Recently, I wrote a post about the five things that hurts a veterinarians heart. Like anything in life, when there is a downside, there is always an upside. It is the upside which gets me jumping out of bed in the morning, excited to get to work.
It is too easy to focus on the negatives. We need to remember that life is not fair, bad things happen to good people, and we need to always look at the good in people and in life.
So now I am sharing some of the things that encourages me to jump out of bed, excited about what the day may bring (Honesty moment here - I have to admit that I am one of those people where the line "I don't like Mondays" rings true, so I don't get excited about Mondays.).
Puppy Breath and Kitten Meows
Ah, the sweet smell of a puppy, or the cute "Meows" of a bubba kitten.
There is something very special knowing the joys of a new furbaby starting its life journey with its forever family.
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| Tegan and Paige on the day we met our new puppy, Piper |
With each puppy breath, you visualise in your head the walks on the beach, the hugs on the lounge watching their favourite TV show, the learning on both sides of the tug toy.
With each kitten Meow, you see them prancing, climbing curtains, and sitting on someone's chest purring loudly with contentment.
Life is always about shared experiences with family, as it is those days that we treasure when we are on our deathbed (or so I am told, as I am not quite there yet).
When I can say "your pet is awesome"
Followed up by " Despite my best efforts, I can't find anything wrong".
Smiles all round. I love those happy visits.
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| "You are awesome, Ms Patches" |
When we ask the important questions on what they are on for Heartworm prevention, intestinal worming, flea control, what they are eating, and what they are using for their pet's coat needs - we get the answers.
It is alot better than some of our usual answers of "the other half does it", " its the spot on the back from the supermarket", or "its the food from the second shelf, and it has round bits and long bits in it".
When I hear "they love coming in"
We love it that many dogs run up our front ramp and can't wait to come in. Or, when they are told that they are off to see Auntie Liz or Uncle Dirk, their little tail wags in excitement. Or when the pet owners turn the corner, the look in their pet's face changes (and it is not sheer terror), at the excitement of coming in.
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| Dr Liz getting a free face wash from Lillie. |
It is exciting when they run into the consult room and sit in front of the back bench (the place where all awesome things come from - like the thermometer, the stethoscope and the home made liver treats).
Admittedly, it is not something I hear often when it comes to our cats, although I do have a few that are happy to come in, walk around and enjoy our treats (Caash is one of them - he also likes to brush his teeth, so he is a superhero also).
When I read "excision is complete" and other news of a job well done
One of the hard things of being a grown up adult, is that you no longer have teachers giving you a star for good work, or an A+ on the school report. One of the lessons learnt as a qualified veterinarian, is that we have to take any positive as a "win", as there are always going to be moments and days when nothing seems to go well (for you and the pet).
Lumps and bumps on our pets are sometimes challenging - some of the lumps can be cancerous, and the surgery can be technically challenging ( like the one I did recently that was adjacent to the anus, or the lump I removed of a dog's nose the other day). I was ecstatic when the reports came in that said those very words "your diagnosis is confirmed, excision is complete".
Knowing that a pet is no longer in pain -
Pain - our pets are sentient beings, and they feel pain. Why so many still deny this very fact, I do not understand!
Pain management has come a long way, with a whole plethora of medications available now, that were not available years ago.
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| Piper - a happy dog at the dog park. |
The other day, when I removed dust and debris from a dog's eyes (Olivia had very sore eyes), her owner made the comment that Livvie looked like she was actually smiling by the time I was finished.
Even something like nail clips and expressing those smelly anal glands is rewarding - as it makes every pet more comfortable afterwards.
This is is also why letting a pet go to a better place, may be physically and emotional painful to me as a veterinarian, but being able to do so means that I have completed my veterinary oath to this pet - I have alleviated them of further pain and suffering in the most gentle and compassionate way I can.
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| My vet team - Tegan, Dr Liz and Dirk |
In any given day, we are hit from one side to the other in such a short time that it can be hard to catch one's breath.
And there are some days, when you always seem to be hitting the net, stuck on the "low" side, never seeming to get over the net, no matter how many times you try. What I tell myself when I do get stuck on the low side, is that at some point, I am going to get over the net back into the "high" side. I always do, and know I always will.
I am Dr Liz, the mad vet from Bellambi.
We love seeing puppies and kittens of all ages, and we promise to make every effort to make their visit with us as calm as we possibly can.
