The life of a country veterinarian is not an easy one and for Dr Lisa Clarke, the days can be long and the work can be dangerous. Lisa and her mobile vet service, The Roving Vet, can also clock up nearly 1000 km every week as zig zags across WA’s Great Southern from Albany to Walpole. And, with so much time spent in her vehicle, it’s a good thing Lisa has Plum, her “trusty secretary” with her wherever she goes.
“Plum’s clerical skills are totally non-existent but she’s a brilliant car-companion,” Lisa says with a laugh.
Lisa’s patients vary greatly; they can be livestock, horses, canines, felines, even chickens, camels and pet rats. Regardless of size, working with animals can be tricky. You have to catch them, keep them calm and treat them efficiently. Lisa says that the bigger the animal, the bigger the risk.
“Working with large animals can be incredibly dangerous and you need to consider all the things that could go wrong and have an escape route planned. The aim is not to get killed,” Lisa says.
“You’ve got to be careful where you put your body. If you put your arm or leg through a railing to push an animal along a race you can easily snap a bone. And, if the owner is with me, I have to consider their safety too. A lot of vets don’t do large animal work because of the danger and because it’s far less profitable than working in a clinic.”
Lisa’s been a vet for 25 years now and has certainly had her share of injuries but thankfully nothing serious. And don’t be fooled by Lisa’s slight frame; this woman is incredibly strong. Strength is definitely needed when using equipment such as giant hoof trimmers to undertake the less-than-glamorous task of clipping hooves that have grown too long. She’s also been known to use an angle grinder for this type of bovine-pedicure.
Four-legged fur babies are also common amongst Lisa’s patients and whether it’s a pampered pooch or a hard working sheepdog Lisa is used to the wide range of items pets have a tendency to ingest.
“Balls, fish hooks and small toys are not uncommon and I’ve seen plenty of dogs showing signs of a non-specific toxin. They stagger, look frightened and paranoid and have dilated pupils. These are all signs that they’ve eaten marijuana and boy do dogs love marijuana. Thankfully they usually improve after IV fluids and a long nap and they definitely wake up hungry,” Lisa adds with a chuckle.
Most people will know that to train as a vet requires a love of animals and a very high IQ but Lisa will tell you that is not enough. You also need to like people and have loads of empathy while maintaining a calming effect on animals and owners who may be extremely distressed. The job of “putting an animal down” is always a delicate one.
“Euthanizing a pet is usually because the animal is sick or old and they’ve had a good life so you’re relieving their suffering. But animals are so much a part of our psyche and our families and you’re not just part of people’s decision making process, you’re also their emotional support. For me, being a vet is a people-job, it’s something you do for your community. You form strong relationships with people and I consider some of my core clients as being like my family.”
And that’s something that’s easy to see in Lisa’s work; she shows just as much care and respect to the owners as she does for their much-loved animals.
