Our new vet is a funny girl...updated March 27

There's a young vet working at the clinic now. Just graduated last April. She's very good and I quite like her, but she's a funny girl. She never uses technical terms to describe anything. A couple months ago she recommended not treating my cat's hyperthyroidism due to the risk of "frying his kidneys".


Today she saw Muskwa. Muskwa has been holding his head funny all weekend, yelping when I touch his right ear, not a happy dog. So I dropped him off this morning to get his ear checked out. Jessica called a few minutes ago and reported that Muskwa has "the mother of all ear infections".

She said she's never seen anything quite like it, all kinds of funky cells in his ear. It doesn't look like his ear drum/canal has been damaged yet. That's all Muskwa needs is a physical excuse for ignoring me! She's sending a sample of the ear gunk out to Vancouver to be cultured. She's a little concerned that this will take more than just antibiotics to clear up.

Sounds like my good friend. She's in advanced science and loves chemistry, physics, geology, and likes to use lolspeak. :p

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Glacier

There's a young Vet working at the clinic now.
She's very good and I quite like her ...
She never uses technical terms to describe anything.

Jessica called a few minutes ago and reported that
Muskwa has "the mother of all ear infections".

She's a little concerned that this will take more than just antibiotics to clear up.

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OMG!
Poor Muskwa!!! :(

We'll Pray a few pills fixes it right up!

Ya gotta admit - Dr. Jess gets her Message across, loud & clear!
:D

I too really appreciate having a Vet or MD speak plainly to me. I've
been lucky to have had several Vets, whom I love ,for explaining things
clearly.

Sorry about Muskwa's ears though. :( I hope he feels better soon.

Oh, Muskwa! Ear infections are no fun. Let your mom take care of your ear, please. Consider yourself hugged.

As for the doctor, maybe she was taught to try and not use medicalspeak. Maybe, tell her she doesn't have to dilute it for you? That's happened to me and it's so awkward - I try hard to explain something without a lot of medical jargon and the other person is like, "Well, I'm a nurse..."

Oh poor Muskwa! That sounds horrible. I've had ear infections and they are not funny!

When I took the cats for their annual boosters a couple of years ago we got a newly qualified vet who was standing in for our vet's holidays. He was absolutely wonderful with the cats, but slightly concerned about Daisy's temperature because the thermometer was recording it as very low. After trying to get a reading with about 3 different thermometers, he eventually decided that it was just some kind of anomally and the readings could not possibly be right "because, frankly, she'd be a stiff"! :eek:

oh muskwa, I really feel for you. Im a big baby when it comes to earache, I hope they gave you something for the pain while you wait.

my vets are really good with dumbing things down for us, my vet for my rats in used to me and knows 1 of my boys :o he talks well to me and explains things really thourghly I would recommend him to anyone because hes not underminding you by talking down to you but hes very reasuring and kind.

I hope Muskwa's back to feeling better soon!


She sounds like a great vet - it's always nice when they speak in a language most people can understand. :)

I hope that culture comes back as something fairly easy to treat and things clear up quickly once they know which med to use.

I don't mind if some dr's/vets simplify things a bit, but sometimes I'd actually prefer they use at least a little medical 'jargon'.

Maybe it's because my old family doctor used to over simplify stuff and never actually tell you what was wrong with you, just would do his exam, and say 'we'll get you something to fix you up', then head for the door. It always bugged me he didn't say what was wrong with me, how he was going to treat it, names of meds, name of ailment etc. I'd always have to stop him before he left the room and get him to elaborate more. The doctor I have now is used to me so he does his simplified version first (probably out of habit) then remembers who he's talking to and goes a bit more in depth for me without me having to ask every time. lol

Muskwa, prayers for you from RI! Hoping it is easy to remedy and that you feel well fast.

I think I might like a vet I could understand! :eek:

Well at least she's putting it in terms you can understand!!

Techs are supposed to be the "translators" for clients.

That's probably how I'll be when I pass my boards and get a clinic job, lol.

Ha ha, that's awesome! Medical stuff is already serious enough, it's good to inject a little humor when you can.

My boyfriend's cousin has a bit of a temper and he put his hand through a locker and it actually says on his medical file "hand 0 locker 1". ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Muddy4paws

I hope they gave you something for the pain while you wait.

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Oh, we arent' waiting for the test results. They will take ten days to get back here. I have to clean Muskwa's ear once a day, put anti-biotic drops in it twice a day and he's on a hefty dose of Prednisone to help with the pain and inflammation.

I just got off the phone with the vet about Muskwa's ear. Dr. Jessica is away acting as the vet for a sled dog race that starts today. Our much loved, Dr. Candace, is back from maternity leave, so she has taken over Muskwa's file

The culture results are back from Vancouver and he has several kinds of bacteria growing in his ear. Fortunately, none of them are the antibiotic resistant kind. Muskwa is better than he was, but not great. His ear is still red and obviously uncomfortable. He's still holding his head cocked to the right and just not himself--not playing, cranky, clingy and lethargic. So he's starting an oral anti-biotic on top of the ear drop ones and an anti-inflammatory too. That should make him feel better very quickly. If he's not dramatically better by Monday, he supposed to go back to the clinic.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Glacier

Muskwa ...
he has several kinds of bacteria growing in his ear.
Fortunately, none of them are the antibiotic resistant kind.

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:eek:
YUCK! :p

Hey Muskwa ~ QUIT feedin those critters! {{{SHAKE}}} em out!

Hope the new anti-bug cocktail knocks 'em dead!
Feel Better, Kiddo!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Glacier

I just got off the phone with the vet about Muskwa's ear. The culture results are back from Vancouver and he has several kinds of bacteria growing in his ear. Fortunately, none of them are the antibiotic resistant kind. Muskwa is better than he was, but not great. His ear is still red and obviously uncomfortable. He's still holding his head cocked to the right and just not himself--not playing, cranky, clingy and lethargic. So he's starting an oral anti-biotic on top of the ear drop ones and an anti-inflammatory too. That should make him feel better very quickly. If he's not dramatically better by Monday, he supposed to go back to the clinic.

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Awww, Muskwa, sweetheart. This is a bummer for me to read. The doc thought you had quite the infection when she first saw you. Too bad the ear drops didn't do a better job. Your mom will be giving you some medicine by mouth now. I hope it'll work super fast and you feel much better in a few days. More hugs for you from me ... hughughughughughughug.