Lessons in practice

Re: Lessons in practice

Utlendigur — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:50:13 GMT

[quote user="Tony Knapp"]

When using tissue glue to repair a wound on a cows ear, try not to stick yourself to the cow, secondary note it stays sticky for a while, try not to glue yourself to yourself, or to your instruments. minus several layers of skin after that one.

[/quote]

Similarly, when holding a bat so a colleague can glue a tear in its wing, try to keep your fingers out of the way of the glue. If you do get stuck to the bat, try to discourage your colleague from attempting to unstick you - and getting stuck to the bat aswell - especially if you are standing either side of a table surrounded by junk that you need your hands free to move (unless you enjoy seeing support staff fall about laughing)

Re: Lessons in practice

Tony Knapp — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 10:59:29 GMT

Re: Lessons in practice

Mark Hedberg — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:26:09 GMT

[quote user="Lorna McHardy"]

[quote user="Julie Innes"]

I learned that if you put a wild and vicious cat in a cat bag, with a leg sticking out to attach a drip, that is all well and good. But cat cannot be released from bag with said drip still attached- bummer.

[/quote]

Yep, I've done that... me: "right! let's get him into a kennel"... nurse: "er..."

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Yeah, feral cats are often better being given subcut fluids. Bit slower but certainly simpler (no IV line to chew out and shred and dance the fluids all over your kennels!)

Re: Lessons in practice

Lorna McHardy — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:42:53 GMT

[quote user="Julie Innes"]

[/quote]

Yep, I've done that... me: "right! let's get him into a kennel"... nurse: "er..."

Re: Lessons in practice

Lorna McHardy — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:35:51 GMT

[quote user="Emily Herskind Nightingale"]

Small skin trauma with flap - O told me it had started to go narcotic.

Another client told me her white cat had crustaceans in its ears.

[/quote]

Had a client phone up to order "some of that wonderful Zenecrap" once.

Re: Lessons in practice

Lorna McHardy — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:33:09 GMT

[quote user="Graham Bilbrough"]

Lesson 23: On your first day in practice, when parking the car for your first ever cow visit, think twice--or maybe three times--about where you are leaving the car.

Lesson 24: Repairs to dented VW Golfs are best left to the professionals.

Lesson 25: Tell the owner of the practice car sooner, not later

[/quote]

Lesson 23b: When turning into the car park on the first day of your new job, do not drive into the boss' car.

Re: Lessons in practice

Tom Ward — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:48:23 GMT

Don't march out into the waiting room to welcome your first client, and very concernedly shout, "what's that smell? I can smell burning!', then proceed to sniff all of the storage heaters, before the waiting client quietly clears his throat and says "um, that'll be me... I'm a farrier". Groan

Re: Lessons in practice

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:56:11 GMT

Ho yus 'tis, or can be, though a bit weak.

Re: Lessons in practice

Martin Atkinson — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:25:49 GMT

I seem to have missed out on this thread before so back to the beginning: lesson 1b) get your bowls from somewhere else if they're telling you they're stainless steel - they're not, stainless is not magnetic!

Re: Lessons in practice

Holly Norman — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:19:55 GMT

Lesson 39:

Don't gouge out a large chunk of your finger when snapping the lid off a metaclop vial and have to conduct the rest of the consult with one hand in your pocket because it's pouring blood, No wonder the owner of that rabbit was looking at me strangely

Re: Lessons in practice

Holly Norman — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 12:50:09 GMT

[quote user="Utlendigur"]

[quote user="Busybee"]

Lesson 13: Communicate clearly with clients!

I remember one lecturer at college telling us to make sure when telling owners how to regulate exercise in their dog post-surgery that they understood exactly what you meant. One (true!) example being.... 'Short lead walk' means a short walk around the block on the lead......not a long ramble on a short lead......

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Lesson 13b - when advising clients to give their dogs chicken and rice, specify the exact recipie and cooking method - dogs with gastroenteritis tend not to stage the usual rapid recovery when fed chicken korma ("Oh I thought that would be OK since it wasn't one of those hot curries")

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Lesson 13b- I agree! Technically chicken nuggets and chips do contain boiled chicken and boiled potato but that certainly wasn't what I meant when i suggested it to a client!

Re: Lessons in practice

Mark Naguib — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 19:54:02 GMT

[quote user="Louise Alexander"]

[quote user="Laurence Webb"]

Lesson Number 12 Close your mouth when emptying anal glands

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Lesson 12a Don't empty ferret anal sacs within 100 miles of your surgery.

Laughed out loud at this one!

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I've learned that skunk anal sac emptying is not the best way to endear yourself to the nurses - or vets or reception staff or the general public for the best part of the next week....

Re: Lessons in practice

Richard Quayle — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 19:28:47 GMT

[quote user="Louise Alexander"]

[quote user="Laurence Webb"]

Lesson Number 12 Close your mouth when emptying anal glands

[/quote]

Lesson 12a Don't empty ferret anal sacs within 100 miles of your surgery.

Laughed out loud at this one!

[/quote]

Re: Lessons in practice

tess — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 23:10:54 GMT

Spent ages (with diagrams) explaining to an client that her dog had Cushings. Thought I had got it across in fairly simple terms but then I asked her if she had any questions she said "So where exactly are these cushions then?"

Re: Lessons in practice

Gillian Mostyn — Thu, 26 May 2011 08:32:54 GMT

I always start reptile consultations by asking about husbandry.

"so where does Benny the beardie live?"

Wish I had a pound for everyone who's answered

"22 Livingston Street" or something similar.

Re: Lessons in practice

Michael Woodhouse — Wed, 25 May 2011 23:29:30 GMT

My girlfriend (also a vet) complimented a client today on her new short 'pixie' haircut (I am reliably informed that it's in fashion).

The client said "that's how it grew back after the chemo"

Re: Lessons in practice

Emily Nightingale — Wed, 25 May 2011 22:31:57 GMT

Small skin trauma with flap - O told me it had started to go narcotic.

Another client told me her white cat had crustaceans in its ears.

I love working with the general public.

Re: Lessons in practice

Julian Earl — Thu, 05 May 2011 19:20:17 GMT

Just been talking to a client about his dog's problem... a dilated sarcophagus.

Must be hereditary...

it also affected the dog's mummy.

Re: Lessons in practice

Derek Lyon — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 11:45:19 GMT

Got told off by a lady once as I wrote on the dispensing envelope containing Griseofulvin tablets all the instructions on dosage as well as precautions if tablets handled by pregnant women. "How dare you insinuate I'm pregnant!"

Re: Lessons in practice

Dagmar Steele — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 11:37:55 GMT

Lesson 38: Never educate a female customer about the dangers that a certain disease/ animal bears for pregnant women and even refer to her big belly... it might not be a bump after all !

Re: Lessons in practice

bob lehner — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 11:34:31 GMT

[quote user="Camilla Edwards"]

Lesson 37 - Even if the client's child (about 4 years old) has has braided hair with bows at the ends (they were blue - I should've known better!), do not offend the client by refering to them as their daughter - obviously boys wear bows in their hair!!!!

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Lesson 37 (b). On a similar note - I had for many years a rather strange couple who were regular visitors with their various pets. An oldish woman, always accompanied by a younger man, who never said a word, but just stood there looking depressed. One day he came in alone. 'Where's your mum today ?' I gaily asked. He gave me a very odd look and said 'She's my wife actually'. Hmmm... embarrassed silence from me

Re: Lessons in practice

Catherine Williams — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 10:32:18 GMT

[quote user="fluffygirl"]In a similar vein; a very concerned male client who brought in his buck rabbit having discovered some strange 'lumps' on its belly......or male owners worried their dog has odd lumps on the end of its testicles.[/quote]

Or the very worried clients who brought in their male 8mth GSD X because it was bleeding from it's back end. Try very gently to explain that this dog is a girl in season, they look confused....try to kindly point out that when this dog rolls on her back she doesn't have a willy...so she's a girl!

As they walk out the room try very hard not to laugh or wonder aloud how on earth with that much savvy they managed to get it together enough to conceive the child who came in with them!

Re: Lessons in practice

Camilla Edwards — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 16:06:25 GMT

Re: Lessons in practice

Claire Edgington — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 14:13:47 GMT

Still on the testicles vein - when a dog has been castrated but gets over excited and the owner brings him in as his testicles have 'grown back'!!

Re: Lessons in practice

Clive Ansell — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 13:29:04 GMT

Lesson 35: teach clients to tell the difference between a dog and a cat, and to read and follow instructions.

A colleague on Saturday morning had a couple that had bought a Bob Martins Flea product for large Dogs (That's dogs not cats) and despite capital letters and bold print saying "DO NOT APPLY TO CATS" they divided and applied it to their 3 cats. All 3 presented with varying degrees of seizure activity, were treated and then pushed over to an OOH clinic for the weekend. All are now fine, but a very expensive case of idiocy.