The applause.

Last week I wrote about my trip to Dallas, Texas, to attend the new opera, Zorro. It was a fantastic trip and a beautiful Opera, but what made it even better was the visit with my daughter and son-in-law. They are incredible people and are prime examples of people who dedicate their lives to a craft they love. Years of work lead to brief moments of glory on stage, performing for an appreciative audience and applause from opera fans.

It makes me think about our veterinary profession that, in a way, it is much like performing. Granted, we do not get to sing or dance - unless we are making TikTok or Instagram videos - but performing our daily duties as veterinarians is much like rehearsing and performing on stage. We spend years of study, patiently practicing, to get to the dream of our veterinary work. Much of it can become mundane, and we start to feel burned out, but the rewards are sweet when we get them. They can be like applause at the end of a performance.

Just yesterday, I was excited to see a patient of mine. He is a 28-year-old Quaker Parrot (Monk Parakeet) that has been suffering from heart failure for over two years. His lovely and kind “Dad” brought him in for his annual wellness checkup with me to discuss his progress and give him the OK to continue with his cardiac medications. This bird and its owner have a strong bond. They spend their days together, and the owner remains dedicated to his care. He cooks for him, gives him several medications twice a day, carries him around the house as he can no longer fly. When I saw him last year, he was so weak that the owner had him in a shoebox with no lid. The bird sat there in the box and allowed me to examine him and listen to his failing heart gently. This year was much the same, but I can honestly say as sick as he is, he looked better than last year.  As I finished my exam and talked to the owner about continued care, I told him that the bird was only alive today due to his dedication and meticulous care. He then said to me, “We would not be here without you. You are the best, doc.”  I wished them well and promised to see them both next year, God willing. 

Those two sentences from a kind and dedicated pet owner feel like applause to me. Appreciation from our clients and healthy pets' lives is our veterinary reward.

Dedication is a tough road. It is often unrewarding, and critics can beat us down, unhappy clients who leave us negative reviews or call to scold us when we are running behind. Like the Opera singers, we do it for the successes, when we get the audience appreciation and applause at the end of our performance. When we get the diagnosis right, make the save, perform the successful surgery. That is our applause.

Try to appreciate the little bursts of applause that come to you this week. Bask in the appreciation of your clients and patients. Look for those moments and enjoy them. Take your bow because you put in the hard work to get to where you can save animals and help people. That is what it is all about. 

Dr. Julie Cappel

“The applause of a single human being is of great consequence.” - Raymond Hull