In the Dark of the Evening

The OVC continued to be good. But before that, I had some hands on vet activities.

You'd seldom think that a secretary job would lead to searching for the jugular vein on a cow... but such was the case at J&J on Friday night.

"Have you ever given a shot to a cow?" asks the employer that eve.
"No, but I've given them to horses and a sheep," returned I.
"I've got a cow that needs one tonight."
"Good, let me know when you go out."

So come 8:30 or 9 pm and I jump into the Ford pickup with the employer and his daughter and we head northwest toward the cow pen. The cow is laying on the mud, somewhat obtunded perhaps but alert. Employer makes a makeshift halter and ties the end of the rope to the cow's back leg.

And then came the hunt for the vein. My employer has never failed to get the vein on a cow, so it was strange when no blood came forth on his efforts.
I tried my hand at it, held off the vein and observed a definite jugular fill which I aimed for with the needle. Still no blood.
Turns out the needle was plugged and the new one worked, but then the IV line was old and a new one was fetched as I stood in the deserted night with the sons and daughter and beasts. We dreaded the potential arrival of a cougar, but were thankfully not graced with its presence.

The slow bolus of 50% dextrose was administered and we returned to the office/house around 10 pm. And then I worked until 11 pm because I didn't want to return on Saturday.