So, did all of North America get sick this holiday season? I was not alone - my brother-in-law, my dad, my cousin/babysitter, my coworkers, all my bloggy friends flung far and wide. Everyone's spreading viruses and their Christmas cheer.
It's been feast or famine at the vet clinic. One day the schedule's overly full, then today I have 3 appointments, conveniently spaced so that there is no checking out early. However, I love being one of the poor sods who has to work this week for one reason - the traffic is non-existent. Zip-zoom! I don't even get to hear the end of my NPR stories!
I worked the Saturday before Christmas, and it seemed like all the clients who came in were ornery and grumpy. The worst were the owner with the old golden retriever with a raging ear infection who did not want an appointment, she just wanted a blood draw for thyroid level. We finally convinced her that her dog with the bright red stinking itchy ear was SUFFERING and needed medical care. That and the new guy with the puppy who, when I tried to recommend getting started with a fecal and heartworm prevention said, "Yeah, when is Dr. W. (my boss) coming back? I just want the exam today because the breeder requires it within 24 hours. I'll talk to Dr. W. about all this when he gets back." Sheesh, you'd think I was trying to sell these people a thighmaster or a food dehydrater instead of basic medical care for their pets. Hey, people, we're giving up our Saturday morning with our families to take care of your pets here! Show some love!
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6 comments:
Just remember, the vets in the Herriot stories dealt with the same sorts of people you see now. It's funny how people view human doctors as infallible super-beings, but they don't feel the same way about animal Docs.
P.S. I sure wish it could have been YOU treating our dog!
We are all snuffaluffagi around here. Poor Evie can't nap because she can't breathe. Al is so toast...for 4 days now. Graham is coming round. I went in to give him some cough meds in the middle of the night, half asleep but responding to the sound of coughs, had the elixir ready by his mouth and realized it was PAIGE who was the source. Me? I'm a mom so I can't call in sick; I guess I'm not sick then. Cough Cough. Sneeze Sneeze. Blow Blow.
If you were the vet on duty here, today, now, I'd be totally totally grateful.
Leigh-Ann is in Canada (actually AT an NHL game right this very moment) and I just discovered our semi-feral (unspayed because kitten heart failure & doggie pancreatitis/herniated disk(?) took financial precedence) kitten having sex with our most manly (but neutered - they're all neutered) cat on the kitchen floor.
The vets' office was about to close (of course), but I called to find out what I should do. The vet on duty (the one who can't handle eyeballs) said there was something they could give her, but that it wasn't safe. I didn't want her to be given a shot...I wanted her to stop wanting to have sex, until we can have the surgery done. He could give her a, uh, finger. If I wasn't so worried about doing it properly...and being ripped to shreds and having my many wounds get infected, I'd do it myself. (and seriously, the idea of it? ick)
She's basically feral and we have a doggie door, and we don't have a place to quarantine her...because we already have two cats that are quarantined and I can't let those cats into the general cat population because I don't want them to get beaten up.
I can't leave Dobby in the general cat population, even if I could handle the annoyingness of her horniness because I'm terrified of her disappearing out the doggie door because we would probably never get her back and/or we would be hosting the neighborhood swingers' party at our house.
In what was a miraculous event, I managed to crate her (I haven't been able to pick her up since the first week we captured her on our front poorch), so she's locked up in the laundry room, which I feel really really guilty about...and that isn't going to be a good solution for very long because I'm sure she'd like to occasionally use the litter box between now and morning, when I'm taking her to the vet's office, whether they want her there or not. It really is a life or death situation - if she escapes out the doggie door looking for a hot young dude, I don't think her chances of survival are very good. There is a big busy street a couple hundred feet away, plus I'm sure she'll end up pregnant.
I'm not really sure why I'm posting here, except to maybe vent a little until Leigh-Ann comes home from the hockey game.
I'm sorry that you got stuck with crappy clients, especially when you weren't feeling well. I hope, at the very least, you're feelng better. Even though you aren't my vet, I, appreciate your mere presence here. :)
Happy New Year!
Everyone has the crud around here too. It doesn't help that the weather keeps changing, either!
Flippy, don't forget that post where I talked about the procedure you can do to make the cat go out of heat. I'm sure that's something you guys could do - one of you scruff her, and the other give her the QTip. I'm sure you'd do a better job that that vet; I remember Leigh-Ann's post about him. Even if she does get pregnant, if you spay her in the first week it wouldn't make any difference. Good luck!
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