The Excitement Of Being On Call

Only people who have to be on call can understand the feeling - the burst of excitement when your phone rings - or in my case - it really isn't excitement, it is more like a shiver. As a vet, you try to evaluate the situation through the crystal ball, and decide whether it can wait. Here are a few of the conversations I had this weekend:"Muffy's toenail is ripped off, well, I can come down right away, but you do realize there is after hour charges, and I likely will just rip it off.....yes, you can come tomorrow, we'll see you then." "Please don't believe everything you read on the internet - I don't think your dog is having milk fever - your dog is a male." "Oh, I think you should bring her down, she may need a c-section if she has been having pups for 24 hours." "Yes, I think it is broken, that is the bone sticking through the skin." "PLEASE, don't give your dog human medication - your chihuahua is not a full grown person, and you MUST NOT give Tylenol to a dog." The cream of the crop seems to be coming in right now. Funny it is an emergency if your dog has been vomiting and diarrhea all weekend, but it becomes a true emergency when you wake up in the middle of the night and step in it. Oh, the life of the vet - never boring.