Problems Dropping Off

At times we can have a pretty busy practice.  Appointments can get booked like in any doctor's office, especially on weekends.  I don't like turning clients away as  I know what it's like to not be able to get to see a doctor when you really need to, so I try to get everyone in the same day if possible.  However, we can't put every pet into an appointment slot and still get to see the scheduled patients in a reasonable amount of time.  To get around that we will have clients drop their pets off with us and we will see them between appointments or during brief lulls.  In this way we can see the most number of pets possible and still stay on schedule.

However, some clients aren't satisfied with this plan.  In the last couple of days I've had a couple of people get upset with us at the idea of dropping off their pet.  The comment we keep getting is "I wouldn't drop off my kid at the doctor and I'm not doing that with my dog!"  Then they get upset when we tell them that all scheduled appointments are filled, and without dropping off we couldn't see them the same day.  We are trying to find a way for their pet to be seen without waiting for another day, yet they won't accept the option that we give them.

As much as I believe in pets being family members, I don't think they are the same as a human child.  Leaving a dog or a cat at a vet or boarding facility isn't abandoning them.   While I also wouldn't just leave my children alone at a doctor's office, these aren't people that we're talking about.  Pets generally do quite well in circumstances like this, and most of them don't become as stressed as their owners believe they will be.

Frankly, I know many vets who aren't as concerned about seeing every pet the same day, and would be very happy to push them until an appointment on the next day or even later.  Maybe it's presumptuous of me, but I think that clients should be grateful when a vet works hard to get them in the same day.  I've certainly been very happy when my own physician works me in on the same day I need, even if I have to wait for a long time.

Thankfully, most clients aren't like this, and are content to leave their pets with us.  It certainly helps our daily flow and ensures all pets get the care they need.

Non-Surgical Sterilization?

There are a ton of good reasons to spay or neuter your pet.  Not only do you help reduce the unwanted pet population, but you lower the risks of certain kinds of cancer and help control some kinds of behavior.  Spayed/neutered pets live longer on average than intact ones.  But what if someone is afraid of having surgery done on their pets?  What about the costs and time involved in "fixing" stray dogs and cats?

Believe it or not, there are other options.

Researchers have been investigating non-surgical options for sterilization, and some are on or close to being on the market.  Some are injections and others are implants (similar to certain kinds of human birth-control).  Here's a look at a few.

Neutersol--This came on the US market in 2003, but left the market two years later because of a split between the patent holder and the marketing company.  It involved a single injection in each testicle that would leave the dog sterile without the need for surgical castration.

EsteriSol (Mexico), Infertile (Brazil)--Like Neutersol, these are intratesticular injections that result in sterility.  Right now they are only available in the listed countries.

Gonazon--This product received approval in the European Union in 2006.  It is an implant for female dogs and cats, providing long-term birth control by hormonally preventing the estrus (heat) cycle.  There is a possibility of the same product being used to control fertility in males.

Suprelorin--Similar to Gonazon, this is a sustained-release implant that suppresses testosterone in male dogs.  It was released in Australia and New Zealand in 2004-2005, and is available in some European countries.  Though not approved for use in females, some studies have shown the potential for its effectiveness.

Currently these are the only approved products on the market (that I am aware of).  And there are several pros and cons.  The biggest benefits would be a lower cost than surgery and lower risks.  For stray dogs and cats where we only want to try and control reproduction this would be a very helpful option.  Many shelters and rescue groups could to more cost-effective "trap and release" programs.  However, the implant products only work for a year or so at the most, so repeated dosing would be needed.

The cons revolve around the fact that we spay and neuter for reasons other than reproductive control.  Removing the reproductive organs does lower the risks of several kinds of disease and cancer in both genders.  Chemical sterilization would not really help with these risks, as the organs are left intact.  Depending on the product used, there would also be some hormonal production which could lead to undesired behaviors (such as aggression or marking territory).

Other products are currently in development that would include vaccines against certain reproductive cells and receptors.  These have not been approved and have certainly not been perfected.

Personally, I think that the tried-and-true method of surgical sterilization is still the best one for pet owners, as the health risks is low and the benefits are high.  You only have to go through the surgery a single time, as opposed to potential recurrent implants and injections with most of the other methods.  Still, the idea of a good non-surgical option holds promise, and I agree that it's an area that deserves more research.

300 Posts!

When I started this blog back in September 2008 I wasn't entirely sure where it would go.  I didn't know if I'd have enough material to talk about and if I could keep the motivation up.  Now I find myself writing my 300th post, looking back at where I've come with this site.  Sure, 300 is a bit of an arbitrary number, but we humans like anniversaries, milestones, and celebrations.  And 300 seemed like a good number to mark the occasion.

At first I didn't think about tracking my readers, and didn't start that until July 2009. Since that time seven months ago I've had over 16,000 hits on the site, which honestly is more than I expected and averages out to over 2000 per month.  Wow!  For a small, growing blog I consider that a big accomplishment.

One of the most amazing things to me is that I have world-wide readership.  People in every hemisphere and six out of seven continents have accessed my blog.  Maybe in the future I'll get some Antarctic researchers who look me up and allow me that seventh continent!  People in 92 different countries have been to my site at least once (sure, some of those are likely bots, but hey, I'll take that).  I love being able to share with people in other countries, and see how many similarities we really have.

So thanks to all of my readers! I hope to continue to provide you with informative and entertaining stories about life in the veterinary field for at least another 300 posts!

Veterinarians On TV?

A random thought occurred to me today.  There have been so many shows on television that center around the medical profession.  As I write this I'm watching House.  Another popular show is Gray's Anatomy.  When I was in vet school I was fairly addicted to ER.  Numerous soap operas involve doctors and hospitals (General Hospital anyone?).  Obviously characters and stories in these settings are interesting to people.  So why not veterinarians?

I know there have been some shows on Animal Planet about vets, but those are reality shows.  Why not a drama centered around a major specialty veterinary clinic?  What about a small-town vet as the main character in a "dramedy"?  Heck, I'd be happy with a single recurring character on some other show.

So why this lack of veterinary characters?  According to most surveys, we are one of the most trusted and well-respected professions that people know of.  The majority of Americans and others in western civilization have pets and see a vet at least once per year.  Those of us in the profession know that there is plenty of drama and humor in what we do.  There are surprises and shocks, heartbreaks and great successes.  I think it would make for a great show!

Changes In the Wind

Veterinary medicine is full of changes on a regular basis.  Products come and go, current medical viewpoints shift, and we have to keep up with it all.  Recently we have had changes in the type of insulin we have available for pets due to some manufacturers not making some kinds and others picking up the slack.  We sometimes have to change our medical practice because of a pharmaceutical company deciding to make or stop making a given product.

This week I found out that Bayer is going to officially sell it's line of flea and tick products over-the-counter.  Here in the US they have chosen to sell only through veterinarians.  Now, that's their official position, as I know it's easily available online and through certain pet stores.  But Bayer is going to start making Advantage and K9 Advantix easily for sale outside of veterinarians. Which means that vets will no longer be stocking these products.

Frankly, the decision doesn't completely surprise me, as I've seen the industry moving this way for years, and I know that in other countries this has already happened.  I also don't think that vets should focus on retail sales over good medical service and procedures.  However, this is going to come as a big blow to vets and is going to result in a quite sizable revenue loss for those vets who have carried the Bayer products.

But, we all have to adapt or die.  This is one more change in my career, and I'm certain it won't be the last.  As I vet I have to focus on giving excellent client service and keeping a high medical quality.  The loss or addition of any specific product may change things to some degree, but in the end I'm still a doctor and need to concentrate first and foremost on this fact.

Let It Snow?

Here in the Southeast US we don't get much snow.  So when we do, it completely disrupts things.  It's a joke among notherners how everything shuts down for less than an inch of snow.  Earlier this year the schools closed because of the threat of snow.  When snow is expected everyone runs to the store to buy bread and milk, even though it will likely melt in a day or two and the chances of being snowed in are highly unlikely.  Even the extreme snow in the Northeast is highly unusual, being the worst in more than a generation. 

So what does all of this snow mean to a vet in this part of the country?  First, I'm grateful that I don't work on farm animals, and I don't have to go out in this stuff.  As much as I love snow and winter, I'm glad for the controlled climate of being indoors.  But for a small animal vet is can make a bit of chaos.

Friday we received several inches of snow, which shut down much of the area.  Yesterday morning when I went into work, several of my staff couldn't get out of their neighborhoods because of ice, leaving me short-handed.  However, that wasn't necessarily bad, because the morning was a wash-out as people canceled their appointments left and right.  I had expected that, but wasn't happy because it hurts business.  Then the afternoon came and a bit of craziness ensued.  People continued to cancel or not show up.  At the same time, many people came in without appointments.  So I really had no idea what to expect from moment to moment.  I often say that a vet's daily schedule can be pretty unpredictable, but it's especially true when there is bad weather.  So we saw more clients yesterday than I expected, though the day was still pretty bad from a business perspective.

If anything is good about this, it's that my kids got to see and play in the snow.  They're young enough that they don't remember seeing a real snowfall, and have been dying have some, so I was glad for them.  Unfortunately, I had to work for much of it, and it melted quickly.

Tomorrow we're supposed to get more snow and wintry weather.  Time to prepare for another odd day.

Variety In Veterinary Medicine

One of the things that amazes me the most about being in veterinary medicine is the wide variety of things you can do with the degree.  I think when most people think about being a vet they think about the typical small-animal doctor that they take their dog or cat to.  Some may think about large animal vets who work on their horses or livestock.  And truthfully, the majority of vets fall into one of these two categories.  However, veterinary medicine is far from limited to this practice.  Here are some examples:

Specialty Practice--It's possible to be specialized in one area of veterinary medicine, similar to the divisions in humans.  Certifications include dermatology, dentistry, ophthalmology, internal medicine, neurology, surgery, behavior, avian medicine, lab animal medicine, and general practice.  Some of these vets teach in colleges, but many work in private specialty practices.

Research--Someone has to make new discoveries and medications.  Anything we discover and learn has to come from researchers. 

Lab Animal--Animals are used extensively in researching medicines and procedures for humans and animals.  Veterinarians are required to maintain these laboratory animals, as well as perform surgery on them.

Zoo medicine--One of the most difficult areas of veterinary medicine is working for zoos.  Many of the species kept in zoos are rare and much may not be understood about their nutrition and physiology.  Zoos could not be maintained without highly skilled vets.

Military--Vets are needed to maintain the dogs and horses used in the military, as well as inspect meat and food supplies.

Politics--Yes, vets are involved in politics!  There are a few US congressmen who are veterinarians, and the governor of the state of Georgia is a vet.  Besides elected office, vets are needed on regulatory boards to help develop legislation for the care of animals and the practice of veterinary medicine.

Public Health--Many diseases such as rabies, swine flu, avian flu, and mad cow disease are best known by vets.  Veterinarians understand the physiology of animals and how diseases are transmitted from them to people.  Vets help to track disease patterns and warn the public of any health risks.

Food Safety--It may not be a glamorous aspect of veterinary medicine, but a very important one is food inspection.  Vets are employed by the government to make sure the food we get from animals is safe and healthy.

And you know, I'm probably leaving something out.  But you get the idea.  If anyone chooses to make their career as a veterinarian, there is virtually unlimited potential to pursue whatever kind of job they want.  Good luck to all of the future vets out there!