On Monday I shadowed Dr. Harish for a third time at the Peninsula Pet Hospital. The first animal I encountered was sadly Stewart again, the fourteen year old black and white cat. He was back at the hospital due to his kidney failure and Dr. Harish and the vet technicians were going to continually check his blood and urine, as well as give him intravenous fluids. One vet technician told me that Stewart was most likely nearing the end of his life, but the owners were not ready to put him down. However, at some point the hospital has to step in and truly consider Stewart's quality of life because they cannot torture an animal.

I also witnessed another animal who was nearing the end of her life as well. Rose, who was a mutt, had to be euthanized. This means that a vet technician gives her an injection in a vein either on the front legs or the outside of the back legs that lowers the blood pressure and stops the heart. If the heart continues to beat, then they will inject it straight into the chest and heart. Afterwards, they gave Rose's owners some time alone with her, and after they left Rose may either be cremated and disposed of by the hospital or her ashes may be returned to her owners. It was a very sad appointment to witness, even the vet technicians play rock-paper-scissors to see who has to perform the injection. Although it is a painful moment for the owners, I realized that it is the right thing for the dog in the end, to put him or her out of their misery.

The next appointment was not joyful either. Jojo, a sixteen year old Huskie, came into the hospital mostly for a check up, but she was getting dementia. Her owner told us that she often gets confused and nervous, and can no longer hear very well. Dr. Harish checked her ears, eyes and heartbeat; however, there was not much he could do for Jojo, as she was just getting older unfortunately. From my point of view, she looked great for a sixteen year old, especially for a bigger dog.

The last dog that I encountered on Monday was a bichon frise named Tofu. Tofu was at the hospital for a teeth cleaning, and unexpectedly had to get some teeth extracted. The vet technician had to pull one of the larger molars in the back, and therefore had to use a scalpel to cut a flap into Tofu's gums to more easily and safely pull out the large tooth. The vet technician also let me pull some teeth by myself; I pulled an incisor and one of Tofu's front teeth. It was harder than it looks, mostly because I was afraid of hurting Tofu or doing it incorrectly. Overall though, it was nice to do something hands on at the hospital and it is helping me discover whether any veterinary work could be in my future.