Only Just the Beginning

Being at the shelter this semester, working alongside people who share the same passion as I do, has been an experience that I will always treasure! I was honored to have the privilege of learning so much in my field of interest. I think what I value most from this experience is the medical knowledge I acquired by working in the lab on a regular basis. I learned all about different medications to use in certain situations as well as new terminology that I wasn't familiar with before. I'm sad to see the semester end, but happy at the same time that I got to not only be apart of volunteering at the humane society to help with whatever I could but I also gained a tremendous amount of experience. I will 100% most definitely return to the shelter this summer doing anything I can. Even if it isn't an internship or everyday scheduled things, I want to stay involved. 

I learned a little bit of everything from everyone. The veterinarian was very good at involving me, even if it were little jobs (like stretching out the vet-wrap!) or shaving a cat for spaying. The lab manager was always able to clear up any questions I had about medicine and taught me all about different procedures to take in different situations. For example, we recently looked at a dogs eye because it was really gooey and she explained to me that the dog was probably having difficulty producing natural tears so the eye would have an excess of discharge that was unable to be washed away. Because of this, we used eye irrigator to rinse out his eye, and started him on artificial tear-drops monitoring daily for improvement. Staff members were probably the best at showing me techniques. Finding a good spot to hear the lungs through a stethescope, how to make a vein not roll when drawing blood, how to make a cat stop purring... all these things were shown to me by experienced staff members! Most recently, I helped to bottle feed kittens! They taught me how to use a warm, wet cotton ball to stimulate the kitten to urinate and defecate before and after feedings. Even though it wasn't all that glamorous, it was something that I had never done before! Even peforming wellness exams with my fellow interns was beneficial because we were able to share what we knew and offer our own techniques and assistance to each other.

This internship couldn't have gone better. Every weekend I woke up ready and excited to go in and see what was in store. It's a great feeling to know that I will love what I do after vet school and I have the humane society to thank for that!

Drawing Blood & SNAP Tests

Drawing blood on an animal is not only important but also one of my favorite things to do at the shelter. It is probably the most invasive thing that I get to take part in with lab work so I take it very seriously. I must admit, I wasn't very good at drawing blood at first. It seemed like if it wasn't one thing, it was another. For example, my first problem was not being able to find the right vein. I would confuse a tendon with a vein pretty easily. One way that I learned to tell the difference is to just feel what I think might be the vein. If you push down on it ever so slightly, it should "bounce" if it is indeed the vein. If it feels mroe hard and not so elastic, then it is most likely a tendon. I also learned to use alcohol to swab the entrance area in order to make the skin more visible. If the skin is more visible than I can actually see the blue color underneath it leading me to the correct vein. Up until today, I've only ever drawn blood on cats and kittens. On felines, I have learned to draw blood from the medial saphenous vein which is on the inside of their back leg. The person restraining the cat will "karate chop" the leg above the knee in order to make the vein stick out more. Whoever is drawing blood then has a better chance of finding the vein! Kittens are probably the hardest for me because their veins are so tiny! After doing a few though, I have them down pretty good. I found it easiest to hold my left thumb alongside the vein so it doesn't roll around (kitten veins have a bad habit of doing this!) and use my right hand to line up the needle with the vein in a parallel fashion. From there it is just skill to keep your hands steady and having a good eye.

SNAP FIV/FeLV Combo Test

So what do we do with the blood now that we have it? On cats we can check for FeLV (Feline Leukemia Virus) and FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus) by reading the results. First, though, we have to set it up! We need about three drops of blood sample and about four drops of a conjugate including in the kit to run the test. After we have mixed these two together briefly, we then pour the entire contents of the mixture into the sample portion of the SNAP test. Then we wait for a while and read our results! As seen in the picture, the dots on the side indicate if the cat has either FeLV or FIV. If the cat is healthy and has neither, then the only dot that should appear is the one closest to the sample. I enjoy doing lab work like this as a student because I get a feel for what types of things a veterinarian does all day. Being a vet isn't only about working directly with the animal, but it's about working in the lab too. This can mean doing bloodwork, ear cytologys, urinalyses, fecal floats and microscope work. I love being able to get my feet wet in all these fields whie I'm still an undergraduate!

Surgery!

Today I got to help out with the spay/neuter clinic again! Except this time I got to observe the surgeries more closely than last time. To start though, I prepared Felovax and Rabies vaccines to give the cats. Once all the cats had be anesthetized, shaved, and scrubbed, the surgeries began! I I got to see a variety of different suture knots and incision techniques. I took advantage of the situation by asking the veterinarian any questions I had. Most of the questions I asked had to do with what things were called. For example, I learned that a cruciate mattress suture looks like a bunch of "x's." I also learned why certain procedures are used. For example, I learned that we suture many layers of the body in order to eliminate the dead space and reduce the risk of infection. One thing that the vet stressed over and over again was that we, as future surgeons, want to limit the amount of foreign material that we put into the body.

Similar to the spay packs I prepared.

Another valuable piece of information that I learned happened when I was cleaning and setting up the next surgery instruments! The medical lab director went over what the tools were all called. Just like with the lymph nodes, I had an idea of what certain things were called, but truly know it now. This spay pack included a spay hook (the long tool with a hook on the end) which is used to scoop out the uterus, uterine horns, and ovaries. Have a smooth hook on the end helps to grab on to the horns and pull the organs up through the incision site. Other tools in the pack were straight and curved hemostats. These are the scissor looking tools that when pinched together, stick together. These are used to cut off a blood flow of a vein to tie off or to hold other tissues and cut off the blood supply there. This is important because if the blood flow wasn't restricted, the animal could likely bleed out and it could turn into a detrimental situation.


I found this day to be particularly exciting for me because I've always wanted to specialize in surgical procedures beyond spaying/neutering. Being able to have the privilege of observing a real vet and vet students perform these surgeries is something I will forever remember!

Spay/Neuter Clinic

This weekend, I got to take part a small part in the spay/neuter clinic which I was thrilled about! These clinics offer low-cost surgical sterilizations for cats. In addition to taking part in the lab, I enjoy taking part in events like this no matter my involvement because I realize the pet overpopulation problem. Spaying and neutering your pets can help contribute to the reduction of homeless pets! Needless to say, I was pleased to go in early that morning (even after daylight's savings!) and help out in any way I was needed. The day started off with some paperwork and computer entries but then I went down to the surgery suite and helped pull up some medication and vaccines for post-operative care. I caught a couple glimpses of what the veternarian and vet students were doing. I think that when it comes to veterinary medicine, the part I'm most intrigued about is any surgical process. I saw them anesthesize, intubate, shave, and scrub the cats. I didn't get to physically do anything, but just being in the same room and witnessing a few steps of the procedure was exciting for me! I've seen both spays and neuters before, so it wasn't brand new to me, but like I said, surgery intrigues me! 


Cats and dogs can be spayed as young as two months old when they are at least two pounds. It's medcially important to spay/neuter at such a young age in order to reduce disease that can occur because of the prescence of the reproductive organs. Although the word neuter can be a general term for both sexes being surgically sterilized, neutering relates to a male having both testicles removed. This process makes the male unable to impregnate another animal. Spaying, on the other hand, refers to when a female has both ovaries and uterus removed, therefore leaving them unable to become pregnant or carry any young. The spay process is a bit more intrusive than a neuter because you have to actually open up the lower abdomen to remove the sexual organs whereas the neutering process occurs only on the testicles. There are many benefits to spaying/neutering pets other than reducing the pet overpopulation. Since these organs are removed it eliminates the risk of getting ovarian/testicular cancer. In females, mammary diseases and tumors are greatly reduced because hormones from the sex organs are removed that stimulate the mammary glands to grow/lactate. In males, neutering can help to reduce the aggression that your pet may have. Although there is no direct relationship between testosterone and aggression, an overwhelming amount of people notice that neutering helps to reduce it. 


There are millions of animals that go in to shelters each year and it all comes down to just not having enough people to take care of them all. Pet overpopulation is a growing problem and one way that we as animal care-takers can fight back is by neutering our pets so they don't produce unwanted litters. We can also spread the word of spaying/neutering by educating others on the many benefits and pet overpopulation! I learn about a lot of these things in class and read about them on the internet. It's not until I get to be up close and personal that I fully understand the importance of following through with procedures such as these. By being in the shelter on a regular basis I've gainted a true appreciation for what is done and what I get to be a part of. 

Tips, Tricks, & Snakes!

I think one of my favorite things about animal science is the need to have the ability to solve a problem for a patient who can't tell you what's wrong. Part of that is being able to use the environment in order to help you. Since I've been in the medical lab, I've learned a lot of tips and tricks of the trade when working with animals.


Today during a go-home exam I took a kitten's temperature. A cat's normal body temperature should be between about 100-103. It ended up being high at around 104 degrees. Whenever something like this happens, we tell a staff member so they can come check it out and show us how to follow up properly. What we did was apply a very small amount of rubbing alcohol to his paws and ears where the skin is exposed. This allows for the cat to potentionally cool down. This technique is only to be used with minimal amounts of alcohol, however, as flooding his paws could have lead to an unnecessary inhalation. In order to avoid this situation we first put alcohol on a cotton ball and then rubbed the cotton ball on the intact skin. Sure enough, about 20 minutes later, the kitten's temperature backed down to a normal range!


Another trick that I've picked up on is how to get a cat to stop purring. I know everyone loves purring cats, but the noise makes it difficult to listen for heart murmurs or abnormalities in the lungs. Something we do in order to get them to stop is put them near some running water. Purring is a phenomenon that no one can really explain because cats don't have any anatomical differences than those animals who don't purr. Ther are a few theories though that try to rationalize purring. One is the alternating of vocal chords and throat muscles rapidly. 

Houdini the snake! He was very friendly!

All of my tricks aren't just for cats, though. One that I appreciate, and use regularly, is to keep a rabbit comfortable and calm. Rabbits are prey animals in the wild, so they are likely to be skittish when they feel distressed. By simply wrapping a big, soft towel around the rabbit's body they feel more safe and are less likely to try and jump out of your arms. I also like to keep the towel on the exam table so they have a soft place to sit. This way, Thistle (the rabbit!) gets to be cozy and I get to perform a thorough exam without worrying that they will jump away. 


Lastly, I learned a lot of interesting things about a species of animal that I knew very little about: snakes! Today there was a ball python named Houdini in for his initial physical exam. One of the staff shared her knowledge with me using her past experience working with reptiles. I learned how to properly hold him using two hands to make sure that he had enough space to lay and feel secure. Snakes, we were told, are difficult to sex because you need to use a probe to ensure accuracy. You actually insert the probe into their cloaca and observe depth allowance. A male's cloaca will be deeper than a females. It is also very important for us to wear gloves and wash our hands when handling Houdini because reptiles carry salmonella. Salmonella is a zoonotic sickness meaning it can be transferred from humans to animals and vice-versa. I am sure that I will use all these tricks throughout my animal science career and implement them on all species!

Shelter Medicine

Almost always, the first thing I ask when meeting a new animal, is "What's your name?" Even in a shelter where there can be a high volume of animals at once, everyone has their own name and are not referred to as a number. There are numbers that we do use, like their shelter ID and microchip number, but for the most part when we see an animal, we know them by name. The first thing we do in the medical lab in the morning is administer medication that any animal might need that day. A sheet gets printed out daily for each room in the shelter. Under the room, there is the name of the pet, the shelter ID, type of animal, breed, color and sex listed for everyone that needs medication/supplements. 

A med sheet with doses/medications needed.

I like to lay it out like this when gathering what I need. That way I can check, double-check, and re-check that I have the right doses for the right animal. On occassion, we might have two pets with the same name. This sheet gives me information on how to tell which animal is which, including the shelter ID and fur coloring. There are also boxes for me to put a line through as I go so I don't give anyone a double dose or anything like that. There is a definite emphasis on attention to detail when doing this because some animals come in with no prior veterinary care or medical assistance and we want to make sure they get the best health care that we can provide. Making sure that each and every pet gets what they need is something that I take very seriously and care about. Taking my sheet and my organized syringes of medicine/supplements with me, I headed over to Catmandu and got started with my day! 

Shelter medicine is different than a private practice in many ways, including population disease control. At a private vet clinic, pets go in and out of the clinic, rarely having extended stays. At a shelter, it is different in the fact that there are lots of animals in the building at once. It is absolutely imperative to practice sterile and sanitary techniques as well as being extra careful to change gloves between each and every animal. Following cleaning and sanitizing protocols at the shelter keep the communicable sicknesses down to a minimum. Every day there are constantly people doing laundry, washing food bowls, emptying litter boxes, changing cat cages, changing critter habitat bedding, and cleaning dog kennels. Aside from keeping areas that animals come in contact with clean, we are always washing our hands and changing gloves between interactions in the medical lab. These are only a few of the things that we do in order to eliminate the spread of disease. 

As a pre-vet student, I find great joy in working with animals, but I also find great interest in medicine and how it works. One thing I look forward to during this internship is learning about the medicine iself and through which mechanisms they work!

Grey the Guinea

When you think of an animal shelter, you probably think of dogs and cats. I was the same way until I started getting involved with one. At the shelter, there is everything from pet mice to birds. Of course, we have dogs and cats as well. All animals at the shelter get the same attention by staff and volunteers, especially when it has to do with their health. Critters need cared for, too! Today, Grey, a guinea pig currently up for adoption, was in for a regular check up. 

Grey, the friendly & adorable guinea pig! 

Critter check-ups are very similar to dog/cat check ups in a lot of ways, but they do have their own specifics that need special attention. For example, guinea pigs are hindgut fermenters meaning most of their digestive function occurs in their cecum and large intestine (or lower/hind gut). Most monogastric (single-stomached) animals that eat a lot of fiber in their diet digest their food the same way (such as horses and rabbits). I found out today, that it is important to recognize which animals are hindgut fermenters because you should actually be able to hear the digestive juices flowing! I learned how to take a stethoscope, place it on their lower abdomen where the lower digestive system is at, and listen for digestion. Grey, I learned, had very consistent digestive sounds. He was very patient with me while I practiced telling the difference between all the sounds you can hear through the stethoscope. It only took a couple comparisons to distinguish the sound of air going in and out the lungs and the sound of Grey digesting. Another important thing that we looked at was Grey's teeth. Guinea pigs have very prominent incisors. There should be two mandibular (bottom) teeth and two maxillary (top) teeth. If a guinea pig doesn't have a sufficient amount of things to chew on in their habitat, the teeth can actually grow long enough to puncture the roof of their mouth and cause sores. 

Showing how far back the molars are.

That wasn't the case with Grey, though! At the the shelter, we have all sorts of enrichment offered in the critters' habitats including houses, hay balls, tubes to climb through, and lots of chewing blocks/toys. His teeth were perfectly healthy. One thing that I found really interesting is that guinea pigs actually have molars in the back of their mouth that aren't so prominent or obvious. We use a nifty tool in the lab to look in the back of their mouth to make sure they are intact, not too long and unbroken. This tool separated Grey's buccal pads (cheeks!) so we could get a better look at his molars. It also has a light on the end of it allowing even more visual capability. 


I love learning new and interesting things about all of the amazing animals we care for at the shelter. I have definitely learned way more about them through the process of caring for them than I would have any other way. Grey was a fabulous guinea pig (pun intended) for me to learn about not only their digestive system but also their mouth!