My wife is a big drama nut. She loves performing, and minored in drama in college. Maybe I'm partial, but I think she's quite good. We've been in this area for about three years, but she hasn't gotten involved with the local community theater. That is, until now. Earlier this week she auditioned for Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. The crazy thing is that she somehow managed to talk me into auditioning as well.
When I was a senior in high school I was a co-star in two plays. At the time I thought I was pretty decent and auditioned for a part in a play when I started college. That's when I discovered just how outclassed I really was. Since then I've had parts in various church plays, but have never tried out for anything in local theater. Mostly that's because of a lack of real interest. I kind of like acting, but it's not in my blood like it is in my wife's. She is passionate about all aspects of theater and talks about the thrill of the smell of greasepaint. Me? Not so much. I actually like acting, but I hate memorization. And unfortunately that's kind of an important part of theater. Really, I agreed to audition because my wife wanted me to, and I really can't resist when she bats those beautiful brown eyes and gives me "that look". I melted and caved in.
The audition went well, and we were both offered parts. I'm playing Borachio and she's playing Margaret. Both are supporting roles, but it gets her foot in the door with the theater company. And I have to say that I'm actually kind of looking forward to it. I've been a big fan of Shakespeare for years, though I completely disagree with studying it as literature. Shakespeare wrote plays, not books. His works are meant to be performed and seen, not read. This play is a comedy, and looks to be a lot of fun.
To anyone considering a career as a veterinarian, remember that your job is not your life. You really need to have interests and pursuits away from work or you'll go insane. Now we just have to figure out a way to juggle work, kids, church, and play rehearsals!
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
A Vet's Life, Part 3
And here's the last of Lani's questions on what life as a veterinarian is like.
What are some of the negative aspects of it?
Well, it's pretty rough to have the skills and ability to help a pet, but the clients can't afford it or won't do the treatment. There are lots of clients who willingly don't give their pets the care that they really need, and spend money on grooming rather than heartworm prevention. It's not fun to have to deal with aggressive pets. There is a lot of mental stress because your skills and knowledge are often the difference between life and death for a pet. Managing a business can be difficult, since you have to handle finances rather than medicine, something you don't really get training in.
What are the type of animals you typically see other than cats and dogs?
Most small animal practitioners see only dogs and cats, and it's uncommon to find many vets who do a lot of work on other species. However, I have an interest in them, so I've gotten to see many kinds. Here's a quick list: macaws, cockatoos, parakeets, cockatiels, finches, several species of turtles, several kinds of snakes, geckos, bearded dragons, uromastyx, water dragons, iguanas, anoles, guinea pigs, hamsters, rats, gerbils, and sugar gliders. I may have missed a few in there, but that pretty much covers it. The main lesson is that pretty much the only species you can't treat is humans. Every other kind of animal is a potential patient if you would like it.
Lani, I hope this gives you a better idea of what it's like to be a vet and helps you make your decision. Good luck, and thanks for the questions.
What are some of the negative aspects of it?
Well, it's pretty rough to have the skills and ability to help a pet, but the clients can't afford it or won't do the treatment. There are lots of clients who willingly don't give their pets the care that they really need, and spend money on grooming rather than heartworm prevention. It's not fun to have to deal with aggressive pets. There is a lot of mental stress because your skills and knowledge are often the difference between life and death for a pet. Managing a business can be difficult, since you have to handle finances rather than medicine, something you don't really get training in.
What are the type of animals you typically see other than cats and dogs?
Most small animal practitioners see only dogs and cats, and it's uncommon to find many vets who do a lot of work on other species. However, I have an interest in them, so I've gotten to see many kinds. Here's a quick list: macaws, cockatoos, parakeets, cockatiels, finches, several species of turtles, several kinds of snakes, geckos, bearded dragons, uromastyx, water dragons, iguanas, anoles, guinea pigs, hamsters, rats, gerbils, and sugar gliders. I may have missed a few in there, but that pretty much covers it. The main lesson is that pretty much the only species you can't treat is humans. Every other kind of animal is a potential patient if you would like it.
Lani, I hope this gives you a better idea of what it's like to be a vet and helps you make your decision. Good luck, and thanks for the questions.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
A Vet's Life, Part 2
Here are more of Lani's questions...
Do you get the freedom in your job (ie. do you get to be your own boss?)
Like the situation with hours, it depends on where you work. If you are working for someone, your freedom is limited, as you have someone else making the decisions as to what you are going to stock, what you are going to charge, and how the practice is going to be run. A good practice owner will listen to your suggestions and may implement them if they are reasonable, but in the end it's their decision, not yours. Owning your own practice definitely gives you complete freedom, but is more business responsibility than most people want. Running your own business is a huge responsibility and just as much of a headache. But for the person with the right skills and personality, it can be extremely rewarding. There is an middle ground, which is what I'm doing. I manage a hospital for a multi-location practice. I have a lot of freedom to manage via my style, but I still have to stay within the practice's guidelines and still have people I answer to.
Do you ever get tired of working with animals?
For the most part, no. I love animals, or I wouldn't be in this field in the first place. There's something in me that craves being around animals (which is why we have two dogs and three cats). However, I get very, very tired of having to deal with aggressive animals, which happens at least once or twice every day. It's part of the job, but I don't like risking a serious bite or scratch. There are many days when I'd be happy dealing only with my own pets.
Do you get a lot of time for your family?
Nowhere near as much time as I would like, and it's a problem sometimes. Truthfully, though, it's no different than any other job. I leave for work around 8:15 most days and get home around 7:30. That gives me about an hour with my kids each day, and about 3-4 hours with my wife. I do get two days off per week, and when the kids are in school my wife will meet me for lunch about once per week. I also get enough vacation time that I get to have time off with the family. So I can't say that it's really much worse than most other jobs. If you do your own emergency calls it can be tougher on family time, as you may not even get those few hours per night with your family. If you own your own practice, it's even worse, as you often have a hard time leaving the place in the hands of other people. As a business owner, your entire existence is tied up in the practice, making it hard to get away.
Tomorrow...the last of Lani's questions.
Do you get the freedom in your job (ie. do you get to be your own boss?)
Like the situation with hours, it depends on where you work. If you are working for someone, your freedom is limited, as you have someone else making the decisions as to what you are going to stock, what you are going to charge, and how the practice is going to be run. A good practice owner will listen to your suggestions and may implement them if they are reasonable, but in the end it's their decision, not yours. Owning your own practice definitely gives you complete freedom, but is more business responsibility than most people want. Running your own business is a huge responsibility and just as much of a headache. But for the person with the right skills and personality, it can be extremely rewarding. There is an middle ground, which is what I'm doing. I manage a hospital for a multi-location practice. I have a lot of freedom to manage via my style, but I still have to stay within the practice's guidelines and still have people I answer to.
Do you ever get tired of working with animals?
For the most part, no. I love animals, or I wouldn't be in this field in the first place. There's something in me that craves being around animals (which is why we have two dogs and three cats). However, I get very, very tired of having to deal with aggressive animals, which happens at least once or twice every day. It's part of the job, but I don't like risking a serious bite or scratch. There are many days when I'd be happy dealing only with my own pets.
Do you get a lot of time for your family?
Nowhere near as much time as I would like, and it's a problem sometimes. Truthfully, though, it's no different than any other job. I leave for work around 8:15 most days and get home around 7:30. That gives me about an hour with my kids each day, and about 3-4 hours with my wife. I do get two days off per week, and when the kids are in school my wife will meet me for lunch about once per week. I also get enough vacation time that I get to have time off with the family. So I can't say that it's really much worse than most other jobs. If you do your own emergency calls it can be tougher on family time, as you may not even get those few hours per night with your family. If you own your own practice, it's even worse, as you often have a hard time leaving the place in the hands of other people. As a business owner, your entire existence is tied up in the practice, making it hard to get away.
Tomorrow...the last of Lani's questions.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
A Vet's Life, Part 1
Lani sends this increasingly common scenario, wanting to more about life as a veterinarian.
I came upon your blog a few days ago, and have been reading up on your posts. I am currently in law school, and I have one year left. After going through it, and after having experienced a legal career over the summers, I am no longer sure I want to be a lawyer.
There is no freedom in your schedule, it is a very cut and dry atmosphere (there isn't a whole lot of joking around), and most attorneys hate their jobs. I am currently 23, about to be 24, and I am thinking about making a major career change and go to vet school. I have already researched it, and I would have to go back to undergrad for a year to get my second bachelor's degree in science. And then I would have 4 years to get my DVM. I think I will be 30 once I actually start working.
Can you tell me more about your life as a vet?
I've answered questions like this in the past, but Lani has some interesting and new inquiries that I'll be addressing over the next couple of days.
What are the hours?
Depends on the practices, really. Most new practitioners can expect to work 40-45 hours per week, though the daily hours will vary. Some practices keep a standard 9-6 schedule, but more and more are opening earlier and closing later. Many practices do their own emergency work, meaning that you'll have to be on call from time to time. However, this is not the rule, and many don't do any after-hours work at all. Because this is so variable, you'll want to ask around a lot when you're looking for a position.
Was all the schooling worth it?
Whew, there's a pretty weighted question. Most vets would say that it is definitely worth it. I'm maybe not so certain about that, but this is just me. Financially I would have to say that it isn't worth it. The debt-to-income ratio for vets continues to worsen. I was reading an article in a journal last week that discussed this issue, and it stated that student debt was growing at an unsustainable rate. Within the next 5 years a new graduate needs to make a starting salary of over $100,000 per year simply to be able to afford to pay back their loans. This is about double what the current starting salary is, and is also more than most existing practitioners make. Now, you would get many who would say that the joys of the profession outweigh the financial issues. However, you still have to pay your bills, and that's hard to do when 50% of your monthly salary goes to loan repayments. You'll want to spend some time working with a local vet to see if you think it's really worth it. To be perfectly honest, I don't know if I would make the same decision again, knowing then what I know now. But studies have shown that 80% of vets surveyed are very happy with their choice of profession.
More of Lani's questions tomorrow!
I came upon your blog a few days ago, and have been reading up on your posts. I am currently in law school, and I have one year left. After going through it, and after having experienced a legal career over the summers, I am no longer sure I want to be a lawyer.
There is no freedom in your schedule, it is a very cut and dry atmosphere (there isn't a whole lot of joking around), and most attorneys hate their jobs. I am currently 23, about to be 24, and I am thinking about making a major career change and go to vet school. I have already researched it, and I would have to go back to undergrad for a year to get my second bachelor's degree in science. And then I would have 4 years to get my DVM. I think I will be 30 once I actually start working.
Can you tell me more about your life as a vet?
I've answered questions like this in the past, but Lani has some interesting and new inquiries that I'll be addressing over the next couple of days.
What are the hours?
Depends on the practices, really. Most new practitioners can expect to work 40-45 hours per week, though the daily hours will vary. Some practices keep a standard 9-6 schedule, but more and more are opening earlier and closing later. Many practices do their own emergency work, meaning that you'll have to be on call from time to time. However, this is not the rule, and many don't do any after-hours work at all. Because this is so variable, you'll want to ask around a lot when you're looking for a position.
Was all the schooling worth it?
Whew, there's a pretty weighted question. Most vets would say that it is definitely worth it. I'm maybe not so certain about that, but this is just me. Financially I would have to say that it isn't worth it. The debt-to-income ratio for vets continues to worsen. I was reading an article in a journal last week that discussed this issue, and it stated that student debt was growing at an unsustainable rate. Within the next 5 years a new graduate needs to make a starting salary of over $100,000 per year simply to be able to afford to pay back their loans. This is about double what the current starting salary is, and is also more than most existing practitioners make. Now, you would get many who would say that the joys of the profession outweigh the financial issues. However, you still have to pay your bills, and that's hard to do when 50% of your monthly salary goes to loan repayments. You'll want to spend some time working with a local vet to see if you think it's really worth it. To be perfectly honest, I don't know if I would make the same decision again, knowing then what I know now. But studies have shown that 80% of vets surveyed are very happy with their choice of profession.
More of Lani's questions tomorrow!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
It's A Small World After All
One of the things I love about the Internet is how it can bring together people from various nations and cultures in ways previously unheard of. I have met people from literally every continent except Antarctica without ever leaving my home. There is really no way that I would ever have a chance to meet these people other than through the wonders of computers. My father is originally from Sweden, so I have an interest in learning about other nations and cultures, finding the differences and the similarities curiously fascinating. In this very blog I have interacted with people in numerous countries, and found commonalities that we may have never expected.
I bring this up because I added a few gadgets to my sidebar. Scroll down to the bottom of the bar on the right, and you'll see a counter and a map. First, I was surprised to find that in the last 48 hours I have had approximately 100 unique visits to this site. That's far more than I expected. I know that have more readers than make comments, but I figured maybe a couple of dozen, not far more than that. The map is also interesting, as it tracks where the IP addresses originate. I knew that I had readers in England and New Zealand, but some of the other countries surprised me: India, Malaysia or Indonesia (hard to tell on the map), and far northern Canada. I expected readers across the US, but didn't realize that they would be so wide-spread.
So my humble little blog has generated literally world-wide interest!!!! Wow, that sounds pretty crazy to say. Makes it seem bigger than it is. But it's fun to think of the people that are hopefully finding my entries interesting, educational, thoughtful, and fun.
So keep watching to see how all of this grows. I certainly will!
I bring this up because I added a few gadgets to my sidebar. Scroll down to the bottom of the bar on the right, and you'll see a counter and a map. First, I was surprised to find that in the last 48 hours I have had approximately 100 unique visits to this site. That's far more than I expected. I know that have more readers than make comments, but I figured maybe a couple of dozen, not far more than that. The map is also interesting, as it tracks where the IP addresses originate. I knew that I had readers in England and New Zealand, but some of the other countries surprised me: India, Malaysia or Indonesia (hard to tell on the map), and far northern Canada. I expected readers across the US, but didn't realize that they would be so wide-spread.
So my humble little blog has generated literally world-wide interest!!!! Wow, that sounds pretty crazy to say. Makes it seem bigger than it is. But it's fun to think of the people that are hopefully finding my entries interesting, educational, thoughtful, and fun.
So keep watching to see how all of this grows. I certainly will!
Friday, July 24, 2009
Little Land Sharks
Today I read an article in one of my journals that might be surprising to laypeople, but wouldn't be a surprise to anyone in the veterinary field. The title caught my interest.
"Study: Chihuahuas bite vets most; Lhaso Apsos inflict worst injuries"
A study performed in Colorado studied bite statistics and learned some interesting facts. The tendencies of certain breeds to bite was one of the most telling items. Labrador Retrievers were the most likely to bite at 13% of the total. This was followed by Pit Bulls (8.4%), German Shepherds (7.8%), Rottweilers (3.9%), and Chow-Chows (3.5%). Among children the data was similar: Labs (15.6%), Pitt Bulls (7.5%), German Shepherds (6.8%), Chihuahuas (4.2%), and Rottweilers (4.1%). However, just because a dog was likely to bite didn't mean that the bite was severe. The most severe injuries were made by American Bulldogs, Dalmations, Dachshunds, English Bulldogs, and Lhasa Apsos.
The study was not without possible flaws, as it is estimated that only 6.2% of bites are actually reported to animal control. And in the study, only 0.28% of the dogs estimated in the area were responsible for bites. It is also likely that bites from large breeds are reported more often than bites from small breeds, making large breeds overrepresented and small breeds underrepresented. About 40% of all bites are by mixed-breed dogs.
I often tell me that I'm much more likely to be bit by a chihuahua than a pit bull. However, if the chihuahua bites me it will be annoying and at worst may need a stitch or two. If the pit bites me, I'll be lucky to not need major surgery. My experience has showed me that chihuahuas are one of the breeds most likely to try and take a piece of me, and I'm very cautious around them. Pit bulls are some of the friendliest that I generally work with, at least towards people. I'm cautious around many terriers and shih-tzus, as well as chows, German shepherds, and Rottweilers. But I've seen friendly and aggressive dogs in just about every breed.
The risk of being bitten is one of the major daily hazards of the profession. Most of us get good at reading body language and learning how to avoid bites. But every once-in-a-while we misjudge a pet and manage to receive a wound. Thankfully, none of the bites I've personally received have been very serious. But I still have decades of career left to get a bad one.
So watch out for those small dogs! You may not think about it, but they're the ones you have to be careful with.
"Study: Chihuahuas bite vets most; Lhaso Apsos inflict worst injuries"
A study performed in Colorado studied bite statistics and learned some interesting facts. The tendencies of certain breeds to bite was one of the most telling items. Labrador Retrievers were the most likely to bite at 13% of the total. This was followed by Pit Bulls (8.4%), German Shepherds (7.8%), Rottweilers (3.9%), and Chow-Chows (3.5%). Among children the data was similar: Labs (15.6%), Pitt Bulls (7.5%), German Shepherds (6.8%), Chihuahuas (4.2%), and Rottweilers (4.1%). However, just because a dog was likely to bite didn't mean that the bite was severe. The most severe injuries were made by American Bulldogs, Dalmations, Dachshunds, English Bulldogs, and Lhasa Apsos.
The study was not without possible flaws, as it is estimated that only 6.2% of bites are actually reported to animal control. And in the study, only 0.28% of the dogs estimated in the area were responsible for bites. It is also likely that bites from large breeds are reported more often than bites from small breeds, making large breeds overrepresented and small breeds underrepresented. About 40% of all bites are by mixed-breed dogs.
I often tell me that I'm much more likely to be bit by a chihuahua than a pit bull. However, if the chihuahua bites me it will be annoying and at worst may need a stitch or two. If the pit bites me, I'll be lucky to not need major surgery. My experience has showed me that chihuahuas are one of the breeds most likely to try and take a piece of me, and I'm very cautious around them. Pit bulls are some of the friendliest that I generally work with, at least towards people. I'm cautious around many terriers and shih-tzus, as well as chows, German shepherds, and Rottweilers. But I've seen friendly and aggressive dogs in just about every breed.
The risk of being bitten is one of the major daily hazards of the profession. Most of us get good at reading body language and learning how to avoid bites. But every once-in-a-while we misjudge a pet and manage to receive a wound. Thankfully, none of the bites I've personally received have been very serious. But I still have decades of career left to get a bad one.
So watch out for those small dogs! You may not think about it, but they're the ones you have to be careful with.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
A Kitty's Mysterious Wrists
Here's one of the most interesting cases I've seen, sent in by Denise. This is the set-up and history.
My daughter's kitten, Skeeter who wax 6 pounds the other day at the vet, is 10 mos old, female, not spayed yet. She is from a litter of 8, she was #7. Her and her itsy bitsy sister #8 [both were super tiny] survived with our help and have done very well, very healthy, gorgeous fur, happy and very playful. No problems at all - till now. As for nutrition, free food with Diamond Natural's Kitten food till about two months ago when I switched them to Purina One. About a week-1/2 ago Skeeter started walking with a slight gimp on the front, very slightly but I noticed it and kept an eye on her. Then I noticed that she was starting to walk leaning to her wrists, sloping if that makes sense. Both her front legs look very much looks like a dog with carpal hyperextension. We took her to the vet today, they took xrays, and were not sure what to tell us. They told us: Possibly genetic, possibly due to her being so tiny at birth, possibly an injury to both front wrists from jumping off the counter like felines tend to do. They mentioned they could have been broken, I just don't see that and would not know when that could have happened. Our cats are like our kids and loved, and spoiled rotten. No answers from the vet though, they seemed a bit perplexed and that is not comforting because we do not know what route to take now. We are getting a little desperate, because she is pretty uncomfortable and the way it showed up. So fast. She favors the left more and being just 10 mos old that is so sad. We do not want her to suffer. The slope seems to gradually increase, even in just a week. She is not as active now, sleeps more and I can only think it's due to the uncomfortable-ness(?) of the wrist joints.
If it's surgery to fuse a bone to both wrists, to correct this like in hyperextension, is this normally successful for a long happy life, in cats? I read it is for dogs, but can't find anything about cats. And - by the xrays, if you see the problem, how long do you think we have, to raise the money for surgery, before she suffers immensely from this.
Denise, congratulations. You have now stumped four vets, one of them a board-certified internal medicine specialist. This was an odd case, so I ran it by a few other vets I know to make sure we were covering the right bases. The general consensus is that this is an extremely odd case, one that everyone is having a hard time figuring out.
First, I don't see evidence of a fracture in any of the x-rays (to the other readers, she provided several). The case also looks like carpal hyperextension (like you mentioned), which doesn't have to be related to a fracture. This doesn't rule out trauma, just not likely a fracture. Many of the other possibilities are very unlikely due to Skeeter's age and other health status. For example, diabetes can lead to neurological problems that can cause a similar stance in the hind legs. However, it really doesn't normally affect the front limbs, and a kitten her age simply shouldn't have diabetes. I was able to come up with several possibilities.
1. As your vet mentioned, jumping from a high location could cause trauma. This can affect the tendons and ligaments, not just the bones. A situation like this can get progressively worse as more and more damage is done every time she walks. Even though it is not in the bone, a situation like this may require surgery, including fusion of the wrists. A young cat can learn to walk well with fused wrists and can indeed live a long, normal life. It's a bit tougher for a cat since they're normally so flexible, but the can adjust.
2. Nutritional or metabolic diseases can lead to deficiencies in certain minerals or electrolytes that can lead to damage like this. It would be a very rare occurence, but this is already a strange case. I would recommend having your vet run a full blood panel including electrolytes to see if there are any noticable abnormalities.
3. Neurological disorders can manifest like this, but it would be very strange to affect such a specific location and evenly in both limbs. The internal medicine specialist asked several questions about this, including whether or not she was tested for feline leukemia, as it can lead to neurological issues. If your vet hasn't done this recently, have it done or repeated. Even if the test was previously run and was negative, run it again. Sometimes this virus can take some time to develop to the point of being detected. This is a small possibility, but one that can be tested for in your vet's office in a matter of a few minutes.
4. A developmental abnormality is definitely a possibility. However, by 10 months old most of the bone and soft tissue growth is completed. If this was a genetic disorder leading to improper growth, we would expect to see it sooner. However, since this is an usual case, there are instance where the soft tissues will grow at a different rate than the bones, potentially leading to situations like Skeeter. If this is the case, she should grow out of this within the next month or two.
In the end, this is a very tough and unusual case. If this was seen in my office, I would recommend having a consultation at a specialty referral practice or veterinary school that has several specialists. That way you can have both an internal medicine specialist and an orthopedic specialist evaluate the case. But prior to that have your vet run the blood tests. This doesn't appear to be serious or life-threatening, but I would pursue this as quickly as possible because of her discomfort.
Denise, I really wish you the best with this, and wish I could give you a more definitive answer. Please let me know how Skeeter turns out, as I'm very curious. And since I have readers who are vets, I would be appreciative if any of you could add any differing viewpoints or opinions.
My daughter's kitten, Skeeter who wax 6 pounds the other day at the vet, is 10 mos old, female, not spayed yet. She is from a litter of 8, she was #7. Her and her itsy bitsy sister #8 [both were super tiny] survived with our help and have done very well, very healthy, gorgeous fur, happy and very playful. No problems at all - till now. As for nutrition, free food with Diamond Natural's Kitten food till about two months ago when I switched them to Purina One. About a week-1/2 ago Skeeter started walking with a slight gimp on the front, very slightly but I noticed it and kept an eye on her. Then I noticed that she was starting to walk leaning to her wrists, sloping if that makes sense. Both her front legs look very much looks like a dog with carpal hyperextension. We took her to the vet today, they took xrays, and were not sure what to tell us. They told us: Possibly genetic, possibly due to her being so tiny at birth, possibly an injury to both front wrists from jumping off the counter like felines tend to do. They mentioned they could have been broken, I just don't see that and would not know when that could have happened. Our cats are like our kids and loved, and spoiled rotten. No answers from the vet though, they seemed a bit perplexed and that is not comforting because we do not know what route to take now. We are getting a little desperate, because she is pretty uncomfortable and the way it showed up. So fast. She favors the left more and being just 10 mos old that is so sad. We do not want her to suffer. The slope seems to gradually increase, even in just a week. She is not as active now, sleeps more and I can only think it's due to the uncomfortable-ness(?) of the wrist joints.
If it's surgery to fuse a bone to both wrists, to correct this like in hyperextension, is this normally successful for a long happy life, in cats? I read it is for dogs, but can't find anything about cats. And - by the xrays, if you see the problem, how long do you think we have, to raise the money for surgery, before she suffers immensely from this. Denise, congratulations. You have now stumped four vets, one of them a board-certified internal medicine specialist. This was an odd case, so I ran it by a few other vets I know to make sure we were covering the right bases. The general consensus is that this is an extremely odd case, one that everyone is having a hard time figuring out.
First, I don't see evidence of a fracture in any of the x-rays (to the other readers, she provided several). The case also looks like carpal hyperextension (like you mentioned), which doesn't have to be related to a fracture. This doesn't rule out trauma, just not likely a fracture. Many of the other possibilities are very unlikely due to Skeeter's age and other health status. For example, diabetes can lead to neurological problems that can cause a similar stance in the hind legs. However, it really doesn't normally affect the front limbs, and a kitten her age simply shouldn't have diabetes. I was able to come up with several possibilities.
1. As your vet mentioned, jumping from a high location could cause trauma. This can affect the tendons and ligaments, not just the bones. A situation like this can get progressively worse as more and more damage is done every time she walks. Even though it is not in the bone, a situation like this may require surgery, including fusion of the wrists. A young cat can learn to walk well with fused wrists and can indeed live a long, normal life. It's a bit tougher for a cat since they're normally so flexible, but the can adjust.
2. Nutritional or metabolic diseases can lead to deficiencies in certain minerals or electrolytes that can lead to damage like this. It would be a very rare occurence, but this is already a strange case. I would recommend having your vet run a full blood panel including electrolytes to see if there are any noticable abnormalities.
3. Neurological disorders can manifest like this, but it would be very strange to affect such a specific location and evenly in both limbs. The internal medicine specialist asked several questions about this, including whether or not she was tested for feline leukemia, as it can lead to neurological issues. If your vet hasn't done this recently, have it done or repeated. Even if the test was previously run and was negative, run it again. Sometimes this virus can take some time to develop to the point of being detected. This is a small possibility, but one that can be tested for in your vet's office in a matter of a few minutes.
4. A developmental abnormality is definitely a possibility. However, by 10 months old most of the bone and soft tissue growth is completed. If this was a genetic disorder leading to improper growth, we would expect to see it sooner. However, since this is an usual case, there are instance where the soft tissues will grow at a different rate than the bones, potentially leading to situations like Skeeter. If this is the case, she should grow out of this within the next month or two.
In the end, this is a very tough and unusual case. If this was seen in my office, I would recommend having a consultation at a specialty referral practice or veterinary school that has several specialists. That way you can have both an internal medicine specialist and an orthopedic specialist evaluate the case. But prior to that have your vet run the blood tests. This doesn't appear to be serious or life-threatening, but I would pursue this as quickly as possible because of her discomfort.
Denise, I really wish you the best with this, and wish I could give you a more definitive answer. Please let me know how Skeeter turns out, as I'm very curious. And since I have readers who are vets, I would be appreciative if any of you could add any differing viewpoints or opinions.
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