This week is the first of our surgeries for the area animal
shelters. Because I have the position of surgeon this week in my
group, I have been responsible for the daily care of our patient
this week. We have been assigned a beautiful mixed breed female dog
to spay tomorrow. My best guess is that she is a German Shepherd
and Catahoula mix. We have also guessed that she is between 1.5 and
2 years old. Her kind, playful nature is a true testament to her
innate trust of humans. Through all the hardship that she has
endured in her life, she still has a positive happy outlook.
I am nervous about performing the spay tomorrow. Although I know
that I am fully prepared to perform the procedure, I am hopeful
that it will go smoothly. I can't wait for her to recover and be
ready for her new home. I am hopeful that a family will see the
same beauty and caring eyes as I do, and that someone will show her
that life can be better than she has ever experienced. I just plan
to do my best to keep her as healthy and happy as possible while
she is in my care.
This week I also start my first rotation in the clinics. I will
be spending Wednesday each week for the next month with a different
rotation in either the small or large animal clinic. This Wednesday
I will be spending the day with small animal soft tissue surgery. I
will also be joining the feline internal medicine service, the
equine lameness service, and the ambulatory service that takes care
of animals at prisons in Texas during this month. Each week will be
a very different experience, and I am excited about what I will
learn.
Third year continues to offer exciting experiences, and I am
beginning to get very excited about spending next year in
clinics!