A New Direction

By: Elizabeth Wormley

Iowa State University, Class of 2011

My name is Elizabeth, and I am now addicted to shelter medicine…

No joke; I couldn't have asked for a better start to clinics. My two week externship at the Nebraska Humane Society was unparalleled on many levels - knowledge gained, hands-on practice, and working with a great team. I've always been fond of population medicine - I enjoy laboratory animal medicine, and I was the president of the ISU Feral Cat Alliance program this last year. Working with a wide variety of species has always been of great importance to me, and I found that shelter medicine allows me to do just that. Many think shelter medicine = mass spays and neuters. Perhaps at some smaller shelters, this is the case. But at many shelter facilities (including NHS), there is FAR more going on, and great medicine is being practiced. Just a few of the things I experienced:

• Placing surgical staples in a laceration on a dog's face
• Daily medicated bandage changes on a dog with a thermal/chemical burn
• Removing an ammunition pellet from a cat shoulder
• Dental exams and extractions
• Physical exams on animals rescued from a fire
• Physical exams on reptiles, amphibians, avians, and other exotics
• Visualized and diagnosed corneal ulceration in a cat
• Observed tail amputations and limb amputations
• Observed a kitten with pectus excavatum
• Performed over 60 spays and neuters

Beside performing surgery and helping the veterinary technicians with medical rounds, I had the opportunity to shadow/assist in the assessment/intake process, the behavior evaluation (which all animals receive), the adoption floor, and ride along with an animal control officer. I was also able to foster two semi-feral kittens for a week to work on socialization and gaining weight. It was quite apparent through each of these services that NHS practices quality medicine. Their pricing schemes for animals are also set-up in a manner that many other shelters would behoove following.

I would highly recommend this experience to anyone remotely considering shelter medicine as a career, or at least to get a better appreciation for all they do.

For more information, visit: http://www.nehumanesociety.org

Oh, and the experience wouldn't have been complete if I didn't come home with a new addition to the farm…