Helping One at a Time

Recently I went to Boston to do a two week externship at Angell Animal Medical Center.   It is a wonderful hospital with a grand history of excellent small animal veterinary medicine...and currently is one of the best hospitals on the East Coast!

I was fortunate to spend my time in the surgery department, where I got to scrub into a bunch of really cool surgeries (don't worry, I won't bore you with the details).  There were some great cases I saw and got to help out with, which further reminded me why I love veterinary medicine!  One of the interesting cases I saw: a hindleg amputation on a gerbil.  Why?  Because it got hit by a train.  A toy train.  Poor 'lil guy!  (This makes me think about all those cartoons with the damsel in distress tied to the railroad tracks.  Maybe there was an evilrat stroking his mustache at the time...)

The case that will stick with me the most is Lucky the Ass Cat.  I was hanging out in the surgery department when a clinician from the associated MSPCA shelter came by to ask for assistance from one of the surgical residents for their Ass Cat (as everyone kept calling her, as you will see why).

*This is Lucky the Ass Cat.  She loved her box and would sleep in it.  Her butt has no hair in this picture; it was shaved for preparation for surgery.

A cat came in that had her tail degloved (this means the skin was torn off).  They didn't know how it happened, but knew that the cat was in some serious pain.  I went with the surgeon, who carefully assessed the patient and determined that a tail amputation would fix her just right.  Even though this trauma had happened and was most painful, Ass Cat was the sweetest purring kitty.  Since the shelter was super busy, I ran the anesthesia on the Ass Cat.  The surgeon performed the tail amputation and Ass Cat did great under anesthesia.

Every day after that, I would visit her to see how she was doing.  She would purr and act like nothing had ever happened.  Thankfully, the shelter renamed her Lucky, but she will always be Ass Cat in my heart*.  She taught me that even under the most traumatic situations, it is possible to act with grace and kindness.  Lucky the Ass Cat was never angry at the world for what happened to her, just happy that people cared enough to take care of her.  And I will never forget the graciousness the surgeon showed to help out an animal in need, glad to be able to help when needed. This case really reaffirmed what I learned in Boston and what I love about veterinary medicine: medicine and love can cure a lot!

*note: Yes, she is a black kitty - my weakness.  And yes, I did think about taking her home, except I already have neglected cats at home!