I love caring for horses each and every day. When I attended veterinary school I naively believed that all the students wanted to work with horses; small animal medicine was what you did when you were at the farm and had a barn cat with an ailment.
I am an equine veterinarian, at least until last Wednesday...
I received a call the month before from a small animal veterinarian needing someone to cover for a day in the clinic. I had agreed in a flash, a month from now seemed like forever, until the day it arrived. I made my way to the clinic, and introductions to the staff were welcoming.
As I settled in, I began to ask myself why hadn't I taken the small animal route more seriously?
As my dad would say, "Inside work and no heavy lifting."Small animals were really just small horses, right?
Th day began with a routine vaccination, piece of cake... The exam and vaccination went without incident. I completed the necessary paperwork and asked the owner if she had further questions or concerns. She smiled politely and then pulled out a list; she asked if I could also trim the toe nails, heartworm test the dog, relieve the dogs anal gland, and then look at the bump on the inside of his mouth.
Simple enough. Pulling out my toe nail trimmer, I set to work. The dog began to growl lifting its upper lip. The owner had forgotten to mention that "Banjo" was not a big fan of nail trims. "Oh not to worry, he won't bite," she replied. As I reached for a leg, Banjo made his move and locked onto my hand.
A scrub, some paper towels, and a few band aids later, we placed a comfortable pink muzzle on Banjo. As I once again got back to work there was knock at the door. The next two patients were waiting in exam rooms 2 and 3. The highlight of the exam was relieving the anal glands, which reminded quickly why I love horses.
Th entire day was non-stop, one exam room to the next. I was enjoying the pace...and that the staff ordered out for lunch. I actually was able to enjoy lunch that hadn't originated from the glove box of my truck. Small animal vets have it so good...
The client arrived with the large yellow labrador. Hanging onto the dog's collar for dear life, he looked frazzled, and as I closed the door, he said, "I'll be back with the next one."
The next one? He arrived moments later with a black labrador, again hanging on for dear life. He shoved the dog through the doorway saying, "I'll be back with the next one."
The next one? The scene repeated itself five more times. As the dogs were dropped off, I continued on with my paperwork until the smell arrived. I turned to the find the three male dogs each urinating on a separate corner of the exam room. The small German Shorthair pointer was defecating in the floor and the Springer Spaniel was digging in the trash.
I hurriedly began attempting to clean the mess, and then the next mess, and then the...As I cleaned what I thought was the end of it, I turned to find that it had started all over again. I finally gave up when the paper towels were gone. I wanted to send an "SOS" to someone, but I felt trapped, surrounded by panting and pooping.
I finally vaccinated all the dogs and collected the paperwork for the owner amid the melee of wagging tails and licking. The dogs left, one by one, but they left. The day was finally over. I said my goodbyes and walked, almost running, to my truck. I have never been so happy to sit in my truck. As I headed home the pungent odor of dog feces filled the air. Apparently I had not chosen my steps carefully enough... I love horses.
I am an equine veterinarian, at least until last Wednesday...
I received a call the month before from a small animal veterinarian needing someone to cover for a day in the clinic. I had agreed in a flash, a month from now seemed like forever, until the day it arrived. I made my way to the clinic, and introductions to the staff were welcoming.
As I settled in, I began to ask myself why hadn't I taken the small animal route more seriously?
As my dad would say, "Inside work and no heavy lifting."Small animals were really just small horses, right?
Th day began with a routine vaccination, piece of cake... The exam and vaccination went without incident. I completed the necessary paperwork and asked the owner if she had further questions or concerns. She smiled politely and then pulled out a list; she asked if I could also trim the toe nails, heartworm test the dog, relieve the dogs anal gland, and then look at the bump on the inside of his mouth.
Simple enough. Pulling out my toe nail trimmer, I set to work. The dog began to growl lifting its upper lip. The owner had forgotten to mention that "Banjo" was not a big fan of nail trims. "Oh not to worry, he won't bite," she replied. As I reached for a leg, Banjo made his move and locked onto my hand.
A scrub, some paper towels, and a few band aids later, we placed a comfortable pink muzzle on Banjo. As I once again got back to work there was knock at the door. The next two patients were waiting in exam rooms 2 and 3. The highlight of the exam was relieving the anal glands, which reminded quickly why I love horses.
Th entire day was non-stop, one exam room to the next. I was enjoying the pace...and that the staff ordered out for lunch. I actually was able to enjoy lunch that hadn't originated from the glove box of my truck. Small animal vets have it so good...
The client arrived with the large yellow labrador. Hanging onto the dog's collar for dear life, he looked frazzled, and as I closed the door, he said, "I'll be back with the next one."
The next one? He arrived moments later with a black labrador, again hanging on for dear life. He shoved the dog through the doorway saying, "I'll be back with the next one."
The next one? The scene repeated itself five more times. As the dogs were dropped off, I continued on with my paperwork until the smell arrived. I turned to the find the three male dogs each urinating on a separate corner of the exam room. The small German Shorthair pointer was defecating in the floor and the Springer Spaniel was digging in the trash.
I hurriedly began attempting to clean the mess, and then the next mess, and then the...As I cleaned what I thought was the end of it, I turned to find that it had started all over again. I finally gave up when the paper towels were gone. I wanted to send an "SOS" to someone, but I felt trapped, surrounded by panting and pooping.
I finally vaccinated all the dogs and collected the paperwork for the owner amid the melee of wagging tails and licking. The dogs left, one by one, but they left. The day was finally over. I said my goodbyes and walked, almost running, to my truck. I have never been so happy to sit in my truck. As I headed home the pungent odor of dog feces filled the air. Apparently I had not chosen my steps carefully enough... I love horses.
Love it! I wish my job was just riding around with you and getting to watch you have all of these experiences!
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