Tasmiya

Is anyone else completely grossed out by the fact that here in Brisbane the ambient temperature is actually higher than our body temperature?

Pet owners please take care of your animals in this weather:

+Ensure your pet has unlimited access to cool water. Animals don’t drink hot water so keep the water bowls away from direct sunlight

+If your pets are outside-pets, provide ample shade

+Regularly check on your pet and sit with them (they usually find the coolest spot in the house!)

+Watch for early signs of heat stress – restlessness, panting, lying on side with little response when called, bright gums, dry eyes, dry gums, hot to touch.

What to do if your animal is suffering from heat stress

+Bathe whole body in tap water

+Apply ice packs to paws, ears and groin area but be aware that this may cause vasoconstriction (constriction of the veins in these areas) which can lead to more heat staying INSIDE the body. Vasoconstriction can be avoided by moving ice packs to different parts of the body after 10-15 minutes

+If available, use a fan to aid in cooling otherwise, fan the animal manually

+Seek veterinary attention

Oh yeah…10 points to anyone who can tell me where the title of this post came from

Tomorrow is my last day at work. *sob* I look forward not to leaving my children, but going out into the “real world” albeit for a short time. Before my children, work was my life – I was very career-driven. I did overtime without batting an eyelid if it meant I would learn something new. I was forever doing extra research at home – difficult cases would consume me so I couldn’t sleep. I would check up on my animals even though I wasn’t on call just to make sure they were ok and being looked after. One rude client could ruin my whole day.

After the children, things changed. Priorities changed. It isn’t that I care any less for my cases or for the owners. It’s just I see things from a different perspective. Any extra minute I am away from my children is time they need to compensate me for. If I come across an rude, difficult client or a potentially litigious case I’m honestly not that bothered by it. I’m calmer at work even when it gets busy and clients are getting angry and nurses and reception staff are losing their minds. I think that’s why I’m so much easier to get along with now.

It isn’t that I don’t care – it’s that I know now what’s important to me. Do I feel I’m not as good a vet because of it? On the contrary- I feel I’m more able than when I was working full-time 55 hour weeks. I’m going to miss the bunch of people I work with and the really cool clients I’ve come to know and of course the beautiful animals. I’m going to miss the adult conversation and the using my brain thing but I can always keep my brain working with the homeschooling and reading.

I will most definitely miss having someone else clean up after me. I can’t begin to describe the joy of being able to make a huge mess in my consult room, leave the room to check something and return to see someone else sweeping up the dog hair and wiping my table down and cleaning out the dirty syringe kidney dish. *BLISS* All this without asking!! Oh yeah..the other thing I’m going to miss..someone else making me a cup of tea!