Nearly-Dr Ferox

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Kitten Invaders
2008-04-04 13:18:00
I apologize for my slack posting this week, but sometimes work gets ontop of me and I just get buried under all the things I have to do, instead of the things I wantto do. That level of work, and the stress that comes with it, can really get you down. Fortunately, my day was saved by two furry invaders who snuck through my slightly ajar door. There are a few kittens living in Kendal Hall at the moment, being hand-raised by a student after their mother died in the clinic. I don’t know their names, or even if they have any yet, but they’re a semi-familiar site scampering around the hallways or sneaking into the dining room. Their antics really made my day when I was desperately trying to get work done,a nd really just needed a distraction. (more…)
More About: Kitten

Marijuana Poisoning in Dogs and Cats
2008-04-01 12:26:00
It happens. For some reason, dogs and cats show up in emergency clinics from time to time with signs of marijuana toxicity. Sometimes pets are present when this drug is being smoked and become intoxicated and overdose that way. dogs have been known to eat pipe cleanings or joints, but usually they’ve eaten some hash cookies or hash brownies when someone is trying to get rid of the evidence. You might think that a drug like this would be ‘fun’ for the dog or cat, and I know stoners who are adamant that the cat deliberately walks through their puffs of smoke, but I’m not convinced. The animal isn’t going to know what to expect or what’s going on, and marijuana toxicity is very traumatic for them. (more…)
More About: Dogs , Cats , Marijuana

Little Old Me?
2008-03-30 14:19:00
I found out recently that I was nominated for the Blogger’s Choice Awards. I had never heard of these before, but as I understandi t they ar essentially like the Oscars, but for Blogs. I was nominated for the Best Animal Blogger category, and voting runs all year. If you think I deseve a vote, please go ahead and register so that you can vote. You can also nominate your other favourite blogs or vote for them in other categories too.

Melbourne Aquarium Work Experience
2008-03-29 06:10:00
This past week I’ve been lucky enough to be doing vet work experience with the veterinarian who treats the inhabitants of Melbourne Aquarium , Dr Rob Jones. I’ve been following him around this last week, and on Friday was lucky enough to spend part of my time in Melbourne Aquarium. It’s Dr Jones’ responsibility to provide veterinary care for all the fish, crustaceans, reptiles, and soon birds (penguins coming soon) that are both on display and behind the scenes. The most impressive of these inhabitants are the sharks that glide lazily around the oceanarium. Every now and then, the divers catch one of the sharks out (see above photo) for an examination and blood tests. And I got to be there and take photos! (more…)
More About: Work , Experience

Herriot Syndrome
2008-03-27 05:34:00
When I started work experience this week, I was talking to the veterinarian who was supervising me. “So, do you want to work with just small animals then?” - the Vet “Actually, I haven’t yet made up my mind. I quite like all species.” - Me “Huh, that’s unusual. Most students have already made up there mind that it’s going to be all small animals by the time they come here.” - the Vet “… They have?” - Me I didn’t realise that so many of my fellow students would have already made up their mind about which careers they intend to follow in veterinary medicine. Obviously there have been some fanatics that had decided when they were 6 years old that they wanted to do horses and only horses, but that’s not me. In fact, I’m left wondering if I have Herriot Syndrome . (more…)

Found: One Easter Bunny
2008-03-25 10:32:00
On Monday morning a client at the Dandenong Veterinary Hospital rang to say that she had found the Easter Bunny . She had, I’m not joking. I big, white, rabbit (see above) was found hoping around her backyard. They spent the day trying to catch it and see if it would eat, before bringing him in to the vet clinic on Monday morning. We scanned him for a microchip and didn’t find one (didn’t expect to either), and kept him until today when we had to surrender him to the council pound. We had been hoping that somebody would ring, asking if we had found a rabbit. He’s very friendly, quite take, and loves his broccoli! I’m really hoping that his owner manages to find him. If you know someone who lives near Dandenong (Melbourne) and has lost their rabbit this Easter, please urge them to call the vet clininc or the council. He’s such a sweet bunny, I hate to think what might happen if he’s not reunited with his owner or adopted.
More About: Easter Bunny

I still cry for cats
2008-03-24 09:50:00
 Euthanasia is part of being a Veterinarian. It’s something we have to do, even though it’s unpleasant and emotions run high. Death is part of life and if you take responsibility for an animal during it’s life, then you have to realise how that responsibility will ultimately end. I’ve performed euthanasia for rabbits, rats and wild birds. I’ve been present for euthanasia of dogs and cats. You do start to lose emotion after seeing a few of them, and my heart really goes out to the owners who clearly felt so strongly about their animal, but I still shed a tear for the cats. (more…)
More About: Cats

Parasites in Meat
2008-03-22 04:02:00
 I mentioned in a previous post that there are a variety of parasitic cysts that may be present in the meat that we eat. I don’t mean to make you paranoid about enjoying a nice rare steak, because in modern production systems these aren’t that common. They become more common in free range animals, as do all parasites. Parasites infect all sorts of organs in an animal, but there are only a few groups which infect muscle specifically. They are the Trichinella species and the Cestodes (tapeworms). Some of these can infect you, and some of them might make you feel sick. (more…)
More About: Meat

Surpirse! It’s a Tiger!
2008-03-19 15:00:00
Somethings take you completely by surprise. On Friday the 14th of March a buzz flowed through the corridors of Melbourne University: There’s a TIGER in the post mortem room! It goes without saying that several students, including myself, crowded around the window of the post mortem room to see for ourselves. We do autopsies as part of our 3rd year, but we consider ourselves lucky to get a cow or horse on the table, a tiger is something on the next level entirely. (more…)
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BAG’s Fugly Formal
2008-03-18 15:00:00
  Last Thursday was another massive college organised drinking event with a theme: BAG’s Fugly Formal . BAG is our Bovine Appreciation Group, and traditionally this event is a B&S ball with a cattle theme. There was a 4-legged race (aka the bull run), bobbing for apples in lube, a cow & calf drinking competition and the Irongut eating contest. Much fun for everyone, and now at least half of us know exactly what obstetrical lubricant tastes like. Everyone dressed up in their best ‘Fugly’ outfit for the event, fully aware that it was likely to get covered in dust, drink and lube. Rectal gloves were a recurring theme, because they have one hundred and one uses at an event like this. (more…)

Microchip Myths
2008-03-17 15:00:00
 Most pet owners in the western world will have heard about microchipping their pets so that if their animal is lost or stolen, it can be returned to them. Many councils around the world now require pets to be microchiped before registration, and have legislated which microchips can and cannot be used. However, there are a few myths and misunderstandings about these devices circulating. Most people microchip their pets in the belief that if their animal wanders, it can be located and returned. In fact, the chip is not some sort of GPS or tracking device: it is a passive radio transmitter that only emits a number when activated by the chip reader. To be returned to you, your pet has to be actually found and scanned.  Your contact details must also have been entered into a database, otherwise the shelters may find your pet, and find the chip, but won’t be able to find you. Currently only 30% of dogs and 3% of cats are returned home from shelters. (more…)
More About: Myths

Rite of Passage
2008-03-14 15:00:00
 For vet students, your first rectal exam is very much a rite of passage. Other people joke around about it, but it’s a milestone for vet students. “You put your hands up a cow’s bum? That’s gross!” - quote from average Joe. Horse, in this case, rather than cow, and the whole arm, not just the hand. As a first year student one looks to this moment with a sense of anticipation because it’s one of those feats that brand you as a genuine veterinary student, and not just someone with too much homework and no social life. (more…)

All About Pets: social networking site for pet owners.
2008-03-12 15:19:00
  For all you pet owners out there, I’d like to bring to your attention a fairly new networking site for pet owners and their pets; All About Pets . It has forums, articles, leaflets and will let you create profiles for you and your pets. It also lets you join clubs and groups online. It’s run by the Blue Cross, a major pet charity in the UK, and is intended to help pet owners find useful information and meet other people with similar interests. I’m on there as Ferox, and drop by the forum every week to reply to posts and generally be helpful. I suggest you have a look and see if you like it. The URL for you: http://www.allaboutpets.org.uk
More About: Social , Social Networking , Networking , Site

Horse Anaesthesia
2008-03-10 15:00:00
Horses are dangerous animals to work with: Dangerous to you, dangerous to your equipment and dangerous to themselves. Not only are they dangerous, but they’re very expensive so you have to take the best care you possibly can. This presents some difficulties when knocking a horse out for surgery. The bigger they are, the harder they fall, and if they fall hard they might hurt themselves, which will upset the horse owner. They’re allso heavy, and if they lie on their side or back for too long they may squash their muscles and become temporarily lame, or just not breathe. This also upsets horse owners. It can be scary when a horse goes down for an anaesthetic if you don’t know what to expect, so we got to see several horses being knocked out with different anaesthetics. I made a video for you if you want to see. Be warned, the 3rd horse was a bit of a surprise! (more…)
More About: Horse

Should Veterinarians Eat Meat?
2008-03-08 02:00:00
At some point in every vet’s life, they wonder for a moment about whether or not they should continue eating meat. Some made the decision to become vegetarian or vegan long ago, others only begin to consider a change of diet after seeing a particularly off-putting piece of surgery or pathology specimen. As it happens, vets are in a unique position to make a fully educated decision about whether or not they should be eating meat. We are well educated on the physiological, emotional, practical, moral and health reasons on both sides of the argument. Everyone makes their own decision, but there’s always someone out there who says “But you treat animals! How can you eat them too? You monster!” The old “Treat your patient/Eat your patient” dilemma is a tired one. Most vets are capable of discerning the difference between the cat you treated this morning and the lamb you’re having for dinner. It’s a simple fact that not all animals are the s...
More About: Meat

The Barn Dance
2008-03-06 02:00:00
 Last week was orientation week for all the 1st year vet students. It didn’t affect us in Werribee very much because it was our third week back at Uni, but on Thursday we spied them being shown around our campus, peeking in on us as we went about our day. There was a touch of nostalgia seeing them; I can remember how excited I was to finally be in Veterinary Science, I couldn’t wait to get into it. I had lost some of that keenness during the two pre-clinical years in Parkville, but the enthusiasm returned swiftly at the beginning of this year. The big event though, is the Barn Dance . I know, it sounds corny to anyone who hasn’t been there and understood. While it’s largely an event to welcome the new first years and give them a a chance to be silly and socialise, it’s also a chance for students in other years to do the same, and catch up with friends who have stayed back and are now in different year levels for whatever reason. (more…)

Handling Birds
2008-03-04 02:00:00
 We are supposed to graduate from this course as fully competent veterinarians who know how to handle their patients at least as well as their owners, whatever they are. Dogs, cats, horses, pigs, sheep, rabbits, mice, rats, ferrets, alpacas and all the rest should be handled with skill. This includes birds. Unfortunately, on the way to becoming competent, skilled veterinarians, we go through a bumbling, incompetent stage. And if you’re incompetent at handling a bird, it flies away. (more…)
More About: Birds

Daredevil Intestines
2008-03-02 02:40:00
They’re long, slinky, active, and always trying to keep things moving. They’re intestines and they’re probably the biggest daredevils you’ll find, when it comes to organs, as they’re often trying new positions that put themselves (and the body that they’re in) into danger. Okay, I’ll concede that perhaps I am being a little overdramatic (and anthromorphonic) but the intestines do have a lot of movement and they do push themselves into positions which threaten to cut of their blood supply on a surprisingly frequent basis. Hernias, torsions, volvulus and intussusceptions- the intestines will give any position a go. Apparently, it does it just for kicks. (more…)
More About: Daredevil

What are Sutures made Of?
2008-02-29 02:00:00
 Have you ever wondered what it is that sutures are made from? What is it that holds the body together after the surgeon has gone in and cut things up? You probably haven’t wondered, but I’m going to tell you about them anyway because they’re actually kind of interesting. (more…)
More About: Made

There’s something about Pathologists……
2008-02-27 02:00:00
 Pathologists are a special breed of person. They’re the ones who cheer for the monster in horror films. They were probably the sort of kids that would pull spaghetti out of their nose at dinner too. They’re just those sort of people. They have a few funny habits that both frustrate and amuse both the veterinary students, practicing veterinarians and other normal people that they have to deal with. Most of them could have become human forensic scientists if they had wanted to, but rather than seeing all the horrific things people do to each other,they get to see all the weird and wonderful (but unfortunate) things that happen to animals, and keep the interesting bits in pots to be trotted out on special occasions.   As a profession, they’re full of quirks. As individuals, they’re full of quotes. So without further ado, here’s a list of the quirks and quotes I’ve collected over the last year or so. Enjoy. They’re forever using food metaph...

My First Surgery
2008-02-25 02:00:00
 I cut into a living animal for the first time on Friday the 22nd of February. I had been looking forward to finally being able to perform a procedure on a live animal rather than a cadaver, but was surprised at how quickly training and preparation take over, and how little amazement I felt when actually working in a living animal. The stress of the situation quickly takes over, and you become very focused on the tasks you must accomplish within the time limit. I found that I only spend a brief moment thinking “Wow, look how strong the pulse is in the mesenteric vessel!” and didn’t really have a great appreciation of the fact that the dog was still alive until the end of the class when it came time to put it to sleep. (more…)
More About: Surgery

Needlestick Injury
2008-02-22 14:00:00
We get warned. They say ‘Don’t stick yourself with a needle, although you probably all will.” At this point one thinks “But I am an intelligent, coordinated Veterinary Science student. I’m not going to be so stupid as to stick myself with a needle! It’s not hard to use, the pointy end goes into the patient!” What we inevidably don’t think is: Perhaps they give the same warning to every year level and it still happens. So when it does happen and you do stick yourself with a needle, you feel like such a dufus. (more…)
More About: Injury

Pyometra
2008-02-20 14:00:00
You’ve probably all heard about why it’s better for an animal to be speyed young, rather than waiting for them to reach maturity. It is much safer for a female animal to be desexed while she is immature, as the ovaries and uterus are much smaller and have a reduced blood supply compared to a mature animal, which means her surgery will be faster, less dangerous, and have a smaller incision producing a quicker recovery. The second half of this post contains photos of surgery and canine organs. If you are squeamish and don’t want to look, then don’t click in the ‘read more’ link. Pyometra is an infection of the uterus. It tends to occur in entire, female dogs over 6 years of age, but is also reasonably common in younger female dogs who have been given estrogens to cause abortion. Why you’d give a dog a drug to induce abortion if you didn’t want her breed rather than speying her is beyond me, but people do it. Pyometra can be fatal. The ut...

First Impressions of Kendall Hall
2008-02-18 14:00:00
I’ve had a week to settle in to Kendall hall, and I have to say that I love living there! I’ve finally had a change to upload some of my moving photos, so you can see what it’s like. This is my packed car, ready for the long trip to the Werribee campus. It looks quite full, but no matter how much stuff you put into a car, you’re always going to forget something. In my case, I forgot to consider the fact that although February is traditionally the hottest month of the year, it mightactually get cold. I should have taken a doona and more jumpers with me. The rooms at Kendall Hall aren’t too bad actually. My room is smaller than my one at home, but still quite comfortable. There’s a surprising amount of cupboard space, which I’ve taken full advantage of. It’s kind of noisy at night - not because of my fellow students, but because we’re close to the highway and the train tracks, so we can hear all of the traffic noise at night. So...
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SHAG Toga Party
2008-02-15 14:00:00
Last Thursday (February 14th) was the annual ‘SHAG Toga Party ’, the first social event in a veterinary student’s calender for the year. It’s a chance for all the 3rd and 4th year students to get together, drink alcohol on campus, get to know each other, and most importantly, wear togas! We all knew that the SHAG Toga Party was coming, but it took some of us 3rd years by surprise- we hadn’t brought a toga with us when we moved into Kendall Hall! Luckily, a bedsheet can quickly be converted into a toga if the need arises. Some people put a lot of effort into their costumes: Others, not so much: But it was a great night, with many important lessons learned, including how not to trust with a camera. (Hint: Me!) (more…)

Foot and Mouth Disease
2008-02-13 04:34:00
 Foot and Mouth Disease is one of those viruses that tends to get a lot of media attention when there’s an outbreak in particular counties, such as the UK. Will all the fuss and images of burning carcasses, you may be forgiven for thinking that Foot and Mouth Disease is a deadly virus that kills many creatures, or perhaps is a health concern, or something along those lines. The facts about this disease, which often aren’t well explained in the media is that it’s rarely deadly, doesn’t hurt humans and is a common virus in many regions of the world where you never hear of thousands of animals being culled because of Foot and Mouth Disease. You might have noticed a discrepancy there. Thousands of animals are killed and burned because of Foot and Mouth outbreaks in places like Europe, but the disease itself isn’t deadly? Why would this be? (more…)

The Stolen Laptop
2008-02-11 06:07:00
“Remember to lock your door. You’re living in the western suburbs of Melbourne now, you have to lock your door.”  Some people choose to ignore good advice, others simply forgot to pack their common sense. It was the day before classes started at the Veterinary Faculty’s Werribee campus. A collection of 3rd and 4th year students were eagerly moving in before their first dinner at Kendal Hall, anxiously anticipating the quality of food that the college would provide. We happily chatted away with our peers, some of whom we hadn’t seen for months, about what we’d done on out holidays and all the hideous diseases, wounds and conditions we’d witnessed. (This is normal dinnertime conversations for vets and vet students, although it seems to put the rest of the population off their food). After dinner at six my friends and I retired to the largest bedroom we had between us to play cards. It was a little more than an hour later that one of my more forgetful friends, for the p...
More About: Laptop , Stolen

Packed and ready to go.
2008-02-10 02:21:00
Today’s the day I move into the college at Werribee. I have to admit, it’s very excitingand I’m a bit paranoid about not forgetting anything. I’ve packed books, bedding, clothes, lab coat, scrubs, boots, some food, cups and a jug (for water). I don’t have a fridge yet, but I plan to measure my room so that I know how small it has to be. I also packed my stethoscpe, but can’t for the life of me locate my thermometer. Oh well, I’m sure it will turn up. The car’s absolutely full, and I haven’t stuffe in last year’s notes yet, so it’s going to be an interesting drive down. I’m looking forward ot it a lot though. Expect to see osme photos soon.
More About: Ready

Rat Poison
2008-02-08 14:00:00
Early this afternoon a lady rushed into the clinic with her little terrier, who had eaten half a block of rat poison. Fortunately for this dog, the owner had quickly realised what it was eating, and rushed to the vets. We induced vomiting by pouring washing crystals down its throat (very effective) and gave it a shot of vitamin K. Rat poisons are designed to be tasty so that rats will eat them. This means that they’re also tasty to other mammals, such as dogs and humans. Most baits are Vitamin K analogues, which prevent the vitamin from activating clotting factors in the blood and causing the animal to bleed to death. Older rat poisons were sometimes made compounds which had the same action as vitamin D, but due to the deaths of some children these rat poisons are no longer produced in Australia. (more…)
More About: Rat Poison , Poison

PayPerPost: some spare cash at college
2008-02-08 12:26:00
It’s always hard for a student to earn enough money while at University, especially at my age when it seems like everyone is turning 21, and I have to get a present for all of them. To try to ease the financial pain of college, I recently signed up with payperpost, and hopefully will be able to earn a little more off this blog, because quite frankly Adsense doesn’t cut it.  In principle, the program pays me to review other sites or products on this blog, and each of these sponsored posts will have a little button at the bottom, so you know if it was paid for or not. I know my topic is very specific and specialised, so you’ll only hear about things that are actually relevant from me. Blogging about holidays homes on a Vet student blog is a bit silly and doesn’t interest me one bit. I can also be hired directly, if an advertiser would like me to make a post about them specifically on this blog. There’s a little brown button in the sidebar that says &lsq...
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