Days 47-50: Cysts, Bite Wounds, Birthing

Nothing too much happened throughout most of the days between days 47-50 besides the basics (nail trims, ear cleanings, simple doctor appointments/checkups, etc.), so I combined everything that happened during those four days into one post.  Anyway, during these days, the only real/major issues we had were a Poodle mix named Sammie with a couple of strange cysts on his body, a Saluki named Loy with a bite wound, and a pregnant/birthing Pomeranian named Bolla.  Sammie’s surgery was fairly simple; Dr. Lou surgically removed the two cysts, and when we opened them, the first cyst (the larger one that was on his head) was simply made of skin cells, and the second cyst (smaller one on his back) was filled with pus and dirt (a cottage-cheese like substance), so it was basically a large pimple.  Loy had been bitten by another dog, so Dr. Lou cleaned his wound, inserted drainage tubes where needed, and stitched up the smaller areas; a normal procedure for a dog with a bite wound.

The large cyst on Sammie's head.

The smaller cyst on Sammie's back.

Dr. Lou lasering off the cysts.

The area on Sammie's head all stitched up after the cyst was removed.

Dr. Lou lasering off the cyst on Sammie's back.

Loy recieving a light dosage of anesthesia before Dr. Todd fixes his bite wound.

Dr. Todd placing the drainage tubes through the wound, and sewing up the smaller parts.

Loy, the Saluki.

The biggest issue/emergency we had was with Bolla, the Pomeranian who was pregnant and giving birth to her puppies.  This pregnancy was the third of three unwanted pregnancies (another reason to spay your female dog!), yet for some unknown reason, the family still hadn’t gotten her spayed.  She came in with an already-born puppy, and with a puppy stuck in the birth canal.  Because of this, Dr. Todd performed a C-section on Bolla.  The one that got stuck in the canal was dead (there was a lot of greenish-black fluid around this puppy, and it smelled really bad, as of dried blood; Pat said that those signs are a sure sign that the puppy is, unfortunately, dead), but the other two puppies (there were four puppies in total, including the dead one) were fine.  This situation was especially cool for me because this time, I was able to help clean the puppies and get them to breathe.  As soon as Dr. Todd cut open their sacs and pulled them out of their mom, Pat wiped them off and got rid of the sacs, and then Jen and I wrapped them in towels and quickly (yet gently) rubbed them and turned them over while wrapped in the towel to get them to start breathing and crying.  It took a few minutes, but after they began to breathe and cry, Pat used a bulb syringe to suck the excess fluids from their nose and mouths so they could breathe clearly (as well as so they wouldn’t choke on those fluids while trying to breathe).  After we further wiped them off, we placed them into an incubator with their first-born sister (they were all girls).  Dr. Todd then completed the C-section by spaying the mom (automatically done when performing a C-section), stitched her up, and then placed her in a cage in the recovery room.  I wrapped her in some blankets and gave her a little pillow so she would be warm and comfortable when she woke up, since she would most likely be freezing after waking up from the anesthesia.  After a while, once she was fully up and functioning, we were able to place the puppies into the cage with her so they could be with their mom, and also begin nursing.  We kept monitoring her and her puppies throughout the afternoon, and they were all doing perfectly fine.  Around evening time, her family came and took her and the puppies home.  It was a really meaningful way to end one of the last days of my internship!

Bolla when she first came in, with her first-born little girl (dark brown, by mommy's tummy).

Dr. Todd beginning the C-section.

Pulling out one of the puppies (it was the one that got stuck).

Cutting open the sac.

This one was the dead puppy; it looked very strange, and like I said it was covered with a lot of greenish-black fluid and smelled really bad.

Pat wiping the puppy off and getting rid of the rest of the sac.

The next puppy.

The last puppy, which was also the one I rubbed, and helped breathe and clean off. 

Mommy all wrapped up and warm after surgery.

Mommy with her puppies.

Mommy and puppies going home.

The last day of my internship was a really sad day for me.  I brought in a thank-you cake for everyone to enjoy, and they ordered pizza for us all to enjoy as well.  I hated saying good-bye and leaving everyone, and I especially hated saying good-bye to all the animals, specifically the stray kittens and dogs that I had bonded with and grown attached to over the course of my internship.  I really, really enjoyed the whole learning and hands-on experience; I find it almost unbelievable the amount the hospital taught me and allowed me to help with in the few months I was there.  I’m really going to miss working there, but I am definitely going back during my school breaks to either work as a part-time Technician, or as a volunteer (whichever one works out best).  Either way, I’m so thankful that I had the opportunity to have/do this internship, and I’m so thankful towards the hospital for taking me in and mentoring me; I’m extremely happy (and almost disbelieving) with how much learning and hands-on experience I was able to achieve.  I definitely know now that being a Veterinarian is the occupation for me, and I’m not going to let anything prevent me from achieving that goal.