It feels good to fix animals
It’s easy for me to focus on tough topics in the veterinary world, such as anxiety or compassion fatigue, but today I want to write about one of the best kinds of moments I experience at work.
Many of my appointments each day can be relatively healthy pets coming in for annual check-ups and vaccines. Although some of these pets, especially the young adults, may be in absolute perfect health, the majority of these annual visits result in one or more concerns that I find on physical exam and discuss with the pet owner. Most commonly, dental disease, obesity, and arthritis are topics that I bring up with owners. These can all be complicated topics depending on the severity, and so many of my “healthy pet annual visits” are not going home with a perfect report card. Most owners are appreciative when I discuss these topics, but my recommendations usually involve increased cost and/or work for the pet owner to improve the problem, as these three problems can usually be only managed, and not cured.
Aside from annual appointments, I see many sick pets. A good chunk of these cases are management of chronic conditions with flare-ups or progression, like skin allergies, diabetes, heart disease, or pancreatitis. These cases also involve a plan for improving the situation at hand, as well as long term management, but no “cure” is expected.
The appointments I feel especially satisfied with are the other group of sick or injured pets; the ones who have something acutely wrong, that I can literally FIX, for life. Skin wounds or lacerations. Simple urinary tract infections. Diarrhea caused by a parasite or stress. A torn toe nail. A blade of grass stuck in a cat’s nose (yes, that has happened!). A broken tooth. A first-time ear infection. A muscle strain. Many of these cases can present dramatically with the patient in pain. However, I can typically easily diagnose the problem and present a treatment plan to the pet owner that is very likely to succeed; and that feels so good! Yes, treating these cases does involve cost to the pet owner, but there is typically no expected recurrence or follow-up with these particular cases once they are resolved (as long as the pet doesn’t end up becoming a repeat customer for similar problems in the future).
The best part for me is hearing how great the client’s pet is doing at the follow-up appointment! Being able to take away pain or discomfort for that person’s family member, as well as seeing how pleased they are at the outcome just blows me away. When someone is grateful for the service I have provided for both them and their pet, I am instantly reminded exactly why I became a veterinarian in the first place; to help animals (and their people too, I guess).
