…it’s all in a day’s work for Wayne Smith, the owner of Spalding’s Alder Veterinary Practice.
Here Wayne gives us a run down of a typical working day.
6am: Alarm goes off and it’s all hands to the deck to clean, feed and water the eight dogs, 14 cats, two rabbits, 28 guinea pigs, two tortoises and a hamster, as well as feeding the humans (five children and two adults!) This is a joint effort that needs all of us except the baby.
7.30am: Leave home for work. Stop at the field to check the seven horses. They will be fed later. Give Tilly, our 24-year-old, her medicine for PPID.
8.20am: Arrive at work. Check on in-patients. Only one paying guest today, a little cat that had a laparotomy and samples taken from her abdomen yesterday. She is doing well and I discuss her treatment with the nurse. We have two of our non-paying guests! These are two stray cats that we have been treating and will be re-homed soon (check out our Facebook page – we nearly always have several cases like this).
I have 14 appointments to see me personally this morning and nine booked operations to share with another vet.
8.45am: Feeding a seven foot anorexic snake that is recovering from a respiratory infection. This requires a long stomach tube, three people to hold and a chair! (The snake has to be held upright).
9am: Start morning surgery. Mainly boosters and minor ailments this morning which gives me more opportunity to enjoy the animals and talk a bit longer to their owners.
10.40am: Finished morning appointments. Time for tea break! We normally eat our lunch at tea break as there is no guarantee that there will be time later.
11.10am: Emergency been rushed in. Collapsed dog with rapid shallow breathing. Very pale gum colour, bleeding from gums and bruising under the skin. Enlarged fluid filled abdomen. Young dog and rat poison has been used locally.
Rang one of our local greyhound owners who arrived at the surgery within 15 minutes. Took blood from this dog and transfused into our severely ill patient. Treated with vitamin K (the antidote for rat poison).
12.30pm: Grabbed a cup of tea and a bit of food and went to join the other vet with the routine operations.
I took some x-rays of a poodle with a lameness on a front leg, investigated and flushed a dog’s nose and treated a rabbit for fly strike (maggots invading the skin).
Meanwhile the three cat spays and two dog spays were carried out by my other vet.
The collapsed dog is already looking much better and we continue with intravenous fluid support.
3pm: Finished surgery. Time for another cup of tea and food.
3.30pm: Start evening consultations. Eighteen appointments booked for me tonight.
Very busy with a mix of boosters, minor to more serious illness, lumps to check and first vaccinations – I really like to see people’s new kittens and puppies – composing of three rabbits and an even mix of dogs and cats.
7.05pm: Finished for the day. Rat poisoning dog doing very well.
Will be monitored overnight.
7.45pm: Home for dinner!
