"Dexter"

Kelsey Daroca, LSU

Creative Corner

"Dexter" - chalk pastel pencils

Never underestimate the.... what?

Katherine Baldwin, Western University

Foot in Mouth Disease

     As first year vet students on clinical rotations, there are many things that you are not very comfortable doing.  When asked to express the anal glands on a tiny Chihuahua while never having done it before, it is understandable why some students would have hesitated.  The supervising clinician offered some unforgettable words of comfort and encouragement when he said, “It will be OK - never underestimate the elasticity of the anal sphincter.” 

Pou Sante

Sarah Colmer, UPenn

Experiences, Honorable Mention

         It was June of 2014 and the small propeller plane being masterfully guided through scenic mountains and amidst the borders of sparking Caribbean coast contained 13 veterinary students from the University of Pennsylvania, myself included, and one veterinarian from England. We are part of an organization known as Pou Sante: Amar Haiti – translating from Haitian Creole to mean “for health,” and the health of the livestock and farmers is our focus. After fundraising during the year through school events and the generous hearts of donors, we made our trek to Thibeau, a small Haitian village which would be our headquarters for veterinary work for two weeks. We noted the stunning natural beauty of the landscape from our position in the clouds, curious as to the variety of animals and people alike that we would come across on the beautiful island below us. Our plane landed gracefully in the blaring sun on the tarmac lined with looming palm trees. It was a beautiful setting in which to accomplish our goals.

Our journey had two main focuses: one was a mobile clinic to take care of the immediate needs of local farmers. We went to three different villages and held six days of clinics where people came form far and wide with their cattle, goats, horses, dogs, cats and pigs in tow. We would start our morning in a schoolyard-turned-hospital at 8 AM to the cacophonous sounds of mooing, bleating, barking and whinnying. We opened our gate to a long line of conscientious villagers who understood the importance of the health of their animals and wanted to learn how they could improve their own farming and veterinary techniques. We provided full physical exams, vaccinations, treatment for internal and external parasites, and assessed pregnancies. We dispensed advice with the help of a phenomenal translator, conducted interviews about farming practices, and chatted and laughed with the farmers and their children.

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The Cake Baker

Mélissa De Lombaert, University of Wisconsin

Creative Corner

We love all types of entries here at the Creative Corner!!

Farm Cake

Pirate Ship

The Painted Dogs of Africa

Sarah Bonnar, UC Davis

Experiences, Honorable Mention

SAVMA's IVEC Individual Scholarship Winner

Painted Dog Research Website

      The painted dogs of Africa are strange and fascinating animals. Classified as Lycaon pictus, they are the only surviving members of the Lycaon genus; their behavior, biology, and physiology is unique among extant canid species. I’ve been captivated by the struggle of this beautiful and reclusive endangered species since I was a child, and this summer—with help from SAVMA’s IVEC Individual Scholarship, and the U.C. Davis ICC Travel Grant, without which this trip would not have been possible—I had the opportunity to spend a month working for the Painted dog Research Trust in Zimbabwe. My internship was hosted and guided by Dr. Gregory Rasmussen, the founder of the longest-running research project on Painted dogs in Zimbabwe.

As a PDRT Research Intern, I was responsible for aiding in tracking, pack monitoring, fecal sampling, and darting operations. One of the most exciting parts of the trip was when I had the opportunity to aid in the location of an entirely new pack of Painted dogs in the Fuller Forest area of Zimbabwe; this type of wildlife work was entirely new to me, and the opportunity to contribute to such an important and delicate operation was amazing, both in how it contributed to my professional education and goals, and in the personal impact working hands-on with the dogs had upon me.

We spent several days tracking the dogs back to their den. Following a tip from a local forest service tracker, patiently and slowly traversed the bumpy roads deep into the Fuller Forest area, scouring the dust for spoor. I had the chance to learn from the highly skilled PDRT staff and trackers;

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