busy day at the vet surgery

I knew it was a bad omen for the day when I arrived at work at 8.00am to find three clients in the carpark waiting to be seen. The first dog had been fitting through the night and already on a high dose of phenobarbitone, the owners where very upset and we where discussing treament options when the dog starting fitting again, the owner had seen the dog fit many times but the mother had never seem the dog fit and she was quite upset and thought the son was being cruel keeping the dog alive. I gave the dog Valium i/v to settle the dog and give the owners time to think. Eventually they decided to euthanse the dog with much heartache involved. Next lady had been waiting all that time since opening and she had a chihuahua that could no longer stand on its back legs and was also starting to drink more water, again I discussed treatment options and she also decieded for euthanasia. A terrible start to Monday morning, next consult was labeled "cancer patient getting worse. I dreaded it being 3 out of 3. We had removed a lump from Goldie 5 months ago and now the lumps where coming back with a vengenace, they did not want surgery or chemotherapy or euthanasia. They just wanted to make her comfortable, I recommended pain relief and high protien , high fat diet. They where pleased with that advice, and I was pleased that I did not have a third euthanasia for the morning. Next we had admissions from the emergency center with two ticks cases, and general admissions, 2 dentals and cyst removal. we then had a laboured breathing dog that we could not find a tick on. The first dental was a new client, the dog had terrible breath, apparently it had been like that for 3 months, their local vet had quoted them $500 to give a GA and inspects it mouth. When we opened the mouth we found a very smelly stick lodged between its molars, this poor dog had a stick in it mouth for 3 months and nobody did anything! we did the next dental and cyst removal as routine, then we where going to xray the laboured breathing dog when we found a tick after several people had been looking for it. Paralysis tick cases are always tricky, I had already started to give tick serum when it started to shake, So I stopped and gave more dexapent and antihistamine to prevent reaction. Next was a cat clip that had diarrohea, as we clipped it we found its back end covered in maggots. we also two cases of young entire male dogs today that had sore paws from jumping fences. Finally about 5.45 pm I stopped for some lunch, tired and famished, and at last a chance to catch up on paper work. another crazy day in the life of a vet.

Marley and Me

I watched "Marley and Me" For the first time tonight with my family. We laughed and cried like we have not for a long time. We could relate to so many moments as we have 3 children and a Labrador. "Marley and Me" is a great story about our life with dogs and reminds me of the reasons I love dogs. The reason I love dogs is that have a great exuberant happiness, especially Labradors. It is the reason I still really enjoy being a vet. I also really enjoy it when I met great pets that bring joy and happiness to the people who own them. The end of the movie was very sad and there was lots of tears in our house, I certainly had a lump in my throat as I watched, but I also thought it was a beautiful end. As a vet I am often there at the end and it always a privilege to witness how much people really loved their dogs. I noted that Marley closed his eyes at the end, when in reality their eyes open up, sometimes to the distress of the owner. After listening to people grieve their lost pets, I decided to do something to help people and I set up a website to promote pet loss counselling http://www.petsandpeople.com.au/. In Conclusion I thought "Marley and Me" was one of the best family movies ever and will be much loved for a long time.

speying a 41kg fat labrador on heat.

I came into work this morning and looked at the surgery list, at first I thought great only 1 surgery, but then I looked again, it was booked in as 41kg Labrador possibly in heat. I thought that is crazy doing that surgery. Well the nurse said the owner was coming for a consult and if I thought it was the wrong time to do the surgery I should tell her. I did see the dog coming in and I thought her was was my chance to talk her out of the surgery. But I was busy and the graduate vet admited the lab for surgery, apparently the owner was adament the surgery should be done as the dog was prolapsing her vagina every other heat and now it was coming back on heat. Well I got ready after I had finished consultations, turned the radio up and started my challenge for the day. She was certainly fat and lots of bleeding with every thing I touched, the ovarian ligament was also very tough, and the ovarian blood vessels were coated in fat. but bit by bit I tied each piece off. One hour later I finished the surgery, where it would normally it would take me 20 - 30 minutes to spey a dog. The Lab recovered well throughout the day and I felt satisfed I had overcome the great challenges of everyday vet life " speying a fat 41kg labrador on heat"

Ruff Ruff eats dark chocolate.

It was my birthday today. 41 and very happy with life, I had a great day, we came home from school and my beuatiful children gave me all these great gifts including a block of dark chocolate 70% Coacca. I kept opening other cards, then I got up and found Ruff Ruff chewing on my Chocalate bar. I knew that some small dogs have died from eating dark chocolate so I had to act immediatley, I knew that I should give Ruff Ruff some apomorphine to vomit up the chocalate but I don't keep apomorphine in my vet kit at home, So I rang some local vets but they had none, So I rang Sherwood Vet surgery and they said they could help. I took Ruff Ruff down and gave him apomorphine and he vomited up all that dark chocolate, the staff there where very helpful, Ruff Ruff recovered well and we finally could go onto my Mum's house for a birthday roast Dinner.

Our pet angel fish died today

Our angel fish has been looking a bit sick for the last few days, swimming upside down and on his side. But today the angel fish died. Claire cried and insisted upon a burial for the fish in the morning, but I thought it was pretty important to for the burial to go ahead tonight. we out to the front Garden with a torch and dug a hole in the ground and said a pray for the fish as we layed him in the hole. It was a moving Family moment, Patrick went inside and had a good cry with his mum.
I think that is the first time we have had a pet death in the Family and I was suprised by our children reaction considering how little time they generally have for the fish. All good family bonding moments