The Dog Blog

From the Vet

FROM THE TRENCHES | On the Lighter Side

by Dr. Eileen Savier CVA, CVCH

Jun 1, 2021

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From the Trenches

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On the Lighter Side

[/trx_title][trx_title type=”4″ align=”center” color=”#434544″ weight=”700″ bottom=”mini”]by Dr. Eileen Savier CVA, CVCH[/trx_title][vc_column_text]

We all can relate to the day in – day out “grind” of any job. Let’s be honest, it’s the worst part. Then when you least expect it, there is something that happens that is hilarious, embarrassing, and/or completely unforgettable! Frankly, it makes the day, the job, and all of life worth living. As vets, we have them too! I hope you find the humor in these memories the same way I do (and maybe start to smile thinking of some of your own “events”). Stay well – Dr. Eileen

Humans Seeking Advice from Veterinarians

Story 1: I’m finishing up an appointment – evaluating a pet for a urinary tract infection – letting the owner of the dog know that I will call him when the results of the test are available and I ask if he has any other questions…Insert your favorite suspenseful music here….

”Doc, I have a hard time being intimate with my wife, do you have any pills for that?”

“Sir, I am a veterinarian. I spend my days neutering pets so that I do not have to deal with these types of questions. Additionally, I cannot legally give you a prescription for any medication so I suggest you talk to YOUR doctor.”

Leaving the room, I thought to myself that this was never a conversation that any of my professors taught me to “role play” while in vet school. I briefly wondered if I should call them up and tell them to add this to the scenarios in school.

Story 2: I’m finishing up a wellness appointment on a cat and preparing to leave the room. The woman calls me back saying she has one more question. She proceeds to pull down her shirt revealing a juvenile iguana between her breast and a horrid skin rash in the same location.

“Dr. Eileen, what do you think is causing this rash on me?”

“Umm….it’s 100% the iguana that you have there, take it home and put it away. Then go to urgent care, it looks infected.”

Leaving the room…Do I have to write that down in the medical record???

Humans Struggling with Animal Anatomy

Story 1: I was asked to see an emergency appointment because an owner was trying to remove a tick from her dog, was not able to and now there was a lot of blood. Okay, sure. The dog and the owner arrive with way more blood than is possible from a tick. As the dog is standing on the floor, there is a steady drip of blood on the floor and the owner is very upset because she pays a lot of money for tick prevention to avoid situations like this and wants to know how to clean blood out of her car. When I ask how the owner what happened she said, “I saw several ticks on his belly so I tried to remove them, but it was not easy. I looked online and it said they bury their head in the skin. So when I couldn’t pull them out I got scissors and cut them off. Now they won’t stop bleeding.”

“Umm, well it appears you have cut off three of your dogs nipples.”

The owner laughs aloud and says “No, Dr. Eileen, he is a boy.”

“Yes, ma’am I know. He still has nipples….or at least he still has five.”

I was working on an estimate for care for the dog and heard the owner in the room, talking to her husband on the phone. She said “Honey, I had no idea he had nipples!”

Then I laughed aloud!

Story 2: I’m looking over my schedule for the morning and one of the appointments says, “Re-check after neuter, owner is upset about surgery.” I look over the pet’s chart and I had neutered the dog about a year ago and there was no other communications with the owner since that time, so I have no clue as to why the owner would be upset THIS LONG after a procedure. When the owner arrives, I ask her what the problem seems to be as her dog’s physical exam is normal and the surgery site is well healed.

She says, “I paid you to neuter my dog and you didn’t!”

“Well, then, who did because there are no testicles here?”

She proceeds to tell me that they come and go and sometimes she sees them, I ask her to show me where and she points to two spots on either side of the dog’s penis. She did not believe these were two normal glands and that testicles sit behind the dog’s penis in the scrotum. She asked me to get an anatomy book and then she proceeded to “google it” in the exam room.

Conversations Overhead at the Reception Desk

Story 1: “Yes, if you bring your fish in, we can have him cremated for you. We are so sorry for your loss.”

Story 2: Yes, I do have an appointment available with Dr. Eileen today…no, she probably will not see you after hours…I don’t know what she likes for dinner…. ok, but do you want the 10:00am appointment or not???”

Story 3: “None of our doctors see raccoons…even if he is your pet.”

Story 4: “I cannot tell you it is safe to take your pet’s medication, you should call your own doctor. No, Dr. Eileen takes care of your cat…no, she has never given you medicine….not even for an emergency…I can leave her a message and ask but she really cannot give you permission to take your cat’s medicine.”

Story 5: “If your dog is having trouble breathing, you have to come in right now…no, there is nothing you can do at home… no medicine…please just bring him in.”

Story 6: “Did you say there is a mass on Mimi? Is Mimi a new pet for you? We don’t have her in the system. Oh, it’s your dog Roxanne, yes I see her here. So where is the mass? On Mimi? I thought you said your dog’s name is Roxanne? Roxanne has a mass on her Mimi….what is a Mimi?”[/vc_column_text][/trx_section][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1533135180690{margin-top: 40px !important;}”][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1533134942241{background-color: #d9ae4c !important;}”][trx_title type=”2″ align=”left” color=”#f6f2e4″ left=”20″ right=”20″]About Dr. Eileen Savier[/trx_title][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1533135315368{padding-right: 20px !important;padding-bottom: 30px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;}”]Dr. Eileen SavierBarks & Recreation is proud to feature Dr. Eileen Savier CVA, CVCH as our Veterinary Blogger in our “From the Vet” Series. Currently part of the team of doctors at Keystone Veterinary Clinic, Dr. Savier is a 2012 Graduate of the Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, She completed her clinical experience at The Ohio State University and after veterinary school she pursued further education and certification in Veterinary Acupuncture, Chinese Herbal Medicine, and Fear Free veterinary visits. Dr. Savier has a special interest in integrative medicine, animal behavior, and internal medicine and is committed to improving animal health care by integrating Eastern and Western philosophies. She enjoys working with fearful & aggressive dogs and cats and she has had additional training in low stress handling techniques and encourages positive reinforcement during exams and procedures. Her clinical interests include pain management, animal behavior, geriatric patient care, and internal medicine. Dr. Savier is a member of the following associations:

Dr. Savier shares her home with two (soon to be three) dogs, two cats, and a toddler. She lovingly refers to her two dogs as Coconut Retrievers as they were rescue dogs she brought home from the island of St. Kitts. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family, going to the beach, and planning her next Disney vacation.

Join us every month for Dr. Savier’s “From the Vet” series to get more information related to the health and welfare of your furry family members![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

About Dr. Eileen Savier

Barks & Recreation is proud to feature Dr. Eileen Savier CVA, CVCH as our Veterinary Blogger in our “From the Vet” Series — offering information related to the health and welfare of your furry family members! Currently part of the team of doctors at Keystone Veterinary Clinic, Dr. Savier is a 2012 Graduate of the Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, She completed her clinical experience at The Ohio State University and after veterinary school she pursued further education and certification in Veterinary Acupuncture, Chinese Herbal Medicine, and Fear Free veterinary visits. Dr. Savier has a special interest in integrative medicine, animal behavior, and internal medicine and is committed to improving animal health care by integrating Eastern and Western philosophies. She enjoys working with fearful & aggressive dogs and cats and she has had additional training in low stress handling techniques and encourages positive reinforcement during exams and procedures. Her clinical interests include pain management, animal behavior, geriatric patient care, and internal medicine.

Dr. Savier is a member of the following associations:

Dr. Savier shares her home with two (soon to be three) dogs, two cats, and a toddler. She lovingly refers to her two dogs as Coconut Retrievers as they were rescue dogs she brought home from the island of St. Kitts. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family, going to the beach, and planning her next Disney vacation.