A new birthing position?

When a call came in to castrate two unhanded gypsy cobs I was the only one in the practice who was free. The secretary asked whether this is something I would be happy to do, but was clearly prepared for me to say no. I said I was happy once the drugs were in the vein but may need help with that bit! A colleague was in the office and immediately offered to do them for me, but I am still feeling fairly able-bodied (bar a bit of hypoxia when bent double for too long) and so was keen to do them if it was workable with some help at the start (meaning they could continue with their calls that were already booked in). So before I knew it I had said colleague coming out to help knock them down, a student and a visiting vet (who is a good friend also) all coming out to lend a hand. You couldn't ask for better support than that! With the help of a discussion beforehand to get the owner to administer some Sedalin prior to our arrival, we managed to sedate and induce the ponies easily enough and the balls were satisfactorily removed. I discovered that the round rump of a gypsy cob also provides quite a nice rest position for a ever growing baby-bump... perhaps a new birthing position that doesn't require those ginormous inflatable balls?

The Frustrating Case

When I was called out to see a weanling who was lame behind I had my reservations about whether I would manage but I was happy to have a go and hoped it would be an easy one. When I arrived the owner and his son were holding onto a pair of colts in a large stable. I chatted about the history before stepping inside to introduce myself to the wee bairn, who was clearly suffering from some pain in his hind leg. After letting him sniff my arm I went to reassuringly rub his wither only for him to leap four feet off the ground taking his elderly handler on a safari of the deeply strawed stable. I was just about to choose my waiting ground carefully when the second weanling kick-started into action. The next thirty seconds felt a lot longer while I tried to duck the flying hooves and dodge the blindly panicking beasts with their determinedly clinging handlers. It was quite a show and I was trying to control my rising alarm over how I was going to see this case through 'in my condition', determined as ever not to admit defeat too early on.

When order was restored I tried again only to be met with a similar response from the weanling's typically fast hindlimb. This little fella was not going to let me touch his quarters let alone examine his distal limb - this was going to be tricky. I asked about his character and whether this was at all normal. The son casually informed me that the colt had never had his legs touched before. I stopped all attempts and tried to hide my disappointment at the situation. I was genuinely surprised that no one had thought to mention this already - I wondered how they expected me to deal with this? In a non-pregnant state I may have persisted a little longer, however surely no one can be expected to teach a weanling how to tolerate having it's legs handled in one visit whilst said horse is already feeling vulnerable with a painful hind limb? It was this thought that made me realise that pregnancy is not a reason to start becoming safety aware. We should be doing it all the time! Pregnant or not, this was a less than ideal situation to be in and I was never going to be able to examine this horse's leg without the help of some hefty sedation. And even then, should clients be expecting us to put ourselves in these positions because they have not put in place the appropriate training to allow examination of their animals in such circumstances? Or is that too much to ask? I think it would be reasonable to expect to be warned at the very least.

This reminded me of the time a friend's husband, who is a pilot, was complaining about the local small animal vet who had asked him to start muzzle training the rescued terrier he and his wife had recently acquired, after it took a violent dislike to being vaccinated. The pilot was outraged that someone would shirk from doing what he believed he was paying him/her to do. He compared it to asking one of his passengers to fly the plane for him. My attempts to liken it more to asking him to fly with a violent drunk in the cockpit fell on deaf ears... clearly deliberately putting ourselves in the firing line is seen to be part of our job, unfortunately.

Needless to say, examination of the weanling following sedation was fruitless and while I suspected this was a foot problem the volume of "Domo and Torb" required to touch the leg rendered the weanling's response to palpation and hoof testers inconclusive. This really was a frustrating case that provided a perfect example to me of how pregnancy does not always create "special requirements" for practicing as an equine vet. However it does highlight issues we all may face any time and perhaps it should make us consider them very carefully.

Thinking for two

When an owner is informed you are on your way to their emergency and they request that the practice sends someone else, you immediately panic and think, "uh oh, what have I done wrong?". So I was relieved to hear the client was actually looking out for me rather than refusing my attendance through dislike! She said her horse was wild and she was sure it would crush me as I tried to attend to it's hind foot abscess... apparently she would never forgive herself if anything happened to me! However, if one of the non-pregnant vets were to go out and be crushed that apparently was fine! Not sure I felt ok with this but I obliged in turning my car around and let a colleague go out instead, feeling somewhat embarrassed at someone else having to put themselves in danger. I expressed my feelings to the secretary who reminded me that I had to look after my unborn baby, not myself. And the colleague who went out instead was absolutely lovely about it - seeing the funny side and reassuring me that she'd do the same if the tables were turned, and I confirmed that I would definitely do the same for her. A box of chocolates is sitting in the car waiting to be delivered to her desk.

An Interesting Day

Well today was an interesting one... was asked to see a horse that reacts violently to being girthed. Having examined it uneventfully I stood back in the doorway to let the owner in with the saddle. She started to tack up and... BOOM! Off it went around the stable, firing from both barrels. I was glad I stood where I was and edged myself further away, but it occurred to me that I almost stood in the stable without giving it a second thought - I really ought to pay more attention to staying out of harms way rather than leaving it to good luck!

Four and a half months to go....

Pregnancy as an equine vet isn't your average pregnancy experience (if such a thing exists?). For a start you usually have to tell your employer immediately - no more xraying for this roadie. And the trouble is your boss is rarely the one booking your appointments, so you have to tell the secretaries too... And then you have to tell the other vets because they're the ones going out doing your xrays for you. And then you're desperately trying not to tell every client that needs an xray... So it's far from a private affair. There's no revelling in the secret that you and your partner eagerly await to tell the world when you go for your first scan. Instead there's the constant dread that the unspeakable may happen and you'll have to tell all the same people about what should be the most private of matters. But being the practical, level headed equine vet that you are, you tell yourself that what will be will be and you will deal with whatever happens, if and when it happens. 

I knew the select people well and trusted them not to tell everyone and their dog, however being a second pregnancy and post-Caesarian the old abdominal wall wasn't up to the job of hiding much after 8 weeks. I just hoped that my appetite for cake and biscuits was a ready cover story for those who weren't to know. But I wasn't prepared for the fatigue that set in during that first trimester... chasing after a toddler clearly takes it's toll on your surplus energy levels as I was whacked. I had to pull over one morning at 11 o'clock, mid-calls, and take a power nap - the eyelids were just refusing to stay open and I was covering some miles which was an accident waiting to happen. The coffee abstinence was disastrous and I have to confess I resorted to it on many occasions as the lesser of two evils when facing a potential road traffic accident as the alternative. I hope the foetus didn't mind... 

Then there's the constant need for carbs, or more specifically, sugar. I had been so careful through my first pregnancy to eat healthily and avoid caffeine and alcohol but this time I was unable to resist the odd bag of Haribo or can of Coke to keep me going through the long days out and about. As the bump grew at a rate of knots I became convinced I was inducing gestational diabetes and so was dreading my first urine test. Luckily all was ok and the scan confirmed there was just one bun in the oven. Big relief and it was business as usual the following day. 

Once I could tell everyone why I was avoiding xrays life became easier. The much loved client I was unable to be there for while the family pony underwent xrays confirming acute founder could finally know exactly why I missed the last goodbye to that much loved patient. I was genuinely upset and thanks to the pregnancy hormones I struggled to conceal my tears over the phone as a colleague relayed the xray findings. Being able to tell the clients why I was appearing so evasive in seeing through cases (that required xrays) was a huge weight off my shoulders. 

Then there was the client who won't have anyone else on their yard, apart from the only other pregnant vet at the practice... that conversation went down well. In the knowledge that both her favourite vets would be on maternity leave simultaneously she was beside herself but happy for me all at the same time. I promised to retain phone contact throughout my maternity leave, rightly or wrongly! 

At bang on 12 weeks the disabling fatigue disappeared and I was back firing on all cylinders. Clients and colleagues confessed that they knew something was up. I wasn't usually so bovine in my responses and reactions... they were glad to see the Spaniel-like enthusiasm return. On telling them I was pregnant and therefore would be on maternity leave next year they were all over the moon for me. I never for a minute thought they would not be but continuity is important to many clients and so it must trouble some when they have to break the news. This is one bonus to working in such a team-spirited practice. My clients are already comfortable seeing different team members. Yes, we all have favourites (vets and clients!) but they know they are getting a top class service whoever arrives at the yard and this dissipates any potential challenges which one could otherwise expect.

Up until 18 weeks, apart from requiring matchsticks for my eyelids, I was largely unaffected by the pregnancy but suddenly I started struggling to put my boots on. I managed to train my toddler to zip and buckle them up for me, which helped immensely. Then I had to train her to put my socks on, then it was trousers. As the bump increasingly obstructed bending at the middle, my lower back started to ache. I don't remember back pain during the first pregnancy so wasn't really prepared for it, but it's certainly a problem when you're trying to perform a flexion test on a big, bouncy Warmblood, or nerve blocking an agile Thoroughbred's hindleg. I started to worry about my bravado assumption that I would merrily work until my due date. Thankfully my bosses were more sensible than I was and suggested that "should I want to stop earlier than the day before the elective Caesarian" (as I was clearly alluding to at the start of the the conversation), I would be fully supported and could work through a hand-over period with the individual who would be my maternity cover. I was grateful for their approach and excellent handling of the conversation. I came away with a warm, blushing feeling as their words echoed in my ears of how they would love me to come back to work as soon as possible because they felt I was an important member of the team and would be missed by my clients, however they were absolutely aware that the time with one's newborn is golden and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity which was not to be missed. I wanted to hug them all and burst into tears, I was so grateful for what they said and how they said it.

Not long after I received by a phone call from the person in charge of the rota - I was asked when I would like to come off the out of hours rota and said I didn't mind but my only concern would be rectalling colics once the bump was hard to hide round a door frame. No sooner was I being offered removal from the normal rota at 6 months but being offered to keep just two weeknights the following month when I would have full back up if required, should I wish to keep them. I offered to work some extra on call now while the bump was small, but was assured this wasn't necessary. I can't tell you how relieved I was by the immense feeling of support. I suddenly felt completely fine about working with my pregnancy. I knew they had mine and the baby's best interest at heart and that was invaluable. I didn't think I could love my job, practice and colleagues any more than I already did, but suddenly I was welling up at the thought of it with tears of joy! 

So here I am, facing the second half of pregnancy with a huge smile on my face that this can work and there is no need to worry. I know the equine profession has a bad rep for how it handles pregnancy, maternity leave and part-time work but I can honestly say my practice is heads and shoulders above those responsible for that reputation. I am positive that times are changing and equine vets will be able to have family alongside a successful career, we just need to think forward and find solutions to the challenges faced, not cower behind the rose-tinted past when there were fewer females and the problem didn't arise. I'll keep you posted on how the next four and a half months go... watch this space!