A large portion of my practice is dealing with 4-H kids and their project animals. The kids are great, the parents are always a bit of a.... challenge. In a world of helicopter parents, it was nice to experience something different today.
On my way to another emergency call, I got a call from a client about a sow in labor and not making any progress. This particular client has a daughter somewhere in the middle of grade school age who has seen more than her fair share of on-farm deliveries. The little girl has always said she wants to be vet.
Client: "Well a it's been nearly an hour since she had the last piglet. She's pushing but nothing is happening."
Dr. D: "Have you put a hand in to figure out if there is a piglet, because..."
Client: "Well no, I wouldn't know what to do. Oh my gosh, honey, don't do that! What? Ok... my daughter just stuck her hand in and says she feels feet. And a tail."
Dr. D: "Ok, well does she think she can..."
Client: "Oh! Doc, she just delivered the piglet! All by herself. She just pulled it right out of there! If you could see this, you would be so proud of her!"
I am proud of her. Even better, her mother is proud of her and just realized that her daughter is a very capable person. But what I really, really hope is that that little girl is proud of herself.
