I'm a vet, AMA!

[KarlDilkington]

I am a co-director of quite a large practice with 7 small animal branches and a central hospital, plus farm, equine and exotic clients. I mainly do small animals but also do some farm and equine. Happy to answer any questions, but please don't expect me to diagnose anything or advise on treatment plans over the net

Which breed of dog do you think is generally the most suitable to a family with young children and teenagers. I know upbringing etc will make a big difference but I think some breeds are marketed as being better designed for families.

Hi OP. I have a 17yr old Tom and an 18yr old female that have recently been diagnosed with over active thyroids. They’re really really skinny, though the boy had just started to loose weight over the last few weeks. However, I was repeatedly told, it was just the girls age, but finally asked for a thyroid blood test, after her son’s diagnosis. That’s another story! I’m delighted they’re finally being treated and the boy has greatly improved since starting his meds, 2 week’s ago. Girl just started a few days ago.

One of the vets has suggested thyroid removal and given the risk of side effects to the meds, I agree. I’m waiting for their strength and weight to improve, before having them done.

One of the reasons, the female ‘wasn’t’ suspected to have thyroid problems, was the fact that no one could feel an enlarged thyroid. I’ve since been told that it may not be in the usual spot or may be enlarging then decreasing in size. Two options have been put to me. Either bring her back and forth every days and hope they catch it when it is swollen or they open her up and look for it! 😱

Now to the question. Have you any suggestions, on how to ‘find’ the thyroid? Btw, this isn’t a criticism of the vets, but sometimes a fresh eye helps.

When my cats have been neutered why does my vet tell me to try not to let them jump when they no damn well the cat will do as it likes?

Is there anyway to stop cats bringing presents. Apparently nothing hears the bell around her neck

Thanks for replying to my question about short muzzled dogs, I recently looked after a relative’s Frenchie (who she paid an eye watering amount for) and he could hardly breath at the end of a 45 min walk, and it was horrid. He’s only 2! I found it really upsetting too

I'm a vet too, small animal, 28 years experience, so thought I'd add an answer or two

Black and Tan dogs and anaesthesia- never heard that and not seen it myself at all.
Training in anaesthesia versus surgery - all vets qualify able to treat all species and do all specialities, in theory - so everyone gets basic training across the board. In day to day life in practice, the vet anaesthetises the animal and then the nurse maintains the anaesthetic while the vet does the surgery. The same vet will also be doing client consultations at other times of day. At specialist level, vets get further qualifications in particular disciplines such as orthopaedics or ophthalmology or anaesthesia. Sun vets usually work in referral centres or universities, though not always.

Oh moredogsthansense! Another vet! Yay! Sorry to be a pain, but have you any suggestions re my cat’s problem, above? I’d really appreciate any advice. Thank you.

Also: there are way more doctors and way more places at medical school in the U.K. than there are vets or places at vet school.

I work part time and earn £30/hour, with a lot of experience. But I chose flexibility and not owning my own practice over owning a practice. Veterinary salaries are much lower than medical ones in most circumstances.

PERF - we can't give detailed advice on cases we've not seen, it's unethical. In general terms, some enlarged thyroids are easier to feel and bigger than others. They are usually in the neck, but rarely there can be extra thyroid tissue elsewhere in the body, such as within the rib cage. It is entirely reasonable to operate and look for the thyroid - sometimes you'll feel one only when the cat is asleep. Or if the owner has insurance and lives somewhere suitable, a difficult case can be referred to a specialist centre, or there are other options for non surgical treatment.

^^ and if it's in the rib cage it can't be felt or removed easily, though as I said this is very rare.

Hi op, you said before you recommend annual vaccinations but the vaccine companies say (well apart from the lepto one) every 3 years?

How do you feel about raw feeding and titre tests?

I haven’t finished RTFT so apologies if similar has already been asked but did you have doubts about whether you’d make a good vet whilst studying?
I’ve just completed the first year of my degree and it genuinely couldn’t have gone better, passed all my exams with atleast 10% more than I needed and got brilliant feedback from my placements but I still often worry about how I’d be perceived by clients. I feel like I have the academic side down as I have a real passion for it but I’m not as confident with the clinical side. I understand I will learn a lot over the next few years and the type of vet I want to be will change but I can’t help feeling that I just might not be good at what I’ve always dreamed of doing.
I have a real interest in small furries which I know is uncommon and also cardiorespiratory so have an idea of where I’d like to branch out to currently and I was even told to contact a practice once I’d qualified to discuss employment as they really liked me during EMS (vet nursing based so not exactly clinical) but I can’t help feeling a bit inferior. Did you feel similar or is this something I should address whilst at university? I know how mentally taxing the profession is and the importance of good mental health but this is based solely around veterinary and not a problem generally within myself. Hope that makes sense, sorry it’s very long!

Did you study the treatment of exotic pets in university? Have you d we had to treat an animal whose biological makeup/anatomy you weren't familiar with?

Delighted to see this topic and thanks for your time in answering.

I've got a nearly 15 year old girl who's academically able and wants to work with animals. She's capable of getting the grades for vet school - but is entirely focussed on exotic animals (thus my user name, we are now housing 15 Viv's with various reptiles, amphibians and insects. This is not my idea of home decoration, but it seems that resistance is futile. She's amazing with them, saves up her babysitting money and "rescues" off gumtree or adopts from the RSPCA)

She's interested in being a vet for exotics and has zero inclination to work with mammals. I think that's a big issue!

What would you advise her to do? Suck up the furry creature Work and then specialise, or recognise that the majority of the work is with mammals and look at something in eg. entomology instead?

Also, does anyone want a giant cockroach? We seem to be over run.

And re euthanising - I find doing it well a hugely rewarding part of the job, although obviously hard. Of course sometimes one gets emotional - sometimes I cry a bit if it's an animal I knew well or particularly tragic circumstances, such as a very young animal or the owner's last link to a dead partner: I pretty much never do it if it's not the best option for the animal and family, even if that's because it's a dangerous dog that can't be rehomed safely. It's a privilege and a responsibility, I think, and I always take it seriously.

Thank you moredogsthansense, I completely understand why you’d be reluctant to give advice, so I appreciate you giving me the information, re the thyroid. The young vet said she thought it may be elsewhere in the body. I know this may seem like a silly question, but does the size of the ‘cut’, in order to find it, put an animal at any more at risk, that if they were simply able to remove it from the usual spot? I’m not going to go to the vet and say “but they said on the internet”, 😁 just wondering.

When an animal has a procedure under GA, does a separate vet monitor the anaesthesia and airway, as in human medicine?

I am trying to get my cats to tolerate toothbrushing, but it's very difficult. I have been trying to gradually push them to allow me to touch their teeth etc, but progress is slow / non existent so far.

Their main diet is wet food but I have been putting crunchies coated in (cat) toothpaste in their bowls after meals. Is this likely to be effective, at all? Or am I kidding myself?

Ironically, the one who has the dental decay (and therefore needs the GA) has always eaten slowly and chews his food. The other cat who does not have substantial dental decay, swallows everything inc crunchies (coated in toothpaste or otherwise) whole without chewing!

Dental decay kitty is only 4 years old but the vet thinks his tooth decay is a form accelerated by calcinivirus (at least, I think that's what they said). Is there any hope for any of his teeth long term? If I could brush them regularly, how much difference would it make? Will dental decay lead to other health problems (like heart disease, as in humans)?

Also, why is one cat affected by calcinivirus in this way but not the other? They must both have it they came from a sheltered and cohabited from kitten hood. I assumed it was down to genetic /immune system factors.

I know another doctor who retrained after training as a vet (!) she didn't like the early morning farm trips / high frequency of on calls. Do you see many / any doctors retrained as vets?

Hi

One Sunday afternoon while I was at work my husband called me hands free from his car saying he was rushing the 12 year old cat to emergency vet after he had a seizure.

He was apparently suddenly gripped by this and foaming at the mouth while shaking then opening his bowels while unconscious for a minute perhaps.

Very friendly cat was up and exploring the vet surgery seeming fine after his ordeal but vet took blood and did examination. All fine, no injury or illness. What could have caused this?

Vet said to bring back if he has another but it's been almost a year and he hasn't.

It was nothing he ate as vet tested for toxic stuff in case of poisoning. We just don't understand what causes a one off seizure?

How do you examine a large breed dog that hates to be touched? I have one and the last time she had to get her kennel cough jab it took 3 of us 20 mins to get it up her nose and I felt like I had gone 10 rounds with Mike Tyson so I am actually dreading the day she needs to be seen for something else.

What is the best natural treatment for fleas and ticks? I don't think Frontline works that well.

Vivarium - there are quite a few vets who work only with exotics, in private practice or zoos. Obviously there are only a few jobs in zoos, though, and exotics vets mostly don't specialise just in reptiles, though one or two do. These jobs are highly competitive, and obviously you have to go through the whole general training first anyway, almost none of which is with exotics. For this reason, if your DD ends up applying to vet school I would strongly advise she doesn't say she only wants to work with exotics, as this might be construed as unrealistic and too narrow -fine to say she has an interest. If she can't stand the idea of 5 years dealing with all species plus a lot of all species work experience beforehand, she might be better thinking of a different career.

Thankewe - google imposter syndrome. We all have it! I'm sure you have as good a chance of being a great vet as anyone, from what you say - I think compassion, common sense and remembering you don't know everything are probably the most important attributes! Many vets do end up not working in general practice, though, and this is not a failure- it's increasingly recognised as an excellent broad science degree that opens all sorts of doors for anyone who wants to work in other related fields.

paddysmarket with difficulty!!! I hate kennel coughing some dogs. Blindfolding sometimes helps but sometimes it’s sedate or don’t do it!

Blindfolding sometimes helps

But then, how do you see the dog? 😉 Sorry. I’ll get my coat.

😹😹

Thank you for your quick reply!
All of my coursemates just seems so self assured and many attended brilliant schools/colleges whereas I came from a completely different background. I know we should all be ‘even’ now as we’re receiving the same university education but I can’t help but feel some of them just instinctively know what they’re doing at times when I have to think