Tracy gave me this card for my birthday two years ago, and I found it in my desk this week.  Still, I believe, the funniest card I’ve ever received.

At any rate, Rufus’ mom is a Princeton grad and her birthday was just before Halloween so I finished this up for a well-timed and coordinated gift.  Apparently it’s getting rave reviews at the office.

]]> http://www.anundonecalm.com/2008/11/08/a-finished-product/feed/ 1 http://www.anundonecalm.com/2008/04/20/vet-bills/ http://www.anundonecalm.com/2008/04/20/vet-bills/#comments Mon, 21 Apr 2008 03:04:17 +0000 Anne http://www.anundonecalm.com/2008/04/20/vet-bills/ Continue reading →]]> When people I know personally (from situations outside of work or veterinary school) complain about their veterinary bills, it’s hard for me not to take it as a personal offense. I was thinking about that on Friday as I was walking home from a bar where I’d met up with some college friends. As we were parting, one of my friends asked me how much a canine dental cost. I responded that they start at about $400 and go up over $1000 for severe dental disease, but that her 2.5 year old dog would likely be towards the low end of that spectrum. My friend’s boyfriend responded, “Oh hell no! We are not paying that for our dog’s teeth!”

Thanks. Way to make my work feel under-valued and under-appreciated. (In her defense, my friend did hush him).

First, I’d love to know what he was expecting it to cost for his dog to undergo full anesthesia, a dental cleaning, and dental xrays (est. $400), not to mention any necessary extractions, surgical flaps, nerve blocks, etc (the additional costs). I have so much difficulty understanding how people demand that veterinarians provide first rate medical care for their pets, but then can’t fathom when our charges must correspondingly cover for the cost of the supplies and services. If people didn’t have health insurance and paid fully for their medical procedures, perhaps they’d have a better idea. I can swear to you that I don’t get paid anywhere close to what a physician does, nor do veterinary nurses and technicians get paid anything close to that of a registered nurse – so it’s not like that money is ending up in my pocket. I don’t expect us to be paid equally, I just wish people realized how the entire veterinary industry seems to hover just in the black, always walking the fine line between making money and making things affordable for owners. The median annual earnings for a veterinarian was $72,000 in 2006.

Second, don’t get a pet if you aren’t prepared to pay the associated costs. Just as you wouldn’t (responsibly) have a child without being able to afford their care, you shouldn’t have a pet if you can’t afford one. Or, you can have the pet, but you have to realize that you might encounter a financial liability that you can’t take on. You can’t expect veterinary care as a right, free of costs.

It’s one thing when I see owners who I can tell are legitimately being faced with tough monetary decisions about their pets and their veterinary care. It’s another thing entirely to have my well-educated, and mostly well-paid, acquaintances from Dartmouth, Darien, or Manhattan complaining to me about those costs. It feels like an insult.

Introducing the newest member of the Cloudman clan, Cheddar. He is approximately four months old, and so far enjoys: pouncing on my head at four AM, clawing at my new FLOR tiles, and purring nonstop. I decided being the only vet in New York City without a pet was starting to seem like that hairdresser with a bad haircut…. you just had to wonder.

I had a genius idea at work this week. I conjured up a project! Not just any project though. It is veterinary + nutrition + internet + math + numbers + amazingness. Obviously I can’t give the idea away here because it is going to be revolutionary and make me world famous. Okay, perhaps not. But I’m excited about my concept.

In summation:
I admitted 169 animals to the hospital: 91 dogs, 65 cats, and 13 exotics.
I saw 483 animals as outpatients: 327 dogs, 149 cats, and 7 exotics.
I euthanized 96 animals: 39 dogs, 50 cats, and 7 exotics.

Totals by species: 457 dogs, 264 cats, 27 exotics.
Total: 748 cases.

(These numbers do not include any cases that I saw in conjunction with a specialist (surgeon, cardiologist, oncologist). They represent only cases that I saw alone.)

Now in reflection on these numbers….

• Dogs dogs dogs! There were twice as many dogs as cats – thank god. Dogs are muzzle-able. Cats have claws and infection-causing pointy teeth.
• Cats are sicker when they finally get to the vet. I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before but New Yorkers will bring their dog to the vet after one weird poop, but the cat can hide in the closet for two weeks before they do anything about it.
• It feels like I euthanized way more than 96 animals. On New Year’s Day alone I swear I euthanized at least ten animals. (“Just make it through the holidays…”)
• Numerically the total is not very impressive. A general practitioner who works 260 days a year would probably see roughly twice to three times as many appointments. I worked 330 days in the last year and saw only 748. These numbers do not represent, however, any of the inpatient care. For at least 18 weeks of the year I was on a team managing 10+ inpatients. For another 18 weeks at least 4-5 inpatients. And 1-2 for the remaining weeks.
• Anyway you look at it – it was a lot of work.

Characters: me, newly-hired laundry staff member (aka. lab coat nazi)

Scene 1:

• Me: I need a new lab coat.
• Nazi: Didn’t I just give you one a few days ago?
• Me: Yes, and now it’s covered in blood, poop and anal glands. I need a new one.
• Nazi: What size?
• Me: 38 or Small.
• Nazi: (scanning aimlessly) I don’t know if i have that.
• Me: Can I just look? There were a ton here last week.
• Nazi: I can’t let you in here anymore.
• Me: Why not?
• Nazi: That’s the rules.
• Me: Fine. Just give me a coat.
• Nazi: (finding a Small missing two buttons) Here. You’re lucky.
• Me: Thanks.

As if I should actually need to feel “lucky” for being given a defective lab coat. As if a clean lab coat is somehow a privilege and not a necessity.

Scene 2:

• Me: (finding the door to laundry locked) via overhead page: Laundry to the Laundry Room.

ten minutes later….

• Me: via overhead page: Laundry to the Laundry Room.

ten minutes later….

• Me: (muttering) This place is ridiculous. Heads down to clinics in poopy lab coat.

Scene 3:

• Me: (finding the laundry room open and unattended, rifles through the disorganized racks, finds an appropriately sized, clean, intact lab coat).
• Nazi: (finding an intern in her laundry room) What are you doing in here? You can’t be in here.
• Me: Why not? I need a lab coat. I’m not going to steal them. Or hoard them. Or do ANYTHING inappropriate with them.
• Nazi: Tell that to my boss.
• Me: Who’s your boss?
• Nazi: Dxx Rxxxx
• Me: (rolling eyes, sarcastic) No problem. Tell her to come find me if she has a problem with lab coats.

Needless to say, my patience is wearing thin. Particularly about things like lab coats.

Instead I come home to an empty apartment.

At least there’s music. And earl grey tea. And my roommate’s cats.

Then I met Chloe and Zoe. Zoe just hides under Sara’s bed (and occasionally poops on mine). Chloe, though, is pretty much the best cat ever. She talks, she purrs, she makes this endearing mrmrmrmrmrmrrrr noise. She stands on the back of our kitchen chairs and paws at you to give her food. While she definitely wants her dinner, she not too annoying about it. She loves to be held, never bites or scratches, plays with toys and smells good.

So now, having experienced the fantastic Chloe-monster (as I call her), I’m tempted to get a cat. But then… what if it wasn’t like Chloe?

Dealing with employers makes me uneasy. They either want a commitment now, months in advance, or they can’t even tell me what jobs they’ll have open in July. It seems like it would be all too easy to time it wrong, put too many eggs in too few baskets, and end up with no job at all. Though I suppose that vacation by default would be fine (for a little while).

I do want to take some tennis lessons this summer.