William's Gift Read online

  We set out with enthusiasm, the horses on good behaviour, as if they sensed that the day was special. Elizabeth picked up a canter over the first expanse of mowed field, and we were off. I didn’t look back, just waved my arm and shouted, “Follow me!” grinning at Elizabeth. The kids were close behind and shouted their approval over the first fence, a large X made of very heavy poles. The course was dry and well maintained, with perfect sand footing and imaginative obstacles and combinations. We were out an hour and a half, cantering through the shimmering light of forest trails and popping into surprise clearings with leaps up onto banks or down into water. Plank coups came up quickly, and fences built like giant wooden lounge chairs or sod-topped stone walls had the horses jumping happily and well. We cantered around corners and up small inclines side by side, stirrup to stirrup, until the horses were sweaty and as satisfied with their outing as we were and ready to go home. A birthday I will never forget, it surpassed my expectations in every way, filling me with an indescribable joy of living, riding, and horses. Perhaps I could yet hope to celebrate my next decade the same way!

  We have moved along now. Leanne is married. Erin’s children are teenagers, and Charlotte’s are in school. The practice continues to grow. Leanne’s presence has brought me the sense of space and time to allow me to start writing down my stories. We all learn every day, and we are often surprised by what we do and see. I still feel privileged to be able to help animals and seldom take it for granted. Veterinary medicine is a passion I was lucky to discover; the continual process of learning and growing it grants me is only a small part of its greatness. If I continue to be as blessed as I have been throughout my life, there will be many more stories to tell.

  I am back in the stands, waiting for fate to decide on William’s destiny. The sky had clouded over a bit, and the crowd huddled together as if the day had cooled off. The jockey limped off the centre field to a smattering of applause. But when William’s ears appeared above the black barrier, the crowd went wild with a thunderous roaring. He hopped into the waiting trailer and that was really all there was to it. People started to file out. I dried my tears, feeling drained.

  I think about William and what he taught me about myself. The changes and losses I have experienced in my life have made me stronger. The passings I have witnessed and even enacted for others in my career have made me more compassionate. I readily admit to being moved by what animals do for people over and over again. It hits me at the most unexpected times and always reminds me of William. Whether racing, jumping, pulling, or teaching, they serve and tolerate us. Whether on our laps, guarding, playing with, or indulging us, they epitomize love. More than just giving to us, they give us the benefit of the doubt. How could I consider it any less than a privilege to have served them?

  I experienced a deep sense of happiness, not only that William was alive, but that I was. That day in the stands, I was bestowed with a deeper understanding — not just of what animals have meant to me, but of myself.

  That was William’s gift.

  One Veterinarian’s

  Journey in Photos

  The South Shore

  Shouldn’t you be a nurse?

  Pachyderms visit OVC.

  Carry on Currier and Ives!

  Calving woes

  Gaining confidence

  Floating teeth at the farm

  A sick sheep . .

  Gentle giants.

  House moving.

  Starting to help

  Able to show?

  Elizabeth tests herself

  Punch and Enya

  Teamwork.

  Follow me

  Welcoming new life

  James the Third

  In her element

  Back in Lanark

  Fiftieth celebration.

  Glossary

  ACETABULUM The cup-shaped socket of the hip joint that receives the head of the femur.

  AMNION The innermost fetal membrane; a thin, transparent sac that holds the fetus suspended in the amniotic fluid.

  ANAESTHETIZE Administration of a drug or agent used to abolish the sensation of pain; to achieve adequate muscle relaxation during surgery; to calm fear; to decrease consciousness.

  ARTHRITIS Inflammation of a joint; usually accompanied by pain and swelling, and frequently changes in structure.

  ARTHROSCOPIC SURGERY A surgical procedure to look inside a joint; carried out through an arthroscope.

  ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION The implanting of live spermatozoa into the genital tract of the female carried out by human/veterinary doctors or technicians.

  ATROPHY A decrease in the size of an organ or tissue.

  AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE A disease state characterized by a specific antibody or cell-mediated immune response against the body’s own tissues.

  BARBITURATE Classification of drug used to depress the nervous system; used to induce apathy and sleep, and, in high doses, general anaesthesia.

  BITE ALIGNMENT The position of upper and lower teeth in relation to each other when the mouth is closed.

  BLOOD GLOBULIN Large circulating proteins that protect against infection.

  BLOOD UREA LEVEL Nitrogen in the blood in the form of urea, a waste usually filtered out by the kidneys.

  BOG SPAVIN A term used to describe the accumulation of synovial fluid in the tarsocrural joint of the hock.

  BRACHIAL ARTERY The main artery inside of the front leg.

  BREEDING FOLLICLE A fluid-filled structure on the ovary that grows, softens, and ruptures to release the ovum (egg) each estrus period.

  BRONCHODILATORS Agents used that cause dilation of the bronchi, thereby facilitating breathing and removal of secretions.

  CALF-JACK A T-shaped metal instrument that fits below the cow’s vulva with a winch that attaches to the calf’s legs to pull it out.

  CASTRATION Removal of the testicles.

  CHLORAMPHENICOL A broad-spectrum antibiotic with specific therapeutic activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.

  COLIC A syndrome caused by severe pain due to disease of an abdominal organ.

  COLITIS Inflammation of the colon.

  COLLAPSING TRACHEA A narrowed part of the trachea restricting airflow (found in obese and toy breed dogs).

  CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE A condition that occurs as a result of impaired pumping capability of the heart and is associated with abnormal retention of water in the lungs and liver.

  CRYPTORCHID Retention of the testicles in the inguinal ring or abdomen.

  CYANOTIC A bluish discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes due to reduced concentration of oxygen in the blood.

  DECOMPRESSION OF GAS An essential part of the treatment for acute gastric dilatation in dogs and horses; done by stomach tube or tap.

  DISIMPACTION Manual/surgical removal of feces from an impacted colon.

  DIURETIC An agent that increases urine excretion or the amount of urine; an agent that promotes urine secretion.

  ELECTROCAUTERY Cauterization of tissue by means of an electrode that consists of a red-hot piece of metal and either direct or alternating current.

  ELECTROLYTES Usually refers to the amounts of sodium, potassium, and chloride in the blood.

  ENCEPHALITIS Inflammation of the brain.

  ENDOTRACHEAL Within the trachea.

  ERUCTATION Oral ejection of gas or air from the stomach.

  ERUPTION TIMES Appearing or becoming visible, as in eruption of the teeth.

  ESOPHAGUS The muscular tube that carries swallowed foods and liquids from the pharynx to the stomach.

  ESTRUS The time during the reproductive cycle when the female displays interest in mating.<
br />
  EUTHANASIA The deliberate ending of life of an animal suffering from an incurable disease; an easy or painless death.

  EXTRACTION TECHNIQUE The process or act of pulling or drawing out.

  FALLOPIAN TUBE The tube or duct that extends laterally from the lateral angle of the fundal end of the uterus and terminates near the ovary.

  FEMORAL ARTERY The chief inside artery of the hind leg.

  FLEXOR TENDONS Tendons of the superficial and deep digital flexor muscles, situated behind the metacarpal or metatarsal bones.

  GASTRIC TORSION Rotation of the stomach predisposed by large meals followed by exercise.

  GASTROENTERITIS Inflammation of the lining of the stomach and intestine.

  GELDING A castrated male horse.

  GIGLI WIRE SAW A very strong wire saw used in orthopedics; also suited to performing fetotomies on fetal foals.

  HALOTHANE A colourless, heavy liquid administered by inhalation to produce general anaesthesia.

  HEAVES Asthma in horses; also known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

  HIP DISPLASIA A developmental problem of the canine coxofemoral joint, in which the ball of the hip does not fit into the socket.

  HYPERTHYROIDISM Excessive functional activity of the thyroid gland resulting in elevated circulating T4 and a high metabolic rate.

  HYPOTHERMIA Low body temperature.

  HYSTERECTOMY Surgical removal of the uterus.

  IMPACTED The condition of being wedged in firmly; constipated.

  INCISOR REDUCTION Reducing the height of the incisor teeth mechanically.

  INHALANT ANAESTHETIC A substance that can be taken into the body by way of the nose and trachea; that is, through the respiratory system.

  INJECTION REACTION An adverse reaction caused by a chemical agent (drug or vaccine).

  INJECTION SITES Locations where medication is placed, as into the subcutaneous tissues, muscles, or blood vessels.

  INTRAVENOUS FLUIDS Fluids injected into a vein to replace and correct both fluid and electrolyte imbalances.

  INTRAVENOUS CATHETER A plastic tube placed in the cephalic, jugular, or saphenous vein when intravenous fluid or drugs must be infused in large volumes.

  INTUBATE To insert a tube into the trachea.

  KETOSIS The accumulation in the body of the ketone bodies: acetone, beta-hydroxybutyric acid, and acetoacetic acid.

  LAVAGE Irrigation or washing out of an organ or cavity.

  LUPUS Autoimmune syndrome where various body tissues are attacked by an animal’s own immune system (including liver, heart, skin).

  MALPRESENTATION Faulty fetal presentation.

  MARSUPIALIZATION Conversion of a closed cavity, such as an abscess or cyst, into an open pouch by incising it and suturing the edges of its wall to the edges of the wound.

  MASTITIS Inflammation of the mammary gland.

  MIDLINE The fascial line that divides the body into right and left halves (“linea alba”).

  MYOSITIS Inflammation of the muscle.

  NEONATAL Pertaining to the period immediately after birth.

  NEUROLOGICAL Pertaining to or emanating from the nervous system or from neurology.

  NEUTER As a verb, to desex an animal.

  ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY That branch of surgery dealing with the preservation and restoration of the function of the skeletal system, its articulations, and associated structures; particularly associated with the correction of deformities or fractures of the musculoskeletal system.

  PARVOVIRUS A group of viruses similar to adeno-associated viruses. They are pathogenic in animals and humans and cause severe diarrhea and damage to the bowel wall.

  PERITONITIS Inflammation or infection of the serous membrane lining the walls of the abdominal and pelvic cavities.

  PNEUMONIA Inflammation or infection of the lung.

  POLYARTHRITIS Inflammation of several joints. More common in very young animals because of the frequency of navel infection and bacteremia and the immaturity of the arthrodial tissues.

  PROLAPSE A falling out or dropping down of an organ or internal part, such as the uterus or rectum.

  PULMONARY EDEMA An effusion of serous fluid into the pulmonary interstitial tissues and alveoli. Preceded by pulmonary congestion.

  PURULENT Containing or forming pus.

  RADIOGRAPH To obtain records of internal structures of the body by exposure of film specially sensitized to x-rays or gamma rays;.

  RESECTION Excision of a portion of an organ or other structure.

  RHINOPNEUMONITIS Herpes virus causing inflammation of the mucosae of the nasal cavities and the lungs.

  SALMONELLA A bacterium, several species of which are pathogenic; some produce mild gastroenteritis and others a severe and often fatal food poisoning. Symptoms in an animal are uncontrolled muscle activity, lack of consciousness, and paddling.

  SEIZURING A condition in which muscles seize up; caused by toxins or abnormal electrical activity of the brain.

  SEPTICEMIA Systemic disease associated with the presence and persistence of pathogenic microorganisms and their toxins in the blood.

  SHEARED MOUTH The state of the molar teeth when occlusion is poor, leading to wear in such a way that the teeth pass each other like the blades of a pair of shears.

  SHOCK A clinical syndrome in which the peripheral blood flow is inadequate to return sufficient blood to the heart for normal function, particularly the transport of oxygen to all organs and tissues.

  TEETH-FLOAT An instrument for the filing or rasping of a horse’s premolar and molar teeth. Handles are twenty-four to twenty-eight inches long with a broad head into which an interchangeable rasp can be screwed.

  THERAPEUTIC RIDING A program designed to enhance the well-being of individuals, particularly those who are handicapped.

  THORACIC EMPYEMA Accumulation of pus in the thorax or chest around the outside of the lungs.

  TOXEMIA A condition resulting from the spread of bacterial products in the bloodstream.

  TRANSRECTAL ULTRASOUND PROBE A probe reflecting sound waves to create images of soft tissues, usually ovaries and uterus.

  TUBE WORMING Passage of a one-centimetre diameter tube via a nostril to the stomach to administer deworming medication.

  TWITCH A restraint device for horses whereby the nose is pinched/held in a rope, chain, or vice to facilitate medical or painful procedures.

  UMBILICAL HERNIA Protrusion of abdominal contents through the abdominal wall at the umbilicus, the defect in the abdominal wall and protruding intestine being covered with skin and subcutaneous tissue.

  URETHRA The tubular passage through which urine is discharged from the bladder to the exterior via the external urinary meatus.

  URETHROSTOMY Creation of a permanent opening for the urethra in the perineum or groin.

  WAVE MOUTH A condition in which the tables of the molar teeth have a wavelike appearance due to uneven wear.

  WEANLING A young food animal in the period immediately after weaning and up to six to eight months of age.

  X-RAY PLATES Protective metal container holding x-ray film.

  References for Glossary:

  D.C. Blood and V.P. Studdert, Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary, 2nd edition (Bath, U.K.: Harcourt Publishers Limited, 1999).

  Dennis M. McCurnin and Joanna M. Bassert, Clinical Textbook for Veterinary Technicians, 5th edition (Philadelphia, Pa: W.B. Saunders Co., 2002).

  Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary (Philadelphia, Pa: W.B. Saunders Co., 1997).

  About the Author

  Dr. Helen Douglas was born in Nova Scotia, but has lived most of her life in her beloved Ottawa Valley. Helen’s veterinary career has spanned more than three decades and has taken her from humble log barns in Lana
rk to Olympic show barns in Toronto and the Fraser Valley in B.C. It has encompassed a very wide and fulfilling range of animals and experiences, from treating injured deer and vaccinating feral cats in bags to breeding imported show dogs from England and warmblood horses from Europe.

  Helen has travelled and practised extensively, including in England and the Bahamas, but has returned to the Ottawa Valley with the full conviction that there is nothing you might want out of life that you can’t get in Lanark County.

  She began riding in 1965 and plans to continue well past her fiftieth anniversary of first getting on a horse. Thus began a love affair that would last a lifetime and take her on horseback all over Canada, the U.S., Ireland, South America, and beyond.

  Helen’s avid interest in other cultures and travel has led her to Lesotho, South Africa, where in affiliation with the humanitarian group Help Lesotho, she volunteered in an orphanage for three months in 2008. She maintains her connection with them by assisting with their Web site and farm and sponsoring several children.

  Reading, riding, swimming, and gardening are squeezed into her busy life as a country vet when at home in Carleton Place.

  http://www.drhelendouglas.ca