Case: Cauda Equina Syndrome

Thank you to Thea Madill from St. George's University for sharing not one but TWO great pieces as part of our Cases and Abstracts category!  What a thorough and interesting case work-up - take a look!

A 3-year-old FS Great Dane was presented for orthopedic evaluation to further work-up the complaint of a chronic progressive hind limb weakness. Aside from this weakness, that was more notably reported when walking up and down stairs, she was behaving normal at home. On dynamic evaluation, she had an evidently ataxic gait in the hind limbs, and some urine dribbling was noted but initially thought to be due to excitement. On observation of her hindlimbs, her toenails were significantly shorter and appearing filed down in comparison to the forelimbs. She appeared painful when palpating her vertebrae moving caudally towards her tail and upon palpation of the lumbosacral joint, she let out a loud yelp. She was also painful when her tail was lifted.  At this point in the exam, it became suspicious that she was seeing the wrong department, and was referred to see a neurologist. This long-standing unknown cause of weakness was later diagnosed on MRI as Lumbosacral Stenosis, or Cauda Equina Syndrome. Demonstrated in this MRI T2 weighted image is narrowing of the spinal canal at the level of the lumbosacral articulation.

COVID-Era Clinicals

Dermatology Externship
By: Amber White

Scratching, licking, and collar jingling. The things that keep us and our clients up at night, quite literally. As a proud dog mom to a very itchy and miserable Labrador retriever, I vowed to myself that I would do everything I could while in vet school to learn how to treat her and the numerous other pets that suffer from dermatological issues. I unfortunately did not receive much Veterinary Dermatology education while in pre-clinical years and was looking forward to studying under a Dermatologist during my clinical year. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to complete an externship in Atlanta, Georgia at the Veterinary Specialist of Atlanta-Dermatology specialty clinic. I was greeted with open arms and welcomed into the small but thriving dermatology practice ran by Dr. Mary Schick. Two licensed and dedicated veterinary technicians and a compassionate office manager helped make my experience at the clinic not only educational but also motivational. 

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February Environmental Tip of the Month

Thank you to our very own SAVMA Animal Wellbeing and Environmental Stewardship Committee for sharing their February Environmental Tip of the Month!!!

VIN Topic Rounds

Are you missing out on clinical rotations because of COVID-19? The VIN Student Team has you covered with Tuesday Topic Rounds.  During the month of February, join J. Scott Weese, DVM, DVSc, DACVIM (LAIM) for 30 minute, case-based sessions on Zoonotic Disease every Tuesday at 12ET. Everyone and all levels of experience are welcome. There will be time for Q&A and discussion following. The next session is Small Animal Zoonotic Cases on February 2, 2021 at 12 ET.

In this rounds:

• Discuss common and uncommon small animal zoonoses.
• Explore diagnostic, treatment, and management approaches.
• Learn through case-based discussion.

TO JOIN THE SESSION, LOG INTO THE VIN STUDENT CENTER AND CLICK THE GREEN BUTTON IN THE TOP RIGHT

The Veterinary Information Network (VIN) is here to help you as a vet student – especially during this worldwide pandemic. Membership is always free as a student!

Vet School Stress Relief: Canadian Edition

Canadian Vet School Fun, by Anastasia Missan 

From SAVMA’s Canadian Chapter: 

The Atlantic Veterinary College is SAVMA’s only Canadian chapter. Where vet students have to snow shoe to school to learn how to treat polar bears with broken paws, moose with foreign bodies and beavers with food allergies. Not really, but we wish. 

Regardless of where you go to vet school, you are sure to be extremely busy with endless midterms, countless finals, assignments, and too many classes to keep track of. But no matter how exhausted you are, it is important to take some time for you and have a bit of fun. 

Here at the Atlantic Veterinary College we do that in our own special way. Every January to the end of February we have a school wide broomball league tournament. Teams are based on classes, one team per class and as a result broomball is a very competitive sport amongst the three classes, with the winners receiving the highly celebrated broomball champion trophy.  

The rules are simple; score the ball into the opposing team’s net. The game is played on a hockey rink, with shoes instead of skates and brooms instead of hockey sticks. Helmets are a must. The result is a group of vet students running on ice, failing miserably and falling spectacularly.  For those two months the students at Atlantic Veterinary College have more bruises than spots on a Holstein. We might not all be the greatest athletes, but we do know how to have fun.