My New Job - a photographic journal

[st.cronin]

I have a new job, having been recently fired from my old job. My new job is working for a very large veterinary hospital. I have no medical qualifications, however I do love the little critters, and I know many of you do as well. Here is a photo journal of some of what comes through our doors.

Patient #1 is a dog that bit a porcupine:

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn280/stcronin/083108_11552.jpg

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn280/stcronin/083108_11551.jpg

Removing the quills is a pretty simple procedure but does require anaesthesia. This dog was treated succesfully.

[st.cronin]

Patient #2 is a stray cat that was found stuck in an air shaft in an industrial building:

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn280/stcronin/082708_18311.jpg

This cat was microchipped and the owner was found. He had been missing for over a month. He came in on death's door, severely dehydrated and malnourished and with terrible wounds, but made a full recovery.

[st.cronin]

I am not much of a photographer, and this is all with my cellphone, so apologies for the lack of craft.

[st.cronin]

This patient was hit by a car. (Spoilered for gruesomeness - not for the weak of stomach.)

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn280/stcronin/090508_02041.jpg


The cat lost the eye, and was treated for external wounds and shock. Apart from being a cyclops, she made a full recovery.

[st.cronin]

Here's a puppy who was kicked by a horse:

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn280/stcronin/090108_16221.jpg

X-rays showed no broken bones or internal damage, but the pup was a little stunned and out of it. I don't know what happened to him, but I think he went home and recovered.

[Izulde]

I love these pictures and stories. :)

By the way, thank you for spoilering the one pic. I haven't looked at it yet, but if it's as gruesome as it sounds, I'm glad you did.

[st.cronin]

Here's a very sweet dog who is having a bad time:

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn280/stcronin/111208_20171.jpg

He had some sort of surgery and is having massive complications. The prognosis is pretty poor.

[st.cronin]

This dog jumped off the bed, landed awkwardly, and broke her left front leg in two places:

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn280/stcronin/111208_20172.jpg

She will likely have surgery to repair the leg.

[RendeR]

Great stuff SC, hope you keep up with it. Glad you found something you can enjoy for a living! Which hospital is this?

[Poli]

Poor animals. :(

I'm glad the cat was able to get home!

[Subby]

WHEN PORCUPINES ATTACK!

[st.cronin]

The brown dog in post #7 is reportedly doing much better.

[st.cronin]

Hello, I'm a dog who ate rat poison:

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn280/stcronin/111308_18151.jpg

Hello, I'm another dog who ate rat poison:

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn280/stcronin/111308_18152.jpg

The prognosis for dogs who eat rat poison is very good, if they are treated early enough.

[Flasch186]

WOOHOO, St Cronin, this is awesome! What a great thread! Thank you so much for your help in the other thread but I love seeing these animals who get help and get better!! You rock sir.

[Izulde]

We had a greyhound who ate mouse poison once. All three of our dogs at the time were taken immediately to the vet after we figured out what happened and given charcoal to induce vomiting, because at the time, we didn't know who ate the poison. The basset hound didn't take well to it at all and was sick for a few days after that.

All three turned out fine in the end.

[st.cronin]

Here's the other side of the story:
http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn280/stcronin/083108_22451.jpg

This kitty came down with some unkown illness, probably from ingesting some toxin. Prognosis went from bad to worse and he was euthanized.

[st.cronin]

Pug with congestive heart failure and glaucoma in both eyes. Both are treatable with medication.

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn280/stcronin/111308_21151.jpg

[RendeR]

This is why I could never go into a medical profession for humans or animals. The first time I lost a patient it would destroy me.

[Poli]

Poor pug. :(

I need to go hug Snuggle Dog.

[BYU 14]

Much respect to you St Cronin, what a wonderful, yet heartwrenching job. I will be honest, I could not do it. Seeing Animals go through this would rip my heart out!!

Thank you for sharing and for working in such a noble cause.

[st.cronin]

Here's a stray that was brought in by the sherrif's department:

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn280/stcronin/112608_23231.jpg

And here she is getting subcutaneous (sp?) fluids, a fairly basic treatment for dehydration. She had some wounds on her head, possibly from a dog fight, that were treated. She was then turned over to the local animal shelter, hopefully for adoption, but possibly for euthanasia.

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn280/stcronin/112708_00231.jpg

[st.cronin]

Here is a picture of my dog, Winston:

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn280/stcronin/111408_01391.jpg

[st.cronin]

Picture of a dog in surgery, for a stomach twist and bloat:

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn280/stcronin/112608_22421.jpg

Same dog post-surgery:

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn280/stcronin/112608_23141.jpg

[st.cronin]

A puppy with a fever:

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn280/stcronin/112608_23191.jpg

[st.cronin]

Close up of a cat's penis:

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn280/stcronin/112708_01341.jpg

The cat has a blockage of the urinary tract, a fairly typical emergency for male cats. If untreated, the cat will almost certainly die. Luckily for this cat, he was treated.

Here's an action shot of the doctor attempting to insert a catheter:

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn280/stcronin/112708_01351.jpg

Another action shot:

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn280/stcronin/112708_01461.jpg

The thing sticking out of his penis is some sort of device to apply lydocaine (I think). Apparently there is a reflex action of spasm which can make inserting the catheter impossible. The lydocaine is intended to quell that. At any rate, the catheter was succesfully inserted, and the cat was treated.

[st.cronin]

This dog just had a splenectomy:

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn280/stcronin/112808_00381.jpg

And here's the spleen:


http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn280/stcronin/112808_00411.jpg

The spleen is actually the bit in the top right. The rest is a mass. Apparently you can't remove a mass from the spleen, or take out part of the spleen, as the spleen is wired into the circulatory system. Cutting out the mass would have resulted in massive blood loss. So they just take out the whole spleen.

The initial diagnosis with this dog was a ruptured spleen, but when he was cut open, the mass was discovered. A sample was sent off for biopsy, but I don't know the result.

[Lorena]

What a great dynasty cronin!

[beargrowlz]

Most outstanding.

And what a cool job, keep up the good work.



Cheers,
-Bear

[Flasch186]

update! update! update! update!

[st.cronin]

update coming ... have quite a few pics, just have to dump to photobucket.

[Flasch186]

oh St., please update you've teased us so.

[digamma]

Maybe it's the lawyer in me, but I'd consider halting this dynasty unless you've gotten permission from each patient (or their owner--presuming the owner would be blessed with opposable thumbs and able to sign) to post the photos and from your employer to do the same. It could be a violation of the terms of the patient's contract with the clinic, your employment arrangement or both.

I really respect the fact that you work in this field, but I know I'd hate to have seen a picture of our dog on a random message board when he was at his sickest. I'd also hate for you to lose your job over a message board dynasty.

[MizzouRah]

This is one job I could not do.. great read thus far and if it has to come to a halt, I applaud you for your efforts in this field of work.