Total pages in book: 132
Estimated words: 123171 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 616(@200wpm)___ 493(@250wpm)___ 411(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 123171 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 616(@200wpm)___ 493(@250wpm)___ 411(@300wpm)
The woman laughs, running her finger over her collarbone. “I would like that. I'm Christina, by the way.”
“It's very nice to meet you, Christina. Tonight, I can buy you a real drink.”
My last panel of the day is more of an informal Q&A, where members of the audience present different health issues they’ve dealt with or are currently dealing with, and the group of vets discuss different ways we would approach treatment. I enjoyed it last year; though, varying opinions caused more than a few heated discussions.
We’re all quite passionate about what we do, and we all share the same love of animals. It fascinates me to see some of the older vets stuck in their ways, and to see some of the younger vets refusing to take tried-and-true advice when there’s something “new” available instead.
I like to think I fit somewhere in the middle, with an open mind. If something isn’t working, then it’s time to try something else. Bottom line, you need to do what needs to be done to take care of your patients.
Our current case at hand is something that hits a little close to home. A teenage girl wants to adopt a few of the nurse mare foals that are here at this very clinic, and her mother wants our opinion on it, saying it’ll be more work than her daughter imagines.
The general consensus from the vets at the table is that taking care of a foal that needs to be bottle-fed is a full-time job.
“I think it’s great, and quite impressive, to see a young person have such initiative to want to help out animals from unfortunate situations,” I commend the girl. “Taking care of any rescue horse, not just a foal, is much more of a commitment than most people think. Not just timewise, but emotionally and financially.”
“That’s a great point Dr. Harris makes,” another vet says. “The emotional toll is not something many people think about. Success stories get shared all over social media, but when you work with severely abused or neglected horses, sometimes the kindest thing is to let them go peacefully with whatever dignity they have left. This isn't the case with the foals, but I do think it's something important for anyone considering going into rescue work to realize. And I think you would agree, Dr. Harris?”
“Definitely. I think the first step would be to volunteer at an established rescue to gain experience working with rescue horses and to see the amount of time and effort that is put into managing their care.”
The girl’s mother seems satisfied with the answer, and the girl is eyeing all of us up here at the podium with annoyance. I’m glad her mother has the sense to bring this up to a panel full of veterinarians. Bottle-feeding any animal is a commitment, and we've had dozens of animals rushed into the clinic because they weren't fed frequently enough. Bottle feeding a kitten is enough of a task, but when you have to go out into a barn to check on a foal, it's an even bigger one.
“I don’t mean to say this in a way to deter you from helping,” another vet says. “But I think I speak for most vets when I say we appreciate when someone takes the time to do the research before taking on the responsibility of rehabilitating an animal. It’s quite heartbreaking for us to have to deal with the consequences, even when the intentions were well-meaning in the first place.”
There’s a bit of murmuring in the crowd. I can hear that some agree, and I can hear others thinking he’s being too harsh. It’s definitely a fine line, that’s for sure. In a perfect world, pets will be adopted before they're purchased, uncertain issues wouldn't be a deal-breaker. Hell, every animal at my house has some sort of “issue.”
“I think what Dr. Brendan means,” another vet chimes in, reading the energy of the room. “Is that taking on your own rescue horses is a really big responsibility. Not being prepared is a disaster waiting to happen. And I know from my own experience, but when you have a big heart, it can be hard to know your limits.”
“That’s perfectly summed up,” I agree. “And that can be applied to owning any sort of animal, not just taking on the responsibility of a rescue. I promise you your veterinarian will thank you if you go into pet ownership fully prepared.”
We move on to another case, that has to do with breeding. Now, this is a subject that is sure to get people riled up. Half an hour later, the panel wraps up, the audience disperses, and I go with the other vets to get something to eat.
“I hope we didn't offend anyone,” one of the vets says. “Or scare anyone away from wanting to rescue horses.”