My Take Tuesday: The Ruff Week

Some weeks just don’t go as planned. This past week has been somewhat of a rough one for me.

It all began on Sunday morning, as I stopped at the clinic to feed the animals. One of our resident reindeer, Titus, is in full blown rut. While normally docile and approachable, during the breeding season he morphs into a grunting, aggressive and unpredictable mess. As I was pouring out his feed, he apparently identified me as a threat to his masculinity. He left a large abrasion on my left arm, just above my wrist.

Monday also proved to be stressful. One of the most difficult surgeries I have to perform is known as an intestinal resection and anastomosis – in english: taking out a section of intestine that is diseased or otherwise obstructed. This surgery requires extreme precision. Fortunately, it was a success and the patient is doing very well. However, after a long day at the clinic, a three hour surgery can cause significant fatigue.

Tuesday morning, my first patient, a small dog, bit my right hand twice before I could even react. The owner, after witnessing the vicious attack, said, “Oh, she sometimes bites.” “Gee thanks,” I muttered.

Thursday night, I stayed at the clinic following an after hours emergency, while moving around in the dark trying to lay down on my cot, I tripped over a box and landed face first on the ground. The fall caused a large 3” gash on my right leg and actually ripped the small toenail off of my right foot.

A cat bite later in the week added to my list of deleterious events. A cat bite is never a good thing, as research shows nearly 50% of these become infected in humans, and as luck would have it, this one swelled up almost immediately.

To culminate the stressful week, Sunday morning, while making preparations for a trip to the veterinary school at Utah State, I passed out. Extreme fatigue had finally caught up with me, and rest became mandatory.

Life is full of rough patches, and often these events occur in unison. Perhaps, when things are going a particular way, we tend to focus on it, whether positive or negative. Whatever the reason, I am glad it is a new week.

A week like this begs the question, “Where is the glory?”

Despite events such as these, I am living my dream. I am doing what I love, and enjoying every minute of it.

Glory comes from the love of life, the love of people, the love of animals, and the love of of being able to help those animals and their owners.

I love being a veterinarian!

And that is my take.

N. Isaac Bott, DVM

 

 

This past week, I received the devastating news that a beloved family member is suffering from a very severe infirmity. News like this is difficult to process. Much of who I am can be attributed to this family member. He is a man’s man, and is the best human being I have ever known.

My thoughts turn to an exchange in one of my favorite books, Edmond, who has suffered unspeakable torture and pain is addressing a young but courageous Albert. He says, “Life is a storm, my young friend. You will bask in the sunlight one moment, be shattered on the rocks the next. What makes you a man is what you do when that storm comes. You must look into that storm and shout… Do your worst, for I will do mine! Then the fates will know you as we know you.” (Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo)

Animals and people dictate what happens every day for me. Simple routine appointments can turn out to be complex once the unpredictable yet potent potion of human personality is added to the mix.

A few months back an elderly woman came in to the clinic. Her cat had been suffering for weeks with non-stop itching. As I examined the cat I noticed that this itch was insatiable. The poor cat had scratched and irritated nearly every inch of its body in an effort to satisfy the intense itch. The scratching was so intense, that nearly her entire body was covered with bleeding sores.

A diagnosis of mites was made after taking a skin scrape and looking at it under a microscope. This particular mite is elusive and difficult to find even for the most experienced veterinary dermatologists. However, it is highly contagious.

As I began speaking with the owner about the severity of the diagnosis and the need for immediate treatment, I could tell that her mind was wandering. She was clearly not focusing on what I was saying. I politely asked if I had said something that did not make sense or if she had any questions. Often, the open ended questions will allow a client to discuss their concerns, however, I was not prepared for what happened next.

“Doc, do you think I have what she has?”, her voice was inquisitive. “Excuse me?”, I replied, “What do you mean?” Before I could say another word, this elderly woman dropped her pants. Literally right to the floor. Her legs were covered in large red lesions. They actually looked like checker boards. I learned that day, albeit involuntarily, what “granny panties” look like.

I am easily embarrassed, and when this happens my face turns a deep red. I stammered, “I…. I’m… a… I am sorry ma’am, you will have to go to your doctor for that”. The beet-red shade on my face persisted even after I exited the room.

As crazy as this may seem, I have had worse things happen while going about my daily appointments. However, those are saved for another My Take Tuesday.

My job is never boring. The two legged creatures that come in keep it from ever being so.

And that is my take.

N. Isaac Bott, DVM

 

 

#DocBott

For those of you following the story of Miss Kiss, here is an update on her touching story. I am so happy that she is doing so well. We thank Utah Valley Animal Rescue, PoundWishes and Levitate Med…

Source: Videos

 

My Take Tuesday: I thought you were a salesman!

Sometimes the obvious is subjective.

It was a beautiful spring morning. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and the red sun was just beginning to peek over the majestic rocky mountains.

It was the perfect start to the day for most folks. My day however, had started much earlier. It was preg checking day on the dairy.

The diagnosis of pregnancy in cattle is made via trans-rectal palpation. A shoulder length glove is worn by the veterinarian. The glove is well lubricated and then the arm, at least up to the elbow, is inserted rectally. The veterinarian palpates through the rectal/uterine walls for fetal membranes, an amniotic vesicle, cotyledons and/or a fetus. This method is very reliable and an experienced veterinarian can determine pregnancy as early as 30 days.

This particular morning, I had performed this procedure on over 150 cows. I was tired, but was only half way finished.

As I continued with the long line of cows, a gentleman in a cowboy hat came up to me.

“What are you selling?,” he asked. “Excuse me?,” I responded.

He continued, “what company are you with?”

“I am Dr. Bott, the veterinarian,” I responded.

“Oh,” he continued, “I thought you were a salesman.”

I didn’t know how to respond to this. The situation became awkward really fast.

I have yet to meet a salesman elbow deep inside a cow.

If you ever do meet one, I would most definitely be skeptical.

And That is My Take
N. Isaac Bott, DVM