Bye Bye Bulimba

Today was my last day of work!

Quick background: One of my daily jobs is to take a picture of each dog that has stayed the day at Bulimba Vet Surgery. Then I print the photos and put them in these little booklet things that say "My Day at the Vet".

Well, today I did surgery!!!!

It was a neuter (called a castrate here) on a big 4 year old Boxer/Rottweiler mix. And I got to do everything from premed to recover! After given the pre-med the doctor and I take him in and she holds while I induce and then intibate (put them to sleep and then put the tube down their throat) I've done all this before but things got so strange and backward feeling when the doctor starts shaving and scrubbing the dog, and I go to scrub in! It was so weird telling the doctor what to do as if she was my nurse! haha instead of asking for the blade, I would be like "do you think I need the blade now" hahaha.

Neutering takes strength!! haha I won't be too graphic but I was just not expecting to have to use that much errr force? haha After castrating I did the subcutaneous sutures and the skin sutures then we were done! We carry him to his kennel and I sit with my first surgery patient while he wakes up!

After going back to the main room all the staff is standing there and they bring out cheesecake and a picture of me doing surgery in one of those "My Day at the Vets" packets! With more pictures during surgery inside and they had all written nice notes to me! Of course I get all teary but then we all eat cake and sit around for a minute until I head off and say goodbye to Bulimba Vet Surgery for good!

Bulimba Vet Surgery taught me so much! And I learned by doing which is the best way! Of course in the mornings I was always like "I dont wanna go to work!!" and if we were slow I'd be itching to leave early but when I look back on the summer I could not have asked for a better internship. The doctors would quiz me on surgical techniques while I was monitoring anesthesia or during consultations with clients would make me suggest diagnosis and treatment options, which would be sooo frustrating but I'm glad they did it!

Now all that is left is packing, shopping and traveling!