Several days ago, my third anniversary of becoming a doctor came and went. I have worked for two veterinary corporations and have been a relief vet at five different clinics in those three years. I bought a house, acquired a few (too many) animals, and have tried to justify my decision to go to college vs. choose a career in the game of life. Throughout my professional career, one thing has remained consistent. I attract chaos. It's not that I pick the complex cases on purpose or that when I follow hoofprints, they manage to lead to zebras; it just happens. Welcome to my chaos. My goal in these journals is to give you insight into cases while giving you a glimpse into life as a veterinarian.

Stevie Wonder (not her name at presentation, but we'll get there) was an unknown age, female intact domestic short hair (DSH). Was presented for euthanasia:

Euthanasia for the last appointment on a Saturday is not ideal for going into the weekend. Going into a euthanasia appointment is complicated. What condition will the patient be in, what state of mind is the owner in, and what is the worst possible scenario? It requires a lot of improvisation and control. In this case, it was a four-week-old kitten on the table with an understandably upset owner. The kitten was playing on the table but was missing an eye, and the other eye bulged out and looked incredibly painful. The kitten was dropped off at the owner's house, and the owner was unable to afford any treatment and therefore was forced to euthanize. Treatment would likely involve surgery to remove any remaining glandular tissue and antibiotics, antiviral medications, and pain medications. Many cats have feline herpes virus, which when the cat becomes stressed or immunocompromised, like this kitten, infections may occur. This kitten likely had a secondary infection in the eyes, causing them to rupture.

For the first time in my career, I offered relinquishment to the clinic. That is the story of why I have a clear dome backpack sitting in my house so that my girlfriend can take our foster, Stevie, for walks. “The kitten is blind, dear, and it doesn't need to see the outside world. It has no eyes.” Steve seems to appreciate the gesture anyway, and it keeps the girlfriend happy, so blind Stevie gets to go for walks and trips to work. Stevie gets medications daily and will need surgery once she is big enough. So, never say vet staff turns a blind eye on patients in need.

Yes, I wrote an entire article to get that pun in there.

You're welcome.