Blue Cross blog

Chief vet at The Blue Cross Merton animal hospital, Caroline Reay, reveals what it’s like to be in her shoes for a day…

Although you do try to plan the day, events often take over. At Merton, I’m either operating or consulting in the morning and consulting in the afternoon.

Our routine work is constantly interrupted by emergencies and unexpected events. It’s not just injuries – there are less well-known emergencies, such as a “blocked male cat”. When the outflow from the bladder becomes obstructed so a cat can’t urinate, they can die in less than 24 hours. They need urgent attention and are very fiddly and time consuming to unblock.

Even routine procedures like dentistry can be unpredictable. Unlike human dentistry, tooth removal is the commonest dental procedure.  Animal teeth are very firmly embedded and some have several roots so extraction is hard work and it’s not always easy to tell beforehand how many teeth need to be removed or how long it will take.

Consulting brings its challenges too. One of the hardest is dealing with frightened animals that might bite. Modern sedatives minimise the need for heavy restraint but it can all look very shocking to owners. Carrying it out safely whilst explaining to the owners that we’re trying to minimise their animal’s distress takes time and can be stressful for everyone.

Routine rechecks are easier, provided treatment is helping. Owner communication is so important and cases such as allergies can be very frustrating. They can’t be cured, only managed and we have to make sure that owners understand why their pet improves when taking tablets but isn’t cured long term.

Every day is different but you do see real benefits to the animal, you get to meet a stream of interesting people and the team are fantastic. I love my job and I wouldn’t want to do anything else.