The Wagging Tail

We’re a profession that’s known for helping others and putting others before ourselves.  We make difficult lifestyle choices, such as working long hours, carrying a pager around, being “on-call,” going to work on our days off to check on those special-needs patients.  We’ve all done these things to varying degrees during our careers.  These are the types of things that make people respect us, trust us, express gratitude for meeting them at the hospital at 3 AM, and say things like, “I wish you were my doctor.”

These same types of things are what make the members of our profession at a high risk for developing emotional burn out, mental stress, the so-called compassion fatigue syndrome—not to mention the feeling of chronic physical fatigue .  But, I digress, the point of this rambling is that although I’ve spent years in a “giving” profession, I was recently in a situation where the tables were reversed and others were giving to me.  I came away from a bad situation with a renewed desire to continue to give to others.

Although I wish the situation, which was brought about by the remnants of Hurricane Ike as he barreled through the Midwest, had never happened, the outpouring of giving that I received from my co-workers, colleagues, friends, and family was very reassuring.  On September 25, I still didn’t have electricity, but it was my first day back at work. I think I felt the same thing that our clients feel—that sense of respect and trust and gratitude.  Even though I was emotionally, physically, and mentally exhausted by the time the situation was over, I was less stressed than before.

Stress is a funny word.  It has many different meanings and is interpreted differently by everyone.  Something that is stressful to you may not bother me at all, and vice versa.  Despite my complete and total exhaustion, I was less stressed.  I was ready to get back into the profession of giving—low risk for compassion fatigue.  I came away with a new respect, understanding, and appreciation for all of those clients who trust us to take care of their furry family members every day.  It will be a long time, hopefully *never*, before I let loose a sigh when notified that I have all four exam rooms full and five people are waiting on the bench.  I have a re-found appreciating for the joy of giving.

I think most people, when they find a stray animal that is in need of care, is injured or unwanted, immediately turn to their veterinarian for help. I’m sure many of you provide medical treatment and housing until the owner or a new home is found. More than likely, your hospital has to absorb the costs, too, not to mention your team members having to volunteer their time.

I was reading about San Luis Obispo Animal Services in California where an account for homeless animals has been established. Donations made to the “Animals in Need Fund” give animal services the ability to provide veterinary care to unclaimed Pets or those without owners. So for example, a dog brought in that was hit by a car and suffers from a broken leg, could have surgery done by a local veterinary surgeon, with the fund paying for the cost of medical and surgical procedures. The hospital team then takes care of the Pet during recovery until a new family (or the owner) is found. Integrating special events — dog walks and related fundraisers — sounds like a good way to boost the account overall.

There are probably more programs out there than I can list, but here are few others I’ve come across:
- RAP Medical Fund (NY): provides vaccines, wormings, heartworm testing, and spays/neuters. It also includes heartworm treatment, tumor removals, dentals, orthopedic surgeries and critical care
- Citizens for Humane Action Emergency Medical Fund (OH): for non-routine medical expenses for dogs and cats. Financed solely by donations.
- The CARE Medical Fund (Companion Animal Rehabilitation and Emergency Medical Fund, VA): helps the Virginia Beach SPCA provide specialized medical treatment for animals that would have once been considered untreatable by many shelters.
- LifeSaver Fund (GA): serves animals with life-threatening medical conditions whose owners are struggling financially as well as animals that have no homes or no one to care for them.
- CHAMPS Emergency Medical Fund (KY): provides medical care to animals with torn ligaments, eye injuries, rare fungal infections and many other conditions.
-  Banfield Charitable Trust Charity Bucks (Nationwide): donates funds to help offset the cost of urgent care while helping families in need provide their Pets with lifesaving care.

Visit these websites to find out more information and details about additional programs available. What’s going on in your community and how can others help?

I found a wonderful resource online that provides a pretty thorough listing of veterinary-related associations, organizations and societies. Like other healthcare professionals, you are people, too, and may need some support in the many different areas of your lives–both professionally and personally.

If you point your browser to The Agape Center, you’ll find links to an array of veterinary organizations. These groups offer everything from industry news, events, trends, continuing education and seminars, to library resources, publications, career and practice guidance, current research, legislation/policy information, advocacy and products.

On a more serious note, according to the Alabama Veterinary Professionals Wellness Program’s (AVPWP) website, “studies have shown that approximately one out of three vets will experience a serious mental or physical health problem during their career. Unfortunately, there aren’t many programs such as this in the US aimed at veterinarians in particular. Veterinary schools don’t really teach students how to cope with the stresses associated with the profession in terms of mental health. ” British study concluded that veterinarians experience the highest incidence of suicide compared to all other occupations, outranking dentists and doctors in risk factors. Research conducted by Dr. Richard Mellanby and published in the Veterinary Record in October of 2005 indicates that the suicide rate for the veterinary profession is four times higher than that of the general population and twice as high as that of doctors or dentists,” writes author Candy Lawrence in an article on the subject.

On the bright side, the Alabama Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, in cooperation with the Alabama Veterinary Medical Association, ALVMA, has sponsored the passage of a law in Alabama that creates a confidential program to assist veterinarians’ the AVPWP— that I mentioned above.

Also of particular interest, given that an overwhelming number of vet students and veterinarians are women, is the Association For Women Veterinarians Foundation. It has actually been around for quite a while (1947) and was originally established as a networking group for the few women in the profession at that time. Its vision is to advocate for women and promote leadership in the veterinary profession.

I know my recommendations here are not all-inclusive, so please let us know of any that were left out or that you have found helpful.

When I think of fitness and overall health, the first thing that comes to my mind is physical in nature, like exercise, for example. But there is another area where we can make improvements–our brains. Do you know that mental stimulation boosts brain power? In fact, there’s increasing scientific evidence showing that keeping your mind sharp can defer the effects of aging on the brain, including the onset of diseases such as Alzheimer’s. There’s something called being “brain-fit” or training your brain.

OK, I know what you’re thinking. As a busy veterinarian with clients to take care of, procedures to perform and team members to manage, you don’t have time to play games or read, for that matter. Believe it or not, I’ve found that a quick five minute activity is enough time and can actually be fun (not that you don’t break a mental sweat running a practice). Plus, there are ways to stimulate more than just one area of the brain. Developed by neurologist Dr. Bernard Croisile and cognitive psychologist Dr. Michel Noir, “Happy Neuron” online brain games are designed to target all five of the main cognitive functions: memory, attention, language, executive functions and visual/spatial. Happy Neuron also provides players with a personal, virtual coach. Just as you might seek advice from a physical trainer, your virtual coach designs customized workouts based on performance and compares results to others to identify specific areas of cognitive weakness. Even if you only have five minutes, the virtual coach can create a quick workout around your busy schedule.

With that in mind, another website to visit is “brainbashers.com” for suggestions of what to do to work your mental muscles. Here’s what I came up with:

- Reading
- Crossword puzzles
- Logic and mind riddles
- Online games
- Sudoku
- Stereograms
- Jigsaw puzzles
- Optical illusions
- Cryptograms
- Word games
- Board games

If you work at it, you could actually make your brain work harder for you. Imagine not having to recalculate dosages of medications you use everyday, not forgetting to label that last x-ray or not having to check Sparky’s medical notes (again) for the same information. The list is endless, but you get the idea.

Can it be? Is summer over? As the season changes to autumn, the days become shorter, the weather chillier and school buses roll down our street. In my family, September is a particularly important and busy time of the year.

My husband, Chuck, is a high school English teacher and a cross-country coach. Chuck prepared for the start of school and the running season weeks ago. I can always feel the change in the season simply by observing Chuck’s life, changing as he moves from “summer” to “teacher” mode. It is ready-set-go from now to June.

This fall was particularly special as we had a big event in our family. Olivia, my 3-year-old, attended her first day of school this week. As a pre-schooler, we prepared for the day with new clothes, school supplies and a “hello kitty” lunch pail. It was such a thrill watching Olivia become ecstatic over school. It reminded me of my first year as a student at UC Davis.

As a campus liaison for Banfield, I spend much of my time at veterinary schools. My greatest joy is observing the freshman veterinary students during the first week of instruction. These students are motivated, excited and have a fresh attitude about our profession. I can also relate to the overwhelmed and anxious facial expressions when they realize the mountain of learning before them. Spending time on campus is a special experience as it reminds me of the veterinary school journey.

I enjoy this time of year as I observe the changes in the season and the “baby” veterinarians starting their own path towards a profession in veterinary medicine.