Another week of EMS, more fun stories about the various "oh shit!" moments and stupid mistakes I've made. Thankfully not too many this week except for some pretty terrible bandaging and covering a vet in cold drip fluid. Ooops.
Despite washing every day (go me!) I seem to always smell of cow or sheep and miss a spot of blood/poo on my arm or my shirt. In fact I've scrubbed up so many times over the past few days my hands are starting to take offence and are in desperate need of moisturiser!
Moment of the week - getting an IV in a fat dog with crap veins first time. Doesn't matter that I missed in a cow with veins the size of a hosepipe, the dog was a good shot.
After on call tomorrow there are a few days off (!) which so far I haven't filled with climbing. There will be a puppy walk on the beach, buying of some climbing gear and maybe time sleep if I'm not too busy revising.
Wednesday, 8 April 2009
Thursday, 2 April 2009
EMS Again
So I'm back in Wales once more seeing a variety of cases in both small and large animals - which is probably a good thing as we have a large animal practical exam after easter!
The trip down was fairly long, but not too much hassle. Then the real work started. So far I have:
Killed a sheep. She was toxic and going to die anyway, but still not optimal.
Made a HUGE hole in a dog's leg.
Examined various eyes, ears, noses and, of course, bums.
Only been covered in blood once.
Apart from the dodgy sheep start everything is OK at the moment. I need to write up my technique book before I forget everything! Not tonight though as I'm on call and may just go to bed whilst I can.
The trip down was fairly long, but not too much hassle. Then the real work started. So far I have:
Killed a sheep. She was toxic and going to die anyway, but still not optimal.
Made a HUGE hole in a dog's leg.
Examined various eyes, ears, noses and, of course, bums.
Only been covered in blood once.
Apart from the dodgy sheep start everything is OK at the moment. I need to write up my technique book before I forget everything! Not tonight though as I'm on call and may just go to bed whilst I can.
Wednesday, 25 March 2009
Zoo Trip
I had an amazing experience yesterday - I was chatting to a lecturer I know about exotics work after our lecture and somehow got invited to go and assist her at the zoo!
Our first task was to sedate and examine a hog deer with an abscess on his face. To do this we needed to first dart the animal to get close enough to give more drugs. Fun! I was lead through all of the equipment and drugs involved, and then briefed on my task - anaesthetic monitoring for the procedure.
It all went fairly smoothly as the abscess was lanced and radiographs taken of his head to look for signs of dental disease. Unfortunately it looks like he may have to be knocked out again to get a tooth removed to stop the problem. Photos when I can find them!
We spent a few hours checking out various other animals around the zoo, my favourite being the rhinos again. I was tasked with distraction duty (food!) whilst the vets examined an injury to his horn, trimmed bits and flushed it all out. The rhinos are brilliant, I love being close to them as they are so big but can be very gentle when hand fed.
I'd love to go back again, but first we have a few exams and the Easter holidays. Fingers crossed for next term!
Our first task was to sedate and examine a hog deer with an abscess on his face. To do this we needed to first dart the animal to get close enough to give more drugs. Fun! I was lead through all of the equipment and drugs involved, and then briefed on my task - anaesthetic monitoring for the procedure.
It all went fairly smoothly as the abscess was lanced and radiographs taken of his head to look for signs of dental disease. Unfortunately it looks like he may have to be knocked out again to get a tooth removed to stop the problem. Photos when I can find them!
We spent a few hours checking out various other animals around the zoo, my favourite being the rhinos again. I was tasked with distraction duty (food!) whilst the vets examined an injury to his horn, trimmed bits and flushed it all out. The rhinos are brilliant, I love being close to them as they are so big but can be very gentle when hand fed.
I'd love to go back again, but first we have a few exams and the Easter holidays. Fingers crossed for next term!
Monday, 23 March 2009
Teaching
As part of our course we are expected to teach the other years when we eventually get to final year, a prospect that terrifies most of us. We not only have to know our subject, but pretty much anything else that is going on as well, for example we may be presenting equine ortho cases and be asked questions about neurology or anatomy. I guess it's good practice for finals!
I decided to get some practice in this week and went along to help the 2nd year students with animal handling and some 3rd year students with suturing and hand-washing. We mainly covered the basics of dog handling - breed, age, sex, restraint for blood samples, tape muzzles and how to give a tablet. Some people didn't have a clue which seemed really odd to me, although I guess my inability to handle horses must surprise some people.
These things become second nature in the later years, especially when you get to see practice - they won't be very impressed if you can't handle a dog for a blood sample. Some people got the idea fairly quickly, others took their time.
Overall I think it was useful for everyone. It was good revision for me, although I may have developed bad habits in the past few years. Good luck with the handling exams 2nd years!
I decided to get some practice in this week and went along to help the 2nd year students with animal handling and some 3rd year students with suturing and hand-washing. We mainly covered the basics of dog handling - breed, age, sex, restraint for blood samples, tape muzzles and how to give a tablet. Some people didn't have a clue which seemed really odd to me, although I guess my inability to handle horses must surprise some people.
These things become second nature in the later years, especially when you get to see practice - they won't be very impressed if you can't handle a dog for a blood sample. Some people got the idea fairly quickly, others took their time.
Overall I think it was useful for everyone. It was good revision for me, although I may have developed bad habits in the past few years. Good luck with the handling exams 2nd years!
Sunday, 22 March 2009
Motivation
It's nearly the end of term and I'm finding it increasingly difficult to focus and actually do some work. We have an exam in under a week and I really need to do some revision but it just doesn't really feel real yet. Just getting bored of the constant sitting in lectures learning stuff that just isn't that interesting for me.
Post-exam I'm off to see the tortoise post-hibernation checks which could be quite exciting, then covering ICU for the evening. Then back to Wales for 3ish weeks of EMS, so hopefully some fun stories. Just need to survive the week.
Post-exam I'm off to see the tortoise post-hibernation checks which could be quite exciting, then covering ICU for the evening. Then back to Wales for 3ish weeks of EMS, so hopefully some fun stories. Just need to survive the week.
Friday, 13 March 2009
Busy week
Another long one! For some reason things start to pick up towards the end of term giving us more information and less time to revise before the exams. It doesn't make much sense to me, but then again nor do a lot of things.
In just over 2 weeks, after a whole load of lectures, a few practicals and 2 exams I'll be heading back to Wales to work in practice again. It's lambing time at the moment and things are fairly swamped so hopefully there will be a great chance to learn new things and practice the old things such as a sheep caesar, but this time with new knowledge.
We had the chance to practice our farm animal clinical examination this week - possibly the only chance before the exam after Easter. I found the clinical findings were fairly easy but my main problem lies with the more basic knowledge - the breed and ageing an animal. Time to resit the old animal husbandry notes I think. And I finally found the pre-scapular lymph nodes in sheep!
In just over 2 weeks, after a whole load of lectures, a few practicals and 2 exams I'll be heading back to Wales to work in practice again. It's lambing time at the moment and things are fairly swamped so hopefully there will be a great chance to learn new things and practice the old things such as a sheep caesar, but this time with new knowledge.
We had the chance to practice our farm animal clinical examination this week - possibly the only chance before the exam after Easter. I found the clinical findings were fairly easy but my main problem lies with the more basic knowledge - the breed and ageing an animal. Time to resit the old animal husbandry notes I think. And I finally found the pre-scapular lymph nodes in sheep!
Tuesday, 24 February 2009
Over half way!
I've just had to work it out and we are over half way through the term! This is great is some respects, there are no more horse lectures, and really bad in other respects, such as there being no more horse lectures. I don't miss them at all, but I wish I knew more and had more time to learn more.
Vets from Wales have been complaining that I've been away too long and are asking when I return too! It seems that they only want me for my innate ability to repel phone calls when I'm on call with them, but still it's lambing time and there are many things to be learned still. Can't wait for my first sheep caesar of the year. If I can remember how they are done...
Not that it is the end of term yet. There is a lot more work to be done before we get there, and very little time to relax.
Vets from Wales have been complaining that I've been away too long and are asking when I return too! It seems that they only want me for my innate ability to repel phone calls when I'm on call with them, but still it's lambing time and there are many things to be learned still. Can't wait for my first sheep caesar of the year. If I can remember how they are done...
Not that it is the end of term yet. There is a lot more work to be done before we get there, and very little time to relax.
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