Real doctors treat more than one species&

This is a great phrase that veterinarians (especially students) like to paste on t-shirts!  It is true though.  An MD studies and treats one species, two sexes.  Vets learn 4 species (and much more if you go the exotic route), two sexes!  Whenever I give my high school talks I tell the students MD’s are responsible for us and veterinarians are responsible for every other living and breathing being!

So, when I have to go to my own MD I try not to be arrogant or argumentative, but it can be quite frustrating, because there are just some things I know more about than an MD.  Case in point.  Several months ago I treated a dog in kidney failure.  I grabbed a urine sample, but I was an idiot and did not follow aseptic technique/infectious disease protocol or have any concern for my personal well being and did not wear exam gloves…so I got urine all over my hand.  This usually doesn’t bother me and certainly doesn’t gross me out (I have kids…come on…let’s face it I have seen and touched much worse!).  So I washed my hands and went about my business.  About a week later I got a good scare and a lesson in safety.  The animal was Leptospirosis positive and in fact passed away from the disease after I sent it to the Fox Valley Animal Referral Center for care.

Leptospirosis is a bacteria-like organism (for those dog owners out there…we vaccinate your pet annually for this…it’s the “L” in the DHLPP booster) transferred in urine usually by contaminated water that a mouse, raccoon, deer or any infected mammal has urinated in!  It causes many things to happen to your body but one of them is kidney failure.  It is zoonotic…that means you and I can get it from these animals…including our dogs!

So when I learned that I had been contaminated with Lepto positive urine I started to sweat a little bit.  Usually the disease passes via mucous membranes…eyes, mouth or open wounds.  I usually have open cuts on my hands all the time, so the reality is that I could have been infected.  Again, more sweat.  I was breast feeding Emily at the time and sure enough…it can be spread via breast milk…more sweat.  I called Dr. Neil within minutes of getting the results.  He suggested I have a little Doxycycline with my coffee!  I agreed.  However, the drug of choice for treating this disease was contraindicated while breast feeding…so I reached for the next best thing and started myself on Amoxicillin.  I then quickly called my physician which is my OB because I am never ill and never have to go to the doctor other than to pop out some babies (well if you have read my latest posts…that’s not entirely true…but it use to be!).  They were completely unfamiliar with the disease and suggested I get in to see an infectious disease specialist.

I got an appointment with him a couple of days later.  Low and behold…he didn’t speak very good English…a very thick Indian accent (what is my luck with MD’s that I can’t understand?!?).  I explained to him the situation.  I was a veterinarian; I had been exposed to urine from a dog with a positive Leptospirosis result and that I wanted a titer done on my blood to see if I had an active infection.  In his very thick accent he said “very unusual to see…usually see in the jungle”.  I said, I know, I understand the rarity of this disease in Northeast Wisconsin amongst humans…but I am in a high risk category and I know I was exposed.  Again his response “very unusual…only see in jungle…usually military men in jungle”.  Yes, yes I know…but I was EXPOSED TO LEPTO POSITIVE URINE…calm down…and I am breast feeding and concerned about spreading this to my family.  I just want the titer done so I can see if I have an active infection and if I should continue Amoxicillin therapy.  He then proceeds to tell me all the things that could happen if I were infected, what my CBC and chemistry would look like…this goes on for about 15 minutes.  I tried to keep my calm…and I did a really good job too.  Finally…he says “you want me to run blood work?”.  I said yes.  “CBC and Chem?”.  NO!  Just the titer.  “Yes…let’s run a titer”.  Finally!  We are on the same page!  Then, just to really throw him for a loop I asked since they were drawing blood for labs could he order a Rabies titer…I thought he was going to lose it.  He said “what, you think you have rabies?”

As it turns out my titer for Lepto was negative and my Rabies titer is high…that’s a good thing.