My job shadow with a vet.

Warning: there may be some graphic information (not really... I candy coat a lot of stuff.) but it might get long... and boring, but it's my blog so read it or leave it.

SO.

Today... Tuesday the twenty-second of june I, Jessi, followed a vetrinarian for a day.

The day started out with me driving 45-50min to a vet. I could probably have asked a closer vet but since this was a country vet I got to see both the small animals (cats, dogs) and the big (cows) So I figure that's the best way to start off.

Let's back up to the night before. I slept approximately two hours. In the morning I rushed through breakfast and didn't eat a whole lot. Yeah I kinda almost fainted a little tiny bit while the vet I was following was in the middle of sticking her hand up a sleeping dog's rectum. It was the first dog of the day. My first thought? "This is going to be one long day." But after I sat down for a while they gave me a little 20lb biting dog (ironically named Buddy) to babysit and I felt right at home. (yes, that was a jab at you Charlie.)

After that I had absolutely no problems. I watched the vet spay a chihuahua. They are very small dogs, with very tiny insides. Then I watched like nine dogs get neutured and one cat. Then one very old big black lab came in with a tumor. Long story short the tumor was a lot bigger then they thought initially and I saw a dog euthenized. I wasn't upset by this experience because the dog was very old and had troubles walking and doing other regular activites and the owner agreed to it because it was what was best for the dog.

Then I took a short break to observe the groomer, then went back.

After all those surgeries I watched it was lunch time, so everybody sat in the break room and made jokes about vet things I don't understand, talked about houses, building houses, falling apart houses, houses with basements, houses in tornados, Mcdonalds, the shooting in fargo, upcoming vacations... ect.



Thumbs up for the random picture?



Then it was time for some appointments. I got to help the vet take blood from a chihuahua/rat terrier mix, got to help with a golden doodle puppy, black lab/cocker spaniel mix puppy, a yellow lab, a black lab, a golden retriever, and a black cat. I hunted down files, I counted out pills, and things started to slow down. I went in to the back to watch how they tested bull semen, Not making any decisions yet, but if I do become a vet or vet tech of some sort.. I would love to stick to animals smaller then me.

The vet hospital that I went to has a connecting humane society where I got to feed the dogs. After I fed the dogs I played with a LOT of kittens and cats. I played with two, three legged cats one of which was blind, and then with three kittens who were very young. I played with a ton of perfectly healthy cats also.

After that it was time to go home. I hope to go back on a day when it is strictly appointments, and might ask to go on a day when they are working with the larger animals more because I am interested to see how they go about examining an animal that can seriously injure them just by stepping the wrong way.

Overall I think it was a great experience and I have not checked Vetrinarian off my possible list of careers (which is short because I hate a lot of things.)

P.S. Charlie's nose was like attached to my leg when I got home. I might have to shower before I come home next time because I could not get away from my dog.