It's true what they say about you

I just spent a few wonderful minutes reading the blog of a British woman who is only two years older than I am. British English is so much better than our watered-down lazeified version (not that I'm saying we should still be speaking British English, because that would mean the Revolution--probably would have been called insurgency in GB if it happened today--failed, and we would most likely be speaking German today anyway). That is what I'm convinced our English is, especially southern English. It's just plain lazy. "Y'all" rather than "you all" is a prime example. I'd much rather be saying bloody and blimey and calling people prats. American English needs to get with the program and become more fun to use.

Anyway, on to the point of this post. I've always heard that vet clinics in Ames are bad. Considering that's where a College of Veterinary Medicine is located it would surprise me if the local vets were bad unless good vets moved elsewhere to avoid competition. Either way I've always been pleased with the clinic we take the kittens to. It's a little pricey (a lot pricey considering when I worked in clinics I got products at cost) but nothing KP and I can't handle, and it's worth it to have a vet we like and trust until I can treat them myself. I swear, I will graduate someday.

I found out this morning that the rumor must be based not on the vets but on the staff.

Yesterday Sabriel started acting screwy, lying by herself and suddenly growling at nothing. She was even doing this when sitting in my lap, and abdominal palpation revealed nothing because a) I've only begun learning what to look for and b) she tensed up so much I could barely feel anything through her muscle wall. But she started licking her vulva a lot so I had KP hold her under the bathroom light and I looked and sure enough there was a goodly amount of yellow discharge there. I haven't learned enough about anything to know what was going on with her except to know that it wasn't good and I didn't think she had a urinary tract infection. But again, what do I know, I've just started out.

The clinic opened at 8 this morning so I called and explained the situation. Whatever receptionist or assistant or tech I was speaking with said sorry but they were booked and would I like an appointment on Monday. I said no, and I'd be happy to just drop her off so they can look at her between clients since I think she probably just needs antibiotics. Then this woman said I could always go to Iowa State (yeah, their teaching hospital hours are M-F; I don't want to know what I'd be paying in emergency fees just to get an infection looked at) so I said I know because I'm a student there but you guys are my clinic. Finally she just got my name and phone number and said she'd talk to the vets when they came in.

I waited until 9:30 and hadn't gotten a call back so I phoned again. I was told they'd had a couple emergencies come in but I could bring Sabriel in and drop her off and they'd look at her later. Now, I've been in that situation myself and I know how crappy it is, so I felt rather contrite and meekly said I'd be on my way. I dropped her off as soon as I got off the phone, and it is now noon and I haven't gotten a call about her. I don't know what type of emergency they had so I don't want to jump down anyone's throat, but they close at one on Saturdays. I definitely don't want to pay for boarding until Monday just because they didn't have time to look at her.

I don't know how this is going to end; most likely, it will be expensively. I do know that when I work as a vet in a clinic, I will make sure the staff doesn't try to turn away clients that feel like they have an urgent need just because the appointment book is full.


//edit: We picked her up when the clinic closed at one and they sent us home with Clavamox (I did at least call that one) and said they couldn't get a urine sample and want to try again on Monday. The second we walked in the door she climbed into her litter box and evacuated what they had been trying to collect for three hours. Cats...you either love their style or hate it. The surprise was that she had a temperature over 104 (normal is around 100-102) so didn't I feel like an ass for not having taken her temp at home. We have tickets to go to the Turtle Island String Quartet tonight and they're front row and I really want to go, but now I feel like we should stay home and keep an eye on Sabriel. We'll see. If we don't go it's not a huge loss monetarily because student tickets are cheap and we got a 15% discount on top of that. I'll probably console myself by buying a CD though.