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!