I ain’t afraid of no ghosts! Or broken mirrors, ladders, or black cats. Yes, these are some of the most common superstitions people have and I’m not afraid of any of them.
But what does get me are the ones that we have in veterinary medicine. It seems that when any of these things happen, something unfortunately crazy or strange is about to happen.
Pets named “Lucky”
All right, I see where this name comes from and oftentimes the case is animal who was taken in (rescued) from some unfortunate circumstances or has made a miraculous survival after help from a good Samaritan. The truth is, at least in my experience, is these animals have a tendency to come across more mischief or accidents than anyone would like.
The “Q” word
This is the dirtiest word in veterinary medicine. Imagine the clinic schedule is allowing you to spend extra time with patients, get caught up on phone calls, and do a little extra research on those tough cases. Then somebody says it: “It sure is quiet in here today.” That’s it; Pandora’s Box is opened. The hit by car case happens, somebody walks in with a cat who has been vomiting for one week, and then there is the dog who has been in labor for two days…and this all happens just before everyone goes on lunch or closing up for the day.
“What a pipe!”
My technicians hate hearing this just as they’re about to draw blood from a patient. Yeah, that vein might be highly visible but I guarantee you it’s either going to be an incredibly mobile vein, the patient is going to squirm, or their blood pressure is going to seem non-existent.
White pets bleed more
Maybe it’s like Murphy’s Law. Trying to clean up one of these patients after taking blood is like trying to clean the carpet while wearing muddy boots. They just don’t seem to get clean! Key fact: hair color has no bearing on bleeding ability.
Must be a full moon
About once a month, for a day or two, everything just seems chaotic and weird. Cases come in sets of three. You finally see that weird case your professor warned you about 10-15 years ago. And your clients are eating dog treats in the waiting room.
These are some of the most common ones and our top five at my workplace. While we hope nothing bad ever happens, these cases around these circumstances are usually the ones we remember years after they happen. So it’s Friday the 13th. What are you being cautious about today?
