Don't Know How Vets And Vet Nurses Do It

[jr_inoz]

Had to take my girl to the vet today - minor issue and she is fine.

Was super impressed by the vet nurse/receptionist tonight, and by the vet. (small practice, one vet)

The patient before my girl was being picked up by her owners - a gorgeous shitzu, who had had and emergency caesaerean and delivered 3 dead puppies. Very sad for the owners, but they were pleased that their baby was ok after it all. Could have been worse.

The patient right before mine was an old border collie who had come in to be put to sleep. The couple were looked after so very very well, and with such compassion.

I don't know if I could handle an evening vet session like that each night. very sad.

[Bjelkier]

It's the main reason I quit working as a vet nurse, I just couldn't take it day in day out.

I have a huge amount of respect for those who can.

Edited January 27, 2011 by Bjelkier

[persephone]

It can be sad... but there are lots of good ones too

I think one of the saddest I can remember was when an old man tottered in, with a little birdcage ..his 'mate' - all he had in his flat ..his long time companion . A dear old canary , who unfortunately had had a stroke or something ..and actually died in the vet's hand as he was examining it

It was just awful... we were all in tears, and seeing that old man wander out again with the empty bird cage swinging in his hand ... I will never forget it.

Sometimes, with the sad, there is some comfort, too - one person brought in a litter of baby puppies, just a few days old .Unwanted ..could we 'sort it out'. (this was 20 something years ago.....)

They were fat,shiny little things ....we did actually quickly check for a foster mum ..but no luck. I put them in a warm bed.. we injected them in the abdominal cavity ..and they snuggled up to each other and just went gently to sleep.... I like to think they went as peacefully and kindly as we could send them....

I'm glad you visit was short & easy

[Staff'n'Toller]

Euthanasia seems to go in runs and we might have one every day for a week.

Some days I've done multiples and we feel like we just want to close up and go home.

It's particularly hard for my boss who's known clients for ~30 years and they go to pieces. Not sure how he holds it together.

[The Spotted Devil]

That's so sad Pers

I remember crying uncontrollably when it hit me that my beloved 18 year old Burmese girl wasn't coming home with me. It was all so surreal and it just wasn't like me at all. I'm so glad I was there to walk her to the bridge though. The staff were lovely and guided me through the cremation process and told me we'd sort the account out later. Still brings tears to my eyes I've done my fair share on the clinic side but it doesn't prepare you.

[harley]

I also have a lot of respect for the good/compassionate vets and vet nurses. No way I could do it, way too sad.

[gsdog2]

I haven't worked in a vet hospital for a VERY long time, but I will never forget my first day. I noticed an old lady sitting in the waiting room with an equally old maltese sitting on her lap and the lady was crying - she'd brought her dog in to be PTS. I cried that day, not only for the lovely old maltese, but for the lady who was never going to own another dog. The sight of that lady sitting in the waiting room has stayed with me - I will never forget her

I worked in that vet hospital for a number of years and I have to say I loved it, I couldn't think of a better job - the "up" days definately outshine the "down" days

[stormie]

Euthanasia seems to go in runs and we might have one every day for a week.

Some days I've done multiples and we feel like we just want to close up and go home.

It's particularly hard for my boss who's known clients for ~30 years and they go to pieces. Not sure how he holds it together.

Yep I think the same about my boss. He won't watch wildlife documentaries because he finds it all too upsetting watching animals die so I know how difficult he finds euthanasia. But yet he always knows exactly what to say to people to offer them comfort and support.

I used to think it would get easier as I 'got used to it' but it's the total opposite and I find it harder each time. I imagine myself in their position should I be losing Orbit and it breaks my heart knowing what they must be feeling.

[Miss B]

The good outweighs the bad, but still... some days you just want to go home and cry your eyes out.

[B-Q]

I have a huge amount of respect for them aswell. I love our vet, all the nurses are great (excpet one, she's okay she's just blunt) and all teh vets are great.

We had a terrible fight between our dogs a coupe of years ago, it was just between our two cattledog boys untill our old bullarab mix bitch decided to get in on it, she's just a machine when she goes and I think they almost killed him. My little sister was home alone trying to break it up and when she eventually sorted it she had to cal the vet to see if they would come pick him up, they came right away, took him back and started sorting him out. It was just before 5pm and they all must have stayed back. I'm so greatful for them for that.

I think we all must develop a weird relationship with our vets, they know us and our dogs and they see us at our best and our worst. They've seen me stoked with Quinn at 3 months taking her in to be vacc'd, they've seen me run in looking half mad after I found out what had happened to Buster, they've seen my entire family huddled around Harry while he was PTS a couple of months ago.

I did a few days work experience at a vets the year before last and it was awesome, I'd love to be a vet nurse.

[Lindainfa]

wow, my eyes are tearing up reading this.

[baifra]

I have the utmost respect for vets and vet nurses.

They always see people at their most vulnerable which must be very hard to face everyday. They show compassion and respect and treat our animals the same way.

It's a job I certainly couldn't do.

[rubiton]

This thread reminds me of the time that I had the dog in there for her cartrophan - she was 8 or 9 at the time and there was a lady who was to go in after us there with a little poodle. It was making this weird coughing/wheezing sound and the lady seemed chatty but something wasnt right. Then I saw her friend ushered into the other room with a brochure of small boxes (urns?) and she and the vet nurse were talking quietly. The lady asked about my dog and did ask to pat her but it woudl not have been a good idea for my dog who was all bouncey and excited to get close and she would have knocked over the ladys dog while charging in for a pat. The little poodle was 10 years old - I was happy to get the catrophan and get out of there as it was too sad even without asking you just knew that lady was leaving without her pet that day.

[becks]

It's always sad to be sat in the waiting room and see someone come out of one of the consult rooms with just a towel or blanket - everyone knows what has just happened. When i have been in that situation (and you can feel the sympathetic eyes on you as you come out of the room) the vet and the girls behind the desk were great - quietly business like without to much sympathy to set you off into floods of tears.

[cowanbree]

I would like to think for their sakes they do become at least a little hardened or it would make the job very unpleasant. I think it is the irresponsible owners that would be hard to take.

As a patient one day I was in the waiting room and a women come in with a very pregnant Lab. She sat down beside me and as you do we started to chat. Apparently the dog had been in labour for a couple of days and the pups were all dead. I had just had to have a c-section 2 days prior so sympathised. She said I am getting her pts. I was so stunned all I could do was stare at her. She just shrugged her shoulders and said her breeding days are past and if she was a sheep that is what you would do so what is the difference. As a vet how would you cope with this? This type of thing would break my heart far more than pts a loved pet after they have lived a great life.

[Staranais]

I would like to think for their sakes they do become at least a little hardened or it would make the job very unpleasant. I think it is the irresponsible owners that would be hard to take.

Yes, and no, I think. You do get a little desensitised, or you simply couldn't do the job without getting very depressed. But, I still find some clients and some cases very distressing.

They tell us in class that veterinarians have one of the highest suicide rates of any profession, so you do have to wonder if dealing with this type of thing day in and day out does take its toll on some people.

[raz]

A friend of mine is a retired vet and he said a dog badly injured in a car accident was brought in one day by the driver. Vet called the number on his collar and the owner said he didnt care what the vet did with the dog but he wasnt paying so vet performed surgery anyway and kept him. Owner turned up several weeks later demanding he return the dog. What a bastard of an owner.

[Staff'n'Toller]

A friend of mine is a retired vet and he said a dog badly injured in a car accident was brought in one day by the driver. Vet called the number on his collar and the owner said he didnt care what the vet did with the dog but he wasnt paying so vet performed surgery anyway and kept him. Owner turned up several weeks later demanding he return the dog. What a bastard of an owner.

We've had the same sort of thing albeit the owner returning some time later. I'm sure at RSPCA they see it all the time.

Unfortunately those dogs in general tend to be outside dogs with little environmental enrichment +/- fence jumpers, so, quite often with a history or escaping behaviours any attachment bond the owner once had with the dog is broken.

[raz]

We've had the same sort of thing albeit the owner returning some time later. I'm sure at RSPCA they see it all the time.

What do you do in that situation, staff? In my example the vet refused and they went on to have a long happy life together.

[~Anne~]

One Vet I worked for was the President of the RSPCA in NSW at the time. We saw many of their cases, including one case, where the dogs ears had been cut off while he was alive becuase they had identifying tattoos and he was then buried alive. Another, a little foxy cross had it jaw wired closed becuase it barked. This resulted in a lack of oxygen and brain damage. He was very cute but would begin turning in circles and couldn't stop until he held him. You could see the wire marks around his muxxle where it had cut in to him.

Still, the worst though, not with injury but sustained abuse and neglect was a joey. The joey came in because it was badly scouring. The Vet treated it and then let it go back home with the owners when it was obvious they had no idea how to care for it. They were feeding it cows milk! Several weeks later it returned with a broken hind leg. A kangaroo, with a broken hind leg! I was irate and wanted to hold the animal so that WIRES could collect it but the Vet wouldn't let me. I can't imagine what the poor thing was being put through. I should have taken further action against them, but at the time, I was young and you don't always follow thorugh like you should I guess.