#clinic stuff

[dragon-hoard]

back at work this weekend after my 3 week injury induced break and my clinic cat is very happy to see me

15 minutes of loud purrs, cuddles, and petting

I look like I'm squishing her head but she actually likes it

[wonderlustandwanderlust]

[strayfriend]

I drove this baby and her people home today after finding out they walked two miles carrying her to see us. She was hot and sleepy her whole appointment and drank a lot of water.

We have a new policy in place that we cant have our phones on us during our shift but I went pick it up out the basket to take this video because it was exceptionally important

[strayfriend]

Y'all, my workplace just got... Such a kind and sincere review

[strayfriend]

Yesterday I learned to draw blood from a jugular vein and was really happy and proud of myself for getting it on the first try and feeling confidant like I'm growing into an *actually competent* tech

And today I arrived in a good mood and was /immediately/ yelled at because the lab box of samples to idexx wasn't put out for delivery last night and I was the last person to clock out before her and she thought everything was done. I just was like "oh! I didn't know that! Sorry?' and avoided the lead tech for like an hour because I was like. Why am I being yelled at about this. So anxious. Was it not your responsibility to check the checklist before you clocked out, as the lead??

And then finally at the end of the day I made a joke about "you better put the box out since you can't trust us to do it!" And she was like "haha yeah" and then I was like "actually can you show me what goes in it and what paperwork and where it needs to go?" And she was like "oh. Yes. Come see." And I think it actually fucking clicked that this task I haven't been taught to do was not my fucking responsibility lol

[strayfriend]

Dante got excited and smashed his skull into my face and was completely unfazed.

[strayfriend]

Got to sit out of surgery intake yesterday because this lil rat chi was so scared to leave her mom that she growled and showed her teeth and then peed and pooped on her tech. The surgeon was running late and they were worried that if we put her in a kennel without premeds she wouldn't come back out willingly.

We were just straight vibing. She reminds me of my own personal basketcase, Benny, who reacts pretty much the same way at the clinic despite numerous attempts at positive associations. When the doctor got there and checked her, I warned him that she's a "may bite" and he said I must have calmed her down, her heart rate wasn't elevated and I got a tail wag when I picked her up off the table again. I checked on her a few times during the day and she was a very good girl.

Sometimes (not always, not even often if I'm being honest) it just takes a little patience. 💟

[strayfriend]

Aris came to work with me yesterday for his annual and to reassess his pain management. Gabapentin alone is not working super well anymore, his pain seems to be getting worse and he hardly gets up besides to use the litterbox. I even feed him in his bed.

That said, he had a pretty good day. I sat with him during my lunch and played his cat music on my phone and he made biscuits and generally was in good spirits.

Except for the radiographs. By the time we were able to take them, his gabapentin had basically worn off. Laterals were okay. But this clinic doesn't have a trough for some reason and keeping him straight on his back and stretching him out on a flat table for his VD almost made me cry. A doctor stepped in for me and held him for that part because I just couldn't stretch out my baby and force him to be still when he was crying out and flailing his forearms despite the scruff and trying to bite me despite never placing a tooth or claw on me with ill-intent, ever. Not for nail trims, ear cleanings, pills he really hated, previous radiographs, bloodwork. It must have hurt so, so much.

The radiographs themselves actually did make me cry. Arthritis in his knees, the spondylosis has spread to more parts of his spine and become more pronounced, a weird flat shoulder joint? And his hips. The right side of his hips don't even look like they HAVE a joint. My poor boy.

The silver lining is that the doctor said there's basically no way he's 5 years old. The shelter told me he was a year old when I adopted him in 2017. He was likely closer to 6 or 7 THEN. That makes me feel... More at ease with the knowledge I may not have a very long time with him. At least he had a few good years before I got him. And until 2020 he really seemed to have been having a good time still. At least we had that. I'm also no longer so averse to using long term NSAIDs for pain management. It's not like I'll be robbing him of ten+ years if his organs start getting fucked up now. We did an injectable onsior today and he was feeling much better.

Steve and Susu were quite concerned about his absence and joined him in the bathroom to hang out on the dirty towels in hamper and on the rug from Benny's bath. Smh