Two weeks at a veterinarian’s

1. Two weeks at a veterinarian’s Report about a work experience at a veterinary practice in Wilhelmshaven in January 2012 written by Laura K. (member of the APE-Team of: Gymnasium am Mühlenweg, 10th class)

2. Content • The veterinary practice - the facilities - the patients / animal protection - how to become a vet • The staff • Activities in the veterinary practice: - removal of tartar at a grown up cat - spaying of a female cat - spaying of a male rabbit • How to become a vet • Description of my second week of the internship: - from :Monday, 16th January 2012 - to: Friday, 20th January 2012 • Conclusion

3. The veterinarian practice Entrance to the practice The House, seen from the garden

4. The veterinarian practice:the facilities Dr S. opened the practice in May 1987. The practice contains now two treatment rooms, two rooms for stationary treatment, an operating room, a room for X-raying, a waiting room, an office which, at the same time, is the recreating room for the staff and a storeroom for medicine and feed; there is also a reception area. Dr S. chose the place (a house with garden in a street with single family houses) 25 years ago because there were enough parking facilities for customers in front of the house and because the house was ideal for using the upper store for private living.

5. The veterinarian practice:patients Karin S. treats mainly small animals in her practice, e.g. guinnea pigs and cats; but sometimes there is an exotic animal among her patients, e.g. a roe deer or a grey. The most frequent treatments are vaccinations and castrations. animalprotection • Dr S. is also committedtoanimalprotection: • Once a weeksheis in theanimalsheltertohelpthere. Shehasbeen in theadvisorycouncilforseveralyears. Also manyspaying in her practiceisdoneforanimalsfromthelocalanimalshelter.

6. The staff Six persons: - Dr Karin S., the vet - three veterinarian assistents (reception and help in the treatment of animals) - one apprentice who is trained for becoming a veterinarian assistent - one cleaning lady All members of the staff are female. 

7. Activities in the veterinary practice

8. Activities in the veterinary practice:Grown up cat - Removal of tartar The first activity I could observe was the removal of tartar of a grown up cat: At first the cat gets a local sedation. Then you set a wedge between the jaws of the animal in order to get better to the teeth. You remove the tartar with a special tool and polish the teeth with a another tool with a small motor . cat with a wedge between the jaws ->

9. <- removal of the tartar polishingtheteeth ↓

10. Activities in the veterinary practice:Spaying of a female cat The activity I saw most frequently was the spaying of a cat. The cat gets a local sedation and is tied to the operation table. Some fur is removed where the cut will be made. For disinfection you put Kodan on the spot. Then you open the spot with a scalpel. You cut through the outer and inner level of the skin and the abdominal wall. cat on the operation table

11. Activities in theveterinarypractice:Spayingof a femalecat When the lower abdomen lies open, you take the ovaries with a lifting hook. The fallopian tubes are ligated at the ovaries and the beginning of the uterus with three knots. The part which is tied off can be cut off and removed then. Then you close the abdominal wall, make a continues suture in the inner skin and several single stitches through the outer skin. At last you cover the wound with aluspray to protect it against dirt and minimize the risk of disinfection.

13. Activities in theveterinarypractice:Spayingof a male rabbit Different to a cat a rabbitcan‘tget a localsedation, because itisvery sensitive to anaesthetics. . Thereforetherabbitis connectedto a respirator whichslowlyand in exactdosagesupplies „Isofluran“ (a verygentlenarcotic) totheanimal rabbit at a respirator

14. Activities in thepractice: Spayingof a male rabbit When the rabbit has fallen asleep, you shave it so that the testicles are free and spray alcohol and „Kodan“ on them for disinfection. Now you can open them with small cuts and tie them off with an hemostatic clamp. The testicles are tied off with a thread and then removed. The hollow places that came into being from this are filled with antibiotic cones as protection against infec- tion.Then the wound is sutured and covered with aluspray.

15. How to become a vet

16. To become a vet you have to… • …pass the „Abitur“ (highest school-leaving qualification in Germany) • … have a thorough knowledge of natural science, especially biology and chemistry • … study for at least five years at university • … get well versed in all fields of medicine: from surgery to dentistry or, if you decide to do so, • specialize in, for example, epidemic research at university or as „Amtstierarzt“ (~ vet working for local authorities or government)

17. Description of my second week of the internship

18. Report: Monday, 16th January 2012 • 9 – 11 am: spaying of cats from animal shelter and private owners in the operating room (vet) • meanwhile: dentistry work (done by the veterinarian assistents) on cats in one of the treatment rooms • 11 am: consultation hour and surgery begins in both treatment rooms (e.g. 12h:20 infusion against dehydration for a cat with bad cold, 12h:45 another late spaying) • 1pm: lunch break; my job: to clean the operating instruments from the morning • afternoon: again consultation hour and surgery (e.g. cutting claws, vaccination, …)

19. Cats from the animal shelter in transportation boxes, waiting for spaying Instruments after sterilizing Treatment room with razor and other instruments

20. Report: Tuesday, 17th January 2012 • 9 – 11 am: again spaying of cats; and a surgery on a dog: tumour removal; I was allowed to operate the respirator during this procedure • 11 am: consultation hour and surgery : cat from yesterday is brought again and taken as in-patient • early afternoon - my job: to sort injections in their right places • afternoon: again consultation hour and surgery, e.g.a budgy with a tumour at the wing, a rabbit which has two teeth extracted

21. silvery aluspray on the wound of a freshly spayed cat respirator extracted teeth

22. Report: Wednesday, 18th January 2012 • 9 am: I have to look after our in-patient, the cat • 9-11 am: castrations, as always; young cats from the animal shelter; I learn that working days of a vet can resemble each other • 11 am: consultation hour and surgery : a cat with cystitis(gets special food for the body‘s defenses), a dog with bad kidney function reading (owner had asked for advice) • afternoon : no consultation hour for me to observe in the practice, but Dr S. is in the animal shelter

23. Report: Thursday, 19th January 2012 • 9-11 am: castrations; the cat which I‘m allowed to look after, is still there; I take care for our in-patient • 11 am: consultation hour and surgery : a main coon cat that is blind on one eye is blood taking and control and is vaccinated • afternoon : not many customers; we have time for stocktaking; 4pm: a dog with ear infection; then again time for sorting drugs and clearing up the practice; I likes this day less than the others because there was not so much new to observe and not so many patients

24. Report: Friday, 20th January 2012 • 9-11 am: the usual castrations; I look for the in-patient cat with the cold for the last time; at 12 am her owner can come and fetch her back • 11 am: the dog with the tumour removal is back for control; everything in order; some other patients • lunch break • 3 pm: routine examinations • 5 pm: a sea gull is brought, broken wing; no chance to survive in freedom, therefore euthanized • 17h:30: a dog with a swollen leg, x-rayed, nothing broken, gets something against pain • Such is the end of my last working day here; it showed me again how varied the working day of a vet can be.

25. X-rayed paw examination of the sea gull

26. Conclusion • The two weeks of work placement showed me what a working day of a vet calls for; I learned how to handle human customers and animal patients. • The working day is long; but although a small animal vet usually stays in one house for the whole day, you meet all kind of humans and animals. There is much routine, but although varied work with very different kind of animals and tasks. • I was a bit sorry that in a veterinarian practice only trained people are allowed to handle the animal patients. Nevertheless, I liked observing the varied treatments. • I experienced how skilled I am when dealing with animals and that I can integrate myself into a working team. • I especially liked the moment of the tumour operation of the dog, when I was allowed to operate the respirator. During this task I could observe, ask questions and contibute a little part by myself.

27. Conclusion • Now I know better how important it is to find a job that you like and where you show your best motivation. • These two weeks showed me which professional direction I would like to choose. I would like to learn the job of a veterinarian or another medical job. • I know now that it is important to follow school and the lessons in natural science most carefully to get access to the necessary universitarian education to reach this aim. • The time in Dr S‘s veterinarian practice helped me to collect some first experiences; I was welcomed cordially and enjoyed my work placement very much.

28. Thank you for your interest ! Pictures: All pictures were taken by Laura K. during the work placement. Only the picture of the staff was taken from Dr S‘s Website: http://www.tierarztpraxis-wilhelmshaven.de/seiten/team.htm