It’s summer in my part of the world and whew, it’s hot out there! Our pets are susceptible to heat stroke the same way we are when it’s hot out, which can be fatal if not caught and treated immediately (and even if it is, will often result in a lengthy vet stay). Read on to learn more about how to protect your pets from the heat.
[Examining urine and feces under the microscope is a huge (if gross) part of my job. It’s important to figure out whether Fluffy is peeing outside the box because they’re angry, or because they’ve got an infection!]
I love the smell of cat pee in the morning…said no one ever. Feline inappropriate elimination (peeing and pooping outside the box) is one of the number-one reasons we see cats at the vet. There are a few things which may cause Fluffy to mistake your linen cupboard for the great outdoors — read on for a quick overview of what might be behind your kitty’s toileting issues (and what we can do to help!)
[My beautiful senior Rupert, whose massive size didn’t stop him from trying to cram himself into the smallest beds possible. Padding (and a sweater for old, cold bones) helped a little.]
As the standard of pet care and the knowledge of veterinary medicine both grow with leaps and bounds, we’re seeing pets begin to live longer and longer lives. Our sweet seniors are no different than people as they age; the organic machinery of bodies begins to wear out and break down no matter how hard we work at supporting and repairing what we can. The golden years of our pets can be an uncertain time and one full of hard decisions, but it can also be some of the best times of our lives together — and a time when you can give back to your best friend all that they’ve given to you. As Cicero wrote, “Old age: the crown of life, our play’s last act.”
Appropriate pain control after this little kitten’s chest surgery meant a quick start on physical therapy and a fast return to health!
There’s a running joke in veterinary medicine that our job is harder than human medicine for two reasons, one: that we’re required to treat more than one species and two: that our patients can’t talk to us. While I have no interest in restarting the ‘who has it worse’ argument (especially with close family members who work in human medicine!) I do want to address one of the most difficult parts of veterinary medicine: the where does it hurt conundrum. How do you identify and treat pain in an animal which can’t tell you how much pain it’s in or even why?
[No one, least of all the pet, likes the Cone of Shame. But it’s necessary…and up to you to make sure your pet keeps it on]
A common conversational topic among any group of veterinary personnel in any setting – work, conferences, even dinner – is clients. It makes sense. Although our work is nominally all about the animals it’s nearly impossible to have an animal without a client attached. A huge part of my job as a technician is interacting with clients in a variety of circumstances, good and bad. I take an initial history when you come in for an exam, discuss estimates for care, review medications and some test results, discuss homecare, and generally act as a resource and go-between for you and your veterinarian. I understand that our experiences together are not always easy; we see you during the panicked and stressful times of emergency, during financial hardship, family troubles, and at the end of your beloved pet’s life no matter when that time comes. I will never judge your sadness, your anxiety, your frustration. My job is to advocate for your pet. But with that said, there is one thing that comes up again and again in discussions, one thing that I hope all clients can keep in the back of their minds as they interact with their local vet services…
Hello, and welcome to Stethoscopes and Sunsets, a blog focusing on creative nonfiction and essays about life as a veterinary technician and my work with animals both on and off the job. The perspective of a vet tech is a unique one; our job is vital to the running of the hospital and comes with huge responsibility, yet is often overlooked as the clients deal mainly with the veterinarian and all too frequently brush us off as “just the tech.”
I want to change this. I want to shed light on an underappreciated profession and, more than that, I want to offer a new view on life in veterinary medicine. In these days of frequent misinformation and the dreaded Doctor Google, I want to educate and foster the trust between clients and their veterinary teams. I would like to humanize the faces behind the surgical masks, and speak honestly about not just the great joy that comes with animal medicine, but also the great pain. Our profession is a roller coaster, and I’d like to take you along on the ride.
Sunsets and Stethoscopes will update every Wednesday, alternating between educational essays and creative nonfiction about my life in vet med, my experiences volunteering with veterinary charities both in Canada and overseas, and the animals and humans who have touched my life.
So to kick us off…
“What Isn’t A Veterinary Technician” — in which we discuss the myriad ways your vet tech contributes to your pet’s care