Describing Specific Symptoms
Explaining your pet's unusual symptoms (e.g., loss of appetite, lethargy, limping) to the receptionist to help them determine the urgency and type of appointment needed.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
appointment
A planned meeting with a doctor or clinic, like booking time for your pet's check-up. Use it when scheduling: 'I need an appointment.'
symptoms
Signs of illness, such as pain or tiredness. In conversations about health, say: 'What are the symptoms?' to ask for details.
appetite
Desire to eat food. 'Poor appetite' means not wanting to eat much, common when describing pet health issues.
lethargic
Feeling very tired and lacking energy. Use it for animals or people who seem unusually inactive: 'The dog is lethargic.'
vomiting
Throwing up food from the stomach. It's a key symptom to mention in medical talks: 'Is there any vomiting?'
diarrhea
Loose, watery stool, often a sign of illness. Pronounce it 'dye-uh-REE-uh.' Ask: 'Has he had diarrhea?'
limping
Walking with difficulty, like favoring one leg due to pain. Useful for describing injuries: 'The cat is limping.'
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
I'd like to schedule an appointment for my dog.
This is a polite way to request booking time. 'Schedule' means to arrange; use it for doctor's visits or meetings. It's useful at the start of a call to clinics.
He's been acting a bit off lately.
Means behaving unusually or not normally. 'Acting off' is informal for feeling unwell; 'lately' means recently. Great for casually describing changes in pets or people.
Can you describe what 'off' means? Is he experiencing any specific symptoms?
Asks for more details on a vague term. 'Experiencing' uses present continuous for ongoing issues. Useful for receptionists to clarify health problems.
He's had a really poor appetite. He's barely touched his food.
Describes not eating well. Present perfect 'he's had' shows recent past to now; 'barely touched' means almost not at all. Common for explaining pet symptoms.
He's been very lethargic, mostly just lying around.
Present perfect continuous 'he's been' for ongoing action. 'Lying around' means resting idly. Use this to describe tiredness in animals or daily routines.
Has he had any vomiting or diarrhea, or is he limping?
A yes/no question with 'or' for alternatives. Present perfect for past events; useful for doctors or receptionists to check common symptoms quickly.
Given these symptoms, it sounds like he needs to be seen as soon as possible.
Gives advice based on info. 'Given' means considering; 'sounds like' softens opinion; 'as soon as possible' means urgently. Practical for urgent appointments.