There is nothing like smelling formaldehyde for the very first time.
I am currently going to school to become an Animal Nurse, and with that I did expect to do some work with cadavers, but I obviously underestimated the effect it would have on me and my fellow classmates. I watched.....almost in slow motion as my Professor dumped the cats body on the table in front of me, and as the stench hit my nostril hairs with extreme force I felt my turkey sandwich curdle in my stomach and inch its way up my throat. As I choked down vomit, I took my first real look at the poor sole that lay before me.
There he was sprawled out on in front of me, paws straight up in the air...mouth completely open...tongue hanging stiffly out the side of his mouth.... the look of pure terror in his wide open crust filled eye sockets. It is as if he new right before he died that his body would be used in ways no animal would ever agree to.
This particular cadaver had obviously been dissected before, because I noticed the horrible suture job, that only a student could accomplish, reaching from his neck all the way down to his legs. All I could think of while I stared down at what was left of his disgusting body was the hope that he once lived a better life. Then I got to work.
Tonight was dental night. That's right...I got to probe, scrape and polish teeth while I worked around the necrotic tissue that would break off in large chunky pieces and fall into my gloved hand. Many times throughout this amazingly grotesque event I heard and saw students coughing and choking down portions of there lunch that they didn't desire to retaste. We worked for what seemed like forever, breaking only to rinse the cats crusty remnants that fell from his teeth.
After 2 hours of hard work I looked down at this Cats mouth and I felt a satisfaction unlike anything I have ever experienced. To take teeth from a nasty brown tartar color to a beautiful pearly white is an amazing feeling...so amazing that it took me far from the pungent carcass that lay before me to a place of great fulfilment. And even though this cat will never benefit from the remarkable clean teeth he now has, I am content with thinking that this cats body, mutilated as it may be, is now being used for a purpose. Rather then rotting in the ground where he belongs, this cat will be a learning tool for many Nursing students to come. As disgusted as I was from the entire experience, I will prepare myself for next time. So stayed tuned for rat dissection.
I will of coarse be starving myself for a full 24 hours prior to this next experience... just in case.
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I didn't realize you were blogging! Anyway, try not to think about the cat too much. Think of it as an object, a specimen, or something of that sort. I remember my first experience with disection and many people were gagging. I am happy to say that I was one of the fortunate few who was undisturbed by the smell of the cats. I really enjoyed the disection.
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