A Veterinary Journal by Claire Poole
February
Chapter 2 - Page 5
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Saturday 14th February
Back to the Clayfern Intro Page
Saturday 14th February
A run-of-the-mill surgery until our last patient, Cassie, our poorly terrier. Although very helpful in ruling out certain complaints, her lab tests have not come up with a definite diagnosis. However, she seemed improved over Tuesday and Wednesday, and went home on Thursday morning. Yesterday, she started to be sick again and we appear to be back at square one. I re-admit her for yet more treatment and investigation. Many vets tend to feel almost guilty when cases such as Cassie cannot be resolved quickly - this is quite illogical when one considers how lengthy investigations can be in human medicine. Of course, humans do not have to pay for their treatment which is another factor to consider with our patients. We advise all our clients to take out pet insurance, but the response is depressingly low. We sometimes have to tread the difficult path of treating our patients effectively while trying to stick to a budget.
I am a little preoccupied with money (or the lack of it) today. There is a large drug bill and a VAT return to pay at the end of the month, and cash is going to be tight. Cassie’s owners and one or two others are going to be paying by instalments. Theoretically, clients are meant to pay at the time of treatment, but this does not always happen, and cash flow is a perennial problem. It is depressing to be working hard yet still struggling to make ends meet. Cassie is settled in her kennel with the radio for company, so I do what I always do when feeling a little down - set off on a long walk with all three dogs. Up the track we go and into the woods where I come upon a bleached skull lying in the leaf litter. I am presently reading a novel about a forensic pathologist, and become absorbed in analysing my find. It is too large for a rabbit or hare; too light for a sheep. The eye sockets face sideways - therefore not a predator. Herbivore teeth – most probably a deer, one of the roe deer that roam the surrounding countryside. A young deer by the look of it - the teeth are scarcely worn and the skull sutures - the joins between the bones of the skull - are still easily apparent. Pleased with my analysis, I wedge the skull between two branches for future collection - probably when young nephews and nieces come to stay. A holiday here is very popular with our young relatives, partly due to expeditions in the countryside to find squirrel dreys and badger setts, collect old birds’ eggs, feathers and assorted skeletal remains! The last is less popular with parents, but it is fun to see a love of wildlife being kindled in the kids and the pride with which their prizes are borne off to be displayed in their city classrooms. The surgery is also an enthralling place for children. The animals are a great attraction of course, but there is also the thrill of rides on the hydraulic ops table - pumped up to the ‘top floor’ then descending rapidly to the ‘basement’, whirling round through 360 degrees then unceremoniously ‘ejected’ when full tilt is applied. Much fun can also be had when our small visitors are connected to ECG monitors or pulse oximeters (a device for measuring the amount of oxygen in the blood), or listen to their own heart directly through the humble stethoscope. Yes, veterinary surgeries are exciting places, especially when you are under 10.
As usual, my walk has made my worries fade, and I feel lucky to live and work in such a wonderful place.
Copyright Claire Poole 2005
