Vet by 30

Year 2...post week 1 reflection

2011-03-06T07:20:00.005+08:00

What a week it has been, what a start to year 2!

Firstly, my move to Gatton. It's such a luxury to be able to wake up at 6am, go for a jog, come home for some strength training, then make myself a proper breakfast, have a shower afterward and still make it well on time for an 8am class! Of course, the one thing that I don't enjoy at all is that Sooky isn't at Gatton with me, so I only get to see him on weekends, but this is a sacrifice I'll have to make to maintain my sanity and physical well-being. Driving 100kms 5 days a week is taxing, and towards the end of last semester, I was feeling its toll. badly.

what can I say about uni? same old massive amounts of information being hosed onto us relentlessly of course. neuroanatomy and physiology, pasture science(?!!!), epidemiology, etcetcwtfwtf. should we have expected otherwise? it's all about getting into the groove of things, and staying on top of the material. but across the year levels, I see that there are students not doing well and faltering at hurdles. I can't imagine failing any unit myself and that is my biggest fear. I'm not sure how I'd handle the disappointment and agony of having to repeat a year of uni. I don't want to be that clueless 40 year old fresh-grad vet. I mean, it's a race against time to start earning some money and saving for retirement! Yes, I am boring and conformist enough to think about retirement plans at 26 years old.

On a sidenote, I wish we had a cat around the house at Gatton. It'd be so nice, but the place is fully furnished and we just can't risk having a cat destroy the couch, then having to compensate the landlord for it. we're poor pathetic penniless students after all.

seeing practice...

2011-01-11T21:53:00.002+08:00

daughter brings dad and jack russell terrier in for pre-neutering consult.

vet: we will be removing his testicles....

daughter to dad: (translation)

dad to daughter: (foreign language rant)

daughter to vet: he thought neutering only involved tying some tubes inside the dog...

vet to daughter: no, we need to remove the testicles, if you want to register your pet with the AVA. and if you keep the testicles, testosterone will still be produced.

daughter to dad: (blah blah blah explanation)

dad to daughter: (agitated rant)

daughter to vet: he is worried the dog will end up looking like a girl.

Singaporeans and their Jack russell terriers...

2010-12-12T11:43:00.001+08:00

The singapore spca dogs for dogs up for adoption list is very telling...Singaporeans need to realise that jack russell terriers are not easy-care dogs...they're high energy dogs that need plenty of stimulation.

first year exam results...one more hurdle

2010-12-01T05:41:00.002+08:00

i can't believe i failed a unit. animal handling and welfare. one more hurdle...one more supplementary assessment. apparently it isn't a written supp assessment. could i actually have failed the handling prac exam? I know I struggled a little with the stubborn bullock in the race, and sort of did the tail twitch wrong. I know I struggled a little with putting the halter on the horse. but to actually have failed the handling prac entirely? guess this is a reality check. vet science isn't a walk in a park.

I will never look at a steak the same way again...

2010-09-10T18:20:00.002+08:00

not after my first abattoir experience. Today, we visited what is supposedly the biggest abattoir in the southern hemisphere. We got to see every step from the unloading of live cattle to the boxed beef, which apparently takes 48hrs. That is, 48hrs from mooing cow to beef in a box. Talk about efficient! It was an eye-opener for sure.

It did affect me somewhat, seeing the cattle being stunned and then hung by a single limb in mid-air with chains on a conveyer system, especially when we could still see some of them twitching after being stunned. We were assured that it was only reflex twitching and that the cattle were definitely irreversibly anesthetised, and it was a fact proven by electroencephalogram studies. Ok, I thought, but it was still pretty unnerving and confronting to behold, especially for a first-timer like me.

I was however, amazed at the level of efficiency at which the slaughter, skinning, slicing and deboning etc were done. But it was also a bit scary at how indifferent and desensitised the meat workers all appeared to be. I wondered if I would ever become desensitsed to euthanasia when I become a vet...

I really enjoyed the experience and I left with a greater appreciation for the meat that I consume every day. It's amazing how so far removed from the real and basic sources of meat we consumers have become, and how we no longer appreciate what it takes to make meat so conveniently available.

I will certainly never waste meat again. Not when I have the images of a cow being stunned, drained of it's blood and skinned forever etched in my mind.

equine 1, students 0

2010-09-10T04:56:00.004+08:00

just when you think you got the dog loco anatomy and the accompanying dissections sorta figured out...along comes horse dissections to slap you back to your reality of ignorance:

"wtf, why is the equine flexor carpi ulnaris on the medial side and beside the damn flexor carpi radialis? It's not supposed to be like this! Yes it is!! You've got it wrong all along!! wtf!!"

"wtf, I can't get this dried out fascia off! It's like industrial strength steel!"

"wtf, this brachial nerve plexus is a huge convoluted mess, wtf wtf wtf!!"

Made Loco by Loco

2010-08-11T18:03:00.002+08:00

too many muscles. too much latin. too many nerves. too many blood vessels. origin and insertions flying at you from all angles. flexors. extensors. yadah yadah. transverse. medial. axial. caudal. cranial. lateral. collateral. wtf. welcome to the world of loco. i heard neuroanatomy and neurophysio next year are a billion times worse.

oh no.

shit has hit the fan good

2010-07-29T19:28:00.003+08:00

1st year, semester 2 of my 5 year vet school journey...and it has begun.

week 1 has come to an end and I am terrified.

Why? Because:

Locomotory Anatomy involves learning every freaking loco muscle and bone. This is a gargantuan task that, right now, seems near impossible.

Digestive anatomy and physiology is equally crazy.

and on top of that, we have cell and tissue biology, which is basically physiology in disguise.

I am certain that complaining about workload will be a recurring theme throughout my time at vet school.

I am also certain that when I graduate, I will look back fondly on all the shit that I had to go through to become a vet.

exams

2010-06-18T19:27:00.002+08:00

i hate exams. i usually do well in them, but it seems that in vet school, i've given up on trying to ace every paper like i did in my commerce degree. as long as i pass and get the BVSc at the end of it all, it really doesn't matter.

ok, now back to studying. fuck.

why i love my dog

2010-06-08T15:17:00.004+08:00

1) he's smart...he doesn't do anything I want him to unless there's a treat at the end of it. I also hate him for this. :)

2) he smells so good

3) he is forgiving, even when I lose my patience with him

4) he doesn't cause any trouble at home

5) he's not fussy when it comes to food

6) he's so cute when he is sleeping

7) he's not a clingy dog, he likes to be near me, but never pushy or demanding

8) he entertains himself at parks and doesn't cause trouble with other dogs

9) he greets me every morning with a 'whatever' yawn

10) he loves me no matter what

Sooky's first month with us

2010-05-08T18:07:00.002+08:00

...has been good. He's a spritely little character. Lots of spunk. Well mannered at home and pleasant personality. But he's got his problems for sure. He whines. He greets me too excitedly when I get home (the scratch marks on my legs!) He is a determined marker...so much so he pees on other dogs' faces when they try to sniff him! He's basically deaf when he is excited by something (usually other dogs). And he is quite the wanna-be bully at dog parks. He likes to run up to dogs and get in their face. One day he'll do it to the wrong dog and I fear the consequences. I'm not certain how the obedience classes I've signed up for will help me help him though.

I have to admit that his over-enthusiasm and occasional stubbornness frustrate me to the point that I get angry enough with him to shout at him. I know I shouldn't (positive training 101), so I realise that I need to work on my patience (ALOT!). Just one month and this little rascal has taught me so much about myself. I know I have to work on being less uptight. My aunt says I expect too much of Sooky, and I think she is right. Maybe I should ditch the dream of having a perfectly behaved dog and just enjoy how good Sooky already is. I mean, he doesn't destroy anything in the house, he doesn't chew, he hasn't ruined anything in the garden and he seldom barks. That's all good!

but for all his problems (and they're not that serious), he's just the sweetest dog and we all love him so much. And I like the fact that my grandmother has some companionship at home during the day. She was never a dog person, but apparently, just the other day, for the first time in 70 years, she patted a dog! That's how much she likes Sooky.

vet school and adoptions

2010-03-27T13:13:00.003+08:00

so far so good. I am enjoying the subject matter, yes, even beginning to like biochemistry wouldyabelieve! Am still worried about the ridiculous amount of material we will have to cover for the next 5 years, but I believe I can do it.

I wish the labs were run a bit better though. Everyone seems to be scrambling from station to station. they should perhaps put all necessary materials for an entire bench, on the bench itself so everyone just stays where they are, and not run around like headless chooks.

2nd shift at RSPCA today. And we adopted out 4 kittens! One went to a family whose kids were showing signs of allergy. I would've rejected their application, but the other adoption officer didn't make a big fuss about it, so I just went with it. I'm hoping though, that the poor kitten doesn't get dumped back to us if the kids allergies become unmanageable.

It's going to be a long, hard, grueling 5 years...

2010-03-06T15:00:00.005+08:00

First year of vet school is supposed to be easy. Or so they say. Well I am afraid. Very afraid. I'm so rusty on my science knowledge that it seems I'm learning basic science for the first time. I do not look forward to biochemistry. The mere thought of having to memorise the Krebs cycle again is enough to make me nauseate. Apparently, the shit truly hits the ceiling when anatomy comes at you full-on in years 2 and 3. Holy smoke.

Which is why I will keep reminding myself of the ultimate goal; to imagine the day I graduate and enter the real world as a vet. It's a long way away, but I will get there. I know I will.

And so it begins...

2010-02-26T19:16:00.002+08:00

O-week at Gatton. I arrived in Gatton feeling nervous, excited, scared, thrilled plus every other emotion all at once. I've never been good at meeting new people, and I was unsure of how I would fit it. Turns out, if you discount the usual initial awkwardness, that most of my fellow vet students are warm, friendly, easy-going folk who were feeling exactly the same about this new journey we were about to embark on. There's a nice mix of personalities in the freshies, many introverts, some extroverts, plus everything in between. And I am actually glad that the course is mostly female, because it means that there is less cock-posturing going on, which I'm sure happens in the engineering degree courses.

I have, of course, gravitated towards the other asian students. There's a mix of ABCs, foreign students who have been in Australia for sometime, and some asian international students who are away from home the first time. I expected that us asian students would end up hanging out in our own circles, but because we go through vet school as a cohort sharing the same timetables, everyone, regardless of background, feels a sense of camaraderie; a sense of togetherness. At least that is how I feel, and I've made, and will continue to make, an effort to step out of my comfort zone to try to engage everyone I meet. Of course, there is no way everyone in the cohort can become best of friends (I already find some people I've met slightly annoying), but I am determined to be positive and be nice to everyone and give everyone a chance.

O-week has been fun...but I am looking forward to getting stuck in with the course! here we go!! (let's hope this enthusiasm lasts more than one semester!)

If you love animals...

2010-02-21T11:46:00.004+08:00

When someone tells me they love animals, I believe that they are saying that they have a fascination with animals and that they have compassion for animal suffering. At least that's what I'm trying to convey when I say that I love animals, kinda like when I tell someone I love rock music. But it seems that everyone else tends to think that 'love animals' means an emotional attachment to every non-human creature on the face of the planet!

I most certainly do not LOVE the cheetah at the zoo, but I am fascinated by its beauty, its speed and stealth, its sheer athleticism. But I would undoubtedly shoot it with a shotgun if it was charging at me straight for my jugular.

There is a huge difference between the love we have for our pets, and the compassion we show for animals that are suffering, or the fascination we have for wildlife. It seems to me that many people are unable to draw distinctions amongst these different concepts.

which is why I hate it when people say to me: you're a vet student, you should love animals, why do you eat meat?!

you want to be a vet...but why do you still eat meat?!

2010-02-19T23:03:00.006+08:00

Wanting to be a veterinarian has nothing to do with the fact that I enjoy my seared rib-eye steak and fried chicken wings as much as anyone else.

Yes, I am concerned for the welfare of domesticated animals, yes I do believe in conservation of habitat for wild animals. But that does not mean I believe that man should not use animals for his benefit. Being human, I am concerned for my species above all others. Animals provide us nutrition, material, models for scientific and medical research and of course, companionship. I stand for all these uses of animals, and so I simply cannot subscribe to the ideology of animal rights. Animal welfare does NOT equal animal rights.

If I believed in animal rights, then I would have to believe that animals should have a choice on whether they receive veterinary treatment. This is simply not the case in the real world, and so, if I believed in animals having rights, then I would have to reject the veterinary profession as a whole. Now THERE'S a conflict for you!

But, there is one thing I will not stand for and that is unnecessary cruelty to animals. If there is a more humane way to slaughter an animal, then I am all for it. If there is a way to relieve the suffering of an animal, I am all for it. If there is a way for our pets and our food animals to live better, less stressful lives, I'm all for it.

But the fact still remains, animals are not humans. They don't think like us. Max the family dog does not, for one moment, ponder on the the supposed injustice of being imprisoned in captivity for no great reason other than for his adopted family's amusement and companionship. Max lives in the now...the anticipation of the next treat, walk, belly rub. Max doesn't sit there and philosophize about his rights, nor about his lack of freedom, and certainly not about his right to vote for Sammy the Great Dane down the street as district leader. Same case with Patty the Pig in farmer John's piggery. Patty doesn't bemoan her sad fate of being nothing but a soon-to-be pork roast. Patty doesn't, not for one fleeting moment, feel sad about being raised for no greater reason than to feed the human race (and farmer John's bank balance). And dear Patty most certainly does not bitch to the other pigs about not having a king-sized mattress and a proper powder room, nor about the ethics of using her organs in human transplant surgery.

What animal rights activists need to stop doing is projecting their thoughts and emotions onto animals. Animals are not human. Simple as that. They don't think or philosophize like us. But animals can suffer pain and stress, and as higher beings, our duty is to, wherever possible, avoid inflicting pain or stress on animals.

yes!!!!

2010-01-13T21:21:00.004+08:00

I have been offered a place in the BVSc at the University of Queensland. I am so happy that my dream has come true. In 5 years, barring any mishaps, I will become a vet! I need to pinch myself. Can it actually be real?

I can look forward to a career that pays pittance, has long and irregular working hours, exposes me to zoonotic diseases, scratches and bites from animals, high stress levels, and a suicide rate within the profession that's 4 times higher than the national average. And despite all these cons, I could not be more thrilled. I mean, I've just started on my journey to becoming a veterinarian!!!

day 20...

2009-08-29T18:27:00.000+08:00

last day at the clinic. bittersweet. saw two tragic cases:

case 1: dog with horrific demodectic mange. it was, quite simply, the worse case of mange I have ever come across in person. the poor guy was also very very aggressive, and who could blame him!

case 2: Pachi the shihtzu maltese cross came in needing an emergency blood transfusion. He was diagnosed with tick fever. Vet tried, but Pachi rejected the blood transfusion. He was suffering so much that the owners made the decision to put him to sleep.

day 19...

2009-08-28T18:16:00.000+08:00

as my time at the clinic draws to an end, things have become a tad routine. Still, I was very happy to see that Aminah, the tabby kitten who came in weaker and sicker than Laksa, go home as good as new. I hope that someone will adopt her. She's has spirit aplenty. But tabby cats aren't popular here...still I have hope that she'll have a decent life...

day 18...

2009-08-27T22:59:00.001+08:00

observed my first eye surgery today...on Max black jack russell cross. interesting to see the different types of surgical tools that are specific to eye surgery.

3 rescues showed up today, buona, the sarcoptic looking jack russell, Dada the disheveled mini poodle with a barking problem, and another cute Shih tzu; her name is Vista. Vista must've been a breeding dog too like most rescues from the pet farm. She is skin and bones at the moment, and has obviously not been on a leash before and she refused to budge when I put one around her. She has probably lived most of her life in a cage. It's heartbreaking to see all these rescues come in with so many problems. If I could kill all these fucking puppy mill owners and get away with it, I would.

R.I.P. Laksa

2009-08-25T21:31:00.004+08:00

Laksa died at 9pm. I watched him vomit, then go into convulsions. There was nothing I could do as he died what seemed like a painful death. I am shocked, saddened and disappointed.

I am sure all the stress he went through today was a big factor in his demise...being forced fed medication, force fed food, scruffed for painful subcutaneous fluid injection, catheter insertion and painful dextrose fluid flush etc etc. This is an aspect of veterinary medicine that differs greatly from human medicine, where the things you need to do to an animal patient to make it better, can actually make it worse because of the stress factor. It's like a double-edged sword. damned if do, damned if you don't.

day 17...

2009-08-25T17:44:00.001+08:00

busy day at the clinic, with a long surgery on Monster, the american staffy looking cross. She had to be spayed as she had pyometra, plus she had a lump that needed to be removed on her inner thigh.

Laksa the ginger kitten, took a turn for the worse at 4pm. He was given IV fluids and pro-biotics. I decided to nurse him at home since the clinic will be closed tomorrow. I hope he makes it...

day 16...

2009-08-24T17:33:00.000+08:00

...a quiet day at the clinic. Sticky the very very sick ginger cat got sicker over the weekend. This morning, we found that he was discharging bloody mucous from his nose, and that he has serious edema. Vet called the cattery chief and she decided that Sticky should be euthanised. I feel sorry for Sticky, he was with us for a week and did not seem to get better no matter how we tried.

Swell has been adopted by the clinic and is now called Captain Jack Sparrow. He is doing much better and is quite the playful little kitten.

day 15...

2009-08-22T18:29:00.000+08:00

came in to discover that Pudding the golden retriever came in after I left last night with serious bite wounds. He was attacked by Max the jealous mastiff. the poor thing now has tubes through his neck and thigh, on top of his diapers. and still he remains cool and calm about it all. golden retrievers are a special breed indeed.

Swell the tabby kitten came in today with a swollen leg. the vet cut a hole in its thigh to drain the pus out. vet is considering adopting the kitten, which would bring the clinic pet cat headcount up to four.

Maggie the very very sick mixed breed dog came in today for blood tests. She is frightfully underweight. so much so that i can almost wrap my one hand around her waist. she also vomitted and pass disgusting green stool in the hallway. she doesn't move much; just lies there looking forlorn.

Pebbles the beagle came in for vaccination and a nail-clipping. She had great strength that belies her small size and she obviously was determined not to have her nails clipped. I had to straddle her from the back. My reward for trying? Anal gland secretions squirted onto my pants. Smelled like belachan. very very potent belachan.

day 14...

2009-08-21T18:07:00.000+08:00

another quiet day at the clinic...

Sticky the ginger cat with pneumonia isn't doing any better. We've also started putting diapers on him as he is unable to control his bloody stool. The poor thing was later found to have huge mouth ulcers, which was why he wasn't eating.

Laksa and Aminah, the kittens, are eating on their own and have become feisty little cuties. It's very gratifying seeing sick patients getting better and better...

Monika the Shepard cross, who came in previously for a cut in a nipple, came in today with an exploded nipple, so to speak. Needed suturing to close the wound out.

day 13...

2009-08-20T18:20:00.000+08:00

a crazy day...absolute chaos. Ninja the Shepard came in to donate blood, and as usual, was being very difficult. the poor guy got so scared that he shit and peed while fighting with the vet.

Max and Kasper came in for acupuncture, while 4 dogs came in for spays. 3 were shih tzus and one was a foxhound looking cross. the shih tzus were again rescued breeding stock and they were adorable. I think I am now a fan of the breed.

4 surgeries of course kept us busy well past our lunch hour. Meanwhile, we had to hand-feed Laksa and Aminah the kittens, who are doing much better.

day 12...

2009-08-18T18:43:00.000+08:00

interesting case #1: Ziggy the scruffy terrier mix came in with a case of severe ascites. about 2.6L of bloody fluids were drained from her peritoneal cavity.

interesting case #2: the missing anus. black kitten brought in with a missing sphincter in the anal opening. It may have chewed it off because it was itchy or swollen.

day 11...

2009-08-17T18:40:00.002+08:00

...came in today feeling a bit roughed up by the indigestion and nausea suffered the day before. thankfully, a pretty quiet day on all accounts.

Blackie the mini dachshund was brought again today because his catheter came out. Owner decided to leave Blackie with us during the day so that he will get his fluids and medication. First wise decision made by the owner, who is obviously clueless.

One of the students brought her two dogs in for dental. Fieve, the kelpie cross, fell too deep into sleep from anesthesia, and for a moment, everyone fell dead silent, worried that we might have had an emergency on hand. Vet stayed calm and waited, while intermittently giving Fieve chest compression. Eventually, Fieve stabilised and her dental went without a hitch. Learnt also that the tube down the throat can cause irritation and probably some abrasion as Fieve was heaving and coughing after she woke up. Apple, the golden retriever's dental went without a hitch.

Bunnie the lab came in to be microchip. He is an energetic juvenile and I had difficulty keeping him still for the vet to microchip him. Vet was probably annoyed by my poor handling, and told me to be more aware of situations and react accordingly to facilitate his ease of action, otherwise I will only just be in the way. Fair enough I suppose, but as he said, it will take time for me to become a proficient handler.

Day 10...

2009-08-15T17:34:00.002+08:00

Both Sasha and Hyper went to their foster homes today. It was gratifying to see these two rescues come in all messed up, and then leave the clinic much better (and cleaner). I was particularly sad to see Sasha go. I cannot wait for her check-up in two weeks.

Boy Boy the spitz cross came in with complaints of loss of appetite. Owners asked if he was a pure bred Japanese Spitz as claimed by the pet farm they got him from. You didn't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out the puppy was at most a Spitz cross. He looked more like a Labrador than a Spitz type. An x-ray revealed a possible obstruction in the tummy due to ingestion of a toy part. Typical puppy problem I suppose. Vet prescribed lubricants and liquid food. For the puppy's sake, I hope his digestive system gets going and forces the obstruction out, otherwise, he'll have to have surgery. The owners seemed like the sort who bought a puppy on impulse, without proper consideration. Not surprisingly, they looked suitably worried about the possible surgery costs. Serves them right, that's called taking on a lifetime commitment. And when asked if they were going to neuter Boy Boy, they said no, because they wanted to keep his 'manhood'. I wanted to tell them, "Tell me that in a few months time when he becomes an unmanageable, frisky beast trying to hump everything in sight'. It's annoying to know there are irresponsible people out there who care nothing about keeping stray populations down. Who gives a shit about a pair of balls and raging testosterone? The negatives of neutering? Almost none. The benefits? Endless. It's not as if they're hobbyist breeders anyway. My take on it all? Ignorance. Stupidity. Insanity.

Poor Tigger had a giant scab on his thigh that had to be removed. The scab took some skin and flesh with it and the poor boy had to bear the cleaning completely awake. Nurses and I felt very sorry for him. But he was still well enough to go home today too.

Grace the blind shih tzu came in today for her vaccination. She is also a rescue case. She reminded me of Sasha in a way. The poor thing, being blind and all, just sits where she is placed quietly. I am surprised how I have changed from a someone who never liked the shih tzu breed to falling in love with 2 of them in just a week.

day 9...

2009-08-14T18:21:00.000+08:00

a very quiet day. Nothing much except for Mia the golden retriever juvenile who came in later in the evening for an ultrasound of the heart and abdomen. It was interesting to see an ultrasound being performed up close. It looks hard to make out what the shadows resemble but I suppose that is where training and experience comes in.

Again toyed with the idea of bringing Shasha the maltese x home for a trial...but decided against it. I do not trust my parents to care for her properly while I'm in Australia.

day 8...

2009-08-13T20:36:00.001+08:00

was greeted with good news when I walked in this morning...that Blackie the mini dachshund I thought would not survive is doing better. what a fighter!

Mia, the beautiful golden retriever came in today. An x-ray revealed an enlarged heart. An ultrasound performed by the vet later gave a diagnosis of excess liquid in the heart. Nurse E says Mia will probably die young.

Monica the shepard x came in today with an aural hematoma or something like that. She had a broken blood vessel in one of her ears and as a result, that ear was filled with blood. Surgery was performed. the vet let the blood out, then sutured a piece of x-ray film to the ear. Wasn't sure why he did that, but it was probably to protect the ear from Monica's scratching.

Sasha, the maltese cross who has won my heart, is beginning to reveal some behavioural problems. She (tries to) bark constantly for attention. Bringing her out for a walk only made her quit the barking for a while afterward. We're trying not to reward the barking with any attention, but she is very persistent. I hope, for her sake, she breaks this habit because alot of dogs are given up for barking problems. Excessive barking can be resolved, but we're a vet clinic, not a behavioural boot camp.

Got a nice scratch on the chest from Ginger. It wasn't intentional on his part of course, but I think it's right about time for a claw clipping. Hopefully I'll find some time tomorrow to do that.

day 7...

2009-08-11T18:03:00.001+08:00

...two new faces at the clinic today, both senior vet students at Melbourne Uni. It is nice having other students around.

Shasha the maltese x is doing much better. Gave her a bath today in the toilet and she is looking better too. She has also began to bark...we kept hearing coughs coming from the kennels and we wondered which animal was coughing. It turns out that poor Shasha was debarked and that's why her bark sounded like a cough. The poor thing had a terrible life before being rescued; a debarked puppy mill breeding vessel...poor thing. I really hope she gets a good home because she is just the sweetest girl and she deserves to live out her days in comfort and peace. She has a lovely temperament, an adorable face so I believe she will be adopted very soon.

Blackie the mini dachshund came in with owner's complaints of his lack of appetite, weakness and depression. A quick look by one of the students reveals that he has severe jaundice. The vet confirmed that Blackie has liver problems. blood test also revealed liver problems. Blackie, through the day, deteriorated quickly; Vet says he will probably die. From the looks of it, I do not think he will make it through the night. Expecting to find a dead dachshund tomorrow.

Ninja the Shepard x came in today for a routine check up. It took all of four people to restrain the boy for drawing of blood. He is only 32kg but very strong. It also took 3 people to get him into his crate in the transport van. Good thing he was muzzled because he would have probably bitten everyone.

Lady the Chow Chow also came into today with severe eczema. I really can't understand why people in Singapore get breeds like the Chow Chow and keep their coats thick and long. As far as I'm concerned, it is animal abuse. Either you keep the dogs indoors with air-conditioning or at least a fan, or you shave all the hair off. I think we need to make these selfish owners wear a fur coat and stay outdoors for a week. then they'll realise that long hair/double coated breeds are simply not suited to the tropical weather we have here in Singapore.

Day 6...

2009-08-08T17:54:00.002+08:00

another fruitful day at work...

...Shasha the maltese-shihtzu cross is doing better. Still, everytime I look at that sad face and into those big doe eyes, I melt. I wish I were in a position to adopt her...

I observed my first euthanasia case today, on an old cat with renal failure. Owner probably did not want to go through the hassle of nursing the poor thing. But it's too easy to judge, so I try not to judge anyone I don't know and on anything I don't know all the facts of. Anyway, the procedure was completed much quicker than I expected, but it still left me feeling sad for the poor cat. One vet in the documentary "Vets in Hong Kong" said that if a vet stops feeling anything when putting an animal down, then he or she has lost a big part of why he or she became a vet. I couldn't agree more. I hope never to become desensitised to the death of a patient.

Snow the maltese comes in and it appears that she has miscarried. An ultrasound reveals that she has a decomposing foetus in her womb and so a spay was done immediately. later, we were allowed to dissect the uterus to see what a decomposing foetus looked like and I can say that it isn't a pretty sight. A tooth scaling and decayed tooth extraction was also done on Snow the maltese and it was quite unsettling to see a tooth getting yanked out, root and all. I suppose dental work is a tad barbaric but I guess there is no other way.

day 5...

2009-08-07T18:13:00.001+08:00

a pretty quiet day. started with the usual feeding, cleaning, medicating etc.

then, Sasha the maltese-shih tzu-ish cross came in. apparently a rescue from a breeding farm, she had been attacked by a fellow resident at the shelter, and had suffered serious puncture wounds on her neck, where the skin was yanked loose from the muscle. She was obviously hurting as she tried to bite whenever we attempted to handle her. The vet inserted tubes with holes into the bite wounds to flush the cavities clean. She is very sick, dirty and smelly, but she has the most adorable face, with the biggest eyes ever. I wonder why no one has adopted her yet. Maybe she has aggression problems, but I think it stems from the injury rather than bad temperament.

Also in today for x-ray, nail clipping and acupuncture was Max the mastiff of some sort. He has the body of an English Mastiff and the face and coat of a Dogue de Bordeux. Massive thing weighted 42kg and is considered underweight!! brought it out for a walk and the guy must've peed 3 litres from tree to tree...his bladder must be the size of my fist...

thankfully, no deaths today. Bella the Papillon went home today a temporary tripod...

day 4...

2009-08-06T19:53:00.000+08:00

a day of deaths:

came in to find out that kittens Yo Yo and Marie had passed away. They were very weak and so it was not unexpected.

2 cases promptly came in:

case 1: Liu Liu the schnauzer went into early labour, giving birth to a stillborn. Xray showed that there were still puppies inside her, so a cesarean was performed. There were six puppies in there, but because they were premature, none of them survived, despite our attempts to revive them.

case 2: Bella the papillion had a luxating femur. Her surgery was conducted right after Liu Liu's c-section. It was very interesting to see surgery being done on such a small animal. In many ways, veterinary medicine is like pediatrics...the patients can't tell you what is wrong with them, and the surgery involves dealing with smaller patients, unless we're talking about large animal surgery...

Day 3...

2009-08-04T18:50:00.002+08:00

Came in to find that Hyper, the maltese-shih tzu had released an atomic bomb in his cage overnight. The entire cage was smeared with stinking loose faeces. I had to take Hyper out for a quick walk to get rid of his energy, and did all I could to avoid having him plant his shit-smeared paws on my jeans. I really need the scrubs badly. After the walk, I washed his feet out before letting him back into the clinic. Nurse E cleaned out his cage and spray loads of air freshener around. Not a good start to the day we agreed.

Rest of the day was very quiet. The vet brought in a new 3-level cage for the clinic hamsters, and I was tasked to clean the cage out and set up the new home for Waffles and Storm. Easy enough I suppose.

Yo Yo the ginger kitten is still not responding to treatment. Today, the vet decided to put him on IV fluids in last attempt, along with using the nebulizer to try to clear his lungs. We're hoping that the pneumonia doesn't kill the little chap through the night. He's been fighting that's for sure!

Horlicks the mutt came in, with owner complaining that he was stinking and breaking out in spots. Vet took one look and concluded hives. Owner did not want to give Horlicks a jab to take care of the hives, because she wanted to save some money. Note: She was wearing a huge ass diamond ring and carrying a Louis Vuitton bag. Go figure.

Casper the Belgian Shepard came in later in the day for acupuncture treatment. It was very interesting to see TCM being used on canines and the vet worked really quickly. I have my doubts and reservations about things like acupuncture, although I am aware that lots of people swear by it. But I suppose the more services you can offer your clients, the better!

Day 2...

2009-08-03T18:09:00.001+08:00

Started the day with 2 baths, one for Baby the Schnauzer, who was due to go home today, went without a hitch, and another for Hyper the maltese with nearly no fur and serious skin problems. Hyper's bath didn't go quite as well smoothly as Baby's but at least I also learnt how to clean a dog's ears. Hyper was quite quiet on my first day, but since the bath, he seems to have perked up and is quite the barker. I only hope that the poor thing's skin condition improves soon.

Today saw a continual procession of stray and rescue cats. We had a ginger kitten called Yo Yo, another called Yap Yap and another called umm, I can't remember. Also a ragdoll-looking one that was called Persion-brown for convenience, though I mentioned to Nurse L that he looked more ragdoll than Persian and she agreed. All the names were of course, bordering on silly, but who cares, certainly not the sick, depressed kitties. At least they are easy to pronounce and remember.

Yap Yap had an eye problem and her mouth was also in trouble. She had given birth to two kittens which did not survive. Naturally, she was very stressed and was not eating. As such, she was deemed too difficult a case for the cat shelter to take on and was, sadly, put down.

I learnt how to provided subcutaneous fluid to dehydrated cats. Yo Yo the ginger kitten clearly did not enjoy having a huge needle (ones normally used for horses apparently) under her skin and managed to struggle free, leaving me holding on to a needle that was spewing saline solution. Still, we somehow got the rest of the fluid into the kitten. Vet nurse L also showed me some cat handling techniques but I don't think I'll remember them until I actually practise enough. Seeing the number of stray cats that get brought in by the shelters and rescues, it seems that practice is what I'll get indeed. But rescues and strays also mean filthy stinking patients. Oh well, suck it up I say!

Another stray helper came in with a Belgian Shepard called Casper that is a retired police dog, who was apparently having seizures. He was a nice friendly chap that enjoyed being rubbed on the jaw. The helper also brought a lame shih tzu that had a huge swollen eye that looked as if it was going to pop. the shih tzu, George, was an abuse case. His hind leg was apparently broken into three by some asshole scumbag and so George now walks in a sideways sort of gait. Anyhow, George clearly was ill as he released bloody runny stool in the reception area. Who had to clean it? Me of course and it was quite disgusting. Luckily the air freshener was on hand and I had to spray half the can's contents just to mask the stench of bloody stool.

I can say vet nurses are the unsung heroes of the veterinary world. It isn't an easy job at all...I am SPENT! thank goodness I'll be a vet and not a nurse.

Day one...

2009-08-01T17:39:00.004+08:00

Day 1

1) Met the vet nurses at the clinic. They are friendly, easy-going and very willing to teach. Met a fellow pre-vet student volunteer who comes in on Saturdays. Met the vet himself, definitely an authoritative figure, kinda intimidated by him.

2) Brought Pudding the 8-year old golden retriever out for a morning walk. Pudding has had surgery for bladder cancer. He is left with only a small part of his bladder and is thus incontinent. His hind legs are weak and he seems depressed. A real sweetheart though, and responds well to treats. Previous owners, having spent all alot of money on surgery, which hadn't produced the miracle result they expected, decided to euthanise Pudding yesterday. Staff at the clinic decided not to do so, as there was chance of a decent life for Pudding if properly cared for, so they let him stay overnight. Thankfully, a kind lady from a local rescue group took Pudding home to nurse him back to health today. The local golden retriever group might be able to take on Pudding and to give him a happy and comfortable life for his remaining years.

3) Took Hyper the maltese out for a walk. Heard he was abused previously. Skin condition is terrible, with patches of uncovered skin and lesions. Apparently he has ringworms. Not the prettiest thing you've seen but deserves to be loved nonetheless. How anyone could torture or abuse a dog, I really don't know. Humans are cruel indeed.

4) Gave Rosie the boarder a bath before her owner came to pick her up. Rosie is a shih tzu, was rescued from a puppy mill where she was used for breeding. I hate puppy mills. Imagine if you were locked up and your only function was to produce babies continuously. It is sad. Was easy to bath and she did not struggle.

5) Met Ginger, the vet's pet cat, and the clinic's resident prince. He is an absolute sweetheart who enjoys lazing on top of the autoclave machine as it is warm and perched on a desk. Ginger has taken to being a pseudo-mum for a pair of kitties, and has even offered his only two nipples for suckling. Very strange indeed!

6) A lady and her son bring in a 2 year-old female St. Bernard that was imported from India. She isn't fully grown but is HUGE and powerful. Thankfully, she is also very friendly, if only a tad hyper like all adolescent dogs. I think this was the first time I have come across a St. Bernard. This little girl has been losing weight, experiencing diarrhoea and has been vomiting bile. Vet asks owner if there has been a change of diet. She was fed raw beef by owner's husband. A fecal smear reveals that intestinal flora is imbalanced, meaning that her body was trying to adjust to sudden change of flora found in raw meat. Nothing much to worry about, said the vet, and so owner is sent home with a bucketload of medication for the giant girl, along with the vet's advice to either make the raw meals a routine or to stop them completely.

7) Pirate the Boxer comes in with a forelimb foot injury. On closer inspection, the wound appears to be a gaping hole the size of a dollar coin, and is infested with maggots. Vet Nurse E says she could smell the maggots the moment he came in, but I can't detect any strange smell. Owner claims Boxer was injured just yesterday, but from the looks of it (as in the fat maggots that were removed subsequently), that was not likely. Perhaps owner only found out yesterday that the Boxer was injured. Boxer was sedated and the vet nurses, myself and the other student teamed up to clean the wound and flush out the maggots. Not the nicest thing to do...digging fat maggots out from a bloody wound, but I was very eager to be involved and to observe. Maggots were fat and juicy, not that I'd eat them, though Nurse E said she tried fried maggots in Thailand once. Yuck. Gaping hole of a wound was flushed out and filled with medical grade manuka honey and then bandaged. Boxer able to go home to recover.

All in all, a wonderful first day. Am loving it already. Now I need to get myself some proper scrubs because the work is filthy!

road trip to Gatton

2009-07-27T19:40:00.002+08:00

and so Emmanuel, Lorri and I drove to UQ Gatton to inspect the campus and to figure out the feasibility of commuting by car to Gatton from Underwood on a daily basis. Feasibility = 0. It was tiring enough being the passenger during the 1.25hr drive there, so I can imagine how much worse it would be to have to drive for 3 hours to and fro, 5 days a week. And if there are to be 8am classes...well...let's not even go there.

so it seems I will have to stay in the UQ Gatton halls of residence. On inspection, the halls didn't look to bad, and the campus was actually quite nice. I'm sure it will be even better once the Vet Science buildings are completed. Gatton town itself was alright, was anything to squeal about, but it has everything I would need to get by very comfortably. It surprised me that there were so many Asian people about Gatton; I figured that they must be UQ students, probably doing the agribusiness, horticulture etc courses, or senior vet students.

results...

2009-07-16T18:48:00.001+08:00

...1 HD, and 2 Ds. Dammit. Just short of that on extra HD to get my GPA beyond the 6.5 mark. Final GPA: 6.5. Hoping to get onto Dean's List or commendation.

Queensland

2009-07-15T15:11:00.003+08:00

I am now a Queenslander so to speak. Moving up here has brought me closer to my dream of getting into vet school. My next couple of weeks here in Brisbane will spent settling down, hanging out with friends and most importantly, getting my documents to QTAC for assessment. I do not foresee any problems with that, and the sooner I get it done and have 'pre-requisites met' reflected on my application summary, the more at ease I will be when I go back to Singapore at the end of this month.

The weather here in Queensland is beautiful. Even though it's winter, the temperature range is very comfortable and the sunny skies are a welcome change from gloomy Melbourne. I'm beginning to enjoy Underwood; even if it is far from the city, it's a pleasure to go jogging around the neighbourhood, which is surrounded by a little forest of sorts. I can see myself walking my dog around here, but it doesn't look like getting a dog is a possibility at the moment since 1) there is no stability in my life at the moment, and 2) because grandma is petrified of animals.

post-exam...

2009-07-03T21:30:00.003+08:00

...i have been pigging out on food for the past couple of days. It's wonderful having Emman and Lorri here on holiday, but it also means constant eating. I predict a gain of at least 2 kg by the time I leave for Brisbane. Dinner tonight was at a fantastic little dumpling joint at Glen Waverley. The Shanghai fried noodles were delish; I'll have to hunt down a recipe and try to recreate it at home...

finally a graduate...

2009-06-30T20:29:00.006+08:00

...I am now a university graduate with a Bachelor of Commerce. The feeling can best be described as..."meh". I am happy to be done with studying for at least half a year. It will be a good break before commencement of what will be a grueling 5 years to obtain my BVSc...

but first, I must get into vet school. I keep pouring over the statistics...the minimum entry rank for the past 2 years has been 98 percent. And calculating the worse scenario possible, in which I only get a pass grade for my last 3 papers at Monash this semester, I will still obtain a GPA that sits comfortably in the 99 percentile rank. So the way I see it, if I do not receive an offer from UQ, it would have to be that a good 100 out of an expected 800 applicants have a GPA that is perfect or damn well close to perfect, or that the QTAC admin messes up my application somehow (shit happens). So I am quietly confident of getting into vet school, and there is nothing more I can do. But, until 15th January 2010, when the actual offer letter is in my hand, I will remain nervous.

Meanwhile, I will complete the work experience, perhaps sit for the STAT test and apply to both Murdoch and USyd as a backup, although chances are, if I don't make it to UQ, I won't make it into Murdoch or USyd either. I hope it doesn't come down to that.

post one...

2009-06-26T20:18:00.006+08:00

just 4 days to my last final paper before I graduate with my Bachelor of Commerce. I can hardly wait. I am excited about graduating, not because it's finally happening, but more so about my future.

I have made the decision to pursue my dream to be a vet. Having been a pretty average student before university, the thought of getting good enough grades to get into a highly competitive course like veterinary science didn't really cross my mind. But from a young age, I've always thought it'd be a great career. But just having ambition doesn't get you that high GPA...so I ended up at Monash University doing a 'practical' Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Economics. Admittedly, I've enjoyed my course, and all the effort I've put in these past 3 years has paid off. My GPA is finally good enough for vet school! My only worry was not meeting the science pre-requisites for vet schools like UQ's (which is my first choice), even though I hold a Diploma in Biotechnology (from another lifetime it seems now). Thankfully, UQ sent me an email a few days ago informing me that I have satisfied the pre-requisites based on the totality of my studies. Yay!

So, it is a toss up between UQ, Murdoch or USyd with regards to where I'll be toiling through vet school. UQ will be the cheapest option for me, and also close to my grandmother who lives in Underwood, which is about 2 hours away from the UQ Gatton Campus. But I would enjoy studying in USyd, since that would mean big city life which is what I am used to, but they want a STAT test score with any application, and I'm not sure if I can be arsed to take the test. We'll see. Murdoch has a great vet school, but I'm not sure if I'll take to Perth. I have some reservations about living in Gatton for 5 years, but it comforts me to know that I can go back to Brisbane every weekend. Be it Gatton, Sydney, or Perth, I'll be 30 (!!!) before I graduate with the BVSc. That may be pretty old I suppose, but at least I can say that I will be doing something I really enjoy, instead of a settling for a boring life as an economist. I don't want to be 40 years old, facing a mid-life crisis, wondering why I even bother getting up to go to work. Maybe that will happen even if I become a vet, but I know it will happen if I continue pursuing an economics-related career.

I am looking forward to getting work experience at a vet practice when I go back to Singapore in August. Dad managed to convince a friend who has a clinic to let me gain work experience for a month or two. The work experience will help me see what the life of a vet is like, and also beef up my applications to Murdoch and USyd. The thought of cleaning dog and cat waste daily doesn't seem quite so bad as most people would think...I'm not squeamish or precious when it comes to physiology...

I cannot wait for vet school to start in 2010; I am confident of getting into UQ's vet science program; don't see any obstacles in my way...unless I fail all my papers this semester, which isn't going happen...

...so the journey begins...