The first case I saw when I walked in today was a goat that was urinating everywhere. Dr. Abi told me that the urination was due to the reoccurring seizures ( I saw at least ten seizures in the first thirty-forty minutes of being there). The owners claimed the goat had been tied up indoors for the past two days so there is no way it could have been poisoned. Due to the extreme dilation of the pupils and the tiredness (the goat did not even try to move) Dr. Abi did not know what else it could be but poisoning. It was given antibiotics and fluids but other than that there was not much else anyone else at the polyclinic could do. Most of the cases seen at the clinic are restricted in treatment because the polyclinic is funded by the government, doctors there can only make educated guesses for diagnosis due to the lack of tests available.
The next case was a little less severe. A calf was being treated for a dog bite and was dehydrated because it would only eat paper. The owners said that it preferred paper to the feed but it was making it sick. It was administered an IV in the jugular vein for the dehydration and antibiotics for the dog bite.
Today, I saw my first death in the clinic. It was a young lab who had come in because it had collapsed. Turns out the dog had parvo. As one of the assistants was administering the IV the dog fell still and all three of the doctors were called over. They were feeling for a heart beat and touching the pupil for any kind of response. For a brief moment it looked hopeful, the dog responded with a spasm then nothing. I knew it was too late when yellow fluid starting coming out of the dogs mouth. The owner was crying silently and praying when she saw the body. When the owners took the body away (the clinic will under no circumstances take care of a dead body) Dr. Abi told me the owners have been here quite a few times with different dogs. They have been trying to raise dogs for some time and each one keeps coming to the clinic in critical condition because the owners refuse to vaccinate. It blows my mind how something so easy and cheap here like vaccination can be ignored. When my sister asked me if I cried over the death of the dog today I said no. I was more frustrated than anything. It makes you think about all the animals that come in the clinic that don't have to die or don't have to be in this condition but because the owners would not take the initiative and get them vaccinated their lives are lost. I learned to shake it off today and just focus on the positive cases because if every doctor focused on the negative they would not be able to handle this job.
After a very interesting case came through. A Great Dane puppy had an edema with severe swelling in its abdomen. It was also anemic, making it very hard to administer any kind of fluids. When the treatment was nearing the end and Dr. Abi was explaining that they needed to keep coming in if they were going to reduce the swelling the owners said they would not be able to make it happen and needed to hear where they could drop it off. There is a wonderful place called Blue Cross that doctors refer cases like this. It is the equivalent of a no kill shelter in Trichy and will take care of any animal case and re-home. It is 100 times better to take it to this facility than just to drop it off on the street.
A small dog was abandoned at the clinic today. It was extremely dehydrated and the owners were told to go across the street and get the necessary medications (they never came back). I spent some time with the puppy brushing the flies off it and petting it. I was told an hour later than I should not be touching it because it was the clinics last priority. If it did not get picked up soon it would be put outside in the streets. I understood that because the place is government funded it cannot record treatment of animal that has no owner but I just wanted to show it some kindness. When I turned my back the assistant dragged it out of the clinic and I did not see it for the rest of the day. It is disheartening to see an animal abandoned. It does not know why its owners left but it is frustrating that they could not even have the decency of taking it to Blue Cross.
The rest of the day went by pretty slow. I helped hold a dog down that was being X-Ray-ed. It weighed no more than ten pounds but was very difficult to work with. Another doctor told me that small dogs are very ferocious and large dogs are much more docile and easier to work with. The last case I saw today was a kitten that had been bitten by a dog and became paralyzed for the waist down. Although it could not move its back legs it put up a fight when the vaccine was administered and bit the owner. Cats are my least favorite to work with because they are so unpredictable.
When we got back we had a delicious lunch and I just chilled out for the rest of the day. I cannot wait until I can start going to the clinic in the afternoon and fill my evenings with some purpose.
Tomorrow will be better because I actually pick up my zari from the tailor!!
The next case was a little less severe. A calf was being treated for a dog bite and was dehydrated because it would only eat paper. The owners said that it preferred paper to the feed but it was making it sick. It was administered an IV in the jugular vein for the dehydration and antibiotics for the dog bite.
Today, I saw my first death in the clinic. It was a young lab who had come in because it had collapsed. Turns out the dog had parvo. As one of the assistants was administering the IV the dog fell still and all three of the doctors were called over. They were feeling for a heart beat and touching the pupil for any kind of response. For a brief moment it looked hopeful, the dog responded with a spasm then nothing. I knew it was too late when yellow fluid starting coming out of the dogs mouth. The owner was crying silently and praying when she saw the body. When the owners took the body away (the clinic will under no circumstances take care of a dead body) Dr. Abi told me the owners have been here quite a few times with different dogs. They have been trying to raise dogs for some time and each one keeps coming to the clinic in critical condition because the owners refuse to vaccinate. It blows my mind how something so easy and cheap here like vaccination can be ignored. When my sister asked me if I cried over the death of the dog today I said no. I was more frustrated than anything. It makes you think about all the animals that come in the clinic that don't have to die or don't have to be in this condition but because the owners would not take the initiative and get them vaccinated their lives are lost. I learned to shake it off today and just focus on the positive cases because if every doctor focused on the negative they would not be able to handle this job.
After a very interesting case came through. A Great Dane puppy had an edema with severe swelling in its abdomen. It was also anemic, making it very hard to administer any kind of fluids. When the treatment was nearing the end and Dr. Abi was explaining that they needed to keep coming in if they were going to reduce the swelling the owners said they would not be able to make it happen and needed to hear where they could drop it off. There is a wonderful place called Blue Cross that doctors refer cases like this. It is the equivalent of a no kill shelter in Trichy and will take care of any animal case and re-home. It is 100 times better to take it to this facility than just to drop it off on the street.
The Great Dane puppy with the abnormally large abdomen.
The rest of the day went by pretty slow. I helped hold a dog down that was being X-Ray-ed. It weighed no more than ten pounds but was very difficult to work with. Another doctor told me that small dogs are very ferocious and large dogs are much more docile and easier to work with. The last case I saw today was a kitten that had been bitten by a dog and became paralyzed for the waist down. Although it could not move its back legs it put up a fight when the vaccine was administered and bit the owner. Cats are my least favorite to work with because they are so unpredictable.
When we got back we had a delicious lunch and I just chilled out for the rest of the day. I cannot wait until I can start going to the clinic in the afternoon and fill my evenings with some purpose.
Tomorrow will be better because I actually pick up my zari from the tailor!!
A very obese lab seen today. People sometimes put bindis on the forehead of their pets. I saw another one today on a cow! I bet they didn't know they were religious!
Nobody let the cat out of the bag until I left. Pun intended
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