First Spay Surgery!!!

[Vet_Squared80]

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I just had the coolest day! The doctor that I have an internship with has been really good about letting me be very hands on during my internship this summer. Yesterday he had a client come in with a feral cat from his neighborhood that he wanted spayed - Doc gives discounts for feral cat spays/neuters.

Anyway, he said that if I wanted to come in today, he'd let me help him instead of just watch. I went in today and did 90% of the spay myself, including all but 2 of the stitches/sutures. I was super nervous, but he talked me through it and said I did an excellent job. I know this forum is normally for application questions, but I just thought I would share my awesome day with those who can appreciate it! 😍

 

[bbeventer]

That is pretty awesome!! What a great experience!

 

[HelloNello]

.

 

[bunnity]

I'm sure it depends on your state but that may not be legal.

 

[Bisbee]

Yes. I was going to ask about that. I know that when I worked spay/neuter clinics that only the vets could actually perform the surgery legally. Even when first year vet students were there, they could hand the vet instruments, help with intubation and extubation, but no sutures or anything like that. Maybe if the cats are feral and don't belong to anyone...would that make a difference in the legality of it? I know that the people who owned the animals at our clinics would not have been happy if anyone besides a veterinarian was operating on their pets.

 

[cowgirla]

Maybe if the cats are feral and don't belong to anyone...would that make a difference in the legality of it?

I doubt it. Practicing medicine is just that-- practicing medicine. The law isn't necessarily there to be in the best interest of the owner (and from the sound of the first post, it seems as if the "owner" of this cat is still being charged for the services, albeit at a discounted rate). It's there to protect the patient, and thats why licenses are required. As a second year vet student, there are still many states (coughNYcough) where I legally can't even place a catheter to give injections, let alone perform 90% of a surgical procedure. I dont think there are any places in the US where a prevet student can legally perform surgery of any kind, supervised or not.

Topics like this have been gone over again and again on this board. There will always be people who think that performing surgery is ok, no matter what the law says. Legally, morally, ethically, whatever- everyone has an opinion and not everyone here agrees.

 

[breenie]

Oh god, not this again.

 

[Lissarae06]

Oh god, not this again.

👍

 

[Trilt]

👍

Here, I've dug up the last discussion thread. Anyone who wants to argue, read through that for the legality/ethics/morality/etc. conversation related to this topic, k? Pretty sure whatever people have to see has already been said. ;p

 

[twelvetigers]

Haha.

We think it's neat, but we are unsure of the legality... therefore, it's probably best to not mention it to tons of people (or post about it here).

 

[Dsmoody23]

I think it's neat that we have 5 current students in this thread and nobody seems to know if supervised surgery is legal or not.

 

[twelvetigers]

I'm voting no, but I'm not going to find the bylaw. It's moot here, anyway - it happened, and it's an anonymous forum, so... yep.

 

[bbeventer]

I am pretty sure it is not legal, but it is after the fact so why not just reveal in the neat experience someone just acquired?

 

[Dsmoody23]

I am pretty sure it is not legal, but it is after the fact so why not just reveal in the neat experience someone just acquired?

Please read that back to yourself. Not just for the glaring grammatical errors, but for the creepy, arbitrary ethics.

Not trying to be the buzzkill here, but if it's illegal it's not a 'neat experience', and shouldn't be presented as such.

 

[smilin1590]

Oh god, not this again.

👍

👍👍

 

[bunnity]

If no one tells the OP that it is illegal, he or she will probably do it again. Or write about it in a PS.

DsMoody here you go. I'm assuming the OP is from Michigan from their profile, so here is Michigan's law:

Sec. 18811. (1) A person shall not engage in the practice of veterinary medicine unless licensed or otherwise authorized by this article.

(3) A veterinary technician shall not diagnose animal diseases, prescribe medical or surgical treatment, or perform as a surgeon.


Definition:

Sec. 18805. (1) "Practice as a veterinary technician" means the practice of veterinary medicine based on less comprehensive knowledge and skill than that required of a veterinarian and performed under supervision of a veterinarian.


From http://www.animallaw.info/statutes/stusmist333_18801_18838.htm#s18801

 

[breenie]

If no one tells the OP that it is illegal, he or she will probably do it again. Or write about it in a PS.

I would think he/she doing it again would hinge more on if there was an enabling veterinarian, right? Obviously they can't go out and do it themselves (or I hope not), and they ignored the fact that lay people don't usually do spays because this vet said they could... so I'm just a little skeptical that what we say has any impact. Not being critical of you, just pessimistic.

 

[bbeventer]

I would think he/she doing it again would hinge more on if there was an enabling veterinarian, right?

👍