Pawcurious Vet Blog: With Pet Blogger and Veterinarian Dr. V

Hour 8: All nighters versus school of hard knocks

I’m trying to recall the last time I pulled an all-nighter. It was the night before an anesthesia test, if I recall correctly. I was sitting on the couch with a stack of cards trying desperately to remember the effects on the respiratory system of propofol versus ket-val.I remembered it for a while, kind of.

We spend a ridiculous amount of time in vet school memorizing facts, but there is nothing- and I do mean nothing- like experience to drive that point home.

For example: We are taught that when you anesthetize a patient, they should have an intravenous catheter. They just should. There are too many things on that chart of stuff I had to memorize that can go wrong, and if they do you want quick access to the veins to try and fix it.

You learn this, and say OK, then you get out into the real world and perhaps you have a boss who scoffs at this idea. Too expensive! he says, and hands you a syringe with some drugs in it. He offered the owners a catheter, after all, and they said no. He tried and that is all he can do.

There are choices. You can say no, I’m not comfortable with that, and walk away. Or you can do it.

Either way you’ll learn something. One way you find out your limits- and that of your boss. The other way, you learn that propoflo does indeed cause significant respiratory depression, which could perhaps cause arrest when given too fast. And then when the blood pressure plummets and you can’t get a catheter in, your boss will be certain to blame you for screwing up although it was his crummy protocol that made it happen in the first place.

This happened to me one night early in my career. I chose route number one. My colleague, 2 months out of vet school and too needful of a job to say anything, took route 2. She learned lotsandlotsandlots that night.

The dog survived. She quit a month later.

Hour seven: Giveaway!

Oh no! It’s midnight.
Good God, what was I thinking?
So much more to go.

In the depths of the night, I resort to haiku.

I need more coffee
If I am to have a shot
At staying awake.

I have a bag of treats from Biscuits By Lambchop for the first comment in haiku. (If you donated. )

About Biscuits by Lambchop:

Biscuits by Lambchop hand-craft sensible treats for the sensitive dog.   A healthy treat for most any dog but formulated with special dietary needs in mind.  They are free of gluten, eggs, dairy, animal proteins, corn, rice, soy, nuts and preservatives, the most common sources of canine food allergies, but are also nutritious and delicious!

With all natural ingredients, a unique blend of organic bean flours, fresh fruits and local greenmarket additions, your dogs will be begging you not to eat them yourselves!  Proudly made with love in the USA.

Hour Six: The weirdest job ever

The thrill of live tv, as it were. I had this post written in its entirety, and then published an old autosave that lost the entire second half. This was supposed to be my hour 5 story.

One of my requests was for me to continue the background story about going to veterinary school, which I started, did one post, and then never got around to finishing. I’m sure doing it in this context won’t do the story much justice- I could write for quite some time on this one- but it will do.

After I graduated from college, I thought that maybe I was going to apply to vet school. Having missed the deadline for the year, I found myself with a year off and in need of a job. Theoretically, I should have been working in a veterinary clinic, but having a flimsy amount of experience made me a crummy candidate. So I looked elsewhere.

I found a couple of jobs on Monster, which was the only way to go in those days. The first job was to be a receptionist at a financial planning firm. I fibbed a teeny bit and said I was interested in expanding my horizons by learning about finance. I actually hate finance.

The second job was to assist an MD who was conducting clinical trials with the trial paperwork. Done!

(Looks around. Kids are asleep, yes? OK. We can go PG-13 now.)

The first day on the job, my boss took me into his office and clarified the position. He was a urologist who specialized in male sexual dysfunction. He was in the final phase trials of a promising new drug, he said, then uttered the word soon to known the world over: “Viagra.”

My job was to talk to potential trial participants over the phone and do a phone screen. Word travels fast in the impotence circles, it seems, and every randy old gent over the age of 70 wanted in on this miracle pill.

This was a revolution. Before this, all that was available was an injection- ouch- or an implant- ouch ouch. It was huge news. Newsmagazines were in the office on a regular basis to interview my boss, with me in the background holding folders strategically up to my face so as to avoid my grandmother seeing me on 20/20 on a segment about the “miracle sex pill.”

The phone screening process was both illuminating and horrifying. People would tell you things, oh, the things they would tell, such things as one never ever wanted to know. Information that I did not need, despite asking a long laundry list of intrusive questions.

That was quite a year. Someday if we meet over a beer I can tell you about the protractor study. Needless to say I am glad I didn’t take job number one.

I was almost sad when I got into vet school. But not really.

To be continued…

Hour Five: By request: ER dos and don’ts

I’ve alluded to the fact that I worked in a veterinary ER for a year or two. I learned a few things, namely, that I’m not cut out for emergency medicine. I vaguely remember a few things: the frenetic pace, the adrenaline rush of a HBC (that’s hit by car for the non-vets), the sleep deprivation. I’m much better suited for day practice.

Another thing I remember are the calls. Man, you think manning the phones at a regular clinic is a challenge, try doing it in an ER. Receptionists become masters of phone triage, attempting to help owners triangulate the course of their pet’s symptoms and decide just how important is it to get to the hospital stat.

Fortunately for me, when someone requested a summary of the most common of those ER calls and when one should or should not head in, Dr. Baebler stepped up and offered to help a day doc out. She’s much more current on that stuff than I am. So without further ado, allow to to present an excellent guest post while I recover from the stress the last hour. It’s so chock full of must-know tips I broke it up into 2 parts.

PART 1: MAKING THE BEST OF YOUR ER VISIT

1. Staff can’t give medical advice over the phone

We often get calls to our ER: “Hi, my precious Fluffy has been doing XXX for XXX amount of time. What can I do for her at home? Should I bring her in? I don’t really have the money to bring her in and wanted you to tell me exactly what I can do for her at home??”

These calls are frustrating. Most of the time my staff and I cannot legally tell you it would be OK to wait until the morning or that doing XX at home will save your animal’s life. For a veterinarian to make an “official” recommendation, there has to be a “Valid Client-Patient Relationship” in place. That means the veterinarian making the recommendations needs to have examined your animal and met and spoken with you as the owner to be able to legally recommend treatment.

Most of the time if you call an ER clinic asking for advice, our hands will be tied and we will recommend you come in for an exam. There are very few exceptions to this rule. Along the same lines, we cannot recommend giving new medications, changing medications, or recommend over-the-counter medications to an animal we have never seen. Most ER clinics are not affiliated with the day practices they service, and we do not have access to their medical records.

2. Call ahead!

Even if you read through the following list and know you are bringing your animal into the ER, it helps us out a LOT to know that you’re on your way, especially if your animal is critically ill. That way, we can be ready for you when you get to the clinic. Obviously, if your dog is choking and you can’t find the ER number (a good reason to do your homework and have it on your refrigerator with your other emergency contacts) by all means, get your pet in as soon as possible.

3. Have your pet leashed or in a carrier.

I can’t tell you how many times people bring their cat in wrapped in just a towel, or are holding doggie Foo Foo in their lap with out a leash, snarling and trying to eat my fingers off. It is always safer for you to have your pet under control, especially when they are going to a place where they will be around a lot of other sick animals and stressed out people.

4. Be prepared to have the ER staff ask to take your pet to the treatment area for triage.

Please know when we do this, we’re not trying to steal your animal away or charge you money for things without your consent. A lot of times animals in ER clinics are very sick or scared or both, and it is easier and safer for us, yourself and your pet for us to evaluate them in our back area. There, I can attend to wounds quickly, go through an uninterrupted physical exam without distractions, and begin emergency life support if necessary. If we can (at least at my ER clinic), we return stable animals to their owners to await the consultation with the doctor.

You always have the right to inquire about the status of your pet, and you have the right to wait with your pet to have a physical exam performed in your presence. It usually takes a lot longer to do this, though, and if there is something more serious going on, it may not be attended to as quickly.

Dr. Baebler is an ER/exotic pet veterinarian in the Chicago area. She been practicing medicine for 2 1/2 years now, and completed a specialized internship in exotic pet medicine. In her emergency practice she sees dogs, cats, and most small exotic pets, including birds, rabbits, ferrets, and non-venomous reptiles.

Hour Four: The aftermath

It really wasn’t that bad. Truly. I was shocked- it kind of smelled like refried beans, which is what I told myself as I ate it. FWIW the brand was Evanger’s. I did a test run of a different brand of vegetarian dog food earlier this week and
it was quite a bit grosser.

Someone asked me during chat what I thought about vegetarian diets for pets. Obviously I’m glad they exist, because otherwise I would have had to eat something much more horrific, but I have been known to recommend it at times for dogs.

Cats shouldn’t be on a vegetarian food. They are carnivores. They are made to metabolize meat.

Dogs, on the other hand, can do OK with a vegetarian diet. It can be a godsend to people whose dogs have food allergies, depending on what they are allergic to. I used it for Mulan, a senior dog with renal disease and food allergies that precluded use of the prescription renal diets.

I think people who choose to become vegetarian themselves for whatever reason are pretty awesome, but I don’t know that I would recommend that a vegetarian diet be imposed for ethical reasons on a dog who has no ethical concerns whatsoever with their food sources. I don’t think it’s a huge problem if the food is still balanced, but the diets I’ve seen have been lower in protein than other over the counter diets (which is why it was great for a renal failure dog.)

Thoughts?

Hour Three- The dreaded dog food post cometh.

Got to get it over with.

It should be up and going within the hour.

We had an amazing chat with Ana, hosted by Annette. Thank you again! I will try to do it one more time in the morning sometime.

Right now I am posting to check out the placement of the donation badge in the post. Both Dr. Janet and my husband have put in a ridiculous amount of time helping with behind the scenes stuff and I owe them hugely.

Normally I would be doing test posting behind the scenes but the rules are different today! We’re CrAaZy here!

OK, I think it is safe to say I am officially procrastinating now.

I will be putting the kids to bed, setting up Ustream, and eating some dog food in a few.

Hour 2: Heart dogs

Every pet that enters our lives has a special place in our hearts, without a doubt. I can rattle off the list of the menagerie I’ve lived with and tell you stories for hours. But within that hierarchy, there is always that one special one- your heart dog (or cat or horse…), as Dr. Crosby has so aptly described it. The one who really taught you what this whole pet-having-thing is all about.

I can talk about all my departed pets with a smile and a wistful remembrance. But when you ask about my heart dog, there’s a pause first. The pause where I stumble into that little hole that time refuses to entirely fill back up. I pause, let the twinge of grief roll over me, then tell you about Emmett. I speak about him a little more briefly than I do my other pets, if you happen to notice- because I can’t get through everything I want to say about him without tearing up, even now, months later.

I wish I knew exactly what it was that makes a dog a heart dog as opposed to a dog you love a whole lot. Shared experience? Similar personality? A particular understanding that goes deeper than the usual personality descriptors? I don’t know how it happens or why, but I know it when I see it. And I know when so many of you responded in past posts on the topic that many of you know exactly what I’m talking about.

Meet Bailey, beloved heart dog of Lisa and the inspiration for this post:

Beautiful, isn’t she?

Bailey left in July after a brief and intense struggle with a mast cell tumor. Lisa and I have a lot in common. She writes:

“My beautiful girl and I had 12 1/2 years together. We went through so much, both good and bad, during that time. Although her 2-year-old “sister” Sophie is still with us, and we have adopted a new puppy, no one can ease the pain of her loss for me. I asked her to help me pick out the new pup so that we would have a “people dog” like she was, and I think she did a great job. But I still cry for her and there is a hole in my heart that will never be filled.

I hope that time will help to ease the pain of her loss. And I hope that I will see her again some day. The  memory of her loving, soulful eyes, her soft chocolate fur, and the absolute and total love that we felt for each other is indeed precious, and I know that those memories will someday take precedence over the sad ones. I write letters to her and talk to her regularly, and will love her forever.”

Hold onto your hankies, guys. Want to see a heart dog connection captured perfectly?

No need for words to get what that picture is saying.

Lisa posed the question, “How do you get over that kind of loss?” and I said I would be happy to address it. Then I realized I don’t have any idea, seeing as I am still kind of coming to terms with my loss myself. I am so glad I had this blog when I was going through my experience with Emmett, because otherwise it would have felt so lonely. There’s only so much your friends can listen to you talk about your dog’s chemo and how you can’t bring yourself to throw away the dog dish before they start changing the topic on you.

For me, sharing, and having other people respond was more helpful than anything else. I know I’ve done it once before, but it’s worth doing again- I’ll open it to the floor. Who was your heart pet? What helped you come to terms with their loss (if they are no longer with you.) I’m not going anywhere, I might as well get to know all of you better, right?

And to start: Lisa, my heart ached for you reading your every word. It’s evident how much Bailey is missed. Thank you for sharing her with us.

Dedicated to Bailey- puppy heart, soul mate, kind soul, sorely missed.

HOUR ONE: Here We Go!

And 10 minutes early to boot.

Welcome to the Inaugural Pawcurious 24 Hour Blogathon! Over the next 24 hours, I will be posting once an hour (or thereabouts) on a variety of pet related topics. I’m doing this in support of National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week, and I’m working for donations for the San Diego Humane Society and SPCA.

The idea came about from Romeo The Cat, who issued a challenge for everyone to do something for their shelter this week. I have a general idea of things to talk about, though I don’t have 24 ideas so I am open to suggestions. You can submit them to drv@pawcurious.com, comment on a blog post, or post them on Twitter to @pawcurious.

You can donate by clicking on the Brody pic:

So without further ado, please join me in welcoming Ana Cilursu from the Humane Society of Atlantic County and Annette Frey of Biscuits by Lambchop as we talk about- well, lots of stuff!

Blogathon Events

6 pm EST- kickoff chat with Dr. V, Annette of Biscuits By Lambchop and Ana Cilursu of the Humane Society of Atlantic County. We will be talking about temperament testing, the role of the community in shelter support, and common misperceptions about shelter animals. As well as whatever you want to talk about!

The dog food eating thing. I don’t know. I still have to decide when I’m going to do that- probably tonight after the kids are in bed. My understanding is that the UStream software archives these things so don’t worry, if you’re out on Friday having a life you can still see it the next day. I am not promising to finish a can. But I will eat what I can. It’s not live yet but I’ll post when it is.

Remember my braver conspirator over at Cumberland Valley Animal Hospital will be following my meager effort up tomorrow on her own channel with eating twice what I do. She has generously offered to let me select a flavor from a list- how about one of the RC diets? (Those are the ones we carry.)

You can ask me questions- any questions you want- on the blog, on Twitter (@pawcurious) or via e-mail: drv@pawcurious.com. I’ll pick some questions to answer during the blogathon.

Prizes will be given randomly and on various conditions depending on my mood. I may ask trivia, narcissistic questions about me, or demand poetry. You never know what will happen when I get no sleep.

The must see blogging event of the year details!

OK, maybe that is a wee bit of hyperbole, but I’m not Pioneer Woman here, OK? I can’t just post a picture of a cow and get 500 responses, or be dooce posting a picture of a pillow with 800 gushing responses. I’m still in the promotional phase here.

Speaking of hyperbole-

OK. Onto important details:

INAUGURAL PAWCURIOUS BLOGATHON SUPPORTING NATIONAL ANIMAL SHELTER APPRECIATION WEEK

1. START TIME: Friday at 6 pm PST. 1 post hourly until 5 pm on Saturday.

2. Topics: All sorts of stuff. Requests are being accepted now. Requests accompanied by a pledge offer should said post be made are even better.

3. PRIZES! I have some fantastic prizes for people, but only for people who make a donation. If you don’t donate and claim a prize, I can’t exactly verify this since the pledges are going through a third party, but trust me, karma will catch up with you.

4. Donation amount: Anything! (The site lists a minimum donation but ignore it.)

5. HUMILIATIONS GALORE: I am going to attempt to eat a can of dog food. I was put up to this. I would not volunteer for this. I am incredibly squeamish about food and I have a very strong gag reflex. I went to college for 8 years to not have to do stuff like this.

I am willing to document this attempt live via webcam IF and ONLY if this nets my shelter at least $50 in pledges for a successful go. That works out to about $2 a bite. Seriously, if you offered me $50 to eat a can of dog food just because, I’d laugh at you. That is a total deal.

To sweeten the deal, Susan at Cumberland Valley Animal Hospital has agreed to double down on me, 2 bites for every one of mine. And she’s letting me pick the flavor. This is crazy, I tell you. CRAZY! She has no fear!

You can make a pledge now in the comments. You don’t have to donate yet. I’m just deciding whether to do it, and for ten measly bucks, no way.

6. Live chat kickoff! At 6pm, we’ll have a live chat going on to kick off the festivities. All are welcome! Biscuits by Lambchop (one of our prize sponsors) will be moderating. (It’s supposed to say page unavailable right now.)

7. Put me up to something! That is how we ended up with (5.) Want me to shave Brody? Dye your business name into his fur? Give you my cell for 24 hour availability for vet questions? Let’s talk.

Blogathon 09!

OK. I’m doing it. This is nerve wracking. I have no idea how I’m going to stay coherent for 24 hours straight! But it’s for the animals, it’s all for the animals, right?

So here’s the deal:
I chose a local shelter to fundraise for, the San Diego Humane Society and SPCA. Starting Friday at 6 pm, I will make one post an hour until Saturday at 5 pm, when I’ll curse, collapse in exhaustion, and try to get myself together for the conference I need to go to on Sunday afternoon. Sacrifice, people. It’s what it’s all about.

I will post about anything that enters my mind, though I am officially open to suggestions for topics starting now- never too early to plan! I have already had requests for Brody pics, which will be forthcoming in direct proportion to the number of donations I get. I doubt I will have time to organize a Pet Doctor Barbie post, though you never know. Maybe we will have guest appearances. Maybe I will just pretend to have guest appearances towards the end when I am delirious.

I will also have PRIZES! Dr. Janet Crosby has pledged a selection of her amazing lampwork beads. I’ve also had a pledge from Biscuits By Lambchop, I Love Dogs.com, and Calming Collars.com. I’m super excited!

Ya gotta play to win! I’m getting something set up now and you will see it so often on Saturday you’ll be begging for Jerry Lewis to come around and talk to me about subtlety, but that’s OK. Donations will be accepted through Network For Good. I’ll take anything. Dimes, pennies, bucks. Brody and I will be at your service (within reason- don’t get any weird ideas!).

National Shelter Appreciation Week!

It’s National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week! November 1-7 marks a week to honor the people who do so much for some of our most vulnerable animal friends. It is a tough and often thankless job.

Romeo, the wonderful cat fundraiser extraordinaire over at Romeothecat and founder of the pawparty on Twitter, has issued a challenge: do something. Anything.

So, I’m trying to come up with ideas. I was mulling a Brody calendar (or even better, a calendar of multiple pets we’ve come to love) but I don’t know if I could get that together in time for this event. The other idea is to do a blogathon- I commit to staying up for 24 hours and doing one post an hour, becoming less and less coherent as it continues. It’s like the jogathon from elementary school, except sedentary.

What do you guys think? Anyone up for this? Would I be stuck hitting my parents up to sponsor me just like in junior high? Any other animal loving bloggers (cough cough) want to make this a PARTY and do it too?

don’t make this one of those crickets chirping posts! I’ll make it worth your while if I get enough sponsors. Prizes! Bad poetry! Your burning questions answered! Brody pics on demand!