Question of the Day

Because there’s always an interesting misconception to clear up here at the vet clinic.

Every pet that has an anesthetic procedure at our clinic also has an intravenous catheter placed in one of their front legs. We leave it in until the patient is recovered, in case we need quick access for additional injections. We remove the catheter before the owner arrives, and place a small bandage on the arm which the owner is to remove at home. This is our standard discharge procedure.

I spayed a very cute little terrier today, who is owned by a very cute older couple. When their puppy was brought out to them, the lady asked, “What’s with the bandage?”

My tech reiterated the information that it was from the IV catheter and could be removed at home.

The lady looked at the bandage, then at the tech. “Don’t catheters go in the vagina?” she asked, in front of the entire waiting area.

Upon reflection, perhaps she was thinking of a urinary catheter- and in the world of dog anatomy, one does access the urethra through the vulva, so this is not entirely out of left field, I suppose. It would really make anesthetic induction a bitch, though. Get it? Haha! Yes, that one never gets old.