All Creatures Great and Small
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Veterinarian Tom Gillaspie double-checks the file on his next patient before stepping across the hall into one of the South Trail Animal Hospital’s exam rooms.
He introduces Tad Brown and Tad’s Old English Bulldog puppy, “Bernard.” The Browns have been bringing their animals to South Trail for a long time, Gillaspie says.
The puppy patiently complies as Gillaspie does a physical examination.
“Bernard” doesn’t even whimper as Gillaspie disinfects the site and administers a vaccine.
As development has progressed in and around Fort Myers, Florida, the hospital has treated an increasing number of small animals. It also treats large animals and an occasional exotic cat or reptile. And the hospital is also a drop-off facility for injured wildlife.
In the isolation room, a young puppy plays briefly and then settles down and falls asleep. He was recently pulled from a dumpster and hasn’t received his vaccinations yet.
In the surgery prep room, technician Melissa Perrella holds “Snowball Fluffy,” a white cat who isn’t too thrilled about the treatment required for an injured ear.
Care About the Animal
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Gillaspie has a firm handshake, a ready smile, and a stock of good stories. He said clients have to know a veterinarian cares about the animal and about the client’s best interests, and these concerns become particularly important when a family has to weigh treatment cost against the desire for the best care.
During a professional trip to Mongolia, Gillaspie remembers examining a dog that had a large stone in its urinary tract. When colleagues expressed amazement at his approach, Gillaspie found out the dog had a local reputation for aggression. But the diagnosis and successful surgery wouldn’t have occurred without handling the animal.
Care About the People
“I tell them what I’d do in their situation,” he said. Then he lets the client make the decision.
“You realize that in a lot of cases, there’s nothing you can do, and you have to overcome the feeling of inadequacy and do what’s best for the patient and what’s best for the client,” he said.Notice Things
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Perrella and the other technicians see South Trail’s patients first. They record symptoms, make sure the patient is weighed, collect samples when needed, and provide comfort, encouragement, or information to the client. Before a routine appointment, patients and clients need empathy, but when assisting a veterinarian during surgery, a technician has to do whatever it takes to help the animal survive.
As technician Jessi Smith puts it, technicians are “a voice” for patients, since animals can’t talk.
“It’s not hard, because I love them,” Perrella said. “This is the one job where you can fall in love every day.”
Respond Appropriately
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One of the exam rooms—the “comfort room”—has a sofa and a rug instead of plastic chairs and an examining table. This room allows pet owners to visit a pet recovering from surgery or say “goodbye” when a pet must be euthanized.
Smith said the hospital’s doctors all care about what they do and readily answer technicians’ questions, and this attitude apparently trickles down to everyone. Loren PaulssonLove the Process
“Everybody here really enjoys what they do, or we wouldn’t be here,” said technician Alyssa Playford.
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