I Cant Smell

[russellang]

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So I work at a clinic and I have always noticed that I do not have a strong sense of smell. I do not smell anything. This includes when a dog expresses their anal glands, abcessess, extremely filthy animals or anything else you can think of.

The other techs have noticed this too and while they think it is nice not to smell these bad smells they ask me understandly how I intend to deal with this as a vet. I am a bit worried as well because smell is an important attribute for a vet.

Anyone else have this issue?

Thank you

 

[breenie]

So I work at a clinic and I have always noticed that I do not have a strong sense of smell. I do not smell anything. This includes when a dog expresses their anal glands, abcessess, extremely filthy animals or anything else you can think of.

The other techs have noticed this too and while they think it is nice not to smell these bad smells they ask me understandly how I intend to deal with this as a vet. I am a bit worried as well because smell is an important attribute for a vet.

Anyone else have this issue?

Thank you

Is it though? You still have eyesight. You can see a dirty dog, see an abscess, see poop... And your techs will be around you, and likely loudly bitching about the offending smell (at least we always did).

ETA: I don't smell that well either, haven't been too bothered by it. Only like 1/10 people can smell/taste ketones, so it's not a big deal if you're not the badass who can smell ketosis cows.

 

[katryn]

Do you have chronic allergies? I had absolutely no sense of smell (as in can walk through the necropsy hallway eating food because I don't smell it....), and really bad allergies. When I started allergy injections and my symptoms started to clear up and the chronic nasal inflammation went away, lo and behold, I can smell again! (Blessing and curse, I love the way food smells, but who knew that necropsy makes me want to vomit.....)

If you really truly just have no sense of smell, I really don't think it's that big of a deal. I have yet to see a vet make any diagnosis based on smell alone.

 

[Bill59]

Lacking a sense of smell is not a handicap for a veterinarian, it's a blessing.

 

[skittles12]

Blessing and curse, I love the way food smells, but who knew that necropsy makes me want to vomit.....

Or imagine if you had missed out on the lovely smell of bacon combined with necropsy!

I agree that a lack of sense of smell shouldn't be that big of a deal. If you've ever in a situation where it is important, I'm sure you'll have a tech/assistant/colleague who can help you out.

 

[twelvetigers]

As someone who just spent 3 hours in anatomy lab... I'm actually a bit jealous. Phoo.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Lacking a sense of smell is not a handicap for a veterinarian, it's a blessing.

👍

I can't smell much either. Probably why necropsy doesn't bother me unless it's super, super rotten.

I don't think it's an uber important trait for a vet to have. Eyes, touch, etc are much more important.

 

[katryn]

Or imagine if you had missed out on the lovely smell of bacon combined with necropsy!

Actually, I almost did! I didn't start injections until the end of last semeter. How lucky for me that my sense of smell started coming back during finals. It was kind of interesting that I could always smell the bacon, just not the necropsy; and that I hated the smell of bacon until I got the rest of my smell ability back.

 

[Lab Rat83]

My brother-in-law was born with no sense of smell. He graduated with his DVM in 2009, he seems to have no problem with it. He just "borrows" other people's noses when needed.

 

[Bisbee]

I lost my sense of smell for several months a few years ago. It came back gradually, and it's normal now. But it certainly was a strange experience. You wouldn't think that it would be a big deal to do without your smell, but we get so used to having it and using it in all aspects of life. For example, when you take meat out of the fridge to cook, you automatically sniff it to make sure it's okay. When you're baking cookies you kind of expect to smell them baking. When you have kids you even use your nose to tell when to change the diaper. With cows, you can smell mastitis in the barn before you even know which cow it is. So many examples. However, if you have never had much of a sense of smell, it probably wouldn't make a huge difference since you're not used to relying on it anyway. I will say without a doubt, though, that if I had to lose any one of my senses, the sense of smell is really the one I'd choose (being blind or deaf would be so much more handicapping).

 

[twelvetigers]

If you can't smell, can you taste very well? Or, would you really know if it's always been that way?

Just thinking aloud...

 

[jmo1012]

As someone who just spent 3 hours in anatomy lab... I'm actually a bit jealous. Phoo.

as someone who is not enjoying a burning nose everyday, i totally second this.

 

[LetItSnow]

I lost my sense of smell for several months a few years ago.

Can I ask why? Pure curiosity.

For example, when you take meat out of the fridge to cook, you automatically sniff it to make sure it's okay.

You do? I mean... er... of course you do! (Geez. I feel stupid now.)

 

[twelvetigers]

My husband routinely brings me a milk carton and holds it out to me expectantly because he wants cereal but can't tell if milk smells weird or not. He says it always smells bad to him. I dunno about that, but I generally comply.

 

[katryn]

If you can't smell, can you taste very well? Or, would you really know if it's always been that way?

Just thinking aloud...

For me, it wasn't that I couldn't taste, but my sense of taste has definitely changed. Bacon is a really good example. I used to hate the way bacon smelled and didn't like the taste much either. Now that I'm smelling more normally, bacon both smells good and is one of the best foods on the planet again.

 

[Bisbee]

It's kind of gross (but you asked), the reason why I lost my sense of smell for several months was because I had been very sick to my stomach for several days (throwing up, etc.). Not to be too graphic, but the stomach acid burned my nasal passages, so all the receptor-ends were gone. It took several months for them to grow back. So, my sense of smell came back gradually.

 

[russellang]

Look at all of these responses!

I am nervous about the issue because I feel as a vet I might miss something. This is magnified by the fact that I desire to be a large animal vet and want to be doing ambulatory service, which means there might not be a tech with me to tell me. Im sure it probably will not be an issue but its just a concern of mine.

Interestingly enough, the lack of smell only revolves around bad smells.

 

[breenie]

Look at all of these responses!

I am nervous about the issue because I feel as a vet I might miss something. This is magnified by the fact that I desire to be a large animal vet and want to be doing ambulatory service, which means there might not be a tech with me to tell me. Im sure it probably will not be an issue but its just a concern of mine.

Interestingly enough, the lack of smell only revolves around bad smells.

You'll see the abscess on the cow! And you won't need to smell the retained placenta or metritis either!

The only thing I'd worry about is smelling thrush in horses, but I've always seen owners manage that one on their own?

 

[lostbunny]

Look at all of these responses!

I am nervous about the issue because I feel as a vet I might miss something. This is magnified by the fact that I desire to be a large animal vet and want to be doing ambulatory service, which means there might not be a tech with me to tell me. Im sure it probably will not be an issue but its just a concern of mine.

Interestingly enough, the lack of smell only revolves around bad smells.

Honestly- I'm sure you'll manage to find a way around it even if you see it as a disadvantage. Have you seen 'The Book of Eli'? If he can do it... so can you! (well not in a literal sense... haha no pun intended.)

 

[heylodeb]

Interestingly enough, the lack of smell only revolves around bad smells.

ooo. time to psychoanalyze, this one!!

Honestly, I think not having a great sense of smell IS a disadvantage but is not debilitating.
Example: I cannot for the life of me smell a yeasty dog. I will walk out of a "check skin" room and the other techs will be like "WOH - yeast much??" They can smell it from across the hospital. There have been rare occasions where finances restricted diagnoses and our doctor would be willing to treat for yeast based on the fact that the apparent smell was so bad. 😕

Just means you need to strengthen OTHER areas in your diagnostic toolbox! 🙂

 

[spicykimchi]

My husband routinely brings me a milk carton and holds it out to me expectantly because he wants cereal but can't tell if milk smells weird or not. He says it always smells bad to him. I dunno about that, but I generally comply.

I always think milk stinks too. I think it tastes weird as well. I use soymilk.

 

[deli]

I have a great sense of smell, but can put up with gross smelling things much easier than many of my co-workers. You might just have a high tolerance for it.

Either way I can't see it interfering with your future!

 

[jmo1012]

you will appreciate your lack of smell when you spend countless hours in the anatomy lab. i have decided it is my new favorite place to study any of my subjects. *sigh*

 

[Minnerbelle]

Look at all of these responses!

I am nervous about the issue because I feel as a vet I might miss something. This is magnified by the fact that I desire to be a large animal vet and want to be doing ambulatory service, which means there might not be a tech with me to tell me. Im sure it probably will not be an issue but its just a concern of mine.

Interestingly enough, the lack of smell only revolves around bad smells.

Maybe you can train a dog for the smelling impaired vet 😉. Poor bloodhound would probably faint from sniffing an ultra-yeasty ear. Once a tech told me to come and sniff, so I took a full chest whiff and felt like I literally got punched in the brain through my nose. You're lucky you don't have to experience that.

 

[squirrelsrule]

I was sprayed by some baby skunks I raised and didn't smell it and went to work not knowing I smelled like a skunk 🙁. Was sent home to shower it was that bad. I rarely smell anal glands or yeasty ears or the parvo smell people talk about. I am not worried that this will be a disadvantage to me as a vet. Sure I can't smell well, but I never have been able to and I haven't ever had any issues. I have a weird sense of smell, some things I can't smell at all (mostly animal smells) and other things I am like hypersensitive to (mostly foods like sauerkraut and the smell of chipotle both make me feel queezy and I LOVE the smell of dough as it is being kneaded for pizza or bread). I think a reduced sense of smell is pretty common and nothing to be too worried about, you'll have someone there to point it out whether it is a tech or animal owner, if not, you'll still be able to see the issue.

 

[TXvet]

I have a very sensitive nose and can diagnose a ketotic or uremic animal right when I walk in the room (I get asked to smell other suspected ketotic animals for my colleagues). It comes in handy at times but when there is a noxious smell it sucks🙁. Smell can come in handy but it is not a necessity-you will do fine.

 

[blueeyes6210]

The vet I work for is red/green colorblind. So whenever we use a Wood's lamp to check for ringworm and stuff on a dog, the techs have to go in and see if it fluoresces because he can't see it!

He manages to do just fine except for that one thing. Oh, and sometimes his wife won't tell him he's mismatching when he leaves the house, especially when she's mad at him, lol.

 

[russellang]

I just started at a dairy and I could smell the first day. However, the second day I smelled nothing. I guess my nose gets used to certain smells.

 

[bunnity]

I just started at a dairy and I could smell the first day. However, the second day I smelled nothing. I guess my nose gets used to certain smells.

I get used to stuff too. I worked in a shelter and literally couldn't smell it and would get confused when members of the public would go into the kennel and come out holding their noses.