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Pet Vet

Pet Vet

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How to talk to the vet in Spanish

Describe your pet's symptoms, ask about treatment, and confirm the dosage — out loud, calmly.

CONVERSATION PACK · 5 LESSONS · B1

At the vet, lead with the facts in order: what's wrong, when it started, how bad it's gotten. Use usted — address her as doctora — and describe symptoms concretely: no ha comido desde ayer, ha vomitado dos veces, la hinchazón ha empeorado. When she explains the treatment, confirm the dosage by saying it back: entonces, dos pastillas al día con la comida, ¿verdad?. Vague works against you — está mal tells her nothing; vomitó dos veces desde anoche tells her everything.

Below: the phrases that carry the visit, how owners really talk about a sick pet across Latin America, and a way to rehearse the whole consultation out loud before you're in the room.

Say this

The phrases that carry the conversation

Describing symptoms and behavior changes

  • Mi perro no ha comido desde ayer.My dog hasn't eaten since yesterday.
  • Está más cansado de lo normal.He's more tired than usual.
  • Tiene una herida en la pata trasera.He has a wound on his back leg.
  • Ha vomitado dos veces esta mañana.He's vomited twice this morning.

Discussing treatment options and costs

  • ¿Cuáles son las opciones de tratamiento?What are the treatment options?
  • ¿Cuánto cuesta la cirugía aproximadamente?How much does the surgery cost approximately?
  • ¿Hay alguna alternativa menos invasiva?Is there a less invasive alternative?
  • ¿Tiene efectos secundarios la medicación?Does the medication have side effects?

Understanding medication and dosage instructions

  • ¿Se lo doy con la comida o en ayunas?Do I give it with food or on an empty stomach?
  • Son dos pastillas al día durante una semana.It's two pills a day for one week.
  • ¿Puedo partir la pastilla por la mitad?Can I split the pill in half?
  • Hay que ponerle la crema dos veces al día.You need to apply the cream twice a day.

Regional Spanish

What locals actually say

Textbooks teach one word. Locals use several — pick your region's and stay consistent.

EnglishMexicoArgentina
it started (days ago)empezóarrancó
off, not himselfanda decaídomedio caído
give it with foodcon tragascon comida
bring him back to checkchecarlotraigo de nuevo

Watch out

Mistakes that mark you as a textbook speaker

  1. Describing symptoms vaguely (está mal)Add specifics — what, when, how severe (vomitó dos veces desde anoche)
  2. Forgetting to mention timelineAlways state when it started (empezó hace X días)
  3. Not confirming dosage instructionsRepeat back the schedule (entonces, dos pastillas al día con la comida, ¿verdad?)

The part no phrase list can do

Rehearse it before it's real

Isabella, &Be conversation teacher

Isabella

Your conversation teacher for this pack

In the Pet Vet pack, the last lesson puts you in the consultation room — and Isabella plays the vet: calm, methodical, strictly usted, the kind who murmurs to your dog between questions. Your pet hasn't eaten since yesterday and it's getting worse. You have to describe what's happening, ask what the treatment involves and what it costs, and repeat the dosage back so you get it right. Out loud. And she asks you questions back:

  • Isabella suggests surgery as the safest option but it's expensive — student must ask about less invasive alternatives using '¿hay alguna alternativa menos invasiva?'
  • She prescribes pills with a complex schedule — student must repeat the dosage back to confirm using 'entonces, dos pastillas al día con la comida, ¿verdad?'
  • The pet has a side issue (ticks, weight loss) the student didn't plan to discuss — student must raise it using 'aprovecho para preguntarle'

Blank mid-sentence and nothing bad happens — she waits. That's the practice, without unnecessary judgement.

Finish the 5 lessons and Pet Vet is yours — earned, not given.

Download on the App Store First 10 lessons free · 10-minute spoken lessons · your AI coaching team remembers you

Quick answers

Questions people ask

Should I use tú or usted with the vet?

Usted. It's a professional, first-visit setting, so the formal register is the safe, respectful default. Address her as doctora or doctor.

How do I describe my pet's symptoms in Spanish?

Be concrete and give a timeline. Mi perro no ha comido desde ayer, ha vomitado dos veces esta mañana. Always say what, when, and how severe — not just está mal.

How do I ask how much treatment will cost?

¿Cuánto cuesta la cirugía aproximadamente? and, if it's steep, ¿hay alguna alternativa menos invasiva?. In Mexico you'll also hear ¿en cuánto me sale?

How do I make sure I got the medication instructions right?

Repeat them back before you leave: entonces, dos pastillas al día con la comida, ¿verdad?. And ask upfront ¿se lo doy con la comida o en ayunas?

How do I schedule a follow-up?

¿Cuándo debo traerlo para la revisión? And for the worst case, si empeora, ¿debo venir de urgencias?