The Daily Drivel

No time today to work in the gardens. Or go to the seed farm. Nor build the house. And the livestock simply got fed, watered, and a quick glance. Today was canine spay day. Up before dawn, quick get the necessary jobs done, then head to the clinic location. Today it is being held at a local church that is truly and very community oriented. Thank you St Jude's! 

The church building is small but perfect for the surgical jobs. But the check in, waiting area and main recovery set up is outdoors. That usually poses no problems. But a tent is set up just in case of a rain shower. Not all the dog cages can fit under the building eaves, so the tent is a good back up, just in case. 

The surgery and intensive care recovery goes on inside the building. The veterinarians determine which dogs need close attention and the volunteers then hover over their charges, keeping them warm. 

Most of the dogs do fine. Sometimes one wakes up rather startled by the lights and sounds around it. Covering their eyes and ears helps calm them. 

Indoors we can set up multiple work stations so that every dog gets constantly monitored, every dog goes smoothly from one station to the next. 

To the novice, the above photo may be distressing. But everything is normal and ok. The dog comfortably lays on its back on a padded table. The pad supports the head, spine, and hips. The sand bags gently hold the dog in position. A blanket tucked around the chest and neck help keep the dog warm. The dog has already received an injectable anesthesia, so it is asleep before it is placed onto the table. Gas anesthesia keeps it asleep while the surgery is performed. 

Today I believe we did 50 dogs. So it was a long day. I got to leave at 7 pm. 

KARES announced that at the end of today's clinic that they have now spay/neutered 400 dogs this year already on Big Island. Wow. That's 100 per month! Pretty impressive.