What is God's role in a Veterinary practice?

Have you ever wondered what religion your pet is?  As Easter approaches for 2009 I wonder if there are separate animal religions.  Are they dunked or sprinkled in the same manner as their people are?  How do pets and animals under our care pray?  What is their favorite scripture verse? Do they prefer Old Testament or New Testament?  When you hear cats caterwauling or dogs howling are they praying or protesting? How do you tell the difference between an animal Catholic, Methodist, Baptist or other religious followings? How do they know it takes three days to arise?  When are their religious services?  Do they have Easter and Christmas Cantatas?  What about mixed religious relationships, a Methodist owner and a Church of England dog? Which one converts of their own freewill?

It is no wonder our pets are better in nonverbal communication than direct communication.  The above questions give one reason for paws.

 I have had more than one occasion to marvel at God's intervention in the animal human bond.   I remember a puppy I nicknamed Shoun-da.    A client, actually a friend, called one morning around 6:30 am.  Her expectant dog started having puppies around 2:30 am.  She passed a couple of puppies but progress seemed to stop at 4:00ish.  The owner waited a reasonable time then called.  We met at the clinic.  I examined the mother (Dam) by both abdominal palpation and via the reproductive tract.  I was also able to detect the presence of a fetus stuck at the brim of the pelvis.  Manual manipulations and instruments were of no avail.  As the birth canal was open (puppies were able to pass) I gave a modest amount of oxytocin (Pitocin) after an appropriate time interval there was no progress in puppies being presented. 

We decided the next step to do was a cesarean section.  The mother was anesthetized with monitors set in place.  We shaved the abdomen and did a surgical prep.  I said a little prayer and surgery commenced.  When I opened the abdomen I saw a large amount of free fluid in the abdomen.  This fluid was of a dark clear thin viscosity.  I knew it was probably from a ruptured uterus.   I said another prayer; this one was more of a secular statement.  I think one of the words was Holy something.  We moved right along everting the uterus up and out.  There was a rent in the uterus.  I located two more fetuses in the uterus.  I removed them and passed them to my assistant so she could stimulate respiration and work off the effects of anesthesia.   After removal of those two fetuses I asked the owner if she wished me to close up the uterus or to proceed and perform an OHE (spay).  The owner elected the OHE.  I was in agreement as the uterine tear would increase the chances of uterine rupture in future litters.  I had major concerns of peritonitis developing.   The presence of products of conception, fluids and particulate mater from fetal excretements and resulting membranes floating in an abdomen sent shudders through my systems.  I completed the OHE as indicated surgically.  Before I rinsed the abdomen with copious volumes of sterile saline I for a reason unknown to me did an abdominal sweep with my hand.  You could have tipped me over with a feather.   Up under the anterior abdomen between the liver stomach and diaphragm I felt a puppy.  It had been expelled from the uterine tear.  The umbilicus was separated from the placenta.   I called for help and handed this puppy to the owner and she got it going and breathing. 

This posed a major time paradox.  I consider my self above average in speed and efficiency as a surgeon.   It is never about how fast it is done but how well a procedure is done that counts.  Given the size of the gravid uterus and more importantly the size of the blood vessel structures in a `birthing' uterus I know ten to fifteen minutes had to have elapsed since start of procedure and removal of uterus.   Even with the diving reflex factored in it is beyond my comprehension how this puppy was alive.  Free floating in a sea of fluid separated from the mother ship in all but temperature maintenance and no oxygen line.  This description defies reason.

I was relieved to locate this puppy.   If left at best it would have been a mummified fetal structure.  These are never good for the abdomen or the life of the mother.  One of my assistants said she wished she had a camera when I found the puppy.  With cap and mask on there are a lot of facial emotions that are hidden, but she said it was like my eyes were screaming.  We proceeded to flush the abdomen, gave an appropriate dose of antibiotics.  I closed up abdomen and skin layer and instructed the owner to watch for signs of inappetence with any discharge from incision was to be noted and she was to contact us in case of peritonitis.   The mother never even hiccuped.  The incision healed fine and the puppies were raised uneventfully. 

I forget the name of the mother dog.  I do remember the name of the owner.  I probably have forgotten the puppy's given Christian name.   I do remember why I called him Shoun-da, because he should not have lived.  That pup was alive only by God's Grace and Goodness.

I see God's presence in my practice daily.  He is in the compassion of our friends and support personnel.   I see His presence in a puppy's kiss, in the mew of a kitten, and in the arms of an owner, there is the Love of God.

May you enjoy this Easter weekend.
Practice without God would be real scary.
For more information about a specific case, consult your veterinarian.