Having worked as a Vet in Huddersfield for over 17 years, it seems like a long time since my first day at Glasgow Vet School. Sometimes, work at the practice can be so intensive that it can be hard to remember back to those first days as a vet student. As I watched the first episode of the new series “Young James Herriot” on the television the other night, some of Herriot’s raw passion for Veterinary Medicine and Surgery was evident and I was very much reminded of the excitement when the knowledge from years of training could suddenly be applied to a practical situation and be of benefit to an animal. While the Glasgow Veterinary School of 17 years ago was very different to James Herriot’s Vet School of the 1930’s, the similarities do extend further than just having your landlord drink your rent money (apologies if you did not watch the episode on Sunday!).
That same love for helping animals is always sparked whenever I attend a birth, be it a calving, lambing, farrowing or whelping; the act of helping a new life into the world is one of the most gratifying parts of my job.
Our litter of puppies are progressing at pace. The puppys’ eyes are open although they are still struggling to focus. Instead of crawling on their tummies, they can now stand up and, although they are still wobbly, they have a fantastic turn of speed when Bramble gets into the whelping box and it is feeding time. They now look like proper Labradors and are just starting to show their different characters.
Watching James Herriot while looking after a litter of puppies reminds me of why I entered the Veterinary profession and while modern Veterinary Practice has obviously changed a great deal since the 1930’s, the fundamental desire to help animals in need is just as relevant today.
Merry Christmas
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