Discovering the true value of veterinary medicine
Discovering the true value of Veterinary Medicine
This story, and my life at this current time, revolves around our big dalmatian-hound-mutt named “Grimsby.”
On September 24th of 2018, about 93 days ago as of the time of this writing, in the evening we found an abscess on his rear leg (thigh area). Nothing crazy, just two small puncture wounds. We don’t know for sure what happened because no one actually saw the incident occur.
Immediately the next morning we began treating him at the animal hospital where I work. I am lucky to work as a veterinary technician with a great team and three amazing female veterinarians who I trust implicitly with my own animals, and regularly since we have six animals in our home with various medical conditions, including one very good looking beagle in heart failure. Unfortunately, we also lost our handsome lab hound mix Jude last month due to a probable cancerous mass in the abdomen. The doctors helped us through that as well. Needless to say, we trust their judgement. We know they have done everything they can to make this journey reach its final destination- a healed Grimsby!
Based on the nature of the wounds, the vet who first saw him thinks it may be due to a dog bite. We aren’t positive but we think it was an older small poodle we were pet sitting at the time.
So that is where our journey began.
We should have known it was going to be crazy when immediately Grimsby went through two Elizabethan collars and then we had to custom make one over double the size of what is appropriate for his body type because he kept manipulating the cone to get to the wound with his mouth, which delays healing. So, Grimsby is the world’s biggest cone head in a cone probably made for a mastiff, and he already struggled with spatial awareness! See the pictures for comic relief!
Despite multiple rounds of antibiotics and cultures, weeks of the cone, and flushing the wound multiple times daily Grimsby’s wound would not heal. The wound “pocket” underneath the skin was actually getting larger over time -not shrinking. During these weeks of treatment he began having nausea and GI issues from all the antibiotics and pain meds. He was rejecting food and medications and having occasional vomiting. He also ended up with a urinary tract infection which required more medications. He then acquired an ear infection which required twice daily treatments so on top of everything else he was greasy from the ointment! The poor guy was utterly MISERABLE, as were all of us.
Suddenly he started getting even more sick and we discovered he was having liver issues from a reaction to some of the pain medications (NSAIDS). At that point we had to stop all current medications and put him on two new medications to fix the liver.
All the while the injury was simply not healing and then we discovered necrotic (dead) tissue down in the wound, so the doctors decided to proceed to surgery and remove the entire thing. We had to continue the liver medications and wait until the liver was healthy enough for surgery. And then, about two weeks later Grimsby underwent anesthesia.
Our clinics main surgeon on staff did the procedure and we are very lucky, as she is a truly exceptional doctor and surgeon. All of our coworkers appreciate her because she has a lot of knowledge and she (patiently!) teaches everyone daily.
While in surgery she found much more necrotic (dead) tissue than expected and had to take a much larger chunk of his leg out, turning into a bigger procedure than anticipated. She did an amazing suture job, which blew my mind. It was a “shoe lace” system on his thigh for the bandage. Once or twice a day we would remove the bandage, flush and clean his wounds, apply ointment, put on padding, and lace it up with string to hold in place keeping the suture site clean and to catch the draining. Then we taped it all in place because he is a master at getting to his suture site! See pictures if you don’t mind the blood! Doctor actually made it very clear that she did not invent the suture job, but it was brilliant to use nonetheless.
Let’s jump to today, approximately 93 days in, we are a little over two weeks post operation and with exception of future follow ups and bloodwork to make sure the liver continues improving. So we are in the final stages! We got to remove the drain and sutures this week so HOPEFULLY we are nearing the end of this journey!
As a veterinary technician I see this stuff every day at work: injuries and surgeries, non-healing wound‘s, painful cases, unfair and heartbreaking situations, and those frustrating cases that just make no “medical” sense.
Sometimes in events such as these, things just do not heal no matter what the normal protocol is for treatments, or how good the owner is at home treatments, or if all the doctors and specialists are working together on the case. Sometimes they just require more. And with that the medical bills unfortunately continue to increase.
Naturally it is incredibly frustrating for all involved. But everyone is just trying to help the animal (and the family!) to find relief.
Through this journey of being the owner to a pet with a difficult and ongoing case, I now see things even more empathetically than I did before. I am so grateful for these doctors and their knowledge and dedication. As with the rest of the veterinary teams who do so much help us with our pets. I also have an appreciation for all the emotions that the pet parent goes through, what the animal goes through, and what the doctors and staff go through. They are each on their own individual emotional rollercoasters.
And our situation is still not as bad as many others I have seen, so I can only imagine the frustration of those parents and their pets. Unfortunately, we see sweet animals turn mean after a bad ongoing anal gland abscess, and it is heartbreaking because we can only control their pain so much, but the tolerance for treatments we cannot control.
I feel blessed to see both perspectives- of the owner and also of the veterinary professional. And both truly just want what is best for the pet and the family.
Despite my family having at least a couple of animals in the home at all times and despite being the sole caregiver to my own animals since the age of eighteen, I have never truly understood what it means to find the “value” in veterinary medicine.
Sure, it is a yearly “expense” for the vaccines and then when they get sick you take them to the veterinarian and they magically fix them and we move on. That was the extent of my thoughts on veterinary care. Even after my own pets underwent more life threatening illnesses and surgeries, I didn’t see it. What’s more, even after five years of working in the field every day and pet sitting in my spare time, not to mention the regular influx of stray animals, and my own pets, I truly did not see the value until this journey. And the appreciation for science and medicine as it is provided to us.
Only now do I really get it. I feel the exhaustion personally from the multiple treatments a day, hundreds of pills, liquids and flushes, giving him fluids at home via an “IV drip line” (not given through the vein while at home- just the subcutaneous layer), many (SO MANY) vet visits, feeding special foods, administering many various types of medications, and keeping journals of every little thing just to stay on track. And the stress!
Not to mention just the simple act of feeding and medicating an animal who is rejecting medications either due to the nausea or just plan exhaustion from constantly having pills crammed down his throat. It can all be a lot for even a trained professional, not to mention a novice or an elderly person with no help.
It can be heartbreaking, painful, frustrating, and exhausting for all involved.
Part of the reason for this writing is to say we all want healthy pets and happy families. Animas bring us so much joy they really deserve the best care. If not the best care then if nothing else they deserve NOT to suffer.
I look people in the eye daily while we discuss treatment plans and they tell me how they truly don’t have the money to do what they want to do for their pet and they have to pick and choose by “importance.” There are also those people who they feel we are trying to take advantage or that they are being duped, or tell me why this is “too much money” for an animal. Some can be downright intense, even going as far to say obscene things about taking things into their own hands during an end of life discussion. Luckily most people trust us to help their animals and we are able to help in most cases. My job includes helping people give the best care for their pets that they are able to give, help with treatments, and help teach about all the information in veterinary medicine, which can feel overwhelming.
When we see the veterinarians and have them examine and offer treatments to our pet, we aren’t paying for just the specific “service” the animal is undergoing, what we are truly paying for is their expertise, their schooling, their knowledge of multiple breeds and specialties, and their educated recommendations. Not to mention keeping the building open, lights on and the staff paid. And while we all know someone with their Doctor Google answer to everything- these doctors train regularly to continue their educations and be up to speed with all the latest scientific information. Coconut oil does not cure everything! In fact many people often do more harm by trying at home remedies.
When people make negative comments about veterinarians or don’t see the value in what we do, I have to remind myself that they don’t see what I see. The many lunches skipped, long hours spent without seeing family, skipping events that bring them joy to take care of their patients, and putting their entire everything into their cases. There’s the physical labor, the noncompliance or even abuse from owners and clients, the dirty work, the sweat and tears. Not to mention the every day scratches and bites from the animals! But the bites from upset owners is still worse.
I see the doctors’ pains and frustrations when treating a difficult case, their long conversations with specialists and reading about the newest scientific advances and information. I see them give discounts despite our comparable low prices and the issue at hand not being our fault at all. I also see the many outstanding bills of clients that never pay.. Because the treatments do add up and the vets I know have HUGE HEARTS and really do want animals to get well.
Yes, there are always exceptions- there are professionals who do unnecessary treatments to pad their commissions, and there are the utterly despicable people who abuse animals. I have seen the videos and read the stories and I do believe it as there are bad people in every field of life. But, I can assure you this is not the norm. Most people in this field with animals is a true and true animal lover and defender. We’re definitely not in it for the money! But because it’s not always easy on the heart we have to really love animals to be able to do it. We see a lot of neglect and abuse of animals and we see unfair situations for good people and good pets.
Choosing to work any position in veterinary medicine can be heartbreaking but also so rewarding. Nonetheless, it is a much needed field and I can assure you the people I work with truly care. When I hear that “vets are only in it for the money,” or we “try to take advantage,” or we “don’t really care about animals, “because if you did you would give us lower prices....” and things of that nature. It hurts my heart and I have a very hard time hearing that because it does not describe the vets I have known- it’s the opposite in fact. Also, most are not “laughing all the way to the bank” as I have read from some keyboard warriors. They want animals to get good care and low cost is part of that. They try to be fair. They are just people too, providing a service that is not always seen as a top priority in people’s worlds. Understandably so when some people are just trying to put food on the table and just want a furry companion to help make life a little lighter. But, pets are expensive and many people believe pets should not need anything like doctor visits, preventative medicine, vaccines or other treatments to survive. The only issue with that is how stoic animals are. Oftentimes to determine a pets level of pain can be much tougher than one would think. They can handle A LOT of pain without showing it. We owe it to them to get them help when things are “off”. And if nothing else annual check ups with the vet to make sure there isn’t something really wrong that we don’t know about.
Speaking as a pet owner I am grateful for the veterinary professionals who care for our little loves. As with everything else in life we have to do our due diligence and find a veterinary clinic that works for our family’s needs. Ask questions and find a team who listens to you and helps you understand what is going on. There is so much important information regarding animal care and you want to find a clinic that helps educate their pet parents for the o
And speaking as someone as part of a medical team it is our job to help educate parents and assist them to make the best decision they are able to make for their pet. Doctors give their recommendations for the best course of action and the pet owner decides what they are able and willing to do, and then we do our best to help the pet in whatever capacity we can. Our number one focus is the care of the animals.
Of course I completely understand veterinary care is expensive. Sometimes I feel as if I work solely to support my animals, but I would have it no other way! The joy they bring me immensely surpasses the long days and the difficult moments. People should always keep in mind there are “low cost clinics” or “vaccine clinics” often associated with rescues and shelters. There are financial assistance options such as “Care credit” and “Scratchpay” which can assist with medical bills. Insurance is growing in popularity and available where possible. Many people find success with fundraisers like “Go Fund Me” or similar to help with expenses. Sometimes as a last resort we can surrender an animal to someone who can better care for them, or euthanize and let them go without pain, which are both selfless acts we give to the pet as a gift for their wellbeing. We always have options to if nothing else make sure an animal is not suffering.
Every day working in vet med is an adventure and it is all for the animals! They deserve the best care we can give them.
Thank you to my clinic and the doctors for their time and care of our little furry family. Thank you to all the pet professionals out there for all you do to help animals live their best lives, and to be their voice!! You are appreciated.
Here’s some pictures of our crazy journey, some are pretty amazing (see any pic with him in the cone for comic relief) and some are not for the squeamish (see surgery photos).
-Team Grimsby
(Written by Jessica Bournias)
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