A Day in the Life of a Dix Hills Vet

Being a vet is not about playing with puppies and kitties.

, who was born and raised in Dix Hills and took over her father's veterinarian practice at Dix Hills Animal Hospital, puts in a full day's work with vet Suzanne Ravitz, and much of it is not for the squeamish.

They are open six days a week and perform about four to five procedures each day, Monday through Friday (no procedures are done on Saturdays). They see about 15 to 20 appointments daily as well. 

Dr. Ali was seeing Gracie, a four-year-old Yorkie, when I arrived. Gracie has a recurrent rash, which is most likely brought on by allergies, Dr. Ali told Gracie's "mom." Since nothing has worked for very long in the past for Gracie, Dr. Ali prescribed a special shampoo, an oral antibiotic, and a hypoallergenic diet.

Next, I watched Lovey, an older beagle, getting a dental cleaning. She had to be anesthetized for the procedure, and I found it a little upsetting to see the dog unconscious. Everyone around me, though, seemed fine: the two vets and the vet techs. 

In the next room, Molly, a cat, was getting a "shave-down." Her fur was very matted, Dr. Ravitz said, and she received a "lion cut." She was also unconscious for the procedure.

After they were done, Hozzi, a Portuguese water dog, received a presurgical checkup. The two vets discovered that Hozzi's mass, which was on her "tush," was more than twice the size it had been previously. 

"It's gotten much bigger and it's in a very difficult spot. I would feel more comfortable having  a surgeon perform this operation," Dr. Ali concluded, and she called the dog's owner with the news. 

Two wild cats that someone had found, trapped and brought to Last Hope Rescue, were brought in to be spayed, so that Last Hope can then find homes for them. 

Dr. Ali said she does vet work for Last Hope, the Pet Adoption League (chow rescues) and also for a golden retriever rescue group. 

Last, I saw a real eye-opening procedure. Dr. Ali asked if I was going to fall over, but I stood tall throughout the operation. Oscar's testicles never dropped and they needed to be found and then removed. The kitten was anesthetized and then Dr. Ravitz took over. There are videos and photos attached to this article, and they are not for the squeamish. 

Long story short, Oscar's testicles were found and removed; he woke up and went to recover. 

I too needed to recover after this, although everyone else was looking forward to their Japanese lunch. 

I had only been there for a few hours but I learned quite a lot. I hope you did too.