Do names really matter?

I have recently been teaching my graduate vets and nurses the importance of names and perception. Working in the field of nutrition, the main example that springs to mind is how veterinary professionals in the UK refer to all clinical diets as ‘prescription diets’. This has come about because Hill’s uses the trade name ‘Prescription Diets’ for their clinical foods — much like how we refer to ‘hoovering the carpet’ when technically it should be ‘vacuuming the carpet’, with Hoover being the trade name. There are many examples of this, but we need to be careful of the perception this gives to clients. Describing all clinical diets as prescription foods gives the impression to the client that a prescription is required for that diet, which in the UK and the European Union is not correct. It is important we do not give false perceptions to clients.

I was taught never to use the term ‘put to sleep’ for euthanasia, especially after working in a practice where it also referred to anaesthesia. While informed consent is frequently discussed, the importance of clear terminology is often overlooked, despite the ease with which terms can be misinterpreted.