Last day! I can't believe it's already been the entire summer. Where has the time gone?
Had a decent day, a little discombobulated from the thoughts of getting everything done, what to do to make sure I had all my loose ends wrapped up, and, of course, eating the fabulous cake that they got me. How nice! It was delicious.
Did one dental in the morning, a cat, and assisted in the regular surgeries when I was through. Nothing too major, and not much else out of the ordinary. We had another quill dog come in, though, but not nearly as bad as the three yesterday!
Oh! I also got to see June, the rat poison dog, and she's doing great! Her blood work is all within normal limits, and she's full of energy. Her owners are a really sweet young couple that are training her well with great discipline. If only all stories could end like June's.
I'm going to do a little recap and see what I've learned over the summer:
-Blood draws, and the use of the vet chem machines.
-How to stop a centrifuge that is on the runaway. Very important!
-Dentals!
-Vaccines and IM/SQ medicines
-Fluids
-Catheters
-IV fluids, the maintenance of, changing of, and calculating the drip rates for patients
-Clipping and prepping for surgery
-the ECG machine (gag)
-Pack wrapping and instrument cleaning
-Recovery and some interesting side effects of certain anesthesia (like dogs on propfol wake up in an unhappy state and will nip)
-Medications (some of them, at any rate)
-Billing, and using the computer system
-More restraint
-Heartworm combo tests and FeLV/FIV tests
-How to humanely euthanize
I'm sure there are a bunch more things, but I can't think of them all individually, I guess. Overall, I have to say that this was a very informative, and very helpful experience. The people here are very good at teaching, and very accepting of a student's failings, when they happen. This summer has solidified my desire to go beyond with my schooling and, eventually, go for a DVM degree. I appreciate the tech work, and I'd like to do it for a while, but I definitely want to go on with school. I've been speaking with the doctors and they have assured me that going for vet school at 27 or 28 is not uncommon. I have also decided to apply overseas and in Canada, as I think I would rather go for the 5 year program rather than the intense 4 years. Either way, this summer, and the previous school year, has shown me that I made the right decision to go back to school for this degree.
I told someone when they laughed at me for going to school for a degree that will essentially enable me to make less than I do waitressing that if I wanted to make money, I'd be a lawyer. I'm happy being puked on, bled on, snapped at, scratched, drooled on, cleaning up all sorts of assorted bodily fluids, and standing around under hot lights, fetching things from a cabinet and having little heart attacks when I think a patient's heart rate is a little too fast or their breathing a bit too slow. What lawyer can say that?
Sunday, September 9, 2007
8/1/07
Wow. What a day.
Not sure where to begin...so how about the beginning?
Another dental today, golden retriever with some serious mouth funk. I did my first extractions too! I got to use the drill, elevators, extractors and everything. Exciting!
I was busy with my dentals, but early on two quill dogs came in...followed right by another one. I admitted the lone dog, and it was a huge Rottweiler that weighed about double my weight and was strong as an ox....but really sweet. The other two were a German Shepard and another Rott.
Halfway through the second quill dog (the Shepard), and right after I was done with my first dental, there was a bit of a scene. The head surgery tech, after quite a while of being upset with some things at the clinic, quit in the middle of the day after a heated discussion upstairs with a doctor and the office manager. There has been a lot of changes with the way things were run (mostly before I got there, I'm not really involved), and both sides have some issues with it. I won't talk more about it since I don't think it has any pertinence on a school journal recount of my externship, but since it effects the rest of what I'm going to tell, I thought I'd mention it as it changes quite a lot in the hospital.
So, suffice to say, the rest of the day was quite stressful. Being down a person, and especially this person, put us all on double time. There rest of the day was just stressful and busy, but the quill dogs were the main event medicine-wise. The first two, who came in a pair, went down all right (it definitely took a bit of work since you can't muzzle them and no one wants to take on a Shepard and a Rottweiler in pain and unmuzzled when you poke them with sharp pointy things when they are already filled with sharp pointy things), but the third dog was a handful and a half. Since this one's quills were mostly inside the mouth, anything around there was just too painful, and we couldn't restrain without a muzzle or really even just hurting the dog. We tried leashes, pinning in the corner, but nothing worked. The dog was really good through all of this, never tried to bite, just whined and moved away too quickly for us to do anything, and we tried for a LONG time. Finally, the dog had just had it with us, and half-heartedly snapped at one of the other techs. It was nothing major, not even a real show of intent, but the poor guy had just reached his limit of us man-handling him and I can't blame him. Eventually we went back into the kennels, threaded the leash through the bars of the kennel and pulled him tight against them to give him his little sedative in the rump. It worked really well once we did that, and he didn't even flinch, just whined a bit.
Did bills in the afternoon and some go homes. What a crazy day.
Not sure where to begin...so how about the beginning?
Another dental today, golden retriever with some serious mouth funk. I did my first extractions too! I got to use the drill, elevators, extractors and everything. Exciting!
I was busy with my dentals, but early on two quill dogs came in...followed right by another one. I admitted the lone dog, and it was a huge Rottweiler that weighed about double my weight and was strong as an ox....but really sweet. The other two were a German Shepard and another Rott.
Halfway through the second quill dog (the Shepard), and right after I was done with my first dental, there was a bit of a scene. The head surgery tech, after quite a while of being upset with some things at the clinic, quit in the middle of the day after a heated discussion upstairs with a doctor and the office manager. There has been a lot of changes with the way things were run (mostly before I got there, I'm not really involved), and both sides have some issues with it. I won't talk more about it since I don't think it has any pertinence on a school journal recount of my externship, but since it effects the rest of what I'm going to tell, I thought I'd mention it as it changes quite a lot in the hospital.
So, suffice to say, the rest of the day was quite stressful. Being down a person, and especially this person, put us all on double time. There rest of the day was just stressful and busy, but the quill dogs were the main event medicine-wise. The first two, who came in a pair, went down all right (it definitely took a bit of work since you can't muzzle them and no one wants to take on a Shepard and a Rottweiler in pain and unmuzzled when you poke them with sharp pointy things when they are already filled with sharp pointy things), but the third dog was a handful and a half. Since this one's quills were mostly inside the mouth, anything around there was just too painful, and we couldn't restrain without a muzzle or really even just hurting the dog. We tried leashes, pinning in the corner, but nothing worked. The dog was really good through all of this, never tried to bite, just whined and moved away too quickly for us to do anything, and we tried for a LONG time. Finally, the dog had just had it with us, and half-heartedly snapped at one of the other techs. It was nothing major, not even a real show of intent, but the poor guy had just reached his limit of us man-handling him and I can't blame him. Eventually we went back into the kennels, threaded the leash through the bars of the kennel and pulled him tight against them to give him his little sedative in the rump. It worked really well once we did that, and he didn't even flinch, just whined a bit.
Did bills in the afternoon and some go homes. What a crazy day.
7/31/07
My last week! I'm sort of sad to be going, but I'm excited to have a week or so off before school, heh.
Did another dental today, a medium-sized dog, and then got to do a cat. I didn't do any extractions, but the mouth on the dog was horrendous. Man, doing dental work gives a whole new meaning to 'dog breath'. Phew.
Doing dentals took up most of the day for me, then in the afternoon I called the owners, did the bills, and then stayed a bit later to help out and do the go homes. I got to do everything from start to finish, putting up the pre-meds, catheters, intubating (with a little help, heh), doing the procedure, writing up the chart, calling the owner, billing, post-op meds, and then the go home appointment. I feel like I have a grasp on the whole picture now, and not just bits and pieces of them, like I did before. Good day!
Did another dental today, a medium-sized dog, and then got to do a cat. I didn't do any extractions, but the mouth on the dog was horrendous. Man, doing dental work gives a whole new meaning to 'dog breath'. Phew.
Doing dentals took up most of the day for me, then in the afternoon I called the owners, did the bills, and then stayed a bit later to help out and do the go homes. I got to do everything from start to finish, putting up the pre-meds, catheters, intubating (with a little help, heh), doing the procedure, writing up the chart, calling the owner, billing, post-op meds, and then the go home appointment. I feel like I have a grasp on the whole picture now, and not just bits and pieces of them, like I did before. Good day!
7/26/07
Last day of my 'week' here, and I'm pooped. Nothing outstanding going on, but man oh man, just a huge influx of patients. I've been drawing blood/putting catheters into everything I can stick a needle into (as one of the other techs so eloquently put it, I'm 'poking everything in site for the last two weeks'), and it's good. I feel tons better about blood draws than when I first came here, and it's sort of nice to look back even a month ago and think, wow, I'm much better at that now than I was then. Externships are wonderful for that, and I think all majors in college should have them. Maybe I would have gotten here and hated it from the moment I stepped in the door, or found out that blood makes me faint? Better to know those things now than later, when you're already half way through a degree you might not use. Very good times.
My icky story for today: Put a shepard mix up on the surgery table, prepping for a spay, and of course, the muscle relaxers in the BAG injection (which I do believe is butorphanol, acepromazine and a third one that starts with a 'g' that's an antiemetic or some sort) take effect and out comes a little chunk of poo. So, of course, being the tech that's prepping this dog, I get the fun job of taking a rubber glove and going in and getting all I can get out. Now, I've got a strong stomach, not a lot effects me, but for some reason fetching poop out of a dog's butt just makes me gag a little. I've done it before, and I can deal, but this dog was on the raw food diet, and I swear a rock eater. I've never seen poo that went 'clunk' when it landed on a metal table before.
After this spay, we started our lunch rotations. Ahh, I love my job.
My icky story for today: Put a shepard mix up on the surgery table, prepping for a spay, and of course, the muscle relaxers in the BAG injection (which I do believe is butorphanol, acepromazine and a third one that starts with a 'g' that's an antiemetic or some sort) take effect and out comes a little chunk of poo. So, of course, being the tech that's prepping this dog, I get the fun job of taking a rubber glove and going in and getting all I can get out. Now, I've got a strong stomach, not a lot effects me, but for some reason fetching poop out of a dog's butt just makes me gag a little. I've done it before, and I can deal, but this dog was on the raw food diet, and I swear a rock eater. I've never seen poo that went 'clunk' when it landed on a metal table before.
After this spay, we started our lunch rotations. Ahh, I love my job.
7/25/07
More surgery! I'm so happy to be in back again.
Had 2 CVHS dogs come in for spay/neuters. I did the usual clip and prep (I think I gave the boy a bit of razor burn, eep! I tried hard not to, but I am no whiz with the clippers) and recovered. The ECG machine and I still do not get along, but we understand each other a little better now. I'd call it an uneasy truce, but a truce nontheless. One of these days I'll get it to stop doubling the heart rate of my patients and scaring the begeezus out of me.
My big thing for today was getting a catheter into a wiggly, old, and cranky Boston Terrier by the wonderful name of 'Mr.Briggs'. I love those types of names for little dogs, and it suits this one perfectly. He's normally a very nice dog, but hates having his feet touched....and of course, he was getting a lump removed on his elbow. Putting a catheter into his dry, shriveled old veins gave me a great sense of accomplishment. I still suck at intubation, but I'm spot on with catheters (for the most part, heh). I also managed not to cut his arm off when I was shaving around his lumpectomy site. I'll make a groomer yet! Or not, heh.
Had 2 CVHS dogs come in for spay/neuters. I did the usual clip and prep (I think I gave the boy a bit of razor burn, eep! I tried hard not to, but I am no whiz with the clippers) and recovered. The ECG machine and I still do not get along, but we understand each other a little better now. I'd call it an uneasy truce, but a truce nontheless. One of these days I'll get it to stop doubling the heart rate of my patients and scaring the begeezus out of me.
My big thing for today was getting a catheter into a wiggly, old, and cranky Boston Terrier by the wonderful name of 'Mr.Briggs'. I love those types of names for little dogs, and it suits this one perfectly. He's normally a very nice dog, but hates having his feet touched....and of course, he was getting a lump removed on his elbow. Putting a catheter into his dry, shriveled old veins gave me a great sense of accomplishment. I still suck at intubation, but I'm spot on with catheters (for the most part, heh). I also managed not to cut his arm off when I was shaving around his lumpectomy site. I'll make a groomer yet! Or not, heh.
7/24/07
Back in back! (I really wanted to type 'black' there, but actually I'm in blue) Ahh, so good to be back in surgery! I felt a little rusty at first, especially because the head surgery tech came back from vacation today as well, so we were at full strength for the first time in weeks....and I wasn't running around like an idiot because they were already ahead of me, drawing up drugs, organizing things....ahh, to be fully staffed is a thing of beauty.
Not much out of the ordinary, but a very full and busy day. Had a few spays, a mass removal, and a declaw. I'm not a big fan of the declaw, and I'd encourage people to do something different if they're having issues with their cats clawing on things. I know the softpaws caps work fairly well, although their high maintenance and expensive. I personally like to make loud noises when my cats claw the furniture, but looking at the box spring in my bedroom, I'm apparently not catching them all the time. Oh well, I expect it, having cats, and I really hope that other people take that into consideration when they get one, but sometimes they don't.
Not much out of the ordinary, but a very full and busy day. Had a few spays, a mass removal, and a declaw. I'm not a big fan of the declaw, and I'd encourage people to do something different if they're having issues with their cats clawing on things. I know the softpaws caps work fairly well, although their high maintenance and expensive. I personally like to make loud noises when my cats claw the furniture, but looking at the box spring in my bedroom, I'm apparently not catching them all the time. Oh well, I expect it, having cats, and I really hope that other people take that into consideration when they get one, but sometimes they don't.
7/19/07
Good day in reception...and my last, whoo hoo! It still makes me remember why I'm not doing this anymore, and why I went back to school. I'm excited for classes to start, now that it's getting so close.
Did a lot of food orders today, which isn't really that interesting, but I spent a lot of time in the barn with all the food and got to look over a lot more of what we have and how we order it. Interesting.
A sad story happened for today, though. CVHS brought in five dogs to be euthanized, one cat.....and one very tiny little 5-6 week old kitten. Now, just that number alone makes this a sad story, as that is a lot of unwanted animals (it makes me want to slap people who just want to breed their dog to make 'cute puppies'. Cute puppies my behind, go to a shelter, people!) who have apparently turned feral (the cat had to be sedated before it was put in the carrier) and now cannot find homes, or have been turned away from their own. The saddest part of this, though, is the little baby kitten. Kittens and puppies are always sad to be euthanized, but this one was just so young, and was still adoptable...but they had no room and no one could foster it. Over the past few years, and especially this summer, I've grown to understand much more about humane euthanasia and why it is practiced....but this was such a waste. I made the mistake of going down to the basement to get some medicine, and while I was down there, I stopped and looked at the kitten. It had to be in the basement where the spare cages were because we didn't know if it was carrying anything, but it just sat there and looked at me, obviously afraid of it's surroundings but not the typical 'fearful cat'. It just sat there, looking at me with it's big, blue eyes, waiting for me to do something. I didn't open the cage and pet it, and I'm not sure if I should have looking back on it, but just the memory of that tiny, scared face will haunt me for a long time. I just want to take a picture of that kitten's face, half hidden in blankets, and paste it on walls, cars, the sides of buses and buildings, and shake people, tell them to spay and neuter their pets. Sigh. So many lost little kittens.
Did a lot of food orders today, which isn't really that interesting, but I spent a lot of time in the barn with all the food and got to look over a lot more of what we have and how we order it. Interesting.
A sad story happened for today, though. CVHS brought in five dogs to be euthanized, one cat.....and one very tiny little 5-6 week old kitten. Now, just that number alone makes this a sad story, as that is a lot of unwanted animals (it makes me want to slap people who just want to breed their dog to make 'cute puppies'. Cute puppies my behind, go to a shelter, people!) who have apparently turned feral (the cat had to be sedated before it was put in the carrier) and now cannot find homes, or have been turned away from their own. The saddest part of this, though, is the little baby kitten. Kittens and puppies are always sad to be euthanized, but this one was just so young, and was still adoptable...but they had no room and no one could foster it. Over the past few years, and especially this summer, I've grown to understand much more about humane euthanasia and why it is practiced....but this was such a waste. I made the mistake of going down to the basement to get some medicine, and while I was down there, I stopped and looked at the kitten. It had to be in the basement where the spare cages were because we didn't know if it was carrying anything, but it just sat there and looked at me, obviously afraid of it's surroundings but not the typical 'fearful cat'. It just sat there, looking at me with it's big, blue eyes, waiting for me to do something. I didn't open the cage and pet it, and I'm not sure if I should have looking back on it, but just the memory of that tiny, scared face will haunt me for a long time. I just want to take a picture of that kitten's face, half hidden in blankets, and paste it on walls, cars, the sides of buses and buildings, and shake people, tell them to spay and neuter their pets. Sigh. So many lost little kittens.
7/18/07
Second to last day of reception! The little things are fun in reception....being able to drink coffee while I work (instead of putting it down, wrestle with a dog/cat, come back for a tepid sip....), and wearing fun office clothes. Not that I don't love wearing my 'pajamas' to work every day (really, who thought up the concept of scrubs, because they are my favorite person for work wear causal), but it's the girl in me that likes pinstriped dress pants.
Brought some donuts today and got to munch on one while I was doing the morning paper shuffle (making sure we have all the files for today and they have the correct information for the client, an anesthesia consent form if its surgery, and a 'travel sheet', which is basically a huge run down of everything we offer and charge for so that the vet can highlight or circle what they want the receptionists to put into the computer for chargers. Good system, actually). Nothing like a just-made chocolate icing donut and coffee. Mmm.
In terms of medicine, not much to talk about today (that I could see). No emergency surgeries or anything really spectacular. More thunderstorm anxiety calls, though, and a rash of lost pooches from the storms. Poor things.
Brought some donuts today and got to munch on one while I was doing the morning paper shuffle (making sure we have all the files for today and they have the correct information for the client, an anesthesia consent form if its surgery, and a 'travel sheet', which is basically a huge run down of everything we offer and charge for so that the vet can highlight or circle what they want the receptionists to put into the computer for chargers. Good system, actually). Nothing like a just-made chocolate icing donut and coffee. Mmm.
In terms of medicine, not much to talk about today (that I could see). No emergency surgeries or anything really spectacular. More thunderstorm anxiety calls, though, and a rash of lost pooches from the storms. Poor things.
7/17/07
Second week of reception! I don't mind sitting and answering phones for most of the day, but I sure do miss being in surgery. I really like doing surgery work, and I'd like to get in on being a surgery tech when I get out. I'm not sure exactly what that will entail....especially since my aim is humane society work. Spay and neuter clinics? Maybe some place like BEVS would be good, too, since I really like the diversity of surgery and I think spaying and neutering would get a bit old after a while.
Nothing really too interesting in reception today except seeing a friend of mine from my old job in Stowe. Her little Jack Russell had a bit of pyoderma on his tummy and some skin irritation. Such a cute dog (for a land shark).
Nothing really too interesting in reception today except seeing a friend of mine from my old job in Stowe. Her little Jack Russell had a bit of pyoderma on his tummy and some skin irritation. Such a cute dog (for a land shark).
7/14/07
I'm a tech again! At least for today. It was sort of a slow-ish Saturday, a few vaccines, no blood draws, but lots of phone calls. I gave advice (whee!), planned rechecks, and did a bunch of tech customer service, discussing treatment options. Gave some subQ fluids to an angry blocked cat! We've had a little spate of blocked tom cats in the past few days...is there something in the air?
7/12/07
One good thing about reception is that I am strictly 8-5...and I get out mostly on time, too! I feel like a bank worker, except for the fact that I don't think they ever have people yelling at them about why we can't see their pet, yes we're sorry but we're full up and yes we understand that your pet is sick, but if it's been so sick for THREE WEEKS, maybe you should have come in sooner, maybe? Here, have the number for BEVS. Grrr. It's always the people going on vacation that have left their vomiting/diarrhea/limping/not eating/lethargic for a month dog till the night before they leave, like it's picking up that last-minute bag of charcoal. Then, of course, they get snippy with us when we're understaffed with techs, full to the gills with appointments and fit-in slots (where they come with the understanding that we'll see them....we just don't have a specific time, so they have to wait) and tech appointments. We want to help, but you gotta help us help you and not be a jackass about it. Sigh. Makes me remember why I quit being a receptionist in the first place. I'd rather wrestle with an over-eager dog any day.
On an even more frustrating side note, a kitty victim of a dog attack came in...and didn't make it. Sad, yes, but the frustrating part is that this is not the first time. These people used to have five cats. I'll give you a guess at how many they have now. Do not get cats if your dogs are cat killers! Grrr.
On an even more frustrating side note, a kitty victim of a dog attack came in...and didn't make it. Sad, yes, but the frustrating part is that this is not the first time. These people used to have five cats. I'll give you a guess at how many they have now. Do not get cats if your dogs are cat killers! Grrr.
7/11/07
My voice is back! Sort of. I could answer the phones as a marginally normal person would, but I still crack and squeak a bit. We had a lot of thunderstorm anxiety dogs coming in with all the storms moving through. Poor guys, even some that have never had an issue with them are starting to show signs. Not that I blame them, of course, all these storms would drive any pup up a wall. I spoke with a lot of clients about some things they can do to help their pooches, but I keep having to remind myself that I'm in receptionist mode, not tech mode. Can't wait to get back again!
7/10/07
First day in reception! I lost my voice last night and can't talk! Very fun!
Haha, it was actually a sort of interesting day, being a receptionist without a voice. I learned about how we fiddle with appointments, such as the criteria we ask about, how to set up the folders for incoming clients, new clients, and surgeries. I had done the scheduling part many times before, but it was good to do the rest as well.
All in all, a rather uneventful time aside from that people must wonder what sort of place they're calling when someone answers the phone in a husky whisper.
Haha, it was actually a sort of interesting day, being a receptionist without a voice. I learned about how we fiddle with appointments, such as the criteria we ask about, how to set up the folders for incoming clients, new clients, and surgeries. I had done the scheduling part many times before, but it was good to do the rest as well.
All in all, a rather uneventful time aside from that people must wonder what sort of place they're calling when someone answers the phone in a husky whisper.
7/5/07
What a day. My first full day as a surgery tech and what a disaster. We didn't get started until late, then the dog (mass removal) didn't seem to want a catheter (no veins), and then was very hard to intubate. I initially used too small of a tube, and the doctor was very nice and helpful but ended up giving me the wrong size tube (I had a bigger, but flimsier one), and so once the dog was on the table he started to wake up because he was breathing around the tube. Had to call in backup at that point, and after we got him all set up breathing-wise, we couldn't position him right. The mass was at the base of the tail on the underside, and I wanted to use tape but was outvoted....and then we ended up using tape anyhow. Frustrating. Mind you, this was all to set up a five minute surgery. So finally after I think I've just about killed this dog (heart rate, respiratory rate WAY up according to the monitors) we get him down, in and out, and I'm recovering him, trimming his toenails...and he bleeds everywhere. Longest quicks I have ever seen in a dog, and of course, had to be on this dog. At that point I gave him up as a bad job and stuck him in the kennel. Made the most horrendous sounds when he was waking up...sigh.
Next up was a cat spay...that needed to be intubated. Mid spay. On the table. Apparently its unusual to happen that the drugs don't keep them down. Figures. So, a little paranoid, I stuck close and it turns out she was pregnant. This was very cool as I got to see the doctor take out the sacks and then cut them open and see the tiny babies (about the size of a small pinky mouse, a little smaller). After we went through them one by one to make sure that they were all deceased as that would be a horrible way to wake up.
Everything else went fine after all that, did the problematic dog's go home. One of the other surgery techs, the only other one who knew what was going on, told me it was okay, that things happen and I did well. She was very supportive, especially since I wanted to throw myself out a window after all that stress.
Oh, and I diagnosed roundworms! Go parasitology!
It's a shame that I'm going to be in reception for the next two weeks, I think I learn better by jumping into the fray like that (or getting thrown into the fire, maybe). Oh well.
Next up was a cat spay...that needed to be intubated. Mid spay. On the table. Apparently its unusual to happen that the drugs don't keep them down. Figures. So, a little paranoid, I stuck close and it turns out she was pregnant. This was very cool as I got to see the doctor take out the sacks and then cut them open and see the tiny babies (about the size of a small pinky mouse, a little smaller). After we went through them one by one to make sure that they were all deceased as that would be a horrible way to wake up.
Everything else went fine after all that, did the problematic dog's go home. One of the other surgery techs, the only other one who knew what was going on, told me it was okay, that things happen and I did well. She was very supportive, especially since I wanted to throw myself out a window after all that stress.
Oh, and I diagnosed roundworms! Go parasitology!
It's a shame that I'm going to be in reception for the next two weeks, I think I learn better by jumping into the fray like that (or getting thrown into the fire, maybe). Oh well.
7/2/07
Okay day, although since I have tomorrow off, I kept looking at the clock a lot. The two main surgery techs are going on vacation after today, so Thursday should be interesting! No surgeries today, only a few dentals, so not a lot to do. Might take Murphy in for a dental if I can swing it, there was talk of a free dental, and since I'd be the one to actually do it there would be no labor lost! Just the charge for anesthesia, which is fair.
6/30/07
A rather dull Saturday. There were three of us on, two doctors, and one kennel staff. I sort of hovered, followed around to assist, or take rooms when I could, and fill prescriptions. Overall a good day, but very run-of-the-mill regular. I think it's one of those cases of 'no news is good news'! Can't complain.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
6/28/07
Good day! Interesting. A few different things happened, so I'm going to list and then elucidate.
-Did some admits and a pre-op medications. I'm feeling a bit more comfortable with admits. Today was a lot of spays and one declaw (kitten). For cats, we give metacam when they first come in, and usually use telazol or propfol to knock them down. For declaws, they'll use a ketamine/xylazine mixture.
-Helped hold dogs and give pre meds. Ran bloods (the vet test is my friend....when it doesn't freeze). Did my very first vet cyte test! Extremely simple, so much so that I wasn't sure I had done it right. You just put the sample in a hole, check the reagent, and close the door.
-I learned an important lesson today: ketamine does not make kitties happy. I have a few new scars from a 3 pound kitten to prove it. I felt so bad for her, though....she was tweaking out after she started to wake up from her anesthesia when I tried to clean up her belly (spay) and calm her down. Had to give her some acepromazine.
-Did another dental today! Scaling and polishing and then some xrays (regular ones, not dental ones). Learned how to figure out the 'heat' to use, measure the area, run the machine (the little pedal and the overhead light), and a bit about their measurement chart.
-Got snapped at by a yorkie. Ankle biter.
There were two big cases today and I'm going to go through them individually.
-First was Kayla, a 2 year old spayed female shepard mix. Came in presenting vomiting, lethargy. Admitted, took bloods, had some high creatitine, but otherwise within normal limits. X-rays revealed large amounts of gas in the intestines. Went under for exploratory and in the abdomen they found the omentum and mesentary stuck together and to the side of the body wall, twisting into knots and obstructing bowel flow. They removed some necrotic tissue, freed the intestinal loops, and closed. She was recovering when I left.
-The next case was a golden retriever, Baxter, approximately 5 years and with a history of vomiting. Came in because owner saw that the dog had eaten a tarp (found bits in vomit), and was lethargic. He came in last night and was on fluids, but no improvement. Did bloods, but I didn't get to see the levels, x-rays revealed no blockage, but they did find something a bit more interesting: strange lumps on the liver. On speaking with the owner, they elected euthanasia since dog was not improving and the lumps were thought to be possibly cancerous. Necropsy results showed large angiosarcomas on spleen and one on the heart approximately the size of a golf ball. Blood was not clotting, and the thorasic and abdominal cavities were filled with blood.
On a more personal note, while both cases were fascinating, it brings home just how lucky we all are (both animals and humans) to be healthy and alive. Both of those dogs were young, geriatrics were not a factor here. The golden was born with this, and the shepard mix probably picked it up during her spay (so says the doctors). Hopefully her thread is a bit longer than the golden's, though.
I didn't know that they had euthanized Baxter until one of my coworkers asked me to move a body and I went into the room and there he was, on a stretcher with a blanket on him in a dim room, lights off, and the sun shining down outside. I've seen a fair number of euthanasias since I started here. My first was an older lady with a very old cat. I helped hold off the vein, although that cat would not have been able to move if it wanted to as she was already on her way out, but she was just skin and bones, nothing left. I know that they are never easy, but I had to count to ten, twice, in order to not start crying along with the lady. She was funny, though, crying and laughing in that really tragic way that people have when they're sad. She said that she was crying because the cat had hated her ex-husband, and the damn cat was right about him all along. I felt for her, talking because she couldn't bear not to, telling a little ball of fluff that couldn't hear her that it was okay, it was all right, she could sleep now.
Going into that room, picking up the dog and taking it out back....only to go right back into that room to clean it for the next patient waiting in the lobby just seemed so wrong. It was a beautiful summer day, sunny and green, and that golden should have been playing out somewhere, not lying dead while I cleaned its memory out of room two.
Sigh.
Just one of those days.
---
On a different note, the necropsy was fascinating. I assisted (held the dog, basically), while Colleen was elbow deep in the rib cage. She hauled out the omentum, broke through the diaphram and took out a very bloated pericardium, which bled something fierce. After, I tried to put the intestines back in and sort of tidy up, but when the dog went back down on its side they fell out again in a lake of blood. I've heard that humans have 2 gallons of blood in their bodies, and after seeing how much came out of a dog, I can believe it. It went all over the floor in the kennels horror-movie style in a big lake. Gross, but really interesting.
-Did some admits and a pre-op medications. I'm feeling a bit more comfortable with admits. Today was a lot of spays and one declaw (kitten). For cats, we give metacam when they first come in, and usually use telazol or propfol to knock them down. For declaws, they'll use a ketamine/xylazine mixture.
-Helped hold dogs and give pre meds. Ran bloods (the vet test is my friend....when it doesn't freeze). Did my very first vet cyte test! Extremely simple, so much so that I wasn't sure I had done it right. You just put the sample in a hole, check the reagent, and close the door.
-I learned an important lesson today: ketamine does not make kitties happy. I have a few new scars from a 3 pound kitten to prove it. I felt so bad for her, though....she was tweaking out after she started to wake up from her anesthesia when I tried to clean up her belly (spay) and calm her down. Had to give her some acepromazine.
-Did another dental today! Scaling and polishing and then some xrays (regular ones, not dental ones). Learned how to figure out the 'heat' to use, measure the area, run the machine (the little pedal and the overhead light), and a bit about their measurement chart.
-Got snapped at by a yorkie. Ankle biter.
There were two big cases today and I'm going to go through them individually.
-First was Kayla, a 2 year old spayed female shepard mix. Came in presenting vomiting, lethargy. Admitted, took bloods, had some high creatitine, but otherwise within normal limits. X-rays revealed large amounts of gas in the intestines. Went under for exploratory and in the abdomen they found the omentum and mesentary stuck together and to the side of the body wall, twisting into knots and obstructing bowel flow. They removed some necrotic tissue, freed the intestinal loops, and closed. She was recovering when I left.
-The next case was a golden retriever, Baxter, approximately 5 years and with a history of vomiting. Came in because owner saw that the dog had eaten a tarp (found bits in vomit), and was lethargic. He came in last night and was on fluids, but no improvement. Did bloods, but I didn't get to see the levels, x-rays revealed no blockage, but they did find something a bit more interesting: strange lumps on the liver. On speaking with the owner, they elected euthanasia since dog was not improving and the lumps were thought to be possibly cancerous. Necropsy results showed large angiosarcomas on spleen and one on the heart approximately the size of a golf ball. Blood was not clotting, and the thorasic and abdominal cavities were filled with blood.
On a more personal note, while both cases were fascinating, it brings home just how lucky we all are (both animals and humans) to be healthy and alive. Both of those dogs were young, geriatrics were not a factor here. The golden was born with this, and the shepard mix probably picked it up during her spay (so says the doctors). Hopefully her thread is a bit longer than the golden's, though.
I didn't know that they had euthanized Baxter until one of my coworkers asked me to move a body and I went into the room and there he was, on a stretcher with a blanket on him in a dim room, lights off, and the sun shining down outside. I've seen a fair number of euthanasias since I started here. My first was an older lady with a very old cat. I helped hold off the vein, although that cat would not have been able to move if it wanted to as she was already on her way out, but she was just skin and bones, nothing left. I know that they are never easy, but I had to count to ten, twice, in order to not start crying along with the lady. She was funny, though, crying and laughing in that really tragic way that people have when they're sad. She said that she was crying because the cat had hated her ex-husband, and the damn cat was right about him all along. I felt for her, talking because she couldn't bear not to, telling a little ball of fluff that couldn't hear her that it was okay, it was all right, she could sleep now.
Going into that room, picking up the dog and taking it out back....only to go right back into that room to clean it for the next patient waiting in the lobby just seemed so wrong. It was a beautiful summer day, sunny and green, and that golden should have been playing out somewhere, not lying dead while I cleaned its memory out of room two.
Sigh.
Just one of those days.
---
On a different note, the necropsy was fascinating. I assisted (held the dog, basically), while Colleen was elbow deep in the rib cage. She hauled out the omentum, broke through the diaphram and took out a very bloated pericardium, which bled something fierce. After, I tried to put the intestines back in and sort of tidy up, but when the dog went back down on its side they fell out again in a lake of blood. I've heard that humans have 2 gallons of blood in their bodies, and after seeing how much came out of a dog, I can believe it. It went all over the floor in the kennels horror-movie style in a big lake. Gross, but really interesting.
6/27/07
Another good one, better than yesterday (felt crappy with allergies, but good work-wise).
-Didn't do any more dentals, but did do a cat neuter. It was a 'closed' castration, which means that when the scrotum is opened, the vaginal fascia is not cut into. It was again a little odd to open them up, pull out the testicle and feel it 'pop' through the membranes and fat. I used hemastats to make the knot and hold it outside so it wouldn't snap back inside.
Stayed late and did a few go homes, which was fun (er, sorta). Had one cat that was trying to eat me through the cat carrier. Charming. Helped to clean up a nasty hot spot on the neck of a cat, but other than that, it was a day filled with talking to clients and doing the neuter. Good experience.
Today at school, er, work, I did:
-Cat neuter (closed)
-Drew blood (dog, back leg)
-Hot packed
-Restrained (dog)
-Helped set up a spay
-Spoke to clients (go home and gave advice)
-Drew up and recorded drugs
-Vaccines (cat)
-Dewormed (cat)
-Gave medications (orally, IM, SQ, in both dog and cat)
-Took out a catheter
-Played with a kitten!
-Did bills.
That's it!
-Didn't do any more dentals, but did do a cat neuter. It was a 'closed' castration, which means that when the scrotum is opened, the vaginal fascia is not cut into. It was again a little odd to open them up, pull out the testicle and feel it 'pop' through the membranes and fat. I used hemastats to make the knot and hold it outside so it wouldn't snap back inside.
Stayed late and did a few go homes, which was fun (er, sorta). Had one cat that was trying to eat me through the cat carrier. Charming. Helped to clean up a nasty hot spot on the neck of a cat, but other than that, it was a day filled with talking to clients and doing the neuter. Good experience.
Today at school, er, work, I did:
-Cat neuter (closed)
-Drew blood (dog, back leg)
-Hot packed
-Restrained (dog)
-Helped set up a spay
-Spoke to clients (go home and gave advice)
-Drew up and recorded drugs
-Vaccines (cat)
-Dewormed (cat)
-Gave medications (orally, IM, SQ, in both dog and cat)
-Took out a catheter
-Played with a kitten!
-Did bills.
That's it!
6/26/07
Good day! I was the late person which is always a challenge since I walk in on things in progress. I've been trying to take the inititive and draw up meds for animals when they come in (surgery medications, not prescription refills), and get them situated. So far, so good! I'm excited to start pharmacology and toxicology next semester, I'm learning tons right now, I just need the practice.
Did my first full-on dental today, although with no extraction, which was good. I keep prying Murphy's mouth open to gauge his tartar level, which is mild at this time. It's so satisfying to know something, to learn it, and then put it into practice....and have it actually work! No stand out patients today, but I did learn how to calculate a drip rate for a dog (or cat). Neato!
Did my first full-on dental today, although with no extraction, which was good. I keep prying Murphy's mouth open to gauge his tartar level, which is mild at this time. It's so satisfying to know something, to learn it, and then put it into practice....and have it actually work! No stand out patients today, but I did learn how to calculate a drip rate for a dog (or cat). Neato!
6/23/07
Went in today a little nervous since I wasn't supposed to go in and I didn't want to, but it went well and I wanted to help out. Clipped nails, gave vaccines and got blood all right. My one big point of excitement was getting blood from a cat, of which this was only my second time. I also gave a cat a wrong vaccine, distemper instead of leukemia. I talked to the doctors and they said it was fine, but I still had a little heart attack moment. Since I was the closer, I stayed late and wrapped things, and wrapped UP things, including a very irritating phone call to a man who was convinced that I had told him his dog was heartworm positive, when in fact it was just slightly lyme positive...something that he already knew. All in all, a good, fast-paced day.
6/21/07
Slow day! Well, slow, but good. We were overstaffed by some fluke (4 techs to 1 doctor) but it was still a good day and went by rather fast. Nothing too interesting happened, but I did quite a bit on my own, which was nice. Got to leave a half and hour early, and since I usually end up staying late anyhow, I didn't feel too bad.
That's it!
That's it!
6/20/07
Another good day, although a bit stressful for the regular techs. There's a bit of interdepartmental strife, but I try to stay out of it. It's interesting on a purely outside level to watch the comments and interactions of people. Anyhow, notes!
-Max, the malamute, was euthanized today. Nothing is sadder than a 100+ pound dog lying on the floor because we couldn't find a bag big enough to fit him.
-I did a cat neuter today on my own (basically)! Exciting stuff, although I am not too fond of pulling a cat's testicles.
-Baxter, who came in a while ago with a broken leg after jumping out of a moving car, was back in today after an incident at another doctor's office. This dog has been known to be a little mouthy and not that nice to the techs, but they must have squished him in a certain way to get an xray and he came back to us coughing, breathing in a strained way and blood coming out of his nose. He was also listing a bit to one side, which made them think that he had some neurologic troubles. His xrays with us showed his lungs like cotton candy, which made the doctors say something about plural edema and something called neuroplastic edema (I think?), which was apparently some sort of bruising and fluid around the brain. We had him in for a while giving him care, and he went home with his parents at the end of the day, but it was touch and go for a while. We're still not sure he's going to make it through the night, but the people elected to take him and call BEVS if anything happened.
-Max, the malamute, was euthanized today. Nothing is sadder than a 100+ pound dog lying on the floor because we couldn't find a bag big enough to fit him.
-I did a cat neuter today on my own (basically)! Exciting stuff, although I am not too fond of pulling a cat's testicles.
-Baxter, who came in a while ago with a broken leg after jumping out of a moving car, was back in today after an incident at another doctor's office. This dog has been known to be a little mouthy and not that nice to the techs, but they must have squished him in a certain way to get an xray and he came back to us coughing, breathing in a strained way and blood coming out of his nose. He was also listing a bit to one side, which made them think that he had some neurologic troubles. His xrays with us showed his lungs like cotton candy, which made the doctors say something about plural edema and something called neuroplastic edema (I think?), which was apparently some sort of bruising and fluid around the brain. We had him in for a while giving him care, and he went home with his parents at the end of the day, but it was touch and go for a while. We're still not sure he's going to make it through the night, but the people elected to take him and call BEVS if anything happened.
6/19/07
Pretty good day, it was busy and interesting. We had 2 guinea pig neuters, and one of them had these nasty masses in it's neck. We took 3 out and they were little masses of pus. Ewwwww. Had to put them down in a anesthesia box and then mask them. Neat!
Sadly, something I've been dreading happened today: I fell in love. 2 humane society dogs came in for neuters, Harley and Dakota, and while they evidently had too much coffee on the ride over, they were both complete sweethearts. I wanted to take them both home, and I kept just walking past them and making sad faces...I don't think my landlords would appreciate two spastic dogs in my small little apartment. I'm sure Murphy wouldn't mind, though (the cats, on the other hand....). I just hope they go somewhere nice.
-Guinea pig neuters were spiffy! Not a pet I'd want, though.
-Did some estimates today. Hope I got them right!
-Max, the big fluffy malamute with kidney troubles, is coming in tomorrow for a creatinine level. -Getting better at packs. I think.
Sadly, something I've been dreading happened today: I fell in love. 2 humane society dogs came in for neuters, Harley and Dakota, and while they evidently had too much coffee on the ride over, they were both complete sweethearts. I wanted to take them both home, and I kept just walking past them and making sad faces...I don't think my landlords would appreciate two spastic dogs in my small little apartment. I'm sure Murphy wouldn't mind, though (the cats, on the other hand....). I just hope they go somewhere nice.
-Guinea pig neuters were spiffy! Not a pet I'd want, though.
-Did some estimates today. Hope I got them right!
-Max, the big fluffy malamute with kidney troubles, is coming in tomorrow for a creatinine level. -Getting better at packs. I think.
6/16/07
Good day! Very satisfying.
My first time as a full tech and it went well. I took bloods, roomed clients, gave vaccines, put up meds, and learned how to board clients (no, not with bad stories, heh). I even brought in Murphy for a few minutes and he was well behaved.
-Met an 18 year old cat! 4.45 pounds and high creatinine.
-Also met a 22 pound cat. Yowza! Luckily he was a doll, I don't fancy wrestling something that big with that many sharp points.
Short but sweet!
My first time as a full tech and it went well. I took bloods, roomed clients, gave vaccines, put up meds, and learned how to board clients (no, not with bad stories, heh). I even brought in Murphy for a few minutes and he was well behaved.
-Met an 18 year old cat! 4.45 pounds and high creatinine.
-Also met a 22 pound cat. Yowza! Luckily he was a doll, I don't fancy wrestling something that big with that many sharp points.
Short but sweet!
6/13/07
Lousy day. Felt out of place all day, and everyone was in a bad mood. I can only hope tomorrow is better!
-Leg amputation! I got to watch most of this (at least in between clients and helping the other techs. It's nice to be in surgery!) and got to see her use the mallet and the osteotome! Man, they really do just smack it.
-Helped with an xray for the female rat poison dog, who is now dubbed 'June'. Very sweet dog, and really hyper now! She's doing well, and has some very nice, very responsible owners. Lucky dog.
-There was a lot of death today. A husky died in the kennels after receiving the pre-euth cocktail (a mix of sedatives to relax them), and appointment died before it even got to the clinic, a 3-legged patient that was previously in died, and Jake, the little golden puppy with seizures, died after another seizure.
-Another pancreatitis and pyelonephritis case came in. This is the...third?
-Learned about the creation of billing and how to charge for fluids, hospitalization fees.
-Slow surgery day.
-Blah. Tomorrow is another day.
-Leg amputation! I got to watch most of this (at least in between clients and helping the other techs. It's nice to be in surgery!) and got to see her use the mallet and the osteotome! Man, they really do just smack it.
-Helped with an xray for the female rat poison dog, who is now dubbed 'June'. Very sweet dog, and really hyper now! She's doing well, and has some very nice, very responsible owners. Lucky dog.
-There was a lot of death today. A husky died in the kennels after receiving the pre-euth cocktail (a mix of sedatives to relax them), and appointment died before it even got to the clinic, a 3-legged patient that was previously in died, and Jake, the little golden puppy with seizures, died after another seizure.
-Another pancreatitis and pyelonephritis case came in. This is the...third?
-Learned about the creation of billing and how to charge for fluids, hospitalization fees.
-Slow surgery day.
-Blah. Tomorrow is another day.
6/12/07
I hate coming in at 9. I miss half the morning! That extra hour is sure nice though. Bit of tension brewing today, but I keep my head down since I'm not really part of the full-time staff. I don't get into it much or have much to say, but just being around I can tell what's going on. A lot of shifting towards the corporate view and not everyone is behind that.
Anyhow!
-Did my first dental today! Well, sort of. I learned the different heads to use to clean (perio, beaver and a 'regular' head), how to used them and what setting the water should be at, such as enough to saturate and cool, but not too much to drown and too little to burn. Very interesting though! Did it on a giant dog, a great pyrenese. I cleaned, then scaled to get off all the tarter (used some extractors/rongueres to crack off the tartar-cool!) then polished. Clean mouth for the most part. Was taught to look up under the gums for tartar, but will get more into it later (there wasn't much there to find on this dog).
-getting used to using the vet test machine.
-Jake, a little golden retriever pup, came in with basically ADR symptoms and seizures. Sounds like it's stress induced, but it seems to be getting worse. Put him on a heavy dose of morphine and phenobarbitol and will see how he does.
-Willow, a little old and frail yorkie, came in with renal failure. She's the epitome of a lap dog and will try to launch her self out of the cage to get into someone's arms, crazy dog. She also makes the most ungodly sounds if you leave her alone, like someone skinning a wallaby and trying to strangle it at the same time. I learned the importance of placing a catheter correctly on different sized dogs, though, since her's kept crimping in her short little toy-dog legs. Had to eventually put a splint on her.
-'Lady' the very male cat was boarding. Friendly kitty, if horribly named. Tried to eat a dog through the cage door, though.
-Max went home! Doing better, but still not great. I bet we'll see him soon, sadly.
-The two strays with the sickly sweet smell and lethargic tendancies had rat poison poisoning, and the boy died. His chest was filled with blood, but the girl is doing all right.
-Did my first go home appointment!
-Had a big fluffy spaniel come in with pancreatitis. Just on regular treatment right now, but he's kind of a spaz. Guess that has to do with him being a spaniel.
-Daisy, one of the owner's dogs, is still there (she's been sort of living there while they do work on their house). Nice dog, but man, she hates other dogs! Makes juggling kennels interesting.
Anyhow!
-Did my first dental today! Well, sort of. I learned the different heads to use to clean (perio, beaver and a 'regular' head), how to used them and what setting the water should be at, such as enough to saturate and cool, but not too much to drown and too little to burn. Very interesting though! Did it on a giant dog, a great pyrenese. I cleaned, then scaled to get off all the tarter (used some extractors/rongueres to crack off the tartar-cool!) then polished. Clean mouth for the most part. Was taught to look up under the gums for tartar, but will get more into it later (there wasn't much there to find on this dog).
-getting used to using the vet test machine.
-Jake, a little golden retriever pup, came in with basically ADR symptoms and seizures. Sounds like it's stress induced, but it seems to be getting worse. Put him on a heavy dose of morphine and phenobarbitol and will see how he does.
-Willow, a little old and frail yorkie, came in with renal failure. She's the epitome of a lap dog and will try to launch her self out of the cage to get into someone's arms, crazy dog. She also makes the most ungodly sounds if you leave her alone, like someone skinning a wallaby and trying to strangle it at the same time. I learned the importance of placing a catheter correctly on different sized dogs, though, since her's kept crimping in her short little toy-dog legs. Had to eventually put a splint on her.
-'Lady' the very male cat was boarding. Friendly kitty, if horribly named. Tried to eat a dog through the cage door, though.
-Max went home! Doing better, but still not great. I bet we'll see him soon, sadly.
-The two strays with the sickly sweet smell and lethargic tendancies had rat poison poisoning, and the boy died. His chest was filled with blood, but the girl is doing all right.
-Did my first go home appointment!
-Had a big fluffy spaniel come in with pancreatitis. Just on regular treatment right now, but he's kind of a spaz. Guess that has to do with him being a spaniel.
-Daisy, one of the owner's dogs, is still there (she's been sort of living there while they do work on their house). Nice dog, but man, she hates other dogs! Makes juggling kennels interesting.
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