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| Dog with a "cherry eye" |
They are all part of a "routine" day in the life of a veterinarian.
It's true. No day is like any other. I suppose that's why we like it. Each day presents its own challenge. We never know what is going to walk in the door.
Funny enough - and you wouldn't believe me unless you worked in this field - we see things in groups.
Yesterday, I had a string of appointments of limping dogs - everything from a puppy with a swollen front leg that turned out to be caused by Lyme, to an older dog with a sore upper front leg (that for now, thankfully, is NOT bone cancer) to a dog that jumped off a deck and dislocated his hip.
Today the theme of the afternoon was ophthalmology - everything from a dog with cherry eye (a prolapsed gland in the corner of a dog's eye) to a dog with glaucoma (eye pressure that should read <25mmHg was reading >70!!!). And there were a few other "eye" problems in there too.
It is very weird but any vet or tech can tell you that we see things in groups of 3 or more in a few short days - cats with urethral obstructions and dogs that ate "foreign" things and need surgery. The list goes on.
Ahh but that's not the only "challenge." The other end of the pet..ie, the owner..can present it's own set of unique challenges. These include but are NOT limited to: not showing up on time, not showing up AT all, showing up with more pets than the appointment was set up for, not believing you because you are not Doctor "X" or because you don't have a penis (haha..no..I am NOT kidding),giving the technician and doctor completely different and often contrary history on the patient (yeah he vomited..no, he's not vomiting/can we get vaccines today?), not understanding the costs or medical situation DESPITE a lengthy explanation, grief over the loss or illness of a pet and family disagreements in the exam room about how to proceed with the pet.
loved the insight into your day Christine
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