The Inevitable of Being a Vet Student

Not that many people really follow this since I am a major slacker! But for the benefit of my fellow vet students and other curious folks, I present a case. The Case of Guimauve (Pronounced Ga-move or Gi-move depending on your French accent).

Guimauve is my 18 month old papillon. When I got him the end of March he was fairly thin. The breeder stated that he was at a show facility and came back to her that thin. Got him back to Pullman and he was eating like a pig and doing great. Took him in to the vet hospital at the beginning of April for a severe cough. They put him on drugs and he got better. Beginning of May got the little bugger neutered and his teeth cleaned. Before his surgery he had gained almost half a pound! Yay! (For a dog about 4 lbs that is quite a bit)

I took him to Spokane and left him for a bit so he could adjust to farm life and socialize with some other dogs. Mum began to worry because he had a gastrocolic reflex of a puppy which he did not have when I got him. Gastrocolic reflex is the reason why puppies have to poop 20-45 minutes after they eat.

Mum took him to a vet in Spokane on June 8th. They ran a fecal and it came up negative for parasites. Vet advised her to continue as she was.

I talked with the breeder on 6/21 to see if she had any knowledge of something similar in any papillons. I was informed that coccidiosis was found in Guimauve's littermate and one of her other dogs.

On 6/22 mum took him to the holistic/acupuncture vet in Spokane. He had been depressed for a couple of days and she was still concerned by his lack of weight gain. The holistic vet determined he had abdominal pain and bradycardia (low heart rate) and he needed to get some blood work done and possibly an abdominal ultrasound to determine liver or GI disease.

Mum brought him to Pullman and we took him to the hospital. The doctor looked him over and determined a basic chemistry profile and CBC were warranted. Some of their differentials included a Protein Losing Enteropathy which is a condition of the GI tract that causes a net loss in proteins, liver shunt, fat malabsorption (pancreas) and parasites. Also, she took blood for a fasting bile acid level test. The acid bile test came back as not too high but enough to get the second bile test that evening.

When I took him in that evening I was informed that his albumin was very low. Normal is 2.5-4.3 and his was 1.6. Albumin is a protein that is produced by the liver. It is the main protein in blood plasma and is very important in transport of things through the blood as well as platelet function. Needless to say hypoalbuminemia is bad.

Today (6/23) I am waiting on bile acid test #2 results and fecal results. Next step is possible intestinal biopsy via endoscope. Funny part of all this is the fecal samples and, if the biopsy is performed, those samples will all go to the lab I work in, WADDL. Not my specific division, but just the lab next door.

Well ladies and gents, there is a case study for you! I will keep you updated as things progress.

They Say It's Hard, But Never Say It's Fun

The first week before vet school was actually vet school 'orientation'. They call it COLE- Cougar Orientation and Leadership Experience. We had lots of fun games, communication lectures and team building exercises. I had a ton of fun and really learned a lot. We were 'camping' (sleeping in cabins is really not camping) on the Spokane River in Post Falls. It was great to help us get to know each other, all 99 of us first year vet students. Plus second and third year students were there as our mentors and talking to them really helped to settle my nerves.

Then there is this first week of actual school. My class list is as follows:

Small Animal Gross Anatomy
Microscopic Anatomy
Cell Physiology
Principles of Surgery
Animals, Society and Vets (Continuation of COLE through our 3rd)
Animal Handling and Ag. Animal Orientation

Electives:
International Vet Medicine
Colic Team

So far in anatomy we have studied the bones of the thoracic (front) limb. Today we started dissecting our cadavers. We are working on learning the origin and insertion of the muscles of the thoracic limb.

In micro anatomy lab we spend our time looking under a microscope. This week we have been looking for parts of the cell in different tissues.

Cell physiology has no lab. In class we are learning about DNA/RNA replication, transcription, translation, etc.

Principles of surgery is once a week with a lab every other week. I have not had my lab yet, but my classmates have said the lab was fun working on gowning up while keeping sterile, suturing and learning the various instruments.

Animals, society and vets is an interesting class. It is kind of a break from all the intense vet learning and focusing on important topics in veterinary medicine and working on our communication skills. We start various readings next week.

Animal handling and Ag. animal orientation sounds like great fun. We basically had an introduction to what the class is and we start labs next week. We have labs within the various clinical areas such as Small Animal, Equine, Ag animal and veterinary teaching hospital orientation. We get oriented to the hospital because we have badges which allow us total access to all the buildings of the vet school.

Today I watched a student put a catheter in a calf, nothing new for me to see, but good to see how they do things differently around here.

The International Vet Med class is pretty fun. It is during our lunch hour so we pretty much listen to a lecture on opportunities abroad or Animal-Human issues abroad while eating lunch.

Tomorrow I have colic team for my lunch elective. We will see what that entails. I hope we do have some colic cases this semester so I can learn from them, but then again any colic cases is a bad thing because someone has to go through that experience with their horse.

Tomorrow is also the club BBQ where I can sign up for clubs and see just how busy I can be this semester!

All in all I'm enjoying every minute I am here. A little sleep deprived, but not too much yet. Once I get my schedule down I will be working hard but loving it!

The Start of the Vet School 4-Year Run

I WILL be better about posting, especially since I will hopefully have some great stories going through school! First post has to have this weird video that the vet school e-mailed to all the students. It's not really funny, but it is interesting. Enjoy!

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/6868901/

Update!

1. I'm in vet school, barring some disaster where I fail Biochem. I've only received one packet from them, so not sure if I should be worried or not lol.

2. I am working part time for the 4-H extension office as a "Clerical Assistant III" AKA anything the rest of the staff doesn't want to do...yeah that's me. I've determined I'm office or "four walls" claustrophobic when it comes to working. Plus who wants to be inside on such beautiful spring days?

3. I am again working for Ore Grade, Inc. I've got to work with manners on a two-year-old gelding and the two yearlings (foals last year) that I halter broke. I've also got to retrain a quarter horse that is off the track. Should be an interesting experience.
I've got to come up with a nickname for the yearling. He is light on his front feet (basically he likes to rear and/or strike).

That's all for now!

The Crazy Life

So I forgot the most important part of why I posted last. Thanks Christy for reminding me! I have an interview with Washington State University for vet school. This process has been so long and I've still got a long way to go, but this is a nice little boost. The whole thing starts in October, applications are due the first week of October. I had heard from three of the other schools (Colorado State University- will know about an interview the end of this month, University of California-Davis - will know of an interview in February, University of Pennsylvania - can be notified of an interview two weeks in advance all the way through March) but I had not heard a word from WSU until I got the letter the other day.

Also, last night I got to participate in the best family tradition. We pick a family in need and then do the "12 days of Christmas" to them. Last night was the fifth day so we did a couple of pineapples (they can be cut into golden rings :) ). I had to deliver last nights, usually dad and the young men do it because he is young men's president. Of course it is not easy, they have a window right by the door so I could only place it on the front porch. Plus they have a motion sensor light, but I think they are honoring our first night wishes to not try and catch your "pixie friends because they are small and their hearts couldn't handle a scare". Still gets your heart going when the light comes on!

Winter is here!

And I want out! I know people say they like four seasons, but is there anywhere where they aren't quite as extreme?! Granted we do not have the Wyoming wind, but snow, rain, freezing rain and sleet all in one day? Whew. So three of the Thoroughbreds are down in New Mexico, I'm not sure how they are doing, but I hope it's great!

I've posted some fun pictures, so enjoy!

McGee the Papillion, the picture is from last year, but it's festive


Two time Horse of the Year Curlin


Who totally would not want to stick their dog in a pillow case, it's only natural right?

Bad ear hair day for McGee, static and Papillions don't mix well

An elk I saw on the way to my grandparents, here they are a nuisance

We released these little gals (& guys?) in the spring on

Bet on the Bay, or little miss temper as I nicknamed her, she's still here in WA got hurt

The handsome devil Trigg. A Lapponian Herder puppy.

My horses are all becoming racehorses!

Only one of my four T-Breds that I broke was able to get on the trailer. I was not there and they had some problems (not on the horse end, more on the handler end). I have had to work with one of them because she is now afraid of the trailer. Anyways, the rest are leaving after Thanksgiving. Woohoo!

Got a notification that my little Devil Child (my favorite 'evil' foal from KY the first time) had his first official workout. Hopefully soon he will be racing! He will be three next year.

My life right now consists of a two hour round trip to school each day. I have not heard from any of the vet schools I have applied to in regard to an interview. Apparently I will not know until next year. I applied to four schools: Colorado State University, Washington State University, University of California-Davis and University of Pennsylvania. I am still working on a backup plan if I do not get into school!