more damage at the grocery store with your money if you do it yourself.

Some of the uniform companies online have vet knickknacks and card holders, etc., also.

Thorzdad has a great idea, gift cards for some fast food place near the office?
posted by deep_cover at 12:52 PM on December 31, 2005

how about something for his wife+ kids (if they exist and aren't included in the office people). i guess they are the people who get tired of dad never being there while he fixes people's pets and get's all the thanks...
posted by andrew cooke at 12:55 PM on December 31, 2005

If you do the basket thing, toss in some excellent coffee and tea. That sort of stuff is appreciated in any office situation, where the coffee tends to be Folgers out of a can.
posted by divka at 2:00 PM on December 31, 2005

A basket incorporating some fun, snacky things along with fruit would probably go over well. I used to work in a busy animal hospital and it was so great when clients would give us a tin of cookies or something where we could grab a snack in between appointments. In fact, in any office I have ever worked in, snacks always go over well. Long live snacks!
posted by tastybrains at 2:17 PM on December 31, 2005

Once at my office and once at my wife's school, someone hired a barrista to come in for a couple hours and make coffee drinks. Which I thought was way cool (being a coffee person who is too cheap to buy anything other than black coffee)
posted by misterbrandt at 2:32 PM on December 31, 2005

I used to decorate cookies for a custom cookie bakery. They make a cute dog themed basket, they ship and you can order online. Plus they taste great.
posted by princelyfox at 3:23 PM on December 31, 2005

How about hiring a massage therapist to visit the office for 60-90 minutes? They bring in their chair, set up in a quiet corner and everyone gets 10 minutes or so. Free massage was a mainstay of office perks during the dot-com boom, and boy, do I miss it.
posted by Triode at 3:53 PM on December 31, 2005

Harry and David (link) have a fine selection of fruits and gift baskets that are a hit. We got my grandmother a box of pears that she just loved.

Hope your pooch is doing okay!
posted by cajo at 5:16 PM on December 31, 2005

Everyone in my wife's veterinary clinic are coffee junkies, so gift cards to Dunkin' Donuts (or other coffee vendor) are much appreciated. They also really like it when a client makes a donation (in their name or the pet's name) to an area shelter or other animal-related charity. I bet the massage thing would go over big, too -- it's a very physical job, and aches and pains are par for the course. Check with the office ahead of time on that, though, so it can be scheduled for a non-surgery day or other not-so-busy time.

And best of luck with the dog. It's nice to see someone appreciate their vet and all the extra effort they put in.
posted by Rock Steady at 5:52 PM on December 31, 2005

Snacks - especially tasty, healthy, and/or substantial ones are great for almost any open-to-the-public establisment. I'm always stoked when I get real food at my help desk job - it means I don't have to go out for lunch and I can keep working and get more done.

But consider the practice and animals that are there as well. Perhaps a donation in their name to a shelter, or supplies, or a basket or bucket of pet snacks along with human treats.
posted by loquacious at 5:53 PM on December 31, 2005

Having worked in that type of environment I'd suggest buying lunch for the office. You could have them call it in and you pay for it, or you could take the order and go pick it up for them.

Drug reps use to do this all the time, but that's rarer now. i promise you it would go over better than a basket of fruit. But if you'd like something easy if cliched it's better than nothing at all.
posted by justgary at 10:54 PM on December 31, 2005

I like the idea of gifts for their significant others. The docs chose this career and know this is part of the territory. Their other chose them and have to deal with this part of their career. I'm sure they are all understanding but it's really them who are making the sacrifice - the doctors and workers are doing what they love.
posted by any major dude at 11:47 PM on December 31, 2005

You might also want to consider a donation to the Morris Animal Foundation. They fund studies on companion animal health and other species like mountain gorillas.
posted by lobakgo at 11:12 AM on January 1, 2006

Thank you for all your great ideas. Said dog came through the surgery just fine and is now resting on the couch with a big blue bandage on his leg. He is on pain meds but everytime someone new comes in he whimpers pitifully till they come over and make a fuss. He's getting lots of TLC, is recovering well and will be using several of your ideas to say thankyou.
posted by BoscosMom at 2:06 PM on January 1, 2006