A Veterinary Journal by Claire Poole
March
Chapter 3 - Page 2
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Monday 9th March
Monday 9th March
At last, a bright, sunny day after a snowy, windy weekend. Morning surgery is busy as is usual for a Monday, but as a welcome change, there are no routine ops scheduled for today. Our Clayfern clients frequently behave as if they are each a part of a single being; hence the surgery’s rollercoaster progression - some days so busy that we can hardly survive without another vet; other days so quiet that we wonder if we can survive at all. Either everyone comes in all at once or they stay away en masse. As busy periods invariably follow quiet spells, I enjoy the peace while I can. The weekend was fairly brisk with assorted emergency calls - two stitch ups, one fitting dog and a cat with a dislocated hip - so I do not feel guilty about taking it easy now. The dogs are ecstatic at the thought of a second morning walk, and we head up the track in the sunshine. Water is running down one side of the track under the ice, looking like large, squirming tadpoles which Fintry spots, and pounces, puzzled at finding no prey.
There is some heat in the sun today, and the heady, coconut-vanilla aroma of the gorse is in the air. My poor old Kippen is feeling his age today - his arthritic legs are troubling him as he shambles slowly behind us. For his benefit, we cut through the woods. Here it is soft underfoot and the path is almost level so he can potter at his own speed, investigating the many smells en route. The wood is a mixture of pine and broad-leaved trees, and is magical in the frost. Hawthorn and alder are first to bud, adding a green tinge to the background; the sun dapples through the branches and cobwebs stretch like delicate fibre optic strands - Jay would laugh at veterinary terminology encroaching even when I am relaxing. My family smile when I bandage presents for Christmas, or work out our holiday shopping at 2 slices of bread twice daily for 2 days!
There is more noise in the woods now that better weather is here - wood pigeons flap away in a panic as we approach and flocks of tits and finches flit from tree to tree. A buzzard screams overhead, perhaps we are scaring away his prey. His cry is almost like a cat - ‘mee...ooohh; meee..oohh’ - but high pitched and strident. All three dogs are ranging far and wide, investigating burrows and following intriguing scents. Even a mere human can smell the acrid scent of fox and it is driving the dogs wild. I relax sitting on an old tree trunk but the peace is short-lived as young Fintry thunders down the hill scrunching loudly through the leaves. Seconds later Kippen and Jonno reappear and we set off back to civilisation.
Although there are no patients to be seen or operated on, there is still work to be done; booster reminders and bills to be sent out, bills to be paid and leaflets to be printed on a variety of topics designed to inform and educate our clients; the flea control leaflet and the one discussing home dental care are particularly in short supply. The rest of the day passes quickly in a mountain of paperwork, and suddenly it is time for evening surgery. I am hoping for a sharp getaway as there is a veterinary meeting in Stramar tonight, but, as usual, Murphy’s Law is in operation – the last patient comes through the door 30 seconds before closing time - and, as usual, I set off late. Any hopes of a quick journey are scotched almost immediately by getting behind a brand new BMW crawling along the road. It seems unfair that such a fast car should be driven so far below its potential – if the driver doesn’t want to go any faster, perhaps they would like to swap their car with my slower estate car! The meeting has started when I arrive, and a sea of youthful faces turn as the door opens. It must be a sign of age – the vets are looking younger!
Vets are expected to spend a minimum of 35 hours per year on what is officially called continuing professional development (cpd). Most of us enjoy such lectures and seminars, and find them interesting. Much is revision, but veterinary knowledge is increasing at an incredible rate - doubling every 10 years according to one source - and it can be quite a challenge to keep up. A lot of what I learnt at university over 20 years ago is out of date as new treatments and techniques are constantly appearing. There is also an increasing degree of specialisation within the profession; it is now possible to study for extra qualifications in such disciplines as cardiology, orthopaedics, dermatology, ophthalmology, neurology. Such specialists will accept referrals from other vets. As they see many cases in their field, their expertise increases, and they can afford to invest in expensive equipment desirable for their speciality. Such equipment can run to many thousands of pounds and is beyond the scope of most GPs.
When I was a newly qualified vet, CT and MRI scanners, airturbine driven dental equipment, laser therapy, blood transfusions and kidney transplants were in the realms of fantasy for veterinary use, yet we have them now. I wonder what will be in store in the next 20 years.
Copyright Claire Poole 2005
