A Vet's life....

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Hello Again
well my first day was a complete mixture of emotions at the vets. I was thrown in at the deep end - which I loved. I was assisting with Ops before I was even introduced to anyone, they appeared to have a real staff shortage. Although I must admit that the responsibility felt a little daunting. We performed a total of 12 minor operations, undertook a tummy scan on a lovely fluffy ferrel cat that could not keep any food down, patched up a rat that had decided to nibble open her stiches from a previous op, investigated possible fungi infections in the lab and carried out an x-ray on a large doberman....all in a mornings work and I was loving it.

But then came a side of being a vet I could not bring myself to cope with.

Firstly we were asked to carry out a 'cosmetic op' on a lovely old dog called Bruno in order to remove some harmless lumps under his skin. I could not believe that people could be so vain about their pet that they were prepared to put him through a risky anaesthetic....but managed to keep my opinion to myself....I was there to learn not judge after all.

Then, a tiny, tiny kitten needed a drip fitting to get some fluids into him. The vets attempted to get the huge needle into one tiny paw and then the other while I was asked to hold the shaking screaming thing down. He was in so much distress. The vet did not manage to get any fluids in through the paws so decided to insert the drip directly into the back leg muscles. I have never heard such a tiny creature scream out so much in pain...it was heartbreaking and I was shaking just as much as the tiny kitten. There was blood everywhere.
Now I understand that the kitten needed the treatment, but it all felt so cold and heartless, no time was taken to try and calm the kitten in any way and I was asked to put him straight back in his holding pen. The vets did finally noticed that I was shaking like a leaf and asked me to go and sit down for a few minutes. I kept the kitten with me and he was actually purring. Animals are amazing I had held him down, helped cause him pain and he stilled purred in my arms grateful for his ordeal to be over......

I arrived home later that day and was still in two minds as to wether I could cope with any more incidences like these. A very nasty nightmare that night with me walking up screaming and with a bloody lip that I had bitten in my sleep decided for me that I could not bring myself to cope with causing an animal pain.

I firmly believe that nature has its own way and in the wild I would not dream of interfearing with an animal unless a human had caused the animal harm or distress in the first place......being a vet for peoples pets is not for me.
But I'm very grateful for having the experience and perhaps feel a step closer to what I could do with the rest of my life.........
PS.: Bruno made it through the anaesthetic unscaved and I called the next day to check on the kitten and he is drinking by himself although still very poorly - fingers crossed he makes it.......

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