I am starting to feel more and more like Dr. Doolittle each day I work at the Animal Hospital. It is really cool working with the animals – each one has a different personality and you find yourself developing relationships with them before it’s their time to go home.
This week has been so interesting and I have been able to see and learn so much.
I have helped with holding down the animals while anesthetic is being administered, monitoring levels during surgery, taking temperatures (use your imagination), preparing some blood smears, polishing teeth, helping with an x-ray… pretty much everything.
The first morning we witnessed a surgery in which a large fatty lump was removed from the side of a dogs belly. Louise, the owner of the hospital and the Veterinarian who was doing the surgery, asked Ian and I if we had eaten that morning. Apparently if you have something in your stomach, you will be less likely to feel sick witnessing the surgery. I admit that I was a little bit queasy going into it not too sure what to expect, though I was fine and it was amazing to see the lump being removed.
The precision that it requires to be a surgeon is quite impressive and I wonder about the sense of responsibility they must feel going into each surgery. It’s incredible how similar surgery is to that of humans. For the record, I am basing this judgment solely on what I have seen on TV, though I can imagine that it would be quite similar to this.
Everyone at the clinic has been really great to us. They have allowed me to learn about all the different aspects of the job, and really get in there and try everything out.
One thing I have learned is about the importance of taking care of your animals teeth, as a lot of other complications can surface as a result – there is your Vet tip of the day!
-Sean