Any vets around? I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to them!

[neweurope]

Here it happened again... 8 p.m., pitch dark, freezing temperatures, a stable without running water or electricity and a sick horse.

This veterinarian (but it could have been damn near any other, they're all great or at least most of them) - looks like a boy, feminine even, nobody you'd want to send outdoors under those conditions - this vet doesn't blink, doesn't hesitate, shoves his bare underarm (and I KNOW he was freezing because I was and my arms were NOT bare) into the mouth of a terrified, 600 (maybe 700) pound creature which could HURT you... Mine lamp on forehead, he rasps his teeth which is not a nice job under the best of conditions. Gets some warm water to wash his hands afterwards SOLELY because we lug warm water to the horses when it's freezing, he just lucked out. Soap I didn't have any and I even forgot about my stack of towels! :blush: He never misses a stride, traipses back through the dark to his car to get his own towel, comes back to give instructions AND converses nicely for another ten minutes. In the dark, everybody freezing.

KUDOS, is that what you say? My deepest respect. They are worth any cent they earn, and Lord knows it's expensive to have them around. A big hooray to vets!

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[neweurope]

1. Kick - nobody grateful to his/her veterinarian?

Strange.

By the way I meant kilos, not pounds...

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[liberalpress]

2. Actually, yes, I am

I have four cats. My vet, who has a large animal practice also takes care a few small animals while he's out anyway. If you've ever tried tried to rassle a cat into a carrier to get it to the vet, the luxury of house calls is irreplacable.

I'm Not Worthy

[neweurope]

5. Yes - house calls are great. Also great that a vet with large

animal practice takes care of your cats! Same with our usual veterinarian (we got one for everything and a specialist for teeth): He's a small animal practitioner, but he's also a horseman, and animals come first no matter what kind of animals. He'd tackle a bear if need be, I'm certain.

And he's a man of many resources. He confessed to me that once he just couldn't get the bad tooth of a dog out with all of his instruments... so finally he went to his cellar to get a pair of pliers from his car repair kit. Normally he takes care of dogs, cats and birds, maybe one or the other hamster, but I've seen him work with our horses, with goats and wild boars. And all animals trust him.

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[MissHoneychurch]

3. Sounds like your monster is going to make it

wonderful news :hug:

[neweurope]

4. Yes, he's got along way still to go but for this time it looks like

he'll make it.:)

Aren't vets great?

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[Flaxbee]

22. glad to hear he's going to make it!

My oldest sister is a veterinarian... her speciality is marine mammals (mostly research now). Yes, most vets are very bright, very nice people!

[CottonBear]

6. What a great job the vet did! Floating teeth w/ a rasp is hard work!

I hope that you horse is eating and chewing properly now! :)

My filly had her teeth floated this past fall. The vet was wonderful. All that drilling and grinding and rasping was pretty scary. Fortunately, Cotton was well-sedated.

[neweurope]

7. AAh, Cotton already had to have a tooth job? Poor filly!

But I hate the sedation... Of course it makes it easier on everybody concerned, including the horse. But last time our "dentist" did the teeth of both of our old boys I found it terrible! Head hanging, eyes rolling, wobbly legs, I'm afraid they'll break like match sticks if they can't get sorted out... I am usually a very brave woman if I say so myself. But that time I found out I'm a coward at heart. I gave the halter of MY OWN HORSE to the SO, saying I couldn't take that, and left the stable! :blush:

Adonis is still far from over the hill; he's got more trouble than just the teeth. Also what the vet did was just emergency work. He'll have to come back with his full equipment; we'll have to rent a generator, so he'll have electricity, and he'll want to pull out two teeth and work on all remaining others :scared:

But still: Where would we be without vets?

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[CottonBear]

10. Cotton had her wolf teeth pulled & her first regulary scheduled floating.

The vet recommends twice yearly dental work until she turns 5 then every year or so after that. I may be able to afford once a year floating. I had no idea she had wolf teeth which needed to be pulled! I'm learning as I go.

I hope Adonis (and you) will be OK! :hug: :hug: :hug:

Some horses deal with the vet better than others. My dental vet uses a special halter, which is attatched by a rope to an overhead beam, to hold the horse's head up. We put all of the horses in a stall to recover and we keep them out of the sun and heat until the sedative wears off. The vet worked on about 8 horses' teetth that day. It was a lot of work! Poor Cotton just leaned against the wall of her stall with her head down near her feet after her teeth were done. :(

Take care!

CB

[neweurope]

11. Twice a year! How expensive! We don't do that over here with young horses

only for the old ones a dentist check every year is necessary, it is said (but with exceptions: Adonis should have the dentist over every half a year - but my SO, the owner, doesn't do it. That's also not meant to say we do it BETTER over here, I hope you know what I mean). And, yes, we are all learning as we go :)

We just have a little open shed for the horses. Normally that is very good! Because they can move in and out as they please. Adonis, who has been having arthrosis and some problems with his spine way before we bought him, hasn't needed a vet for that since he's been out of the box and living with us. But in an emergency it's bad that we don't have stalls.

That special halter you speak of would scare me no end. Somehow when they are sick I myself turn horse and everything potentially frightening to a horse frightens me then. Totally wrong of course, and with strange horses I'm quite the help. But when my babies hurt...:blush:

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[CottonBear]

16. Twice a year is very expensive and only the rich can afford it.

The dental vet that we use also works on multi-million dollar race horses and show horses in Florida. He recommended a dental schedule for Cotton of twice a year floatings but I will just have her done once a year until she's five. He says this will ensure that her teeth grow properly while she is still growing her adult teeth. He wants her teeth to never hurt her when I begin training her to the bit and bridle.

I've got to budget in the farrier, the equine massage therapist, the regular vet visits and immunizations along with her tack and feed and my riding clothes and boots. These critters are expensive! I'm learning to trim her feet myself. I'm learning from a natural farrier. Cotton will not need shoes!

Give Adonis a kiss and a rub on the withers for me! :hi:

[neweurope]

17. You are right, we are not rich and will have to make do, and so

will our horses. If they aren't spoiled (spoiled with love, yes, but not overprotected) they will not need most of what's suggested!

Thanks for kiss and rub, and you scratch Cotton's shoulder for me:)

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[CottonBear]

19. I will give her a scratch in the morning when I see her!

I had a meeting tonight and she was fed by my friends who own the farm where she lives. (They bred Cotton and I bought her from them when she was a tiny 6 month old baby! She's 2 1/2 now, 3 in May.)

The "fancy vet" (as we call him) recommends regular dental care during the time that they are growing in their adult teeth. I'll have him do her teeth this fall and the next. After age five he says that they need dental care less often. He told us about several multi-million dollar racehorses who simply began to refuse to run. As it turned out, their teeth were all out of whack and hurting them so much when the bit and bridle were put on. :( He fixed their teeth and they began to race again!

Like you, I believe in giving them love but not spoiling them. A spoiled horse is a naughty or dangerous horse. Cotton knows I am the Alpha Mare in our little herd of two. She is very good. I've been working with her since the day she was born so she really trusts and respects me which is good sonce she's almost 1,000 pounds and well over 15.2 hands now! :0

I hope both of your beasties are doing well! :) I know you love them so! :hug:

Peace. CB

[neweurope]

24. So I learned something again - that thing with the race horses

and their teeth was new to me. Maybe it is because they start them so very young...? - Here's a :hug: from me for your compassion!

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[u4ic]

8. Glad to hear Doni will be ok!!

:bounce:

[neweurope]

13. Thank you!

:hug: He's far from recovery, though; matter of fact the SO just said he didn't see any improvement at all.

But I do! Small, but noticeable.

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[trof]

9. Reminds me of "All Creatures Great and Small".

One of BBC Television's most popular comedy drama series for many years, All Creatures Great And Small was based on the novels of James Herriot.

Starting in 1936 and ending some time in the early 1950s, the stories chronicle the lives of the vets in a small practice in the Yorkshire Dales.

The main characters are James Herriot (Christopher Timothy), Siegfried Farnon (Robert Hardy), Tristan Farnon (Peter Davison) and Helen Herriot (Carol Drinkwater, later Lynda Bellingham).
http://www.phill.co.uk/comedy/acgas/

[neweurope]

14. Oh, how Iove those books! Never been someone to watch TV, but love

Herriots books. They portray the work, the animals and the people so beautifully. And Herriot is someone who sees humor no matter in what bad situation. I love him. Matter of fact just last night after our vet had rasped those teeth I spoke of him to the SO.:)

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[Patiod]

12. I LOVE our vet

It's a Cat Clinic, and our cat even loves him.

We love you, Dr. Connor!!!!

[neweurope]

15. There you go.) Let me shout with you: I love you, Dr. Peter

Derichsweiler and Dr. ? Schulze-Kersting :) Of course, Peter also loves my potato salad which makes him doubly dear to me *g*

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[skygazer]

18. I have so much respect for large animal vets

All vets, I don't mean to leave out small animal vets - I've had them really come through many times. But they are usually working in their own office with all the amenities - large animal vets are out in cold barns in inclement weather and at night, etc. Pretty cool.

One of my best buddies is a vet and I used to work for her, particularly assisting on large animal cases. We spent one freezing spring night delivering a pair of dead twin calves in a drafty barn (for those who aren't aware, this means cutting up the calves and removing them in pieces) - thankless, brutal job that is. Yet there's something about being needed by this frightened and hurting creature that makes all the discomfort seem a minor thing.

I'm glad your critter is okay and I'm glad you have a good vet.

[neweurope]

25. Must have been a terrible job with those calves!

Brutal, but NOT thankless. After all you saved the cow's life! You are right, large animal vets are heroes :)

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[flvegan]

20. Remember that veterinarians have clients that can't tell them where

it hurts.

I can also safely say that if not for our caring vets and their charity, either I would be in huge, ugly debt, or animals would have died.

I cherish them, and I praise, promote and defend them when I can/need to.

[neweurope]

26. As we all should:) True, they have a lot of intuition guessing

what's wrong with the animal. And our vet is slow with sending the bills, too... which I'm very grateful for!

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[Benfea]

21. You wanna show gratitude to vets?

Go and find the nearest and largest VA hospital. Chances are they have a volunteer program of some sort, and you can sign up. There are incapacitated vets in there who have paid the penultimate price and have been rewarded by having society totally ignore them.

[neweurope]

23. Veterinarians, not veterans, sorry for the misunderstanding.

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[Benfea]

27. Sorry. My bad. >.< n/t

[Orsino]

28. Blessings of the gods upon them. n/t