I wrote about the smaller crocs being moved to their new enclosure at Tenerife Sur Zoo but thought l would tell the story of Celia the Cuban crocodile and her move to the same enclosure…. Once the fence was made higher and croc proof.
Paco had built the new enclosure as he felt the smaller Niles were now at a size they were less likely to get eaten by Celia. Both sets of crocs enclosures had only been temporary ones, true for a few years but only “short term”
Celia had been at the zoo for a number of years. She is a very rare croc being a Cuban and her arrival was different to the normal sort of arrival.
A container ship had docked at Santa Cruz in Tenerife to off and reload cargo. The sailors had been in Cuba and South America on one leg of their trip and had acquired quite a few creatures, mainly parrots. They decided that they would sell the creatures in Tenerife to earn some extra cash.
They had sold most of the animals except Celia, sensibly the citizens of Santa Cruz decided that they would not buy her but stuck to the parrots and few smaller creatures.
At the end of the day when the ship was refreshed and due to sail the crew went back to the ship leaving poor Celia to walk around the streets looking for food and security. The zoo was called and they rescued her. She had been there growing since, and was now around about 7ft and happy in her home.
The trouble with moving her was she spent a lot of time in her pond. It was muddy and impossible to see into, and though only narrow it was deep and Paco insisted she had to be caught not trapped.
This “simple” job was accomplished by pushing a broom handle down into the muddy water and pinning her to the floor. As she reared up in anger a noose was to be dropped over her jaws and pulled shut, then she was hauled out, hogtied and carried to her new home.
No matter how Marco or l said it was a crazy scheme, your hands ended up in the water as the pond was deep, It stressed her out, it stressed us out, we risked injuring her, we risked her injuring us, we got no place he was adamant.
After 2 hours Paco had got bored of supervising, you notice “supervising” he was not putting his hands in there and wandered off but my hub had arrived by now and joined in.
We continued to push the handle down while one of us waited with the noose, every so often we would swop to give a broom pushers a break. You could feel her wizz under the handle as it brushed her. At times she would surface, grab a look and breath and go down again it was crazy. A couple of times we got her to rear up but never managed to get her noosed as she was always at the opposite end to where l was or to far away.
It took about 4 hours before they succeeded in getting her back end pinned, and on cue she reared up by me and l managed to get the noose over her jaws and pull tight.
She slammed around but l held on the other 2 leaping over to help. We got her part way out and more ropes onto her then pulled her out and tied to a plank and immobilised her tail and body.
We carried her over to the new enclosure with the smaller Niles. We were all barefoot, normal for me but not for hub or Marco. Hub cried out as he stood on something but kept going. When we checked his foot later there was just a small hole.
Celia settled quickly into her new home seeming to enjoy it but hubs foot didn’t get better. Finally after about 5 months of limping he allowed me to have a proper look. A dig with a needle and a hard squeeze and out popped a chunk of plastic, it must have gone in deep and the hole closed over it, once out the foot healed.
Celia had her revenge on at least one of us for the indignities of being caught as she was.
Showing posts with label Exotics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Exotics. Show all posts
Wednesday, 6 January 2010
Friday, 30 October 2009
Sound Bites
I have been at a small practice this week but it is busy. They do a lot of nurse clinics which is great to have the interaction. Generally people are there as they want to listen and ask questions. To many places just have the odd one usually a post op check and it doesn't utilise nurses skills properly.
Where l have been nurses do micro chipping, health checks (dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs hamster, birds), post op checks, geriatric clinics, nail clipping (all above species)2nd(primary) vaccinations, basic behaviour clinics, more complicated they are sent to specialist behaviourists and several other clinics.
It has been my week for injuries though:
Have had both arms attacked with teeth and nails by cats .
Inside of one arm scratched by psycho rabbit.
Back of my hands scratched by nervous guinea pig.
And the best was a retriever that chomped my finger when l reached to its lead to get it out the kennel. There was no warning the teeth just snapped like a shark, my reflexes were a bit slow and it got the base of my finger. Pulling the hand out scored the teeth upwards to the tip. The HN had to under sign my remarks about what happened in the accident book and l said to put down... "Heard nurse swearing loudly about **&%^*& bitch" This was vetoed to just verbally.
Where l have been nurses do micro chipping, health checks (dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs hamster, birds), post op checks, geriatric clinics, nail clipping (all above species)2nd(primary) vaccinations, basic behaviour clinics, more complicated they are sent to specialist behaviourists and several other clinics.
It has been my week for injuries though:
Have had both arms attacked with teeth and nails by cats .
Inside of one arm scratched by psycho rabbit.
Back of my hands scratched by nervous guinea pig.
And the best was a retriever that chomped my finger when l reached to its lead to get it out the kennel. There was no warning the teeth just snapped like a shark, my reflexes were a bit slow and it got the base of my finger. Pulling the hand out scored the teeth upwards to the tip. The HN had to under sign my remarks about what happened in the accident book and l said to put down... "Heard nurse swearing loudly about **&%^*& bitch" This was vetoed to just verbally.
Wednesday, 30 September 2009
Nights With a Difference
Well it has been a 4night shift of cases that we normally see in singles coming in in pairs or triples unconnected to each other.
2 cats in needing back legs amputated due to damage from cars, both damage to the right hind and both long haired dark tortoiseshell cats.
1 dog in that needed it’s front leg amputated. Running around in the woods it had somehow ripped the whole lower section of it’s front leg off. Apparently only 1 bit of skin held it on. When l got in the leg was all padded up prior to the op the next day once he was nice and stable. I am told that even the vets and nurses looked ill when they saw the damage, the dog was dark brindle. A doggie version of dark tortoiseshell in cats
3 dogs in attacked by other dogs and a lot of damage done to all of them. One of the dog attack dogs was a stray. Severe bite wounds to her front legs and shoulders. When she was under GA for clip and clean they pulled some scabs off and a fountain of pus erupted.
She was very flat for 2 nights, then at about 5am the third night had an “ok no more malingering” moment and started to eat and try to stand. It took till the end of the 4th night before she could walk without falling over.
Her tail never stopped wagging although we muzzled her to inject her as she was so sore and some of the injections sting, even then all she did was cry.
I had a word with the collection driver and he is going to arrange for her to go to a friend of his with an animal rescue to be rehomed. She is a very sweet dog and l am crossing fingers for her.
2 bitches in unable to urinate and blocked solid with bladder stones. Both needed operations, very unusual for bitches to get blocked.
2 animals brought in by police, made a change normally we have to send the collection van.
1 cat that 3 police brought in the back of their van after 2 cars had hit it [cat]. This cat needs to choose a lottery ticket. Apart from bruising it was unhurt.
The second was a dog whose owner had been arrested for being stupidly drunk and abusive. It was a very sweet dog the copper wanted to adopt it and was upset that it was owned.
2 dogs with ear damage that needed head dressings on. One was one of the dog attack dogs with neck and ear wounds. Usually we only get the odd head dressing animal through.
2 jaw cases one a stray dog. His mouth wouldn’t shut, thinking it was a broken jaw he was given a GA. Nope his teeth were so rotted he couldn’t shut his mouth. All teeth removed and about 8hours post op he tucked into a bowl of sloppy food. If anyone wants to rehome a grey grizzle lurcher about 6 or 7 years old let me know, he is great with other animals. This one will also go to rescue.
The other jaw case a young cat with facial damage including a fractured lower jaw according to the owners they have no carpet and the cat was having a mad half hour, couldn’t stop, slid and smacked into the wall.
1 hard talk with police control and badgered an inspector at "Someplace Police" into giving us a fwin for collection of a dangerous dog, and rspca giving a log to have it put down. The Inspector was reluctant as it was a put down at owners request and not police request but the owner couldn't get the dog to us.
I found out afterwards that the law has changed about a month ago and neither police, rspca or us knew. The collections driver did and told me when he brought the dog in and said we couldn't put it down and why.
Now if a dog bites someone and the police are informed it is not allowed to be put straight down, even at the owners request, the police have to prosecute. And they can not prosecute an owner if the dog is dead. So it goes to special holding kennels until post court case, then it is put down. A wonderful waste of police time and money and added stress for the dog.
So l could have trumped the inspectors reluctance without horse trading damm. At least l know for next time because the will be one, Inspectors are tight with their fwins.
This does not take into account the usual post op recovery cases, heart and kidney failure cases, isolation dogs with diahorea and vomiting, RTA pets, general medical cases, and bunny with gut stasis.
The bunny we had in was evil and although not eating normal food was partial to human fingers which made syringe feeding and giving bolus fluids fun.
Ahh well l have just agreed to another load of nights. I wish l could say l liked days as much as nights but for all my moaning about nights and the lack of sleep it is my favourite because you never know what will come through the door next.
2 cats in needing back legs amputated due to damage from cars, both damage to the right hind and both long haired dark tortoiseshell cats.
1 dog in that needed it’s front leg amputated. Running around in the woods it had somehow ripped the whole lower section of it’s front leg off. Apparently only 1 bit of skin held it on. When l got in the leg was all padded up prior to the op the next day once he was nice and stable. I am told that even the vets and nurses looked ill when they saw the damage, the dog was dark brindle. A doggie version of dark tortoiseshell in cats
3 dogs in attacked by other dogs and a lot of damage done to all of them. One of the dog attack dogs was a stray. Severe bite wounds to her front legs and shoulders. When she was under GA for clip and clean they pulled some scabs off and a fountain of pus erupted.
She was very flat for 2 nights, then at about 5am the third night had an “ok no more malingering” moment and started to eat and try to stand. It took till the end of the 4th night before she could walk without falling over.
Her tail never stopped wagging although we muzzled her to inject her as she was so sore and some of the injections sting, even then all she did was cry.
I had a word with the collection driver and he is going to arrange for her to go to a friend of his with an animal rescue to be rehomed. She is a very sweet dog and l am crossing fingers for her.
2 bitches in unable to urinate and blocked solid with bladder stones. Both needed operations, very unusual for bitches to get blocked.
2 animals brought in by police, made a change normally we have to send the collection van.
1 cat that 3 police brought in the back of their van after 2 cars had hit it [cat]. This cat needs to choose a lottery ticket. Apart from bruising it was unhurt.
The second was a dog whose owner had been arrested for being stupidly drunk and abusive. It was a very sweet dog the copper wanted to adopt it and was upset that it was owned.
2 dogs with ear damage that needed head dressings on. One was one of the dog attack dogs with neck and ear wounds. Usually we only get the odd head dressing animal through.
2 jaw cases one a stray dog. His mouth wouldn’t shut, thinking it was a broken jaw he was given a GA. Nope his teeth were so rotted he couldn’t shut his mouth. All teeth removed and about 8hours post op he tucked into a bowl of sloppy food. If anyone wants to rehome a grey grizzle lurcher about 6 or 7 years old let me know, he is great with other animals. This one will also go to rescue.
The other jaw case a young cat with facial damage including a fractured lower jaw according to the owners they have no carpet and the cat was having a mad half hour, couldn’t stop, slid and smacked into the wall.
1 hard talk with police control and badgered an inspector at "Someplace Police" into giving us a fwin for collection of a dangerous dog, and rspca giving a log to have it put down. The Inspector was reluctant as it was a put down at owners request and not police request but the owner couldn't get the dog to us.
I found out afterwards that the law has changed about a month ago and neither police, rspca or us knew. The collections driver did and told me when he brought the dog in and said we couldn't put it down and why.
Now if a dog bites someone and the police are informed it is not allowed to be put straight down, even at the owners request, the police have to prosecute. And they can not prosecute an owner if the dog is dead. So it goes to special holding kennels until post court case, then it is put down. A wonderful waste of police time and money and added stress for the dog.
So l could have trumped the inspectors reluctance without horse trading damm. At least l know for next time because the will be one, Inspectors are tight with their fwins.
This does not take into account the usual post op recovery cases, heart and kidney failure cases, isolation dogs with diahorea and vomiting, RTA pets, general medical cases, and bunny with gut stasis.
The bunny we had in was evil and although not eating normal food was partial to human fingers which made syringe feeding and giving bolus fluids fun.
Ahh well l have just agreed to another load of nights. I wish l could say l liked days as much as nights but for all my moaning about nights and the lack of sleep it is my favourite because you never know what will come through the door next.
Tuesday, 22 September 2009
Carrot's
I spent last week at a lovely practice. They have taken on a rabbit with a problem back leg and named him “Carrots”. The leg wound broke down and so the decision was taken to remove it instead of messing about.
Carrots isn‘t kept in his kennel during the day but has the floor area of small furry’s to walk around in. He has taken to the place like a duck to water. If the main room door is left open by mistake then you suddenly have a rabbit appear round the corner as if he is on a shopping trip, unconcerned about barking dogs or hissing cats.
At night he has to be locked up or he sets the alarm off. Apparently he is not too amused about the locking up idea and throws a foot stamping tantrum when he is shut in.
I was dealing with a rabbit in a bottom kennel in the furry ward. It was at the very back of the kennel so with a lot of groaning as my knees objected to the floor as l bent down. I ended up lying flat out to reach my patient. Carrots suddenly jumped up onto my back and starts walking up and down. I was unable to do anything except threaten him if he used me as his loo. Thankfully he got down but only to stick his head in the kennel then jumped back up and made himself at home until my upright movement as l groaned up warned him l was about to grab him and evict him so he jumped off and went to look for another comfy spot to sit.
About 30mins later l popped in to get something from the room and he was sitting on top of a cat carrier stored in the room and ripping the plastic bags to get to the dill, and other titbits that were on top of them them. Needless to say l was not popular with him when l removed the bags and put them out of reach.
There is a big wrangle going on at the moment as several vet nurses want to adopt Carrots, once the dust settles he will be off to a good new home.
Carrots isn‘t kept in his kennel during the day but has the floor area of small furry’s to walk around in. He has taken to the place like a duck to water. If the main room door is left open by mistake then you suddenly have a rabbit appear round the corner as if he is on a shopping trip, unconcerned about barking dogs or hissing cats.
At night he has to be locked up or he sets the alarm off. Apparently he is not too amused about the locking up idea and throws a foot stamping tantrum when he is shut in.
I was dealing with a rabbit in a bottom kennel in the furry ward. It was at the very back of the kennel so with a lot of groaning as my knees objected to the floor as l bent down. I ended up lying flat out to reach my patient. Carrots suddenly jumped up onto my back and starts walking up and down. I was unable to do anything except threaten him if he used me as his loo. Thankfully he got down but only to stick his head in the kennel then jumped back up and made himself at home until my upright movement as l groaned up warned him l was about to grab him and evict him so he jumped off and went to look for another comfy spot to sit.
About 30mins later l popped in to get something from the room and he was sitting on top of a cat carrier stored in the room and ripping the plastic bags to get to the dill, and other titbits that were on top of them them. Needless to say l was not popular with him when l removed the bags and put them out of reach.
There is a big wrangle going on at the moment as several vet nurses want to adopt Carrots, once the dust settles he will be off to a good new home.
Monday, 29 June 2009
The "Smallies"
I do not like rabbits or hamsters well dislike is probably to strong a word for rabbits they just do not rock my boat. Hamsters are just happy not to be bugged. I love guinea pigs.
Guinea Pigs are happy little souls. They live in groups, squeak chat to each other, are pleased to see you and whistle greetings when you go over to join in or cuddle and chat to them and generally they do not get ill.
Hamsters are evil little sods, my fingers have bled to much from their chisel teeth taking chunks from them to have any love of them. I had them as a kid and they were never friendly, came out at night and just wanted to be left alone. I know someone that used to breed and sell hamsters. She would put a male and female in with each other and stand there with 2 plastic mugs. If they were not ready to mate or as soon as they ended mating she would "wap" the mugs over them or they would try and kill each other.
Rabbits are neurotic. The only noise they make is the odd scream if scared or hurt and then they have to have extreme stress to make a noise.
They get gut stasis at the drop of a hat, if you look sideways at them, if the dog 3 doors down farted 2 days before, any excuse really they get gut stasis.
Then you have to try and syringe feed them every hour 24 hours a day give or take a couple of hours for you and them to recover. This goes over several days till they are eating and passing faeces again.
Most hate this and spit 99.9% of food out so you have to try and get extra in. Not helped as the very finely ground food insists in blocking in the syringe which you need to keep poking free with a needle. Most rabbits try and kick you and some take chunks out of your fingers.
They have catheters in their ears and you have to give them bolus of fluids as they are not drinking, again same as the food regime. The problem is the ear catheters are so fine even if flushed with hepflush (anti clot drug) they clog and so you have to swop ears every so often or when the ears buggar up totally give the bolus under the skin which can hurt.
Rabbits teeth are a nightmare, they are always growing and they do not get fed properly. The best food for rabbits is their more natural one, lot’s of hay and wild grasses and plants, a few brassicas and some pellets.
This is rarely the way they are fed, instead owners get the bags of yummy mixed rabbit feed, this rabbits pick at like kids taking their favourite sweets. Some people have started to feed rabbit pellets which is all the mixed food ground down and made into a brown pellet. Rabbits have 10,000 taste buds in their mouth so can be fussy.
This bad diet pellet or mix does not grind the teeth down. They are given fancy wood to chew and other gimmicks… just feed proper diet. However this is so boring against what is on offer in the pet shops…init!.
The teeth grow and push the jaw out of line causing pain, or spurs form on the back molars and cut into the gums so the rabbit stops eating in pain. They have their teeth burred down and then they often get gut stasis through stress. Some rabbits need the extreme dental of having their front teeth removed. This does not guarantee that no more teeth will come through.
The other problem in uk is that the stock that in the wild which would die as their teeth are misaligned so the animal can not eat in UK these have teeth burred and are used to breed these are sold on and you end up on a merry tooth wheel of trouble for the poor bunny.
And as for abscesses these are a speciality of rabbits, generally in the head area from teeth and are a nightmare to try and get rid of. Longest running one l know of was 16months and counting. As l was a locum at the practice, for all l know the abscess is still being treated. The vets kept advising it wasn’t fair but the owners refused to listen.
Give me a cute squeaky guinea pig rather than an obnoxious hamster or neurotic bunny any day. This out burst was caused from 3 nights of hands ripped to bits from 2 bunnies with gut stasis.
Guinea Pigs are happy little souls. They live in groups, squeak chat to each other, are pleased to see you and whistle greetings when you go over to join in or cuddle and chat to them and generally they do not get ill.
Hamsters are evil little sods, my fingers have bled to much from their chisel teeth taking chunks from them to have any love of them. I had them as a kid and they were never friendly, came out at night and just wanted to be left alone. I know someone that used to breed and sell hamsters. She would put a male and female in with each other and stand there with 2 plastic mugs. If they were not ready to mate or as soon as they ended mating she would "wap" the mugs over them or they would try and kill each other.
Rabbits are neurotic. The only noise they make is the odd scream if scared or hurt and then they have to have extreme stress to make a noise.
They get gut stasis at the drop of a hat, if you look sideways at them, if the dog 3 doors down farted 2 days before, any excuse really they get gut stasis.
Then you have to try and syringe feed them every hour 24 hours a day give or take a couple of hours for you and them to recover. This goes over several days till they are eating and passing faeces again.
Most hate this and spit 99.9% of food out so you have to try and get extra in. Not helped as the very finely ground food insists in blocking in the syringe which you need to keep poking free with a needle. Most rabbits try and kick you and some take chunks out of your fingers.
They have catheters in their ears and you have to give them bolus of fluids as they are not drinking, again same as the food regime. The problem is the ear catheters are so fine even if flushed with hepflush (anti clot drug) they clog and so you have to swop ears every so often or when the ears buggar up totally give the bolus under the skin which can hurt.
Rabbits teeth are a nightmare, they are always growing and they do not get fed properly. The best food for rabbits is their more natural one, lot’s of hay and wild grasses and plants, a few brassicas and some pellets.
This is rarely the way they are fed, instead owners get the bags of yummy mixed rabbit feed, this rabbits pick at like kids taking their favourite sweets. Some people have started to feed rabbit pellets which is all the mixed food ground down and made into a brown pellet. Rabbits have 10,000 taste buds in their mouth so can be fussy.
This bad diet pellet or mix does not grind the teeth down. They are given fancy wood to chew and other gimmicks… just feed proper diet. However this is so boring against what is on offer in the pet shops…init!.
The teeth grow and push the jaw out of line causing pain, or spurs form on the back molars and cut into the gums so the rabbit stops eating in pain. They have their teeth burred down and then they often get gut stasis through stress. Some rabbits need the extreme dental of having their front teeth removed. This does not guarantee that no more teeth will come through.
The other problem in uk is that the stock that in the wild which would die as their teeth are misaligned so the animal can not eat in UK these have teeth burred and are used to breed these are sold on and you end up on a merry tooth wheel of trouble for the poor bunny.
And as for abscesses these are a speciality of rabbits, generally in the head area from teeth and are a nightmare to try and get rid of. Longest running one l know of was 16months and counting. As l was a locum at the practice, for all l know the abscess is still being treated. The vets kept advising it wasn’t fair but the owners refused to listen.
Give me a cute squeaky guinea pig rather than an obnoxious hamster or neurotic bunny any day. This out burst was caused from 3 nights of hands ripped to bits from 2 bunnies with gut stasis.
Saturday, 27 June 2009
The Squeaky Pocket
The RSPCA ACO (animal collection officer) brought in a little stray puppy with parvo the other night. While he was holding it to be put down the ACO’s pocket was squeaking.
It wasn’t a rabid hamster as l was wondering. No don’t know why l decided rabid hamster just one of those vague thoughts l am prone to. What the squeak belonged to was probably a baby weasel, probably, because at that age several species look alike.
A family had found him the day before, popped him in a box and covered the box. It took them 24 hours to ring RSPCA but luckily the little mite was still alive. I do despair of where people brains leak to at times, still at least they got help for it…in time!
I grabbed some cimicat milk as an emergency feed for him. After a drink from the front end and a pee from the back he was popped back into the ACO’s pocket to have a sleep. His new life to grow up and rehab back to the wild would start the next day at Stapeley Grange the RSPCA NW wildlife section.
It wasn’t a rabid hamster as l was wondering. No don’t know why l decided rabid hamster just one of those vague thoughts l am prone to. What the squeak belonged to was probably a baby weasel, probably, because at that age several species look alike.
A family had found him the day before, popped him in a box and covered the box. It took them 24 hours to ring RSPCA but luckily the little mite was still alive. I do despair of where people brains leak to at times, still at least they got help for it…in time!
I grabbed some cimicat milk as an emergency feed for him. After a drink from the front end and a pee from the back he was popped back into the ACO’s pocket to have a sleep. His new life to grow up and rehab back to the wild would start the next day at Stapeley Grange the RSPCA NW wildlife section.
Saturday, 9 May 2009
BF Update
BF went to the rescue centre yesterday. She was kept in iso during her whole stay at the vet's because the door there is kept shut. She kept escaping once she discovered she could do it so easily and if not in her bed was always to be found in the cupboard under the sink.
Apparently she was ok to grab in the end, probably because she realised how easy it was for her to escape.....again!
Apparently she was ok to grab in the end, probably because she realised how easy it was for her to escape.....again!
Monday, 4 May 2009
BF
We have had a stray ferret in for about 5 days now. She has an eye infection so is down in isolation in that time she has been very well behaved.
This was l discovered because she has been plotting on a scale that in WW2 would have earned her a place of honour at Colditz.
I went down to iso to do the 4am obs on the stray (dog) with haemorrhagic gastro enteritis (HGE/The bloody shits). As l was bending over l felt eyes on me. I stopped stood up and looked round, nothing. As l turned back a little shadow moved. I went out the walk in and there is the Bloody Ferret (BF) looking at me. Before l could do anything she legged it into the kennel to see the dog.
Swearing at her for her behaviour and myself for obviously not shutting her kennel door at 2am when l sorted her water (as it turned out l was not the culprit) I tried to grab her but she shot out and went under the sink unit. I had my mobile on me so rang the auxiliary for reinforcements. We decided to move BF from the small kennel to the big one so she could have more toys. I assumed it was boredom and an open door had enticed her out.
The aux. stood guard as every time we relaxed she shot in to visit the dog, not sure why we bothered actually, l mean how long had she spent in there with him before l found her? The dog did not seem to mind and she found him fascinating.
Finally new kennel prepared we made several not to successful attempts to grab her. If you opened the kennel you could hold and cuddle her, if we wanted her now she got her teeth ready.
The aux. then had an idea and laid a bicci trail to the new kennel and BF followed it in. Great, except that as she turned round to have a laugh about fooling the bloody animal she forgot to shut the door… so BF shot out again, spare biscuit in mouth, why waste food was her motto.
Back to plan B and more bribery. After another 10minutes and greed won out, only this time as she went in, the door was slammed on her. Lights out and we went back to the other side of the building.
About 20minutes later we had a quick 5 minutes sit down to unwind. I glanced at the CCTV and this shadow sort of undulated across the iso. monitor. My jaw dropped the BFF (work out the middle F) I grabbed the auxiliary’s arm and dragger her up, saying “BFF is out”
She had been about to take a bite of her own biscuit, there was a crack as her teeth met with nothing between, ooops a bit hasty there, made mental note that next time will let her bite her bicci first. “How do you know it is out” she asked as we headed into iso. I told her and she was a bit upset she hadn’t seen it. Made second mental note let her see the ….? then drag her off post bicci bite.
Round 2:
BF was sitting on the sink, bowls in the water and the sink top in disarray. She spied us and dropped onto the floor and under the sink. The door was firmly shut on her kennel. Ok so first look for something other than the kennel to put her into. I had no luck, often we have large parrot cages but of course, not when we need one. So escape proof the kennel. I put the kennel divider sideways so that it totally blocked one door and taped it solid. The aux found some tiles and made a barrier along the bottom of the unprotected door and we got towels ready to stuff into the door.
Beady little eyes stared at us around the corner from the dogs kennel, would you get out of there you stupid animal (the polite version of the wording used), but we had given up on chasing her out of the walk in.
Start of the chase and this time BF ran across to the far set of kennels and under them. I chased her out with a broom handle and I tried to reach over and get a hand on her. She was so fast my hand hit her back and by the time my brain closed my fingers, all l got was fresh air, as she whizzed back to the sink.
There was a scrabbling noise as she climbed between the wall and the sink top. The aux and l started at each other. I opened the cupboard door, no BF but more noise and l wish l could have got my camera out in time. This head hung down from under the sink as she dripped through some hole from higher up. I did not want to grab her in case she panicked and hurt herself on anything sharp, so waited till she was in the cupboard. I made a move to get her but she was back up out the hole by the time my hand was half way in.
She then clambered onto lowest shelf of the trolley sliding over from between wall and sink unit so we couldn’t reach in for her.
Ferret biscuits were not good enough now so l grabbed a tin of id (food for dogs with poorly tummies.) that was on the side and stuck a bit onto a fork to bribe her out.
BF was a greedy little soul and l was not risking fingers. Sure enough she quick silvered out, grabbed the chunk and ran back. I then knelt in wait with a towel while the aux. muttering “Here you are you sweet little s**t come on… OHHH YOU” as yet another chunk was grabbed before we could make a move. Finally after a good deal of bait l got lucky and flattened BF under the towel as she made her grab and had her firmly around her tummy. Into the kennel, door slammed and all BF anti escape set in motion.
BF spared a look of what l thought was disgust at us and stalked off to bed, little sod even burped once. We really should have known better. It was not disgust it was pity, pity that we could be so naiveté to think that she could be kept in anywhere.
6:25am and the aux who had stayed late was just going and l was heading to iso to do my 6am stats. A little head peeked at me from under the kennel. I stepped back to the main kennels bellowed down to the vet who was hanging around after seeing a client could he listen for the phone. The aux. hating to be beaten by BF joined me.
Round 3 was a rehash of round l and 2 except she was not going to be bribed so easily. She now went between the sink unit and the wall by her kennel. A space of about 3 inches wide, the kennel was on breeze blocks and we couldn’t pull it out so l had to try and chase her out with a broom handle. But of course l couldn’t use it easily as the gap was so tight the broom head made handling difficult, as it required the whole of the handle pushed in to get to her and the head wouldn’t get near the gap.
She made use of cover that an SAS would envy and we spent another 15 minutes of bribery, crawling around on all fours and using language that is frowned on. We stopped for a few minutes knee rest. She was getting tired so she climbed into her kennel and lay on her bed. The aux and l leapt up and slammed the door snarling at the innocent little sod.
We escape proofed(ish) the kennel (again) I had double taped the tiles so she couldn’t push them out the way. We pushed towels into the bigger gaps, as hard as we could jam it. I put surgical tape on wider door areas, sticky side in so she would stick her whiskers and back off. It was 6:55 and l was due off duty at 8am.
I warned the day shift about her antics and when l left she was fast asleep curled up after a good nights exercise and now due for a longer stay in iso before sending her on to ferret rescue to ensure she does not get HGE off the dog. Although l doubt she will and as of Monday morning was doing fine and had chosen not to escape again, she is plotting though l am sure.
Just as well l tided up for you humans.
Peek-a-boo
BF beady eye shinning at us between the wall and side of the kennel during round 3
God you lot are noisy... BF looking innocent, at end of round 3.
This was l discovered because she has been plotting on a scale that in WW2 would have earned her a place of honour at Colditz.
I went down to iso to do the 4am obs on the stray (dog) with haemorrhagic gastro enteritis (HGE/The bloody shits). As l was bending over l felt eyes on me. I stopped stood up and looked round, nothing. As l turned back a little shadow moved. I went out the walk in and there is the Bloody Ferret (BF) looking at me. Before l could do anything she legged it into the kennel to see the dog.
Swearing at her for her behaviour and myself for obviously not shutting her kennel door at 2am when l sorted her water (as it turned out l was not the culprit) I tried to grab her but she shot out and went under the sink unit. I had my mobile on me so rang the auxiliary for reinforcements. We decided to move BF from the small kennel to the big one so she could have more toys. I assumed it was boredom and an open door had enticed her out.
The aux. stood guard as every time we relaxed she shot in to visit the dog, not sure why we bothered actually, l mean how long had she spent in there with him before l found her? The dog did not seem to mind and she found him fascinating.
Finally new kennel prepared we made several not to successful attempts to grab her. If you opened the kennel you could hold and cuddle her, if we wanted her now she got her teeth ready.
The aux. then had an idea and laid a bicci trail to the new kennel and BF followed it in. Great, except that as she turned round to have a laugh about fooling the bloody animal she forgot to shut the door… so BF shot out again, spare biscuit in mouth, why waste food was her motto.
Back to plan B and more bribery. After another 10minutes and greed won out, only this time as she went in, the door was slammed on her. Lights out and we went back to the other side of the building.
About 20minutes later we had a quick 5 minutes sit down to unwind. I glanced at the CCTV and this shadow sort of undulated across the iso. monitor. My jaw dropped the BFF (work out the middle F) I grabbed the auxiliary’s arm and dragger her up, saying “BFF is out”
She had been about to take a bite of her own biscuit, there was a crack as her teeth met with nothing between, ooops a bit hasty there, made mental note that next time will let her bite her bicci first. “How do you know it is out” she asked as we headed into iso. I told her and she was a bit upset she hadn’t seen it. Made second mental note let her see the ….? then drag her off post bicci bite.
Round 2:
BF was sitting on the sink, bowls in the water and the sink top in disarray. She spied us and dropped onto the floor and under the sink. The door was firmly shut on her kennel. Ok so first look for something other than the kennel to put her into. I had no luck, often we have large parrot cages but of course, not when we need one. So escape proof the kennel. I put the kennel divider sideways so that it totally blocked one door and taped it solid. The aux found some tiles and made a barrier along the bottom of the unprotected door and we got towels ready to stuff into the door.
Beady little eyes stared at us around the corner from the dogs kennel, would you get out of there you stupid animal (the polite version of the wording used), but we had given up on chasing her out of the walk in.
Start of the chase and this time BF ran across to the far set of kennels and under them. I chased her out with a broom handle and I tried to reach over and get a hand on her. She was so fast my hand hit her back and by the time my brain closed my fingers, all l got was fresh air, as she whizzed back to the sink.
There was a scrabbling noise as she climbed between the wall and the sink top. The aux and l started at each other. I opened the cupboard door, no BF but more noise and l wish l could have got my camera out in time. This head hung down from under the sink as she dripped through some hole from higher up. I did not want to grab her in case she panicked and hurt herself on anything sharp, so waited till she was in the cupboard. I made a move to get her but she was back up out the hole by the time my hand was half way in.
She then clambered onto lowest shelf of the trolley sliding over from between wall and sink unit so we couldn’t reach in for her.
Ferret biscuits were not good enough now so l grabbed a tin of id (food for dogs with poorly tummies.) that was on the side and stuck a bit onto a fork to bribe her out.
BF was a greedy little soul and l was not risking fingers. Sure enough she quick silvered out, grabbed the chunk and ran back. I then knelt in wait with a towel while the aux. muttering “Here you are you sweet little s**t come on… OHHH YOU” as yet another chunk was grabbed before we could make a move. Finally after a good deal of bait l got lucky and flattened BF under the towel as she made her grab and had her firmly around her tummy. Into the kennel, door slammed and all BF anti escape set in motion.
BF spared a look of what l thought was disgust at us and stalked off to bed, little sod even burped once. We really should have known better. It was not disgust it was pity, pity that we could be so naiveté to think that she could be kept in anywhere.
6:25am and the aux who had stayed late was just going and l was heading to iso to do my 6am stats. A little head peeked at me from under the kennel. I stepped back to the main kennels bellowed down to the vet who was hanging around after seeing a client could he listen for the phone. The aux. hating to be beaten by BF joined me.
Round 3 was a rehash of round l and 2 except she was not going to be bribed so easily. She now went between the sink unit and the wall by her kennel. A space of about 3 inches wide, the kennel was on breeze blocks and we couldn’t pull it out so l had to try and chase her out with a broom handle. But of course l couldn’t use it easily as the gap was so tight the broom head made handling difficult, as it required the whole of the handle pushed in to get to her and the head wouldn’t get near the gap.
She made use of cover that an SAS would envy and we spent another 15 minutes of bribery, crawling around on all fours and using language that is frowned on. We stopped for a few minutes knee rest. She was getting tired so she climbed into her kennel and lay on her bed. The aux and l leapt up and slammed the door snarling at the innocent little sod.
We escape proofed(ish) the kennel (again) I had double taped the tiles so she couldn’t push them out the way. We pushed towels into the bigger gaps, as hard as we could jam it. I put surgical tape on wider door areas, sticky side in so she would stick her whiskers and back off. It was 6:55 and l was due off duty at 8am.
I warned the day shift about her antics and when l left she was fast asleep curled up after a good nights exercise and now due for a longer stay in iso before sending her on to ferret rescue to ensure she does not get HGE off the dog. Although l doubt she will and as of Monday morning was doing fine and had chosen not to escape again, she is plotting though l am sure.
Just as well l tided up for you humans.
Peek-a-boo
BF beady eye shinning at us between the wall and side of the kennel during round 3
God you lot are noisy... BF looking innocent, at end of round 3.
Tuesday, 14 April 2009
Bank Holidays Night's
Had a busy 4 bank holiday nights, with a high but not uncommon good weather case load which was yet again a good example to have pet insurance for dogs cats and rabbits.
Surgically we had a mix of major and simple cases with stitch ups, x-rays and repairs for dog or cat RTA’s or attacked by dogs (quite common), bloats, splenectomys, diaphragmatic hernia repairs (abdominal contents end up in chest cavity, breathing becomes somewhat difficult), pyo-metras (get your bitches spayed and avoid this), eye removals and other surgical cases.
Eyes always turn my stomach when they are hanging out; Eye pop outs happen a lot in the smaller flat faced dogs, a bang on the head and no proper orbit to hold the eye in place…. Splat.
Recovering all the above post op and general medical cases in such as: FUS (blocked bladder cats), fitting dogs, kidney or heart failure cases, haemorrhagic gastro enteritis (bloody shits-pouring out) vomiting and a general mixed medical bag of other medical cases.
There seems to be a spell of fitting dogs going through the area at the moment. Not sure if human nurses have spells where you get a lot of a certain type of medical case in.
In the exotics section we had a head tilt duck belonging to one of the staff who was very sweet, various rabbits another common patient, rats and ferrets.
Finally isolation was occupied just to make sure that there was a long extra walk to trudge during hourly obs checks.
One stray that was uninjured but came in as emaciated was not, he was just hyperactive. Weight did not get a chance to settle on him. He spent the weekend in as none of the rescue kennels collected.
When he came in I put him into a walk in kennel, went back 5mins later to dog ward and as l opened the door this white streak shot past me, stopped for a chat to Wibble and on my “oy you git” looked at me with a catch me smirk and shot up the passage. I cornered him at the connecting door.
Needless to say climbing out of a walk in kennel earned him a place in a smaller inescapable standard hospital kennel and he treated us to the “staffie bull terrier scream” all weekend. This seems to be an inherited trait that certain SBT have, no other dogs do. Think magnified nails on a board with full lung power for hours and it gives you an idea. He wanted out, his fault he could have had space.
A lunatic cat who was a recovering surgical case from yesterday decided last night he felt better and played the game of ‘fling yourself out the door because the human will catch you before the floor’. He also grabbed me nails out (the only way!) when checking the patient next to him so l had to have one hand fending off or tickling him through his kennel door.
I was playing 'squeeze the head' last night whenever l did his stats. Hold head between hands and squeeze gently but firmly. As soon as l stopped he would hassle me for “more more squeeeeeze pleaseee” honestly you would think he was the only patient in the place, a total purr bucket.
On Sunday l was holding a cat and trying to stop him pulling out the vet's eyes as he was in a bad temper when the evening nurse standing chatting mentioned that did l know the cat was peeing. I suddenly realised what the warm wet feeling was. I was soaking my entire tunic had soaked it up like a sponge. Needless to say l went on a dry top hunt.
A splenectomy (tumour ruptures on the spleen) came in on the second night and off the table at about 03:00.
Last night, which was thankfully my last night, we had a bloat dog with splenectomy. This happens quite often as the stomach twists the spleen gets involved and also flips and is unsaveable this does not involve tumours but trauma. He came off the table at about 4am.
On change over the student VN went to triage a dog and came back with a dog who had been retching. One look and l told her to go meet me at prep table while l set up drips as he was another bloat case.
The vet came over stole him for an x-ray which was great because he lifted him onto the x-ray table for me and saved me the hassle of lifting the dog onto anything so l could do his iv lines and take bloods. Rugby playing vet’s have a use l keep telling him that.
At least l was able to avoid the op. After l got fluid lines in and sent the bloods off with the student for running l passed it over to one of the newly arrived vet nurses who gave me a jaundiced “no need to be so happy” look over her mug of tea as l went off to finish patient change over, before running away to my bed.
Surgically we had a mix of major and simple cases with stitch ups, x-rays and repairs for dog or cat RTA’s or attacked by dogs (quite common), bloats, splenectomys, diaphragmatic hernia repairs (abdominal contents end up in chest cavity, breathing becomes somewhat difficult), pyo-metras (get your bitches spayed and avoid this), eye removals and other surgical cases.
Eyes always turn my stomach when they are hanging out; Eye pop outs happen a lot in the smaller flat faced dogs, a bang on the head and no proper orbit to hold the eye in place…. Splat.
Recovering all the above post op and general medical cases in such as: FUS (blocked bladder cats), fitting dogs, kidney or heart failure cases, haemorrhagic gastro enteritis (bloody shits-pouring out) vomiting and a general mixed medical bag of other medical cases.
There seems to be a spell of fitting dogs going through the area at the moment. Not sure if human nurses have spells where you get a lot of a certain type of medical case in.
In the exotics section we had a head tilt duck belonging to one of the staff who was very sweet, various rabbits another common patient, rats and ferrets.
Finally isolation was occupied just to make sure that there was a long extra walk to trudge during hourly obs checks.
One stray that was uninjured but came in as emaciated was not, he was just hyperactive. Weight did not get a chance to settle on him. He spent the weekend in as none of the rescue kennels collected.
When he came in I put him into a walk in kennel, went back 5mins later to dog ward and as l opened the door this white streak shot past me, stopped for a chat to Wibble and on my “oy you git” looked at me with a catch me smirk and shot up the passage. I cornered him at the connecting door.
Needless to say climbing out of a walk in kennel earned him a place in a smaller inescapable standard hospital kennel and he treated us to the “staffie bull terrier scream” all weekend. This seems to be an inherited trait that certain SBT have, no other dogs do. Think magnified nails on a board with full lung power for hours and it gives you an idea. He wanted out, his fault he could have had space.
A lunatic cat who was a recovering surgical case from yesterday decided last night he felt better and played the game of ‘fling yourself out the door because the human will catch you before the floor’. He also grabbed me nails out (the only way!) when checking the patient next to him so l had to have one hand fending off or tickling him through his kennel door.
I was playing 'squeeze the head' last night whenever l did his stats. Hold head between hands and squeeze gently but firmly. As soon as l stopped he would hassle me for “more more squeeeeeze pleaseee” honestly you would think he was the only patient in the place, a total purr bucket.
On Sunday l was holding a cat and trying to stop him pulling out the vet's eyes as he was in a bad temper when the evening nurse standing chatting mentioned that did l know the cat was peeing. I suddenly realised what the warm wet feeling was. I was soaking my entire tunic had soaked it up like a sponge. Needless to say l went on a dry top hunt.
A splenectomy (tumour ruptures on the spleen) came in on the second night and off the table at about 03:00.
Last night, which was thankfully my last night, we had a bloat dog with splenectomy. This happens quite often as the stomach twists the spleen gets involved and also flips and is unsaveable this does not involve tumours but trauma. He came off the table at about 4am.
On change over the student VN went to triage a dog and came back with a dog who had been retching. One look and l told her to go meet me at prep table while l set up drips as he was another bloat case.
The vet came over stole him for an x-ray which was great because he lifted him onto the x-ray table for me and saved me the hassle of lifting the dog onto anything so l could do his iv lines and take bloods. Rugby playing vet’s have a use l keep telling him that.
At least l was able to avoid the op. After l got fluid lines in and sent the bloods off with the student for running l passed it over to one of the newly arrived vet nurses who gave me a jaundiced “no need to be so happy” look over her mug of tea as l went off to finish patient change over, before running away to my bed.
Saturday, 28 March 2009
"Mouth Rot"
Back in Tenerife at the Tenerife sur zoo, Marco and Claudio had gone on a collecting trip and left a friend Sam (*not his real name) in charge of the reptilarium, their separate private owned snake section housed in the grounds, the same friend that got bitten on the thumb by the cape cobra.
In this instance Sam* trotted whistling round the corner which made me suspicious. He was too cheerful. You know that false happy, someone has when they are going to ask you to do something nasty, that no one else is stupid enough to do.
“I have just been looking at the python and she has mouth rot” (stomatitis).
“And?...” l glared just knowing what was coming but may as well make him say it.
“Need your help to handle her so that l can treat her” he grinned
“She is a more bad tempered bitch than l am and a damm site bigger and stronger as well”
“Awww don’t be mean she is only about 13ft and well yes she is bad tempered but not that bad, and she does need treating, you don’t want it getting worse” he tried to blackmail me.
I muttered she could rot for all l cared.
“Well you know that no one else here will handle her” he tried again
“In other words they are sane and l am bloody stupid, you do know that Marco and Claudio who know what they are doing won’t handle her unless they really really… really have to.” l tried again but knew it was a lost cause, sod it l should have meant it when l said she could rot.
So we went to the off display area she was kept in, a quiet section away from the public. The bitches housing unit was a huge glass fronted display built for some reason on a trailer. The python in question was bad tempered on good days and totally evil on bad days. As l said Marco and Claudio avoided handling her unless absolutely necessary because of her temperament and strength.
Medication at the ready l told cheerful Sam* he was making the first contact with her. He was fine about that. He thought (hoped) he could do the medicating without taking her out.
He opened the door and climbed up, half leant in, ready to get her head....no chance she started to slide out and he had to catch fast before she was out the door.
He fell off the step with her push forwards and had to scramble upright holding her tightly. I grabbed the tail end as it slammed out to try and wrap around whoever it could.
Sam managed to get the mouth swabbed with the medicinal mix without getting grabbed by the mouth, or so he informed me. I was to busy with being tossed around like a boat on a wild sea by the tail end as she writhed while trying to avoid the odd loop she started to throw.
“ok he gasped let’s get her back”
If l thought the first part was hard l had a lesson to learn on getting her back in. The trailer was raised so it was an up to get in as opposed to a down slide out. Added to that the door did not want to stay open and no safe way could we jam it open, whoever was nearest it had to try and fling it open as we stumbled past.
She threw loops on us. She threw us all over the place with her writhing twists, as we unwound or shrugged off a loop another descended. She had us both looped several times. Her mouth was trying to grab whatever it could to aid the constriction.
We slammed into and tripped over the trailer with her writhing but did not dare let go.
Paco the zoo owner appeared and l gasped for him to give us a hand, gasped because l was trying to get a loop off my throat.
“Not a chance she is Diablo” he said and after watching wide eyed at our struggles he disappeared.
It took us 10 minutes to get her back in. We were exhausted battered and bruised from banging into her trailer, falling over and out of breath from loop squeezes.
I glared at Sam*, and just how often are we meant to do this merry little fucking dance before she kills us?” l asked. Not amused, and totally exhausted knowing how much of a miracle it was that she had not got free and none of us got seriously hurt.
“We aren’t, she is to dangerous sod it the lads will have to do her when they come back, l will just keep an eye and see it doesn’t get worse” Sam panted back.
When Marco and Claudio arrived back they had horrified hysterics when informed of our little jaunt. You never got her out, just 2 of you? Followed by more laughter from the pair.
“She has a slightly deformed mouth” said Marco when he recovered from laughing. “It was damaged when she was young by a person that did not know how to handle her. We took her on to fix her and kept her"
“Deformed be beggared she damm near ate us and squeezed us into a nice mush while she was about it” l said.
“Yes she just has lip damage to show for things now” said Marco. “No trouble with anything else, as you noticed.” He carried on chuckling.
I glared at Sam but before l gave in to the urge to shovel him back in with ‘the bitch’ and lock the door. l snarled “Get medical histories next time before you take over care of anything.” l stalked off.
*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*
Some facts and why these big constrictor snakes are not pets.
The large pythons can get vicious as they get bigger. Pythons up to 30 ft reported in the wild. The biggest captive snake is 27ft and 183kg. Pythons are as wide as telegraph poles when adult, and it is all muscle.
They are carnivorous. Attacks on handlers, sometimes deadly, are not uncommon.
It is recommended for these snakes you should always have a second person available to help with handling and feeding. And defiantly 2 people when it is over 8 feet long. In fact it is a good idea to have a person present for for each 4 feet of snake. So 3 people to handle a 12 foot snake and 4 people for a 16 foot snake.
In this instance Sam* trotted whistling round the corner which made me suspicious. He was too cheerful. You know that false happy, someone has when they are going to ask you to do something nasty, that no one else is stupid enough to do.
“I have just been looking at the python and she has mouth rot” (stomatitis).
“And?...” l glared just knowing what was coming but may as well make him say it.
“Need your help to handle her so that l can treat her” he grinned
“She is a more bad tempered bitch than l am and a damm site bigger and stronger as well”
“Awww don’t be mean she is only about 13ft and well yes she is bad tempered but not that bad, and she does need treating, you don’t want it getting worse” he tried to blackmail me.
I muttered she could rot for all l cared.
“Well you know that no one else here will handle her” he tried again
“In other words they are sane and l am bloody stupid, you do know that Marco and Claudio who know what they are doing won’t handle her unless they really really… really have to.” l tried again but knew it was a lost cause, sod it l should have meant it when l said she could rot.
So we went to the off display area she was kept in, a quiet section away from the public. The bitches housing unit was a huge glass fronted display built for some reason on a trailer. The python in question was bad tempered on good days and totally evil on bad days. As l said Marco and Claudio avoided handling her unless absolutely necessary because of her temperament and strength.
Medication at the ready l told cheerful Sam* he was making the first contact with her. He was fine about that. He thought (hoped) he could do the medicating without taking her out.
He opened the door and climbed up, half leant in, ready to get her head....no chance she started to slide out and he had to catch fast before she was out the door.
He fell off the step with her push forwards and had to scramble upright holding her tightly. I grabbed the tail end as it slammed out to try and wrap around whoever it could.
Sam managed to get the mouth swabbed with the medicinal mix without getting grabbed by the mouth, or so he informed me. I was to busy with being tossed around like a boat on a wild sea by the tail end as she writhed while trying to avoid the odd loop she started to throw.
“ok he gasped let’s get her back”
If l thought the first part was hard l had a lesson to learn on getting her back in. The trailer was raised so it was an up to get in as opposed to a down slide out. Added to that the door did not want to stay open and no safe way could we jam it open, whoever was nearest it had to try and fling it open as we stumbled past.
She threw loops on us. She threw us all over the place with her writhing twists, as we unwound or shrugged off a loop another descended. She had us both looped several times. Her mouth was trying to grab whatever it could to aid the constriction.
We slammed into and tripped over the trailer with her writhing but did not dare let go.
Paco the zoo owner appeared and l gasped for him to give us a hand, gasped because l was trying to get a loop off my throat.
“Not a chance she is Diablo” he said and after watching wide eyed at our struggles he disappeared.
It took us 10 minutes to get her back in. We were exhausted battered and bruised from banging into her trailer, falling over and out of breath from loop squeezes.
I glared at Sam*, and just how often are we meant to do this merry little fucking dance before she kills us?” l asked. Not amused, and totally exhausted knowing how much of a miracle it was that she had not got free and none of us got seriously hurt.
“We aren’t, she is to dangerous sod it the lads will have to do her when they come back, l will just keep an eye and see it doesn’t get worse” Sam panted back.
When Marco and Claudio arrived back they had horrified hysterics when informed of our little jaunt. You never got her out, just 2 of you? Followed by more laughter from the pair.
“She has a slightly deformed mouth” said Marco when he recovered from laughing. “It was damaged when she was young by a person that did not know how to handle her. We took her on to fix her and kept her"
“Deformed be beggared she damm near ate us and squeezed us into a nice mush while she was about it” l said.
“Yes she just has lip damage to show for things now” said Marco. “No trouble with anything else, as you noticed.” He carried on chuckling.
I glared at Sam but before l gave in to the urge to shovel him back in with ‘the bitch’ and lock the door. l snarled “Get medical histories next time before you take over care of anything.” l stalked off.
*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*
Some facts and why these big constrictor snakes are not pets.
The large pythons can get vicious as they get bigger. Pythons up to 30 ft reported in the wild. The biggest captive snake is 27ft and 183kg. Pythons are as wide as telegraph poles when adult, and it is all muscle.
They are carnivorous. Attacks on handlers, sometimes deadly, are not uncommon.
It is recommended for these snakes you should always have a second person available to help with handling and feeding. And defiantly 2 people when it is over 8 feet long. In fact it is a good idea to have a person present for for each 4 feet of snake. So 3 people to handle a 12 foot snake and 4 people for a 16 foot snake.
Saturday, 14 March 2009
A Snake in the Hand
I thought it about time l put up some stories of my life as a kid growing up in Rhodesia. Snakes tended to appear unexpectedly in life in Africa and then slide out again.
One day helping my Mum and the gardener move paving slabs l noticed a tiger snake curled up on a slab. I casually said, “Look mum a tiger snake”
“Don’t be silly” said my Mum not looking.
“Yiiiiyeeeeeeeeeee” the scream from the gardener was followed by a crash as he threw away the slab and went into a sprint that an Olympic runner would do justice to.
The noise made my Mum turn round, she headed off in the other direction.
I did what any sensible child would do under the circumstances. I grabbed the snake around the head. He had enough of humans and was about to slide off in the 3rd direction. African Tiger snakes are lovely golden snake with black stripes on goign across the body, they are back fanged and not particular poisonous, this was an adult roughly 2 foot long.
I asked Mum, who was casting dark looks at me and telling me to put it down "NOW", to find a box and punch some holes in the lid.
As l refused to let go the snake she was in a dilemma so took the easy way out and got me a box. I took it round to Mark for his snake collection.
Mark l knew from my class at school used to have a huge snake collection and lived just down the road. I would visit him with Jane, one of my 2 best friends who lived opposite him. Marks parents thought he had a few non poisonous snakes.
The reality was that he had about 40 snakes, some safe, some semi poisonous and moving all the way up to highly venomous like puff adders, various cobras and similar.
He had been known to have one of his semi poisonous snakes give him a bite so he was feeling ill and could miss tests. I guess the moral of the story is that parents should really learn a bit more about kid’s hobbies. Nowadays problems from the internet are easy to deal with, at least that can be solved by pulling a plug.
One day helping my Mum and the gardener move paving slabs l noticed a tiger snake curled up on a slab. I casually said, “Look mum a tiger snake”
“Don’t be silly” said my Mum not looking.
“Yiiiiyeeeeeeeeeee” the scream from the gardener was followed by a crash as he threw away the slab and went into a sprint that an Olympic runner would do justice to.
The noise made my Mum turn round, she headed off in the other direction.
I did what any sensible child would do under the circumstances. I grabbed the snake around the head. He had enough of humans and was about to slide off in the 3rd direction. African Tiger snakes are lovely golden snake with black stripes on goign across the body, they are back fanged and not particular poisonous, this was an adult roughly 2 foot long.
I asked Mum, who was casting dark looks at me and telling me to put it down "NOW", to find a box and punch some holes in the lid.
As l refused to let go the snake she was in a dilemma so took the easy way out and got me a box. I took it round to Mark for his snake collection.
Mark l knew from my class at school used to have a huge snake collection and lived just down the road. I would visit him with Jane, one of my 2 best friends who lived opposite him. Marks parents thought he had a few non poisonous snakes.
The reality was that he had about 40 snakes, some safe, some semi poisonous and moving all the way up to highly venomous like puff adders, various cobras and similar.
He had been known to have one of his semi poisonous snakes give him a bite so he was feeling ill and could miss tests. I guess the moral of the story is that parents should really learn a bit more about kid’s hobbies. Nowadays problems from the internet are easy to deal with, at least that can be solved by pulling a plug.
Wednesday, 4 February 2009
Marmoset in a Mask
Well Sunday started off quiet but then went a bit silly. I was getting paranoid about reception picking on me! Every time l answered the phone they were putting people onto me for advice on whelping bitches. After 4 of these calls l refused to answer the phone again. I used the excuse l was busy with inpatients. I was but l just ignored the phone and let others answer it. Suddenly a sheet of paper was thrust into my hand with the comment J…(the vet) says you can sort this.
I should have dropped the paper and said no, go see someone else l am to busy, but l glanced at it. “You are kidding me” l asked the receptionist who was grinning at me.
“Nope have fun” she said her revenge complete at my not answering the phone and making her come down to prep, l was hooked and reeled in and she disappeared.
***Advice wanted for marmoset having difficulty giving birth, please ring back.***
I rang the owner and it turned out that the marmoset had been pushing since at least 12 midday. I explained we had to see it as soon as possible.
In dogs and cats we usually say if they have been pushing non stop for 20 to 30minutes we need to see them. I did not hold out much hope for the little marmoset’s baby/s. It had been pushing pretty much non stop for about 7 hours.
A quick peruse on the internet for some info to thrust under the vet’s nose on drugs and doses and a look in the exotics book for more useful on drugs and caesareans in marmosets. While l was checking things out the senior night vet had come on duty. The Jr. vet decided he was clocking off and disappeared into the blizzard that was blowing outside.
The marmoset finally turned up and the vet came through asking me to mask her down. She was impossible to examine otherwise. I decided to have one go at getting her in the induction chamber if it did not work her owner could do her. I did not fancy chasing a marmoset around the room, or getting bitten.
It would have been ok if her bed had not been super glued to the bed box she was in, and l did not realise it. As l pulled it all out with her in the middle the blanket whizzed back downwards, her head popped out and chomped my finger while she used a few choice phases. I just sucked and washed a bleeding finger.
The chomp on my finger meant l proceeded with plan 2. I felt if l did not the bite would turn into a crazy romp trying to catch a marmoset in the op prep area and l was not keen on that. I took her through and asked her owner to pop her into the induction chamber.
Fancy name for a largish Tupperware box with 2 small pipe in. You connect the anaesthetic gas to the one pipe and the other the tube to remove used gas. Little animals drop off for a "snooze" without holding them and stressing and upsetting them more, or getting bitten, risk them escaping etc.
It also doubles in it’s other life as an oxygen “tent” for rats, hamsters, birds and other small animals.
Once she was asleep l grabbed a passing auxiliary and we took Millie, * (*not her real name) into the x-ray room. I had not weighed her as the postal scales were bust, did a guestimate on weight and settings for the x-ray machine. The picture came out really well of 2 babies that were not going anywhere without a caesarian.
Back to prep room. The vet came through to place an ET tube in her to breath through during the operation but he had not operated on a marmoset before and could not visualise her throat layout so she was to stay masked for her operation.
It took some time to get her clipped up and cleaned and placed comfy under her mask with head and body supports to stop her rolling sideways.
The mask had to be supported as l did not want it falling off or damaging the tiny marmoset and it was not self supporting. It was quite a big mask with a tight rubber seal and small hole that Millie’s head fitted in. I also needed to make sure that the auxiliary's hand was not going to cramp as she had to hold the mask upright during the op.
I needed to be free to sort the babies, pass any equipment the vet may need, monitor and adjust the anaesthetic gas, check Millie’s stats as best l could around the vet and his incision. Not easy as my stethoscope head seemed to be bigger than Millie. Ok maybe an exaggeration but it is still large when dealing with a tiny animal having an operation.
It went very well from a technical point of view, a standard caesarian of which we have a lot. Unfortunately the babies were as expected dead. One was flattened, probably from the movement and straining the other l did start to work on but it was quickly apparent that it was also dead.
The vet went a bit cross eyed at the very thin suture material he had to use to “zip Millie up”. Like the ferret the sutures were hidden under the skin so that she can not pick at them, followed by a layer of glue.
Post op I gave the op area a clean, there was another caesarean, this time a dog lined up. The guinea pig that had been due to have a caesarean died on the way into us. That was someone else’s job, home beckoned. When I left for home at 22:00 Millie was back in her kennel and had snuggled deeper into her house. Recovering and confused about what had happened and despite pain relief still sore on her abdomen.
Animals do not equate pregnancy with emotions like people do. They need to sniff, lick, hear, feel and see the young before they realise what is happening. They do not have the same feelings that humans do if they loose them as Millie did. It is not a baby growing inside them just a fat belly.
They also do not get the emotional problems that some women do either if they can not have babies. This is different to phantom pregnancy’s l am talking about attempts to conceive hence spaying (ovariohysterectomy) is not the trauma for animals it can be in women. In fact it stops the phantom pregnancies and (generally) the risk of mammary tumours or pyo’s.
The problems come with animals because people ascribe human feelings to animals instead of looking at what they are and understanding, or trying to understand the species specific animal feelings.
Post Op Recovery Still on Oxygen (blue tube)
I should have dropped the paper and said no, go see someone else l am to busy, but l glanced at it. “You are kidding me” l asked the receptionist who was grinning at me.
“Nope have fun” she said her revenge complete at my not answering the phone and making her come down to prep, l was hooked and reeled in and she disappeared.
***Advice wanted for marmoset having difficulty giving birth, please ring back.***
I rang the owner and it turned out that the marmoset had been pushing since at least 12 midday. I explained we had to see it as soon as possible.
In dogs and cats we usually say if they have been pushing non stop for 20 to 30minutes we need to see them. I did not hold out much hope for the little marmoset’s baby/s. It had been pushing pretty much non stop for about 7 hours.
A quick peruse on the internet for some info to thrust under the vet’s nose on drugs and doses and a look in the exotics book for more useful on drugs and caesareans in marmosets. While l was checking things out the senior night vet had come on duty. The Jr. vet decided he was clocking off and disappeared into the blizzard that was blowing outside.
The marmoset finally turned up and the vet came through asking me to mask her down. She was impossible to examine otherwise. I decided to have one go at getting her in the induction chamber if it did not work her owner could do her. I did not fancy chasing a marmoset around the room, or getting bitten.
It would have been ok if her bed had not been super glued to the bed box she was in, and l did not realise it. As l pulled it all out with her in the middle the blanket whizzed back downwards, her head popped out and chomped my finger while she used a few choice phases. I just sucked and washed a bleeding finger.
The chomp on my finger meant l proceeded with plan 2. I felt if l did not the bite would turn into a crazy romp trying to catch a marmoset in the op prep area and l was not keen on that. I took her through and asked her owner to pop her into the induction chamber.
Fancy name for a largish Tupperware box with 2 small pipe in. You connect the anaesthetic gas to the one pipe and the other the tube to remove used gas. Little animals drop off for a "snooze" without holding them and stressing and upsetting them more, or getting bitten, risk them escaping etc.
It also doubles in it’s other life as an oxygen “tent” for rats, hamsters, birds and other small animals.
Once she was asleep l grabbed a passing auxiliary and we took Millie, * (*not her real name) into the x-ray room. I had not weighed her as the postal scales were bust, did a guestimate on weight and settings for the x-ray machine. The picture came out really well of 2 babies that were not going anywhere without a caesarian.
Back to prep room. The vet came through to place an ET tube in her to breath through during the operation but he had not operated on a marmoset before and could not visualise her throat layout so she was to stay masked for her operation.
It took some time to get her clipped up and cleaned and placed comfy under her mask with head and body supports to stop her rolling sideways.
The mask had to be supported as l did not want it falling off or damaging the tiny marmoset and it was not self supporting. It was quite a big mask with a tight rubber seal and small hole that Millie’s head fitted in. I also needed to make sure that the auxiliary's hand was not going to cramp as she had to hold the mask upright during the op.
I needed to be free to sort the babies, pass any equipment the vet may need, monitor and adjust the anaesthetic gas, check Millie’s stats as best l could around the vet and his incision. Not easy as my stethoscope head seemed to be bigger than Millie. Ok maybe an exaggeration but it is still large when dealing with a tiny animal having an operation.
It went very well from a technical point of view, a standard caesarian of which we have a lot. Unfortunately the babies were as expected dead. One was flattened, probably from the movement and straining the other l did start to work on but it was quickly apparent that it was also dead.
The vet went a bit cross eyed at the very thin suture material he had to use to “zip Millie up”. Like the ferret the sutures were hidden under the skin so that she can not pick at them, followed by a layer of glue.
Post op I gave the op area a clean, there was another caesarean, this time a dog lined up. The guinea pig that had been due to have a caesarean died on the way into us. That was someone else’s job, home beckoned. When I left for home at 22:00 Millie was back in her kennel and had snuggled deeper into her house. Recovering and confused about what had happened and despite pain relief still sore on her abdomen.
Animals do not equate pregnancy with emotions like people do. They need to sniff, lick, hear, feel and see the young before they realise what is happening. They do not have the same feelings that humans do if they loose them as Millie did. It is not a baby growing inside them just a fat belly.
They also do not get the emotional problems that some women do either if they can not have babies. This is different to phantom pregnancy’s l am talking about attempts to conceive hence spaying (ovariohysterectomy) is not the trauma for animals it can be in women. In fact it stops the phantom pregnancies and (generally) the risk of mammary tumours or pyo’s.
The problems come with animals because people ascribe human feelings to animals instead of looking at what they are and understanding, or trying to understand the species specific animal feelings.
Post Op Recovery Still on Oxygen (blue tube)
Saturday, 31 January 2009
Ferret Op
Ferrets you either like them or hate them. I happen to be in the like them camp. They can be smelly but so can a lot of things and they are generally sweet natured. They do not often bite but if they do then those teeth really do lock into their meal, and if it is your finger, their logic is simple, it was there, so obviously it was meant to be their meal.
Ferrets are very playful and can bend into amazing shapes, not to mention get through incredibly small holes.
Ferret Females are called “jills” if you are not going to breed them they should be spayed. If not mated they will remain in season. You can use a male ferret that has had a vasectomy to bring them out but spaying is a lot easier.
If they are left in season they may get infection via the vulva but that is of minor concern. The real danger is she will also continue to produce estrogen which will lead to bone marrow suppression and anaemia and finally death if left untreated.
Tonight we had a very worried owner turn up with her ferret, it had been spayed yesterday and the sharp little teeth had chewed through the sutures. This resulted in the incision opening up and a sloge of fat called omentum hanging out.
The owner, and most people mistake this for intestines. Luckily though animals that break sutures in their abdomen through chewing or other methods do not generally dump intestines out, although l have seen it happen but only a couple of times.
It is almost impossible to use a buster collar on a ferret, if they are going to get their stitches out then they are gonna do it and nothing anyone can do will stop them. In a dog or cat though, if you are given a buster collar, use it.
The owner needless to say was distraught; l calmed her, promised her that the little ferret would be fine it was not as bad as it looked (and no, it really wasn’t too bad) and left her filling in paperwork. I took the little maniac into the back.
She was most unhappy at being restrained especially as she was a meat eater and could smell blood and wanted a snack the fact it was herself was immaterial. One of the nurses tried to sort a buster collar so l could let go the writhing ferret but it was impossible to keep it on her so l held her, in every conceivable shape she was bending herself into.
She was given a GA as soon as all the paperwork was filled in and was thankfully soon sleeping peacefully. I had cramp in my hands. My main worry was the wriggle bot would decide my fingers smeared with blood were a snack and try to take a chunk out of me, to be fair she was very well behaved though.
Within half an hour everything was stitched back inside. This time she had sub-cut (under the surface hidden stitches) so that there was nothing to “worry” on and chew through, and a line of surgical glue was a final layer over the incision. The bruising on the incision site is due to her teeth chomping away and nails scrabbling. She was snuggled into a blanket, given a couple of “hot hands” (silicone gloves filled with hot water) and allowed to come round slowly till her reversal injection was due shortly after l left.
As you can see by her pre op photo l snapped, she is not worried and just wants to know what is going on and who is who. It took about 6 photos to get that one she was so wriggly, l had almost given up.
Hey Where Am l?
Asleep and about to be preped
Omentum Cleaned and Trimmed
All Hidden, Start Resuture
What Incision?
Recovery
Ferrets are very playful and can bend into amazing shapes, not to mention get through incredibly small holes.
Ferret Females are called “jills” if you are not going to breed them they should be spayed. If not mated they will remain in season. You can use a male ferret that has had a vasectomy to bring them out but spaying is a lot easier.
If they are left in season they may get infection via the vulva but that is of minor concern. The real danger is she will also continue to produce estrogen which will lead to bone marrow suppression and anaemia and finally death if left untreated.
Tonight we had a very worried owner turn up with her ferret, it had been spayed yesterday and the sharp little teeth had chewed through the sutures. This resulted in the incision opening up and a sloge of fat called omentum hanging out.
The owner, and most people mistake this for intestines. Luckily though animals that break sutures in their abdomen through chewing or other methods do not generally dump intestines out, although l have seen it happen but only a couple of times.
It is almost impossible to use a buster collar on a ferret, if they are going to get their stitches out then they are gonna do it and nothing anyone can do will stop them. In a dog or cat though, if you are given a buster collar, use it.
The owner needless to say was distraught; l calmed her, promised her that the little ferret would be fine it was not as bad as it looked (and no, it really wasn’t too bad) and left her filling in paperwork. I took the little maniac into the back.
She was most unhappy at being restrained especially as she was a meat eater and could smell blood and wanted a snack the fact it was herself was immaterial. One of the nurses tried to sort a buster collar so l could let go the writhing ferret but it was impossible to keep it on her so l held her, in every conceivable shape she was bending herself into.
She was given a GA as soon as all the paperwork was filled in and was thankfully soon sleeping peacefully. I had cramp in my hands. My main worry was the wriggle bot would decide my fingers smeared with blood were a snack and try to take a chunk out of me, to be fair she was very well behaved though.
Within half an hour everything was stitched back inside. This time she had sub-cut (under the surface hidden stitches) so that there was nothing to “worry” on and chew through, and a line of surgical glue was a final layer over the incision. The bruising on the incision site is due to her teeth chomping away and nails scrabbling. She was snuggled into a blanket, given a couple of “hot hands” (silicone gloves filled with hot water) and allowed to come round slowly till her reversal injection was due shortly after l left.
As you can see by her pre op photo l snapped, she is not worried and just wants to know what is going on and who is who. It took about 6 photos to get that one she was so wriggly, l had almost given up.
Hey Where Am l?
Asleep and about to be preped
Omentum Cleaned and Trimmed
All Hidden, Start Resuture
What Incision?
Recovery
Thursday, 22 January 2009
Wildlife Vet Work
Working with wildlife can be challenging and this video explains some of the pitfalls.
Saturday, 17 January 2009
Toggie -The Goat
When l worked at the Greyhound Kennels the goat came in as a small bundle of fluff. Laura one of the kennel maids had bought him as a pet. She called him Toggie.
I do not know if he was a Toggenburg or cross or what. He was a big goat when fully grown and had huge swept back scimitar type horns.
Within a short space of time only 3 of us could or would handle him. Sue, the head nurse at horsefalls kennels where l worked, Laura who owned him and myself. He would not tolerate anyone else.
He hating having his horns touched but would let us pull them if need, be to point his head in the direction we wanted him to go. You had to be careful though as he may try and back sweep you with them in revenge.
There was 6 blocks of Kennels at the Layhams road Greyhound Complex. Each block was a long passage with kennels either side of the passage and the top end having a couple of bedrooms, lounge, couple small toilets, bathroom and an office. Home for Toggie was the unused block next to Horsefalls.
The block had been locked up and unused for years but was in good condition when Toggie went in. When he moved out about 4 years later it was a scene of devastation.
Initially he had only been allowed in a kennel. As he got bigger though he explored, and did not belive in locked doors. He ripped off all the doors, ripped out the bars in the kennels, broke glass, ripped the door into the human end and went through that. A demolition crew would have been hard pushed to do what he did. Smashed the boards on the dog beds bashed holes through internal brick and breeze block walls and in a few places punched holes in the roof.
Because only 3 of us ever went in with him no one else saw what was happening and none of us felt inclined to tell anyone in case Laura got into trouble and Toggie was evicted.
When the new trainer moved in around 1986 (about 2 years after Toggie left)l am told that it cost him nearly £30.000 to repair, it was gutted and because of the design had a lot of custom work hence the cost.
Laura moved on due to marriage and left him for us to keep an eye on for a couple of years till she got a house and land sorted. He was not fed concentrate, just grazed in the paddock, I do not actually remember him even being wormed, and worse still he lived alone which is not ideal. However he seemed happy, l would take him out for walks on a long dog lead. Once the local rugby club saw us walking past and wanted to adopt him as their mascot unfortunately it did not come.
One day l was going out on and found Toggie had got out. He had one of the greyhound trainers pinned to the side of his van. Peter Harding looked terrified. Toggie was doing mock charges on his back legs and dropping down his horns just missing Harding. Harding was trying to scream for help but was doing it quiet so he did not upset Toggie more, of course no one heard him.
Toggie was a BIG goat and on back legs topped about 5ft 8in (he looked Peter in the eye) add his horn size on top and he was daunting.
Harding was relieved to see me I stopped the bike and had a really good laugh. Toggie knew that his play time was coming to an end and kept an eye for me to make my move but continued his charges. Finally l recovered breath and walked over, grabbed his horn mid leap and pushed it downwards.
He flopped down and gave me a spoilsport look.
“Dammit Peter l told him you shouldn’t have been so mean to the poor little thing, what did you do too scare him?”
Harding gave me a daggers look and muttered rude words under his breath while he slid like he was greased to the van door and leapt in. “Bloody thing is dangerous” he snapped at me.
“Oh buggar off or l will let Toggie have more fun when he is bored” l told him.
Toggie by now was munching nettles and l gave him a pull towards the kennel and back to home. He had broken the fence and so l did a temp. repair till l had time to sort it properly and went on my way.
Harding had long gone in a cloud of dust.
I do not know if he was a Toggenburg or cross or what. He was a big goat when fully grown and had huge swept back scimitar type horns.
Within a short space of time only 3 of us could or would handle him. Sue, the head nurse at horsefalls kennels where l worked, Laura who owned him and myself. He would not tolerate anyone else.
He hating having his horns touched but would let us pull them if need, be to point his head in the direction we wanted him to go. You had to be careful though as he may try and back sweep you with them in revenge.
There was 6 blocks of Kennels at the Layhams road Greyhound Complex. Each block was a long passage with kennels either side of the passage and the top end having a couple of bedrooms, lounge, couple small toilets, bathroom and an office. Home for Toggie was the unused block next to Horsefalls.
The block had been locked up and unused for years but was in good condition when Toggie went in. When he moved out about 4 years later it was a scene of devastation.
Initially he had only been allowed in a kennel. As he got bigger though he explored, and did not belive in locked doors. He ripped off all the doors, ripped out the bars in the kennels, broke glass, ripped the door into the human end and went through that. A demolition crew would have been hard pushed to do what he did. Smashed the boards on the dog beds bashed holes through internal brick and breeze block walls and in a few places punched holes in the roof.
Because only 3 of us ever went in with him no one else saw what was happening and none of us felt inclined to tell anyone in case Laura got into trouble and Toggie was evicted.
When the new trainer moved in around 1986 (about 2 years after Toggie left)l am told that it cost him nearly £30.000 to repair, it was gutted and because of the design had a lot of custom work hence the cost.
Laura moved on due to marriage and left him for us to keep an eye on for a couple of years till she got a house and land sorted. He was not fed concentrate, just grazed in the paddock, I do not actually remember him even being wormed, and worse still he lived alone which is not ideal. However he seemed happy, l would take him out for walks on a long dog lead. Once the local rugby club saw us walking past and wanted to adopt him as their mascot unfortunately it did not come.
One day l was going out on and found Toggie had got out. He had one of the greyhound trainers pinned to the side of his van. Peter Harding looked terrified. Toggie was doing mock charges on his back legs and dropping down his horns just missing Harding. Harding was trying to scream for help but was doing it quiet so he did not upset Toggie more, of course no one heard him.
Toggie was a BIG goat and on back legs topped about 5ft 8in (he looked Peter in the eye) add his horn size on top and he was daunting.
Harding was relieved to see me I stopped the bike and had a really good laugh. Toggie knew that his play time was coming to an end and kept an eye for me to make my move but continued his charges. Finally l recovered breath and walked over, grabbed his horn mid leap and pushed it downwards.
He flopped down and gave me a spoilsport look.
“Dammit Peter l told him you shouldn’t have been so mean to the poor little thing, what did you do too scare him?”
Harding gave me a daggers look and muttered rude words under his breath while he slid like he was greased to the van door and leapt in. “Bloody thing is dangerous” he snapped at me.
“Oh buggar off or l will let Toggie have more fun when he is bored” l told him.
Toggie by now was munching nettles and l gave him a pull towards the kennel and back to home. He had broken the fence and so l did a temp. repair till l had time to sort it properly and went on my way.
Harding had long gone in a cloud of dust.
Sunday, 14 December 2008
Quid Pro Quo (Part 2)
At this point the auxiliary pointedly looked at the dog and poked my ribs. I had been about to sort it and did not need telling twice. Muttering "Excuse me that patient is in trouble" and went over. I picked up the dog and carried him out to the vet asking the 2 white women [owners] that the black couple had brought from somewhere via car, to wait a few minutes please. The obnoxious client started to rant at me, l ignored her.
The vet came over to examine the patient and went to call the owners in. I went back to the front. As l was walking back the taxi turned up.
I went out and told him what was happening and asked him to wait as the police would be here and probably escort her to the taxi.
“Err huh”? He said
l slowly repeated it.
“So l do what?”
My snarling reply made a rabid Rottweiler in attack mode look sweet. The driver sunk into his seat muttering
“I wait here huh” and locked his door.
I stomped back in. Busy tired and fed up. As l walked into reception the black guy was still leaning against reception.
“You know” he said with a grin starting to bubble up. “You are not racist”
I had enough for one night and was about to let rip. Being male he saw danger signs, being smart he backed off fast, held up both hands and laughed “No no he said please let me explain”.
I decided to give him about 10 seconds, if he talked fast. I was not in the mood for laughing, and l had enough BS to last a year.
You know when you carried the dog through. The crazy woman started to scream you were a racist do you know why?”
“No, l don’t l just blocked her voice out” I told him.
“Because she has a white cat and that was a black dog you took through. She is not right in the head l do not know if it drink or drugs, possibly a mix of both”
His wife piped up “And you were right about her stories, she has changed it so many times my head is spinning, l think it just has hair matts and is not comfortable.”
I knew what she meant about spinning heads. My brain was also doing the salsa trying to join all the dots up of black, white, dogs cats and everything inbetween.
“Let me try something” he said. Walking to the client who had fallen silent and was staring vacantly ahead he said “You know you look awful and you agree your cat is not ill just uncomfortable. What about taking him home and then in the morning going to the vet, it is better than going with the Police tonight, l will even hold the door open”
By now the woman seemed to be have hit her wall. She looked round with a glazed look. “Yes, yes no, l don’t know what l want anymore you all confuse me l will ok go ok” and staggered to the taxi.
“Many thanks, l have to say l have had enough for the night” l said to him.
He smiled “So l noticed and think nothing of it. I know what you mean about Zimbabwe I understand. I am also fed up about people ranting on about racism. Racism is ugly but so are many things in life. Unfortunately it is an easy target for people to carry on about. They do not understand what real racism is though and all they do is cause problems and muddy the waters.”
I rang the police to cancel the call out. As l was about to put the phone down the controller said “wait wait l just realised your ……… vet’s aren’t you, we have a vet type problem”.
I did consider saying “No you wrote the name down wrong, we are ……” l knew l was not going to like whatever occurred to the control. Now l know how Houston felt when they heard ‘Houston, we have a problem’.
“Yes, go on, hit me with it, it’s a fair cop” l said trying to lighten my gloom.
“Great, RSCPA won’t help us and we do not know what to do. What do you know about spiders that spit poison”
I looked for something to poke my self with to see if l was dreaming. “Go on” l sighed
“Well we have someone that was brought a spider over illegally from Australia, and gave it as a gift to a friend. The spider has escaped and is spitting at him. The thing is, it is a poisonous spider and the spit is also poison the guy says”
Trust me to think of calling the police for help. I should have guessed they would want a return favour, swop one crazy client for one poisonous spider that is hardly a fair quid pro quo.
“I want ALL the detail on it l told him. I will consider going only if l know everything about it. In the mean time shut the door and no one goes near it. Possibly it can be sucked into a vacuum cleaner and then dealt with. Block under the door as well so it can not escape.”
“Great you lot handle so much” the control chuckled “l don’t know why l did not think of you before, l will ring you back”
I stared at the phone, glad he was having a night he could chuckle over. I am getting nightitis (fed up of nights)
The couple who had brought the 2 women with the ill dog were looking at me. “Having fun?” he said. I told him what was requested.
“You are just going to get it… just like that”
“Well someone has to and spiders don’t worry me” l replied.
He looked at me like l had just confirmed the crazy woman was still here, he had helped a sane person to the taxi.
I went back to see the vet and tell him what had happened also confirm if the dog was going to be put down. The dog looked and smelled like it had Parvo, the clients no money. The vet confirmed all 3 predictions to me.
At this point the police arrived even though l had cancelled the call. The auxiliary came down to hold the dog for the vet and l went to speak to the pair. They probably wanted an excuse for a break and a coffee.
Before l went l mentioned the poison spitting spider to the vet. He point blank refused to let me go. It really did not worry me l was quite happy to go, he however was not happy about me going.
He stated that as we had no proper protective gear, did not know what the spider or toxin was he flat refused. I said l would find out more, then go. He grinned and said over his dead body. That would be easy to arrange l told him. Men can be a PIA at times, it needed sorting l was happy enough to sort it. All l needed was a plan, and they are easy enough to make.
I had a quick chat with the 2 lads that turned up. Oh god l am getting old l never thought that police would look so young. I always thought that was a myth that my parents and older people said. I pointed at the coffee and said to them “Sort it yourselves l am busy”.
I rang Chester Zoo emergency line, no answer, rang Whipsnade zoo, no answer, Manchester airport animal handling no such department Manchester airport told me. I thought of Heathrow and googled their animal handling department.
Nice bloke l spoke to, but he told me the same info l had told the control, so that was not much use.
I rang the police control back to tell them l could not come out and give them Chester Zoo number to keep trying. A female controller told me it was sorted. She wouldn’t elaborate. I tried to push to make sure that who ever the idiots were they were prosecuted. As to what happened to the spider or the people that had it, I don’t know.
The vet came over to examine the patient and went to call the owners in. I went back to the front. As l was walking back the taxi turned up.
I went out and told him what was happening and asked him to wait as the police would be here and probably escort her to the taxi.
“Err huh”? He said
l slowly repeated it.
“So l do what?”
My snarling reply made a rabid Rottweiler in attack mode look sweet. The driver sunk into his seat muttering
“I wait here huh” and locked his door.
I stomped back in. Busy tired and fed up. As l walked into reception the black guy was still leaning against reception.
“You know” he said with a grin starting to bubble up. “You are not racist”
I had enough for one night and was about to let rip. Being male he saw danger signs, being smart he backed off fast, held up both hands and laughed “No no he said please let me explain”.
I decided to give him about 10 seconds, if he talked fast. I was not in the mood for laughing, and l had enough BS to last a year.
You know when you carried the dog through. The crazy woman started to scream you were a racist do you know why?”
“No, l don’t l just blocked her voice out” I told him.
“Because she has a white cat and that was a black dog you took through. She is not right in the head l do not know if it drink or drugs, possibly a mix of both”
His wife piped up “And you were right about her stories, she has changed it so many times my head is spinning, l think it just has hair matts and is not comfortable.”
I knew what she meant about spinning heads. My brain was also doing the salsa trying to join all the dots up of black, white, dogs cats and everything inbetween.
“Let me try something” he said. Walking to the client who had fallen silent and was staring vacantly ahead he said “You know you look awful and you agree your cat is not ill just uncomfortable. What about taking him home and then in the morning going to the vet, it is better than going with the Police tonight, l will even hold the door open”
By now the woman seemed to be have hit her wall. She looked round with a glazed look. “Yes, yes no, l don’t know what l want anymore you all confuse me l will ok go ok” and staggered to the taxi.
“Many thanks, l have to say l have had enough for the night” l said to him.
He smiled “So l noticed and think nothing of it. I know what you mean about Zimbabwe I understand. I am also fed up about people ranting on about racism. Racism is ugly but so are many things in life. Unfortunately it is an easy target for people to carry on about. They do not understand what real racism is though and all they do is cause problems and muddy the waters.”
I rang the police to cancel the call out. As l was about to put the phone down the controller said “wait wait l just realised your ……… vet’s aren’t you, we have a vet type problem”.
I did consider saying “No you wrote the name down wrong, we are ……” l knew l was not going to like whatever occurred to the control. Now l know how Houston felt when they heard ‘Houston, we have a problem’.
“Yes, go on, hit me with it, it’s a fair cop” l said trying to lighten my gloom.
“Great, RSCPA won’t help us and we do not know what to do. What do you know about spiders that spit poison”
I looked for something to poke my self with to see if l was dreaming. “Go on” l sighed
“Well we have someone that was brought a spider over illegally from Australia, and gave it as a gift to a friend. The spider has escaped and is spitting at him. The thing is, it is a poisonous spider and the spit is also poison the guy says”
Trust me to think of calling the police for help. I should have guessed they would want a return favour, swop one crazy client for one poisonous spider that is hardly a fair quid pro quo.
“I want ALL the detail on it l told him. I will consider going only if l know everything about it. In the mean time shut the door and no one goes near it. Possibly it can be sucked into a vacuum cleaner and then dealt with. Block under the door as well so it can not escape.”
“Great you lot handle so much” the control chuckled “l don’t know why l did not think of you before, l will ring you back”
I stared at the phone, glad he was having a night he could chuckle over. I am getting nightitis (fed up of nights)
The couple who had brought the 2 women with the ill dog were looking at me. “Having fun?” he said. I told him what was requested.
“You are just going to get it… just like that”
“Well someone has to and spiders don’t worry me” l replied.
He looked at me like l had just confirmed the crazy woman was still here, he had helped a sane person to the taxi.
I went back to see the vet and tell him what had happened also confirm if the dog was going to be put down. The dog looked and smelled like it had Parvo, the clients no money. The vet confirmed all 3 predictions to me.
At this point the police arrived even though l had cancelled the call. The auxiliary came down to hold the dog for the vet and l went to speak to the pair. They probably wanted an excuse for a break and a coffee.
Before l went l mentioned the poison spitting spider to the vet. He point blank refused to let me go. It really did not worry me l was quite happy to go, he however was not happy about me going.
He stated that as we had no proper protective gear, did not know what the spider or toxin was he flat refused. I said l would find out more, then go. He grinned and said over his dead body. That would be easy to arrange l told him. Men can be a PIA at times, it needed sorting l was happy enough to sort it. All l needed was a plan, and they are easy enough to make.
I had a quick chat with the 2 lads that turned up. Oh god l am getting old l never thought that police would look so young. I always thought that was a myth that my parents and older people said. I pointed at the coffee and said to them “Sort it yourselves l am busy”.
I rang Chester Zoo emergency line, no answer, rang Whipsnade zoo, no answer, Manchester airport animal handling no such department Manchester airport told me. I thought of Heathrow and googled their animal handling department.
Nice bloke l spoke to, but he told me the same info l had told the control, so that was not much use.
I rang the police control back to tell them l could not come out and give them Chester Zoo number to keep trying. A female controller told me it was sorted. She wouldn’t elaborate. I tried to push to make sure that who ever the idiots were they were prosecuted. As to what happened to the spider or the people that had it, I don’t know.
Saturday, 13 December 2008
Quid Pro Quo (Part 1)
This is rather a long story so l will split it over a couple of days.
It happened about 5 months ago. Reception rang down the back about 2am saying that a woman was in with her cat and it had not passed faeces or urine for several days. However the cat basket smelt of strongly to belie the faecal comment added to that the woman smelt of booze and had a huge black eye.
The vet was operating so l went to collect the patient and take it down the back and triage it on the other prep room table [He was “fettling” a cut foot).
Apart from the strong faecal smell the cat was a lovely long haired white cat with a lot of matted hair.
And a loud purr, no temperature, normalish heart rate [average for a cat that’s stressed at the vets]
The vet said to tell the owner we would need to admit it and he would phone her later. With what she had described we would have to keep him in, run bloods and possibly drip etc.
I went back to explain this and the cost and the woman became agitated started on about how she had lied to get us to see the cat. It had been to the toilet just before she put it in the carrier. It was just not eating or drinking.
I went back down to speak to the vet. He rolled his eyes heaven wards. If she wants me to examine it when l have finished this op tell her the cost and including blood test. However he was happy enough that the cat was not in danger over anything and would be ok to see a vet in the morning.
Back l trotted with the message. She blew up and said “Your accent, is not English, you are South African?”
“No actually l said l am Rhodesian, although it is called Zimbabwe now” l said with a gritted smile.
“I knew it you are a South African racist. You hate me because l am a foreigner”. She looked possibly Greek and had an unpronounceable name and about as white as l am.
“Actually l am also a foreigner here” l said knowing this was going no place fast.
The client became very fractious and came out with about 5 different stories about the cat. While chanting every few words that l was a racist.
The story that sounded most plausible about the cat was that she found the matts in the coat and felt they were uncomfortable.
“Uncomfortable, no shit Sherlock” but it was not an emergency, l did not say that just thought it. I told her that the cat was fine until morning and to go to her own vet to have the cat’s matted hair clipped.
I tried to get her to give me her benefit status, she did not fall into criteria for at least one of the local charities. And of course it was my racist fault she did not fit the criteria, as l was a racist that hated foreigners.
I got fed up and told her l would ring her taxi or the police she had a choice. Still she refused to move just swearing and cussing. So l picked up the phone and said ok police makes no odds to me. She seemed to become more sober and spat a taxi firm number at me.
I rang them and then told an auxiliary to stay behind reception till the taxi arrived. Then l went back to finish helping the vet with the anaesthetic. Anaesthetic is a veterinary nurses job but on nights when there is small shifts we do all sorts including temporary racist.
After about 15 minutes the auxiliary rang back and asked for the “racist veterinary nurse” while trying not to laugh.
She also mentioned that the clients taxi had not arrived yet. I was getting pissed off by now a joke can go so far. As l walked into reception l mentally swore this could get nasty and it was not a laughing matter.
A black guy was at reception. Thankfully he was well dressed in a suit and tie. Not a yob in street clothes with a big mouth. Even so l was not going to back down or be ashamed of who or what l was.
As l walked through he looked at me and asked if l was the South African.
“Nope l am the Rhodesian and before you say it is Zimbabwe don’t bother. My birth certificate says l am Rhodesian and l do not want to call myself a zimbo and further l do not support the sociopathic scumy psychopaths zanu in charge over there that have destroyed my country”
His mouth twitched slightly. “So what’s the story here” he asked.
To keep the peace l explained things to him, while l looked over at the 2 women holding a dog on their laps. It needed a vet fast. My problem was that the vet was busy and no other nurses were about to sort things. And l did not want the present problem to escalate.
A black woman, also well dressed was sitting with the problem client and looked over very unfriendly and said “Do you not care about animals? This lady just told us all about you”
I told them briefly what had been going on and that the woman’s cat was not dying just had hair matts, she was drunk, possibly on drugs, rambling and incoherent and inconsistent in her stories of the cat and what the vet had said.
The obnoxious client now said she was not leaving.
I picked up the phone and rang the police to get over please ASAP. They are always very good if we have a problem.
It happened about 5 months ago. Reception rang down the back about 2am saying that a woman was in with her cat and it had not passed faeces or urine for several days. However the cat basket smelt of strongly to belie the faecal comment added to that the woman smelt of booze and had a huge black eye.
The vet was operating so l went to collect the patient and take it down the back and triage it on the other prep room table [He was “fettling” a cut foot).
Apart from the strong faecal smell the cat was a lovely long haired white cat with a lot of matted hair.
And a loud purr, no temperature, normalish heart rate [average for a cat that’s stressed at the vets]
The vet said to tell the owner we would need to admit it and he would phone her later. With what she had described we would have to keep him in, run bloods and possibly drip etc.
I went back to explain this and the cost and the woman became agitated started on about how she had lied to get us to see the cat. It had been to the toilet just before she put it in the carrier. It was just not eating or drinking.
I went back down to speak to the vet. He rolled his eyes heaven wards. If she wants me to examine it when l have finished this op tell her the cost and including blood test. However he was happy enough that the cat was not in danger over anything and would be ok to see a vet in the morning.
Back l trotted with the message. She blew up and said “Your accent, is not English, you are South African?”
“No actually l said l am Rhodesian, although it is called Zimbabwe now” l said with a gritted smile.
“I knew it you are a South African racist. You hate me because l am a foreigner”. She looked possibly Greek and had an unpronounceable name and about as white as l am.
“Actually l am also a foreigner here” l said knowing this was going no place fast.
The client became very fractious and came out with about 5 different stories about the cat. While chanting every few words that l was a racist.
The story that sounded most plausible about the cat was that she found the matts in the coat and felt they were uncomfortable.
“Uncomfortable, no shit Sherlock” but it was not an emergency, l did not say that just thought it. I told her that the cat was fine until morning and to go to her own vet to have the cat’s matted hair clipped.
I tried to get her to give me her benefit status, she did not fall into criteria for at least one of the local charities. And of course it was my racist fault she did not fit the criteria, as l was a racist that hated foreigners.
I got fed up and told her l would ring her taxi or the police she had a choice. Still she refused to move just swearing and cussing. So l picked up the phone and said ok police makes no odds to me. She seemed to become more sober and spat a taxi firm number at me.
I rang them and then told an auxiliary to stay behind reception till the taxi arrived. Then l went back to finish helping the vet with the anaesthetic. Anaesthetic is a veterinary nurses job but on nights when there is small shifts we do all sorts including temporary racist.
After about 15 minutes the auxiliary rang back and asked for the “racist veterinary nurse” while trying not to laugh.
She also mentioned that the clients taxi had not arrived yet. I was getting pissed off by now a joke can go so far. As l walked into reception l mentally swore this could get nasty and it was not a laughing matter.
A black guy was at reception. Thankfully he was well dressed in a suit and tie. Not a yob in street clothes with a big mouth. Even so l was not going to back down or be ashamed of who or what l was.
As l walked through he looked at me and asked if l was the South African.
“Nope l am the Rhodesian and before you say it is Zimbabwe don’t bother. My birth certificate says l am Rhodesian and l do not want to call myself a zimbo and further l do not support the sociopathic scumy psychopaths zanu in charge over there that have destroyed my country”
His mouth twitched slightly. “So what’s the story here” he asked.
To keep the peace l explained things to him, while l looked over at the 2 women holding a dog on their laps. It needed a vet fast. My problem was that the vet was busy and no other nurses were about to sort things. And l did not want the present problem to escalate.
A black woman, also well dressed was sitting with the problem client and looked over very unfriendly and said “Do you not care about animals? This lady just told us all about you”
I told them briefly what had been going on and that the woman’s cat was not dying just had hair matts, she was drunk, possibly on drugs, rambling and incoherent and inconsistent in her stories of the cat and what the vet had said.
The obnoxious client now said she was not leaving.
I picked up the phone and rang the police to get over please ASAP. They are always very good if we have a problem.
Tuesday, 28 October 2008
Superglue and Spiders
Today we had a hailstorm, it was then proceeded by about 1 inch or so of snow, which, as l write this at 19:30 is still lying in thick blankets around the place. I was so happy to see the snow, not. And to top things off l have a rotten cold.
Thank goodness l am living in, l do not have to drive home. Just climb upstairs and fall into bed. Wibble had to be carried out to go to the loo. She refused to go out and kept doing U turns as soon as her nose ventured out of the door, she also hates cold weather.
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What a varied life veterinary nursing is. I remember one case l took a phone call from a worried owner. He had a tarantula whose leg had been pulled off somehow and wanted to know what could be done as there was some blood dripping out.
I had a look in the vet directory and rang the big zoo vets practice in Yorkshire to ask for advice.
“Throw the pulled off leg away. Put a drop of glue onto the damaged part to seal it, make sure that the other 7 legs do not come into contact with the glue till it is dry. If it has lost to much blood, it need only be drops bearing in mind the size of the animal then it won’t live.”
I rang back and passed on the advice, and asked for a call back to update me how things went, as it was so unusual a case. Unfortunately the guy never let me know how the spider did.
Thank goodness l am living in, l do not have to drive home. Just climb upstairs and fall into bed. Wibble had to be carried out to go to the loo. She refused to go out and kept doing U turns as soon as her nose ventured out of the door, she also hates cold weather.
*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*
What a varied life veterinary nursing is. I remember one case l took a phone call from a worried owner. He had a tarantula whose leg had been pulled off somehow and wanted to know what could be done as there was some blood dripping out.
I had a look in the vet directory and rang the big zoo vets practice in Yorkshire to ask for advice.
“Throw the pulled off leg away. Put a drop of glue onto the damaged part to seal it, make sure that the other 7 legs do not come into contact with the glue till it is dry. If it has lost to much blood, it need only be drops bearing in mind the size of the animal then it won’t live.”
I rang back and passed on the advice, and asked for a call back to update me how things went, as it was so unusual a case. Unfortunately the guy never let me know how the spider did.
Monday, 27 October 2008
Snakes and Racks
Had a pigeon in on Saturday. Usually they are put down unless they are ringed racing pigeons or for sure unharmed wild ones. This one had been in overnight and seemed ok. I went to take it outside and release it, to see if it would fly.
My grip was a bit loose and l was also trying to check it as l walked. It took off and nearly smacked a couple of staff in their heads as it raced down the corridor and then met the wall. Luckily he just slid down that. I grabbed him and held tight till l threw him into the air and he flew off as fast as he could, outside.
I mentioned a small crossbreed a few blogs ago in "From Floppy Dogs to a Rant" whose owner had a mental breakdown. Well no family could be traced but the little dog has been found a new home.
If the owner recovers enough to look after him then he will go back, if not there he has a home for life, always nice to have good news.
Speaking of which, it was with great joy that l consigned the shower rack where l am staying to the dustbin today. It was on one of those expending poles like a shower curtain and went between the side of the bath and the ceiling.
I would give it a pull it would be solid. Climb into the bath and soak, reading and 5minutes later…it was still solid. Then without warning it would leap off the side and smack down on my head.
The first 2 times it also threw all the shampoos, deodorants etc on me. I removed those for subsequent baths. It was not practicable to remove the rack as it was held together with tie wraps and l did not want to break it.
It turned out a nurse that used to live in bought it. I was told l was welcome to throw it away. The horrible item was in the bin by the time the permission to dispose had been fully voiced.
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When l was in Tenerife l spent 8 months or so as head keeper at Tenerife Sur zoo. Fancy title but there were only about 500 animals and 3 of us keepers.
A small reptilarium was situated in the zoo grounds owned by a couple of Italians. I had nothing to do with it just used to have coffee and a chat, usually with Marco who spoke better English than Claudio did.
The pair went on a collecting trip to Africa and had a young English lad in to look after their animals. He was experienced in reptiles and had been through Gerald Durrell’s Training Programme at Jersey Trust. The problem was he had only dealt with non-venomous snakes and there was a mixed bag at the reptile house.
One day he came round the corner white faced holding his hand. “Are Cape Cobras venomous he asked clenching his thumb”
“Yes all Cobras are, why”? looking at his face l knew what was coming.
“Cause the Cape Cobra just bit me, he ate a live mouse yesterday so l think he used his poison then. He only managed to get one fang in my thumb, l pulled it out so fast l don’t think he had anything left for me”
I tried to keep things light hearted. “Well you are screwed then” l told him “cause the lads do not carry antivenom. It has to short a shelf life, is to expensive and they have to many nasty snakes in the exhibit to cover them all, those who have any produced that is”
He turned paler, l helped him sit down. “Look you can do a couple of things. The most sensible is to be on the safe side and get you to hospital now. If you feel ok, and he fed yesterday, and he only just got you with one fang and you want to you can wait. If you feel funny in any way you can go then.”
He chose to wait, l knew he would, macho man. I watched him closer than a starving hawk on a mouse. Luckily he was fine, just shaken. He also learnt a lesson about snakes, when you have got blasé after dealing with non-lethal reptiles, then you are in trouble.
Naja Nivea - Cape Cobra, Geelkapel, Koperkapel.
The colour varies from black through to buttermilk with an almost infinite number of variation in-between. It can be speckled or uniform in colour. Juveniles have a broad black band on the throat, which fades with age.
Cape Cobra’s have a neuro toxic venom. It is as potent as a Black Mamba's - but it injects less of it. Be prepared to support breathing. You should have at least an hour before dangerous symptoms begin to manifest them selves.
My grip was a bit loose and l was also trying to check it as l walked. It took off and nearly smacked a couple of staff in their heads as it raced down the corridor and then met the wall. Luckily he just slid down that. I grabbed him and held tight till l threw him into the air and he flew off as fast as he could, outside.
I mentioned a small crossbreed a few blogs ago in "From Floppy Dogs to a Rant" whose owner had a mental breakdown. Well no family could be traced but the little dog has been found a new home.
If the owner recovers enough to look after him then he will go back, if not there he has a home for life, always nice to have good news.
Speaking of which, it was with great joy that l consigned the shower rack where l am staying to the dustbin today. It was on one of those expending poles like a shower curtain and went between the side of the bath and the ceiling.
I would give it a pull it would be solid. Climb into the bath and soak, reading and 5minutes later…it was still solid. Then without warning it would leap off the side and smack down on my head.
The first 2 times it also threw all the shampoos, deodorants etc on me. I removed those for subsequent baths. It was not practicable to remove the rack as it was held together with tie wraps and l did not want to break it.
It turned out a nurse that used to live in bought it. I was told l was welcome to throw it away. The horrible item was in the bin by the time the permission to dispose had been fully voiced.
*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*
When l was in Tenerife l spent 8 months or so as head keeper at Tenerife Sur zoo. Fancy title but there were only about 500 animals and 3 of us keepers.
A small reptilarium was situated in the zoo grounds owned by a couple of Italians. I had nothing to do with it just used to have coffee and a chat, usually with Marco who spoke better English than Claudio did.
The pair went on a collecting trip to Africa and had a young English lad in to look after their animals. He was experienced in reptiles and had been through Gerald Durrell’s Training Programme at Jersey Trust. The problem was he had only dealt with non-venomous snakes and there was a mixed bag at the reptile house.
One day he came round the corner white faced holding his hand. “Are Cape Cobras venomous he asked clenching his thumb”
“Yes all Cobras are, why”? looking at his face l knew what was coming.
“Cause the Cape Cobra just bit me, he ate a live mouse yesterday so l think he used his poison then. He only managed to get one fang in my thumb, l pulled it out so fast l don’t think he had anything left for me”
I tried to keep things light hearted. “Well you are screwed then” l told him “cause the lads do not carry antivenom. It has to short a shelf life, is to expensive and they have to many nasty snakes in the exhibit to cover them all, those who have any produced that is”
He turned paler, l helped him sit down. “Look you can do a couple of things. The most sensible is to be on the safe side and get you to hospital now. If you feel ok, and he fed yesterday, and he only just got you with one fang and you want to you can wait. If you feel funny in any way you can go then.”
He chose to wait, l knew he would, macho man. I watched him closer than a starving hawk on a mouse. Luckily he was fine, just shaken. He also learnt a lesson about snakes, when you have got blasé after dealing with non-lethal reptiles, then you are in trouble.
Naja Nivea - Cape Cobra, Geelkapel, Koperkapel.
The colour varies from black through to buttermilk with an almost infinite number of variation in-between. It can be speckled or uniform in colour. Juveniles have a broad black band on the throat, which fades with age.
Cape Cobra’s have a neuro toxic venom. It is as potent as a Black Mamba's - but it injects less of it. Be prepared to support breathing. You should have at least an hour before dangerous symptoms begin to manifest them selves.
Sunday, 26 October 2008
2 More Police Calls
The call came in, in the early hours from the police about a pony wandering along the busy ‘A’ road.
The driver was not to sure if it would go in the back of the van, but we had been assured it was only a tiny animal.
He was also worried about being kicked. I gave him a big sheet and told him to cover the pony’s eyes and all would be fine, and finally a couple of tied together dog leads to go around animal’s neck.
He trundled off and came back about an hour later with the pony in the back. We lifted it out in a reverse of the procedure to get it on-board.
We covered pony's eyes over (if we did not the driver was not helping me) and finally hurt our backs lifting him out.
We only had isolation free that was practical for use. I raided all the bunny hay l could find and found and bucket for water.
He was claimed later in the day, he had gone walkabout from a gypsy encampment.
I am not surprised that police go nuts at the paperwork. Apparently the copper was writing down that the pony was facing in a north easterly direction along the side of the eastbound carriageway on rough ground. Along with a lot more erroneous information. I mean for gods sake doe’s it matter?
Pony in 'iso'
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l worked at another practice when the police rang ahead that they were bringing in a dangerous dog. It had almost attacked the officers that grabbed him and they were bringing him in at great personal risk.
I grabbed dog grab and gloves and awaited the great coming.
About 10minutes later a big van turned up with 2 very scared police officers in.
“Be careful” they shouted as l creaked open the side door slightly to get a look. It did seem very quiet for a killer dog, then l saw it.
A small Jack Russell Terrier was scratching his ear, and making grunty noises at the itchy feeling.
“Psst, whatya doing scaring those poor lads”? l said to him
The dog waddled over and licked my hand. I picked him up and carried him in past 2 very deflated police.
I don’t know what excuse they came up with to other officers that asked about the “dangerous dog” but l am sure they managed to think up some excuse.
To be fair JRT can sometimes be nasty. l knew one that no one could get near, he was deaf, kept in a stable and never handled.
This one was sweet, l think it just was the lads were genuinely scared of it.
The driver was not to sure if it would go in the back of the van, but we had been assured it was only a tiny animal.
He was also worried about being kicked. I gave him a big sheet and told him to cover the pony’s eyes and all would be fine, and finally a couple of tied together dog leads to go around animal’s neck.
He trundled off and came back about an hour later with the pony in the back. We lifted it out in a reverse of the procedure to get it on-board.
We covered pony's eyes over (if we did not the driver was not helping me) and finally hurt our backs lifting him out.
We only had isolation free that was practical for use. I raided all the bunny hay l could find and found and bucket for water.
He was claimed later in the day, he had gone walkabout from a gypsy encampment.
I am not surprised that police go nuts at the paperwork. Apparently the copper was writing down that the pony was facing in a north easterly direction along the side of the eastbound carriageway on rough ground. Along with a lot more erroneous information. I mean for gods sake doe’s it matter?
Pony in 'iso'
*====*====*====*====*====*====*====*
l worked at another practice when the police rang ahead that they were bringing in a dangerous dog. It had almost attacked the officers that grabbed him and they were bringing him in at great personal risk.
I grabbed dog grab and gloves and awaited the great coming.
About 10minutes later a big van turned up with 2 very scared police officers in.
“Be careful” they shouted as l creaked open the side door slightly to get a look. It did seem very quiet for a killer dog, then l saw it.
A small Jack Russell Terrier was scratching his ear, and making grunty noises at the itchy feeling.
“Psst, whatya doing scaring those poor lads”? l said to him
The dog waddled over and licked my hand. I picked him up and carried him in past 2 very deflated police.
I don’t know what excuse they came up with to other officers that asked about the “dangerous dog” but l am sure they managed to think up some excuse.
To be fair JRT can sometimes be nasty. l knew one that no one could get near, he was deaf, kept in a stable and never handled.
This one was sweet, l think it just was the lads were genuinely scared of it.
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