Now Ye're Talking - To A Veterinary Nurse

Dav

We do love our pets in this country. Boards' Animals & Pets forum is always busy for example. I share my flat with a Hermann's Tortoise called Alexander and I can't imagine life without him (and he's gonna outlive me by some margin anyway, he's only 5 now and should live till he's 70).

Today we have someone who's job helps get our animals and pets back to us if they've fallen ill or have suffered an injury. Veterinary Nurses are the people who help out a vet just like people nurses.

It's worth pointing out that our site rules about professional/medical advice still stand - if you have an animal with some sort of ailment, bring it to a vet! Asking someone on the internet what to do is beyond irresponsible.

GLaDOS

Do you work mainly with household pets, farm animals, or a mix?

Have you ever had to report a case of animal cruelty?

FanadMan

It's an impossible question, but what is your favourite animal.....and it can be animal, bird, insect or whatever. Just as long as you don't say human

Rockiemalt

Whats the best part of your job?

Whats your least favorite aspect of it?

If you train as a vetinary nurse are there other opportunities aside from working in a vet practice?

Hollister11

How to you manage to cope when you see animals who have been badly mistreated ?

i don't think I could hold my self together if I came across distressed animals like that.

MrWalsh

Is there a job ceiling? As in, do you reach a certain rate of pay and stop there?

Also interested in the other job opportunities question.

Are you ever afraid of any of the animals?

Hollister11

Dav wrote: »

We do love our pets in this country. Boards' Animals & Pets forum is always busy for example. I share my flat with a Hermann's Tortoise called Alexander and I can't imagine life without him (and he's gonna outlive me by some margin anyway, he's only 5 now and should live till he's 70).

Today we have someone who's job helps get our animals and pets back to us if they've fallen ill or have suffered an injury. Veterinary Nurses are the people who help out a vet just like people nurses.

It's worth pointing out that our site rules about professional/medical advice still stand - if you have an animal with some sort of ailment, bring it to a vet! Asking someone on the internet what to do is beyond irresponsible.

Sure Dav you might live another 70+ years :cool:

DeltaWhite

OMG my FAVE AMA so far!! I love animals more than people so this AMA is going to be sooooo interesting to me

Do you ever get really attached to any animals that come in for operations etc?

Do you feel teary day to day when sad things happen? (I personally would be an emotional WRECK)

Have you ever taken an animal home to keep/rescue that may have come in or been brought in?

Wichita Lineman

Was there any particular incident or reason inspiring you to become a Veterinary Nurse in the first place?

I'm A Veterinary Nurse, AMA

Hi everyone!

First of all, thanks a million for taking the time to ask questions, I'm surprised there are so many already!

And secondly, thanks for the opportunity to do this AMA. Hopefully it'll make people aware of what a veterinary nurse like me does. I still find a lot of people haven't a clue unfortunately, but things are definitely changing.

I'll answer all your questions as best as I can

Dav

Hollister11 wrote: »

Sure Dav you might live another 70+ years :cool:

I'm nearly 40, so I somehow doubt it

fred funk }{

What would be your typical day and are what would the one thing that you would like to change the most in the industry?

I'm A Veterinary Nurse, AMA

Wow, I'm pleasantly suprised that there are so many really really good questions, thanks so much everyone!

ScienceNerd wrote: »

Do you work mainly with household pets, farm animals, or a mix?

Have you ever had to report a case of animal cruelty?

Hi ScienceNerd.

I am actually between jobs at the moment. I've got around 2 years of experience under my belt (been qualified for 5 but it's a tough area to get a position in. I've only worked with companion animals, dogs, cats, rabbits, and guinea pigs mainly but I've seen a couple of rats, mice, geckos and terripins. In my last clinic we did neuter a ram though.

Edit: I forgot to answer the other question. I haven't had to report a case of animal cruelty but unfortunately I think it's inevitable with the way things are going in Ireland.

FanadMan wrote: »

It's an impossible question, but what is your favourite animal.....and it can be animal, bird, insect or whatever. Just as long as you don't say human

Hello FanadMan. Yikes, that is an impossible question (but I'm sorry to say it's not humans)! But if I was pushed I would have to say dogs, with cats coming a very close second. I also have a weird fascination with butterflies.

Rockiemalt wrote: »

Whats the best part of your job?

Whats your least favorite aspect of it?

If you train as a vetinary nurse are there other opportunities aside from working in a vet practice?

The best part of my job has to be sending a happy and healthy animal home with very happy and relieved owners, epsecially if it's an animal that has been very ill.

Worst part has to be treating an animal for a long time, getting attached, and then having them suddenly deteriorate and even pass away. That always hurts, always.

Aside from working in a vet practice, yes, there are other opportunities. A couple of my college classmates have gone on to study veterinary medicine in Slovakia. Some work as reps for drug companies or food companies, a few went on to do other things, one did a MSc in Toxicology. It's really not restricted to working in practice but that's what type of job I'm looking for myself at the moment. I absolutely love working in practice because no two days are the same, no two cases are exactly the same.

Hollister11 wrote: »

How to you manage to cope when you see animals who have been badly mistreated ?

i don't think I could hold my self together if I came across distressed animals like that.

Hi Hollister11. Thankfully I haven't come across any deliberate cruelty just yet, but unfortunately I do think it's inevitable. I have come across a few cases of neglect, which can be just as bad. Personally I do have my moment to get upset and/or angry, but then I have to do my job and help the animal. I've seen a couple of very bad embedded collars, one was so bad that I genuinely have no idea how the owner did not smell it, it was horrific. You honestly just have to remember why you're doing your job, for the animal's healthy and wellbeing.

MrWalsh wrote: »

Is there a job ceiling? As in, do you reach a certain rate of pay and stop there?

Also interested in the other job opportunities question.

Are you ever afraid of any of the animals?

Hello Mr Walsh. Great question! At the moment in Ireland, there isn't actually a pay scale for veterinary nurses, so a person with ten years experience and a person just out of college could potentially be earning the same amount. Rates of pay is entirely up to the clinic paying the nurse. This is actually a topic that has been discussed between myself and some colleagues and we're hoping that things will change in the near future.

In fact, veterinary nurse wasn't actually a protected term until very recently, which mean that literally anyone could call themselves a veterinary nurse and work in a practice without a qualification. That has recently changed and everyone that wishes to call themselves a veterinary nurse must have the relevant qualification(s) and be registered with the Veterinary Council of Ireland.

I've answered the job opportunities question as best as I can, but if you would like to know anything else feel free to ask.

Yes, there are definitely times where I have been scared of the animals, but only if the animal is aggressive. An aggressive cat is terrifying.

DeltaWhite wrote: »

OMG my FAVE AMA so far!! I love animals more than people so this AMA is going to be sooooo interesting to me

Do you ever get really attached to any animals that come in for operations etc?

Do you feel teary day to day when sad things happen? (I personally would be an emotional WRECK)

Have you ever taken an animal home to keep/rescue that may have come in or been brought in?

Hi DeltaWhite, thanks for the questions! I hope this AMA is as interesting as you hope for!

Yes, I definitely do get attached to animals that come in for surgery and treatment. It's difficult not to get attached for me but I actually like that aspect of the job. If you can get attached while getting the animal to trust you also, it makes treatment much less stressful for the team and the patient.

There is actually one dog in particular that jumped into my mind when I read this question, and that I still think about. Unfortunately he was quite ill and was euthanised. One of the nicest, most relaxed and loveable dogs I have ever met. I will admit I did have a little bit of a cry when I found out he'd been put to sleep.

I have had teary moments, yes. (See above ) We're all human so I think it's a normal reaction to have, in fact I would worry if I didn't have that type of reaction. Actually, thinking about it I've had more of those moments than I can count. It can be a very emotional job sometimes.

As for taking an animal home, it hasn't happen. Yet. I think most vet nurses will tell you that they've done it, in fact all of the nurses I know from work and college have rescued animals that have been brought to their clinics. I think it's sort of inevitable so in the future the answer to this question will probably have changed!

Wichita Lineman wrote: »

Was there any particular incident or reason inspiring you to become a Veterinary Nurse in the first place?

Hi Wichita Lineman I suppose there probably were a couple of different incidents. One time I found a tiny blackbird in my back garden and decided to try and mind it. Unfortunately it died, but I can't imagine I was any more than 10-11 years old at the time. My mam said she knew from the time I was very young that I was going to work with animals in some capacity, I always loved animals, always. I was the type of kid that picked up spiders to put them in a safer place, I loved finding caterpillars and all that kind of thing. We always had dogs, in fact there was never a time where we didn't have at least one dog. I also used to love going to relatives houses if they had pets. I actually had my heart set on becoming a vet until I saw practice at the age of about 16 and it changed my mind. That's when I was 100% sure nursing was what I wanted to do.

I'm A Veterinary Nurse, AMA

fred funk }{ wrote: »

What would be your typical day and are what would the one thing that you would like to change the most in the industry?

Hi fred, thanks for the question. I'm not in practice at the moment, I'm currently job hunting. Honestly, that's a difficult one to answer but only because there really isn't a typical day. Every day is different. In my last clinic, there were two of us nurses. One came in early to change over the phones, treat any inpatients and also do pre-operative checks on any animals to be admitted for surgeries that day. Surgery was done in the morning/early afternoon, then the operating theatre/surgery is thoroughly cleaned and prepared for the following day. In between all that bills have to be prepared, post op instructions have to be prepared, we have to make up those cones (Buster collars). Naturally, that all falls by the wayside if you have an emergency admitted. Nurses also have to discharge the day's surgery cases and give instructions to the owners re. wound care, exercise, suture removal and follow-up appointments, etc. There are so many things a nurse does, I'd be here all day answering if I were to try and think of everything!

As for changing things in the industry... Gosh, that is a tough one. I suppose I would like to see the whole area of a pay scale being at least talked about. At the moment, as I have said above, there is no pay scale whatsoever. I would also like to have the opportunity for further study like there is in the UK.

JaseBelleVie

Thank you for doing this! I am a huge dog-person, so I'll be fascinated by this!

Most of what I could have asked has probably been already asked, so I'll try to keep it on a new topic.

Most of the questions dealing with emotional attachment to animals is very understandable. But in any business where a degree of "professional coldness" is required, what do you do in order to cope with having to be slightly detached from the whole process? Or is it better for the owners/families of the pet in question for you to show a little bit of emotion?


You mentioned that it is hard to get work in your profession sometimes and that you are currently between jobs. Naively, I assumed that there was a shortage of people working in veterinary medicine, considering the insanely high points requirement and the strenuousness of the course. So, basically, how difficult will it be for you to find a new position? And is this due to the economic downturn or has this always been the case?


You mentioned that you largely dealt with household pets (dogs, cats, etc.) in your practice. Would this be your preference, or would you prefer to be dealing with larger, more "commercial" animals, or are household pets your niche preference?


What is the most exotic animal you've ever dealt with? Any snakes or spiders or other weird things of the creepy, crawly, jungle-y type?


And finally, the most important question of all: Aren't Siberian Huskies the most gorgeous, cuddly, lovable and amazingly brilliant animals out there?!

Ave Sodalis

Is being a vet nurse worth it? I've heard a people say that they'd never be a vet nurse (and one of them was a vet) due to the amount of work vs the amount of pay.

Whats the most common condition you've seen?


(PS I've a tortoise around the same age as yours Dav! It's a Horsfield though)

I'm A Veterinary Nurse, AMA

JaseBelleVie wrote: »

Thank you for doing this! I am a huge dog-person, so I'll be fascinated by this!

It's not a problem at all. Hope you enjoy the thread! I'll answer these one at a time.


Most of the questions dealing with emotional attachment to animals is very understandable. But in any business where a degree of "professional coldness" is required, what do you do in order to cope with having to be slightly detached from the whole process? Or is it better for the owners/families of the pet in question for you to show a little bit of emotion?

Excellent question. This one is going to be a tough one to answer but I'll do my very best. Personally (and in my experience), I think you need a balance between professional coldness and showing some emotion. I actually find that most clients do actually like for the veterinary team to show a bit of emotion. I think it makes them trust you, but at the same time it's very important to remain professional. You have to judge which clients to take which approach with which can be a challenge. Some people would love a bit of a fuss made of them, for want of a better expression, and some people would just prefer that you just get them in and out of the clinic as fast as humanely possible, especially when you're dealing with a recently deceased animal or a euthanasia case. You have to become quite good at reading people.


You mentioned that it is hard to get work in your profession sometimes and that you are currently between jobs. Naively, I assumed that there was a shortage of people working in veterinary medicine, considering the insanely high points requirement and the strenuousness of the course. So, basically, how difficult will it be for you to find a new position? And is this due to the economic downturn or has this always been the case?

Another great question. At the moment I am finding it difficult but maybe that's because I'm anxious to get back into practice. I feel it's probably due to the economic downturn. Things are getting better so I'm hoping that something will turn up very soon. I've only been out of work since March. I was unlucky enough to graduate when the downturn was just beginning so I'm actually not sure what things were like before.


You mentioned that you largely dealt with household pets (dogs, cats, etc.) in your practice. Would this be your preference, or would you prefer to be dealing with larger, more "commercial" animals, or are household pets your niche preference?

Yes, companion animals are definitely my own preference. I find working with companion animals is really interesting. That said, I wouldn't mind working with cattle etc.


What is the most exotic animal you've ever dealt with? Any snakes or spiders or other weird things of the creepy, crawly, jungle-y type?

I haven't dealt with a massive amount of exotics to be honest. I've seen a couple of geckos, one or two turtles, a terripin. I've not seen a snake or a spider yet but they are popular so I'm sure I'll see some further on in my career.


And finally, the most important question of all: Aren't Siberian Huskies the most gorgeous, cuddly, lovable and amazingly brilliant animals out there?!

Yes, they are gorgeous! So energetic though! I know a couple of people with huskies and they're all completely hyper. They are absolutely beautiful dogs though.

I'm A Veterinary Nurse, AMA

sup_dude wrote: »

Is being a vet nurse worth it? I've heard a people say that they'd never be a vet nurse (and one of them was a vet) due to the amount of work vs the amount of pay.

Whats the most common condition you've seen?


(PS I've a tortoise around the same age as yours Dav! It's a Horsfield though)

Hello!

Tough question, but a good one. For me, despite the fact that I am currently jobless, it is worth it. I will say that the money is not great at all, especially in smaller clinics, but I love the job so in my opinion it is worth it. Your friend is right regarding the amount of work work vs the pay though. I'm not selling it as a career, am I?!

Most common condition would vary from animal to animal. I dealt with mainly cats and dogs. In cats, in my experience, the most common condition would probably be urinary issues (mainly blockages), whereas I find ear conditions and anal gland problems were very common in dogs.

Galwayguy35

Have you ever had to treat farm animals like cattle or sheep, I grew up on a farm and know they can be difficult to handle because they are so strong.

I'm A Veterinary Nurse, AMA

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

Have you ever had to treat farm animals like cattle or sheep, I grew up on a farm and know they can be difficult to handle because they are so strong.

Hi Galwayguy35. I haven't treated cattle since I was in college. We had to spend a certain amount of time in each type of practice. They can be difficult to handle, but like every animal, how you treat them and behave around them is very important. In my last clinic even though we were 100% companion animal, we did castrate a ram. He wasn't quite lamb, but not quite fully grown if that makes sense. That was interesting I must say.

Galwayguy35

I'm A Veterinary Nurse, AMA wrote: »

Hi Galwayguy35. I haven't treated cattle since I was in college. We had to spend a certain amount of time in each type of practice. They can be difficult to handle, but like every animal, how you treat them and behave around them is very important. In my last clinic even though we were 100% companion animal, we did castrate a ram. He wasn't quite lamb, but not quite fully grown if that makes sense. That was interesting I must say.

Did you use the Burdizzo?

Diamond Doll

Do you have pets yourself?

Are there any procedures you're squeamish about?

If you hadn't decided to work with animals, what would your next choice of career have been?

I'm A Veterinary Nurse, AMA

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

Did you use the Burdizzo?

We didn't, we performed the castration surgically, similar to what we would do in a dog as he was fairly docile, but beginning to get harder to handle.

I'm A Veterinary Nurse, AMA

This little piggy wrote: »

Do you have pets yourself?

Are there any procedures you're squeamish about?

If you hadn't decided to work with animals, what would your next choice of career have been?

Hi This little piggy.

Yes, I do, I have two dogs.

I can be a little bit squeamish about eye surgeries, and anything that involves fly larvae (those little white maggots). They make my skin crawl! I have a fairly strong stomach though.

That last question is a tough one. I think I probably wouldn't have minded working in some type of office actually.

thegreatgonzo

Hi i'm a veterinary nurse too and I'm delighted you are doing this. I've often wished there was a forum on boards for veterinary issues as there are a few veterinary specific work problems that I'd like to discuss anonymously. I qualified 2 years ago and I still find the gulf between the 'best practice' we learned about in college and the reality of some work environments a bit frustrating. Have you had an experience at work where you thought to yourself this is so the opposite of what my lecturers said should be done?
Also good luck in the job hunt:-)

I'm A Veterinary Nurse, AMA

thegreatgonzo wrote: »

Hi i'm a veterinary nurse too and I'm delighted you are doing this. I've often wished there was a forum on boards for veterinary issues as there are a few veterinary specific work problems that I'd like to discuss anonymously. I qualified 2 years ago and I still find the gulf between the 'best practice' we learned about in college and the reality of some work environments a bit frustrating. Have you had an experience at work where you thought to yourself this is so the opposite of what my lecturers said should be done?
Also good luck in the job hunt:-)

Hi there thegreatgonzo, nice to see another VN about. There are a few of us here on Boards. (I do have my own personal account but thought it best to keep it separate from this.) A specific forum would be a fantastic idea I think. Maybe in the future it will happen.

I have a bit of experience with that, especially with regard to double bagging surgical kits before autoclaving, covering scissors in surgical kits, and sometimes with regard to restraint of patients, there are probably lots more. It does get frustrating, I can see where you're coming from.

And thank you, I'm hoping something turns up. Checking the IVJ and IVNA websites constantly!

Lia_lia

Would you ever consider studying to be a vet? A friend of mine is a qualified vet nurse, she is now studying to be a vet in Budapest! Sounds like a lot of hard work, hopefully will be worth it in the end.

Have you ever been tempted to take any homeless pets sent in home with you to keep? Or have you?

Do you think pet insurance is worth it? If it's something you can't really afford?

I'm A Veterinary Nurse, AMA

Lia_lia wrote: »

Would you ever consider studying to be a vet? A friend of mine is a qualified vet nurse, she is now studying to be a vet in Budapest! Sounds like a lot of hard work, hopefully will be worth it in the end.

Have you ever been tempted to take any homeless pets sent in home with you to keep? Or have you?

Do you think pet insurance is worth it? If it's something you can't really afford?

Hey Lia_lia. Thanks for the questions.

Personally I don't think it's something I'd ever do. It's very expensive. Plus, five more years in college seems very daunting. I'm happy being a vet nurse though, I think it's what I was meant to do. I hope your friend is doing well though, I admire her.

Yes, I have been tempted several times but unfortunately I'm not in a position to take animals (yet) but I'm sure I'll eventually end up bringing something home, it's almost inevitable. At one stage I really wanted to take a three legged cat but our dogs are not cat friendly.

Insurance ins't something I know a huge amount about but it's definitely becoming popular here, especially in bigger clinics/areas. I think it's worth it, especially if you have a breed of dog that may be likely to develop a certain issue or disease at a later life stage. Some conditions can have costly ongoing treatment so it definitely helps in these cases.

Rockiemalt

Thanks fir all the answers so far. Have you seen Supervet and if so what did you think of it?
Would you ever consider being an animal physio, or hydrotherapist or behaviourist or specialising in another animal area?!

Vojera

Do you learn much in college about exotics? Or is it the sort of thing where you do a module or two and that's it? If you wanted to get more experience with reptiles or something like that, would you have the opportunity to do that in Ireland or would you need to go to the UK?

I have an unnatural obsession with guinea pigs I have 12 beautiful fluffies at the moment. I found it fairly tough to find a practise that was confident and knowledgeable regarding pigs, which makes me wonder if smallies are covered much in college? I know in the UK where guinea pigs are more popular there are a good few practices that are able to do dental work on pigs without anaesthetic. Have you ever come across this here?

I'm A Veterinary Nurse, AMA

Rockiemalt wrote: »

Thanks fir all the answers so far. Have you seen Supervet and if so what did you think of it?
Would you ever consider being an animal physio, or hydrotherapist or behaviourist or specialising in another animal area?!

Hi Rockiemalt. Hope you're enjoying the thread. Thanks for the questions. I have seen SuperVet and I think he does some amazing work, he must be an incredibly intelligent guy to come up with some of the techniques he has. I haven't seen the most recent season but I think I'll catch up online, I've been hearing great things. It's lovely to see someone so passionate about his job. However, it does seem like he does little else apart from work. That's just my opinion though.

To become an animal physio I'd have to study human physiotherapy as far as I'm aware but I've not looked into it at any length. I would like to do some more training but there aren't many options here in Ireland. Going into the area of behaviour is a bit easier though. Maybe in the future, who knows?

Vojera wrote: »

Do you learn much in college about exotics? Or is it the sort of thing where you do a module or two and that's it? If you wanted to get more experience with reptiles or something like that, would you have the opportunity to do that in Ireland or would you need to go to the UK?

I have an unnatural obsession with guinea pigs I have 12 beautiful fluffies at the moment. I found it fairly tough to find a practise that was confident and knowledgeable regarding pigs, which makes me wonder if smallies are covered much in college? I know in the UK where guinea pigs are more popular there are a good few practices that are able to do dental work on pigs without anaesthetic. Have you ever come across this here?

Thanks for the question Vojera!

I didn't study a huge amount of exotics material in college. We had a few lectures but at the time exotics weren't as popular as they are now. I would probably have to go to the UK to get more experience in exotics.

Guinea pigs are lovely little creatures. They are covered in college, just not to the same extent because Ireland is still very much a dog/cat country in my experience. I haven't a huge amount of experience with them, I've clipped their nails but that would be it. I've only ever seen one guinea pig anaesthetic but that was for an orthopaedic procedure. Apologies for not answering this question well. The majority of my experience is with dogs and cats.

MrWalsh

Do you ever see situations where someone brings in an animal that is suffering obvious neglect or signs it has been cruelly treated?

Or do you ever get people who are unreasonable in what they want done for their pet?

Diamond Doll

As a (human!) patient, I've sometimes encountered circumstances where nurses clearly disagree with doctors decisions and treatment of patients. However the nurse's opinion is often disregarded (or left unvoiced), despite the fact that they often spend much more time with patients than the doctors do.

Have you ever encountered situations like this as a veterinary nurse, where you don't agree with the vet's opinion or decisions regarding the care of an animal? And if so, and if you spoke up about it, would the vet take your opinions into account?

CardBordWindow

To what degree would you have studied anatomy and physiology of animals in college? Would it have been done on an animal by animal basis? (This week we are looking at dogs, next week at cats etc) Or would there be a lot of in common?

Same way with various ailments, would you have had to cover animal specific symptoms for the certain illnesses, or would it be more general?

I'm A Veterinary Nurse, AMA

MrWalsh wrote: »

Do you ever see situations where someone brings in an animal that is suffering obvious neglect or signs it has been cruelly treated?

Or do you ever get people who are unreasonable in what they want done for their pet?

I'm lucky in that I've never seen a case of deliberate cruelty but I have seen a few neglect cases. I've seen a few embedded collars, a lot of really bad cases of matted fur. I do think the matted fur situation is due to a lack of education and understanding that some breeds need to be groomed. People really don't realise that matting can be painful.

What I do see a lot more of is people actually being too kind that it impacts negatively, like feeding their pet too much. Obesity in dogs and cats is a huge problem here and people don't think anything of it. For example I did see a dog that was so obese that it was unable to turn around to lick itself to clean itself and so had very painful sores around the genital area. Poor dog was screeching in pain every time anyone went near its back end. The owner was one of those people that you just could not get through to.

We do see people on the other end of the scale though. I've gotten people getting ignorant and p1ssed off with me because we wouldn't vaccinate a dog for free because it was a rescue dog, I've had people that wanted to walk in and have their dogs neutered on a Saturday despite the fact we were only open til 12. One thing I'll never forget is hearing a message on our answering machine from a man who we had been trying to contact to pick up his dog for about four days. He rang at 9pm on a Sunday wondering why we weren't open so he could collect his dog.

I'm A Veterinary Nurse, AMA

This little piggy wrote: »

As a (human!) patient, I've sometimes encountered circumstances where nurses clearly disagree with doctors decisions and treatment of patients. However the nurse's opinion is often disregarded (or left unvoiced), despite the fact that they often spend much more time with patients than the doctors do.

Have you ever encountered situations like this as a veterinary nurse, where you don't agree with the vet's opinion or decisions regarding the care of an animal? And if so, and if you spoke up about it, would the vet take your opinions into account?

Great question. I've found myself with the vets I've worked with that they'll generally take the nurse's opinion into account, but when they disagree you sort of have to like it or lump it. I suppose there are nurses out there that have a different experience though.

CardBordWindow wrote: »

To what degree would you have studied anatomy and physiology of animals in college? Would it have been done on an animal by animal basis? (This week we are looking at dogs, next week at cats etc) Or would there be a lot of in common?

Same way with various ailments, would you have had to cover animal specific symptoms for the certain illnesses, or would it be more general?

Another good question. There is a lot in common but while we were studying, differences would have been pointed out, e.g. dogs don't have an appendix, a male cat has little 'barbs' on his penis to stimulate ovulation in the female, the have different numbers and types of teeth, etc. With regard to illnesses, we did dog and cat separately but there is some crossover.

I'm A Veterinary Nurse, AMA

I'd just like to say I'm really enjoying this, some great questions! Thanks so much everyone. Keep the questions coming!

Vojera

Thanks very much for your answers! I hope you don't mind if I ask some more.

What happens to animals who have to stay in the clinic overnight? I assume they just get locked in a kennel with some food and water?

Have you assisted in or observed any surgeries that you thought were particularly cool?

If you could give one tip to pet owners to improve their pets' lives, what would it be?

MrWalsh

Do you see many people who are too attached to their pets?

I'm A Veterinary Nurse, AMA

Vojera wrote: »

Thanks very much for your answers! I hope you don't mind if I ask some more.

No problem at all!

What happens to animals who have to stay in the clinic overnight? I assume they just get locked in a kennel with some food and water?

That depends on the type of clinic. Generally they do get locked in a kennel with food and water and a comfortable bed. Most of the time they sleep anyway. I know some of the bigger clinics do have night staff that stay there too so they can keep an eye on more critical cases.

Have you assisted in or observed any surgeries that you thought were particularly cool?

I've observed a few that I thought were pretty interesting. I've seen a couple of postmortem examinations which I thought were cool.

I've seen one perineal urethrostomy in a tomcat which was interesting. This surgery is used in tomcats with a blocked urethra, which would prevent urination altogether or make it very difficult and/or extremely painful. It's difficult to explain but it's basically surgically creating a new opening so the cat can urinate again.

I've seen a few interesting tumour removals as well. Once observed the removal of a football sized tumour on a dog's spleen. We had a 'Guess the weight of the tumour' competition. I think it was 3.5kg. :eek:

I've also seen a few pinnectomies in white cats which basically means the removal of the tips of their ears because they have skin cancer.

I'll edit later with more if I think of any

If you could give one tip to pet owners to improve their pets' lives, what would it be?

Just one? Gosh. Tough question. If you'd said 10 I'd have no problem coming up with an answer!

Aside from getting pets neutered and vaccinated, I think I'd probably have to say socialisation of dogs and cats is very important. I think it would prevent a lot of behavioural issues later in life.

MrWalsh wrote: »

Do you see many people who are too attached to their pets?

That sort of depends on what your definition of too attached is. But yes, I have. Previously I worked in a clinic that had a boarding kennels and there was one client in particular that would phone us multiple times every day to see if her 'baby' was OK. That's excessive in my opinion.

Drumpot

I have three questions if that's ok . .

First question is I have two house rabbits (for circa 4-5 years). They are big bunnies (not sure what breed), but they have bushy enough fur. My wife has been insisting on moving them out the back garden, to which I have been resisting. I tried to rehome them but to be honest I wasn't convinced that the people interested were going to take proper care of them.

My wife did a cleanup of the kitchen and she put the hutch out the back. It was around the time it was really humid so I said we would see how they are getting on. They appear to be very happy outside. Even in the rain now they look extremely content!

However there are two things that concern me. Are they safe from predators like cats/foxes?. The way our garden is, they could possibly get to the rabbits along the walls. We have two dogs (that's another story) that I would hope would at least keep these predators away, but im not so sure because they dogs would be kept in a different area of the garden (not a big garden but we have them cordoned off).

The second question is how well do rabbits adapt from being indoors to outdoors ? I was advised if I was going to do it, to pick a mild time of year. That said, I am concerned when it gets colder from September on that they might not fair too well!

My third question is basically, what do you think is the best way to deal with barking dogs? Its more of a problem after 10pm. Do you think those dog collars (to prevent them from barking) are bad/humane? Would you recommend people locking their dogs up in kennel at night if they get stressed/angry?

On one side you have a dog that might be knackered if its not confined to its kennel at night because it could spend half the night barking or pacing around. On the other it seems kind of mean to lock them up (but they are better rested).

MrWalsh

I'm A Veterinary Nurse, AMA wrote: »

That sort of depends on what your definition of too attached is. But yes, I have. Previously I worked in a clinic that had a boarding kennels and there was one client in particular that would phone us multiple times every day to see if her 'baby' was OK. That's excessive in my opinion.

I guess I was thinking along the lines of unhealthy attachment, perhaps where a very lonely person had begun to use a pet as a human substitute if you know what I mean?

Would you mention to a person that they need to detach a bit or do you just leave them at it?

I suppose a more general question is this, how much of your job involves treating humans rather than animals!

I'm A Veterinary Nurse, AMA

Drumpot wrote: »

I have three questions if that's ok . .

However there are two things that concern me. Are they safe from predators like cats/foxes?. The way our garden is, they could possibly get to the rabbits along the walls. We have two dogs (that's another story) that I would hope would at least keep these predators away, but im not so sure because they dogs would be kept in a different area of the garden (not a big garden but we have them cordoned off).

Their safely depends on the type of hutch that you've got them in which wouldn't be my area of expertise. The dogs being in the garden at all would be a definite deterrent though.

The second question is how well do rabbits adapt from being indoors to outdoors ? I was advised if I was going to do it, to pick a mild time of year. That said, I am concerned when it gets colder from September on that they might not fair too well!

I'm not too sure about this one to be perfectly honest though. I've never had a rabbit myself. You'd need to ring a vet to be completely sure but you could provide warmer bedding in winter if you wish.

My third question is basically, what do you think is the best way to deal with barking dogs? Its more of a problem after 10pm. Do you think those dog collars (to prevent them from barking) are bad/humane? Would you recommend people locking their dogs up in kennel at night if they get stressed/angry?

On one side you have a dog that might be knackered if its not confined to its kennel at night because it could spend half the night barking or pacing around. On the other it seems kind of mean to lock them up (but they are better rested).

Personally I don't really like those collars. They give the dog a small electric shock when they bark which is a bit cruel in my opinion. I think this would be a question that could be better answered by a behaviourist tbh.

I'm A Veterinary Nurse, AMA

MrWalsh wrote: »

I guess I was thinking along the lines of unhealthy attachment, perhaps where a very lonely person had begun to use a pet as a human substitute if you know what I mean?

Would you mention to a person that they need to detach a bit or do you just leave them at it?

I suppose a more general question is this, how much of your job involves treating humans rather than animals!

I have seen a lot of older pet owners who are very attached to their animals, especially if they live alone but I wouldn't really say that's actually unhealthy. I haven't really seen anyone with an unhealthy attachment to their pet, not yet anyway. I'm not sure if I would say it to the person to be honest, I suppose it would depend on whether it was impacting on the animal or not.

It does involve a lot of treating humans and animals. This definitely wouldn't be a job that would be suitable for someone who doesn't want to work with people. You really need to be at ease talking to people and explaining things to them about their animal. At first I wasn't completely comfortable but I got used to it. If you're not a people person, this wouldn't be a job for you.

5rtytry56

Have you ever been present when the owner has been told that their pet has a terminal illness for the first time? For example a dog with cancer?

I'm A Veterinary Nurse, AMA

5rtytry56 wrote: »

Have you ever been present when the owner has been told that their pet has a terminal illness for the first time? For example a dog with cancer?

Hi 5rtytry56. Thanks for the question. I haven't, that is generally something that the vet does on their own. But I have been present a couple of time when an owner was being showed x-rays of injuries and being told that there was nothing we could do because the injuries were far too severe. One of those in particular I'll never, ever forget because the dog was only a year old and the owner was only about 18. I'll never forget it. His Dad came in a few minutes later because the poor chap was so, so upset. The father was actually equally devastated. There's something awful about seeing a grown man crying.

Drumpot

5rtytry56 wrote: »

Have you ever been present when the owner has been told that their pet has a terminal illness for the first time? For example a dog with cancer?

I know you didn't ask me, but when I was told my first pet needed to be put down a couple of years ago I was inconsolable. I spent thousands (no exaggeration) of euros on a rabbit that had a colon problem from birth. We were always guided by the vet that if its quality of life was poor we would do what they recommended. My rabbit was given 1 year to live and Jinxie lived 6 great years. I remember feeding him with a bottle and massaging his belly to help him. It was such a satisfying experience showing love for a wonderful little creature.


I think people are either pet people or they are not. Some people don't get the love people have towards their pets. I consider it more satisfying spending time with a pet then working hard for material things that don't really amount to much.


When Jinxie had to be put down the vet was extremely empathetic. They actually put him to sleep for free. They said they had never seen such commitment to a pet which is probably the most satisfying praise I have ever received. I have high respect for people who work with animals in this empathetic manner. Far more respect then I do for the stupid shallow things many people respect.

I'm A Veterinary Nurse, AMA

Drumpot I wish more owners were like you, it's so lovely to read that you put so much time into your little buddy.

I've made owners tea and gotten them biscuits when they've been upset. I just think it's a nice thing to do. And tea solves everything in Ireland as we know.

GLaDOS

Would you have any confidence in applying your knowledge to humans in a first aid situation if nobody else was more qualified?

I'm A Veterinary Nurse, AMA

ScienceNerd wrote: »

Would you have any confidence in applying your knowledge to humans in a first aid situation if nobody else was more qualified?

I did do a First Aid course a couple of years ago but I'd say I'd probably do OK.

Diamond Doll

Is there much of a gender bias in veterinary nursing ... e.g. in your class in college, what was the gender split like?