Weasely. Being Kind and Being Genuine. How Your Clinic Can DO It ALL. How to correct deformed legs in a kitten.

There are enough sad stories in this world. No one needs, or wants any others....

And yet they still keep coming.

This is Weasely. He arrived in a tiny yellow carrier at the front desk of my veterinary clinic on October 10th 2016 via a chauffeur from the local Humane Society. 

"They want to drop him off?" I heard the receptionist announce rather casually and open-endedly toward no one. 

The clinic at this time of day is a bustling, chaotic mass of dogs, cats, children, parents and vet staff. We more closely resemble a subway station turned MASH unit then a small town veterinary clinic.

Like any seasoned parent I knew better than to blindly and dismissively shout out, "OK!" go on with my day to only be shell shocked by the sad case who needed my attention hours ago, that I had overlooked at intake.

I walked out of my busy backlog of waiting patients to peek into the carrier to see the hidden content. 

There sat a tiny speck of  orange fluff. Eyes small slivers of recognition. It was immediately apparent that he was sick, depressed, insignificant and crippled. He was mercy in a box.

These introductions take all of 10 seconds. He had some speckled sad story of misfortune and if I sent him back to try to survive in a shelter the odds were slim and already certainly against him. He simply needed too much and they had too many.

"Do you know anything about him?" I asked the driver.

"No." Short, oblivious, absent.

"OK, leave him here."

I went back to the pace of the sprint that is our normal over busy, over crazy, mildly chaotic veterinary life.

I scribbled a few notes of instructions and passed his carrier and his first treatment plan to the able kitten savior technicians JVC employs.

Laura met me in the treatment area a few minutes later. Without needing to explain she had taken charge. She had been through a case like this before. Her own dog, Bella, landed her second chance with us almost a decade ago. This is her dog's story. Bella's New Legs blog.

Weasely wasn't a mystery to us. I knew he would need a week or two to get over his upper respiratory infection. He also needed a month or two to get his deformed front legs back in straight working order.

Here is how a vet thinks about these cases; Triage. Immediate life saving care is directed to the infection and disease. Legs, well, legs are accessories. We will start to train them now, worry about their form and function later.

• Respiratory infection plan for a 1/2 pound kitten;
• Amoxicillin drops, a tenth of an ml every 12 hours. The most important part of this plan and the single reason sick kittens need a vet.
• Erythromycin ophthalmic. A small strip over each eye twice a day. Save the eyes, the eyesight and treat immediately.
• Deworm. Kittens come with worms. Please use a veterinary prescribed product. The over the counter stuff is dangerous and too often also deadly.
• Feed! If they are eating on their own leave out food 24/7. Change it every 4 hours.
• Keep warm! A heating pad on low under the towel or blanket. And keep them inside draft free and safe.
• Remove all fleas! Immediately. See my videos on how to do this.
• LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! 

Here is how we treated his legs;

• Day 1-3 was tiny pieces of a tongue depressor wrapped in soft vetrap. One small circumferential piece of tape held the tongue depressor in place. Essentially Weasely needs something with some soft rigidity to help support his relaxed and bent wrists. 

By day 4 Weasely's eyes and respiratory infection have markedly improved. He also has a nice big round belly! He is gaining weight, muscle mass and becoming a healthy kitten!

• Day 4-14. Laura made plastic braces by cutting a syringe cover in to two halves. She smoothed the plastic edges and then applied elastic tape to cover the edges.

He still has lots of laxity in his wrists but he is walking on his feet and not the side of his forearm.

It is vital to remember that we have to heal Weasely's body and spirit! Socialization is as important to his overall health and long term prognosis as his splints are.

That's a lot of toes! 22 in all!

With any type of splint, brace or cast, you are going to get pressure sores and wounds. For this reason and for the ever changing evolution of a tiny sick kitten growing so fast you cannot blink I wanted Weasely to stick close to the clinic.

We changed his bandages and splints daily. By about day 5 he started to have sores where the splints were touching his skin. This required daily antibiotic soaks and changing the splints, and/or, adding more padding.

By about day 8 we changed to soft padded splints.

He went into a foster home within a week. Because every pet heals on their own time we wanted him to be socialized, loved, and encouraged to get up and use his new legs. A foster home is a much better place than a busy clinic for this.

This is Weasely with his foster family.

Where he was LOVED.

And spoiled...

And discovered he was a cat..

Who loves people.

And slaying defenseless toys..

It has been a month of treating his legs.. and now they are perfect. 

He is back with us learning how to be a friend and looking for his forever home with his new friend Thor.

Miracles come in all sorts of obscure packages. You don't have to look far for them. You just have to accept them as a tiny opportunity to be bigger than the often overlooked. And, you have to remember to love.

Weasely happened because Jarrettsville Vet does a few things;
1. We advertise that we are here to help the pets of our community.
2. The local shelters and rescues know that they can swing by and drop off a little soul in need in a little carrier.. even on our busy days. We don't dismiss or disregard there is need even when there isn't a paying client.
3. We utilize all of our resources to make happy endings. There is a small army of people who help at every step. Our clients, families, friends and supporters make this happen.
4. We have staff who provide pro bono care generously and unselfishly.
5. We have a box at the front desk to collect donations. We call it the Good Samaritan Fund. It helps  cover the cost of these cases.

We never walk away and we don't give up. It is our credo and it is all you need to allow little miracles to happen.

Related blogs;

Bella's New Legs.

Borrowing Battery Juice.

If Wealth Were Measured In Good Deeds.

Open Admission Shelters Are NOT Safe Houses.

Leave Them Here.

If you are an animal expert, or pet lover, or have a question about your pets care please join me on Pawbly.com. We are a place for exchanging information to benefit pets lives globally.

I can also be found  at the clinic, Jarrettsville Veterinary Center in Jarrettsville Maryland, on Twitter @ FreePetAdvice, or on YouTube.

The Jarrettsville Vet Pet Food Pantry

Weasely

Our latest endeavor at the clinic addresses another of our community pets most basic needs.
We already provide shelter, vet care and now we are going to offer food.

Here is the letter sent to all local shelters, vet clinics, and rescues;

Dear Fellow Vets, Clinics, Shelters, Rescues and Pet Related Stores,

This is the time of year we are reminded that there are those less fortunate than ourselves in our communities. Last year in the USA 42.2 million people struggled with hunger. It is also estimated that between 37-42% of US households have a pet (most have more than one). There are also about half a million people that are homeless and many of these people care for their own pets. The numbers of hungry and in need of the most basic fundamental lifesaving assistance is staggering. Concurrently the holidays are the time of year that we are also inspired with the generosity and goodwill provided to all. As the stewards of care and compassion to all animals we are all in a position to help those in our areas struggling the most at the toughest time of the year.

Cooper

Cooper and Chloe

At Jarrettsville Vet we offer free shelter at the boarding facility through the coldest nights of winter to encourage bringing pets indoors by offering them lifesaving warmth. This year we are also offering food from donations from our annual Pets with Santa fund raiser. The donations will go into boxes for the Food Pantry. Food and provisions will be free to anyone in need and remain in our lobby year around. We are asking for your help and participation in allowing us to place a donation box in your lobby or entrance. We hope that it will inspire your staff, clients, and customers to remember that we can all join together and have meaningful impact to those who need it most but are not able to find assistance elsewhere. One bag of food can be the difference between a meal for the coldest, darkest winter months and diseases associated with malnutrition. 

Weasely

We are happy to help provide the collection boxes and social media posts to announce this to your clients and social media friends. 

We are reaching out and asking for help from all of you that provide care, goods, and services to those fortunate pets in our communities who can lend a helping hand.

Lucy and Max

Many Thanks for your consideration, we hope to hear from you soon,

Our latest bunch of sick, broken and 'not allowed to die' kittens.

Sincerely,

Krista Magnifico, DVM

Owner Jarrettsville Vet and founder of Pawbly.comFor more information on any of our community assistance programs including shelter, food, and veterinary care assistance please call Diedra, Jenn, or Richard at the clinic 410-692-6171. Or email diedra@jvcvet.com.

If you have a pet related question, or pet related areas of expertise we hope that you will join us at Pawbly.com. Pawbly is free for everyone to use and open to anyone who loves pets. I am also at the clinic, Jarrettsville Vet in bucolic Harford County Maryland. Or try my video library at YouTube, or reference materials and content on Twitter @FreePetAdvice.

Shparky

Please always be kind, and always remember those less fortunate.     

            

Affordable Options Are Everyone's Right.

Heather
Harford County Humane Society surrender

For a huge part of the pet owning population the ability to find affordable care for many aspects of their pets health is unattainable. Many cannot afford to make good routine nutritional choices, attain routine veterinary care, provide little to no vaccines or preventatives, and even more cannot begin to find affordable options for complex disease(s) or emergency care. The size of the chasm of need increases significantly for people as the small choices for basic care grow into more complicated health concerns.

The reality of the intensive side of veterinary pet care, and by that I mean; emergencies, life threatening disease or conditions, or pet care that requires specialists, referrals or hospitalization, is that if you have deep pockets you can, and will, get state of the art unimaginable high quality specialized care. The state of veterinary medicine is at the point where amazing things are possible when clients have access to immediate funds.

In the real-world of this small animal general practitioner there are too many cases where the degree of assistance and the altering of prognosis with the likelihood of cure is directly proportional to the power to pay immediately.

Let me explain. Many difficult cases require more than one vet visit and more information than our eyes, ears and nose can identify at the initial visit. Running tests and making repeat visits to the vets office are needed to find the critical clues that help lead to the answers your pet needs to provide optimal care and prognosis. These can be expensive. As the wallet shrinks these key critical pieces for a best case outcome scenario fade.

In some cases I cannot even get close to a diagnosis. Without at least $500 I often can't get a narrowed down list of possible rule-outs to allow focused effective meaningful care. Seasoned trained well established vets dole out a boat load of convincing "educated guesses" when we are presented with pets who need answers and pet parents who don't or can't pursue diagnostics. It is sad and true that huge numbers of fates are decided on "guesses" educated or otherwise.

Even in the few cases that I can almost 100% definitively diagnose for less than $100 or $200 dollars, let's say for example DKA, fractures, blocked cat, obstructions, pyometra, GDV,  IVDD, neuromuscular disease, toxins, cancer, behavior cases, (the list is endless), I cannot provide cheap AND prognostically favorable answers for less than $500 (plus). It is always a dance of managing expectations, resources, and open honest communication, and always, always, trying to figure out a way to keep a pet in a home and happy on all sides. It is why so many vets learn to walk away indifferent.

I believe that vets are an integral part of a pets quality of life. We are their advocate for all facets of their care. Why then is it that we shirk away from guidance when there are financial constraints? How on earth can denying affordable options help maintain our credibility and integrity? If there is a pet care problem there are ALWAYS options. There are even affordable options. Perhaps they are not attainable under our roof but shouldn't we be obligated to provide them regardless? Is withholding affordable options a part of who we want to be? My clinic provides clients in need with resources of low cost spay/neuter clinics, vaccine clinics, surgical facilities and trainers, even though  we provide all of these services under our roof. Why do we do this? Because ultimately our patients shouldn't have to pay for our inabilities (vet AND parent included).

Our most recent endeavor is to curb the need for shelter surrenders of our patients.

Undoubtedly there are many sides to the problem of why people surrender to shelters. There are many sides that I cannot help. Of them I cannot convince a pet parent to love their pet. I cannot build a bond between a person who doesn't want to make a place in their heart or family to care about them. I cannot convince someone to not be evicted, or not rent an apartment that won't take pets, etc. BUT, I can help in behavior and health care issues that might cause some loving pet parent to consider surrender, abandonment or economic euthanasia because the cost of care is too great.

PetFinder.com's  Top 10 Reasons for Relinquishment*

Dogs:

1. Moving (7%)
2. Landlord not allowing pet (6%)
3. Too many animals in household (4%)
4. Cost of pet maintenance (5%)
5. Owner having personal problems (4%)
6. Inadequate facilities (4%)
7. No homes available for litter mates (3%)
8. Having no time for pet (4%)
9. Pet illness(es) (4%)
10. Biting (3%)

Cats:

1. Moving (8%)
2. Landlord not allowing pet (6%)
3. Too many animals in household (11%)
4. Cost of pet maintenance (6%)
5. Owner having personal problems (4%)
6. Inadequate facilities (2%)
7. No homes available for litter mates (6%)
8. Allergies in family (8%)
9. House soiling (5%)
10. Incompatibility with other pets (2%)

Jarrettsville Veterinary Center can help with some of these. Here is what we are doing to help the pets in our community;

• Providing shelter for pets from excessive heat or cold for free. 
• Providing payment options when care is denied elsewhere. 
• Providing care when euthanasia is the only affordable options given, or, even taking surrendered pets when our clients pass away. 

We will do it. We can help and we will. Coming soon we will offer a pet food pantry and Pet Savings Plan to help our clients prepare for the rainy days every pet will at some point face.

This is our latest offer of assistance;

Dear Local Shelters/Rescues,

At Jarrettsville Veterinary Center we have a deep desire to help animals in need.  We want to be part of the solution in keeping pets out of shelters.  According to the ASPCA approximately 7.6 million animals enter shelters nationwide every year.  This number is shocking and we would like to do something to help with the problem in our community.  We are reaching out to the shelters and rescues in our area and asking for your cooperation.  When a pet is surrendered due to the owner’s inability to pay for the pet’s veterinary care we ask that you ask one additional question.  Please ask who their veterinarian is.  If Jarrettsville Veterinary Center is mentioned or listed on a vaccine history as the center where the pet received care please contact us at 410-692-6171 and ask to speak to Jennifer Taylor.  We would like to see what we can do to assist the owner and their pet.

Thank you so much for your cooperation in this matter, as a team we hope to help our patients who may find themselves in unfortunate circumstances.

Warm regards,
The staff of JVC

This is Heather. She was surrendered by her family to our local shelter. She is 3 1/2 years old and has not been treated for her diabetes diagnosed over a year ago. She was very, very sick from her neglected diabetes. Without immediate care she would have likely died within a few days. She was 113 pounds at arrival. This is almost 30 pounds more than she should be. If it weren't for the shelter staff calling us and our ability to help her she would have been euthanized. Somewhere someone failed her. This disease is avoidable and treatable. A lot could have been done for her to keep her from being surrendered. She needed to be given dietary options. Affordable, over the counter, options. She needed to be shown to how to be treated for diabetes. Affordably. She needed more than her family could provide. She is one of those pets in our community we are responsible for. We owe her more than she has been given and we will help her find her second chance at a new and healthier life.

Our goal is to offer options to help people so surrender or economic euthanasia isn't a needed option. Pawbly and Jarrettsville Vet are here for this purpose. We hope that you will join us in helping pets in your community. Education and options are often all that are needed to change and better the lives of those in our communities.

More on Heather soon.

If you would like to help a pet please join us at Jarrettsville Vet for one of our fundraisers, like Pets With Santa. Always the first Sunday in December. Or visit us on our Facebook page. You can ask me questions about your pet on Pawbly.com. It is free to use and open to anyone. I am also on Twitter @FreePetAdvice and YouTube.

Coot, our resident clinic cat, and I steal a snuggle selfie

Related Blogs;

What Are You Building? Leadership in a Compassion Based Clinic.

Medical bill madness: what if human medicine was like veterinary medicine?

Economic Euthanasia.

Veterinary Rescue Shaming and The Frank-Starling Law.

Rescue Economics. When The Expense Costs You Your Ability to Care.

Wellness Plans, Savings Plans, and Surprises.

Jarrettsville Veterinary Center Protocol for Clients with Financial Constraints.

Compassion Fatigue. When the candle you are burning at both ends consumes you.

Borrowing Battery Juice. How Recharging Keeps the Motor Happy and BUILDS Your Veterinary Practice.

Early morning run produces four 1 month old kittens. 
Cold hungry and at the mercy of an often unforgiving world.

There is too much anger and blame in the world. I am just as guilty as the next over privileged white American. Travel the world for any amount of time in any capacity at all and you will return to the land of the stars and stripes feeling lucky. Stick around the USA long enough and the bitterness of wanting more and giving less gets the best of you. Outwardly none of us want to carry each others burdens. If you are a vet you seem to get asked more than you imagine others do to keep helping as the extended open hands never stop coming. It is our lot in life to be asked and expected to help. We are often castigated if we refuse to help. I fear most vets say "NO!" to the Springtime eruption of abandoned kittens, owner surrendered peeing cats, economic euthanasia's for broken bones, bad skin and the behavior cases that would just be too much work to retrain.

Sam, JVC adoption from rescue,
Thanks to the Good Samaritan Fund 
Summer 2016

The excuses are plentiful;

• "It isn't our job to provide homes for unwanted pets."
• "If the client can't afford the care needed they shouldn't have ever gotten a pet."
• "We are not the shelter. We are a business."
• "If we do it for free everyone else will expect it."
• "There are too many good/healthy pets being euthanized. Why should we champion the cause of the bad/sick ones?"
• "What about the liability of a clinic cat? Or, worse, a behavior dog?"
• "We have an obligation to care for our paying clients. We don't have time to care for both."
• "What affects my bottom line affects my ability to take care of my staff."
• "I can't love the pet more than their owner does."
• "It's not my problem."
• "It would take too much,,,, (insert the following here) time, effort, resources, care, etc."
• And, the one no one speaks out loud but secretly harbors; "I don't care."

Bruno

I will argue every point above. I can even simplify them all to a few basic tenets.

• You probably do care more than the average person. That is why you busted your butt to get into and out of vet school. This is what makes you exceptional. Who the heck wants to lower themselves to mediocre? 
• You are not as financially strapped as you portray. And even if you think you are I would offer this. If you are struggling as a vet you are doing something wrong, and it is NOT giving stuff away. It is not CAPITALIZING ON THE STUFF YOU DO GIVE AWAY. Our clients love us simply because we care about them and their pets. If you are not on social media you are losing about 30% of revenues you could have access to because you aren't telling your clients what you do. 
• People want transparency. We all like to know what to expect as much as possible. If you don't provide it they won't trust you. 
• You are replaceable. 
• Any vet who doesn't have a clinic cat is a clinic who says "NO" too often. One of the ways I suggest a client pick their vet is to walk out of a clinic if THEY DON'T HAVE A CLINIC PET. My lawyer reminds me every time they can about how I need to remove my in-clinic herd. They are considered a "liability." This is one of the many defining qualities of why I am not a lawyer.
• Your staff will stick with you because they believe in you and your clinic. They have choices to. They may think about leaving to make more money, but, they will stay because they know they are a part of the dream of who they wanted to be. Foster this at all levels of your business. It is the CORE of a hospital.
• Having and helping the needy pets has turned the staff into an army of veterinary care foster parents. This has trained my staff more than I could have ever done on my own. JVC has kitten critical care specialists, puppy trainers, dog behaviorists, and a a clinic of "fear free" personnel because we are true to our mission. 

Henry

Let's talk numbers. Every vet who thinks that being kinder and more generous is going to adversely affect their numbers isn't utilizing the power of being the person your clients want and expect you to be. If anyone wants to talk my numbers I can tell you that my clinic Jarrettsville Veterinary Center has grown beyond my wildest imagination. I took a leap of faith, I followed my heart, I employ people I trust and believe in and we share in the joys of trying. We don't always win the battle between life and death, and we don't always decide fate but we don't take or make excuses. Everyone and everything is provided assistance and more often than not the pet wins a battle they would have otherwise died from.

Roadside kitten
Day 2; grateful.

Building a veterinary business HAS TO BE centered around improving pets lives. It is much more than a balance sheet and time cards. It is small miracles, long hours of trying to bend the laws of science and biology. It is also endless buckets of blood, sweat, and tears.

I asked my business partner if he was brave enough to publish our numbers? How much has our bottom line improved while our goodwill runneth over? Maybe if I put out hard numbers that would encourage more vets to think AND act outside of the rigid 'care for paying clients only' box? It is a factor of exponential growth based on a series of key decisions.

1. Get rid of clutter. Clients who steal your soul, beat you up and cost your ability to maintain faith in mankind and compassion to your patients go. Period. If that means getting rid of 20% let them go. Quietly, peacefully and quickly. 
2. Be very vocal and open about who you are and what your clinics mission is. Broadcast it.
3. Embrace the free stuff. Use the talents of your staff, your reps, and your community. Ask for help with anything and give up control. If you don't let your assets sell your business it will never grow. 
4. Be honest always. 
5. Understand short term losses and long term gain. If you aren't a part of the long term gain your staff and your clients will see through you. 
6. You don't have to be anyone other than who you are. Stop trying to be something you are not. BUT, hire to round out your abilities and services or knowingly and openly give up a piece of the client expectations. For example, the vet I bought my clinic from did lots of ear crops. He was very good at them and hence people traveled great distances to see him. Me, well, I like floppy ears. It took a while for me to break it to his followers, but I am not a cosmetic ear vet. I was honest and they were upset he retired and that was the end of it.
7. Expect that notoriety brings visibility. Be prepared to grow and what that entails. It is a double edged sword. 
8. Go into every interaction with a smile, an open hand of assistance and expect the best of people. If there is one or two who disappoint you have a fund set aside to offset the loss. You will find that more people are good than bad and that more cases can be won versus lost and you can build forward. In summary, "don't sweat the small stuff.. and you know,, it is all small stuff."

Another of the roadside kittens

How has being more compassionate, opening our doors and services to more people, and doing things others think are impossible helped us? Goodwill builds loyalty. Loyalty builds vet-client bonds, and one long term client who passes your name along to anyone who needs help for their pets is a dollar you never have to spend on marketing that was never going to drive your business into the big leagues anyway.

Gus Gus. Found in a dumpster emaciated. Adopted within 1 week.

I have learned that what comes around goes around. I don't have to hope to cast karma. I can see it. People care about their pets. Most of them care about them as if they are family members. I do feel that we veterinarians have an obligation to help the patients we are educated and empowered to serve. I just argue that care should not be based simply on a clients ability to pay out right. There are lots of resources available from many wonderful organizations. We at Jarrettsville Vet will tell you what we can do for your pet. We will also tell you how much it will cost. If you cannot afford this, or, if you would like to know what other outside options are available we will provide them. We also post all of our prices and provide examples of past surgery costs willingly and openly. If they cannot pay we provide options. Economic euthanasia is not a treatment option.

Coconut.
Abandoned bottle baby turned bossy self described Alpha Cat.

You reap what you sew.

Ninja kittens decided they liked beds, food and cuddling rather quickly.

There is nothing worth the power of a smile and the joy that a pet brings. It is the most important part of our profession. It is the fuel that feeds the soul of a pet practitioner and supports the passion to be who we are and do what is not always easy.

Skippy Jon Jones
Good Samaritan Fund
Summer 2016

Raven

There are appointments where I know I spend more time playing and cuddling my patients than I expect to. These are always the moments I reflect upon each night when my husband asks me, "What was the best part of your day?"

River and Rose

I take the cases that have nothing left. Paisley needed a weird off the sidebar of my vet surgery text book surgery OR she was going to be euthanized. I sweated her surgery. I called my friends for advice. I put out a Facebook plea for guidance, and I jumped in when no one else would.

She now lives with someone who I adore. Paisely was the kismet to meeting a friend I cherish. She was a reason to try and the reward was worth the uneasy challenge. Life is not meant to be easy. Stop seeking easy. There is no reward there.

Paisley

If I could pick diseases to specialize in they would include;

1. Puppy Strangles
2. Pyometra
3. Demodex
4. Parvovirus.
5. Feline Inappropriate Urination

These too often are given up based on huge estimates of care. BUT, they are conquerable! And we shy away from them too often.

Jewel.
Incorrectly diagnosed as sarcoptic mange which almost cost her her life.

These are the faces of what we do. We help any pet from the local shelter who we think we can. We post them on Facebook like mad. We seek the comfort of a purr and a snuggle when we need to walk away from a hard case. We take time to remember who we are and why we are here. Keeping kittens helps the stress, the heart break and the reminder to push on. There are always souls in need and often we each help each other feel loved and needed.

Kitty and Sam
Good Samaritan Fund
Summer 2016

Every vet hopes to live and practice long enough to build a book of their career. To see the puppy they delivered reach teenage status. To save the kitten who had little hope if you hadn't intervened make it to spay/neuter surgery. To have enough cases to add opinions on preference of care. To see our clients children grow and have pets of their own. To build a book of stories that are worthy of brandy, long stormy days and reflection of glory days. We each are building our own legacy one patient at a time. Each one matters and each will build you into the person you decide to be.

Bear.

Who I delivered via Cesarean section (my first) 11 years ago.

Medicine takes courage, conviction, dedication and ability built on practice and heart.

Celebrate, announce and revel in the bright spots. Take pride and be who you are without fear.. medicine takes no prisoners,, we are all "a ghost driving a meat coated skeleton made from stardust. So what are you waiting for." (My new favorite quote). Every vet has a bit of demented biology we relate to.. embrace it!

Making new friends everyday.

Taking lots of selfies to keep the batteries charged.

If you think all of this isn't possible I ask you a few questions.

1. How often do you feel that your batteries are on empty?

2. Is there anything you are doing that you don't feel proud of? If so, just say no. No fear and face consequences with pride in being true to your inner self. I swear I got rid of all my soul sucking clients and staff.. It took A LOT OF COURAGE! I stopped making excuses that cost my patients for my clients sake, and I abandoned my bottom line concessions. Every decision is made openly honestly and with being kind and compassionate at the forbearance. It is possible.

3. What are you waiting for?

4. Is your desire to calculate overpowering your ability to find peace and joy in being a vet?

5. What are you really afraid of? What if I told you that it doesn't really matter? That you matter much more.

If you are still in disbelief about all of this,, I can add; No good deed goes unpunished. Expect it. Be prepared for it. Be brave. And don't let the pessimists take over your orchestra. Approach them as you would disease. They are there to challenge you. Out smart and out live them. And walk away knowing you are only better because you faced a challenge.. and then don't look back or waste time letting it bother you. We have all learned that there is a force of some greater influence than we will ever possess. (And turns out you can kill  a cat with an arrow and still keep your license.. the rest is just money. We are over the ludicrous idea of having lots of money aren't we?).

As always I wish you kindness, peace and endless compassion. 

Related blogs;

Dunkin. The Littlest Life and All That Matters

Compassion  Fatigue

What Compels Vet to Forgive?

Carry Each Others Burdens

If Wealth Were Measured In Good Deeds

Economic Euthanasia

If you would like to learn more about Jarrettsville Vet please visit us on our Facebook page, on our website, or find me on Twitter@FreePetAdvice or on Pawbly.com where I answer pet questions for free. Pawbly is open to anyone who loves pets. It is a place for free information and resources to help pets and their families. I also have helpful advice on YouTube Krista Magnifico, DVM.

The Misperception of An Outspoken Vet.

OK, so I have provided apologies before. I probably do it too often? Some ridiculous effort to provide a piece of genuine empathy to my audience and still seek permission to keep on chatting. Maybe it is a silly way to divert assertion of a strong voice or soften the edges while I deliver a punch? Or, perhaps it is even a trace of manipulation or deference for a spirit I don't always suppress?

So here I go again....

I am sorry if this  offends anyone. It is not the intention. Let me start there.

Everyday I question what I am doing and why? I have to provide a list of reasons to my internal self-check consciousness mechanism as I invest more time in what might end up as a completely futile effort. These moments of self-reflection are tidbits of a fractured To-Do list meets overwhelmed workaholic. I accept it as my own doing and dissect so as to provide justification to keep on repeating my self fulling prophecy. Here is a good example of my internal conflict meets slightly scattered over tired practice owner/vet/mom/wife.

Person with box walks into clinic. (Always a bad sign).
I over hear the following between vet tech and box holder; "He's not mine. I don't want him."
Said vet tech finds me to report; "Tiny kitten, head wound, quiet, barely moving found 4 hours ago. She wants us to take it. Can we please just take it and tell her to go?" I know full well this is a plea for two things:

1. Tech wants to get box carrier out of office ASAP. It is closing time and she knows the argument is a lost cause.
2. Kitten is in bad shape. 

Internal dialogue unfolds something like this: "Crap. Here I go again."

I walk out to meet said box holder. She repeats same story. "I found this kitten in my yard under a bush with flies on it. It isn't mine. I don't want it. So I brought it here. I figur'd you'd take it?"

How do I answer this?

"He's pretty close to dying isn't he?" She takes advantage of the lull in the conversation as losing leverage and adds a smear of additional pity to the plea.

"Well, maybe if you didn't wait 4 hours?" I mutter, knowing I had lost the battle at the arrival. I add insult to injury.. and peak in the box. Cursory exam; 2 week old kitten with swollen head, poorly responsive, dehydrated, who is dying in front of me. If I don't take him right now and help him right now I know he will die. I know this.

"What are you going to do if I don't take him?" Answer is not going to keep kitten alive. And the most idiotic thing to leave my lips follows, "I am not a shelter."
Yes, we take him.

Swollen head, abscess,
and fly eggs (will be maggots in about 2 hours).

I cannot win.. I just have to find acceptable decisions so I still want to wake up tomorrow and relive the hamster wheel meets Groundhog day life I am trapped within.

Sounds bleak, huh?

Well, I don't think its bleak. I think it is my real-life. How can I title this little public journal and not be honest?

Maybe the whole freakin problem is lack of honesty? Or, in my case, too much honesty?

Maybe it is the culture of whining and blaming and not stating our true feelings?

And maybe I am tired? I can be tired? We all get tired.. but remember that little internal inquiring voice? Yes, I listen to her. Too often I even argue with  her.

I understand I got myself into all of this. I am not asking for anyone's sympathies. I am not even asking for your understanding. I think I am only asking myself to be true to my vision. To not be swayed by others lack of interest, failure to find common goals, and indifference to the plight of others that I am trying to assuage and ameliorate.

Although my blogs and articles get some attention they also leave me open to explaining myself. Truth be told, I feel the conversations are fuel to perpetuate important topics. But like all people we get defensive and protective of unsolicited opinion.

And then my strong voice, fierce compassion and outspoken demeanor elicit this..

Hi Krista,
XXX .. just sent me one of your recent blogs regarding your policy on costs and economic euthanasia, which I thought was AWESOME! (sic)
Hope all is well, and keep on advocating for animals.
XXXX

I should add a bit of background. The email is from a member of a vet group I belong to. I deeply respect him and believe firmly in the groups purpose and vision. We have firm common ground and a distant rapport.

Hello,
Many thanks for the email.. To be completely honest I feel as if I  am a one woman crusader against a flurry of corporate run behemoths who are slowly, insidiously taking over vet med. It is shocking to me how few people seem to be left upholding the standards of the foundation our profession was built upon. There are so many wonderfully caring hard working vets but they have been strong armed into practicing what the owner/director mandates, or, they are too driven by a bottom line, or, they are leaving and/or killing themselves.

For example, yesterday I saw two clients who were given estimates of 4x what my clinic would charge. One was a cat who needed a dental and one extraction, estimate given by  "big city practice #1" was $1000. Estimate number two, the puggle with pendulous soft tissue mass wo palpable blood vessels at base of stalk, $800-1200. Cat dental at our clinic $400 (w full pre op bw), and mass removal $200 w sedation and local block. Both clients waited months to try to save up for the service at their clinic, both left when they called me to  inquire about doing at my clinic. You understand my gripe.

My intention with  everything  I am doing  is to reduce (as much as possible) economic euthanasia. I also feel strongly that vet med is way overdue for a reality check. If we still maintained our integrity we wouldn't need transparency. But sadly I think we have lost/abandoned both. And we both know who suffers when that happens.

My clinic is my beta for what I am building Pawbly to become. It is my attempt to build something on a small scale that I can use to prove my vision and scale up to provide universal animal assistance. 

It is a lofty goal which I am determined to achieve regardless of time, effort, and  investment (well I say that now $100K in). Pawbly and my clinic are the legacy I hope to leave behind for both the veterinary community and animals around the world. I will ask for help from every person  I meet  (the plight  of an entrepreneur) and keep going alone until it finds its grass roots ground swell.

I would love to chat with any of you about my project and how it might assist with your efforts. As with my presumptive business theory to build Pawbly upon I believe that people love their pets and that there are millions of us around the world who share this common viewpoint. All we have to do now is have  one place to meet and  exchange information, animal education and infuse it with inspiration. The result is helping pets and their people live longer happier and healthier lives. I know the pitch sounds like Dr Google, but it is quite the  opposite. I know pets need their vets I just have to convince the general pop that this is still the case, and we vets need to provide a stronger, more meaningful relationship built upon trust and affordable realistic options.

Ok, off of soapbox and off to the clinic to save another wet nose.

Have a wonderful day.
Please do keep in touch, and please let me know if I can participate in any of your endeavors.
Sincerely,
krista



Hi Krista,
HSVMA has started a coalition of people devoted to working on ensuring access to veterinary care.
http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/hsvma-announces-access-veterinary-care-coalition

From a larger perspective, I’m concerned about the tone and degree of angst in your thoughts below..,.
There is no doubt we both share valid concerns regarding whether our profession fulfills its potential in serving the needs of animals.
Its also become abundantly clear from my own journey as a vet x 30 years and from studies, that the line between compassion-advocacy-stress-burnout, can be a short one…
To be an advocate for animals, requires you ensure you remain healthy as well…



My reply;
Hello XXX,

I would love to be a part of the care coalition.  I had seen the write up in JAVMA and wanted to inquire about it. I hope to help our clients and pets in anyway I can. 

I realize that you don't know me. So perhaps I can reassure you and place my passion into perspective. I am a devoted dedicated and determined Italian. I spent 15 years in the military and at sea and if that couldn't break me nothing can. I am doing very well. But I am not giving up on helping my community and my profession. I appreciate your care and concern but I am good. I promise. And if by chance you hear that all the time and still ponder?. My cell is XXX-. 

I appreciate your prompt response and extended concern about my angst. Although I think it is more accurately described as frustration and optimism to provide a place for assistance. 

Take care 
Sincerely 
Krista


.... and with that there is silence. Maybe we don't have common goals and firm ground? And so the internal debate marches on.

.... or maybe I am passionate about something and I want to improve it? Maybe this assumption that I am so delicate AND that all of this is possible, is taken by me to be yet another older, wiser man telling me to abandon my dreams and just be a little quieter?

It seems I am always fighting. Always. Internally, externally, and with everyone... self included. Is that somehow dangerous? Is it somehow the ephemerous spirit that is the catalyst for change when some conscious frustrated person sees inequality, suffering  and injustice? Damn it I see suffering everyday that I somehow have to make a decision about. Its my decision alone.  I cannot place it on my staff. I cannot turn my back.. and yes it means there is a conscious recognition of not choosing indifference, not abandoning  that needful soul and yay! now I get to defend and justify it to others who want to impress upon  me that there 'numerous years of experience should be my guide to a happy healthy lifestyle." Which leaves me feeling like I can't win.

Ugh! I cannot/will not apologize for this. It seems it might be harder than I thought to be an outspoken unwanted advocate?... and so I decide to stay the course, not abandon hope and keep pushing on.. even if it is alone. Elicit internal pep talk; Note to others in similar plights; I get it. Few people get you. Others will disclaim your credibility, intentions, or lofty aspirations.. Keep believing in yourself. In the end that's all you really have. You have to always be ok with that.

Maybe for me being an advocate is being  a strong voice in a field of hushed mice? Maybe for me I am ok with being my professions Rosa Parks? 

.... and so I internally debate again.. sit to write, throw it all out there naked, and push on.

I am not going  to walk away from a problem I think i can influence, improve and feel compelled to do... and yes, this is a decision I have made with the understanding of what the costs may be. I am an entrepreneur! I shout it and proclaim it! I know what I am willing to throw on the craps table. I know what the house holds. What the acceptable risk is, and I know that there are a lot of blank faces I have  to walk away from. I don't have the time to explain it to you. I  don't have the energy to waste trying  to convince you. And I don't have the capital to worry about whether you approve.

I am not going to walk this path and not try. I am not going to be a part of something I know I can improve but fear the consequences of others judging me, coddling me, cajoling, or castigating. I can't and I won't. So I walk away again knowing I did the best I could and took care of everyone I could along the way. Regardless of the unsolicited, albeit well intentioned advice I seem to attract.

Footnote;
Dear friends with more years of walking in these shoes than I have added their mutual concern and inability to understand both my perspective and point. For this reason I am going to try to add a bit of clarification as to my position and,, well, yes, angst.
I am frustrated with vet med and how I believe we aren't providing care to those in need and we certainly in too many cases aren't providing affordable options when clients need them. There is huge need and very little thought about our obligation to those patients. I am frustrated to feel alone in this dilemma. When I expressed that and asked for assistance in discussing what Pawbly is about I was  met with advice to be cautious. I don't want to in anyway be told or advised to be cautious. I want to create and foster change. To innovate where there are inadequacies. To be unafraid to try. It seems like that is as outside of anyone's viewpoint. You cannot be driving change and be afraid. Perhaps the pendulum of panic over our professions suicide rate and burn out has swung so far we are afraid to innovate?

Here is how you can reach me if you have a pet in need. I am at Pawbly.com and Jarrettsville Veterinary Center in Jarrettsville Maryland. You can also follow me on Twitter @FreePetAdvice, YouTube, or on Facebook. If by chance you want to help a pet in need Please join us all on Pawbly.com. It is free to use and open to anyone anywhere who loves animals and wants to help them and their people.

Related fuel for the fodder;

Compassion Fatigue blog.

Jarrettsville Vet Policy on Financial Constraints Blog

Rescue Economics. When The Expense Costs You Your Ability To Care blog. 

The Jarrettsville Vet Center Price Guide 2016 edition.

Economic Euthanasia blog