Please note: We will be closed on Monday, September 5th in observance of Labor Day!

One thing I really don’t like doing as a veterinarian is:

Big dog spays. 

Yup, I said it. For any of you who don’t know, larger dogs are just more difficult to spay. You’ve got to go in the belly, everything’s fat, it’s slippery, there’s blood everywhere, everything bleeds, it’s stressful. 

Not to mention, the next day I’m left nursing a sore body with a heating pad (see video for visual proof). 

I even felt pretty good about this one. I gave myself a pep talk beforehand, and ultimately everything was fine. The dog was fine. It took a lot of tying off vessels, and using my best knotting techniques. The suture I used was basically fucking rope. So, I know those are staying in. I did a GOOD job. 

That still does not keep me from waking up in the middle of the night and thinking about them for weeks afterwards. 

So the point of my story is this: I don’t want to do these anymore. And I’m not gonna. 

This is the great thing about: 

  • Being your own doctor. 
  • Owning your own practice. 
  • Knowing who you are as a doctor. 

Someone once told me, “If you don’t want to, don’t do the stuff you don’t like, or if you do, charge enough so that you start to like it.” 

And I get it. I 100% get it now. 

I don’t like doing this particular surgery, and I certainly don’t like waking up with a clenched body, sore muscles, and a headache pressing against the entire back of my head. 

So, I’m going to delegate this task to someone else. Someone who does a lot of high-quality, high-volume spay and neuter work. I’m going to bring that person in once a week, maybe just to start, and have them knock out these big dog spays for me. 

If you have another doctor in the clinic who can do the things you don’t enjoy, that’s great! Keep the money in the clinic, and delegate it! But if you’re the only doctor, remember that you have the freedom to delegate the things you don’t want to do too. 

Big dog spays?  I’m just going to say no, thank you to that. And the stress that it brings leading up to the procedure, during the procedure, and after the procedure.

I will let you guys know how that goes and if it’s a resounding flop or if it ends up being a really fucking good idea, which I think it will be. 

Follow me on Instagram to follow my journey as a practice owner and see more videos from me.