"Getting over" anxiety issues

[Tater Salad]

I recently got my acceptance letter and will be starting vet school this fall! Like everyone else on this forum, I worked darn hard to get in and I wouldn't give it up for anything!

However, the reality of the situation has begun to hit me. I have some serious anxiety issues involving surgical procedures. Although I have a lot of hours spent in the clinic working and shadowing, I have not had the chance to observe many surgeries. A few years ago I observed both a spay and neuter surgery and had to step out during both after feeling faint! Then 2 summers ago watching a DA surgery on a cow (granted my blood sugar was really low) again I felt like I *could* possibly faint, and stepped out of that one as well. Most recently, a dog came into the clinic where I work with a fish hook embedded in it's tongue, and after anesthesizing the dog I was helping hold it's mouth open and the tongue out for the doctor and he tried to get this 3-pronged barb out of it's tongue, and I was just staring at it, the tongue just filling up with blood and for some reason it *really* got to me and I had to step out twice! This was probably the closest I've come to fainting- getting hot, the darkness creeping in, roaring in my ears. Again, in this case, I had not eaten in a long time and my blood sugar was probably really low. Would I have been ok if I had eaten I'm not sure.

These experiences have REALLY shattered my confidence in dealing with surgical procedures- apparently even minor ones (aka the fishhook!) I have been diagnosed with GAD in the past and have xanax prescribed prn. My doctor ask if I was interested in going on an SSRI but I really don't like the idea of being on a daily medication. I'd like to be able to manage this without the meds. Because of my anxiety, I'm not sure if it's really the procedure itself that's getting to me (aka the blood and guts) or if it's the anxiety about the procedure- like I get myself worked up about it because I think I *could* pass out or not be able to handle it.

I'm confident that I CAN get over this before school starts. I remember when I first started volunteering at the Raptor Center and had to cut up mice/rats/quail/fish/etc. At first I was a little grossed out but before long I was gutting and chopping up those animals without a second thought! I really think that I would be one to enjoy surgery once I get the confidence that I really can "handle" it.

I'd like to "get over" this before school starts, because I'd really rather not pass out in front of my entire class and embarrass myself! Has anyone else dealt with anything like this? I'm thinking what I would like to do is just watch a bunch of surgery videos on youtube or whatnot to help me get desensitized to that, then I'll have to take some time off my day job to get in to the clinic to observe some surgeries until I have the confidence that yes, I can do it, without freaking out/passing out!

Any other management techniques/thoughts?

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[Caninerepro]

Have you taken an anatomy class where you dealt with cadavers? If so, how did that go, if not how about trying one? Every once in a while even I, Mr. "I have taught dissection classes for x number of years, I do my own tail docks on 3 day old puppies" get grossed out by things. Certain random things just simply gross me out / are too much for me to handle. In my humble experience, a lot of it is just getting used to things, and the "cortical brain" rationalization that while this right now sucks, in the end my doing this makes life a lot better for far more animals. That said, I do not want to know anything about where my blue-rare steak came from or how it got onto my plate.

 

[primatevetjess]

I'm going to give you my experience, maybe it will ease your worries a bit. When I first started shadowing at a vet hospital, about 3 years ago, I was the same way. The first few spays that I observed made me feel faint, and I had to leave the room several times. It also happened while I was watching an eye surgery. I was terrified that I could never be a veterinarian if I couldn't even watch a routine surgery! I cried thinking that my dream career just could not be a reality for me. But I kept going, and it didn't take all that long before I was totally fine observing routine surgeries.

I have since worked as a technician at two different emergency hospitals, and have seen all sorts of really disgusting/disturbing things, and have been 100% fine. I've even scrubbed in and assisted during surgeries with no issues whatsoever.

So I would suggest that if you can take time off of your day job to observe some surgeries, then you should. I would be surprised if you weren't totally over it in no time

 

[GeeQued]

That said, I do not want to know anything about where my blue-rare steak came from or how it got onto my plate.

If only I was so lucky at my undergrad school we have to take a meat science class for all animal science majors where we work in the slaughter house for the term. Needless to say I didn't eat anything but chicken for quite some time after that. The guy I lived with at the time kept saying he was gonna bring a cow home and expected it to be plate ready by dinner.

 

[MY214]

Tarter Salad, I'm sure you'll be able to get over it. I think it's just a matter of time, as soon as you are used to the scene/smell, everything will be just like walking in breeze. Well, I also had an almost faint experience during my first observation in a surgery. It was a exploratory surgery of a dog that swallowed two pair of socks, those long and thick kind. During the surgery, the dog's stomach was cut open, intestine was taken out to search for the socks, and fortunately the socks were found and taken out. I have to say that those socks really really "stink" the whole surgery room, and everyone in it was almost going to puke. After that, the doctor "kindly" asked me if I want to hold the small intestine so she could suture up the incision on the intestine. So, I nervously, and did my best to "focus on the incision on the intestine" throughout the whole suture process even though the feeling of light-headed got stronger when it was almost done. Right after it's done, I had to step out and sit down before I fainted. After that experience, I continued to observe as many surgeries that were done in the clinic, and I had not experience that anymore. Well, I think I just got used to it, and I hope I'll continue to be able to act normally in the future, since I believe it's only going to get more intense in vet school and when I get a chance to do it on my own. And I'm sure you'll be fine after you observe more surgeries!! Good luck!!

 

[veridianbunny]

I don't even think it is a "girl" thing to be grossed out by something or another. For me, it is ears and ticks...

I can't even stand cleaning out ears and cringe when I think about pulling off a tick from anywhere! So, imagine how wonderful it was to hear I was placed to clean out a patients' ears - while my co-workers snickered behind a table I lifted the floppy ears of an adorable basset hound to come face-to-face with around 30 full-bellied ticks!!!!!

I was the laughing stock of the whole hospital for a week - but I didn't jump up and scream or shy away from the dog because I did not want to put the patient through any more stress (being in a vet's office AND having all that ear problems must be horrible ).

I think that our loves of helping animals and owners is what separates the anxiety where: omg-i-can't-do-this-I'm-too-sensitive-stomached from the anxiety where: omg-i-want-to-help-and-this-is-so-gross-but-i-can-do-it

So do not fear, if you are interested in vet medicine, your heart and mind are in the right place and your stomach should follow suit soon. I believe in you!

ps - or if your stomach doesn't follow on its own, force it with some anxiety meds

 

[DVMorBust]

Even if something happens when you're in vet school - you definitely won't be the first. I've heard MANY stories of professors dropping by the anatomy lab or surgery labs to subtly help catch students before they hit the floor. Chances are someone's going to pass out at some point during the four years - no matter how interesting we all think veterinary medicine is, seeing the inside of something on its outside (or open to the world) is not "normal" and bodies have a tendency to react outside of will.

I'd be surprised if anyone starting next year wasn't nervous about some aspect of it. I'm freaked out because I'm going to be 'that student' who knows nothing about SA medicine. Throw me alone with a horse and I can give a mean IM injection at speed while dodging hooves, but for the life of me I have no idea how people manage to restrain cats.

 

[Poochlover11]

Throw me alone with a horse and I can give a mean IM injection at speed while dodging hooves, but for the life of me I have no idea how people manage to restrain cats.

I completely agree. I wish I knew how to handle and restrain cats like some people.

Tater Salad-I also use to suffer with nausea. A few things I found helpful was to make sure I ate enough before hand, and bring snacks throughout the day to keep blood sugar up. Also I would not wear clothing that is too warm-or wear layers so you can remove as needed. And lastly, when I was helping with different procedures I really tried to focus and learn from the procedure. Think about how this is helping the animal and ask questions to help keep your mind off of the blood and guts. Eventually you will see the procedure through new eyes and view it as fascinating and informative. Hope that helps! I think you will do just fine

 

[InfiniVet]

When I started out watching surgeries, I found that some bothered me and some didn't.
For me I had to look within myself and see what exactly it was that was bothering me. I found out for myself that its "pain" that really gets to me. If I perceive (real or imagined) that an animal is in pain, I will get severely lightheaded and nauseous. Its like a huge lightning quick rush of uncontrollable empathy. But it's not helpful! So I have to remind myself that the patient either is (or will be shortly!) under pain management.

And then my nickname became "Guts & Glory" =)

Don't lose confidence. I have faith that you will overcome your fears.

Footnote: Never underestimate the importance of your own blood sugar!

 

[Caninerepro]

If only I was so lucky at my undergrad school we have to take a meat science class for all animal science majors where we work in the slaughter house for the term. Needless to say I didn't eat anything but chicken for quite some time after that. The guy I lived with at the time kept saying he was gonna bring a cow home and expected it to be plate ready by dinner.

Yeah here at CSU the animal science dept has a class, appropriately and literally called "live and dead carcass evaluation". You see the animal on the hoof one day, the next on a meat hook. Not for this white boy. You can hold my hand this fall when we have classes together!

 

[jglovicz]

Take a deep breath and relax. I think that anticipation of having a problem with passing out will make it exponentially more likely. You will be FINE. You just need to get used to it. Once-upon a time I was queezy (I had to sit down the first time I saw a horse's hocks injected). How embarrassing! I find that if I focus on the mechanism of what's going on (and not the way that needle must feel in that joint), I'm completely fine. You can desensitize yourself to gory procedures. I watched a lot of the vet shows on animal planet. You can also (I'm sure) watch them on YouTube. I agree, don't underestimate your blood sugar (or your hot climate). Have a juice or soda ready so that you can get sugar quickly before you start on a nasty case. I'm sure all the anxiety will pass very soon!

 

[oregonhopeful]

I made an instant name for myself when I shadowed my first day ever shadowing anywhere. I was watching a surgery and the vet invited me to stand next to her. It went fine until she brought out the cautery to stop some bleeding. Next thing I know, I passed out. I'd never passed out before and I was so horribly embarrassed. They were really nice about it and instantly started teasing me. But for the next several days until I went again I psyched myself out. The next time I went I made sure to eat breakfast first and stay hydrated and not lock my knees (all three things I didn't do). I discovered this helps a lot, as well as getting used to the surgeries. Things still gross me out sometimes (ACL surgeries particularly make me a little squeamish). BUT, the more I watch them, the less that happens. I've only watched a couple. It's okay to keep an eye on yourself and if you're feeling faint, avert your eyes, or sit down or drink some water. Toughing it out won't work I don't think (not once you're feeling faint), so don't try. Each time it's easier. The next time I went, the vet handed me the cautery and told me to do it. That was the end of my problems. Turns out when I do it it's not "gross" at all.

(Bones gross me out more than anything else. Live ones, I've gotten over the dead ones. I thought I broke my own wrist once and nearly fainted over the thought of it. yick. I wonder why people are bothered by completely different things?)

I do remember a thread I read on here from a couple years ago when I was looking through the archives about this so do a search. It's not horribly unusual I don't think, and the more you're exposed to it, the less sensitized you are.　

None the less, I confess to feeling a little worried about passing out in vet school and am happy to hear that I'm not the only one. :-D

 

[hopefulvet21]

So, imagine how wonderful it was to hear I was placed to clean out a patients' ears - while my co-workers snickered behind a table I lifted the floppy ears of an adorable basset hound to come face-to-face with around 30 full-bellied ticks!!!!!

I would have died. DIED. Thirty??!!! Really!?

Here is another motivation for me to specialize. If I go into cardiology or something, I probably won't have to pull ticks out of ears. Most invertebrates realllyy gross me out. Especially insects!! *scream*

One time I threw up during a dentistry. Yeah, a dentistry. Something about the scraping of things against teeth...and yet I can help drain an inflated bladder of a dead pig or watch a monkey's skull get drilled into (this was at a lab if you're wondering)...

I also faint EVERY time I go to the gynecologist. I almost fell out of an open window the last time (long story).

Anyway, one thing or another makes everybody cringe, but the more you're exposed to stuff the less sensitive you are about it. I think watching surgeries on youtube could even help a bit. I think it's also a very mental thing. If you make yourself believe you are not grossed out by something, chances are it will come true. (YMMV).

 

[BR549]

If only I was so lucky at my undergrad school we have to take a meat science class for all animal science majors where we work in the slaughter house for the term. Needless to say I didn't eat anything but chicken for quite some time after that. The guy I lived with at the time kept saying he was gonna bring a cow home and expected it to be plate ready by dinner.

Just a side note: I think everyone who eats meat should know where it comes from and how it is processed. Americans are too far removed from the raising and slaughtering processes, and I think we have lost a respect for the animals we eat. Sorry for the generalization. I'll stop hijacking this thread.

I am worried about getting back into the swing of things, academically. Having taken two years off, I am too afraid that I won't be able to focus.

 

[veridianbunny]

Hopeful, ikr.

It was no picnic - in fact eating was hard for a while, until my evil coworkers felt sorry for me and bought me some donuts! SCORE! worth it? mayhap...

Maybe that's it! Think of all the amazing donuts you deserve after making it through a tough surgery! Or maybe that would worsen the nausea, and self-esteem: too many donuts = no bueno.

 

[GeeQued]

I'm more worried my abilities to do common tasks are gonna fail miserably. I can hit a pig with a jug stick quick even while its trying to run but I suck at drawing blood on dogs nor have I ever placed a catheter or anything like that. I guess I have a couple months to learn

 

[incendium04]

Being a "city" girl, the meat science course at my undergrad was actually quite amazing! We watched the workers bring in live cattle and swine and harvest them. Later in the quarter, we worked with meat to make sausage, hamburger meat and many other products in the lab. One girl fainted during the lab -- but not when you would expect her to! It was randomly during the beginning of lab (before the bloody/gruesome bits)... maybe due to low blood sugar? I have to agree though, BR549, that class and all the animal production classes I've taken has opened my eyes a lot.

DVMorBust and Poochlover11: Give me an angry cat any day! The only horses I've worked with were pretty sedate and placid.

 

[calioutlaw1a]

Just a side note: I think everyone who eats meat should know where it comes from and how it is processed. Americans are too far removed from the raising and slaughtering processes, and I think we have lost a respect for the animals we eat.

Just a side note to your side note: I think everyone who eats anything should know where it comes from and how it's processed. Fruits, vegetables, meat, etc.

 

[Poochlover11]

Being a "city" girl, the meat science course at my undergrad was actually quite amazing! We watched the workers bring in live cattle and swine and harvest them. Later in the quarter, we worked with meat to make sausage, hamburger meat and many other products in the lab. One girl fainted during the lab -- but not when you would expect her to! It was randomly during the beginning of lab (before the bloody/gruesome bits)... maybe due to low blood sugar? I have to agree though, BR549, that class and all the animal production classes I've taken has opened my eyes a lot.

DVMorBust and Poochlover11: Give me an angry cat any day! The only horses I've worked with were pretty sedate and placid.

I would love any advice on how to handle cats!! I have had many bad experiences with cats. This summer for example I worked at a kennel. I had to clean out pens and there was one cat in particular that was HORRIBLE! He would launch at me every morning when I opened the pen to change his litter box and give him fresh food and water. My only defense was keeping a dust pan between him and me while I tried to quick grab his dishes as he swatted at me from behind my "sheild!"

 

[gone2dogs]

Like others have said, I am sure you will get used to it with time, so don't stress out! I don't know if this will make it worse for you, but perhaps if it is possible you could talk with the vet or a tech before a surgery about what you might expect to see, that way there won't be as many surprises. When I assisted on my first tail amputation, I wish I had been warned that when the big blood vessel is cut there may be a fountain of blood squirting across the room... the tech was nearly hit which made us all laugh (while the vet quickly fixed the situation) which I think helped me not feel like passing out.. joking around about your uneasiness might relieve some anxiety too?

It is a little different, but I have a very weak gag reflex that I am trying to improve upon. At the clinic we joke around about it and I will specifically volunteer to do things that I know will push me to the edge. I know I just have to get used to this stuff and that I will with time! For me blood isn't the issue, it is vomit, diarrhea, and the smell of pyo puss. Oh lord. We had the worst pyo the vet had ever seen yesterday and all my gag reflex practice was not showing itself at all. Unfortunately the clinic is just one big room, but I ended up in the corner retching. Can't win them all. It was positively the worst thing I have ever smelled or seen... made anal glands smell like roses!

But just be easy on yourself and it will get easier!

 

[nyanko]

With cats the idea is to move swiftly and smoothly, and hold them very securely. If you stare at them they see it as a threat and will get more and more worked up, so don't stand in front of the cage staring at them and don't hesitate. Just do what you gotta do and let them be.

Some cats are very less-is-more and some are very "holy crap get the towel and kitty bag RIGHT NOW!" It takes practice to be able to learn to read which is which, but you get it eventually. They're very twisty and quick, though.

 

[incendium04]

They're very twisty and quick, though.

Twisty & quick is right!

Honestly Poochlover, in the same situation, I think I would have done the same thing! If there is no reason to wrestle with the cat, live him be and get in & out. Many times I will put a blanket over the cat/dog/vicious beast to keep them occupied while I clean up their mess.

 

[Caninerepro]

With cats the idea is to move swiftly and smoothly, and hold them very securely. If you stare at them they see it as a threat and will get more and more worked up, so don't stand in front of the cage staring at them and don't hesitate. Just do what you gotta do and let them be.

Some cats are very less-is-more and some are very "holy crap get the towel and kitty bag RIGHT NOW!" It takes practice to be able to learn to read which is which, but you get it eventually. They're very twisty and quick, though.

At the clinic of the husband of the vet I work for -- a cat only clinic no less, we just use a clamshell-like fishing net to grab each cat, and knock them out for exams, et. right in the net if we need to. Only way I can deal with a cat! Seriously, cats will be my undoing -- I am such a dog person. Before any cat people object, he only did it if the cat acted up, and honestly I felt it reduced the stress on the kitty. That is the end game, plus it allowed him to work on cats other vets could not handle, that is why they were at his clinic. Lots of ferals.

 

[1Vista1Grey]

Im weird... Surgeries.. no problem.. maggots.. easy.. poop.. gross but ok.. pus... AWESOME... butchering a cow... whatever... but I freaking cant handle surgery masks... they gross me out.. ugh.. im feeling sick just thinking about it.. something Im gonna hafta deal with and get over though.. Im sure its not as bad as passing out in surgery.. but it really puts a damper on my mood.. haha...

Dont worry though.. at least your not like all those burly male clients we have all seen that have to leave the room/barn before you even uncap a needle :-D.. endless amusement there

 

[pyxystyx]

At the clinic of the husband of the vet I work for -- a cat only clinic no less, we just use a clamshell-like fishing net to grab each cat, and knock them out for exams, et. right in the net if we need to. Only way I can deal with a cat! Seriously, cats will be my undoing -- I am such a dog person. Before any cat people object, he only did it if the cat acted up, and honestly I felt it reduced the stress on the kitty. That is the end game, plus it allowed him to work on cats other vets could not handle, that is why they were at his clinic. Lots of ferals.

Aaah, deh feral kitehs,... gotta love 'em.
I worked @ a shelter cattery for a while. 95% feral intake. Prided myself on my netting-cat-mid-air technique. (Hard to do sometimes without harming your kiteh, you gotsta be really careful) That and the fact that I have never had a cat get away from me.

Sometimes when I'm restraining for a blood draw or some other pokey-painful thing, I found that if you bob their head a little by the scruff, this distracts some cats a little so they're not feeling the pokey-painful thing as much.

I'm really surprised that at an all-cat clininc they would net and sedate them so much. Hmm,... well, different strokes for different folks, I guess.

 

[EqSci]

Im weird... Surgeries.. no problem.. maggots.. easy.. poop.. gross but ok.. pus... AWESOME... butchering a cow... whatever... but I freaking cant handle surgery masks... they gross me out.. ugh.. im feeling sick just thinking about it.. something Im gonna hafta deal with and get over though.. Im sure its not as bad as passing out in surgery.. but it really puts a damper on my mood.. haha...

Dont worry though.. at least your not like all those burly male clients we have all seen that have to leave the room/barn before you even uncap a needle :-D.. endless amusement there

Haha, is it the breathing stale air part that gets to you? I have a weird thing with that too - it's almost a claustrophobic thing, but it's for anything over my face. Blankets, masks, even if someone gets too close and breaths in my face... ugh! I like my fresh air!!

I'm most anxious that I will know less than anyone there about technical stuff. I've only had a few hundred hours of experience, and while I've learned a LOT and it was certainly sufficient to give me a good glimpse into the vet profession, it's measly compared to the thousands of hours most of you have. I've given a couple IM horse shots, pulled blood from horses a few times, and that's about it. I just simply don't know all the stuff you learn when you're working as a vet tech - common drugs for common ailments, dosages, treatments for common stuff, etc. I've observed a lot of things and have been the assitant restraining the animal in a lot of situations, but I haven't done a lot of the technical stuff so I don't remember all the names of the drugs and how much each patient got. I just keep trying to tell myself that that's what I'm going to vet school FOR, and if nothing else, I can learn a lot from my classmates!!

 

[twelvetigers]

Yeah here at CSU the animal science dept has a class, appropriately and literally called "live and dead carcass evaluation".

Our version is called "Meat and Carcass Evaluation." I passed on it myself.

Here is another motivation for me to specialize. If I go into cardiology or something, I probably won't have to pull ticks out of ears. Most invertebrates realllyy gross me out.

I did a whole summer's research on ticks! Ever see one under a dissection microscope? They look like strange turtles, only much uglier. I could ID them pretty well, even the engorged ones.

Just a side note: I think everyone who eats meat should know where it comes from and how it is processed. Americans are too far removed from the raising and slaughtering processes, and I think we have lost a respect for the animals we eat.

 

[incendium04]

The clinic I work at teams up with local humane societies to fix ferals so we telazol plenty of cats. I'm not the best shot at it but we typically just leave them in their traps and inject them through the sides instead of netting or letting loose a feral.

I also do the same thing pyxystyx does, shake the cat's head while drawing blood or tap them on the head or give them a towel/pen to chew on to vent. I am comfortable drawing blooth, IV cathethers, placing some urinary catheters, and doing plenty of things with dogs and cats but horses and cattle are definitely my weak area. I feel incredibly incompetent around people born around horses.

 

[DollyyLlama]

These experiences have REALLY shattered my confidence in dealing with surgical procedures- apparently even minor ones (aka the fishhook!) I have been diagnosed with GAD in the past and have xanax prescribed prn. My doctor ask if I was interested in going on an SSRI but I really don't like the idea of being on a daily medication. I'd like to be able to manage this without the meds. Because of my anxiety, I'm not sure if it's really the procedure itself that's getting to me (aka the blood and guts) or if it's the anxiety about the procedure- like I get myself worked up about it because I think I *could* pass out or not be able to handle it.

oh boy, i can relate to so much of what you are saying. i have panic disorder with a bit of a specific phobia around vomiting. it's fairly well-managed on SSRIs- i don't have panic attacks anymore, at least. but certain things are harder for me to handle than for other people. for example, i know i am vulnerable to anxiety when i am underrested, underfed, sick, nervous, away from familiar and trusted people and places, and so on.

feeling faint or having to step out during surgery isn't outside the realm of normal for someone who isn't used to it, nor is it something that can't be overcome. as you can see on this thread, most people are concerned about some perceived deficiency in their skills. what's different for me, though (and for you) is how much i worry ABOUT the anxiety, about how i will feel in the future, about the worst that could happen (which in my mind means feeling miserable and having to function anyway).

you won't get over it before school starts, but you can go a long way toward feeling more confident. do as much as you can, because vet school tests the strength of everyone. i encourage you to reconsider SSRIs. i hesitated too, but my doctor pointed out that anxiety patients are always, duh, anxious about trying them. they changed my life. i tried to go off a year ago and went right back on- it's a drag to depend on them, but i am grateful to have found something that makes me feel better. i suggest you check out mindfulness meditation, cognitive-behavior therapy, something along those lines- there are books and seminars so you can scale it down to whatever you can afford. once you've got some tools, desensitization is a great method- push yourself to the point of discomfort habitually, and the point will come later and later. you'll at least be able to identify more specifically what bothers you and learn your limits. i plan to find a psychiatrist and therapist in my new city as soon as i get there, to have a support system in place before school gets stressful.

lastly, you're not alone. i have found that telling people i can trust what i'm going through can really help, because then i don't feel as much like i'm burdened by a secret. my co-workers are understanding and we compensate for each other. most people have felt anxiety at some point and can relate, even if it's not a chronic issue for them, and a surprising number are medicated for/ struggling with their own issues.

please feel free to PM me if you or anyone else wants to talk more about it, get a book recommendation, etc. i'm happy to share my experiences (not that i've solved the problem or anything) if someone else can benefit.

 

[Tater Salad]

Thanks to everyone for the responses/encouragement! It's been very helpful to hear that others have had the same/similar problems and concerns. As was recommended I am definitely going to get in and shadow as many surgeries as humanely possible before classes start. The technician and doctor where I work are aware of my anxiety issues and the doctor said that I am welcome to come in during the day to watch some surgeries and I know they are very kind and understanding as well. I'd much rather pass out in front of 2 people than a class of 100!

 

[Tater Salad]

what's different for me, though (and for you) is how much i worry ABOUT the anxiety, about how i will feel in the future, about the worst that could happen (which in my mind means feeling miserable and having to function anyway).

YES!!! That is spot on. I worry about the anxiety and the fainting long before the actual procedure begins and it's soooo easy to psyche myself out about it! I almost feel like I'm causing myself to faint by worrying about it so much.

you won't get over it before school starts, but you can go a long way toward feeling more confident. do as much as you can, because vet school tests the strength of everyone. i encourage you to reconsider SSRIs. i hesitated too, but my doctor pointed out that anxiety patients are always, duh, anxious about trying them.

Very good point!!!

Thanks for the advice!!!

 

[BR549]

I would love any advice on how to handle cats!! I have had many bad experiences with cats. This summer for example I worked at a kennel. I had to clean out pens and there was one cat in particular that was HORRIBLE! He would launch at me every morning when I opened the pen to change his litter box and give him fresh food and water. My only defense was keeping a dust pan between him and me while I tried to quick grab his dishes as he swatted at me from behind my "sheild!"

I always throw a towel over them, when taking them out of the cage. I then scruff them at the neck and grab their hind legs. I then arch their back, by pulling back on the scruff. This gives you pretty decent control over the animal, but when they start tightening their skin up, the grip on the scruff becomes loose. A vet tech at the clinic (before she worked at our clinic) actually had a cat attack her in the face and when she tried to pull the cat off, it clawed down her face from the scalp. She had to take some serious antibiotics.

Now, bathing and expressing anal glands (We offer these services at my clinic) are another story...

 

[nyanko]

Sometimes when I'm restraining for a blood draw or some other pokey-painful thing, I found that if you bob their head a little by the scruff, this distracts some cats a little so they're not feeling the pokey-painful thing as much.

This and tapping them on the head while you're scruffing often do work as good distraction techniques, I forgot about that!

Oh, and thank the powers that be for squeeze cages too, for the incorrigible ones.

 

[david594]

This and tapping them on the head while you're scruffing often do work as good distraction techniques, I forgot about that!

I do this too.... but only after the cat has lost it.

My personal opinion is that its quicker and easier(for techs and the animal) if you can manage a jug stick for the blood draw. Do it right away before the cat gets stressed out, and you are talking about a few seconds to pull 6 cc of blood or however much you need compared to much much longer to try and milk it out of a back leg. The cat gets to stay upright with minimal restraint.

 

[Poochlover11]

Tater Salad, sorry for steering the thread in a different direction. Hope you don't mind .

What do you guys mean when you say "tap the cat on the head?" And when you throw a towel over the cat and can no longer see the cat, how do you know what part of the cat you are grabbing? Cats are fast-and I would be worried he would make a go at my hand from under the towel. Does it just take practice to learn how to properly restrain a cat?

 

[1Vista1Grey]

Kitty burito! Cats certainly take a lot of practice... and guts... My cat is the worst, she freaks out and turns blue! she put up such a fuss one time while we were trying to take xrays that she now has a luxating patella. We dont bother restraining her anymore.. straight to the BOX. Its so weird because she is the sweetest cat on earth otherwise.

 

[bunnity]

Tater Salad, sorry for steering the thread in a different direction. Hope you don't mind .

What do you guys mean when you say "tap the cat on the head?" And when you throw a towel over the cat and can no longer see the cat, how do you know what part of the cat you are grabbing? Cats are fast-and I would be worried he would make a go at my hand from under the towel. Does it just take practice to learn how to properly restrain a cat?

For the tapping thing, the way I do it is I have my right hand holding the scruff and I take one finger of that hand and tap the cat's head with it.

For the towel thing I haven't done it with cats, just hawks. For hawks I hold the towel so that it covers the opening of the cage completely. The hawk doesn't (usually) know that the towel is soft so it won't try to come out. I slowly move the towel closer to the hawk and drop it over once I am close enough, and then very quickly grab a leg, making sure the towel stays over the eyes. If their eyes are covered, they can't aim very well. I imagine it would be similar for a cat, except you wouldn't be picking them up by the legs.

And yeah it takes practice; I definitely need more practice on cats.

I know in vet tech school they teach all the restraints - will we have a class on that in vet school or will they assume we already know how?

 

[1Vista1Grey]

For hawks I hold the towel so that it covers the opening of the cage completely. The hawk doesn't (usually) know that the towel is soft so it won't try to come out. I slowly move the towel closer to the hawk and drop it over once I am close enough, and then very quickly grab a leg, making sure the towel stays over the eyes. If their eyes are covered, they can't aim very well.

I got bit in the lip by a turkey vulture using that method. I ended up covering his whole body in the towel and lifted up a portion to see where his foot was so we could take the sutures out. Unfortunately that portion of the towel was covering his head. He reached out and grabbed me right on the lip. I started laughing because I thought he missed me. The vet I was working with got this horrified look on her face as my mouth and chin were covered in blood while I was laughing...

 

[bunnity]

I got bit in the lip by a turkey vulture using that method. I ended up covering his whole body in the towel and lifted up a portion to see where his foot was so we could take the sutures out. Unfortunately that portion of the towel was covering his head. He reached out and grabbed me right on the lip. I started laughing because I thought he missed me. The vet I was working with got this horrified look on her face as my mouth and chin were covered in blood while I was laughing...

Ouch! I've never had a TV try to attack me, other than their usual (and effective) defense of vomiting carrion. But yeah the towel method is definitely not foolproof, but it's better than nothing.

 

[1Vista1Grey]

the towel method is still my method of choice. TV vomit is the worst too.. way worse than black vulture vomit. Id rather he bite me than vomit on me.. haha

They usually dont bite. I jokingly blame the vet I was working with that day. She and I were having a conversation about how vultures arent usually aggressive and so I would have nothing to worry about while trying to catch him. :-D

 

[bunnity]

the towel method is still my method of choice. TV vomit is the worst too.. way worse than black vulture vomit. Id rather he bite me than vomit on me.. haha

They usually dont bite. I jokingly blame the vet I was working with that day. She and I were having a conversation about how vultures arent usually aggressive and so I would have nothing to worry about while trying to catch him. :-D

I think I'd choose bite over vomit too. I think your vet jinxed you... crazy things tend to happen when you say they won't. I was releasing a rabbit once and asked my boss whether a recently released raptor had ever attacked a recently released rabbit. She said no, and sure enough as soon as I set that rabbit down a red-tail that we'd released earlier that week came swooping down in a dive bomb. The rabbit actually got away though.

 

[sumstorm]

I don't even think it is a "girl" thing to be grossed out by something or another. For me, it is ears and ticks...

I despise ticks in all forms. Leeches don't phase me.....surgeries are fine, etc...but ticks STILL make my stomach turn! Part of it is just the thought of how many diseases they can carry.

Can you rehearse what you saw in your mind in a calmer environment? Perhaps an environment where you are super relaxed? That might prepare you for actual surgeries by helping your body, in a calmer state, associate that state with the visuals of surgery?

Also, be sure you don't lock your knees...and try to 'reframe' the scene several times...so that you move from close views in your mind to whole scene...that might help. Eat protein before hand, and if you have a long day, you might need to snack.

 

[Caninerepro]

I think I will leave the cats to the experts and stick to friendlier creatures, like piranhas! I am also having trouble imagining that many pets actually coming in with a tic on them, it actually still happens so often? Have people not heard of Advantage or anything? Gross. I think I have seen all of two baby tics on a dog in my life, even fleas are rare. How disgusting, and deplorable to let happen! No excuse for it.

 

[twelvetigers]

I pick the ticks because the vet doesn't have fingernails.

Gross?

 

[Caninerepro]

I pick the ticks because the vet doesn't have fingernails.

Gross?

Sounds fair.

Yes, I know that pets come in with fleas, that is just part of the pet market, but I still do not have to like it. Nor cats, but that is a personal preference. At my clinic I am the only dog tech surrounded by cat ladies.

 

[KittyRex]

Hmm... Fun thread!

Ok. Give me a growling freaked-out dog any day over a fractious cat. Some cats just scare the crap outta me! We get a lot of ferals/unruly kitties at our clinic and we usually use the towel-burrito & mask or the net & IM sedation method depending on how severe the kitty's attitude problem is. Really makes you appreciate nice patients.

Regarding the anxiety/nausea/fainting issue... I haven't really had any problem with watching/assisting/monitoring anes during surgeries. (I'm actually suuuuuper excited to be able to watch crazy-complicated surgeries in the awesome glass enclosed surgery observation deck at Davis in the fall! )

However, I have noticed that the smell of formaldehyde makes me feel kinda...I first noticed it in a human anatomy lab at a med school. One of the med students lifted up a ribcage to show us something and set it back down, sending a blast of formaldehyde and cadaver funk right into my face. I had to step out for a minute. Needless to say, I will have to get over this very quickly during first year... or I could just resign and be the only dork in a respirator during every anatomy lab


P.S. David - Me too! Huge fan of the jugular vein.... almost to a fault!

 

[dyachei]

I think I will leave the cats to the experts and stick to friendlier creatures, like piranhas! I am also having trouble imagining that many pets actually coming in with a tic on them, it actually still happens so often? Have people not heard of Advantage or anything? Gross. I think I have seen all of two baby tics on a dog in my life, even fleas are rare. How disgusting, and deplorable to let happen! No excuse for it.

In TN, we have a lot of problems with ticks even with products like advantage. Not sure if its just owner compliance issues or that the number of ticks out here were outrageous the summers I worked in a clinic, but its a problem.

On another note, in vet school, we were taught the proper ways to restrain cats and let me tell you, I've hardly seen it done that way in a clinic setting. Also, when giving painful IM injections, we were told that sliding the cat across the table would distract it while someone else injected, and it worked pretty well.

 

[Mistoffeles]

I think I will leave the cats to the experts and stick to friendlier creatures, like piranhas! I am also having trouble imagining that many pets actually coming in with a tic on them, it actually still happens so often? Have people not heard of Advantage or anything? Gross. I think I have seen all of two baby tics on a dog in my life, even fleas are rare. How disgusting, and deplorable to let happen! No excuse for it.

In a city that is not in a heartworm endemic/Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever endemic region, the use of Frontline/Advantage may be less indicated. It may be less harmful to the animals to pull off the occasional tick than the monthly application of a pesticide. or consider a more natural option such as a botanical-based parasite dust.

on the cat restraint issue: i work at a clinic with a no-scruff policy. if the pet is stressing out to the point where gentle restraint or towel restraint is insufficient, it's time to rethink whether the procedure is actually necessary, or whether a sedation option should be used. our experience is that most cats can be managed without scruffing. move slowly (i.e., scoop them onto their side instead of doing it suddenly, slowly extend their neck/leg/paw, etc.), use the kitty burrito that someone else mentioned, and for the 5% or so that can't be handled like this, box-iso or dexdomitor or kitty magic may be indicated. i happen to not have issues restraining most cats (control of head and front paws is key) and dogs, but i'm a big guy, so a bear hug is usually an option.

of course we also don't believe in vaccines unless necessary or commercial foods. lots of it is regional - our clients are into that type of medicine, which is why the clinic is where it is.

<--- off the holistic soap box.

 

[1Vista1Grey]

what is this "Kitty Magic" you speak of?!?! Please share with the class.. it sounds wonderful

 

[EqSci]

I think I will leave the cats to the experts and stick to friendlier creatures, like piranhas! I am also having trouble imagining that many pets actually coming in with a tic on them, it actually still happens so often? Have people not heard of Advantage or anything? Gross. I think I have seen all of two baby tics on a dog in my life, even fleas are rare. How disgusting, and deplorable to let happen! No excuse for it.

I agree that there is no excuse for an animal to come in tick INFESTED, but I firmly believe that ticks are taking over the world. I'm in a high-tick area, and take my dog on frequent off-leash walks. The first year I had him I used Frontline, but it didn't work. They were resistant to it or something. I switched to Advantix and that worked well for the past 2 summers (never found an engorged tick on him) but this spring he's had 2 engorged ticks and 1 not engorged tick already. And I put Advantix on religiously 9 months out of the year. I've found a tick on me too. They seem be getting resistant to colder and colder weather, too, as I found one on him a month ago when it was only 30 degrees out.

Also remember that those products just kill the tick before it can transmit any diseases, they don't prevent the tick from getting on the animal or even from biting the animal.

The horse vet I've interned with said he's seen about a 50% increase in Lyme disease + results for the tests he's done each summer for the past 3-4 years. I'm telling you, they're taking over the world. <shudder>