As a vet student, I spend a lot of time treating and caring for other people’s animals when they become ill or require medical care. Unfortunately, as a pet owner myself, sometimes I need to take off my “veterinary professional” hat and instead don my “client” hat when medical issues arise with my own fur baby crew.
A few weeks ago, my little old lady Henle who is 16 years young, began showing signs of a urinary tract infection (UTI). After 24 hours of unresolved symptoms, my roommate and I brought her into the ER at the veterinary teaching hospital at Davis. There, our classmate on call took amazing care of her and helped us navigate the diagnostics that confirmed that she did, in fact, have a UTI.
Henle was a trooper and cooperated with all of the poking and prodding, even intently watching her own bladder and kidney ultrasound examination on the little display screen. Fortunately, antibiotics helped her to start feeling better the next day and I could breathe a sigh of relief at her improvement.
As a pet mom and veterinary professional, it can be difficult to not worry about every little potential sign of illness. For that reason, I know that being a pet parent will help me to be the best veterinarian I can be. I understand the worry and concern of clients who bring their fur children to see me and am so honored that I have the ability to work with them to help their pets feel better. Because, at the end of the day, I know that I would want exactly the same reassurance if I were in their shoes. As long as my little old lady stays comfortable and happy, I can rest easy.
