Externship week one

Monday I came in at 11am. Dr. William, Sam the tech and I went over the externship outline and figured out how we wanted to start things out. After lunch I went in on 3 appointments, I restrained for 2 jugulars and restrained for a drain removal on Joey the pug. I ran and logged results for 4 4DX tests (heartworm). I even got to answer the phone and put a client on hold.

Tuesday is surgery day. We had 3 on the schedule, 2 dog spays and a dog neuter. I restrained for catheter placement and intubation for the spays. I scrubbed for all 3 surgeries. The front desk person Sue went on break while we were doing the neuter so when the phone would ring or a client came in to buy food I was left in charge of monitoring the anesthesia and waking him up.

Thursday is also surgery day. We had one TPLO surgery on the schedule and a possible dental with extraction and a possible x-ray with sedation. The dental was a pug who had been at a kennel for 9 days and when the owners had picked him up and found that he has lost 4 pounds and his face was swollen and he was bleeding from the nose and gums and had an abscessed tooth. He had come in on Wednesday and saw the relief vet who scheduled him for the extraction. Dr. Willam looked at the pug’s blood work and decided that what he needed was another week on the antibiotics before he would be put under anesthesia. The lab came in with a possible torn cruciate ligament, from jumping off the deck while chasing squirrels, the owner was hoping the orthopedic surgeon that was coming in for the TPLO would take a look. The surgeon did look at the lab and decided yes the dog had a torn cruciate and there was no need for the x-rays. I shaved for the TPLO, but otherwise I just observed. A Chihuahua, Abby with congestive heart failure, came in because she was breathing heavy so while the surgery was going on I was going back and checking on her and updating the Dr. Joey the pug returned that afternoon because the abscess had returned. The Dr. and I masked the pug down and she reinserted the drain. Sam the tech is pregnant and she couldn’t be in the room so I got to be the one monitoring Joey. I ran 4 more 4DX tests and even set up 2 fecals and scanned them after Sam had. I dispensed medication for Joey.

Saturday, I did less because it was all relief people who don’t work at the clinic on a regular bases. Dr. Anderson was the vet and he does this differently than Dr. Willam. We had a euthanasia and I learned how they bag and tag the departed. Peggy, one of the techs, let me scan a fecal and she checked it to tell me if I had missed something. I dispensed medication for 2 clients. I also learned more about the computer program they use to keep records and print med. labels. I restrained a cat while Dr. Anderson gave vaccines and microchipped. I gave the client information regarding the registration process of the Home Again microchip.

The people I am working with really seem to enjoy what they are doing and are being so cool about letting me jump in and do stuff.