Happy Thanksgiving!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! I am sitting here writing this while on break because that’s what veterinary students do on break. We work. But have no fear, we do a lot of other fun things to! I was especially looking forward to this break because of one thing I severely lack in veterinary school, and that is sleep. Want to know what I am doing this break? Sleeping, eating, watching TV, and sleeping. There are even some naps I already have planned.
You might be asking, “Aren’t finals just around the corner?” Well, yes, yes they are. But who can think about finals when you have turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, sweet potatoes, and rolls sitting on the table. There are also many football games to be watched this weekend. Worrying about finals will just have to wait until Monday. I will share with you one very cool wet lab I was able to attend this past month. A wet lab is basically a hands on animal lab.
If you read my last post, I talked about my trip to South Africa, where I was able to work with the wild animals there. Ever since that trip I have been wanting to work with wildlife here in the United States. I was given the opportunity to work with one of our own deer here on campus. We had to de-antler him. We de-antler them so that they do not fight with each other, get caught on things, or fight with the fence. It is all about the animal’s safety and there is no pain associated with the procedure. We bring him into a small enclosed area so that the veterinarian can administer a dart to give the sedatives. Then, once he is down we all move into the area and monitor breathing, administer oxygen, and check pulse. We are always monitoring the animals and taking records to make sure everything is going smoothly. I was chosen to administer some vaccines! Then, two students were chosen to take a strong wire and cut through near the base of the antler. Once this was done we administered the reversal agents to wake him up and made sure that he was fully mobile and alert before releasing him back into his pen.
There is a lot of planning that goes into these procedures before you even bring the animal up to the holding area. WE have to make sure to have the right drugs, equipment, and anything we might need in case something goes wrong. Working with wild animals even in a controlled environment can be dangerous, and one must always be prepared.