Zoology Intro | A Bug's Life | ER for all Creatures Great and Small

E.R. for all Creatures Great and Small
By Isabella Choi

___At 7:30am in the morning, still half asleep, we are warmly welcomed into the RSPCA Veterinary Clinic by veterinary surgeon Kate Mills. Kate has been working at the RSPCA for three months. She graduated from the University of Sydney in 1997 and has since worked in four veterinary clinics in Sydney and England. Kate starts her day in the already hectic clinic by logging onto the computer to select her patients for the day.

___At 8:00am, Kate takes us to the hospital area to see her first patient, Mickey, a six month old Shi Tzu dog. Mickey was attacked by a neighbour’s dog and had his jaw broken in the fight. Kate records Mickey’s weight, temperature, and heart-rate. She also feels his bones and musculature to check for any additional damage. Hopefully, Mickey will undergo surgery to fix his jaw this afternoon.

___Most people who take their pets to the RSPCA for treatment do so because they are unable to afford the full one-off surgery fees charged at private veterinary clinics. They come to the RSPCA to see whether it can offer a more affordable alternative. As a charitable organisation, the RSPCA is on a tight budget, and operations can only be performed if the owner agrees to pay a deposit and commit to a loan repayment plan.

___In Mickey’s case, the surgery will cost around $1200, of which his owner has paid a deposit of $300. Unfortunately, this down payment is insufficient so Kate has scheduled a meeting with the owner of the dog that wounded Mickey to discuss further payments to save Mickey’s life.

___Kate tells us that working at the RSPCA is very different from her previous jobs. She must now balance an animal’s welfare against financial considerations. RSPCA resources must be efficiently allocated, meaning that difficult and sometimes heart breaking decisions must be made. As she explains to me, she must focus on the larger economic picture when deciding whether to spend $1000 saving one animal, or the same amount on de-sexing and re-homing ten.

___At 9:30am, after checking hospitalised shelter animals, consultation hours begin, and Kate sees private patients. Her next patient is Max, a Maltese Terrier who suffers from sore ears. Kate creates a relaxed environment for Max and his owner by engaging in conversation about Max’s recent behaviour while she gives him a body check.

___Unlike humans, animals cannot tell us what is wrong. Kate must rely on her knowledge and experience, as well as the owner’s observations, for her diagnosis. Max is overweight and seems to have itchy skin and dental problems. Kate suspects that there may be fungus or bacteria in his ear. Samples of Max’s ear wax, observed under the microscope, confirm this hypothesis. After explaining Max’s problem to his owner, Kate prescribes eardrops for Max and demonstrates how to administer them.

___The next patient is Rocky, a young cat with a mysterious spot of grease on his back. Rocky has a painful looking limp. His owners believe he has been hit by a car, a guess corroborated by Kate. Rocky’s leg can be amputated or pinned at considerable expense. Alternatively, he can be put down or surrendered to the RSPCA. The reality of their financial situation forces Rocky’s owners to surrender him to the RSPCA. There is a chance that the shelter will decide to pay for Rocky’s treatment. As we leave, Rocky’s owners digest their decision. Kate explains that this is “the very distressing reality of the capitalized world”.

___At 1:20, Kate hurriedly eats a sandwich whilst consulting books in preparation for the surgery to re-join Mickey’s broken jaw. She is excited, as this is the first surgery of this type she has performed, and surgery is Kate’s primary field of interest. Kate chose to work for the RSPCA for the wealth of surgical opportunities it provides and because the RSPCA makes a positive contribution to the community.

___At 1:45, Kate injects Mickey with anesthetic and inserts an oesophagus tube. The vet nurse shaves the fur on his chin and scrubs his skin clean. Mickey is connected to a pulse oximeter to monitor his heart-rate during the operation, while Kate scrubs her hands and changes into surgical robes. We put on masks and caps and enter the theatre.

___At 2:25, Kate carefully begins to cut Mickey’s flesh to access the fracture in his jaw. Fifteen minutes later, she reaches the site of the break. The head vet, Mark, who has had experience in this type of surgery, assists her. As shown by the X-rays, Mickey’s lower jaw is broken in half. After a short discussion, Kate and Mark decide to insert a pin across the two broken halves, securing the pin with wire.

___Mickey’s surgery lasts more than two hours. Mickey’s jaw bone is very dense, and it requires a lot of effort to drill the two holes where the pin will be inserted. The wires keep slipping, hence making the surgery very challenging. Finally, the pin and wires are inserted and secured. After removing splinters of bone from Mickey’s flesh, Kate stitches the wound closed. She gives Mickey a dose of antibiotics and puts him under the X-ray to check the surgery results. At 5:00 pm, Mickey slowly wakes up, his life saved by an enthusiastic and compassionate vet.

Zoology Intro | A Bug's Life | ER for all Creatures Great and Small