I work in a vets AMA

[Howdoipickaname]

Have seen quite a few of these posts and have found them quite fun to read, so as it says AMA about working in a vets. Have been a lurker up until now and this is my first post. 😊

Hello! Do you typically enjoy being a vet? Is it a job you dread going to or find engaging and fun?

What is your role? How easy was it get a job?

Can teeth extraction cause an oral tumour ?

What do you think about people choosing treatments that will prolong an animal's life but potentially also their suffering? (eg chemo for dogs)

So I am actually a veterinary nurse. I do enjoy it mainly but the last couple of months I’ve been toying with the idea of going into human nursing with the paediatric pathway. The pay isn’t great and the hours are long and draining, because of this morale can be low but I’ve never met a veterinary nurse who doesn’t give it all 100% of the time, the nations pets are very lucky!

Do you feel you are pushed or expected to offer treatment or further investigation for conditions that are either of no benefit to the animal or when the kindest thing is to let the owner know it’s ok to euthanise?

I am a veterinary nurse. I went into this profession straight from school and I have been doing it 10 years including the training. At first it was very difficult finding a veterinary practice to take me on as a placement student but once I qualified it became very easy. There is a shortage of veterinary nurses so getting a job is no problem nowadays.

Are you ever wary or scared of an animal to the extent that you don't want to go near it? What would you do in that situation?

Good question. I think it all needs to be considered on an individual basis, both the patients and owners needs should be taken into account. Chemo can be amazing in animals and they typically display less adverse side affects than what we do, I have no problem with it and think it can be amazing so long as the clients expectations are set at the beginning of treatment. Preventing the suffering of pain is always at the forefront of our minds and will always be our number one consideration.

How do you feel about putting animals to sleep? I had to put my beloved furboy to sleep last year. He was old and the inside of his paw was disintegrating. He was just in so much pain but it made me wonder how vets do this day to day. We still miss out kitty

No (vet)

Yes, sometimes I do think that advancements have come too far and we can offer too much and euthanasia where appropriate can be the kindest thing. I understand it’s a very personal opinion but I think the fact we can offer our animals this is incredible and makes me sad it isn’t available to humans.

No. Have seen that someone else has replied too.

So you have any advice on preventative healthcare? We have our cat signed up to the vets health care plan for worming/fleaing/annual vaccinations and twice a year health check as well as insurance. But thirty years of owning animals means I know the stuff they need medical help with is usually the stuff insurance won't cover like dental care.

How do I take care of my cats teeth? The vet just said 10% off dental fees with the health plan, but I want to keep them healthy before 😂

Once you have an animal who’s been PTS and the owner leaves, what do you do with the animal?

My cat was PTS a few years ago (with us present of course) and the vets arranged the cremation for us, so we left her with them.

I’ve always wondered and hoped that they were kind to her, after she had died and we had left.

Do you prefer dogs or cats?

@mumoffourminimes Thank you so much. I blamed myself.

Yes definitely!! Handling and restraint is a big part of our training both practically and theoretically so any qualified nurse should be competent in handling aggressive animals but of course we have off days and strengths and weaknesses. I for example would MUCH rather take an aggressive cat than an aggressive dog and many of my colleagues are the other way round so we work as a team and play to our strengths. That being said our safety is always paramount.

I’m so sorry you lost your boy- sending love and hope you are doing ok. It sounds like you did the best thing for him given the circumstances however I know it must have been so tough for you. It is difficult for us too but I suppose we are in head as opposed to heart mode, and I said something similar in a previous comment that I think given the right circumstances, euthanasia is one of the kindest and most dignified things we can do for our pets x

Cats!

I was going to ask this too, but see you've already given the right answer! 😉

So here's a variation of that question - do you prefer dog-owners or cat-owners?!!!

You sound very proactive & dedicated which is great! In an ideal world brushing your cats teeth twice a day would help and that’s what we do tell owners but I understand this isn’t an ideal world and cats do not typically enjoy this haha! But every little helps even if you manage once a week it’s better than no brushing. There are dental diets which are designed to break tartar down and I’ve seen good success with these, your vet usually stocks this so it may be worth popping in and seeing what brand they stock, hills one is called T/D. :) just like us they can benefit greatly from a scale and polish like we can get at the dentist, this ensures a deeper clean and when done often enough can prevent drastic dental work being needed in the future such as extensive extraction as this is where the price bumps up, prevention is better than cure! Hope this helps x

So once you have gone we will place the body into a coffin with all the details on so there are no mix ups and in case the client changes their mind on what they want in terms of cremation etc, we then take them to the chiller where they wait to be transported to the cremation company. I know it doesn’t sound nice but all patients are treated with the love and dignity we’d give our own pets, I often give them a little kiss on the head before they go.

Hahaha cats rule!! Oooh this is a good question but I think cat owners, I think they are generally more laid back and I feel like I can relate to them more as I have cats of my own and haven’t had a dog since childhood.

Please don't blame yourself, there is absolutely nothing whatsoever that you could have done to cause it

❤️