Can Doctors and Vets Help Each Other?
August 12th 2008 21:00
Photo by John Mittler. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Flipping through a recent issue of the Good Weekend, I came across a story about a urologist father and his veterinary son. The father, Rodney Syme, would help his son Bruce out with some of his veterinary work. I find this amazing. I mean, humans and animals aren’t exactly built the same way so wouldn’t logic dictate that what works for one wouldn’t necessarily work for the other? On the other hand, people do say animals such as mice and pigs have internal organs that are similar to human ones. So maybe it doesn’t take a big leap of skill to be able to jump species. How else can you explain transplanting organs from pigs into humans?
In a strange coincidence, after I finished reading the Good Weekend I started reading a book I had purchased a few days before. It was part of the Animal Ark childrens series called Hedgehogs in the Hall. I had skimmed through it in the bookshop and thought it would make a good read. Imagine my surprise to come across a story which centres on a doctor accidentally running over a hedgehog and then trying to fix its broken leg. He also disinfects the wound, gives the hedgehog antibiotics and a hot water bottle for shock. This had me wondering how the doctor knew how much antibiotics to give it. It’s not as if he would have ready access to a how-to-treat-hedgehogs manual. It also makes me wonder how vets know how much medication to give each animal. Just think about it. Human medicine is complicated but at least doctors only deal with one species: homo sapiens. Vets, on the other hand, can be dealing with dozens of animals, ranging from household pets to birds, mice, reptiles and wild or native animals. Are there veterinary manuals that will cover all animals? If anyone knows, please post a comment below as I would really like to know.
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Comment by Kleonaptra
Kalikapsychosis
Humans are not as good at healing themselves as other species, we tend to take a lot more work. Most of the disinfectants used on humans actually damage a horses cells and impede the healing process - dettol is a big no no. Ive found horse products great on humans though - Ive used hydrogen peroxide on my own wounds, as well as the trusty ol tru blu. Once Kman got a tick, and he swore he got the head out but he'd killed it, and it went really bad really fast. I cleaned it with Oticleanse - a horse wound cleaner - and stuck an animal lintex poultice on it, stuck down with the industrial strength elastoplast we use for leg wounds. Healed him in a day!
I dont think theres a manual that covers all beasts - though there might be - but I think what it comes down to is understanding physiology - bone, flesh and blood and lymphatic fluid, how the bodys processes work, and with a bit of deductive reasoning, you can apply the same knowledge to a different system that even though it looks different, actually works in exactly the same way.
Comment by Queenie
Quirky Folk
Quirky Queenie
Comment by Kleonaptra
Kalikapsychosis
Comment by Queenie
Quirky Folk
Quirky Queenie