Wet Cleanup on Aisle 5

Mewwy Cwismoose

Wee fish ewe a mare egrets moose

Wee fish ewe a mare egrets moose

Wee fish ewe a mare egrets moose

Panda hippo gnu deer!

Technological Advances in Veterinary Medicine

It is stunning to me that man has the power to replace organs, to see inside the body without opening it, and to cure a myriad of diseases.

It is equally stunning that man’s most progressive solution for removing pet hair from clothing is a giant roll of masking tape on a stick.

The Price of Dedication

Boo hoo hoo! Today I canceled my Netflix subscription, the one I’ve had for ages and LOVE LOVE LOVE(D).

Sadly, I have had the same movie waiting for me to watch since I started school. When you’re hitting the books every single night, there just ain’t time for movies.

*sniff* I’ll really miss you, Netflix. We’ll meet again someday.

Leaving a Legacy

So I have this favorite lunching spot on campus, a rock tucked in a small ring of large blue spruce trees. On the rock is a plaque that reads:

“This silver spruce living memorial presented to Colorado State University by the Class of 1910.”

I’ve often pondered who those people were, all of whom are surely gone by now, and what legacy they might have left.

At first I thought, wow, what if someone’s only legacy was to have been part of the Class of 1910 and donated a few cents to the tree memorial?

And then I thought, yikes, at least they have trees to show for themselves. What’s my legacy?

Making a Death Bed

We have a particular blanket in our hospital, and every time I pick it up, I think to myself, “How many pets have died on this blanket?” I wonder if the pets who are about to be euthanized sense that this blanket has watched others pass on before them.

It’s a cozy little blanket, really. Comfy flannel with a pine tree motif that is perfect for our little mountain town. I initially started using it for euthanasias because it is one of the few blankets we have that doesn’t have mysterious stains, holes, or both! Now I’ve come to think of it as part of the ritual – a small comfort in a time where comforting is needed.

One of my fears, upon first starting work at our veterinary clinic, was that euthanasias would be difficult for me. How sad to have to watch puppies and kitties die! What do you say to the client?

Turns out, they aren’t a bad experience after all. Pleasant? No. But beautiful, in a way. It’s such a peaceful thing, to be able to give a furry companion a dignified end.

If I’m ever in the amount of pain at my life’s end that some of these pets experience, I hope someone will let me fade off on that cozy blanket.

Cute Overload

To atone for my previous outburst of cynicism, I give you today’s antithetical outburst, that of ridiculously-cute-things-which-elicit-”aaaaawwwwwwws.”

To see such unabashed cuteness, visit cuteoverload.com.

Random Quotes

Today’s offering: two random, animal-related quotes.

“You never have to be lonely. There’s always somebody to love, even if it’s just a squirrel or a kitten.” – from one of those oft-forwarded emails circulating the ‘net these days

“Our profession offers unparalleled opportunities for making a chump of yourself.” – Siegfried Farnon, on veterinary medicine, in James Herriot’s Every Living Thing

Can’t wait to make a chump of myself! At least I will have kittens to make me feel better about it.

My Budding Surgical Skills

The display on my friend’s laptop was behaving erratically last week, and, after trying every tweak and trick I have up my sleeve, I decided there was nothing for it but a new motherboard.

In one of my former career incarnations, I was a computer geek for the National Park Service. I enjoy fixing computers, I think because it’s like solving a puzzle. From what I’ve seen at the vet hospital, the process one uses to diagnose a sick dog isn’t all that different from the process one uses to diagnose a sick computer: evaluate the symptoms, determine the likely suspects, and rule out each of these systematically until you figure out what’s wrong. I’m definitely looking forward to that aspect of veterinary medicine.

One thing I’ve been fearing, however, is surgery. I’ve watched several surgeries and find it fascinating, but I also find it frightening to think I could open up a living creature and muck about in its insides. Read the rest of this entry »

Kung Fu Panda

I have a thing for pandas, plus I really like kung fu movies and feature length cartoons, so it comes as no surprise that I really enjoyed this movie.

Its message of believing in your dreams, no matter how unlikely, is apropos for a non-traditional vet school candidate, no?

I loved it! Go see it.