Happy birthday Finch! We love you so much! Hope this one (birthday...year) is the best yet.
Someone put a cup with a cotton ball soaked in spider repellant (eucalyptus maybe?) in the corner of the doctors' office at the 153rd location. Genius! Only two spiders moved in, and they live in the corner above the cup now.
Last time I left for the evening, I told them good night as I turned out the lights.
We went to the new Hy-Vee Market Grille inside the Hy-Vee at 50th and Center Street in Omaha on the night it opened.
It was so good you guys!
The serving team was super nice, but maybe it was part of the Hy-Vee team we already knew was super nice? We were not sure.
The food was great, and it was a good way to start our weekly shopping.
Here is a typical chocolate case:
Your job as a veterinary team is to turn this pile into the number of ounces of types of chocolate most likely ingested that you can convert to grams of theobromine to compare to the weight of your patient - who is either not saying when he or she tipped the basket/raided the stocking/tore open the Valentine box or is standing before you happy as can be with a chocolate smile and no signs of toxicity - yet? Ever?
That is what you need to figure out!
Also, do not forget to account for any xylitol in sugar free candy and gum and any toys or wrappers or other things that could have been ingested and cause stomach or intestinal damage or an obstruction.
Thankfully, this particular tiny dog, though he ate enough to cause vomiting and diarrhea, had no clinical signs and did well.
Worse case is a danger of neurotoxicity.
Worst case is a fatality.
Thankfully, I have never had a patient die of chocolate toxicity, and the most stressful part of every case has always been turning something as vague as something like this pile of wrappers into a number we can use to help our patient.
...
Post from one year ago today...
April 27, 2016
A client adopted two kittens for her terminal dog to cheer him up.
It worked.
Now the three of them are best friends.
...
Post from one year ago today...
April 26, 2016
We have a Husky patient who comes in frequently for a bath and to be brushed out. His Husky brother, who always came in with him, recently passed away, leaving a Husky shaped hole in his heart, our hearts and their Mom and Dad's hearts.
They were the best dogs. He is still the best dog.
When you are a big furry dog, a bath and brush becomes an all day affair. Between steps, he comes into the office with me and looks out the window, as he and his brother used to always do together.
The other day, our Husky friend came in for blood work. When a patient only needs to have blood drawn, it takes mere seconds.
Husky had his blood drawn and trotted into the office. He looked at the closed blinds then looked over his shoulder at me.
"You don't have to stay today, buddy," I said.
He sat down and stared at the closed blinds.
I got up and opened the blinds. He stood up and looked out the window for a while.
When he heard his Mom calling from the front, he turned around, bid me farewell and headed home.
I love that dog so much.
Guest Post from Abby Finch!
Bees are important. They pollinate our plants and help our food grow, and they provide us with honey. However, they are disappearing, so I wanted to do something to help. I made an assemblage for an art class assignment about the disappearance of bees.
Here is how you can help save the bees:
- Eat more organic foods. The pesticides used on non-organic crops can be very harmful to bees, and is one of the main contributors to their endangerment
- Plant bee-friendly plants in your garden. These will give the bees a good source of pollen and nectar.
- Avoid using pesticides in your garden. The chemicals can leak into the pollen and hurt the bees.
- DON'T KILL BEES. Bees don't want to hurt you, they just want to get their job done.
- Spread the word. The more people know about it, the more people can prevent it.
Here's my project:
Dining with Dogs
Dining with Dogs is tonight!
Kelly and I were driving through an evening blizzard last December to get to one of our favorite patients and her heart broken Mom.
This gentle, beautiful Great Dane had bravely lived well as long as she could with a terminal cancer, and it was time to let her go. None of us, save the dog herself, were handling it well.
As a (huge) favor, two animal control officers from Nebraska Humane Society had arranged with Kelly to meet us at the home after their shift was over (in the same blizzard) to transport our patient's body to the Rainbow Bridge for after care.
When the first officer came to the door, I recognized him as the kind animal control officer we had (unfortunately) seen often lately. I said hi and greeted the officer behind him I had not previously met.
The first officer helped Kelly and me carry the stretcher to their van. The new officer walked with us and guided us around icy patches and made sure no one fell.
The next day, Kelly and I were pretty despondent. We missed our friend. We were concerned for her Mom. After telling a few stories about our sweet patient, we sat in silence for a while.
Kelly spoke up. "You know that wasn't an animal control officer, don't you?" she said.
"Who was it?" I asked.
"That was the new CEO of Nebraska Humane Society. She is doing ride alongs with the animal control officers." She said it just as casually and matter a factly as Nancy Hintz had ridden out in a blizzard with an animal control officer to take care of a grieving community member and her canine companion and make sure we did not fall on our butts on the slick ice.
"Wow. No, I didn't know that," I said. We sat in silence for a while more, then continued on with our day.
To Nancy Hintz, Nebraska Humane Society's new CEO,
Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your kindness is startling, humble and deep.
Dog Mom, Kelly and I are blessed to have had you and the ACO there with us on that heartbreaking and sacred night. Omaha too is so very blessed to have you.
...
Post from one year ago today...
April 21, 2016
I saw a cat yesterday.
I mean, not like I have been seeing cats, where I ask if I can pet someone else's patient or a boarder, and all my friends, in an effort to keep me alive, yell "no" or some loud/urgent/profane variation thereof, and I sulk away and take a picture instead.
I had a cat patient. My team did the same life saving heroics they always do, and I insisted on seeing her.
A day later, I am writing this to you coughing and hacking and vowing to be more careful.
Which is a way better place than I was in yesterday. My doctor friend kindly sent me home after I saw the cat. I paused to catch my breath three times on the way home. Russ had rescue medications waiting for me and we decided against urgent care since I could breathe pretty well.
I took some more oral medications which knocked me out (sorry I was crabby family) and I fell asleep still not breathing great.
Tomorrow I should be a little better, and the day after that I should be okay again.
It's my pride. It's my optimism. It's my longing to have our own Max the Cat back, and it's missing my patients. It's my stubborn refusal to listen to the gentle admonition of my allergist who said I need to be done seeing cats. It's wanting to do a good job at work, where the best I can do now seems like doing half my job.
I think this is it you guys. Each time I see a cat is scarier, and I need to step back.
...
Post from one year ago today...
April 20, 2017
SOME MOMENTS FOREVER CHANGE THE WAY YOU SEE THE WORLD
Get back to writing Finch!
Amanda made these candy succulent plants. How cute are they?? They were super good too...like worm and dirt cups for grown ups : )
We celebrated Easter and Mom and Dad's house. Here are some pictures from the day...
Abby in her Easter dress!
Amanda in her Easter dress!
Mom got Abby and Amanda dollar Origami books :)
Mom's beautiful Easter decorations!
Sara and Arthur
Robert and the basket of jelly beans
Olive and Robert
Abby taking pictures of Olive and Robert
Phill and Felix
Abby and Dave and Arthur
Oscar
Robert and Arthur - Spoiler! Arthur decided against eating the sand :D
Robert
Arthur also did not eat the helicopters.
Olive, Robert and Dad
Robert and Olive
Busted! Dad blowing bubbles with NO kids in sight :)
Way to go Arthur!
The baby polar bear steps into the sun.
Travis and Arthur were so cute together!
Dad and Karen
Amanda and Abby and Arthur
Sara and Mom and Felix. I will never ever get tired of seeing Mom so healthy!
Arthur
Bill and Becky and Russ, Abby and Oscar
Travis and Felix
I hope you and your family had a wonderful Easter!
...
Post from one year ago today...
April 17, 2016
Daffodils in front of our house <3
...
Post from one year ago today...
April 16, 2016
ON MEETING THE MEMBERS OF THE BAND GEOFF MOORE AND THE DISTANCE
Toski finds ALL the Easter eggs...
In my original post on the subject, I asked for comments, anonymous or out loud. I got comments. Here are some.
"Reusing syringes is gross."
"They cost pennies - throw them away!"
"I don't care if you wash and sterilize, it is not okay to draw blood and then inject a medication with the same syringe."
"I have worked in practices that did this as well, and I broke the rules openly too. I don't care what the argument is on sterilizing and saving money, it's a one time use product, and that's how it should be used."
"I used to stand by the trash with the bin of syringes and sneeze them into the trash."
"That's terrible! I have never thought to reuse a syringe/needle."
"At no time can I think of an instance where I would be okay reusing them now."
"If they say dispose, they aren't meant to be cleaned and probably could not be effectively sterilized, so I wouldn't want that used on my fur kids."
"As a client, I am glad you use new syringes on my dogs."
"Wouldn't want used one-time needles used on my girls."
"Sad fact of life, greed usually wins out over care and safety. You are concerned about safety."
"As a pet owner, I am disgusted this is even a thing. It never would have crossed my mind that a syringe would be reused because in my mind, it's common sense that you toss after its intended use."
"Wait, how is throwing syringes away bullying? You're not being mean to that person, nor belittling them, nor harming them. You're practicing quality veterinary care."
"The absolute last thing anybody could ever say about you is that you are a bully. What the hell?"
"Calling you a bully could be considered creating a hostile work environment."
"I am still trying to figure out in what world that would be considered bullying."
"Absolutely not a bully."
"You're not a bully. You support ethics on every front."
"I just don't get the connection. How can this be bullying?"
"You are the least likely person to ever be a bully."
My favorite comments...
"Do you all at Nebraska Medicine reuse syringes for humans?" "Gross, no."
and...
"What. The. Actual. Fuck."
...
Post from one year ago today...
April 14, 2015
A list of groups with links to their position statements on reusing single use syringes...
American Society of Anesthesiologists
Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Friend to Friend - a website for IV drug users
Kirk's Current Veterinary Therapy
The reason I did not write for so many days when I had been posting daily is that I am letting a work issue drive me crazy.
It is not my boss's fault, though our run in is what threw me off course.
He has said that we cannot speak of it together and things will not change.
Which I take to mean I can speak and write of it.
I figure whoever is more stubborn will have the last word on if things will change.
In the case of a stubbornness stalemate, the tie breaker, of course, would be the owner of the company.
Also, my boss is one of my favorite people in the world, and I would stop this silliness if it really came to choosing the fight over the person.
Onward...
I now have ALL the Sharpies.
SO happy.
This is the picture I colored for Laura Drews. Because sometimes I am 5. But mostly because I love Laura, and she loves horses.
This is also the photo I sent to Dr. Chris Byers when he said he does not like using exam tables. Me neither! Except for coloring :D