Pegasus Post: November 14, 2017

4 Tuesday November 14 2017
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
PEGASUS POST
News
Finally Linwood
McMaster & Heap
Veterinary practice
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF VET
MICHELE
Last month, our super vet nurse Megan wrote
about what a nurses day is like at our clinic so I
thought I’d give you a little insight into one of
my marathon 12 hour Tuesdays, that must start
with a flat white!
I typically arrive in after 9am due to organizing
our teenage lads for school in the morning and
walking Lola before our big 12 hour Tuesday.
I will then assess, liase with the hospital nurse
and devise a plan for any of my sick hospital
patients from the previous day. Sometimes I
will pass an intensive care patient of mine onto
Catherine if my day is full surgically. If there
is time before consulting I will phone clients
with patient updates or call them in the early
afternoon when I’ve finished consulting.
Typically I consult seeing patients for 3-4
hours in the morning and then again another 3
hours during the evening. By the time Tuesdays
rock around my consulting schedule is almost
full so when distressed clients phone with a very
sick pet, obviously we will see them but they
have to be squeezed into an already full block of
consulting. If on arrival they are in urgent need
of attention, either I will see them or one of our
expert nurses will triage the patient, often take
bloods, place a catheter and advise me of their
findings. Every patient that rings is seen that
day and often we see patients from other clinics
because they cant be seen that day at their own
Practice.
It is common place that during my morning
consults I have admitted sick patients for either
blood testing, intravenous fluids, xrays or
ultrasounds, dentistry, exploratory surgeries, or
just observation. I will check on these patients
progress, review any blood test results or
findings, ring their owners if necessary and work
out a treatment plan with the hospital nurse for
that day.
Once the sickies are dealt with, I turn my
attention to the surgical board in which all my
surgeries are highlighted in green pen!
This past Tuesday was a little insane...
Heres my list for that day-
1. Right Stifle surgery in a sweet 1 year old
Golden Retriever called “Bonnie” to repair
ruptured ACL ligaments. Bonnie blew her ACL
ligaments in both stifles while out exercising
with other dogs, so the left is yet to be repaired
in 2 weeks depending on how she’s coping after
this surgery.
2. A right femoral pinning
and wiring in a young
cat “Simba” to repair a
fractured femur probably
caused by a collision with
a car.
3. Full shoulder and
elbow, spinal, lumbar
and hip xrays in Murphy,
a 12 year old chocolate
Labrador with an
annoying persistent right
foreleg lameness.
4. A sick, lethargic Chinchilla called Pickles who
needed syringe feeding through the day.
5. A Caesarian in a 2 year old Pug called
“Geraldine”, who gave birth to 1 live puppy, with
2 unfortunately dying.
All in all I have absolutely no time to eat, drink
or get into any trouble!! All the above need to be
finished with and owners rung by 4pm when I
start all over again with consults.
Oh I forgot to mention that somewhere in the
day I have
a board
full of
messages
to call
clients
regarding
their pets
blood or
pathology
results,
medications requirements, booking in surgeries,
queries from other vets or just general advice
inquiries.
We also look after sick animals for the SPCA
and Cats Protection league. We will get a call
alerting us to how far away they are and what
sort of patient we are seeing, whether a medical
or surgical case. That can happen anytime in
our day so we fit these consultations around
everything else. I feel very good being able to
help these less fortunate animals and hopefully
give them a chance at recovery and a great life.
A day in MY LIFE is a hugely busy, fast paced
one where I need to make so many important
decisions in a day on the health and well being
of the patients in my care. There is no time to
second guess yourself, communication between
my staff and my clients is key and I need to
be very organized and able to prioritise all the
patients in my care needing my help. We are so
fortunate at McMaster & Heap to have such a
highly skilled, clever and practical group of vets
and nurses to be able to bounce ideas off when
a difficult case needs a plan.
Honestly I LOVE my job – actually it’s a
priviledge to be able to help animals in the way
we can and do. As you can see, every day is
extremely different, very challenging at times
with difficult medical cases or surgeries but the
buck stops with
me so to speak.
I leave after my
12 hour shift very
tired and hungry!
But with a big
smile on my face
knowing that I’ve
made a difference
in many animals
lives that day
and so have my
fabulous team.
Geraldine and her one little puppy.
Police now
want a liquor
ban in
Linwood
Village.
Reporter
Julia Evans
finds out why
JB WALLACE had been
sitting outside Stanmore
SuperValue all afternoon
on Tuesday. He would be
there all night too.
There was a Tupperware
container in front of him,
a few coins scattered at the
bottom and he strummed
a guitar.
“I’m here most of the
time,” Mr Wallace said.
Outside the supermarket is
the “best spot” amongst local
“streeties” in Linwood
Village.
He was joined by friend
and former streetie Tuhoe
Hauwai. Mr Hauwai now
lives in a state house in
Aranui.
Police and the city
GIDDAY MATE: Police are lobbying for a liquor ban
after previously saying it would be too difficult to
enforce.
Breaking news,
delivered to
your pocket.
council are in the process
of developing a liquor ban
for the area after calls from
the community and local
businesses. Calls police
have ignored twice, once in
2014 and once last year.
Previously police said
they didn’t have sufficient
resources to enforce a ban
and the problem wasn’t
bad enough.
But at the Linwood-
Central-Heathcote Community
Board meeting
on Monday, the ban was
approved. This time police
were the ones lobbying
for it.
Businesses, residents and
officers spoke to the board
for more than an hour.
They said people drinking
and begging outside shops
are driving away and intimidating
customers.
They said the liquor ban
would help.
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McMaster & Heap
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