" As more things change, the more they stay the same. " My care for all of the animals I see has not changed at all, but the tools and knowledge now available has changed tremendously.
The thermometer
In "my day", the thermometer were of the mercury kind. You had to make sure you shook it down well before you "inserted" it, and it had to stay there for two minutes. These days, we now have digital aural and rectal thermometers, and even some microchips can also give a pet's temperature. Our multiparameter has an oeseophageal thermometer (in the ECG probe), so we can get both temperature and heart rhythm at the same time.
Digital thermometer readings are within 5 seconds in most cases, and even with that, it seems like it is 4.5 seconds too long.
I am certainly thankful for the newer thermometers (and I am very sure our pets are too).
Pet foods
In the "good 'ol days", good pet foods were Chum and Pal, and puppy/kitten food was just adult dog food with extra calcium added.
Boy, did we see a lot of problems as a result of insufficient aswell as too much calcium in the diet.
These days, entire shops are devoted to the many brands of pet foods available, with every man and his dog (literally), producing their own form of "natural" pet food.
Vaccinations
As a kid, I remember that our dogs only needed their distemper and hepatitis shots as puppies, and that was it for life (virtually). Then parvovirus hit our dogs in the 1970's, with an entire susceptible population of dog's lining up at the vets, puking their poor little stomachs out. Vets were stunned at the severity of this new disease, and treatment was "fingers crossed", and hoped for the best.
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| Vaccinations are the best and only means of preventing parvovirus infection in our dogs. |
A vaccine soon became available after that, and we knew that we could prevent this disease through annual vaccinations, so that then became the new "normal". In-clinic tests can now easily prove whether a dog has parvovirus and/or coronavirus in 15 minutes, instead of the "good old days" of waiting for days for test results, by which time the dog was either dead or better.
Nowadays, we now have the "three year" vaccine against distemper, hepatitis and parvovirus, as well as the option of "titre testing", to see if vaccinating will be of any further benefit.
Vet hospitals, such as Russell Vale Animal Clinic even have titre testing "in house", so no longer needing to wait a week for these results even.
Sadly, even with our amazing cheap pet vaccines, there still continue to be outbreaks of diseases such as parvo and distemper in our dog community, for various reasons.
Pain medications
The dogs and cats would not move for 3 to 7 days post operatively, most likely due to severe pain. I shudder now at the thought.
On the shelf for arthritis was the buffered aspirin, cu algesic or phenylbutazone ( bute to the horse people.) There was nothing for cats at all.
These days, most modern practices like mine have a pain management program for every surgical patient incorporating multimodal analgesia, from premedication with drugs like methadone or morphine, the use of local anaesthetics, and ongoing post operative pain monitoring and treatments.
From the first day I opened my doors, pain management protocols were put into place, and they are constantly updated.
I never want to go back to "the good 'ol days" as for our pets, they weren't so good.
Flea washes
Oh wow.. In my mind's memory I see four shelves of black and red and white bottles, jars, sprays, collars and flea bombs. There were an assortment of treatments available, most of which struggled to work.
Tick preventatives were scarce. In the practice I first worked in, they used to apply a blue cattle product onto the dogs called "tiguvon". When the dogs shook after it was applied, the clinic walls would get the blue splatter that could never be washed off.
And then Frontline spray came on the market. Then Advantage spot on... And weren't we all skeptical on how a little drop thing could kill fleas and keep them away.
Now we have tablets that last a month, and who is to say where the future will lead with respect to flea control.
Now we have tablets that last a month, and who is to say where the future will lead with respect to flea control.
I only know that our dinosaurs had fleas, and so the battle will continue to go on!
The annual check up
In the olden days, the annual check up included the Heartworm test to check for microfilaria, as well as the check up and vaccination. Vets rarely vaccinated for kennel cough, as it was uncommon back then.
We would diagnose 2 to 3 heartworm positive cases each week, and would end up treating half of these. The other half would be euthenased due to the cost of treatment ( mostly because the dog had severe end stage liver and kidney failure). The arsenic based drug, thiacetarsemide was given intravenously to kill the adult heartworms, but this itself was also not a risk free treatment.
Its amazing how vets have helped reduce the incidence of this disease. We have to thank the introduction of Heartgard in 1990 for this, and now obviously all of the other Heartworm preventatives that are out there. In the olden days, daily tablets was the only option.
Times have changed.
Now, too many pet owners assume their pets are healthy, and are foregoing the annual check up. I don't see that as progress, though.
Veterinary Equipment
I remember in my first job in 1990, that the "A class vet hospital" I was employed at used bathroom scales to weigh a pet (after you weighed yourself first). Now, most vet hospitals would have large walk on scales.
There was only one ultrasound machine at the University, and it was wheeled from room to room if needed. Whilst we learnt about the technology, very few students were allowed to touch it. Now even small vet hospitals like mine have an ultrasound machine.
To get an MRI done at the University in the 1980's meant a trip to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital around the corner. And really, in those days, only a select few clients could afford it.
Now, multiple veterinary centres in Sydney house an MRI, and CT scanners, with trade stands at the vet conferences showing CT scanners suitable for general veterinary hospitals.
As a vet student in 1988, I spent three weeks in a country vet practice, which consisted of four rooms - one was the waiting/reception, second was the consult room, third was the operating theatre/treatment room, and fourth was where the cages where.
The toilet doubled as the Xray developing room, and sometimes, as the isolation ward too. These days, most veterinary hospitals are specifically designed as hospitals, or refurbished shops (which is what Russell Vale Animal Clinic).
Nowadays, many vet hospitals, like ours have digital radiography, complex anaesthetic monitoring equipment and modern laboratory equipment.
I know that in the event of a "zombie apocalypse", many vet hospitals, like mine, would be willing and able to help out, with all of the equipment needed (assuming the zombies didn't mind being locked up in cages)!
All in all, no matter how often I hear people complain about "why can't it be like the good old days", when they talk about veterinarians, I am thankful that we no longer have to practice like that. We no longer have to "guestimate" most of our diagnoses, and we do have the means to do so much to help our fellow animals.
I am thankful that we have at our disposal a whole array of tests and medications, that help us diagnose and treat more accurately and more effectively than ever before. I am thankful that we have access to better information and protocols on how to treat some serious diseases. With these advances, more pets are living longer, happier lives.
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I am Dr Liz, and I am the vet from Russell Vale Animal Clinic. We are for happy, healthy pets (always). December 1989 was my last month of my University life, and I have been a practicing veterinarian ever since (even with four kids).
I have to thank all of those loving pet owners who appreciate the work of veterinarians, and understand that we only want to do the best we can for all of our animals.
I remember in my first job in 1990, that the "A class vet hospital" I was employed at used bathroom scales to weigh a pet (after you weighed yourself first). Now, most vet hospitals would have large walk on scales.
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| Our advanced multiparameter monitor (on demo mode) |
There was only one ultrasound machine at the University, and it was wheeled from room to room if needed. Whilst we learnt about the technology, very few students were allowed to touch it. Now even small vet hospitals like mine have an ultrasound machine.
To get an MRI done at the University in the 1980's meant a trip to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital around the corner. And really, in those days, only a select few clients could afford it.
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| Digital radiography - both full body and dental Xrays at Russell Vale Animal Clinic |
Now, multiple veterinary centres in Sydney house an MRI, and CT scanners, with trade stands at the vet conferences showing CT scanners suitable for general veterinary hospitals.
As a vet student in 1988, I spent three weeks in a country vet practice, which consisted of four rooms - one was the waiting/reception, second was the consult room, third was the operating theatre/treatment room, and fourth was where the cages where.
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| Our laboratory |
Nowadays, many vet hospitals, like ours have digital radiography, complex anaesthetic monitoring equipment and modern laboratory equipment.
I know that in the event of a "zombie apocalypse", many vet hospitals, like mine, would be willing and able to help out, with all of the equipment needed (assuming the zombies didn't mind being locked up in cages)!
All in all, no matter how often I hear people complain about "why can't it be like the good old days", when they talk about veterinarians, I am thankful that we no longer have to practice like that. We no longer have to "guestimate" most of our diagnoses, and we do have the means to do so much to help our fellow animals.
I am thankful that we have at our disposal a whole array of tests and medications, that help us diagnose and treat more accurately and more effectively than ever before. I am thankful that we have access to better information and protocols on how to treat some serious diseases. With these advances, more pets are living longer, happier lives.
I have to thank all of those loving pet owners who appreciate the work of veterinarians, and understand that we only want to do the best we can for all of our animals.
