Reflection Part 4 {Most Memorable Patients}

Reflection Part 4--Most Memorable Patients

Last time I shared Part 3 of the Reflections series (read part 1 and part 2 here) which ended with a photo of the young Bengal tiger I was fortunate enough to work with during my time at UF. He was certainly one of my most memorable cases for just being what he was. How many people get to work with tigers? I consider myself truly lucky to have had so many amazing experiences. I'd like to share a few more from University of FL Vet School:

There was the pet cougar(I do not recommend keeping wild animals as pets!!) who stayed in ICU overnight. She was under a constant sedative IV drip for pain and to keep her from eating us. Apparently she was someone's pet and actually slept in bed with the owner. Due to the fact that she was a cougar she stayed under sedation and closely monitored for her safety (and ours). The coolest thing about working with the big cats (even though this one was sedated and the tiger was essentially a baby and used to human interaction) is that they are exactly like house cats.

They are playful, vindictive, sweet, true hunters, and you really want to stay on their good side! The tongues of tiger and cougar felt just like one from a house cat. They are beautiful and dangerous animals. The slightly frightening part of this case was that the wildlife department at the university came in to transfer her to us and update us on her case also brought a dart gun that we were to use in case the cougar awoke unexpectedly. They explained how to use it, locked the syringe/darts in our controlled substance machine, and left us for the night. It went perfectly--what a cool experience!

I briefly assisted cleaning and medicating a great horned owl's wing injury. I applied the medication as the student gently restrained the owl. A deer was brought in by two young men after they saw her injured on the side of the road. They dropped her off with wildlife emergency and went back to look for her fawn while we examined her. Wildlife department requested help from ICU and I got to go down there to help sedate the doe and place an IV catheter.

We had a wallaby hospitalized in ICU for a few days. That was really interesting as they were using canine plasma and several other infusions. He was pretty sick initially but when he was more aware he was just very shy. We had to do blood work on him frequently and monitor his vitals. He had surgery so we were trying to keep his temperature up which is why he is covered up with blankets and a warm air heater. 

Finally one of the most touching cases was a middle aged couple who were traveling through Florida  saw a large young dog get hit by two different cars (who didn't bother to stop). They stopped and were able to carefully lift him and carry him to their car. He ended up at UF on emergency and have fractured pelvis as well as a few other fractures in addition to head trauma. He needed thousands of dollars in surgery and care. The couple had fallen in love with the sweet pup and decided to pay for his treatment AND adopt him. Such a great ending to a sad beginning! 

It's cases like this one that makes my job so worth all the sad and frustrating times. 

On another note: we got back from Denver, CO last week and had SUCH an amazing time! I definitely want to go back (I'd love to move there!!) to visit--it was amazing to see all my close friends. <3 Next post I will share our trip to Colorado :)

Reflection—Part 2

I’ve been awful about blogging and writing anything lately. However, I have been keeping a notebook/journal/doodle thing. I jot down ideas, thoughts, drawings, whatever. I date each page when I start a new one. I keep changing up the color pen to keep me feeling creative. Anyway, if you remember the last post I did—about the beginning of my career in veterinary medicine. I will pick up right after Part 1.

2005--2007

There were so many other things that happened, but that was the only death on my watch. My friend Myke and I could make you laugh and cringe in disgust at some of the things we experienced. I heard other stories later from staff that remained after I left—they didn’t stay long. I try not to dwell on it much, its quite upsetting. I was already stressed out from working for Dr. D so when he cut my hours, I handed him my resignation letter—effective immediately. I already was on the job search and had an offer as a personal assistant to a couple of realtors. Just as I was starting the new job my friend and I had a falling out and I moved into a duplex with some friends. I started dating one of my roommates—as I had a crush on him before I moved in. I was on the rebound after dating one guy on and off for several years—and he was there for me. After a long time of searching and applying I finally landed a job at a local veterinary clinic. (I actually had a job interview to work for Dixie Stampede as a rider but I wasn’t able to get a ride out there *sad times*)

I worked at the clinic for about 6 weeks. I was having trouble sleeping and my boyfriend (at the time) had a friend that was over often with a drug problem—he would come and crash at our place after arguing with his fiancé (not that we didn’t get a little wild back then). When I was hired I was told they would teach me to do the things I didn’t know. At my first review I scored a D because I wasn’t excelling as they had expected. I told them I wasn’t being trained. Finally one day I was called by the manager. She stated that she was going to talk to me that day but I wasn’t there (it was my day off). She said I didn’t seem happy and it wasn’t working out so if I could please come by tomorrow to drop off my key and pick up my final check. I was crushed. That’s the first time and only time I’ve ever been fired. I was so devastated—I thought that maybe this wasn’t for me. I took a job at the local publix as cashier. I figured what the hell, might as well earn some money while looking for a better job or just work there while I went to school.

I didn’t last long. I grew tired of staying hours after my scheduled time. Tired of the monotonous scanning of barcodes and weighing vegetables. So very tired of being exhausted every week and paychecks that weren’t worth it. I found a job for the local specialty clinic on careerbuilder.com and literally like 15 minutes after applying I received a call from the hospital manager. After two interviews (one was a working interview) I was hired as Vet Assistant/Treatment Tech. I originally applied for position of tech but after speaking with the manager I told her I wasn’t comfortable doing the job without training—but once trained I knew I could. They hired me with the knowledge that they could use my practically anywhere.  And they did. I was used the most as “cat whisperer”, as I was really good at restraining and calming pets, particularly cats. This was especially important during chemotherapy as movement could cause the injection to come out of the vein. I often helped in chemotherapy with our patients, in ultrasound restraining patients, I was able to encourage sick cats and dogs to eat, I did treatments while the other techs were busy in procedures, I took appointments a few times, but the most interesting part was when they asked me to take over physical therapy once a week.

Every friday I did physical therapy exercises with a few dogs and then the underwater treadmill. It was amazing to watch animals rebuild strength or maintain severe arthritis. The best part was Lucky (I think that was his name). He was a little dachshund that was unable to walk when I started working with him. The most special thing about him was he exclusively saw me. The other patients sometimes came on friday when they couldn’t make their regular visit or at least they had already been evaluated by the physical therapy assistant (all of our instructions came from the orthopedic surgeons, there wasn’t an actual physical therapist). So Lucky came only once a week and it was recommended at least twice a week for results. He came in unable to walk and I watched him go from needing total assistance to being able to support himself and almost walk completely unaided. It was absolutely amazing.

I worked there for almost 2 years and learned so much. We had many joyful times and many heartbreaks. That’s the curse of working with animals. We will almost always outlive our pets. It was so refreshing to finally be somewhere that had the same medical ethics as me and didn’t make me feel uncomfortable. They thanked each of us everyday and I loved working there. I only left because I was finally accepted into University of Florida and my dream of becoming a veterinarian had been delayed too long already (the story of school is also an epic one, I’ve had one hell of a time just trying to work on my bachelors. That will be for another time).

This photo is Lucky and I our last day together. It sucked because he didn’t care for the person taking over my job. I have several other photos from my last day. Special patients that were still hanging in there, goofy coworkers, and all the doctors. I remember him the most because he was MY patient. I used to have video of him walking without support for several steps. Just amazing.

The next step of my journey was that of acceptance into the school I had been dreaming/planning to attend since I was a little girl. Once I was accepted and knew I would be moving up there I informed the doctors at the specialty hospital and they told me to apply to the vet school. I wasn’t sure if I was qualified but I was assured that I could do it and I would be great. I applied for any veterinary technician position within the small animal hospital but I would work in large animal if trained. I went up for my interview and to apartment search. The interview was a success and I was offered a job working the middle shift (without veterinarian supervision—except by phone call or if they came in) in the small animal ICU and critical care. The job was a huge promotion for me and came with a nice raise from my current salary. I decided to room with a friend for a few months before deciding on my own place up there. A month or so before the move my boyfriend and I broke up and I ended up moving in with friends for those few weeks—I also dated a few people and found the guy I’m dating now (and have been for almost 6 years).

This is the Spring of 2007 and I am about 22 years old. I have been in veterinary medicine for approximately 8 years. The fun has just begun.

Reflection-- Part 1

Last week Jen was down in St. Pete visiting with family and she invited me to come out to a local bar for a mini meet up. David and I drove down from Orlando area after I got off work. It was awesome finally meeting and getting to chat. Jen, myself, my boyfriend David, a reader Tom, and Anwar (he was working there) got to meet. She asked me a few questions about my career as a vet tech and it inspired me to reflect on some of the things I’ve experienced so far in veterinary medicine.

Please know that my situation isn’t typical. I’m 27 years old (my birthday is in July) and I have been working in veterinary medicine for almost 14 years. I started volunteering at my family pet’s veterinary clinic when I was about 12 years old. My family told me that I always wanted to be a vet since I knew what one was. My mom wanted me to get some experience so I would have an advantage over other students so she asked if I could volunteer. I was always mature for my age so at 12 they let me walk the dogs in the kennel and even watch surgery. I volunteered every summer after that.

1999--2003

I remember when I was 14 and got the call from Doc (Dr. S)—she asked me if I would like to have a job! I was ecstatic. I had already been working for a year on the weekends with the company that offered clowns, face painting, balloons, pony, and horse rides. For an animal lover I was in heaven. I also loved being able to be out of the house weekday and weekends as it was a more legitimate reason than hanging out with friends or boyfriends. I worked a few hours every afternoon after school and in the summer I worked more. When I was old enough to work full time I did.  I worked there until the summer after I graduated from high school.  I started in the kennel, began assisting in surgery, and then began educating clients about pet care, vaccinations, preventatives. I learned to draw blood, place catheters, clean teeth, take radiographs and so much more. I learned a strong sense of medical ethics and standards—Dr. S was an amazing and passionate vet who clearly loved her profession. I learned that we are in this for the animals and people who love them. I experienced life and death, shared happiness and sadness with clients. I loved spending time at the little clinic. The vet had several dogs that I got to take care of as if there were my own. One dog named Bob was my favorite—when I was 17 my parents went to NJ to visit family and I stayed home because I needed to work, Bob came and stayed with me for the week so I had some protection. He slept on my bed with me and I was sad when I had to return him but I would see him at work everyday. The year I left for college Bob was sick and even though I no longer worked there Dr. S called me. He ended up having stomach cancer and treatment would have only prolonged the inevitable and would have been tough for him. Dr. S decided it was kindest to euthanize him and asked if I would like to be there. I drove out to her home and hugged him and kissed  his nose. He was one of the best dogs I’ve ever known. He had been there with me through break ups, issues at home, happy times, and it I could have taken him with me to college I would have. I held his paw as we cried and gave him the injection. He fell asleep and just didn’t wake up. I had a mixed CD in the car that afternoon and now anytime I hear Hands Down by Dashboard Confessional or the theme song from Donnie Darko I relive those feelings to a minor degree. Even now there’s a knot in my throat and I’m beginning to feel sad.

2003--2005

When I moved to UCF area for college I thought I would just get a job at a restaurant but I hated the food industry and missed working with animals. I searched for a job at a vet clinic but at only 18 no one wanted to hire me. I had almost 5 years of experience but no one would give me a chance because I looked so young. I finally was offered a position bathing dogs at a vet clinic. I ended up taking a big pay cut but I wanted to work with animals.  I should have known from the beginning that this wasn’t a good environment but it was the only place in town that would give me a chance. Within weeks of starting I became head technician as the entire staff quit. The doctor had a horrible bedside manner with clients and didn’t really appear to like animals. He constantly made odd demeaning or vaguely (sometimes not so vaguely) sexual comments to the staff. I was young and determined to make a name for myself in veterinary medicine. I considered it a speed bump in my journey—I knew I wouldn’t be there long. The only saving grace were the few good people that filtered through the clinic for employment and one beautiful but neglected bird. Raspy or Rasputin was a beautiful, sweet, and free spirited Catalina macaw. He was owned by Dr. D but he began  living at the clinic shortly after I started working there. No one liked him. He was loud and aggressive. I was determined that he just needed some love. Seriously that’s all he wanted. I started with a leather glove so in case he did decide to attack me but soon I was able to hold him on my arm without concern and eventually he would sit on shoulder and nuzzle my cheek. I feel such regret to this day that he is still there, but what could I do? He wasn’t mine, I couldn’t very well steal him (as much as I wanted to). He was Dr. D’s only pet (which is so freaking weird) and only became so because his previous owner couldn’t pay the bill and decided to abandon Raspy. I miss him to this day. I have a feather of his that I always kept. He probably wouldn’t know me now, but if there was a way to adopt him I would.

I was only there for about a year and a half but it was long enough. The hospital had such a high turn over rate and the staff that was there when I started warned me. I should have quit after I lost my first patient. I was doing a dental cleaning on a sweet golden retriever whose owner would tip us every time she had a bath and every major holiday she would give us each a gift card to borders. Her name was Sunny. I noticed that her she stopped breathing and her color wasn’t good. I called the doctor and other staff. He didn’t give us any instructions. Thankfully the other tech who had returned (she was there when I first started) to work knew CPR from her assistant classes and told me what to do. We didn’t have an airway because at this particular clinic they did not intubate (my previous clinic we always intubated!)—the only thing Dr. D tried to do was intubate Sunny. When he was unable he just stood there watching us. L gave Sunny chest compressions while I gave her breaths. (Knowing what I know now—Dr. D did not tell us to give her any epinephrine or atropine or anything! I don’t know why.) Sunny’s color began to turn pink—we were getting her back--but suddenly I guess Dr. D had decided that we tried long enough when he heard the front door chime. He told L she needed to go up front and take care of the customers. He told us we needed to stop CPR. That dog should not have died. When I was sure she was gone I went up front and sobbed in L’s arms. I came to that hospital with higher medical and ethical standards than the owner—in 5 years I never lost a patient, but it wasn’t the fact that we lost a life. What bothered me most was that it he didn’t seem to care. What I experienced was awful but what I heard after I left was even worse. If you ever questioned Dr. D he would always counter that we didn’t go to vet school so what did we know. Real mature.

Ha. I stayed there too long.

Next up is my second short hiatus from veterinary medicine. I left the profession three times for just a few weeks or months at a time and kept trying other things but nothing was as satisfying. At this point we are about 6 years into my career—I’m about 20 years old here.

Black Cats

Yesterday was Friday the 13th.... Wooooo spooky! Nah, not really :)

Did you know that black cats and dogs are less likely to be adopted??

Its true and rather ridiculous. Have we not yet learned color means nothing? Only what is in your heart and soul matter not the color of your skin or fur!!

Even rescue groups discriminate against the animals they are saving. Many groups won't take pets that they don't think they will be able to adopt despite their need for a rescue/shelter. I have experience this first hand as a litter of kittens was abandoned at my clinic. We called a rescue willing to take them but then they asked what they looked like, and began making snide comments about how they were all black and would be very difficult to place.

Response in my head: Shut the hell up, these are babies in need. Take them or not but I don't need your stupid fucking comments. UGH. Needless to say we don't call that rescue anymore since they apparently discriminate based on coat color.

Have we not learned anything from human history? Stop discriminating based on looks. Damnit.

Vet Tech Face Palm

This happened to me a few weeks ago at work and I didn't want to share it immediately because I wasn't really sure if it was "post-worthy"-- well now I think it is!!

A client came in to purchase heartworm prevention for her dog but I informed her that the heartworm test was past due and we really needed to do it ASAP. I discussed the prices and several different prevention options with her as she just wanted to get the medication. I assume most pet owners know what heartworms are but if you don't: heartworm larva are transmitted to our pets (not us!) by infected mosquitoes (so even an "inside only" dog can get them because I've been bitten inside my home by one before) and when the larva gets into the bloodstream it travels through the vessels to the heart where it lives and grows into an adult heartworm. These worms can wreak havoc on our poor pets heart and lungs--they can even die from this nasty parasite. Symptoms include: coughing, exercise intolerance, shortness of breath, heart disease and even bacterial infections from the adult heartworms. The saving grace with this awful bug is that with an inexpensive once a month medication you can prevent this horrible disease. The medication is used to kill off baby heartworms that mosquitoes inject into our pets--this way they never grow up into adult heartworms and cause all the above problems. Starting prevention at a young age of 8 weeks is the best way to ensure your pet never has to deal with this disease. We recommend using a monthly preventative because 1. there is no cure treatment for cats, you just have to wait for the adult worms to die off and hope the heart (in cats they affect the lungs more) can handle the stress  and 2. the treatment for dogs its extremely expensive and you have to be very careful as it can be harmful if not administered properly and without the proper precautions.

If you've ever been to a vet (a good vet) they should be asking you if your pets are on heartworm and flea medications. If the pets aren't they should be trying to get you to put them on it. Heartworm disease can be fatal and it is just so heartbreaking to lose a pet to this disease since it can so easily be prevented.

That being said, after I discussed all the options and prices with the client, she stopped to think for a moment and then these words came out of her mouth: "Is heartworms really a serious thing or is that something you guys just exaggerate?"

For a second I just looked back at her completely confused and thought, did she really just ask me that? What the hell???

Quickly I collected myself and replied back very politely, "It absolutely is a serious thing! It can also be fatal and that is why we make such a big deal about it." I explained to her we would never exaggerate something just to get her to purchase medication. We pride ourselves on being a very progressive small animal clinic, there are some vaccines we don't recommend depending on the pet/owner lifestyle and risk status...why would we recommend medication that is unnecessary? I discussed the disease with her and gave her a few handouts to read over. I'm pretty sure she still doesn't believe me but she purchased the heartworm and flea combo chewable tablet (trifexis). After she left I looked just like the polar bear in the photo.

Now don't get me wrong, if you don't know about heartworms that's ok. I'm not ragging on her for not knowing that much about them but for thinking we would ever try to get her to do something unnecessary. But the thing that got me was I'm trying to help you protect your pet and you are asking me if I'm exaggerating. I take my job very seriously, especially stuff like this. I hope I wasn't being a jerk, I never said anything negatively to her, just educated her on the information.

However I don't think she believed me either way.

PLEASE!!! Keep your pets on heartworm prevention!!

www.americanheartwormsociety.com

Success Story

It's always nice to be able to share a sad story that has had a happy ending. About two weeks ago one of our regular clients of the clinic brought a little 5 week old orange and white male kitten because he appeared to have an injured hind paw. (Side note: These people are AMAZING, they are the epitome of "good Samaritans." Although they aren't wealthy by any means they do absolutely everything they can to help the little stray kitties in their neighborhood. They have spent a lot over the last few years on their own cats and strays that eventually become theirs as well.) She reported that the day before the little guy was running around apparently normal. Then this morning she found  him in her yard limping. He was one of three kittens that suddenly showed up in their yard a few days prior. The mom was nowhere to be seen. Upon examination of his paw we discovered that he had a partial amputation of his leg by unknown trauma. Poor little boo. I assume many people would think euthanizing him would be in the best interest of their checkbook (he was a stray after all) and the kitten. My vet exchanges a look with me and before we could say anything the foster mom asks "What can we do to fix him?" The doctor and I both smile. We were all glad to give the little guy a fair shot at life. We named him Hercules.

After determining that we should amputate--rather than leaving a partial limb that he may hobble on and accumulate pressure sores/arthritis--we discussed with the foster mom and she gave us the go ahead. The concern was that he was 4-5 weeks old and less than 2lbs. He was 1.4 pounds to be exact. We weren't sure if we would be able to intubate him with an endotracheal tube that would administer oxygen and isofluorane anesthetic gas. The plan was if we could intubate him do a complete amputation of the limb at the hip joint. Since he was so young we knew he would do extremely well and likely not even realize he was missing anything. If he was too small we would clean up the wound and bandage it until he was big enough to do surgery. In the meantime we put him on some pain medication and antibiotics it was Saturday so we would do surgery Monday after making sure he was ok otherwise. Blood work was normal. Surgery day came around and the little tube we had fit perfectly! Proceed to surgery!

Since he was the youngest and smallest patient I have ever anesthetized I spent several hours the night before reading articles about neonatal/pediatric veterinary anesthesia, drug dosages, after care, special recovery instructions. There were a few things we had to do different. Usually you fast for about 12 hours prior to surgery but with so young and small patients you worry about their blood sugar (blood glucose) getting too low, we had to feed him about 4 hours prior to surgery and then fast. I read their heart rate is generally a good deal higher than older (but still young pets) under anesthesia. We had to stay on top of his temperature, they get so cold so quickly when they are so little. It was a very high anxiety hour for me but he did extremely well with no problems and the doctor did an amazing job on the surgery. I had one hand on his little chest for a lot of the procedure (under the drape) just making sure his little heart was beating (even though my monitors said so, you have to check manually!). He woke up a little freaked out but we all took turns cradling him in warmies (warm water bottle thingies) and towels. He finally fell asleep and once he fully woke up from anesthesia he was a happy camper. The next day his foster mom reported that he was attempting to RUN around the house on three legs and was chasing a ping pong ball as well as the other cats. 

The greatest news is that Hercules has found his forever home. He new mom and dad came by the clinic today to meet him and his foster parents. And of course it was love at first site and they took him home.

What a happy boy! Also he may have a new name, Roosevelt, with a Roo. I think that's cute, but I'm just glad that we found someone to love him.

Edit: His new mom posted on facebook that his name has been decided—Franklin. Cute!

The dog that was shot

This week has been extremely crazy. Between trying to figure out what to do about my boyfriend's dental issues, pet sitting, my own pets, and work--I've got my hands full. One of the most insane things in my career as a veterinary technician happened two weeks ago, Wednesday evening. It was about 4:45pm and we got a call from a frantic owner; their dog had been shot and they were on their way to our clinic. They rushed her inside and lifted her onto the exam table. I immediately went over to her and cradled her head to soothe her but also to allow the doctor to examine her without her being able to bite. Which she never tried to do once. Her wounds were horrifying, I was completely shocked. Honestly I've never seen a gunshot wound in a dog. Her was shot at two times, or they fired off two rounds. One bullet grazed her head, slicing through muscle and leaving a 6 inch long gash down the back of her head. Any deeper she would have been dead. She also had two huge wounds on her chest and upper leg. She was bleeding a moderate amount when she came in. We began working on her immediately. 

After talking with the owners we come to find out the dog was shot by police officers responding to a domestic disturbance call at their home. I guess the dog became aggressive with them when they entered the home. I'm not sure exactly why pepper spray or a taser wasn't used first. Or even why they didn't ask the owner to confine their dog. She weighs less than 50 pounds. I wasn't there so I don't know the exact circumstances but it just doesn't seem right to me. When the dog came in she wagged her tail for us and never complained when examined. She never once snarled, growled, or attempted bite.
We placed an IV catheter and gave her pain medication. While we were placing the catheter she would lift her leg up so we could rub her belly. Sweetest pup. We took xrays to determine the extent of her injuries and found out she still had a bullet lodged her in chest. Also that the one that went into the leg area had broken her front left leg so badly that it required amputation or a visit to the specialist. 
It took the owners a long time to decide but eventually they authorized us to go into surgery and repair the laceration on her head. While she was under anesthesia we did a pressure wrap on her chest and leg as the owners were planning to take her to the specialist in the morning when they opened. We went into surgery at 6:45pm and didn't leave until 9pm.  The next morning they took her to the specialist and last I heard she was doing well but the doctors weren't 100% certain the leg would heal and everyone is aware that amputation cannot yet be ruled out. We are all thrilled! When they weren't sure if they were going to treat or euthanize her every staff member at the clinic looked like they wanted to cry, so so so glad we were able to convince them to give her a chance!
Update: She went to the specialist and they repaired the leg with a pin and an external metal cage to stabilize the leg. The specialists aren’t 100% sure if the leg will hold and she still may need to have it amputated but so far she is doing well!!

Social Networking for Vet-Nerds (pet parent stuff too!)

I keep trying to write my post but I'm distracted by my boyfriend watching this episode of National Geographic CIA secret experiments. This stuff is CRAZY. Whoa, I mean I knew about the MK Ultra experiments but watching a documentary on it is just so much more incredible than just hearing about it. Very interesting, I recommend watching it if you have cable...which we just got a few weeks ago. YAY! We've been without cable for about two years and finally decided to sign back up. Ok he just changed it to espn and I'm not interested in what is on there. Anyway this week I discovered something really cool for veterinary people and even pet owners. It's kind of like a social network for veterinary professionals. It's called VetVine (www.vetvine.com) and I originally found it when checking work emails. The email offered free e-course about heartworm disease if you signed up for the free service. I'm always up for a good bargain and registered myself the next chance I had. Although I missed the course and apparently there was some login issues (which have now been fixed); I have had the opportunity to browse the site and use some of the features. 

The purpose of VetVine is to bring veterinary professionals together in an online community, provide accurate and "expertly-authenticated" information for pet owners, and continuing education for professionals (free for students!). It also has an option to search for veterinary staff by location or name--in case you have a patient traveling and want to find a networked clinic/staff member. It's a very new website with only about 279 members but I think it may be a very useful tool. Pet owners aren't able to join but there are resources there for anyone to use if they are interested. It's just starting out but I can only imagine how it will help with contacts and networking at the next big veterinary conference. They are still adding information to the library as they go but right now for pet owners there is dermatology and ophthalmology topics to view.
I think what they are trying to do is have a website like www.healthypet.com (pet owners can search for networked vet clinics/staff and find educational information) but also have resources and socializing for staff. So far its much more geared towards vet staff but hopefully they will be adding more so that its interactive for everyone, but I'm rather impressed. Most websites exist for one purpose: Veterinarypartner.com has information for anyone. VSPN.org (for staff) or VIN (for vets) has forums, chat, courses, and library--almost all of it except the social aspect. VetVine isn't made to replace any of these other websites but to enhance the connections we make anywhere. Well at least this is my impression. Check it out :)
In other news, I reorganizing my apartment as we signed the lease for another year and we really need to figure out how to use this tiny space. I'm adding a bunch of shelves in the two rooms and bathroom in an attempt to take advantage of some unused vertical space. So far so good! It also makes it feel more like "my home" as I'm finding places for everything and making it look like we have more room then we have (not an easy feat!!!).

{TNTML} What do Vet Techs do??

I'm sure many of you have pets and have been to the veterinarian's office. Do you ever wonder what the veterinary technicians do besides hold the pet for the doctor? This is what most vet techs do around the clinic; keep in mind--not all clinics have "techs" (they have assistants which don't do as much medical stuff) and some just may not have all the skills below. Also for legality purposes all skills described in this post are performed under the direct supervision of the veterinarian on staff. 
Appointments: We take all the history and vitals including weight, temperature, and heart rate. We draw any blood or take samples that are needed as well as go over any estimates for recommended procedures/treatments/services. Prescriptions are filled at the clinic or called into pharmacies. If there is only one of us scheduled for the day the doctor helps us with radiographs (xrays) but generally we do those without assistance. 

Surgery: In preparation for surgical procedures blood work is performed to ensure the patient has no problems that would complicate surgery, an IV catheter is placed for IV fluids and for emergency venous access, drugs are calculated based on dosages the doctor provides. We prepare the surgical room for the patient, get all the necessary instruments and supplies, and set up the anesthesia machine. After the doctor performs a pre-op exam we are then able to induce anesthesia and prep the patient for the procedure. Sometimes the doctor helps shave and scrub if I'm busy setting up the monitors for heart rate, blood pressure, pulse oximeter (measures oxygenation), temperature, and depth of anesthesia. Once the doctor starts surgery we record vitals every 5-10 minutes (from the monitors as well as manually) and run the anesthesia. Based on vital signs I increase or decrease amount of anesthesia the pet is getting as well as administer additional pain medications or other drugs as instructed by the doctor. Once surgery is over we assist the doctor in discharging the pet at the end of the day by going over medications and home care instructions. OH! And sometimes in surgery if the doctor needs an extra hand (or two) I get to scrub and glove in!! So so so cool. I'd totally share photos if I wasn't worried some people would freak out over blood and such. 

Hospitalized Patients: Cared for by techs from doctor's orders. We do all of the treatments throughout the day. 

Emergencies: When they come the doctor performs the initial assessment and if the patient is stable he will go talk to the owners while we take vitals, place catheter, and start treatments. In cases of arrest CPR is started  the doctor is needed to access the patient and call out orders while one tech does chest compressions and the other is breathing for the patient.  
Dental Cleaning: This is the part that surprises everyone--and the inspiration for the post. Technicians perform dental cleanings!!! Yes that's right, when the pet is under anesthesia I get to clean and polish their teeth. If there are any extractions or dental procedures required the doctor does that, but yeah I clean their teeth. It's fun! Teeth are cleaned on all sides (which is why anesthesia is important and necessary--also all the tartar, bacteria etc should not be swallowed-so my stance on non-anesthetic dental procedures is NO), polished, fluoride foam is applied, and then if the owner wants we also apply a barrier gel which helps protect the teeth from build up of plaque and bacteria.
Besides the skills above I also discuss medical decisions with owners, end of life care, puppy training, food questions, behavior questions, and pretty much anything under the sun that an owner can think of and ask. If I don't know I ask the doctor. We take 99.5% of all the calls for the clinic and answer any questions, with the help of our veterinarian. Never EVER underestimate the power of veterinary support staff. And hey, thank your vet tech next time you are in the office--it means sooo much to us. (Seriously, I get so super excited when people genuinely appreciate what I do at work, so so so happy)
I plan to further my veterinary education soon, details to come :)

Pidgeons

So I get weird calls a lot at work. Today was very sweet but strange. A hotel guest was concerned about a pidgeon sitting on an overhang above her room. He wasnt moving and she was worried someone would hurt him.

"how do you get a pidgeon off a roof?"

I was like...ummm well I would just leave him there. If you cant reach him he's probably safe from others. She thought he was sick but unfortunantly orange county animal services will only come out for stray dogs and cats (and honestly they expect you to bring them in).

But yeah how DO you get a pidgeon off a roof???

Photo: my view from clinic as I play reception for the day.

Talk about mood swings…

 

GIVEAWAY HERE!!! ENDS TOMORROW AT 8PM EASTERN TIME!!!

So here I was all fine and satisfied with today. BF comes home and tells me 1. our AC isn’t blowing very cold (OH FUCK!) and 2. his paycheck didn’t come today (my words: because as usual his boss is to busy with everything else besides paying his hard working employees) so the check will come monday if we are lucky and at that point his next check is “due” thursday. WTF.

So I went from “ok” with today to pissed off and then depressed. WTH.

So now I’m writing this out because I’m irritated with the way I feel and reacted. My BF is worried because I started crying a little. I’m stressed about everything (when I have time to realize that is) and of course its my day off so I can sit here and think about stuff. We’ve had an awful two weeks at work, we must have lost 6-8 patients already. I’m bummed about my body, I’m working on it. Exercising and eating better.

I think just everything gets to me. UGH. Now I have to go to walmart (I HATE walmart) to get my secret santa gift for work and then shower since I exercised, ate lunch, then BF came home from work for a break and I got into a tizzy.

meh…

Oh crap, Christmas is coming…

Don’t forget the Giveaway hosted by Sew Mama Sew

CLICK HERE FOR MY GIVEAWAY!

Anyway, I’m just sort relaxing today. I still need to go to walmart and get my secret santa gift for our work christmas party saturday (WOOO!). Quiet day around the apartment (I’m off today) just received another klout perk, so so so awesome! Once I get the last few that are supposed to arrive I’m going to do a blog post about Klout.com because its awesome and you don’t really have to do much.

I’m doing better about the kitten being gone, it usually just takes a few days of getting used to him not popping up when he usually does. I miss him but he’s soo happy and so is his new daddy. He sends me pics every few days :) So yes, little Wesley (referred to as kitten or Boo previously) is doing very well and I am SO pleased :)

So what are you guys doing for christmas? I have to do the whole four christmases bullshit since my parents and davids parents are both divorced, his are remarried. So christmas eve night we see his mom. Then christmas morning we go to my mom’s, gonna try to sneak in a visit to dad after that (it’s a surprise) cause he always seems to get left out, then off to david’s dads house for the evening. Busy busy busy.

(and LAME I don’t think my dogs are invited anywhere except my Dad’s…UGH)

I’ll still haven’t quite figured out what to do for david for christmas. I love handmade stuff and I hate buying things because its just like he bought it for himself. I’m trying to get him to buy me a spirit hood (click) as they are sooo cute. It’s like a hoodie thing, halloween costume, and just super cute faux fur accessory that ALSO donates to wildlife charities AND ITS NOT REAL FUR (so awesome). He’s probably going to buy me some jewelry, maybe the next part of the lab created ruby he got me for christmas last year and our annviersary/my bday. Its super sweet and beautiful but I’m not a fancy girl so I hardly ever wear it. Either way it’s the thought that counts (although a diamond-hehe-whatever size would be appreciated also*coffengagementringcoff*)

Ha! We’ll see…

           Red Wolf------------------Gray Wolf------------Black Wolf (Navajo print)

So of course I want a wolf one (um if you didn’t know I love wolves now you do!) and definitely a problue one (that’s the ones that donate to wildlife refuges) and awesomely enough all the wolves are problue! Which do you think?? If you are wondering what the black wolf ears have on it, that’s the Navajo print, not sure why and that’s the ONLY think I don’t care for, the other two have regular lining.
Well I just felt like writing so yeah I exercised today (YES FINALLY!) and now I need a shower, then some food. Then clean things around my house. See you later <3

Puppies and Kittens: Vaccine Side Effects

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There are vaccine allergic reactions and vaccine side effects. The allergic reaction is much more serious and can be fatal if not treated. Basically when a pet has an allergic reaction to a vaccine it is similar to an anaphylactic reaction. This allergic reaction has symptoms of hives, swelling of face or vaccination site, hyper salivating, vomiting, extreme lethargy, and even seizures. In most cases a vaccine reaction will happen within a few hours of the injection. If these symptoms are seen your pet should be taken immediately to its veterinarian or to an emergency clinic. Usually all they need is an injection of diphenhydramine and/or dexamethasone (benadryl or steroid). I do not recommend trying to give oral benadryl in this situation, it can take oral medications anywhere from 45 minutes to over an hour to have effect. With an allergic reaction you need much faster route of administration.
Normal side effects are slight lethargy, soreness, slight fever, in-appetence, and just not feeling well in general.  These can go on for up to 24 hours. If they last more than a day following up with the veterinarian wouldn’t be a bad idea.
I have seen and treated several vaccine allergic reactions and all have recovered very well. I have also given advice to owners with puppies or kittens who were feeling a bit under the weather after vaccines—all who did quite well afterwards. I have never experienced either of them as a pet owner….until my foster kitten had his first vaccine.
He did great at the clinic and seemed fine when we got home but a few hours later he got really grumpy. Every time I would pet him he would whine and kind of growl, he felt warm but not really feverish, he didn’t want to eat, and he just sat in my computer chair with his head down and front paws tucked under his chest—we call this bread loafing, because they look like a loaf of bread I guess. I knew he wasn’t having an allergic reaction but he was definitely having the normal side effects but it really affected his mood. Once I realized the problem I brought him a bowl of food, water, and a blanket for him to lay on in the chair. I knew he wasn’t having a reaction that needed me to call my vet/friend but we just monitored him through the night. My boyfriend told me that the little guy vomited but that was over 12 hours since his vaccine and he hadn’t eaten dinner so I wasn’t really surprised.
The next day he was still a little moody but at least accepted some love so I tucked him in his blanket and put on a playlist of II Volo (young italian opera-ish singers…soo soooo good, check them out!) went to run a few errands and by the time I got back and he woke from his nap he was back to his normal self. Had he gotten any worse I would have called the vet.
Kitten Update: My friend D came and visited Sunday evening and made friends with the little guy. Then since all went well at their meeting I gave D the little guys toys, blanket, food, bowl, and written instructions (hehe!) and they were on their way. *sniff* They got home safe, little boo explored his new digs and passed out on his new couch. He’s doing well, probably better than me! (*sniffle*) And his name is Wesley…OMG SOOOOO awesome! (I have such a super crush on wesley from the princess bride—just in that movie.)  And I think it fits him really well. Here’s the pic at his new place. 

That looks like a happy sleeping kitty :) Now if I can only get used to him not snuggling next to me at night/mornings. *sigh*

#petfosterproblems

Emergencies

Usually tuesdays are a day for catching up at the clinic unless a patient has an emergency.

A client brought their young cat in yesterday because she thought she may have hit him with the car. He was more of an outside cat, not quite feral but not quite friendly either--just scared. Basically they feed and care for the neighborhood cats.

It turns out he hadnt been hit he was just very very sick. He has had an upper respiratory infection for a few weeks but they havent been able to catch him.

I guess the moral of the story is to spay and neuter your pets. These people try to do what they can but there are so many cats in their community.

Exotic Animals {posted on TNTML}

I wanted to share my latest post over at http://talknerdytomelover.com (TNTML) in case you don’t read over there. My series is posted every Saturday after Jen edits it. She’s entitled the series: The secret life of a veterinary technician. It’s just my take on life, heavy in animals since that’s my passion but I will also share just whatever is on my mind. Lately I’ve been talking about animal rescue and shelters but it was getting a little sad so the next few posts will be about past experience with exotic/zoo animals.
This is last saturday’s post :) It’s a bit wordy, sorry.
So most of this takes place at the University of Florida. I worked in their Veterinary Medical Center, Small Animal Hospital ICU/CC (intensive care unit/critical care) for almost 2 years. Although much of the experience I had with their management was abso-fucking-lutely horrible, the medical experience I gained far out weighed the emotional and mental trauma I endured. Now most of my direct patients were only dogs and cats but sometimes Zoological Medicine/Exotics would either have a patient in ICU (for better care then the zoo ward-no overnight care) or I would end up in Zoo med because they didn't have any overnight technicians to help them. 
Some of the most memorable cases were: the kangaroo in ICU, the wild doe in the zoo ward, the white bengal tiger in zoo ward, and the cougar in ICU. 

(that’s me up there!)
The kangaroo was in ICU because he needed to get fluids, plasma, and other medications usually all at the same time. So we had to place a central line which is a special intravenous catheter that is placed in the jugular vein. It has multiple ports that empty into the vein separately so the solutions are not mixed.  
The deer was a wild doe that was hit by a car. A good Samaritan (its what we call them in the vet world, and originally it is a bible reference) saw her get hit and brought her into the hospital on emergency. The driver of the car that hit the doe drove away. The man who brought her in also saw her fawn so he went back to find the baby who was hiding at the time. The veterinarian on call for zoo med came down to ICU to get some help. I volunteered. (I like doing different things) The vet asked the vet student (always a vet student on call during the weekend as well as vet) to put in a jugular catheter but she was unable to do so. He asked me to.
At this time in my career I had never placed a jugular catheter, tons of regular IV catheters in the legs and even ears. Yes, ears. Some dogs like basset hounds have big floppy ears which also have a nice little vein that can be used if needed. Well I figured it would be just like the other catheters only a much larger target. I never told the vet or the vet student that I hadn't done this before, because essentially I have, just not in this vessel. And I was successful! Unfortunately the doe had to be euthanized as she was fatally injured. The nice man who saved her from suffering was able to save her fawn. 
There's always happy and sad times in my job. 
FYI I only have one actual picture from this time to share currently but next week I should have more. My old laptop is not charged and like a very very bad nerd I didn't not back up any of my files so they are currently trapped on a computer that I cannot turn on. Annnnd the charger is MIA. I'm pretty sure someone borrowed it....like a while ago....ALSO I contacted my Senior Vet Tech/good friend (she was the lead tech on our shift until she went on maternity leave and then I became lead tech) and asked her to email me any photos she has from when we worked together. 
Anyway, the big cats will be next time! I MUST have photos of the kitties to show you with the post. Otherwise it wouldn't be fair :)
OMG! And let us never forget how AMAZING social media is because I posted on twitter and facebook that I needed to borrow a charger for an old compaq presario V5000 model--low and behold help has arrived!!! It isn't in the form of a charger but a facebook/IRL friend from high school contacted me and let me know that he has a compTIA A+ certification. So basically he's going to pull all the data off my old laptop for me even if we can't turn it on. Will only take about 30 minutes and he said NO CHARGE!! AMAZING! Do you know how much this usually costs? To copy over a hard drive? Its apparently called data recovery. I did a quick check online and it can cost up to $350. I may have to buy this dude some starbucks!
Yaaay!! Peace. Love. Pawprints.
-Lindsay @thecraftafarian

Where did I go??

(note: all images lead back to their original website as a means to give credit to those it belongs to)
Holy monkeys! I did not realize I had been absent for so long. My apologizes to anyone who has been following me closely.
To be honest I feel like I’m spinning slowly out of control. I’m exhausted all the time despite sleeping, depression is peeking its stupid face out (I wanna kill it), work at times is very physically, mentally, and emotionally draining, my apartment is a complete disgusting mess and I hate it (that makes it worse since when my place is messy I have a hard time being creative and rather than do anything about it I just sit there annoyed and watch tv), I’ve gained weight and feel gross (I know its not bad, I’m not even chubby but I feel unhealthy and its aggravates me), I can’t seem to get anywhere on time or get anything done. I’m behind on some things at work, behind on stuff for my etsy shop, just behind on everything. OH and I keep forgetting to take my meds which can be kinda bad if you want to keep your brain chemicals balanced.

So basically regular life stuff but I’m letting it get it me. I need to grab my life by the tail (horns? face?) and make it the way I want. Which likely means forcing myself to do things I really want to do but don’t feel like making the effort because I’m all lame and being depressed. I need to force myself to do yoga more often (it makes me feel SO GOOD), exercise, devote time to social networking and also for myself (reading, dog park, whatever). I guess what I need to do is make a schedule and actually stick to it. Its like my buddy Abby’s lifehacking (http://www.ageektragedy.net/2011/09/lifehacking-get-up-at-dawn.html ) series of posts where she gives tips or shares how she has done things in her life to change for the better. (or to achieve what you want)

So this starts today. Albeit its 2pm EST. I’m not going to starve myself or workout incessantly, I’m just going to try to change up some things for the better. Eat a little better, get myself into a healthy routine, add more yoga and exercise to make myself feel better and to make my life what I want. I’ll keep you posted on my progress as well as share any of Abby’s ideas that helps me.
This post turned out much longer than I intended. I was going to share a few other things so I’ll just share the two instead of three and leave the third as a post.
1. I am currently writing a series of posts for the AMAZING site: http://talknerdytomelover.com All I did was reach out to @JenFriel on twitter and tell her my idea/what I’d like to write about and she LOVED it! Basically its my life experiences but heavy on my stories from work or in the veterinary field. She expertly dubbed it “Secret Life of a Veterinary Technician” <3 Here’s my latest post: http://www.talknerdytomelover.com/home/2011/10/8/nerdsunite-the-secret-life-of-a-veterinary-technician.html

You can click on the tag with my name below the post to get to more. I will likely share some over here also. You can find me on TNTML on Saturdays as soon as Jen has edited my post.
2. I have also written for http://thenaughtynerd.com @Meowmistidawn and I are twitter buddies via TNTML and she asked me to write up a crafty post for her new site. AWESOME! See that post here: http://thenaughtynerd.com/home/2011/10/02/welcome-to-the-crafters-lindsay-the-craftafarian/

This website is for gamer girls and guys alike. It’s also for anyone nerdy, crafty, techy, or really whoever! Check it out!


That’s it for now!! Peace. Love. Pawprints. Oh and #nerdsnite

OCAS I was so proud of you…

UGH!
So I know you can’t have it all, all the time. But I was freaking proud of my county animal shelter last week. Since they are doing the ASPCA challenge (bah on the ASPCA too btw-that’s entirely another story as is HSUS and PETA) they are doing all kinds of awesome things to get pets adopted (yay!).  They have been doing an adoption event at a credit union near my clinic—started Sept 9 and is every friday in Sept. Awesome mobile adoption bus complete with AC and kennel. Really neat (photos to come) And I thought “awesome, my county shelter isn’t like all the others I am hearing about.” And I’m not completely wrong, our county shelter does work hard but this week I have just had it. Here are a few problems with this county shelter:
1. Some pets weren’t sent to their new homes with any paperwork (all my one client had from OCAS was the shelter cage card which only displays basic info: name/number, breed, age, color, gender, etc.) THE COUNTY—the people who enforce the animal laws. Like requiring them to have a rabies tag on at all times and to be vaccinated. These poor people didn’t have anything! AKA their dog could have been impounded (temporarily) due to no proof of rabies or receive a citation. (sept 9)
2. To make matters worse this was all on a friday. Saturday apparently the shelter DOESN’T ANSWER THE PHONE! You can call the county and they can TRY to transfer it over but it just rings to administrations voicemail (damnit I should have left a fucking message!!). I was un able to obtain any records for these poor new owners. They ended up driving down to the shelter, and I hope they were successful. I was BEYOND PISSED that they were open but wouldn’t answer the phone. (sept 17)
3. Adoption hours SUCK! They fucking suck. My dad and I were looking at dogs a few months ago and they flat out refused to show us any pets once it hit 15 minutes til closing time. Mind you this is a saturday afternoon and they were closing at 3pm. So no more visits after 2:45pm. Also they aren’t opened sundays. When the fuck do you think people want to adopt pets? ON THE WEEKENDS!!! (and we were looking at those who were up for review—review dates at shelters mean they are re-evaluated for adoptability, AKA euthanized if they aren’t kept longer)
To make matters worse for me this specific day I was visiting the shelter with my dad. I TOLD the staff that I was looking for a dog whose time was up. They had the audacity to tell me not to concern myself with that and to take into consideration their personalities and not their time limit. I looked that bastard dead in the eyes and said “Can you not seem how much personality there is here? I’m here to save a life. I can’t go on personality there is so much, tell me who needs to get out of here today.” Still not very helpful. When I brought up the no kill movement I always get the same bullshit. Blah blah blah owners responsibility, blah blah blah, pet overpopulation, blah blah blah living in cages isn’t a life. NEITHER IS FUCKING BEING DEAD.
*Seriously what kind of logic is this? Does that mean the homeless people and orphan children should be euthanized as well?
4. I’m not sure exactly what animal control is supposed to do other than CONTROL ANIMALS. I’ve heard numerous people complain that animal control doesn’t’ come pick up the stray animals or the wildlife that is harassing them (honestly it’s probably our fault for building in their habitat). If there are raccoons like terrorizing you and your pets you are SUPPOSED to be able to call animal control and have them do something. Apparently they like to try to make it seem like that’s not their job and they want you to call wildlife trappers—which you have to pay. WTF am I paying taxes for which pays county employees?!?!?!
NOTE: However I have recently learned, if your county animal control refuses to do the services they are paid to do by our taxes…just call the mayors office. That really lights a fire.
5. A client adopted a kitten over the weekend from the county. And she said if she had no fallen in love with her little boy Bingo that she would have told the staff (and one woman in particular) to take this cat and shove it. She said they were so rude and basically told her once the kitty is off property it is no longer their problem regardless if it gets sick. NICE. assholes. They ALSO told her if she didn’t adopt him that he would be euthanized. WTF?!
6. This is not the first time I have completely had it with them. Complaints pretty much go nowhere. My clinic has called animal control for a cruelty/neglect case and they did NOTHING.  I’m so tired of this crap. I stood up for them last week and the next day this shit is thrown in my face.
I mean honestly they aren’t nearly as bad as Memphis Animal Shelter but damn learn a little customer service and compassion.
**Note: Now the workers at the adoption event were very friendly albeit uneducated. They did their best.
Oh and PS- using the whole “these animals are going to be euthanized if you don’t’ adopt them” is bullshit, because it doesn’t even have to happen. Tompkins County SPCA went no kill OVERNIGHT. IT IS POSSIBLE.
*calms down* Ok well let me show you some photos of that day because despite these recent annoyances they do seem to try to find homes for their shelter pets.

Top photos: Inside the mobile adoption bus (its pretty cool)
Bottom photos: Left-from the road, right-outside of bus

These photos are of my clinic’s booth. We were giving out free stuff to adopters and answering any questions people may have had.
Top: left-cleaning up, center-our booth, right-close up
bottom: my chair and my dog River
It was a fun event, I just wish OCAS would get their shit together. We’ll see how they do in two weeks (they are going to be there this friday and next also) at Downtown Orlando’s Lake Eola Barktoberfest. I will be there for my clinic with a booth as will other vendors. It is a german themed event with beer and food. Should be super fun. If you are in the area come visit River and I!!
Peace.Love.Pawprints.

New look

I’m thinking about doing a new layout for the blog since I’m back and all. I update the favicon to a cute lil digital image I found of a peace sign and a paw print combined. If you can’t see it please let me know. The post I’m going to do tonight is about Animal Shelters. I’ve recently gained a large amount of knowledge regarding shelters and I really want to share it.
Anyway, don’t forget to join the GIVEAWAY!
and I’ll probably catch you up at some point on those other projects I seem to have forgotten…
GIVEAWAY!!!!
click up there :)
Oh have a some pictures to share!
 
This is me doing laser therapy on a patient who was suffering from acute tetraparesis (Sudden inability to use all four limbs). The specialist recommended surgery and gave her a 50% chance of recovering, her owners didn’t want to do that and brought her back to us to see what we could do or at the very least euthanize her with people she knew and loved. WELL….5 weeks later….

She’s walking again, on her own!!

5 weeks of laser therapy on her cervical vertebrae, physical therapy, a little bit of prednisone and we have one happy walking dog. And it didn’t hurt that she lost like 12 lbs while boarding with us.

This was a few weeks ago, her recovery that is. With all that has been keeping me busy I just didn’t get to share this with you. I hope to share more treatment stories. In order to protect her identity we will call this lovely Koko.
Come back and see me later, I’m off to go take care of a hospitalized puppy who is suspicious for parvo virus. Vaccinate your furry friends please! This case wasn’t the mom’s fault, she adopted the lil one this way. Poor new momma!
Peace, Love, and Pawprints,
Lindsay