Hi everyone,

After a couple of years away from this blog, I am back! A lot has happened between my last post and now, so I thought I would fill you all in.

My last post described my first ever consult as a qualified veterinarian during my first shift of my rotating internship, in the emergency department. After 4 months in emergency (which to be honest, completely destroyed me - mentally, physically and emotionally), I worked in the oncology and the internal medicine department. I learnt an enormous amount during my internship year. The theory behind my internship was to eventually complete a residency in small animal internal medicine (and my, my has my plans changed).

After my internship, I started working in general practice, in a mixed general practice as a matter of fact. I never thought I would touch another sheep, goat, pig or alpaca but here I am, loving it. In fact, I hand-reared 2 orphan lambs (attached photos), Rory and Tommy. I have completed a 55kg pet pig ex-lap, hundreds of cat speys as a part of my clinics charity program as well as working up interesting and bizarre cases.

Currently, I am in Cambodia doing 3 weeks of volunteer veterinary work. In the 4 days that I have been here I have repaired a diaphragmatic hernia in a 1 year old husky (more on this to follow), completed the most bizarre lump removal on a (failed) de-mining dog and worked up a complicated ascending paralysis case in a 4 month old Bloodhound.

I am going to try my very best to fill you all in on the weird and wonderful experiences I have had over the last couple of years.

Please, stop.

“Hey! How are you going? I just have a quick question regarding [insert pets name here].”

“Long time no speak. My dog hasn’t eaten in 6 days and has had vomiting and diarrhoea for 5 of those days. What should I do?”

“Hey, just a quick one but I really want to let my cat have kittens just once so she can experience motherhood, is 8 months too young to let her mate?”,

Please, stop. 

Please, if you have a friend you rarely chat to, a friend of a friend of a friend or an extremely distant acquaintance who is a vet/student/nurse/tech etc, it is really not okay to ask for free advice. It is actually disrespectful.  

Most of us (including myself) are obliging and willing to help because that is the nature of our profession. Though I tell you, if you haven’t bothered to say hey prior to Mitten’s getting into a cat fight at 2am or if you haven’t cared to check in and see how life is going before Charlie started coughing 2 days ago, it is not okay to ask for that free advice.

You usually message us in the middle of a busy day or you message late at night when we are settling in, trying to unwind from a 15 hour hectic day of sick animals and devastated/angry clients. A Facebook message or text pops up from someone we haven’t spoken to in 5-10 years. I get it, you are desperate. Most want to know if they should take their pet to a vet or not. My honest answer is, if you are desperate enough to ask someone you rarely know or haven’t spoken to in a while if you should seek medical attention for your pet, then you more than likely need to. If you are unsure, it is best to call an emergency clinic and ask for advice. Be mindful. Veterinary medicine already consumes our lives. It bombards us in all aspects of life. I will reply and help as much as I can without physically seeing your animal, but keep in mind that I am most likely replying to you when I am shoveling food into my mouth in the 2 minutes I have spare to eat during a shift or I am in the middle of spending some rare, free time with my loved ones. I will always advise to seek veterinary attention because if you are that concerned to message me, best bet is that your pet requires it.

All we ask is to please be mindful. 

Day 1.

I walk into my first shift as a veterinarian. My. First. Ever. Shift. My first ever shift as a vet and an emergency one at that (I also questioned why I decided to make being a new grad harder for myself). I walk in wearing my brand new, freshly ironed scrubs with my stethoscope hanging around my neck, my new name tag pinned perfectly on my top depicting that “yes, I am a doctor now” (despite the fact I do not feel like one) and my Mini Vet Guide tucked securely in my left pocket. I spent a majority of the day studying (read: freaking out followed by spending 3 hours laying in my bath reflecting on why I stupidly decided to become a vet), with a feeling of absolute and utter raw fear building in the bottom of my stomach. To say I was petrified was an understatement.

“Your first consult is here”, says the vet on shift with me. I swear if there were ECG leads hooked up to me in that moment, the trace would depict a sudden surge of tachycardia (on top of my pre-existing, anxiety induced tachycardia). I stare blankly at the computer screen, the consult note says “acute onset vomiting and diarrhoea”. In that moment, everything I know about vomiting and diarrhoea vanishes. Great. All I want to do is run. 

I walk out to the waiting room. “Hello, my name is Olivia and I am one of the emergency vets, I believe your little one isn’t well”. Introducing myself for the first time as a veterinarian to a client and patient has got to be the most surreal experience. I still sometimes feel like I am still a student in first year, learning the basics of anatomy and physiology. I still cannot believe that I have made it through those 6 grueling years and am standing here today in front of my first patient. 

I get a thorough history, perform my physical examination and explain to the owners that I am going to grab a blood pressure and temperature in the treatment room. I walk out the back, my patient in my arms, and feel like I am in another world. It is up to me to decide what to do with this sweet little dog. I have to decide if I want to admit to hospital, what to treat with and what the plan is going to be. It is all on me. I finally decide on my treatment plan, and it is announced that my second consult is waiting - a dog with a fishhook in his leg. Onto the next one. 

I have been thrown into the deep end working in emergency. I feel as though I am doggy paddling my way through it. I ask a heap of silly questions, I second guess myself constantly,  I do dose calculations 4-5 times just to be sure that I am not under or over dosing a patient. I constantly run my treatment plans past someone more senior. All I want to do, is the best I can for my patients. 

I survived day 1. I am now at day 22 and am still surviving. 

So, since I am now a qualified veterinarian and all, I thought I better do a little blog makeover.

As my time as a student has now come to an end and my next chapter as a veterinarian is about to begin, my dear old little blog will now be known as “Why I am a Veterinarian”.

I hope you all continue to follow me on my journey as a new grad vet. In 2017, I will be commencing work as a veterinary intern at a specialist hospital somewhere in Australia. It is a one year rotating internship and I begin in emergency! I will be sure to keep you all posted on my transition from vet student to new grad vet.

I know I have a million and one messages to reply to in my inbox and messages, I promise I am slowly working through them all! Thanks for following me on my 6 year long journey, I couldn’t have done it without you all x

Yesterday I officially became Dr. Olivia McKinley (BSc BVMS) after 6 long years of late night study sessions, hours of early morning lectures, too many exams and amazing vet school adventures. I couldn't have done it without the love and support of adoring partner, my family and the incredible class of 2016. I thank you all for it. To the budding vet students out there, I promise to you that vet school is the most amazing and challenging adventure. I would 100% do it all again. Now to bring on my next adventure as a veterinary intern at a specialist veterinary hospital in Australia!

6 years worth of notes, textbooks and readers. 10 days left of vet school. 24 days until graduation. 55 days until my first day of work.

I cannot believe my vet school adventure is nearly over. It has been a very long, grueling 6 years but I have had an amazing time. 

Happy Halloween from the middle of Western Australia! I am currently on a remote community spay and neuter trip and am having the time of my life!

Not that I am counting or anything!

A Saturday well spent absorbing the cardiology wisdom of Dr. Richard Woolley!

Veterinary Cardiologist on grading heart murmurs

So a week ago I finally finished my LAST EVER EXAMS!

6 exams assessing 17 subjects over a 7 day exam period. It was extremely challenging week consisting of far too many caffeinated beverages, 18 hour library study (cram) days and far too many crying-laughing (craughing) episodes.

3 months until I graduate. 3 months until I finish 6 whole years of learning how to be a vet. 3 months until I actually get to be a vet.

Friday nights looking after sick ponies aren’t so bad when you have these little ones around ❤️

Who doesn't want a slow mo video of a hungry little 1 day old lamb enjoying his bottle? 🍼🍼🍼

Thank you to The Vet Society for my super cute keyring! A wonderful 50% of proceeds are donated to animal charities! Go check out their Instagram and Facebook page to get one for yourself!

Rainy days call for tea and pig study 🐷🐷🐷

7 day old camel calf came in for carpus radiographs today! This little man is apart of a camel dairy enterprise. Camels only let milk down when they are with their calves so it is essential that their bubs are kept in the best of health. He is most definitely our patient of the day 🐪🐪🐪

Friday’s patient of the day ❤️