Today had a particular emphasis on patients scheduled for rechecks. A recheck may occur after the patient has completed its chemo (remission) – the pet comes in about once a month afterwards to have routine checks of its vitals, bloodwork, and areas where the cancer had been present in order to monitor whether the cancer has returned. Recheck appointments can also be the days when patients receive chemo.
The vet I shadowed today had 4 patients – 3 dogs and a cat. To begin each recheck appointment, the vet performs a physical exam on the patient. This includes checking heart rate, palpating lymph nodes, looking for new/larger bumps, looking at the eyes and teeth, etc. Afterwards, the patient may have bloodwork done to monitor levels such as red and white blood cells, platelets, and chemicals in the body.
Then, if everything looks normal and the patient is in remission (no signs of cancer), it can go home. If the patient is scheduled to receive chemo, then it receives the chemo as an IV injection, and can go home afterwards.
Overall, I shadowed 4 recheck appointments today, which can be described as the sort of check-up appointments of veterinary oncology.
Example of a dog receiving a physical exam during a recheck appointment.
(Lastly, and most importantly, my petting jobs of the day were Sadie the Basset Hound and Zero the Golden Retriever!)