#workblogging

did a tech visit today to triage a puppy who had an episode of vomiting and ataxia earlier in the day prior to sitting for 3 hours at the local ER without being touched. pup was bright, alert, and wiggly, with normal vitals. while talking to the exhausted owner they say: is this what it’s like for you guys all the time? me: this is the new normal, yeah. [local ER] used to be able to triage everyone as they walked through the door…now some days they’ll issue an “at capacity” declaration and stop admitting new patients altogether. owner:shit.me:yeah

the most soul crushing thing about having clients back in the building is that often I will enter an exam room (to get a history and vitals) and they will immediately let their dog off leash, as if the process of me getting on my knees on a concrete floor with a stethoscope and a thermometer will somehow be enhanced by them retaining zero control over their dog.

if your dog develops a limp but it’s mild enough that you decide to monitor it at home*, put them on strict rest. that means 10-14 days of no running/jumping, no stairs, and no activity other than short on-leash walks outside to use the bathroom. if it persists past that point, go in the vet, they probably need x-rays. if you bring your dog in to see us after two weeks of monitoring an intermittent mild limp, and their physical exam is normal, and they haven’t been resting, 90% of the time we’re just going to tell you to try restricting activity. saves time and money if you try that first.

*obviously if the dog is fully non weight bearing on that limb and vocalizing in pain you wouldn’t do this, right? use common sense here.

we have this relatively young canine patient who is profoundly PU/PD- like, colorless urine and wearing a diaper PU/PD- and the case is driving us crazy because so far we know that 1. their kidney function is fine, 2. their blood sugar is normal, 3. they don’t have a UTI, and 4. they don’t have leptospirosis. pup even had a brief abdominal ultrasound done by a GP, which was also pretty unremarkable. I think we’ll have to work the poor kid up for Cushing’s next, despite the fact that they’re under 2 years old and lack most of the abnormal labwork findings that would prompt that kind of investigation. if their owner has any money left, god almighty. what IS this!!!