Veterinary And Animal Rescue Shows

[glowlights]

16 hours ago, Jenkins said:

And on Dr K, yeah...from what I understand marmosets just don't do well in captivity. So I can understand why Dr Thielen threw some shade on the breeder. And not sure how a tiny thing like that can have such massive internal bleeding. A fall wouldn't do it I wouldn't think. Sadly the guy didn't seem overly bothered...but then this is coming from someone who gave the poor animal a NUMBER instead of a name.

Thank you! I was too lazy to google her name yesterday and then felt bad for not doing so. I think Dr. Thielen is turning into a fine vet, at least from what we see on this show.

My very judgmental opinion about the marmoset breeder is that the animal went into distress from a bad labor and they let it go too long, or didn't even realize she was in distress because she's just a number in a cage and not being adequately tended. She hemmoraged. Just my amateur view from the cheap seats.

[zxy556575]

Saturday's episode of Dr. K -- the physician owner of the parrot was a jerk start to finish. If he's too cheap to pay for his supposedly beloved bird's care, then just admit that. Dr. K was 100 times nicer to him than I would have been.

[Jenkins]

I could feel Dr Ks frustration through the TV. Hell, it frustrated ME listening to the guy!

If you are such a damn expert on your bird, why bring him to Dr K?

[zxy556575]

Saturday's episode of Lucky Dog was about a black German Shepherd who was being trained as a service animal for a former soldier who'd lost both legs in battle and who was also experiencing PTSD. He was fitted with artificial limbs.

After extensive training, the final scene was the guy walking down an exterior flight of concrete stairs using the dog as a brace. His wife and child were there and everyone was teary. But .. there were handrails on both sides of the stairs! I couldn't wrap my head around why he needed the dog to lean on in the first place. It seemed really fake.

As if I hadn't racked up enough negative karmic debt for that, I also didn't think the dog had the temperament to be a comfort animal to help with the PTSD. Strong and obedient sure, but aloof and not in the least affectionate.

[zxy556575]

The new Vet Life show had more family and fewer animals than I would have liked, but maybe that was because the car crash pulled focus. I also doubt that long time friends refer to each other as Dr. [last name] in private, so that seemed fake. Hopefully they work out the nervousness but I wasn't really drawn in. Glad the spaniel's owner decided to go ahead with the bladder surgery, but if Dr. Blue offered a discount or payment plan we didn't see it.  At least seeing that big bag of stones seemed to make the owner finally get how serious a problem it was.

[Peanutbuttercup]

Yeah, I know I am a terrible person, but I care more about the animal drama than human home life. Still, I'll definitely keep watching The Vet Life (even if I have to fast forward through the obligatory snake shots that seem to pop up in all vet shows, shudder).

I also wish they'd shown the vet talking with Charlie's owner about how to prevent bladder stones in the future, such as special diets and making sure the dog can urinate as soon as needed rather than being crated or kept inside all day.

[Bastet]

After all my excitement that we were getting a show with black vets, I completely forgot to watch the premiere of The Vet Life; hopefully there will be a repeat.

[Peanutbuttercup]

17 minutes ago, Bastet said:

After all my excitement that we were getting a show with black vets, I completely forgot to watch the premiere of The Vet Life; hopefully there will be a repeat.

My program guide is showing reruns Weds at 2 PM, Friday at 11:03 PM, and Saturday at 7 PM (all Eastern).

Edited June 6, 2016 by Peanutbuttercup
correct time

[Bastet]

Thanks; I'm not home right now and Animal Planet's website wasn't giving me any info.  I think I'll be home next weekend, so I'll plan to catch the Saturday repeat and then the new episode.

From the promos for it, it looked like there was going to be more focus on the vets' home life than I'd like (I have a very low threshold, especially if there are kids), and I see that at least one poster had the same complaint after the first episode.  So we'll see, but I'm still looking forward to it.

[zxy556575]

On 6/5/2016 at 8:37 PM, Peanutbuttercup said:

I also wish they'd shown the vet talking with Charlie's owner about how to prevent bladder stones in the future, such as special diets and making sure the dog can urinate as soon as needed rather than being crated or kept inside all day.

I had the same thought but maybe it was cut for time? I assume the purpose of these shows is education as well as entertainment so hope it wasn't dropped in favor of scenes of family dinner prayers or whatnot.

Also, don't most health practitioners these days give patients a printed surgical treatment plan with all associated costs? Dr. Blue's casual "about $1.5 to 2K" estimate for extracting the bladder stones seemed haphazard, especially considering that the owner was supposedly mistrustful of vets in the first place.

The episode of Dr. K was sad, especially the spider monkey. The guy whose dog used the tortoise as a chew toy didn't improve my spirits.

Edited June 7, 2016 by lordonia

[Talky Tina]

You all are so much stronger than me.  I have tried to watch the veterinary shows but I just can not do it.  I like some of the vets I see in commercials so I have tried the shows but I can't watch.  Even if I know the animal will be OK in the end,  I just can't watch an animal in distress of any kind.  There are a lot of shows on Animal Planet that I have to stay away from because I know I will just end up crying. 

I like the guy in the commercial for Vet Life but I didn't even try to watch.  If I read that it's not too bad in terms of sick or injured animals I may give it a try.  

[walnutqueen]

On 6/4/2016 at 9:29 PM, lordonia said:

The new Vet Life show had more family and fewer animals than I would have liked, but maybe that was because the car crash pulled focus. I also doubt that long time friends refer to each other as Dr. [last name] in private, so that seemed fake. Hopefully they work out the nervousness but I wasn't really drawn in. Glad the spaniel's owner decided to go ahead with the bladder surgery, but if Dr. Blue offered a discount or payment plan we didn't see it.  At least seeing that big bag of stones seemed to make the owner finally get how serious a problem it was.

 

On 6/5/2016 at 7:33 PM, lordonia said:

I had the same thought but maybe it was cut for time? I assume the purpose of these shows is education as well as entertainment so hope it wasn't dropped in favor of scenes of family dinner prayers or whatnot.

Also, don't most health practitioners these days give patients a printed surgical treatment plan with all associated costs? Dr. Blue's casual "about $1.5 to 2K" estimate for extracting the bladder stones seemed haphazard, especially considering that the owner was supposedly mistrustful of vets in the first place.

The episode of Dr. K was sad, especially the spider monkey. The guy whose dog used the tortoise as a chew toy didn't improve my spirits.

I wasn't really feeling The Vet Life - all the stuff about their personal lives doesn't matter to me; especially on the first episode when I don't even "know" them.

I hate seeing people keeping exotic and/or wild animals as pets.  :-(

[Talky Tina]

@walnutqueen, I agree with you, I hate seeing exotic animals kept as pets.  Have you ever seen Fatal Attractions on Animal Planet?  I used to watch it every afternoon and it just disappeared one day. 

[walnutqueen]

26 minutes ago, Talky Tina said:

@walnutqueen, I agree with you, I hate seeing exotic animals kept as pets.  Have you ever seen Fatal Attractions on Animal Planet?  I used to watch it every afternoon and it just disappeared one day. 

Yes!!! Fatal Attractions was one of my favorites, only because it usually involved ignorant people getting their just desserts.  I always felt bad for the animals involved, though. 

[zxy556575]

10 hours ago, walnutqueen said:

I wasn't really feeling The Vet Life - all the stuff about their personal lives doesn't matter to me; especially on the first episode when I don't even "know" them.

It's really a departure from the format and one I hope isn't going to become the norm:

Dr. Pol -- we got to know him through Charles and his wife works at the clinic, but his show has been on the longest and the segments that focus on his personal life were introduced gradually. I actually enjoy them; his Great Danes and horses and fixing up the old sleigh.

Dr. Dee -- 95% is the job, then we learned that she was a bodybuilder and flies planes. We met her husband through work and there were a few segments when her mother visited but they didn't take over the narrative.

Dr. Jeff -- very little personal life. We know he's a runner but that was about it. His marriage this season came as a complete surprise. His knee surgery was part of the storyline to the extent that it affected his job. The show doesn't even play up the fact that his daughter works at the clinic.

Dr. Oakley -- we see her family quite a bit; I'd say it's about the same as Dr. Pol but to me it's not intrusive.

Dr. Chris/Bondi -- no idea about his personal life, but I haven't been watching the show that long.

Dr. Kelleher - we've seen her own pets but not much else. I just looked up her biography; she has two daughters but if she's mentioned them I don't remember it.

Now that I wrote that out, it's clearer to me why Dr. K and Dr. Jeff are my favorites. :)

[rcc]

Dr. Dee and Dr. Chris are my favorites. I like seeing the family side but not too much. The focus should be on their animal practices and that's what I want to see most.

[Happy Belly]

I watched The Vet Life. I was ready to leave because I have 0 interest in their personal lives. Im watching a show with the word "vet" in it, so if it's not about our military heroes, it better be about the animals. Then I felt bad I judged so quickly on a brand new show. I will give it a few more episodes but if I don't get more animals in it, I am out. 

Oh, also, that  show that rehabs shelters put out a message yesterday they were renewed for another season and is asking the viewers to let their local shelters know and to submit an application. I am totally illiterate on how to show you this message so I'll say go to FB and find Rocky Kanaka's page. The name of the show is "Save Our Shelter".

[Talky Tina]

You all spoke (wrote?) so highly of it that I broke down and watched Dr. Jeff today and liked it a lot. I turned the dial a few times when they showed animals in distress but watched most of it. It is a good show and I really liked the doctors.  I think I may set the TiVo for this one. 

I think my post was too off topic. I still do not have the rules about that down. 

Edited June 12, 2016 by Talky Tina
Off topic.

[SmithW6079]

On 6/1/2016 at 8:06 AM, lordonia said:

Saturday's episode of Lucky Dog was about a black German Shepherd who was being trained as a service animal for a former soldier who'd lost both legs in battle and who was also experiencing PTSD. He was fitted with artificial limbs.

After extensive training, the final scene was the guy walking down an exterior flight of concrete stairs using the dog as a brace. His wife and child were there and everyone was teary. But .. there were handrails on both sides of the stairs! I couldn't wrap my head around why he needed the dog to lean on in the first place. It seemed really fake.

As if I hadn't racked up enough negative karmic debt for that, I also didn't think the dog had the temperament to be a comfort animal to help with the PTSD. Strong and obedient sure, but aloof and not in the least affectionate.

I work for an organization that trains service dogs for people with disabilities. Most likely, if there are handrails, someone will use them, but not every set of stairs has railings, and they probably did want to show off what the dog was trained to do.

The dog may have been trained to perform tasks to alleviate the veteran's PTSD symptoms, which might not necessarily involve being "affectionate." Also, German Shepherds can be fiercely loyal, but the bonding can take time. 

[zxy556575]

I love Saturdays and animal TV! That said, I was giving the side eye to several things this week.

Vet Life
I don't suppose I'm the first person to wonder about dogs who have been deliberately bred with characteristics that prohibit them from giving birth, so I'll only say that those puppies looked huge for such a small mother! No wonder the typical litter is only 2-3.

I like the on-screen updates at the end of the show. It was good that those two young guys had given the snake back to its breeder once it got so big -- if that segment was even real in the first place. Along with Dr. Chris, I think this show seems most apt to create artificial situations.

Dr. Blue seems like a nice enough person but I'm going to have to lower my expectations if I continue to watch (which okay, I will). There could have been two more animal cases in lieu of all the dude ranch stuff and watching him fix breakfast for his kids. It was funny how Blue's wife completely shut down the idea of him bringing home one of the puppies: Ain't happening, goodbye.

Dr. Chris
I'm fine with seeing how a tiger gets a root canal or whatever, but please don't pretend Chris was there in any capacity except as an observer, and strictly because of the show. Same with the snake catching last week, or being called out to help a wild swan. If he stayed in the clinic where he actually works at  least I'd be spared hearing him explain every week how he's never done X before.

Dr. K
The ferret owner who didn't even name his two "much loved" pets because he couldn't tell them apart? Oy. And that's not even mentioning that one of them almost starved to death under his/his mother's care. Not sure I was totally buying his story of non-involvement.

Beak surgery on parrots -- who knew?

It was kind of horrifying to see all those teeth practically falling out by themselves on Dr. K's dad's dog. You'd think somebody in a medical capacity who has been treating him all his life would have raised the alarm about his teeth before they got to such a bad state....

Dr. Jeff
The puppy with the cleft palate was a sad case. It seemed like the owners were sincere in their concern, but tube feeding a tiny animal does not seem like something untrained people could/should attempt at home -- the danger of pushing formula into the lungs seemed pretty high.

Aw, the French bulldog (?) with the wound on his knee was so happy to be reunited with the grandma and grandson after surgery. The owner brushed off the accident but it must have been pretty severe for her to be in the hospital for two weeks. I felt heartsick for her in advance because considering the dog's age and heart problems, it doesn't seem like he's long for this world.

Edited June 13, 2016 by lordonia

[Jenkins]

Completely agree on all points Lordonia...

It bothers me to see people using their pets as breeding machines, especially when they are breeds known to have complications. So they are risking their dogs life to have puppies. Going to guess they sell the puppies through Craigslist or something for a few hundred each.

Sorry, if you aren't a breeder (no way they were, given they transport their dog back and forth in a cardboard box), your pets should be spayed and neutered.

And I was torn on the ferret. The guy SEEMED upset, but how the hell does that happen? My mother isn't much of a pet person, but when I went away for a week to visit my grandmother or whatever, she took care of my pets growing up. I had no fear of coming back to a pet that was on deaths door. She even took care of my hamsters and she hates "rats" (as she referred to ANY rodent).

And how does a "beloved" pet not have a name?! Hell, my wife and I name our FISH...

Absolutely despicable that ferret was in that kind of condition....though I am trying in my mind to give them the benefit of the doubt.

Sort of like the kitten that had the head trauma. How does something heavy enough to cause that kind of damage just fall on a kitten out of nowhere? I dunno, the skeptical side of me always leans towards someone kicked it or something and the "heavy piece of wood" was just an excuse...could be wrong though.

[Bastet]

I didn't see it, and I can tend toward the skeptical, too, but cats can manage to seriously injure themselves in a safe environment.  Many moons ago, I came home to find one of my roommates' cats refusing to bear any weight on one of his legs.  Of course, this was just after the regular vet's office had closed for the day, so off to emergency we went.  X-rays showed torn ligaments in his knee that would need surgery, so he was sedated for the night and we picked him up the next morning to take to my vet for surgery.  The doctor called after surgery to ask if we had any idea what on earth could have happened, because the damage was far worse than it had looked on x-ray and he pretty much had to rebuild the entire support structure for the knee, including making new ligaments out of tissue he took from elsewhere. He said if he didn't know me and what kind of a pet owner I was, he'd be suspicious - the cat's knee looked like someone took a sledgehammer to it.

We scoured the entire townhouse, including looking under the beds to see if maybe he could have got himself hung up in the box springs, but we never figured out what the hell he did to himself.  (My roommate hadn't been home, either, but even if she had I'd have been equally sure she didn't do anything to him.)

I wound up not being home last night, so I still haven't seen The Vet Life.  Talk of how much time they spend on The Home Life instead means I'm not upset about this, but I do hope to catch it one of these days.

[zxy556575]

Does someone with more experience know why the bulldog on Vet Life wasn't just scheduled for the C-section instead of waiting for her to begin labor? Seems like waiting increases the chance that one of the pups will get stuck in the birth canal.

[Willowsmom]

1 hour ago, lordonia said:

Does someone with more experience know why the bulldog on Vet Life wasn't just scheduled for the C-section instead of waiting for her to begin labor? Seems like waiting increases the chance that one of the pups will get stuck in the birth canal.

Stupid owners. Vets not experienced in bulldogs. I've had 4 and quickly discovered that not all vets see enough to know their medical quirks.

[Singingflutist]

My favorite vet show is definitely supervet. Dr Noel is remarkable 

[magdalene]

I don't care for The Vet Life so far. Too much of the vet's home life. And I hate it when they breed animals so they can't even do something as natural as giving birth. These poor bull dogs have so many strikes against them and it's all bred into them.

[Kira53]

I had no idea there were so many vet shows.  I suppose that the only was the reason that the Vet's life got a green light to film was to propose a variation and bring in more human life as a part of the show.  That might have been a mistake  - at least on the basis of this forum, it would seem that people who are interested in animals aren't interested in humans.  I'm interested in the human animal bond in general and enjoy Jackson galaxy and the pet owners.  I don't want to hear his music but I might be interested in his personal life a bit.

I will stay with the vet's life for now.  I have a ff button if I need to use it.  I started watching Dr Jeff because of the VL.

[glowlights]

Dr. Thielen is a rock star in my books for saving that poor ferret. And the ferret's human's mother is either very, very stupid or the story was a crock of shit. Kinda sad the ferret went back to the same home but he did look to be thriving at his follow-up exam.

I chalked the dog's bad teeth up to the fact that she had been used in a puppy mill and had therefore not had adequate nutrition/care in her early years, but yeah it's a bit of a wonder that Dr. K didn't flag this issue until now. Having said that... can we see more of her dad? The dynamic between the two of them is adorable. And I'm glad Dr. K didn't listen to her grandmother re: women can't be vets. Look how much good Dr. K does in her profession!

Those parrots were very, very lucky.

[zxy556575]

3 hours ago, glowlights said:

And I'm glad Dr. K didn't listen to her grandmother re: women can't be vets. Look how much good Dr. K does in her profession!

In the article I read about how women now make up the majority of vets, one said when she first started in the 70s, there were farmers who didn't allow her in the barn for calvings or the like, saying it wasn't proper for a woman to see those things.

20 hours ago, Singingflutist said:

My favorite vet show is definitely supervet. Dr Noel is remarkable 

Thanks for the recommendation. I just spent a few hours catching up on old episodes and getting teary. I feel bad for Dr. Noel working until midnight or beyond to finish all his surgeries. Get some sleep, dude! I was thinking the show maybe doesn't require as much of a time commitment from him as some of the U.S. series because it's heavily narrated and he doesn't really do a lot of talking head interviews. The other vet Padraig did in the episodes I saw, though.

The clinic and 200 employees puts even Planned Pethood to shame on the frantic pace scale. I was amazed by the full time nurses who care for the animals post-op; Dr. Noel seems to follow the human medicine model on everything.

Edited June 13, 2016 by lordonia

[Minivanessa]

21 hours ago, glowlights said:

I chalked the dog's bad teeth up to the fact that she had been used in a puppy mill and had therefore not had adequate nutrition/care in her early years, but yeah it's a bit of a wonder that Dr. K didn't flag this issue until now.

I didn't see this show, but I have learned about puppy mills. According to the nonprofit National Mill Dog Rescue, puppy mill dogs are kept in cages, and they aren't given bowls of water from which to drink. Instead, they are set up with water bottles with nozzles they have to suck on, which are intended for use by rabbits. (This is a link to an example of one.) Because, easier for the mill owner to maintain.

The tragedy for the dogs: that method doesn't get enough water into their mouths to keep their teeth/gums rinsed and hydrated. As opposed to how their mouths would be rinsed if they were given water in a way they could drink it normally. So they end up with tooth and gum problems. Many of NMDR's rescued mill dogs have such bad dental/gum disease that they've lost their teeth. I'll shut up before I stray off topic. 

[glowlights]

19 hours ago, lordonia said:

In the article I read about how women now make up the majority of vets, one said when she first started in the 70s, there were farmers who didn't allow her in the barn for calvings or the like, saying it wasn't proper for a woman to see those things.

LOL. What a world.

1 hour ago, Jeeves said:

I didn't see this show, but I have learned about puppy mills. According to the nonprofit National Mill Dog Rescue, puppy mill dogs are kept in cages, and they aren't given bowls of water from which to drink. Instead, they are set up with water bottles with nozzles they have to suck on, which are intended for use by rabbits. (This is a link to an example of one.) Because, easier for the mill owner to maintain.

The tragedy for the dogs: that method doesn't get enough water into their mouths to keep their teeth/gums rinsed and hydrated. As opposed to how their mouths would be rinsed if they were given water in a way they could drink it normally. So they end up with tooth and gum problems. Many of NMDR's rescued mill dogs have such bad dental/gum disease that they've lost their teeth. I'll shut up before I stray off topic. 

You're not off-topic! The patient was a puppy mill survivor with teeth/gum issues and I appreciate the extra info re: water bottles instead of bowls. Dr. K's dad didn't seem like the most compliant client (don't get me started on the liverwurst) so it's possible Dr. K had instructed him to do daily teeth and gum cleanings with one of those doggie dental tips, but he didn't do it. Actually, depending on the dog it can be a real pain. Not as painful as a tooth abscess, though!

[rcc]

It's not too hard to clean a dog's teeth. Just lay down next to them with a cheesecloth and doggie toothpaste while giving them kudos for being "a good boy." That owner just sounds like he's lazy. I hate people who want pets just to have pets and don't do what's right by them.

[Minivanessa]

Thanks for the kind words, glowlights. BTW, after I posted above, I realized that I'm not sure if the pups actually suck on the water bottle pipes (which is what I wrote) or lick 'em to get their water. But however they draw the water from those bottles, they don't get enough water into their mouths for good health.

[zxy556575]

About 10 years ago I lived next door to a vet who worked at a specialty dental clinic. At the time I was like, "is that really a thing?"

[zxy556575]

Have we talked about Tom the vet tech at Dr. K's before? His grooming changed from one scene to the next this week, but in general, his beard skeeves me out hard.

Do we think that owner is really going to put his overweight parrot on a diet? I'm doubtful.

Dr. K's adventures with GPS tortoise tracking were funny, but wouldn't it be easier to keep the gates closed?

Yowza, 9 feet of sutures for that bunny's ear surgery! I guess if I ever get a rabbit, it won't be a lop.

[MelinaBallerina]

The latest episode of The Vet Life had Blue & Ross going to Dewberry farm to put microchips into goats.  I think I'm done with that one.  I was so excited to watch, since the clinic is just down the street from me, but there is absolutely no way a farm in Brookshire would call a small animal clinic in Cypress to come look at their goats.  It's over an hour away and I can guarantee that there are plenty of large animal/farm animal vets in the area that would be a better choice.  I can deal with some exaggeration in the stories, since these are tv shows, not documentaries, but having something so completely made up like that is just BS.

[zxy556575]

2 hours ago, MelinaBallerina said:

The latest episode of The Vet Life had Blue & Ross going to Dewberry farm to put microchips into goats.

I don't want to blame Blue and Ross for not noticing that a goat was giving birth a few feet away from them, but gah. If they had been there on an actual vet visit instead of messing about with a camera crew, they probably would have been devoting their attention to the animals.

[glowlights]

On 6/18/2016 at 8:22 PM, lordonia said:

Have we talked about Tom the vet tech at Dr. K's before? His grooming changed from one scene to the next this week, but in general, his beard skeeves me out hard.

Do we think that owner is really going to put his overweight parrot on a diet? I'm doubtful.

Dr. K's adventures with GPS tortoise tracking were funny, but wouldn't it be easier to keep the gates closed?

Yowza, 9 feet of sutures for that bunny's ear surgery! I guess if I ever get a rabbit, it won't be a lop.

I kinda love Tom the vet tech! I'd be interested to hear his story, as my impression is being a vet tech may be a second career for him. It was hilarious when he said he was worried about cops showing up when he was walking down the road with a tortoise in a wheelbarrow. LOL

The problem with those tortoises is they have quite a sex drive at certain times (nature gotta do what nature gotta do) and even with gates, fencing, and that chicken wire stuff you put at the base of fences to inhibit burrowing... sometimes they find a way. BTW, this is why if you see a tortoise on the road you move him across in the direction he was going. Otherwise he'll just go back on the road because he is heeding a very powerful instinct. Even around here we get people's indoor pet tortoises sneak out and make a run for it at certain times of the year. Well, "run for it" in tortoise terms. lol

I had to call bullshit on the Sawgrass people bringing the raccoon to Dr. K.  Sawgrass runs a wildlife hospital and rehab center with full time staff. They don't have an x-ray machine???

[zxy556575]

24 minutes ago, glowlights said:

I had to call bullshit on the Sawgrass people bringing the raccoon to Dr. K.  Sawgrass runs a wildlife hospital and rehab center with full time staff. They don't have an x-ray machine???

Gawd. Dr. K in particular sees a wide variety of animals with all sorts of illnesses and injuries. That is interesting/dramatic enough on its own without fake, ginned up visits. I also didn't fully understand why the raccoon's cancer wasn't treatable -- too widespread? The Sawgrass woman seemed to expect some options other than putting her down.

The show has Dr. Jeff and his team driving long distances to visit ranches and large animal rescue facilities, and those are probably for purposes of the show as well. They don't bother me because it seems like he's doing them at a reduced cost to help the animals even if it was arranged by the producers.

I also don't think Dr. Oakley was in the habit of driving from Canada to Alaska to help there before her show started.

After watching 10 hours or so of Supervet over a couple of days, I didn't come away thinking any of the appointment were created solely for the show, but even though the stories are inspiring I got a little tired of a steady diet of orthopedic surgeries.

Speaking of being bored, I noticed a separate forum has been added now for The Vet Life. ;)

Edited June 21, 2016 by lordonia

[zxy556575]

Forgot to say that my search history now includes how to neuter tortoises, because I wondered if that was an option:

"It is possible to neuter a tortoise. However, at present, unless the tortoise is experiencing problems with the laying of eggs, neutering of tortoises is rarely carried out, as it is a relatively high-risk procedure. Female tortoises can hold male sperm in them (sperm retention) and produce eggs several years later so if they have already been mixed they may already have the capacity to produce eggs."

[Bastet]

Heads up: The six-part Bionic Vet documentary series is now on Netflix.  Not the SuperVet series about the same practice that started a few years later, though.

Thanks for the info on the Vet Life forum; I've added it to my home page (even though I still have yet to catch an episode).

Edited June 21, 2016 by Bastet

[glowlights]

On 6/21/2016 at 8:47 AM, lordonia said:

Gawd. Dr. K in particular sees a wide variety of animals with all sorts of illnesses and injuries. That is interesting/dramatic enough on its own without fake, ginned up visits. I also didn't fully understand why the raccoon's cancer wasn't treatable -- too widespread? The Sawgrass woman seemed to expect some options other than putting her down.

Yeah, it's a bit disappointing to spot some b.s. in this show because it's one of the few shows that don't seem all fake and cynical, and I really love seeing all the different animals and learning about their various health needs. As for the euthanasia, I think there may be some financial aspects, besides the really bad place the mass was located in his throat. Sawgrass is a non-profit that is tasked with rescuing/rehabbing the wildlife that comes through its doors as well as running an educational center with full-time animal residents who were not eligible for release. I believe that raccoon was one of the residents as he was listed as an educational animal. The cost of treating a large mass may not have been feasible, plus the additional resources required for his nursing and follow-up care, not to mention what his quality of life would be like through all that treatment which may not even have a good outcome.... nope. Sometimes these non-profits have to triage their resources as much as they triage their patients. :(

Maybe they knew he had a mass but wanted a second opinion from Dr. K or her staff, hence his appearance on the show?

"How to neuter a tortoise" is a fantastic thing to have in your search history!! lol

[rcc]

Today's episode had Dr. Chris traveling to South Africa. The big, strong, handsome vet is afraid of needles! Who knew. He had to have 4 injections before making the trip and had to lie down because he felt faint. He was given a chocolate to calm down. I kid you not!

He reminded me of the character in Doc Martin who is afraid of blood.

[zxy556575]

I can never get enough scenes of animals being reunited with their owners after staying at the vet. Such joy! Manapua the cat and his Denver dude owner Cody were very sweet.

Next week's show with Dr. Jeff being diagnosed with cancer made my heart sink. We already lost Dr. Sims.

Edited June 26, 2016 by lordonia

[magdalene]

I went "oh, no" seeing the Dr. Jeff preview. Lets hope he comes through this okay.  I appreciate him and his show even more since sampling the vet show following - which is nothing but phony and obnoxious stick.

[jaimesommers]

I may be completely off-base here, but with the show's name being "The Vet Life," I expected to get exactly what we've seen so far. I would like to see it become a little less contrived but maybe the vets just aren't comfortable with the cameras yet.

I'm willing to give it some time to see if it settles in a bit. But I think it could be a nice addition to the vet show options. 

[zxy556575]

Seeing Dr. Jeff go through cancer treatment is heart-wrenching enough, but contrasted against the excitement/future happiness of getting the new building underway (with Jeff's apartment on top!) made the episode doubly sad.

I'm not sure if Dr. K honestly didn't know what happened to the two squirrels or if she didn't want to put the owner on blast to the audience, but their illness was still puzzling to me. Did both of them simply eat too much fruit? It seemed like surgery to open the stomach and empty the contents might have been an option, but that either wasn't offered or the owner couldn't afford it.

Edited July 4, 2016 by lordonia

[Bastet]

I'm glad Dr. Jeff bought that new place, because watching them do surgery in the old one was making me cringe.  He bought the first building when that was a crap neighborhood, and now it's gentrified, so I'm sure he cleared quite a tidy profit selling it.

I watched the "Extra Dose" episode with the deaf dog in for a teeth cleaning, and I loved the bonus footage of the owner teaching them a few signs to help the dog feel less disoriented.

[Rlb8031]

I agree that the Vet Life needs a little more vet and a little less life, but I loved this week's episode with the tiger. The setup where the clinic is also responsible for the local shelter responsibilities seems like a good way to encourage vets to come to an area, but at the same time provide low cost services to the community through treating lost and abandoned animals. That tiger was clearly still in it's kitten phase, and it was nice to see that Dr. Lavigne be so comfortable around the cat while Dr. Ross was clearly thinking "TIGER" the entire time he was examining the cat. I giggled during the scene with the cat getting his shots when he swiped at Dr Ross who was like "well, I guess she's done with her exam" meanwhile the cat rolled over grabbed Lavigne's ankle and wrapped himself around his leg like he was a little tiny housecat. There is still too much of the family for me, but this week's story with the wrapping of the mobile unit and the spay and neuter event at least showed the families more engaged in the business. It was also refreshing to see the discussion of how vets and vet techs deal with animal to human transmittable diseases and protocols. I'll stick it out through the rest of the season or until Pit Bulls and Parolees returns.

ETA: Was I the only one who was gobsmacked at Dr. Jeff's cancer diagnosis? The loss of all of his hair (including the mustache at the end) just killed me.

Edited July 5, 2016 by Rlb8031
one more thought

[mojito]

Love the  Vet Life, too. Wish they'd confine the filming to the clinic and house calls. I enjoy the doctors, their staff, and their patients.