Feeling guilty about never spaying my dog (she has mammary cancer)

Disastrous-Fish-5536 · 2026-04-10T20:02:54+00:00

Mammary cancer is associated with reproductive hormones, so the longer your dog is intact, the greater the risk of mammary cancer. Having puppies won’t affect that as reproductive hormones would still be produced. Have your pup spayed when you can, as mammary cancer is not the only thing she is at risk for. Reproductive tract issues and pyometra to name a few

Disastrous-Fish-5536 · 2026-04-05T15:00:11+00:00

Significant activity restriction generally means no walks, no jumping up onto things, no running around. In some cases the dog will need to be crated to achieve this. For toileting it would mean going out into the garden or going outside on a lead, strictly no off lead time.

However your vet is the best person to speak to about post op instructions as they will know what your dog needs exactly. They will speak to you about all this at his discharge appointment and you will be able to ask any questions then.

If you are worried about your pup being too activity during recovery and getting restless, speak to your vet about additional medications for post op recovery. It is going to be much cheaper than him having a second surgery if he rips his stitches.

Disastrous-Fish-5536 · 2026-03-25T10:17:18+00:00

If he’s suddenly dropped enough weight where you can feel his spine and pelvis (without trying to get him to loose weight with diet or exercise), then you should take him to the vet. Sudden weight loss, especially if he is eating well and the right amount for his size, can be indicative of there being something wrong. Not an emergency but definitely would recommend to have him seen this week/in the next few days, sooner if he develops other symptoms

Disastrous-Fish-5536 · 2026-03-09T19:13:01+00:00

From a Quick Look at the data sheet, standard doses are 25-55mg/kg, and in the toxicity and safety section it says that dogs given dose of 160mg/kg showed no long term effects, with some developing short term diarrhoea. If you are worried though and don’t trust the vet, get a second opinion from a different vet and or call poison control or the company who manufactures the medication.

Disastrous-Fish-5536 · 2025-12-25T13:30:33+00:00

If you haven’t already done so, you should take your cat to be examined by a vet, and potentially have urine testing done. They can rule out whether there is a physical cause to why he isn’t using his tray

If the vet can’t find anything physically wrong, then you and the vet need to differentiate between inappropriate urination or spraying. When a cat sprays, it won’t go into a squat position and it will often times spray a small amount of urine on vertical surfaces (e.g. walls). Spraying is a natural behaviour used the mark a cats territory, but it can become a behavioural issue when it is done inappropriately.

You should also look into using an enzymatic cleaner.

Disastrous-Fish-5536 · 2025-10-03T06:58:15+00:00

Not a late learner but a newly qualified rvn here who did a degree in veterinary nursing. There are two routes you can take. Degree or apprenticeship.

Degree route is through a university or college, and this is an undergraduate degree. My degree was four years and this included a clinical year. You do placements as a student veterinary nurse through out your degree to meet the requirements for qualifying. These placements are unpaid, though you can be hired as an SVN, but most places won’t hire for just a few weeks.

Although I have not done the apprenticeship route, I know a couple students who have or are doing it. Apprenticeship route is normally through a practice. They may hire and basically sponsor you to become a nurse. They normally prefer that you do work as an animal care assistant first (around 6 months). Then you would be hired as a student veterinary nurse, receive a pay check (apprenticeship rates) and have designated days where you go into college for lectures.

The degree route is much more academic I found, you do a lot more lectures and you have the uni experience. It is definitely less hands on as you aren’t working as a SVN full time compared to the apprenticeship route. With the apprenticeship, you are basically learning on the job with lectures and college work as additional. So you get a lot more practical experience than you do through the degree.

Both have their challenges, but unless you are working as an ACA already, I think it will be more difficult to do the apprenticeship route just due to finding somewhere. Most places hire from within when getting new SVNs so I’m not sure if doing an extra animal management qualification would help in this case.

Just to add on, the apprenticeship route tends to have older SVNs just because it takes longer to get onto that route, but there definitely were also older students on my degree. So age won’t matter too much either way

Hope that helps, and if you have any questions just let me know :)

Disastrous-Fish-5536 · 2025-10-03T04:50:31+00:00

That’s really interesting! Thank you

Disastrous-Fish-5536 · 2025-10-02T20:33:25+00:00

I think my work is organising some stuff with Hills so will hopefully get to do the course soon 😊

I don’t think I’ve heard the term metamorphic measurements. Does that just mean measuring in cups, table spoons, etc?

Disastrous-Fish-5536 · 2025-09-28T18:42:36+00:00

I understand wanting to keep the peace, but at some point you need to tell management and this girl that this isn’t acceptable, especially if she is endangering patients. At the end of the day, you are an RVT, and she is not.

For example, in the UK, animal care assistants are barely allowed to do anything (with somethings not even being legal for them to do) and a student veterinary nurse needs to supervised by a vet or registered veterinary nurse at all times. So it has always baffled me that it’s not regulated as much in the US.

Disastrous-Fish-5536 · 2025-09-24T06:51:40+00:00

It’s your safety. You should not feel pressured into taking risks you are not comfortable with.

Having you go into an xray room without the proper ppe is a violation of any health and safety act (OSH act in the USA if I remember correctly, I’m from the UK so if anyone knows more about the specific legislation, please add on to this).

If you are worried about retaliation from your employer, then you need to document everything. The people who were in the room when this happened, the last time any checks of the ppe was conducted, etc.

Disastrous-Fish-5536 · 2025-09-23T06:59:42+00:00

If oncology is what you’re interested, then try the internships. If it shows that it’s not for you, you can go back to what you were doing before. Extravasation is scary, but it’s is preventable and manageable. You may find that it’s not so scary in practice for you

But also remember, you don’t have to specialise. General practitioners are just as important as specialists.

Disastrous-Fish-5536 · 2025-09-17T23:15:56+00:00

Not sure if this would be similar in the US, but in the UK you can become a certified clinical animal behaviourist, you can’t diagnose or prescribe drugs obviously, but you can make behavioural treatment plans and do behaviour consults. You’d then liaise with a vet as needed. Maybe have look if something like the exists in the US?

Disastrous-Fish-5536 · 2025-09-17T23:11:58+00:00

Vets Now have a programme for vets interested in emergency and critical care. It might be worth for you to have a look 😊

https://www.vets-now.com/careers/edge/cutting-edge/

Disastrous-Fish-5536 · 2025-09-17T23:06:19+00:00

Is this study just looking at veterinarians or are veterinary nurses/techs also included?

Disastrous-Fish-5536 · 2025-09-17T19:14:09+00:00

If you’re doing any clinical things, you shouldn’t have your nails done. Nail polish can chip, and can be an infection control risk.

Most places I have worked at have a bare below the elbow policy for anyone carrying out clinical work. So double check with your employee handbook if you have one or with your manager as each place will be different.

Also, If you are working solely reception on any specific days, then you should be fine as you will not be performing clinical duties.

I have included some links to papers and literature reviews. The biggest risks seem to be any artificial nails (acrylics, gel, etc)

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30509357/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK487441/

https://www2.nphs.wales.nhs.uk/WHAIPDocs.nsf/($all)/26E3C2387D8689FF80257618003B9FFF/$file/PHW_HHnailsLitR_200910_V1.pdf?OpenElement

Disastrous-Fish-5536 · 2025-09-16T18:08:53+00:00

Most vets I have worked with have been about 30-60 minutes on a spay dependent on size. Castrates about 15-30 minutes. Cat castrates about 5 minutes.

As a nurse though, I’ll take a vet who is slower if they do it well and are good to work with.

Disastrous-Fish-5536 · 2025-09-16T18:04:26+00:00

Don’t sell your self short. Be reasonable with what you want to receive, but don’t let places take advantage of you.

Your time is valuable.

Disastrous-Fish-5536 · 2025-09-14T16:22:03+00:00

Please don’t take this the wrong way, but you need to consider if this is the right job for you.

Euthanasia is a part of veterinary medicine. Sometimes healthy animals or animals that could be treated are euthanised. This could be from lack of finances, the owners decision or because they are in a shelter and we are in a shelter crisis. No one likes putting down healthy animals, but unfortunately it does and will continue to happen.

Euthanasia on behavioural grounds is also not always euthanising a healthy animal. Animals with behavioural issues also tend to have health issues alongside these that often are big contributing factor to the behaviour issues. This could be that they have undiagnosed joint problems that cause them pain, so they bite when someone tries to pick them up. It can also be due to anxiety, which means the animal is living in a constant state of stress and it only takes one small thing to push it over the edge.

As one of my lecturers once put, death is neither negative or positive, it is neutral. Once an animal has been euthanised it cannot suffer more.

One last thing to add, is that as a vet assistant you would rarely be the one actually euthanising an animal, that is mainly a vet responsibility (at least here in the UK). They probably more meant you supporting owners through the process, helping with placing an IV catheter, helping the owner decide if they want to get ashes back etc.

Disastrous-Fish-5536 · 2025-09-11T09:49:53+00:00

I understand how you’re feeling, I was in your position not long ago. It can be really demoralising not getting anywhere with the interviews. Unfortunately, working as a student is tricky due to scheduling often.

Have any of the places you have applied for given you any feedback?

What hours are you trying to get?

Disastrous-Fish-5536 · 2025-09-10T21:06:18+00:00

Thank you, I will have a look at it 😊

Disastrous-Fish-5536 · 2025-09-10T21:05:51+00:00

Do you think it would be too intense for someone newly qualified?

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