Today I managed to break a bone in my foot. In fact I have an epiphyseal detachment of the fifth metatarsal and ruptured peroneus ligaments if you must know. I was running along with my dog, and tripped on a pothole. This is very, very annoying. I am not allowed to put weight on it for two weeks, and will be on crutches for up to six weeks. I have practical exams in two weeks and two days. Bugger. I also can’t drive for six weeks which means no choir, and being stuck in my house/on campus for the forseeable future. Now, I shouldn’t complain, because people have a lot worse things happen to them. But it is more annoying than anything.
Was interesting to see how the dog reacted though, at first he wanted attention, I think so that it would show him that everything was alright. When he didn’t get it he started running around me in circles and barking. They say that dogs call for help when their owners are in trouble, now I don’t know if that’s what he was doing, but I like to think that he was my little hero, trying to come to my aid. 
The fact that he now won’t come near me because he’s scared of the crutches is neither here nor there!!
Posts tagged Pets
D’oh!
Brrrr.
At this rate I won’t get back to vet school, as the whole of the UK grinds to a halt due to the longest prolonged cold period since 1981. Now, cell biology revision or sledging…??
Either way, the dog is having a ball. I think he can hear the call of the Finnish wilds, but sadly there aren’t many reindeer around here for him to herd. Only my brother…
So close… yet so far!
Aaaaaah!! Results day is NEXT WEEK. I was so pleased when Nottingham gave me the offer of a B in Chemistry, as it takes the pressure off getting the A. But now my doubting thoughts have well and truly crept back and I keep stressing majorly that I’ll miss the grade. It’s not helped by the fact that work have laid me off again this week, so I have far too much thinking time (and not enough money!). It’s also scary to think that the Vet School should be getting my results round about now! But for now there’s nothing that I can do but sit tight and try to keep myself busy until next Thursday. I will keep you posted on how it goes! Wish me luck!
In other news, the dog has been back at the vets this week, after he came back from his walk with one eye completely swollen and closed up, and the other one going the same way. You don’t want to mess around with eyes, so I got him straight into the vets at the earliest appointment, and after a bit of poking and prodding he was sent away with a clean bill of health and some Maxitrol eye drops – looks like he had got a sting or something in there, but fortunately not a grass seed or anything requiring another stay in the vets – I’m not sure they’d take him after the noise he made last time anyway!
Lazy summer days
Not much to report really. The dog is back to his old tricks, and his experience with haemorrhagic gastroenteritis hasn’t deterred him from picking up and chewing/eating anything he can (and shouldn’t) get his paws on. Dad has also recovered – I think he found it a more traumatic experience than the dog did. The latter has also started turning his nose up at his boring old dry food now that he’s had a taste of the sensitive diet chicken and rice (and managing to carefully extract his synulox tablet and spit it out next to the bowl).
The tedious summer factory job is slowly but surely gnawing away at my soul, but I’m thinking of the money and trying not to count the days until results day. And also being grateful that I have this time to earn money and not use my brain too much (although I’m not very good at switching my brain off, and become far too introspective and fidgety with nothing but my thoughts to occupy me for eight hours a day), because I have a feeling that the next few summers could be quite different!
Perspective from the other side of the table
Had a surprise visit to the vets this morning. My Mum woke me up at 5.30am to tell me to come downstairs because the dog, without being too graphic, had been ill. He had been passing blood and vomiting, and was lying in the garden not at all his normal self. So I donned a lovely pair of boots which were by the back door, and clashed startlingly with my PJ’s and went out to see him. There didn’t seem to be anything visibly wrong with him, so we rang the vets who said that it sounded like he could wait until they opened at 8am before being seen, otherwise it would cost £140 just for a consultation (I hate it when people complain about vet bills, but £140 for a 10-15 min consult?! It would cost under £30 two hours later Anyway, I’ll leave that for another day). He settled down for a little bit, but at around 8am he then passed a lot of blood and vomited again. We whisked him straight down to the vets, where he was admitted for suspected haemorrhagic gastroenteritis, and put on fluids and antibiotics. Poor boy was looking very sorry for himself, but have spoken to the vet this evening who has said that he’s looking brighter and hasn’t been ill anymore. If he keeps improving we’re hoping he’ll be home tomorrow evening or Saturday.
Although it obviously isn’t an ideal situation for the dog, it was good for me to see things from an owner’s perspective once in a while, as mostly these days I’m on the vet side of things. Keeping in mind the emotions and worries of the owner (something I definitely saw in my distraught Dad, no matter how many times I told him that the dog was going to be fine!) is in my opinion one of the most important things in learning to become an empathetic professional – something which can all too easily become a bit of a paradox!
The Highlights of my day… Drontal and tick removal.
Today the dog needed his worming tablet. The little bugger deftly ate the piece of meat I wrapped it in for him and spat out the tablet. So in the style that I’ve seen many vets use before, I opened his mouth and shoved it down the back of his throat. It was a little haphazard, and I’d like practise before I do it to pets in front of their owners, but it worked first time for both tablets.
I also noticed this evening that he has a tick on his right hind leg. I tried twisting it out but the dog is so fluffy that it is difficult to get close to the tick’s head, and I don’t want to break it off and leave the mouthparts in. So tomorrow I’ll be off to the vets to pick up one of those little plastic tick-removal devices.
Is it sad that I get excited about these things?
NB I’m sure one day these things will be second nature, and I certainly won’t get excited about them. But when you compare it with chemistry revision, worming tablets and ticks actually start to look quite interesting.
Spring has sprung!
Why is it that exam time coincides with spring?! Those lovely sunny days where you just want to be outside, but are stuck looking at everyone else enjoying from behind a desk. That’s if you can see over the stacks of paper and piles of books. Ok, I’ve still got over six weeks until my exams start so it’s not too hardcore right now, but it seems so cruel – every year!! I know for a lot of students it’s currently exams and dissertation deadline time, and they’ll probably emerge in a few weeks time bleary-eyed, but make up for it during the summer! Still, going for a nice sunny walk around the block between revision sessions always perks me up. And now I have the dog to accompany me!
He’s settling in wonderfully here, and still has his puppy charm which makes us all laugh. His first encounter with a river the other day was particularly amusing, as he tried to walk across the water to the ducks on the opposite bank… he looked very confused as to why the floor was no longer solid!
New family member!
Well, I haven’t posted in a while… here’s the reason why:
Meet our new 8 month-old Finnish Lapphund! Isn’t he a such a cute smiley dog?! He was living in a town with a small garden, and two young children (whose toys he kept chewing) and the owners felt that he was in need of a home with some more space and constant attention, which he has here… not to mention a few decent chews! The owners were sad to see him go but felt that he was going to the right home.
He has a gorgeous temperament – very gentle, and likes a bit of a fuss but is just as happy to get on with things himself, providing you’re not too far away! It’s not a breed that I’d ever heard of (until 2007 there were only 350 in the UK apparently), let alone thought we’d go for – we’ve previously had labradors and springer spaniels! But we were really after the right dog for us, regardless of breed and he’s fitting in perfectly.
He has, however, made me realise what a big thing taking on a new dog really is. Being rehomed at this age means he has to re-learn lots of things, and we’ve been advised to train him as though he is a 9 week-old puppy. He’s already had a couple of accidents on the carpets, chewed things he shouldn’t and figured out how to jump the fence – in fact, additional trellis is going up tomorrow because once he gets into the field beyond, there is just no stopping him! However, he is a fabulous dog and I’m looking forward to the coming weeks and months with him. Parting to go to Vet School might be difficult!
I’ll keep you posted on his progess! 
More highs!
So what do you want first, the good or the bad news?
Let’s go for the bad first… well, it’s not entirely bad, but those two Patterdale Terriers have been rehomed together. So actually, it’s pretty good news for them. Obviously it’s disappointing for us, but at the end of the day the dogs will be happier together so it’s the best thing for them. And we will keep on looking – there is a dog out there somewhere waiting for us to rehome it, I’m sure of it!
The good news… I heard back from my last application today – and I received an offer there too! This one is for the Royal Veterinary College, University of London. I am absolutely completely and utterly gobsmacked that I have four offers – I never, ever expected to even get a choice, let alone get all positive outcomes! I’m so so happy about it, and SO glad that I didn’t let the fear of not getting in stop me from applying. I owe thanks to an awful lot of people for helping me get to this stage, and am already in the process of writing emails and cards to those who’ve helped me along the way – I definitely couldn’t have got here by myself, and just having people believe in you is a great great thing! I loved RVC when I first looked around (back in 2003!), and I’m so happy to be given an offer there… however, Nottingham has stolen my heart, and I will be putting it down as my first choice in the next few days. Crazy. Brilliant.
Just got the final push with the chemistry now… wish me luck!
Doggy Update
Well, I didn’t manage to get over to the RSPCA rehoming centre today, as it turned out their opening hours coincided with my college hours. Dad did pay them a visit however… and I think he’s in love. The problem is that they are two 9 month old sisters that need rehoming, preferably together. The RSPCA have said that they will keep the dogs for a few weeks and try to rehome them as a pair. If not, they will look at rehoming them individually and will let us know. So it’s watch this space really. Much as I would *love* to have one of those dogs (I should mention that for Dad to say ‘they’re perfect’ is probably a miracle!), I agree that it is only fair to give them a chance to live together, as they’ve been brought up as a pair thus far. I’m hoping to get over there to meet them in the next few days, although I don’t want to become too attached at this stage!
Surely a little walkies won’t make me get too attached, right?!
