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When Dr. Patten visits, playing vet is serious fun for local kids.

The vet is in at local schools and she wrote East Falls Local about some of the highlights:

“This year I visited the Nursery at The Miquon School which is the class for four and five year olds. I brought in a stuffed animal dog, “Penelope,” and all the kids brought in their own stuffies to work with. I gave the kids a surgical mask, gloves, syringes (without the needle), and bandage material so they could all practice on their stuffies. I demonstrated how to do a physical exam, how to place a bandage, give a shot, and use a stethoscope and otoscope. The kids really loved it.

Last year The Miquon School did a field trip to the clinic so the kids were able to practice on real dogs. I gave the kids a tour of the clinic, let them go into the surgical suites, see all of our equipment, even weigh themselves on the dog scale. We pretended my two dogs, Penelope and Mabel, were patients and let the kids practice doing physical exams.

I also recently went to William Penn Charter School to give a talk to the fourth graders. They are studying economics and entrepreneurship, so I spoke to them about the business side of things, like how I got started and how I opened my own place. The kids were full of great questions. They wanted to know how many patients I see a day, how much money I spend on dog treats each month, and how I chose to be a vet. They also had silly questions, like what is the grossest thing I have seen at the clinic and what is the funniest dog I have taken care of:

  • Grossest thing. Maggots in a dog wound. I can handle many gross things (urine, feces, vomit) but live maggots crawling out of a wound is tough to see. When its warm out, maggots can hatch in an open wound in about half a day.
  • Funniest dog. I see a lot of funny dogs. Some favorites are dogs that love to catch treats in the air, give me high fives with their paw, or can balance standing on their hind legs for treats.

I love speaking to kids about being a vet. I think I have the best job in the world and I love sharing my job with kids. Most kids have a natural love of animals, so they really enjoy hearing about the life of a veterinarian.”

Thanks Doc! Here’s to the next generation of vets!

About Dr. Patten

Dr. Patten, owner of Liberty Vet Clinic in Roxborough, has extensive experience in preventative care, dental procedures, emergency medicine, and soft tissue surgery. She lives on Fox Street in East Falls with her husband and their two sons.

Liberty Vet Clinic
8919 Ridge Ave
(215) 483-1066

 

About Dr. Caroline Patten 25 Articles
Dr. Patten, owner of Liberty Vet Clinic in Roxborough, has extensive experience in preventative care, dental procedures, emergency medicine, and soft tissue surgery. She lives on Fox Street in East Falls with her two sons.

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