...and there was much rejoicing.

[twelvetigers]

---

Members don't see this ad.

So, for those of you paying attention... I finally got a clinic job! I was actually volunteering at ANOTHER clinic when the vet from this clinic called. It's the original small clinic (the one that's not a long drive away) and I must admit I'm pretty stoked. It was totally unexpected. I start training Monday and start official work in two weeks when I leave Antech. Aah. So nice to say that.

So, now I have a couple more questions! First, WHY do scrubs have to be so expensive. I guess that aren't that bad, but bleck. We have a Uniform Stop here and I bought a set yesterday (for voluntering) for about $30. They're nice, Cherokee. Is there a good place to get them online? I need XS. Man, I probably need some better shoes too. I cant do Crocs, so something else comfy.

Second... I stepped on the scale today while I was sweeping at the volunteer clinic. I weighed 116 lbs, with the scrubs and shoes. Could I restrain a great dane that didn't feel especally like being restrained? I certainly don' have much weight to throw around.

And third, this isn't a question... just an observation. While I was at the volunteer clinic, a breeder came in and wanted to perform ear docking and dew claw removal on her CS puppies all by herself... because she had seen it done. ONCE. And the vet/staff let her. I think that's insane. Apparently it's not that uncommon. At any rate, I bet she got the length of the ears wrong! Yuck.

But anyway... wooooo clinic job! 😀

 

[Chaco]

My job supplies me with scrubs, so I can't comment on that end of things, but as for restraint--at my job if we have a dog that big, we simply get two (or 3!) techs to do the restraining. Actually, it's not so much just big dogs, but any dog that isn't able to be restrained by one person gets a second one sitting on the back end or holding the front feet, wherever they are needed. No one expects us to be superhuman in our strength (or number of hands--sometimes you just need 3 or 4 at a time).

 

[david594]

Cant help you on the scrubs, I wear some freebie Heartguard/frontline scrubs. They have front pockets and thats all I really care about.

Restraining is a matter of finesse. One person with good technique can restrain animals in probably 98% of situations. For most others, a sedative will go a long ways.

 

[Pandacinny]

My sister has bought scrubs successfully from a website called "uniform advantage." The website is here: http://www.uniformadvantage.com/

If you buy things like seasonal or holiday prints in their off season, it can get really cheap. Also, there are some pretty good catalogs out there, if you search around. We've used veterinary apparel at my former clinic (http://www.veterinaryapparel.com/). By far one of the cheapest places to get scrubs is WalMart. They usually have a lot of cute prints as well as pants in a couple different styles and solids. The ones at my local Walmart are often picked through, so sometimes I have to go to a couple different stores or check back often to find my size, but they can be really cheap.

For shoes, I usually go for a good pair of tennis shoes. Something really comfortable to stand/run around in all day. I try to avoid ones with mesh bits that absorb water easily.

Restraint has a lot to do with how you act around the dog and how you handle yourself. If you're ever in a situation where you're nervous or uncomfortable handling an animal, ask for help. Better to have a couple of people hold or calm a dog than to have one person end up bitten or otherwise hurt. It's not just about size, either. I've worked with a LOT of cats and little dogs who were really tough to restrain.

And I have no clue on the breeder thing. The bulk of my experience was with low income clients at a spay neuter clinic - not too many breeders there 😛

 

[chordy4]

i don't really have any advice on the scrubs.

as far as restraint goes, i think it depends, and not so much on size but a little on strength. as most people already wrote, MOST of the time, it really is just a matter of skill in restraining animals.
however, there are those dogs that are leaners...and they will just lean and lean and lean against your arm that is around their neck/shoulders until you just can't take it anymore.
for annuals and shorter visits, i find this normally isn't that much of a problem and you can get through it.
but there will be those every-now-and-then circumstances where it might be too much. the vet whose office i worked at was trying to do sutures on an 80+ pound dog the other day with just a local. we did have two techs restraining, but this dog was leaning so hard against my arm, and we were in that position for probably 20 minutes or more and i almost reached my breaking point, ie. my arm is going to give out, i can't hold this dog anymore.

i think the MOST IMPORTANT THING is to make sure you communicate with the other people around you, including the vet. if you're restraining an animal and get to be in a situation where you don't think you can properly restrain an animal/are too tired, let them know.
congratulations on the new job and good luck!!!

 

[cscip]

First of all, congrats! As for the scrubs, we get tons of those catalogs at our clinic. You could probably just ask if they get them, and if so you can order some out of those (they seem to be more reasonably priced than uniform stores). Only problem is I rarely see Cherokee in the catalogs we get, and those are my faves also. I also wear an XS and they don't always have XS scrubs in stock at the uniform store.

As for restraining big dogs, I'm also small (~ 120 give or take) and I rarely have a problem. I've found that acting in a very authoritative manner sends a strong message to most dogs (can't guarantee it on cats though!). I work with girls much bigger and presumably stronger than myself, but they let big dogs walk all over them. You'll figure out a technique that works for you, but I agree with some of the other posts - sometimes it just takes multiple techs/a little sedative to control the situation.

 

[Angelo84]

No one can restain a medium or big dog that is all out commited to not being restrained by themselves. For those drugs are needed. As for the others its more in technique I can hold most dogs and that's at a mere 90lbs. Although I often get comments from owners--your going to hold him he's bigger than you are!

Allheart.com has cheap scrubs--and they have size XXS which is nice for me!

 

[LVT2DVM]

And third, this isn't a question... just an observation. While I was at the volunteer clinic, a breeder came in and wanted to perform ear docking and dew claw removal on her CS puppies all by herself... because she had seen it done. ONCE. And the vet/staff let her. I think that's insane. Apparently it's not that uncommon. At any rate, I bet she got the length of the ears wrong! Yuck.

YIKES! It never ceases to amaze me what people will try and get away with. Breeders are constantly trying to do stuff that most clients would never ask. I am soooo glad I work with Drs. that are not intimidated enough to give in. Maybe Im being too harsh, but I would not consider someone who wanted to do their own puppies ear crops a responsible breeder. That procedure is a learned and somewhat artistic skill; many have tried...few achieve success. When you are dealing with a procedure that could, if done poorly, ruin a dogs conformation/ career...why would you take that chance. 😕
Typically, the most requested item from our breeders is to help resusitate C-sectioned pups or inject semen samples. I have to giggle when I think...would you ask to do those procedures in a human doctors office. Perhaps the problem is....they would.

 

[kekemapa04]

As for scrubs, my absolute favorite place is animalkingdomscrubs.com, they have tons of cute prints! Another that is a favorite at our clinic is veterinary apparel, which I saw the link for above. I personally hated the ones I got from uniform advantage because of the fit. I am a tall girl and they were all really short and wide, not my style.

I used to be embarrassed to ask for help when restraining but after awhile you realize it is better for you and the animal if there are two people (maybe even more)! I have a lot more trouble with the wiggly little dogs though than huge ones. You will find a method that works for you!

 

[LucyLoo]

I used to buy my scrubs from allheart.com. They usually have a big selection and you can get some great deals, especially if you buy more than one set. I bought my Littmann stethescope off there too, best price I found anywhere.

Congratulations!!!😀

 

[david594]

Typically, the most requested item from our breeders is to help resusitate C-sectioned pups or inject semen samples. I have to giggle when I think...would you ask to do those procedures in a human doctors office. Perhaps the problem is....they would.

Um, both of these are quite common in human medicine? Artificial Insemination is common when there are fertility problems. Couple weeks ago we did an intra-uterine insemination on a dog with frozen semen from a dog from europe. The bitch carried a >$20,000 price tag...

And regarding the C-section pups, what else would you do with them? Its quite rare for them to come out kicking and screaming. Breeders choose C-section over natural birth because of the reduced mortality rate in larger litters. It would be a complete waste if there weren't enough techs there to make sure every last puppy survives.

 

[Kylana]

Um, both of these are quite common in human medicine? Artificial Insemination is common when there are fertility problems. Couple weeks ago we did an intra-uterine insemination on a dog with frozen semen from a dog from europe. The bitch carried a >$20,000 price tag...

And regarding the C-section pups, what else would you do with them? Its quite rare for them to come out kicking and screaming. Breeders choose C-section over natural birth because of the reduced mortality rate in larger litters. It would be a complete waste if there weren't enough techs there to make sure every last puppy survives.

I think LVT2DVM meant that the clients asked to do these procedures *themselves* instead of letting the vet/techs do them. 😉

 

[noellehallman]

Congrats!! I just got my first clinic job as well. I am starting off as a volunteer while I am trained and then when a position opens I will be considered! I know how frustrating it can be so I am very happy for you!

Thanks for all the scrubs info...I am in the same boat. I am definitely going to try Wal-Mart for a cheap option!

 

[mtran914]

Okay, I'm >95 lbs and was a tech for 2 years. It's all about technique, not necessarily strength. Anyways, most great danes and huge dogs are pretty easy going and you can do anything to them. However, if you even need to put a lot of restraint on a dog that big to do something, a sedative works much better. In my experience, it's the little chihuahuas and dachshunds you need to worry more about haha. The techs at my old clinic eventually learned who was better with which type of bad animal. Some of us are more comfortable with bad little dogs, other with bad bigger dogs, and some with very bad cats.

 

[zpinkpanther]

Congrats! New clinic jobs are always so exciting! I recently got a new one, too, since the one I've been working at has me down to 2 days per week.

Ick, some breeders scare me. Does she understand what a delicate operation ear docking is?? The doc I work with freaks if you try to talk to him while he's doing an ear dock, says he needs to concentrate and can't be interrupted. 🙄 And I know there can sometimes be issues with bleeding, and apparently it's difficult to get them just right, etc.

I usually get my scrubs at Wal-Mart, and they're about $13 each for top and bottom, so $26 per pair. Not much better than what you mentioned, and I'm sure everyone else's suggestions are better.

Oh, and about the restraint thing, I have an anecdote (don't I always? 🙄). One of out clients used to have this huge mastiff (past tense because he got cancer and was euthanized 🙁) who weighed ~150 lbs, and this lady was tiny. She would hop on the scale to weigh herself and she weighed about 90 lbs! Sometimes a bit more or less, but never over 100. But the dog was super sweet despite his size, so we didn't have issues with him. The thing is, no matter your size, it can be impossible to restrain an uncooperative animal. I'm 6' tall, and my long arms and legs really help sometimes, but other times sedation is the only way to get the job done.

 

[HeartSong]

Yay, congrats! I'm glad you got something in town. For scrubs, try out Walls and Big Lots. I've seen scrubs in there sometimes. Most of my scrubs I've gotten at second hand shops. There's a GoodWill downtown but I've never been in that one to know if it's any good. There's a consignment shop called St. Andrews Thrift shop that usually has good stuff in it. It's at 504 W. 3rd. It's sometimes hard to get matching sets at thrift stores, but I have one designed top and then one purple set, one blue set and one maroon set that have all come from second hand shops.

 

[ShelterGirl]

Congratulations on the job!!

There's a good thread on the Veterinary forum here: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=526230

It convinced me to give Danskos a try because my feet and back hurt all. the. time. after work - I 😍 them (I have the Professional closed-back clogs). Athletic shoes work well for a lot of people too.

 

[athenaparthenos]

Way to go you on the job!

With restraint, if the dog is crazy it doesn't matter what size it is, it will need more than one person or it will need sedation. I've needed 3 people to get blood on a 5-pound dog before. Big dogs tend to be mellower than little dogs, if they are truly crazy then no one will expect you to restrain them all by yourself. I'm 145 pounds and not too tall but I can restrain most dogs by myself regardless of size. Once you have your bear hugs and various tricks down (i.e. putting the dog in a corner so it can't back up, sitting behind it, holding dogs when they're lateral, etc.) you should be able to get most dogs by yourself regardless of size.

As to the ears... that's bad enough, the breeder wanting to do them, but recently we had a woman come in with a Dobie puppy with adorable floppy ears who wanted us to crop them. We've done one declaw in 2 years and wouldn't ever do ears or tails, so the doctor and I worked together to find the only guy in our area who would do them. She said her husband was considering doing them -- we strongly urged her to check out the vet who would do it correctly. Well, they came in the other day, and the dog's ears are COMPLETELY mutilated -- they are rectangular, squared-off stumps 3 inches long, the most awful looking ears I've ever seen. The woman was mortified, she said a friend of her husband's claimed to know how to do it and this is what happened. It was kind of the saddest thing ever -- his little handsome face with his hideous square ear stumps. What the crap, people. 😵

 

[twelvetigers]

Oh yeah, I remeber that thread! Danskos. I don't know if anywhere here sells them, besides Uniform Stop maybe. I was at Shoe Bank earlier (I don't think it's a chain, but I live for the sale room at this place, it pretty much rocks) and there was a set of clogs that were crazy comfortable. The brand started with an M. (Marcell, Mardell...?) They were probably just walking shoes, but they felt nice. I'll look around more tomorrow. I'd just get some NuBalance or Adidas/Puma/Nike sneakers, but all I find are running shoes and those are just too stiff. And not very waterproof.

I gave in and bought scrubs at Uniform Stop after my mom offered to pay for my initial bunch. I tried to get tops and bottoms that matched quite a few different ways so that I could mix and match. I think I probably have a new addiction now... scrubs. I didn't get any with little kitties and puppies on them, just flowers/patterns and solid colors. I'll keep a look out at Walls, since I will be working about 100 feet away... haha.

Thanks for all the congrats, guys! I'm stoked, and looking forward to Monday for once. I feel better about the restraint thing. I just have to learn quickly!

 

[HeartSong]

Oh cool, that's a great little clinic. I used to work at a print shop in that same shopping center, just on the other side.

 

[NoleDevil]

Congrats, twelvetigers! Glad to hear you found something close that sounds like a great opportunity! 👍

 

[noellehallman]

I just bought my first pair of Dansko's and I would just like to say WOW! They are so comfortable and my back loves them!! I was a little apprehensive because of the price but as soon as I put them on I knew they were worth it. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[twelvetigers]

I bought some Merrell clogs today, but I came across some Dansko shoes (at Brown's Show Fit Co.) and I was intrigued. I tried them on and was like, "MAN, these things are freakin' hard!" But then I walked around in them for a few, and I was like, "Ohh... I get it." Haha. I'm a 37 it seems... there were no 36 in stock, so hopefully that's my best fit. Sadly, I don't have $115 for shoes right now. So I got the Merrells... but came home and got right on Ebay. There are quite a few used pairs of Dansko clogs for good prices and some new pairs as well... my husband is the Ebay dude so he's in charge of bidding to win. The only thing I ever bought on Ebay is what I'm clicking away on right now- my laptop. About 3 years old now. Good purchase! So he's the guy in charge of that. He thinks it's gross to wear used shoes. As for me, if they don't stink, and aren't sticky... I don't care!

Anyway... when I bought my scrubs, they gave me a piece of paper suggesting that I soak each item in 1 cup white vinegar plus enough cold water to submerge the garment for 1 hour. Different colors are supposed to soak separately. This is to lock in the dye and help prevent fading in the item. I went ahead and did it, and now my kitchen smells like vinegar and I have bowls and bucket all over my counters (and I had to use a trash can and a tea pitcher because I ran out of containers)... I guess I won't really know if it works that well with nothing to compare with. Anyone else ever try this? I'm still not sure why I did the beige scrub bottoms. What are they gonna fade to... white? Hah. 🙂

 

[twelvetigers]

Just got my Dansko professional closed-back clogs that I ordered from ebay. So far they feel good, but the arch is higher than I remember from the ones in the store. I know they're all different, but I hope these still work well for me. If not, I can't return them to the seller on ebay, so I might be selling a size 38 pair on here! (I learned to buy a size big, and I'm glad I did.) But, let's see how the first few days go. A lot of people say they need to be broken in.

Edit: These are what mine look like...

 

[ShelterGirl]

The first day I had mine, I felt the same way about the arch - and my feet hurt that evening. After that, no problems whatsoever. Yours look cute! Mine are just the plain black oiled ones.

p.s. I just figured out the thread title reference - yay for Monty Python!

 

[twelvetigers]

And there was much rejoicing.

"Yaaay."

*waves flag*

It just popped into my mind, go figure.

I think I got the dotty ones new, for cheap ($65 with shipping) because they're a bit of an odd color. But I'm a bit of an odd person, so they fit me well. I hope I do get used to the shape, and I hope they don't look silly with the bright blue scrubs I'm wearing tomorrow. 🙂

 

[LucyLoo]

Eh, don't worry. After you get a little blood and vomit on them people won't even notice😀

 

[Catnapper]

On the scrubs--have you tried AllHeart.com? http://allheart.com/
They have some cheap stuff. I'm also a size munchkin! 😛

As for the restraint, I'd agree with the communication feedback in this thread--if you're losing your control or you can tell right off the bat that you're not up for it, you can usually sucker at least one other tech into helping you! 😉 I'm currently at an all-cats hospital, and the second I start to lose my grip on an angry kitty, I let whoever I'm working with know so that they're safe--I think that's the key.
But being a petite person is simply more of a challenge, and we may not always be up to the physical task alone. But then, you'll develop strength on the job, and you may come to find you surprise yourself with how strong you've become. Good luck!

 

[twelvetigers]

Okay, bad news: It's a small clinic like, REALLY small, so it's usually one tech and the vet. So I kinda have to do it. I still won't hesitate to say when I'm not comfortable, but there's not much chance for another tech to step in. On the plus side, the experience is mine to have! Ever try and give an injection while restraining the animal yourself? It's weird.

I love my shoes. They're AWESOME. Thumbs up for Dansko. I think I can keep them pretty clean by wiping them down every day and cleaning them occasionally with Comet, water, and a toothbrush cut to where it's jagged. That's how I cleaned the green turf stains out of my white marching... marching band... shoes... wait, is my nerd showing?

Aah well. I'm trying to learn quickly at work but so far we've had many sweet dogs and two sweet cats. And like five neuters.

 

[athenaparthenos]

I used to work two days a week with only the doctor and the receptionist in the building, so I know where you're coming from. Doing a lot of stuff on my own comes second nature to me now, at least with decently-behaving animals. And when I couldn't do things on my own, the doctor wasn't afraid to step in, and sometimes we even hauled the receptionist back for restraint or distraction. Don't be afraid to ask the doctor for advice or tips when you're holding an animal for them. Of the 12 doctors who cycled in and out of our clinic (we had a lot of relief vets) all but one or two were plenty eager to jump in and get their hands dirty, whether it was restraining while I did the injection or blood draw or help take x-rays or whatever.

 

[lailanni]

I'm kind of on the small side too (at least the smallest assistant/tech at the clinic).

It helps if you can use your whole body for restraining, for example, holding a cat or small dog for a blood draw, I like get their body under my armpit and lean over pretty good so that my chest is also pinning them down. Kind of makes a tunnel of restraint. When I get them pinned down well, I can use my hands to grab the front legs and restrain the head. [after reading this paragraph, I'm convinced that pre-meds have it far easier than pre-vets!]

One thing I've found that *really* helps me is getting my thumb on top/back of the animal's head, using my other fingers to close the snout/jaw. This way I get a good grasp on the entire head, not just the jaw. Works really well with a certain size, harder on the faceless animals (pugs, etc)

Also don't be afraid to ask for a muzzle. In fact, be muzzle happy. Makes life much easier!

 

[cwazy cat lady]

Oh yeah, I remeber that thread! Danskos. I don't know if anywhere here sells them, besides Uniform Stop maybe. I was at Shoe Bank earlier (I don't think it's a chain, but I live for the sale room at this place, it pretty much rocks) and there was a set of clogs that were crazy comfortable. The brand started with an M. (Marcell, Mardell...?) They were probably just walking shoes, but they felt nice. I'll look around more tomorrow. I'd just get some NuBalance or Adidas/Puma/Nike sneakers, but all I find are running shoes and those are just too stiff. And not very waterproof.

I rock the Danskos, as do the other women in my family-- A worthy worthy investment!! Just make sure you try on several pairs to get one that fits you right. Each shoe is unique!

As for the scrubs, I don't really mind the cost, but I guess it's because I don't have to wear them that often... I like the Dickies ones with edging and also the ones from Grey's Anatomy (and no, I don't watch the show or care about brands--they are really really soft!!! Not stiff).