are you scared of any of your patients ???

Re: are you scared of any of your patients ???

fiona eldridge — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 10:53:50 GMT

I'm scared of stray cats!!! We deal with loads of stray wild cat spays and castrates, and as much as we avoid letting them loose, and either inject them in their trap or walk them across into the crush cage, very occasionally being the freaking wild cats they are they do sometimes get free into the room. Its very well known at this point that you will find me squeezing myself into the corner of the room as far into the wall as I can get, whilst protecting my face, as wild cats climb the walls!! I freak. I hate them!! They scare the bejesus out of me!!

However , give me an aggresive dog anyday and I can cope fine! I also entertained our clinic one day when we got to work one morning and found 2 dogs dumped in our garden. I was the one to go and grab them so we could check for a chip.... had everyone laughing at me as I was chased round the garden by a yorkshire terrier from hell trying to eat me!! But those little blighters I can handle easily. They're much more predicatable than evil wild dirty cats!!! haha!

Re: are you scared of any of your patients ???

Lisa White — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 15:07:53 GMT

[quote user="victoria newton"]

im petrified of spiders. think thats the only thing that could affect me if and when a get a svn / receptionist job !!!!

anyone else scared of something ??? xx

[/quote]

I'm totally with you on the spiders! I don't mind flying daddy long legs, but spiders really, really freak me out. If I see one unexpectedly, I can quite often do the 100 metre dash at quite a respectable fraction of light speed! It's usually totally involuntary too.... Our college lecturer for our exotics module tried to desensitise me by getting me to hold a rather hairy tarantula, which I did. Did absolutely nothing to cure my arachnaphobia though...

Re: are you scared of any of your patients ???

Ellie P — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 02:50:23 GMT

I have to say that before I became pregnant and went on to have my one year old, I had no fear of any small animals except hamsters, that scare the beejeezers out of me.

Suddenly I find that even holding for blood sampling makes me nervous..........Weird or what?!

Re: are you scared of any of your patients ???

Kim — Thu, 31 May 2012 22:25:16 GMT

I'm scared of horses, they are huge and I have been in situitions over the years where I have been pinned against the wall by one in my last job, thrown of one when i went through a horse riding phase in my younger years, and during this horse riding phase a horse speed off across the field with me still holding on for dear life, and then at the end of the field, with no where else to go, he turned suddenly, throwing me into the hedge. Lucky for me only minor cuts and bruises. But it has left me really scared of horses.

When applying for my last job, i actually told them I had a fear of horses (not realising at the time, this could have potential meant not getting the job, but I did), but working along side nurses and equine vets meant i had to hold horses in a small concrete room whilst the horse was having x-rays, very scary times. I held my breath most of the time in the hope nothing would happen.

I think i can safely say I want be returning to an equine practice during my career, i stick to dogs, cats and rabbits.

Re: are you scared of any of your patients ???

VNsmac — Thu, 31 May 2012 19:49:49 GMT

Birds!!!! Flapping feathers, big claws and ferocious beaks - and that's just how i view the budgies, don't get me started on parrots, owls and geese. I would rather tackle an angry dog or psycho cat then be in a room with any thing feathered. I'll do it if i have to, its part of my job after all, but our feathered friends turn me into a squealing, shaking little girl.

Re: are you scared of any of your patients ???

Angiy Michael — Tue, 29 May 2012 00:26:29 GMT

As the years have gone past I am more nervous of dogs than I used to be..but speaking to other older vn's I gather this is quite common..think you just get more cautious as you get older and you have been doing the job for a while X

Re: are you scared of any of your patients ???

BengalcatRVN — Mon, 28 May 2012 23:25:20 GMT

Not a fan of dogs (bitten when a kid) HOWEVER, 2 dogs that were psyco bonded to me, I could do anything to them.

1 was a kennel border (when I worked pre vet nurse) I used him (bracken - newfie) as a pillow, and could take things he stole like pigs ears with no problems. He was PTS the day after I left the job, I'd spent 4hrs in his kennel crying into his fur as I was going to miss him, he had been attentive before hand, seeking me out in the week beforehand.I think he knew I was leaving. He was old tho and had arthritis, had a ramp into the car (which he hated and never used) we'd do run-ups to get him in, as he hated being lifted by anyone, and on my own he'd put my back out! I hope he didn't give up because of me tho.

the other was a chow at my old practice. I could give him injections, handle his IV line when he was an out patient, for everyone else he would go for. Was strange.

Usually tho, a dog has to just give me the wide eye and I can't go near them. I don't wan to stress them out with my stress too.

Re: are you scared of any of your patients ???

PHA86 — Mon, 28 May 2012 20:58:44 GMT

I always handle hamsters (or avoid them!) through gritted teeth.

I got bitten by my pet when I was a kid, resulting in one fat, infected index finger.

Re: are you scared of any of your patients ???

funkyfish — Mon, 28 May 2012 10:30:20 GMT

One dog I have worked with. During a behaviour assment (pre booking in for a full work up), the dog (a GSD who was at the other end of the car park) broke its lead, ran at me, jumped up and tried to bite my head-thank god it had a good fitting muzzle on!

Yes its still alive (despite recommending PTS) and now does such good lead work it is no longer walked at 3 am- it walks on a lead with a muzzle at all times though!

Sadly now they can walk the dog they have stopped coming in for behaviour consults so if it gets ill we will not be able to get near him and he may well need darting!

Re: are you scared of any of your patients ???

Sal the 1st — Fri, 25 May 2012 19:43:19 GMT

My worst one was a ridgeback x mastiff that had been brought in by the police for pts, had it on the end of a dog catcher and I was doing the matador bit with the domitor syringe. Somehow the dog catcher end snapped and the next thing I know I am standing on top of one of the big biffa bins (I weighed a lot less and was a lot more agile then - but I suppose anybody sharing a small yard with 50kgs of tawny death in immediate proximity is going to be a bit more agile than the norm) fighting it off with a yard brush all the time praying to whoever was listening and thinking in a minute that domitor is going to kick in, in a minute I am going to be ok and looking for signs of it not being able to jump so high when it was throwing itself at the bin . I can laugh about it now but it took me a very long time to get over that one. I did get to swear at a policeman and not get arrested tho

The ridgeback x mastiff was a particularly popular breed in the area I was working - mostly with drug dealers

Re: are you scared of any of your patients ???

SmegSlayer — Fri, 25 May 2012 16:30:51 GMT

I've been pinned to a walkin kennel wall by an Irish wolfhound while alone in the practice on nights. I had been warned not to go in but had had GDV surgery and when I looked he was lying corpse like and I couldn't see any breathing so had no choice but to check up close...

There was also the 74kg (same weight as me at the time) rottie with bad hips that could've belonged to Satan. He belonged to a little old lady who couldn't control him so could only bring him in when her son was around. You had to throw the owners 2 muzzles (mikki and basket) across the waiting room because you couldn't even approach him. In the consult room I would straddle him and hold on for dear life as he bounced me round the room even with his appalling hips...

Spiders and scorpions are a big no-no.

And ALL hamsters are EVIL!

Re: are you scared of any of your patients ???

Jacquelyn Smith — Fri, 25 May 2012 12:14:23 GMT

Re: are you scared of any of your patients ???

Mark Hedberg — Fri, 25 May 2012 12:02:54 GMT

Well, but those marshmallows are sneaky little devils...

Re: are you scared of any of your patients ???

Jacquelyn Smith — Fri, 25 May 2012 11:49:01 GMT

[quote user="Mark Hedberg"]

It's because chinchillas look like some kind of Dr Evil-style mastermind should be stroking them and babbling on about orbital space lasers or plans to take over the world!

[/quote]

too right! its all in the eyes and the waggly little ears! beady little evil eyes!!! i am getting goose bumps just thinking about them!

Admittedly i have a lot of ridiculous phobias such as marshmallows, snow, cars, etc (and as far as i am aware, unjustified phobias in the most part; i may have blocked out the trauma though. hehe)... but chinchillas make me want to run and hide... i have to walk strategically around pets at home to avoid them!

Re: are you scared of any of your patients ???

Lauren Innes Bsc(hons) , RVN — Fri, 25 May 2012 10:47:51 GMT

not too scared of the animals that come and see us, I am a little concered about some of the clientelle! I am currently a bit freaked by the ants that have a nest in the walls of our practice

Re: are you scared of any of your patients ???

Mark Hedberg — Fri, 25 May 2012 09:57:52 GMT

It's because chinchillas look like some kind of Dr Evil-style mastermind should be stroking them and babbling on about orbital space lasers or plans to take over the world!

Re: are you scared of any of your patients ???

Jacquelyn Smith — Fri, 25 May 2012 09:55:21 GMT

I am not scared of normal scary animals. Bugs and spiders don't bother me, I actually love bugs. I am however, embarrassingly, terrified of chinchillas and pigeons...

Re: are you scared of any of your patients ???

Sal the 1st — Fri, 25 May 2012 09:33:51 GMT

Spiders - and also big teeth that come as part of the package with dogs where owners tell you 'oh dont worry he wont bite - he is just grumbling' or ' he wont really bite , might just give a nip as a warning but he doesnt bite properly' or the real classic 'oh he is only smiling' when you get a huge dog glaring at you flashing his teeth every time you set a foot towards it Give me a nasty cat anyday

Re: are you scared of any of your patients ???

Mark Hedberg — Fri, 25 May 2012 09:30:36 GMT

I like spiders. Not tarantulas, more the daddy-long-legs types that eat mosquitoes and flies and keep my home free of pests. Spiders kill germ-carrying flies and they are our friends!

Plus, on a weight basis, spider silk is stronger than steel - so any animal that can secrete steel is tops in my book!

Personally, I'm scared of individual animals on a case-by-case basis, mainly. A species that can kill me (scorpions, venomous snakes, anything toxic or deadly) does scare me, but I think that's more good sense than a particular phobia. (Remember, it's not paranoia when they really are trying to kill you!)

Re: are you scared of any of your patients ???

Alison Clare Hickman — Fri, 25 May 2012 09:20:43 GMT

Okay then, just me that appreciates spiders?? It's some of the human species that scare me more!!!!

Re: are you scared of any of your patients ???

Julie-Anne Wilson — Fri, 25 May 2012 06:55:56 GMT

We see quite a lot of exotics and I'm waiting on the day someone brings a spider, I hate them.

Although I think most spider owners would take their pets to an actual exotics Vet since they are fairly specialised.

Re: are you scared of any of your patients ???

victoria newton — Thu, 24 May 2012 23:48:23 GMT

lmao totally agree with u on that one lol x

Re: are you scared of any of your patients ???

StMongo — Thu, 24 May 2012 23:44:18 GMT

right there with you on the spider thing. if I ever work somewhere that attends to tarantulas, I may die.