RANT HERE thread

[fromthebox]

School policy is lame. And people who adhere to it 150% in order to cya when it wasn't even at risk are even more lame. I am ready to be home and it isn't even midterms.

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[scb44f]

The guy I've been dating for.... a longish while.... randomly tells me today that he's going to a wedding a week from tomorrow. Lolwut?

This day is weird and I want it to be over.

 

[orca2011]

Got a poor mid course evaluation. I knew it wasn't going incredibly well, mainly because I just don't know as much as my two rotation mates and I'm not as quick as spitting the information out, but I also got low marks in areas that I previously excelled at which I thought was surprising and caught me off guard. It just sucks and has really bummed me out when I already have enough other crappy things going on outside of vet school.

 

[WildZoo]

It's like my third day at work and it's been over a year since I've drawn blood (not to mention I only did it twice) and they're like "Here why don't you try on this dog!"

That poor thing.

 

[SummerTheLynx]

It's like my third day at work and it's been over a year since I've drawn blood (not to mention I only did it twice) and they're like "Here why don't you try on this dog!"

That poor thing.

You have to learn again somehow. I can assure you that you will be awfully well at it again in no time lol

 

[WildZoo]

You have to learn again somehow. I can assure you that you will be awfully well at it again in no time lol

Oh I know. I just felt bad for the pup. Unfortunately I'm not there in the morning when they're doing surgery, so no anesthetized animals to practice on.

 

[flyhi]

I miss flyhi....

I miss you too

 

[flyhi]

She may have even graduated by now. But she would be happy to see her thread still alive and doing well!

I wish…sigh… 7 months to go. Probably same as you right? It does make me happy. I read the first post and it's like…wow..we've come a long way baby. Miss you all and hope you are doing well!!

 

[DVMDream]

I miss you too

 

[flyhi]

 

[cowgirla]

Hey stranger!

 

[flyhi]

Hey stranger!

Hiya!! How are you?

 

[rockatiel]

I had a nice argument today with some incompetent staff at my local tractor supply co about the orphan kitten I'm raising... I was picking up his PCR shots and his dewormer and they actually told me that kittens don't get worms and I didn't know what I was talking about. Huh? Anyways they gave me some sad excuse for a wormer so I would leave and now my baby has an upset tummy!! I'm so mad.

 

[pinkpuppy9]

I had a nice argument today with some incompetent staff at my local tractor supply co about the orphan kitten I'm raising... I was picking up his PCR shots and his dewormer and they actually told me that kittens don't get worms and I didn't know what I was talking about. Huh? Anyways they gave me some sad excuse for a wormer so I would leave and now my baby has an upset tummy!! I'm so mad.

Have you already taken this kitten to a vet? It's my understanding that OTC medications are shotty, at best. Hartz flea products, for example.

 

[dyachei]

if i could get my vaccines anywhere other than a tractor supply co., I would

 

[rockatiel]

Have you already taken this kitten to a vet? It's my understanding that OTC medications are shotty, at best. Hartz flea products, for example.

It was a Sentry liquid dewormer. When I first got this baby at two weeks old as a foster (now foster failure) he went to the vet two days in a row because the lady that found him was giving him whole milk and he was severely constipated... He had about 6 enemas, one sterile lube at the vet and the others with soap water by me before I could get anything out of him. I very rarely use OTC things, and I guess this is why. I'll be getting him in to the vet if he doesn't get better in the morning. He is eating and drinking, though. I'm definitely seeing about getting a syringe full of strongid, too.

 

[rockatiel]

if i could get my vaccines anywhere other than a tractor supply co., I would

Normally I trust them, but I was just baffled with how they not only didn't know what they were saying, but actually argued with me on it. I raised three orphan puppies and gave them sets with no issues, but after today, never again.

 

[dyachei]

Normally I trust them, but I was just baffled with how they not only didn't know what they were saying, but actually argued with me on it. I raised three orphan puppies and gave them sets with no issues, but after today, never again.

there are differences between the vaccines you can get there and other vaccines. Namely, the guarantees on those products.

 

[pinkpuppy9]

Normally I trust them, but I was just baffled with how they not only didn't know what they were saying, but actually argued with me on it. I raised three orphan puppies and gave them sets with no issues, but after today, never again.

Keep in mind that store employees don't have DVM degrees. Rarely are they even adequately trained to even attempt to give such advice, and they often shouldn't be giving it anyways. I don't see why Petsmart, Petco, etc. employees ever give medical advice. Not to mention that OTC medications and vaccinations are not always stored/administered properly, much less backed by a guarantee of their efficacy. Most vets ignore any vaccines given by owners/breeders and start from square one because they are that unreliable. Sentry is another OTC brand I've heard/seen bad things about, so just be careful. It is really best to get any medications from a veterinarian! Good luck, I hope the baby gets better!

 

[rockatiel]

Thank you! I wasn't really asking for advice as much as I was asking where the wormer was stored. That's when they started asserting that I didn't need it... I would have just grabbed what I needed and gone had it not been locked in a cooler that had to be unlocked by an employee. I'm thinking that since my semester refund is in, I'll just take him in tomorrow and put a credit on my account for the rest of his preventative care. That'll save me more money than fooling with those idiots again.

 

[dyachei]

Thank you! I wasn't really asking for advice as much as I was asking where the wormer was stored. That's when they started asserting that I didn't need it... I would have just grabbed what I needed and gone had it not been locked in a cooler that had to be unlocked by an employee. I'm thinking that since my semester refund is in, I'll just take him in tomorrow and put a credit on my account for the rest of his preventative care. That'll save me more money than fooling with those idiots again.

get a fecal done. you'll be much happier knowing what you are treating.

Also, it's usually the Sentry flea meds that are awful. Please don't buy those.

 

[LetItSnow]

Had my first euth-on-the-table exploratory today. For some reason, I'm finding that to be distressing, whereas euth generally doesn't impact me much.

 

[twelvetigers]

I wish…sigh… 7 months to go. Probably same as you right? It does make me happy. I read the first post and it's like…wow..we've come a long way baby. Miss you all and hope you are doing well!!

Uhhhh... well...

You are really close, and it will feel like a distant memory soon.

 

[Minnerbelle]

I miss you too

Ahh!!!

 

[Jess Monster]

Sort of a rant: I'm affiliated with a local rabbit group. They do lots of fostering and run an actual shelter that's open to the public. Those things are great. I love taking care of rabbits and helping rabbits find homes. What I don't like is that they occasionally step into the activist role and protest various places for selling rabbit meat, using live rabbits in photography, biomedical research, etc. Every time they do that it makes me want to distance myself. I grew up in 4-H doing rabbit projects, something that at least a few top staff/board members have disparaged in the past. It's just frustrating to me because I have lots of skills that are very beneficial to this group that I've developed over 22 years of raising, showing, and caring for rabbits. I want to help, but I'm also mindful that the more "extreme" some of the members get, the more questions I might get in the future about my activities with them.

 

[missdarjeeling]

Some of the doctors at this place simply don't understand how time consuming all of the boarder responsibilities we have to juggle can be and how easy it is for relatively unimportant tasks to fall through the cracks. We don't have the staff to handle as many boarders as the owner of the hospital has us take in. Even when we're "fully" staffed, it becomes too much work when we have over 10 boarders to care for. We have barely enough time to care for their immediate needs, but they want us to do extra work like send pictures and updates of healthy boarders. Those get done 90% of the time, but sometimes, we just can't get to it, and us support staff are getting a little tired of getting attitude over it when the root of the problem is that we're understaffed. "Why can't you just do it?". Because if I tell you that I'm making my doctor's next appointment wait an extra 10 minutes because I have to text Mr. Whatshisface pictures and updates on how all 7 of his boarding healthy dogs are eating, drinking, and pooping, you're going to cut my head off and put it in a formalin jar on your desk. That's why.

 

[pinkpuppy9]

Some of the doctors at this place simply don't understand how time consuming all of the boarder responsibilities we have to juggle can be and how easy it is for relatively unimportant tasks to fall through the cracks. We don't have the staff to handle as many boarders as the owner of the hospital has us take in. Even when we're "fully" staffed, it becomes too much work when we have over 10 boarders to care for. We have barely enough time to care for their immediate needs, but they want us to do extra work like send pictures and updates of healthy boarders. Those get done 90% of the time, but sometimes, we just can't get to it, and us support staff are getting a little tired of getting attitude over it when the root of the problem is that we're understaffed. "Why can't you just do it?". Because if I tell you that I'm making my doctor's next appointment wait an extra 10 minutes because I have to text Mr. Whatshisface pictures and updates on how all 7 of his boarding healthy dogs are eating, drinking, and pooping, you're going to cut my head off and put it in a formalin jar on your desk. That's why.

Sometimes you just can't win. We'd get b*tched at for taking over an hour to do kennel duties for 15 dogs + 6-7 cats for our AM and PM shifts on weekends. Mind you, it was one person, and most of the dogs had accidents because we're given very specific times to go in, and it's usually a 13 hour gap between PM and the next AM shifts.

Sending picture updates really is a nice touch though. Takes a heck of a lot of time, but still cute.

 

[battie]

What I don't like is that they occasionally step into the activist role and protest various places for selling rabbit meat, using live rabbits in photography, biomedical research, etc. Every time they do that it makes me want to distance myself. I grew up in 4-H doing rabbit projects, something that at least a few top staff/board members have disparaged in the past. It's just frustrating to me because I have lots of skills that are very beneficial to this group that I've developed over 22 years of raising, showing, and caring for rabbits. I want to help, but I'm also mindful that the more "extreme" some of the members get, the more questions I might get in the future about my activities with them.

I don't blame you, especially if it's something you disagree with fundamentally. We all know that those things you listed (photog, research, meat, etc.) aren't necessarily bad if they're done right. I got to see the bunnies housed at National Jewish Research Hospital, and they have pretty decent digs. Protesting the entire thing is just silly.

 

[dyachei]

I wish…sigh… 7 months to go. Probably same as you right? It does make me happy. I read the first post and it's like…wow..we've come a long way baby. Miss you all and hope you are doing well!!

missed seeing you around these parts. How is pod? Are you going to specialize?

 

[missdarjeeling]

Sometimes you just can't win. We'd get b*tched at for taking over an hour to do kennel duties for 15 dogs + 6-7 cats for our AM and PM shifts on weekends. Mind you, it was one person, and most of the dogs had accidents because we're given very specific times to go in, and it's usually a 13 hour gap between PM and the next AM shifts.

Yikes, 13 hours? No wonder they had accidents. We're open all weekend but on shorter hours, so we still cover all 4 of our treatment shifts. And 15 dogs and 6-7 cats on one treatment shift would make me want to cry.

Luckily we don't get complaints over taking too much time to do weekend treatments. Saturday night was my monthly turn, and someone else volunteered to come help me. It still took us an hour and a half with 11 boarders total. One of our boarders was a big lab mix with serious hind end weakness who boards with us a few times a year. Some days, her pain control works well enough that she can kind of walk. Most days, she spends most of her time recumbent and can't be walked without a sling and two people. Of course, when we came in, her run was full of pee and poop, and the poop was smeared all over the place and all over her blankets. It took the two of us to get her out of there, and while I was scrubbing the literal sh-t out of her run, she pooped all over the treatment room floor. The next morning, it was the same story, plus she had developed a small sore on her foot and could barely stand despite having gotten her regular meds. And after being walked, one of the other boarders took a nice big bloody dump in her run. When we approached the only doctor on duty at the time about both of these dogs, she got frustrated at being bugged by all these questions and tasks. Well, now you know what it feels like...

What's most frustrating about the situation at this place is that we're consistently told we're not a boarding facility. We only have 4 runs, so dogs often end up in cages in the treatment room. We're supposed to limit boarding to pets that need to be medicated or can't be boarded anywhere else, like one of our FIV+ kitties that can't be vaccinated. But it never works that way, and the owner basically allows anyone to board any time. That'd be fine with me if we (a) had enough staff to deal with all these responsibilities and (b) were told in our interviews that this place does in fact do a lot of boarding instead of "we're not a boarding facility, but every once in a while, we might have a patient board with us." It's dishonest when "every once in a while" means "every week, you will be caring for multiple boarders."

Sending picture updates really is a nice touch though. Takes a heck of a lot of time, but still cute.

It is a really nice touch, and people love it. A lot of our clients are easy going about it, too, and don't freak the eff out if we don't send them their text. The boarding facilities I've taken my dog to charge more than we do and don't do this. It keeps people coming back and keeps the money rolling in, but all of these boarding problems contribute to staff burnout because everyone is constantly stressed and frustrated about the freaking boarders. I can deal with the owner prioritizing revenue over her staff's well-being. It's expected. But it sucks when the other doctors throw us under the bus, too. It's demoralizing.

 

[WildZoo]

At my old job we used to bring family/friends in to help walk and feed the dogs during weekend duty. During the week there was always a team of 2-3 dedicated kennel staff, plus the techs would help out during down time, but the weekends were always the worst because it was just 2 staff members assigned to come in Saturday afternoon, Sunday morning, and Sunday afternoon, and of course that was when we had the most boarders. I seem to remember a time when we had 20+ dogs, 5+ cats, and 3 birds, plus whatever wildlife hadn't been picked up by the rehab people. That was probably July 4th weekend.

 

[Caiter92]

Oh man, you all rotate weekends/have multiple people on a shift?! We just have one person do each kennel shift, and one person does all weekend shifts. I just got weekends off now that I've shifted to working full time during the week, and I actually feel guilty about it since I know how much doing all weekend shifts alone sucks.

 

[WildZoo]

Oh man, you all rotate weekends/have multiple people on a shift?! We just have one person do each kennel shift, and one person does all weekend shifts. I just got weekends off now that I've shifted to working full time during the week, and I actually feel guilty about it since I know how much doing all weekend shifts alone sucks.

That's major suckage. We always had two people on weekend duty, usually one of the kennel people and one tech (since the kennel people weren't allowed to give some medications) or two techs just based on the rotation, since there were more techs than kennel workers.

And where I'm working now doesn't do boarding

 

[Caiter92]

The three of us that do kennels are also vet assistants, so maybe that's why? We had one kennel person who was strictly kennels last year, but they weren't allowed to do weekend duties, so maybe if we had more strictly kennel peoples we'd do something similar.

No boarder care sounds amazing. Lucky! haha

 

[pinkpuppy9]

Yikes, 13 hours? No wonder they had accidents. We're open all weekend but on shorter hours, so we still cover all 4 of our treatment shifts. And 15 dogs and 6-7 cats on one treatment shift would make me want to cry.

Luckily we don't get complaints over taking too much time to do weekend treatments. Saturday night was my monthly turn, and someone else volunteered to come help me. It still took us an hour and a half with 11 boarders total. One of our boarders was a big lab mix with serious hind end weakness who boards with us a few times a year. Some days, her pain control works well enough that she can kind of walk. Most days, she spends most of her time recumbent and can't be walked without a sling and two people. Of course, when we came in, her run was full of pee and poop, and the poop was smeared all over the place and all over her blankets. It took the two of us to get her out of there, and while I was scrubbing the literal sh-t out of her run, she pooped all over the treatment room floor. The next morning, it was the same story, plus she had developed a small sore on her foot and could barely stand despite having gotten her regular meds. And after being walked, one of the other boarders took a nice big bloody dump in her run. When we approached the only doctor on duty at the time about both of these dogs, she got frustrated at being bugged by all these questions and tasks. Well, now you know what it feels like...

What's most frustrating about the situation at this place is that we're consistently told we're not a boarding facility. We only have 4 runs, so dogs often end up in cages in the treatment room. We're supposed to limit boarding to pets that need to be medicated or can't be boarded anywhere else, like one of our FIV+ kitties that can't be vaccinated. But it never works that way, and the owner basically allows anyone to board any time. That'd be fine with me if we (a) had enough staff to deal with all these responsibilities and (b) were told in our interviews that this place does in fact do a lot of boarding instead of "we're not a boarding facility, but every once in a while, we might have a patient board with us." It's dishonest when "every once in a while" means "every week, you will be caring for multiple boarders."



It is a really nice touch, and people love it. A lot of our clients are easy going about it, too, and don't freak the eff out if we don't send them their text. The boarding facilities I've taken my dog to charge more than we do and don't do this. It keeps people coming back and keeps the money rolling in, but all of these boarding problems contribute to staff burnout because everyone is constantly stressed and frustrated about the freaking boarders. I can deal with the owner prioritizing revenue over her staff's well-being. It's expected. But it sucks when the other doctors throw us under the bus, too. It's demoralizing.

We were that busy only during the summer, and maybe even more crowded around the major summer holidays. Plus, the facility is definitely not good for boarding. I always hated leaving them for that long. My worst case was leaving a huge German Shepherd with serious diarrhea alone for those 13 hours. When I came in the next morning, his mess literally filled the kennel, and pooled out all over the floor. I get sick thinking about it to this day. Of course, he was covered in it. I felt so bad for him.

At my old job we used to bring family/friends in to help walk and feed the dogs during weekend duty. During the week there was always a team of 2-3 dedicated kennel staff, plus the techs would help out during down time, but the weekends were always the worst because it was just 2 staff members assigned to come in Saturday afternoon, Sunday morning, and Sunday afternoon, and of course that was when we had the most boarders. I seem to remember a time when we had 20+ dogs, 5+ cats, and 3 birds, plus whatever wildlife hadn't been picked up by the rehab people. That was probably July 4th weekend.

We were only allowed to have a person sit in the building, but they couldn't come into contact with any animals (liability). We were only scheduled for one person on the weekend boarding shifts, but when we literally had every single kennel booked, another person was allowed to come in and help (if someone offered).

I do not miss boarding duty at all. If I have any choice in the matter, I'll never have to deal with it again. It's not that I mind caring for the pets, it's just dealing with calling the doctor and waiting 1+ hours for a reply on a dog that vomited, dealing with dogs soaked in diarrhea, etc. Also, the dogs that get yard time for 10 minutes, yet pee/poop in their kennel as soon as you close the cage

 

[orca2011]

Got blood work done today and I still don't have my results. It's been years since I've had any blood work done and I guess I just expected them to be faster at letting me know.

 

[WildZoo]

Got blood work done today and I still don't have my results. It's been years since I've had any blood work done and I guess I just expected them to be faster at letting me know.

I don't know if this is normal, but when I got a ton of blood drawn while I was in the hospital they told me I wouldn't have the results for a week. But that may have been due to the specific tests they were doing

 

[pinkpuppy9]

I euthanized my fish today I'm so sad about it. I knew it was time, as he's been ailing for a while now. I also felt strange euthanizing my own pet, I'm not sure if that's normal or not. Either way, I feel better that he's no longer sick but I'm gonna miss the litter guy.

 

[PrincessButterCup]

I euthanized my fish today I'm so sad about it. I knew it was time, as he's been ailing for a while now. I also felt strange euthanizing my own pet, I'm not sure if that's normal or not. Either way, I feel better that he's no longer sick but I'm gonna miss the litter guy.

Oh, I'm sorry pinkpuppy!

May I ask, what kind of fish did you have? I have never known one to be euthanized before.

 

[WildZoo]

Sorry about your fish pinkpuppy

My sister's new betta has fin rot so he's in a quarantine tank right now and we're trying to nurse him back to health. Hopefully it works out...things turned south for him even faster than they did for her previous fish, and she tried so hard to do everything right with him.

 

[pinkpuppy9]

Oh, I'm sorry pinkpuppy!

May I ask, what kind of fish did you have? I have never known one to be euthanized before.

Thank you He was a Betta, over 2 years old (I've heard the life span can vary quite a bit, though). I used MS-222, which is an anesthetic powder that you dissolve in water, the same you'd use for fish surgeries. I overdosed him on it. Luckily, being at a veterinary school, I had access to the drug/faculty who could help me out. It was rather quick, and he didn't seem distressed at all, so that was a relief. I wasn't sure what to expect.

 

[pinkpuppy9]

Sorry about your fish pinkpuppy

My sister's new betta has fin rot so he's in a quarantine tank right now and we're trying to nurse him back to health. Hopefully it works out...things turned south for him even faster than they did for her previous fish, and she tried so hard to do everything right with him.

I thought mine had fin rot, so I treated him for it. It never healed, but it never got worse. He was hanging in there for about a month and eating well, but this last week he basically went white and stopped bothering to go up for air. Completely lateral on the gravel. Hard to see, but I'm glad I could be humane. I really hope your sister's fish turns around though. It seems like they're rather hardy fish!

 

[pinkpuppy9]

Oh, I'm sorry pinkpuppy!

May I ask, what kind of fish did you have? I have never known one to be euthanized before.

Also, there are other methods of 'euthanizing' fish that are popular amongst hobby aquarists. Freezing is popular, and a lot of pet stores do it that way. I just wasn't comfortable with it and would not want to cause a moment of stress for the fish if I could avoid it. I dug up a paper on freezing vs. MS-222, and the scientists actually found freezing to be less distressing, but oh well. Others decapitate, but I didn't do that for obvious reasons.

 

[WildZoo]

I thought mine had fin rot, so I treated him for it. It never healed, but it never got worse. He was hanging in there for about a month and eating well, but this last week he basically went white and stopped bothering to go up for air. Completely lateral on the gravel. Hard to see, but I'm glad I could be humane. I really hope your sister's fish turns around though. It seems like they're rather hardy fish!

That sounds a bit like what happened to her second fish (the current one is her 4th). They are pretty hardy compared to some other fish but at the same time fish are so fragile in general and it's just hard to tell exactly what is going on with them. And hard to find a local vet who treats fish! Plus sifting through the good and bad information on the internet and what the pet store people tell you...it's crazy.

 

[pinkpuppy9]

That sounds a bit like what happened to her second fish (the current one is her 4th). They are pretty hardy compared to some other fish but at the same time fish are so fragile in general and it's just hard to tell exactly what is going on with them. And hard to find a local vet who treats fish! Plus sifting through the good and bad information on the internet and what the pet store people tell you...it's crazy.

Oh definitely. I can't tell you how crazy I drove myself trying to get him care. No vet (even my boss) was willing to see him where I'm from. Aquarium store recommended Kanaplex, that didn't help. To be fair, the exotics/zoo vet here compared my 2+ year old betta to a 95 year old man. He very well could have had a treatable condition, but I don't think it would have been fair to keep him around just to 'try' after he took that last turn. Also, with him being so old, it could have been something he just wouldn't have been able to fight off.

 

[orca2011]

I don't know if this is normal, but when I got a ton of blood drawn while I was in the hospital they told me I wouldn't have the results for a week. But that may have been due to the specific tests they were doing

I got 4 different panels done, but I know for a fact that one is a rapid test. I guess I'm just used to how we get blood work done within a couple hours max and now I expect human things to work the same way. I guess I'm just frustrated because since I it was done as an out-patient lab thing, if something is wrong now I have to find time to fit in an appointment to talk to someone.

 

[dyachei]

Also, there are other methods of 'euthanizing' fish that are popular amongst hobby aquarists. Freezing is popular, and a lot of pet stores do it that way. I just wasn't comfortable with it and would not want to cause a moment of stress for the fish if I could avoid it. I dug up a paper on freezing vs. MS-222, and the scientists actually found freezing to be less distressing, but oh well. Others decapitate, but I didn't do that for obvious reasons.

clove oil is one that I've heard hobbyists use

 

[pinkpuppy9]

clove oil is one that I've heard hobbyists use

I've read about that too, but I just wasn't comfortable with those methods I guess. All of the internet information was a bit too much for me to process. I even saw people recommending dunking the fish in vodka. I know that whether or not fish can feel pain is up in the air, but I mean come on.

 

[dyachei]

I've read about that too, but I just wasn't comfortable with those methods I guess. All of the internet information was a bit too much for me to process. I even saw people recommending dunking the fish in vodka. I know that whether or not fish can feel pain is up in the air, but I mean come on.

I know clove oil works. I just haven't seen too many hobbyists euth their fish

 

[WildZoo]

Oh definitely. I can't tell you how crazy I drove myself trying to get him care. No vet (even my boss) was willing to see him where I'm from. Aquarium store recommended Kanaplex, that didn't help. To be fair, the exotics/zoo vet here compared my 2+ year old betta to a 95 year old man. He very well could have had a treatable condition, but I don't think it would have been fair to keep him around just to 'try' after he took that last turn. Also, with him being so old, it could have been something he just wouldn't have been able to fight off.

Yeah, it definitely sounds like you made the right decision.

Right now we're trying quarantine with aquarium salt and betta fix. Not seeing any improvement yet but it's only been a couple days. He's still active and everything, his fins just look pretty torn up, and black around the edges.