If you ever considered becoming a house call veterinarian, this is the blog for you! I should point out, that in addition to all my veterinary supplies, which are many and varied, there are several useful items in my car unique to my specific daily life. They are important for three reasons.
One: I spend a lot of time in the car, driving, in all sorts of weather, all year. In fact, the worse the weather, the busier we are. People tend to call us when they can’t get out of their home during a snowstorm, and ask for us to come to them instead. Hence, the four-wheel drive Subaru comes in really handy. But, along with that comes all the situations which occur when my trusty Subaru isn’t all that… well, trusty.
The AAA membership was vital when my battery died, midsummer, in a client’s driveway…blocking them in as well. Kudos to the road crew that came and replaced it within an hour!
The tire pressure gauge has been used a few firgid winter days when dashboard lights started blinking.
The ice scraper, also, gets regular use. Yet, the most important item in my car is my giant golf umbrella. My personalized scrubs and Dansko clogs are, admittedly, not the height of fashion. But,… bad hair days, made worse by getting caught in a downpour simply cannot happen!
Two: A more sobering reality of what my assistant and I do is go into neighborhoods and people’s homes, often whom we have never met before. Certainly there is a conversation prior to the first visit, but to an extent, we often find ourselves in unknown circumstances.
Thus, there are several safety items that are kept in the car, and on our person. Hence, the portable, discreet stun gun. I have a flashlight with a blaring siren and seat belt cutter all in one, and pepper spray.
I also carry a combo tool that has everything from screwdriver attachments to a small knife. It came in handy last week when my gas tank cover decided not to open.
Three: Hours and days spent in traffic mean a lot of time to not just talk,…. but to listen to talk radio, and music. If you live in Pa or NJ and hear some loud singing coming from the vicinity of a gold Subaru Outback… that may very well be us! My assistant sings well,… but sadly I do not. What I lack in pitch, though, I make up for in volume.
Honorable mention goes tot the several bottles of hand sanitizer, used between each appointment.The overall effect… after 4+ years, on my skin…well, explains why I will never be a hand model. Hand lotion is also in the car, but is rarely used.
The sticky rollers remove the abundance of hair that collects on our scrubs, each and every house call.
The bandaids and wipes come in handy when scratches and blood (our own) need addressing.
I have a centrifuge to spin patient blood samples prior to submitting them to the lab. It also doubles as a conversation piece while carpooling with my children’s friends. High school physics teachers have me to thank for my canned “centrifugal vs centripetal force” lecture, delivered on countless occasions to unsuspecting, inquisitive teens… much to the dismay of my own teens.
The magazines are for those very rare days when I am quite ahead of schedule, and we are parked awaiting a client’s arrival home.
The map of Long Island beaches is there to guide me when I simply want a day off, and want to just keep driving East…to the ocean. When I do get there, safety first… in the way of sunscreen. ( A girl can dream!)
Most important: my GPS…which makes it possible for me to get anywhere. She’s not always spot on… but for the most part, gets us close enough to figure out the address..old school.
Dr. Dawn
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