In for life

All of what I do and what I am is about helping animals.

I am in this for life. For my life. For my pet's life.

And this may mean that I may have to end a life. Sadly, that is what many people focus on when I tell them I am a vet. The fact that I kill animals. 

They say something like " I can never do what you do, I just love animals too much."  As if what I do means I don't love animals. What they say hurts.  They forget (as I do sometimes) that I save alot more than I kill.

To kill .... what harsh words to describe the gentle ending to a great life,  for a pet that is in alot of pain.  Every time a pet's loses its life, it is as if a part of my soul has been chipped away too. 

"You are only human, not God", I was told yesterday.  Even God can't save our pet's lives on this Earth... he just offers us, and them a better life afterwards. 

There is no cure for death, but I hope that we make life count.

My veterinary identity crisis.....

I obviously need to jump up and down and make myself  more known out there.  I am suffering from an identity crisis... I know who I am but does anyone else?

This week I received a mailing from an organisation in Sydney which I used to receive veterinary magazines from.  It was written to another vet's name but addressed to Russell Vale Animal Clinic and my veterinary clinic address in Bellambi.  OK... possession is nine tenths and all that, and it was a letter saying that they missed me.... or rather, missed Dr Jo..... I read the magazine, it was still trashy, so no reason to re-subscribe, and thus, correct their mistake.

Shrugged my shoulders - and moved on. Today, got a referral letter from a specialist whom I had referred a patient to for advanced eye surgery, and the letter came back to Dr Catherine..... at my veterinary clinic and my veterinary clinic address.  This did annoy me - I personally know this specialist.

But shrugged my shoulders again - but  twice in one week.  Is there some identity napping scheme going on? Coupled with a phone call from some person with a strong accent claiming to be calling me from London, England asking me for my specialised opinion on veterinary matters, and wanting specific identity information from me, and I am wondering what is going on?

Fortunately, a surname like mine is not one you would want to steal!  But I am feeling a bit lost that Russell Vale Animal Clinic, my  baby, the thing I nurtured from when it was just a concept to what it is now, being linked to vets who have never worked here. And me, being lost in the sea of veterinarians out there due to database mismatches. 

At least it is a change from seeing the many variations on how my surname is spelt (and the pronunciations are just as good too).

Feeling sick as a dog..

Where does that line come from?  We know what that saying means in a general sense, as we use it often when we feel pretty sick. But who came up with that line?

I am really sick right now, and that doesn't happen alot for me. Fortunately. Being a vet doesn't allow time for sickness and running a business means you work when you're sick. I am, as they say, sick as a dog.

But the phrase "sick as a dog" really bothered me though, as whilst dogs get sick, they don't show it well. So I googled where the phrase had come from, and got some interesting stuff. No idea if its true, but here goes.  Around 1700 the phrase was first used and it related to the fact that dogs were not always considered as they are now (loved pets).  Similar to the phrase "dogs breakfast", and "gone to the dogs".  It was a way of saying that things are really really bad.  From what I gather, it had nothing to do with dogs actually being sick.

And that does make sense.  When dogs are sick they don't act sick  They often don't complain when they are seriously ill, but if it is something minor, like a torn nail then they limp and lick at it. When they are showing signs of being "off" you need to take it seriously.  This could mean that they are seriously sick.  It doesn't mean you run down to the vet all the time, but it does mean you take notice, make the time to write a few notes in your diary.  Watch for changes, and if things change for the worse, then get your pet examined immediately.  You don't want your pet getting so sick that it hits the point of no return - that is that horrible point in the disease process that no matter what we do, we can't make your pet better. 

Cats are worse still... they sleep alot anyway, so when they start to sleep more, it is hard to notice that part as being different.  One thing to remember, cats are not small dogs, and dogs are not small people! 

Now back to as sick as a dog!  That's me. Just as well as I am sharing my lounge room with two other sick dogs - Leo and Jasper,  but they aren't sick as dogs, one is just sick and one is just recovering from a dog bite. 

Cough cough....sneeze.  woe is me... back to my lemon tea while I feel as sick as a dog.

PS My information on where the phrase came from was from researching google, so I could probably guarantee that the information is inaccurate. Still, googling things is fun.