Yesterday I saw a 10 year old assisting in surgery

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MyMia

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I've been shadowing/volunteering at a vet hospital for the past 6 weeks (and been loving every second of it).

During my shift yesterday, I saw something most unusual: A 10 year old girl was invited to assist in surgery on her dog.

The veterinarian (also the owner the the hospital) invited her after telling him her aspirations to become a vet and how enthusiastic she was of the field. It wasn't the first time she was invited to help out for treatments and exams, but it was her first operation. Her whole family was watching.

I thought she'd pass out (many high school students / PreVets pass out in their first surgery, myself included). and treat this as somewhat of a farce. A vet assistant was ready to help out, should something happen. However, the kid was shockingly mature, treated the staff with great respect, was incredibly smart, and was very attentive to the instructions of the vet throughout the operation. Also, much to my utter surprise, she didn't faint (it wasn't exactly the most graphic surgery, but still impressive for her age). She didn't have much to do other than holding an instrument throughout the operation, but she greatly enjoyed the experience and was very grateful. She was invited to return for future treatments and surgeries, as long as she keeps doing well in school, and the patient is a pet of her family's.

The vet's reasoning for allowing her to assist is that he had a very similar experience when he was 11. This is what made him decide that veterinary medicine was the right career for him. He believes any kid with a passion and enthusiasm for the field should have such an experience, and more vets should share his philosophy. He's invited dozens of kids throughout his career to help out in treatments and exams, and almost all of them became vets and vet technicians.

I admittedly underestimated the little girl. After seeing the look of satisfaction on her face, I think I'm starting to agree with the vet on this. I'm not quite sure about allowing a fifth grader to scrub in and help out in an operation, but at least I can understand where he's coming from.

I'm curious to know: Did you ever witness something similar? Also, when you become vets, would you let kids between the age of 9 and 13 help out in treatments?

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100yrs ago it was common for a kid of that age to be there for surgery with their parents/mentor as an apprentice
 
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This made me feel inadequate, lol. Great experience for her though.
 
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I haven't seen anything like that before, all the vet clinics I've shadowed at required volunteers/students to be at least 16 years old. I think when I'm a vet I would allow young kids to watch minor procedures (eg. placing a u-cath, suturing a laceration, etc) if they wanted to, but not surgery.
 
The vet I worked for had a daughter who wanted to be a vet like her daddy. She was 8-10 years old when I worked there. It's a little different situation than what you describe because she was the vets family, but she pretty routinely helped us with things. Her mom was the practice manager (and had another full time job) and her dad was the vet so she was there at least a couple hours most days in the summer. She watched surgery any chance she got and loved it. She had a stool she stood on in the OR, and routinely went after supplies (more suture, instruments, etc) as they were needed. Even as a little kid she probably had more vet experience than many applicants. She asked pretty amazing questions for someone her age. She didn't do treatments or anything, but she could clip, rough scrub, hold small patients and things like that.

We were at a rural mixed practice so it was the norm for children (probably age 8 and up) to come with people bringing horses and especially cattle during the summers. Usually the kids were happy to help run cows/calves up the chute but didn't really "assist" for procedures. Some watched, most were just there because dad was and got bored.

I see the vet's point. I would have loved to see something when I was younger. Maybe not surgery on my own dog (too close emotionally for that even now), but still. The issue is liability I think. What if something went wrong? I can imagine the vet is definitely making an impact though.
 
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My issue isn't necessarily with her age, but with the concepts that go with surgery, namely sterility. I wouldn't want any "layperson" scrubbing in without complete understanding of what and why these procedures must be followed. It's hard enough to remember all of the little things you can and can't do when you're scrubbed in as a fourth year, let alone ten years old. If it were something like a skin tag removal or a cat neuter, I'd be less concerned than if it were a spay or foreign body removal, yanno? I think just letting the kids watch the surgery or procedure is participation enough at that stage to keep them excited about vet med.
 
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I was allowed to assist in a surgery at 11 or 12 and it made a huge impact and solidified for me that this is what I wanted to do. But it was on a feral cat that they had a spay program for, not a client owned animal. I volunteered 2 summers there. after that case, I was allowed to assist in another surgery that was client owned. Note that this happened overseas.
 
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At Edinburgh, at the vet school, they had a television show the last two years called "Junior Vets". In the show, kids aged around 10-12 were able to come into the vet school and see what it is like to "be a vet". They were allowed to do some treatments (deworming pigs in one show) up to scrubbing in on surgery and being able to assist with surgery (and not just simple spay/neuter or mass removal/laceration repair either). Granted, this is in a different country, but the kids were always supervised and did just fine with what they were asked to do/needed to do.

I am sure there are a ton of legal issues within the US that would not allow this type of thing, but if we are going to be having shadows/volunteers in the vet clinic as vets we need to know what these laws are.
 
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I all but begged to observe my dog's exploratory surgery but was turned down, and I was about 18. I would have been upset by it, but at the same time, I am extremely good at separating myself from the emotions that you can experience in vet med (so far anyways...). I think I would allow a kid to come in the back with me. Having been in the situation at my age where it seems like you will never get the experience you need to get into vet school, giving someone a head-start seems like the right thing to do.
 
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Done with reasonable oversight, I don't have a problem with it. I'm certainly not going to criticize the vet that did it, and for the right child in the right circumstances I'd consider doing it.

*shrug*
 
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I was allowed to observe surgery and "assist" - pretty much hand instruments when I was in middle school at a veterinary hospital. They obviously made you scrub in and you were not actually allowed to perform any of the procedure, but it was for a career day project so for me being able to see what it was actually like to be a vet along with some other vet procedures I took part in was really a good experience for me.
 
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By assist I think she means like help 'clip', 'scrub', or 'monitor anesthesia'. I doubt she scrubbed in and actually assisted. Still good for the veterinarian.
 
By assist I think she means like help 'clip', 'scrub', or 'monitor anesthesia'. I doubt she scrubbed in and actually assisted. Still good for the veterinarian.

She said that the girl was "holding an instrument" during the surgery. I hope she is scrubbed in for that.
 
When I was 10 I got to help our vet push a full uterine prolapse back in on one of our cows. I thought it was pretty cool, but being up to my shoulders in blood my mom was not so impressed about cleaning my clothes after...
 
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At Edinburgh, at the vet school, they had a television show the last two years called "Junior Vets". In the show, kids aged around 10-12 were able to come into the vet school and see what it is like to "be a vet". They were allowed to do some treatments (deworming pigs in one show) up to scrubbing in on surgery and being able to assist with surgery (and not just simple spay/neuter or mass removal/laceration repair either). Granted, this is in a different country, but the kids were always supervised and did just fine with what they were asked to do/needed to do.


Well geez, I wonder how many vets clinics in UK got calls from young aspiring vets begging them to get a similar experience after watching the show, haha.

I doubt we'll ever see an american version of the show. Some rules would have to be rewritten.
 
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I started shadowing a vet when I was 12. He let me "assist" in all sorts of things, including surgery. I spent more time fetching suture and opening packs than actually scrubbed in, but there were a few that he let me scrub for as well. He played a huge part in getting me to where I am today, I talked about him in my PS, and I hope I can have the same role for someone else someday. So obviously, I'm biased :)
 
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I think there is more of an ethical/moral/parenting issue at hand than laws. It's not like they would be doing castrations or declaws on their own, or something crazy like that. It would also depend on the state.

Many American parents would be in an uproar if a little boy/girl was deworming a pig on TV. The parents would be shunned by others for how "unsafe" or "unhealthy" it must be. Quite frankly I would have loved to get vet experience at 10!
 
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In school we had several labs and a practical exam on how to scrub, gown, glove, and maintain a sterile field; on surgical rotations we had the OR techs watching us and correcting us if we weren't following good technique. I don't think anyone should be assisting in surgery, regardless of their age, if they haven't been through proper supervised training.
 
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In school we had several labs and a practical exam on how to scrub, gown, glove, and maintain a sterile field; on surgical rotations we had the OR techs watching us and correcting us if we weren't following good technique. I don't think anyone should be assisting in surgery, regardless of their age, if they haven't been through proper supervised training.

Definitely. When I first started assisting I had no concept of sterility...
 
In school we had several labs and a practical exam on how to scrub, gown, glove, and maintain a sterile field; on surgical rotations we had the OR techs watching us and correcting us if we weren't following good technique. I don't think anyone should be assisting in surgery, regardless of their age, if they haven't been through proper supervised training.

Meh, it's really not that difficult. I was a surgical assistant for a vet for the past 5 months. After going through one procedure and being told what to do and what not to do, I was fine. For a 10-year-old, yes there would definitely be more concern, but I don't think it's necessary to have to go through multiple labs and exams to determine if someone can properly maintain a sterile field.
 
Though I do realize that this is something I will have to do in school.
 
I all but begged to observe my dog's exploratory surgery but was turned down, and I was about 18.

I would turn down just about any owner from watching an explore unless I knew them really really well.... It would have nothing to do with age.

A spay or something, maybe, esp if they were the right kid who had aspirations to become a vet. And I certainly wouldn't mind them watching on a stool far enough away from the sterile field, but scrubbed in, probably not.
 
Well geez, I wonder how many vets clinics in UK got calls from young aspiring vets begging them to get a similar experience after watching the show, haha.

I doubt we'll ever see an american version of the show. Some rules would have to be rewritten.

Don't know.

Also not sure of any laws specific to allowing kids "assist" in the vet clinic. They for sure couldn't do anything on their own (obviously), but I would think with proper supervision it would be ok. Then again, there are specific laws to each state as to what year of vet school a vet student has to be in before they can perform any procedures (even with supervision).

I did a camp thing for kids with an interest in vet med when I was about 13. I was allowed to help with treatments for animals and it really was my first exposure to the veterinary field. Was allowed to observe spays and neuters, help with treatment for a dog that was burned, help bandage a broken leg, etc. Was a great experience that I never have forgotten.
 
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Meh, it's really not that difficult. I was a surgical assistant for a vet for the past 5 months. After going through one procedure and being told what to do and what not to do, I was fine. For a 10-year-old, yes there would definitely be more concern, but I don't think it's necessary to have to go through multiple labs and exams to determine if someone can properly maintain a sterile field.

Yeah, really is not that difficult to teach how to maintain a sterile field and in the show they had, someone was always watching to be sure they maintained sterility. If you have the staff to make sure that no sterility is being broken, I don't see why not. I would have to say that young kids that are really into the experience will maintain focus and pay very good attention to any rules/directions. Not to say they can't make a mistake, but so can an adult. Just have to be sure to keep an eye on them.
 
Yeah, really is not that difficult to teach how to maintain a sterile field and in the show they had, someone was always watching to be sure they maintained sterility. If you have the staff to make sure that no sterility is being broken, I don't see why not. I would have to say that young kids that are really into the experience will maintain focus and pay very good attention to any rules/directions. Not to say they can't make a mistake, but so can an adult. Just have to be sure to keep an eye on them.

Yeah. And, yanno, if I'm the vet ... and I'm there watching ... I can tell the kid what to do. It's not that difficult. And if they break sterility, also no biggie - you just tell them "Hey, I'm gonna need you to step back and watch and not touch anything else, now, because you're hands/gown/whatever aren't clean anymore." Big deal.

We get trained in it so that we can do it unsupervised. That doesn't mean someone who doesn't have training can't get walked through it while you're standing there. Hell, that's how most of us get scrubbed in for the very first time: someone steps us through it. My 10-year-old is certainly smart enough and capable enough to do it if he wanted, and I'd trust him more than many of my classmates. Any of you who are parents (if there are any here other than me?) of 10-year-olds know how capable the typical 10-year-old really is. They can be really, really impressive. And they remember every-damn-thing. I could give my son a lengthy list of steps that *I'd* never remember and he'd rattle it all back to me. And probably roll his eyes at the same time.

Yeah. Given the right 10-year-old and right circumstances (something like... their family pet with parental permission and me having some prior experience with the kid), no doubt I'd be happy to let one in surgery with me.
 
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I would turn down just about any owner from watching an explore unless I knew them really really well.... It would have nothing to do with age.

A spay or something, maybe, esp if they were the right kid who had aspirations to become a vet. And I certainly wouldn't mind them watching on a stool far enough away from the sterile field, but scrubbed in, probably not.

Yeah, I had a difficult time watching my dog go through his splenectomy. I didn't have an option of really avoiding seeing it as I was working that same day, but I did not monitor his anesthesia and I tried not to pay attention to the surgery room, though was hard to do. I would not have been able to remain in there for any reason while it was going on, especially because there were some complications during the surgery and it was hard enough hearing about that while working. Was not a fun day at work at all. I would not allow an owner to watch their own pet have any surgery, there could easily be complications even in a simple procedure.
 
Yeah. And, yanno, if I'm the vet ... and I'm there watching ... I can tell the kid what to do. It's not that difficult. And if they break sterility, also no biggie - you just tell them "Hey, I'm gonna need you to step back and watch and not touch anything else, now, because you're hands/gown/whatever aren't clean anymore." Big deal.

We get trained in it so that we can do it unsupervised. That doesn't mean someone who doesn't have training can't get walked through it while you're standing there. Hell, that's how most of us get scrubbed in for the very first time: someone steps us through it. My 10-year-old is certainly smart enough and capable enough to do it if he wanted, and I'd trust him more than many of my classmates.

Yup, in the show, one of the kids did break sterility. I can't remember if he touched his face or dropped his hands below the table, but whichever it was, they caught it instantly and pulled him aside. They were able to just have him scrub back in again, but that is part of the learning process. Making mistakes and having to correct them.
 
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Here in Colorado, we had an issue with a mobile vet where their 14 year old routinely went with them to homes to help do procedures. They never had a problem until a neuter for a yorkie terrier where the 14 year old was monitoring anesthesia and the yorkie died. It definitely goes to the whole trust, prep and knowledge that we're all talking about. I personally would love to be a vet who let kids (middle-schoolers and older) shadow to start getting experience because it took me forever to find someone to shadow. However, I am definitely going to remember all the shenanigans that this vet now has to go through because of the lawsuit they are going through. Unfortunately, if they make a major mistake, we're the ones that get to pay for it.
 
Here in Colorado, we had an issue with a mobile vet where their 14 year old routinely went with them to homes to help do procedures. They never had a problem until a neuter for a yorkie terrier where the 14 year old was monitoring anesthesia and the yorkie died. It definitely goes to the whole trust, prep and knowledge that we're all talking about. I personally would love to be a vet who let kids (middle-schoolers and older) shadow to start getting experience because it took me forever to find someone to shadow. However, I am definitely going to remember all the shenanigans that this vet now has to go through because of the lawsuit they are going through. Unfortunately, if they make a major mistake, we're the ones that get to pay for it.

That is why you don't allow the 14 year old to monitor the anesthesia alone (which, I believe is what happened in the case above). Not only that, the surgery was done in the client's home, if I remember this story correctly.

ETA: Checked the story again,if it is the same one, which I assume it is the assistant was 16.
 
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Here in Colorado, we had an issue with a mobile vet where their 14 year old routinely went with them to homes to help do procedures. They never had a problem until a neuter for a yorkie terrier where the 14 year old was monitoring anesthesia and the yorkie died. It definitely goes to the whole trust, prep and knowledge that we're all talking about. I personally would love to be a vet who let kids (middle-schoolers and older) shadow to start getting experience because it took me forever to find someone to shadow. However, I am definitely going to remember all the shenanigans that this vet now has to go through because of the lawsuit they are going through. Unfortunately, if they make a major mistake, we're the ones that get to pay for it.

I don't really think those are comparable circumstances. We're talking about a kid being in surgery <with the vet> and doing unimportant, observable tasks. Nobody said anything about trusting a kid to do anything important and/or without supervision. Super different circumstances. If the kid was actually being expected to monitor an animal under anesthesia (i.e. nobody else appropriately trained was doing it at the same time) then that vet certainly deserves the heat he or she is getting.
 
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Did anyone else get those PLIT newsletters in school? (Professional Liability Insurance) They would have the most horrific stories of a vets getting sued/ruined for various reasons. Some seemed completely ludicrous, some seemed deserved. We're talking life altering amounts of financial/legal damage over things that could have seemed trivial at the time. Yeah, I know they were probably worst case scenarios. But there were some folks in terrible legal situations over mundane things.

For legal safety I wouldn't want a non-employee to assist in surgery - for the same reason I wouldn't want an owner to restrain their dog for a blood draw. Could be fine. Or not. Point is there's a possibility for trouble to happen and with my lawsuit-free-living or license on the line I'm not going to take any chances.

I don't mind kids watching and asking questions in the treatment area, or even watching a surgery from outside the sterile field.

I first got started shadowing - I didn't get to touch anything. Then I became a regular shadow - sometimes I got to touch stuff if the clinic was busy. Finally I became a paid employee and could do stuff (just not the tech/dr-only stuff). I was still plenty interested and loved being in the clinic, having more hands on was cool but wasn't necessary to keep me engaged.

I'm talking with SA in mind - things are probably more casual for LA folks?
 
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Here in Colorado, we had an issue with a mobile vet where their 14 year old routinely went with them to homes to help do procedures. They never had a problem until a neuter for a yorkie terrier where the 14 year old was monitoring anesthesia and the yorkie died. It definitely goes to the whole trust, prep and knowledge that we're all talking about. I personally would love to be a vet who let kids (middle-schoolers and older) shadow to start getting experience because it took me forever to find someone to shadow. However, I am definitely going to remember all the shenanigans that this vet now has to go through because of the lawsuit they are going through. Unfortunately, if they make a major mistake, we're the ones that get to pay for it.
Well yeah... But this mobile vet also did the neuter on the family's dining table with everyone watching... And the 14 year old was responsible for anesthesia (I think we're talking about the same thing). I don't think those are the same situations as just having a tween observe or scrub in to "make-pretend" assist.

The humane society summer camp I used to help out at would have a day where the kids could go and observe surgery. Some kid out of the group usually either fainted or puked or something. I have a tech and an assistant helping on my surgery days. I have enough work for them to do as is, babysitting isn't something I personally want them being occupied doing. For the right kid in the right circumstances, sure I'd make an exception and allow to watch in the OR, but there are so many wrong kids and wrong parents out there I wouldn't make it a habit. I would also not be comfortable with a kid doing treatments for fear the kid could get injured. Sure, having them assist the techs to do a few things safe would be fine, but then again my treatment techs are uber busy.
 
I would turn down just about any owner from watching an explore unless I knew them really really well.... It would have nothing to do with age.

A spay or something, maybe, esp if they were the right kid who had aspirations to become a vet. And I certainly wouldn't mind them watching on a stool far enough away from the sterile field, but scrubbed in, probably not.
I definitely understand why the vet said no. But at the same time, I understand it's a fairly common thing for owners of horses to observe surgeries done on their animals...why not for my own dog? I can see both sides of it.
 
This has been quite a divisive thread so far.

If I was a vet, I'd allow a 10 year old kid in surgery. But I'd make sure that she can tolerate the OR. I'd have her come in and shadow me for a day and observe a few surgeries. If she can handle the operatins fine and enjoyed them, then I would have her "scrub in' for her pet's surgeries.

If this can inspire young bright minds and keep them away from drugs then why not? lol
 
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I definitely understand why the vet said no. But at the same time, I understand it's a fairly common thing for owners of horses to observe surgeries done on their animals...why not for my own dog? I can see both sides of it.
From a vet perspective - I get a lot more nervous when the client/vet tech who owns the animal is observing me. Just saying.
 
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Yeah, I can agree and disagree with both sides of it. After going through hell trying to find experience and STILL severely lacking in the surgery part (even just observing), I'd want to give a kid a head start. But I can see that it could lead to more stress in the OR, a kid unconscious on the ground or crying, and me kicking myself.

I sometimes see both kids and adults reduced to tears when they see video clips of procedures done at my hospital. We also have an on-show operating/treatment room where guests can see the very beginning and end of a surgery, and we don't have a lot of limitations on what we put in that room. I've been told that guests have hit the floor during procedures before. If the observer isn't fully aware of how anesthesia works, why you intubate, etc., then I don't think they should observe. Also, a lot of people don't realize they are not okay with blood/guts until they wake up from their fainting or are done puking, so....

Edit: Sorry, unclear. Guests can see the surgery from when the animal is wheeled in to when it is wheeled out. Sometimes they even see the recovery process.
 
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Yeah, I can agree and disagree with both sides of it. After going through hell trying to find experience and STILL severely lacking in the surgery part (even just observing), I'd want to give a kid a head start.

I think it's easy to think that way when you're mostly in the mindset of admissions and needing to get experience and stuff. But that gets less and less relevant as you care more and more about patient care. If something's benign, I will absolutely accommodate a prevet or a young aspiring vet, but it's another thing altogether when it interferes with my ability to provide good outcome for the patient. Taking a dog to an explore is pretty nerve wracking to begin with, esp when it's starting to look like a negative explore. It would be extremely distracting to have the owner in the room. The last thing I need to worry about is maintaining good bedside manner in a stressful surgery.
 
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Well, very easy solution to this. All y'all who are uncomfortable with a 10-year-old in your operatory can just send them to me.

I mean, they'll need to spend some time with me before I'd let them suit up, but I've got zero problems with the right kid in on the right patient.
 
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I definitely understand why the vet said no. But at the same time, I understand it's a fairly common thing for owners of horses to observe surgeries done on their animals...why not for my own dog? I can see both sides of it.

To be honest its because most equine vet appointments are ambulatory and surgeries are done in the field. Second reason horse owners know that some times you have to man handle, twitch, and whack on the rump such a large animal. Next horse owners are much less OMG fluffy and more reasonable. I am saying this as a small animal ER tech and horse owner. I have also shadowed an equine vet for a a lengthy amount of time. This is my personal opinion about the difference in clients.

Also one of my equine vet doesn't have a tech. I hold for her, trot things for her ect. The other ones do have techs but I'm standing right next to them. When I take my cats in I let them do whatever they want in the back. I also trust my veterinarian though. Not that I don't trust my equine vets. Horse people are just horse people about their horses. =)

Example not surgery but difference in owners. On lady brought in a crazy anxious Wiemeriner and wanted everything done in the room. We needed blood pressures full blood work everything. She wanted to hold this crazy animal. Needless to say I ended up restraining it in lateral recumbence with one hand, an elbow and a knee. The dog instantly relaxed when he realized he couldn't be a dip****. The lady was like well if I learned to do that maybe he wouldn't be anxious anymore. She was kind of impressed. Hopefully this taught the owner that it is better if techs restrain.
 
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For me the big dividing line is that in the original post, it was the the child's pet.
In most, if not all states, owners are legally allowed to practice vet met on their own animals (so farmers can castrate, etc).
So that 10 year old (assuming she is the "owner") is legally allowed to do surgery on her own pet (provided it's humane, etc).

Should a 10 year old assist with other people's pets? Probably not, but that depends on the vet and what risk they are willing to take.

Liability is a similar risky issue. If a owner holds for a blood draw and gets bitten, they can sue. If a child somehow harms themselves in surgery... their parents can sue. So really you're trusting your own instincts, and the family/child, in that situation.
 
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For me the big dividing line is that in the original post, it was the the child's pet.
In most, if not all states, owners are legally allowed to practice vet met on their own animals (so farmers can castrate, etc).
So that 10 year old (assuming she is the "owner") is legally allowed to do surgery on her own pet (provided it's humane, etc).

Should a 10 year old assist with other people's pets? Probably not, but that depends on the vet and what risk they are willing to take.

Liability is a similar risky issue. If a owner holds for a blood draw and gets bitten, they can sue. If a child somehow harms themselves in surgery... their parents can sue. So really you're trusting your own instincts, and the family/child, in that situation.

Castrating a calf is a completely different matter than intraabdominal surgery.
 
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I'm relatively young myself (high school student). I am scheduled to help in a number of surgeries (opening packs) and scrub in for the first time for 3 cases this week at the clinic volunteering/shadowing at. The vet serving as my mentor (not the one who owns the place, btw) is making sure I can handle the sight of surgeries. I was also taught how to scrub in just last week. This won't be my own pet (though I am 15 yea

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Just something to think about, but for those of you not too keen on having owners observe you, or having to supervise young people in surgery, perhaps you could try to imagine yourself in the same surgery after 15-20 years.

I don't think young vets should have ANY distractions, but once you know your way around a scapel, your ability to handle increasing distractions will improve. So watching that young'un who is scrubbed in becomes easier, and ignoring the worried stares of an owner becomes easier.
 
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"Did anyone else get those PLIT newsletters in school? (Professional Liability Insurance) They would have the most horrific stories of a vets getting sued/ruined for various reasons. Some seemed completely ludicrous, some seemed deserved. We're talking life altering amounts of financial/legal damage over things that could have seemed trivial at the time. Yeah, I know they were probably worst case scenarios. But there were some folks in terrible legal situations over mundane things."

The was the point I was trying to get across with my post about the vet in Colorado (and you are right, the surgery was done in the owners home). I wasn't necessarily trying to compare the 10 year old to helping in a controlled setting. I was just bringing up a definite worst case scenario that has happened where at the time, I imagine the vet felt completely comfortable letting their own child help with the surgery at the time. A lot of vets won't let a shadow help until they are comfortable with that shadow, as many of us have stated. In the end, we don't know how much experience the 16 year old had. When I looked up the story again, I could not find whether or not this was the first time their parent let them monitor anesthesia. But even the most experienced shadow/employee/intern/vet can make a mistake and that is a risk that we have to take with shadows/employees/interns/vets that we work with.
 
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Castrating a calf is a completely different matter than intraabdominal surgery.

It is, but not according to law.
If I could do it humanely, I could to go try to do a splenectomy on my dog right now on the kitchen table. Now of course there's no way that I could do it humanely, so it would be illegal. I'm guessing that the dog in question was properly anesthetized and has been given pain medication, in which case it is humane and is legal.
This is according to California law, I don't know if any other states are different.

And again, the vet in question is taking a risk and accepting liability because it is on his premises and under his watch. I personally probably wouldn't do it.
 
The problem is, it is basically impossible to perform a major surgery like that without training and access to certain things and have it be humane. So it's kind of a non-issue. Yeah, Joe Schmo could spay his own dog on his kitchen table, but I can't imagine a scenario where that would be humane anyway since the average layperson would not have access to the equipment, the drugs, the surgical knowhow, etc. It's an imagined situation. I wasn't arguing the legality of what happened above. I was comparing castrating to surgery to make the point that even if these things are legally equivalent with regards to personal pets, they should not be treated as such from a medical point of view. A kid helping to dehorn or castrate isn't a huge deal. Those are lower risk situations. A kid with their hands in a dog's abdomen, even if it is THEIR dog and they are smart kids, is more serious. Same thing with us as medical professionals.
 
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