My SAVMA Symposium Experience

Adam Silkworth, Ross University

Experiences, Entry

After spending the last 2 years on the Caribbean island of St. Kitts attending Ross University, the little snow that we received in Loveland, Colorado at the 2014 SAVMA Symposium was a welcome reminder of the world outside of the beaches and oceans that I had been currently living.

Traveling from such a long distance made the trip there in and of itself an adventure alone. We had to sprint through the Dallas airport, making our connection by mere seconds, due to our Miami connection being delayed. But not before we got Wendy’s in the Miami airport that we had all been talking about for days leading up to the trip.

We didn’t land in Denver until 11:10 p.m. the night before Symposium was to kick off and still had over an hour ride to the hotel. Let us not forget the time difference between the Caribbean and Colorado. By our body clocks, we didn’t land until 1:10 a.m. and arrive at the hotel until well after 2 a.m. Oh and did I mention that breakfast was at 6 a.m. No sleep ‘til Symposium!

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Chronic Quadriceps Contracture in an Adult Cat

Winner, Cases/Abstracts
Ashley Nichols, Ross

Cloe is my three-year-old, spayed, Domestic Short Hair, feline that was adopted in 2010 at the age of one. When Cloe was adopted from the shelter, she displayed a hind limb deformity. The right hind limb deformity resulted in a permanent extension of the right hind limb (Figure 1). It was suggested by the shelter that the “cat was abused or hit by a car prior to arrival.” Subsequently, I have not seen nor taken any radiographs of the right hind limb. Since 2010, there have been no clinically observable changes in the condition of the right hind limb and Cloe has been up to date on all medications, and vaccines. On December 17^th, 2012, Dr Paula A. Schuerer DVM saw Cloe as a new patient. She was seen for a physical exam and baseline radiographs.

Physical Examination

Cloe’s weight, 9 lbs, and body condition score (3.5/5) put her in the overweight category.  Nevertheless, with exception to abnormalities being in the muscular skeletal system, the rest of physical exam findings were within normal limits. Examination of Cloe’s movement demonstrated an abnormal gait. Yet, she had no difficulty in moving around the exam room, including an attempt to jump off the exam table. When in a sitting position, it was observed that Cloe’s right hind limb was in a fixed position and abnormally protruded from the body.

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The Water

Winner, Creative Corner
Tia Chambers, Ross University

ShipwreckBeach, St. Kitts, West Indies

The water...

… is quiet, serene, and crystal blue. The waves playfully slap the board as it glides through them…some even splash up and onto my toes. Wispy clouds swirl around in the sky like cotton candy and brown pelicans soar overhead searching for their evening meal. I use my body like a sail and the wind is my energy, filling me up…pushing me closer to the horizon. I taste the salt on my lips and feel it sticking to my skin as I slice through the sea with my oar. On the shoreline, caramel and black volcanic sands mix and swirl together in the surf. Tiny hermit crabs scramble away from the water onto a few black rocks, peeking out from the sandy bank. Further inland, the tropical green, leafy vegetation thickens. Palms sway and play in the clean air, while some distance away a cactus stands at attention. The mongoose slithers into the darkness as I glide past his refuge. Time seems to stand still. I anchor my small vessel and stand up tall, reaching for the wispy clouds…breathing in deeply. Then I exhale and swan dive down to touch my toes. I hear the birds chirping their sleepy songs as I stretch…balance…relax into my surroundings. As the sun sinks into the sea, vibrant colors of the heavens begin to appear…a honeysuckle yellow mixes with a flamboyant red…violet, lavender, and magenta kiss the clouds goodnight as the stars start twinkling their tiny beacons onto the water…it is quiet and serene and crystal blue.

…paddle board yoga

experienced by tia…