Furry-Within

   I've decided to start this thread because a couple of people have approached me to ask about pet health and pet care. Since I'm employed at a vet and work closely with veterinarians and veterinary technicians, I figure that I have some unique insight on the topic of pet care.

   I'll periodically offer a bit of advice, stories from my workplace and technical information about medications or the terminology we use as well our jargon. Be advised that some of the things that may be brought up or discussed is graphic in nature and may not be suitable for those of you who are over-sensitive.

   That being said, if anyone has questions about pet care or what it's like to work with pets for a living, do ask and I will answer to the best of my ability. In the event I don't know the answer to a question, I do have access to reliable sources that may better answer your questions.

   To kinda start things off I'll give you a little background about what I do. I am a Kennel Attendant and the purpose of my job is to clean cages, feed/water/clean the pets and to keep the building clean, stocked and organized. The difference between my position and most other Kennel positions, is that I frequently work with doctors and technical staff by restraining pets, cleaning sensitive and surgical equipment, cleaning and stocking the surgical and dental rooms, client education, medicating pets, assisting with euthanasias and assisting with minor surgical procedures. The majority of the pets I deal with are dogs and cats but I also have experience handling rats, rabbits, lizards and birds. I've handled about two dozen different dog breeds. I have worked with pets at the same practice for almost ten years in addition to my mother being a veterinary technician for almost twenty five years.

   Okay, so this first bit of advice is directed primarily at dog owners. When walking your dog, walk it on a leash.

   Now, you might be thinking: "Razz, that's some shitty advice. It's so painfully  generic, everyone already knows to do this." Sadly though, in my experience roughly 1/5 of dog owners don't use leashes. They claim that their dog is a good dog and would never run away from them or they choose to remain ignorant about what could potentially happen to them, their pet or some unassuming and hapless bystander.

   Allow me to tell a story. One that  reinforces the importance of using a leash.

   It was about a week before Christmas, a Saturday. I was still new to my job and it was my first time working the holidays. It was around 2 in the afternoon when I hear the call "Technician and a stretcher to the lobby." So, I initially thought that it must have been a large dog that was having trouble walking. I follow the Technician up with the stretcher and what I saw was burned into my mind.
   A pair dog owners and mostly a pair of dogs. One owner was carrying a dog, a large Chocolate Labrador Retriever. It had its front left leg ripped out of the socket. The other owner was carrying a large cloths bin. In the was another dog, also a Chocolate Lab and it was torn to pieces. Chunks of bone, flesh and organs. I'm  certain that wasn't all of the dog, only what was salvageable.
   The dog was immediately taken into surgery to assess and close the wound. I was tasked with bagging the pieces of the other dog and, assuming I could find a foot, make paw prints for the owners. The dog's surgery was successful and it was resting quietly and later, the Doctor who performed the surgery was speaking with the owners, trying to get information on what happened.
   The dog owners were engaged and were set to have a Christmas wedding. They were out on a jog with their dogs and they didn't have them on a leash. They figured that because the dogs were trained, they wouldn't run off spontaneously. That however, was proven wrong. Something had gotten both of the dog's attention and they ran after it. The dogs were on the nearby train tracks when the owners caught up to them... just as a train came by, ripping on to pieces and tearing the leg off of the other. They were siblings, born in the same litter, grew up together for six years and never knowing what life was like without each other. So now instead of the couple paying for a honeymoon, they then were paying for surgery, medication and a cremation. All it took was for one laps in judgment, one assumption.
   I'm reminded of this every time I see a dog not on a leash. I tell this story every time an owner says their dog is trained and wouldn't run away. This is why using a leash is important. It helps keep you safe, your pets safe and helps prevent unfortunate events from happening.

A very brief look at cat and dog body language.

   As we all know, pets (and animals in general) don't speak or understand in the same ways we do. This, more often than not, leaves us with only body language to interpret. Understanding a pet's body language is very important especially in terms of safety around stray cats/dogs and pets you're not familiar with. I've included a couple of behavioral charts, two for cats, one for dogs. Any information you glean from these charts is to be taken with a grain of salt. Just because a dog is wagging its tail, doesn't mean that it's friendly. Just because a cat rolls onto its back and stretches that doesn't mean it's an invitation for  belly rubs (a lot of cats dislike belly rubs.)

A list of commonly used abbreviations.

DA2PLP-C = Canine Distemper Vaccine
BORD = Bordetella Vaccine / Kennel Cough Vaccine
RV1 = 1 Year Rabies Vaccine / Rabies Puppy Booster
RV3 = 3 Year Rabies Vaccine
HW = Heartworm check
OCC HW = Occult Heartworm check
FVRCP = Feline Distemper Vaccine
FELV = Feline Leukemia Vaccine
FIP = Feline Infectious Peritonitis
FIV = Feline Immunodeficiency Virus
B&G = Bath and Groom
E&D = Euthanasia and Aftercare
AGE = Anal gland expression
NT = Nail trim
SR = Suture removal / Staple removal
BRD = Boarding
SX = Surgery
TX = Treatment
HX = History
BX = Biopsy
ABX = Antibiotic
QD = Once a day
BID = Twice a day
TID = Three times a day
QID = Four times a day
EOD = Every other day
CBC = Complete Blood Count
GLU = Blood Glucose
INJ = Injection
OVAR = Ovariohysterectomy / Spay
CAST = Castration
UA = Urinalysis
OC = Office call
V+ = Vomiting
D+ = Diarrhea
Ō = Own / Owned

Quote from: RazzFeatherwing on February 07, 2017, 11:48:34 AM
A list of commonly used abbreviations.

DA2PLP-C = Canine Distemper Vaccine

...that's being...general.  The DA2PLP is acually:
D-Distemper
A2-Adenovirus-type 2
P-Para-influenza
L-Leptospirosis
P-Parvo

Most clinics just say "Distemper and rabies" when giving vaccines, but it's always good to ask.  Young puppies and older dogs can sometimes be sensitive to the lepto vaccine (The DA2PP part is a powder, usually mixed with either the liquid Lepto vaccine, or distilled water).  It also depends on where you live.  Rural areas should ALWAYS get lepto, same with anyplace with standing water.  The Lepto virus is carried by rats and shed in thier urine.  This can easily mix with standing water that dogs may drink.

Just becuse they can fit in a microwave, dosnt mean you should use it to dry off said pet

Why not?