Veterinary Parasite

Ah, the joys of farm reproduction - a morning spent with an arm up a cow’s arse, followed by an afternoon watching a caesarean video…what could be better?  Well, lots of things do actually spring to mind, but as far as good practical experience goes, then this week has been excellent so far.  Admittedly there has only been one day so far!

One thing that really strikes me is how important the early years of anatomy and physiology really are.  Of course this is true in all areas of veterinary science, but reproduction really brings it together.  The anatomy of the reproductive tract is basic first year knowledge, long forgotten, but when you’re feeling mush in the back end of a cow, its importance suddenly hits home.  After a fair while of mindless groping, I’m “reasonably” certain I could feel uterus and ovaries, but I wouldn’t be putting any money on it!  A quick look over some anatomy notes tonight, however, and I can go into tomorrow 23.4 (approximately) times more confident!

The part which I really find satisfying is our therapeutic interventions, i.e. manipulating the oestrous cycle.  At first it can seem pretty complex - when should I give progesterone? How about prostaglandin? Why not GnRH?  As usual though, thinking back to second year reproductive physiology reveals the answers.   Simple questions, such as what would normally produce that hormone, at what time in the oestrous cycle, and what are its effects, are all that is needed to see the logic behind each treatment, and quickly build up a picture of what is appropriate and when.

All combined, it makes reproduction and interesting topic - it requires both knowledge of cold hard facts, but also an understanding of them, tied together with a knowledge of the drugs we have available to us, and how we can use them.  Most satisfying of all, it’s an area where a vet can really make a difference to a farm, even to the point of swinging it from a non-viable enterprise into a profitable one (hopefully not vice versa!), and knowing this makes it a really enjoyable way to spend your time!

Bloody hell this blogging lark is harder than it’s cracked up to be!  I came into it thinking I’d whip out a post once a day no problems, but then something comes along to eat every second of your time!  In this case, the time eater was the indubitable pleasure of equine out of hours week.  After starting with a 44 hour out of 48 weekend, work then continued at a mere 16 or so hours a day, so quite relaxing really.  Strangely, this meant that I spent every hour away from the hospital asleep, rather than blogging!

An unexpected nice side effect was getting to see lots of sunrises over the hospital, as well as some truly stunning night skies.  Being an idiot, I obviously didn’t have a camera with me, but I managed to snap one nice sunrise, complete with vapour trails, on my phone, so I present it here for your delectation!

Sunrise Over The Equine Hospital

This week I start with my farm rotations, commencing with herd health planning.  Today was a nice day out in the sunshine, blighted only by the task of getting a condition, lameness and cleanliness score, along with size, yield and rumen fill for over 100 cows!  Still, that’s the data collection phase over, time to see what magic I can work using the power of statistics!

While I was seeing practice over Easter, one of the cases I had responsibility for was an alpaca with a broken leg (contained within an external fixator!).  I have (well had) zero experience with camelids, to the point where I really didn’t know what to expect going to see him for the first time.  Of course, ’twas a joyous experience!  For those of you like me, alpacas are (we decided) a cross between sheep, guinea pigs and giraffes.  The sheep gives it the coat, the giraffe the long neck, and the guinea pig it’s amazing repertoire of noises!

I could regale you with an assortment of alpaca facts now, and despite the boredom it will probably induce in you, I’m going to:

• They have not one, not two, and not even four stomachs (stomach compartments if we’re being picky) - the alpaca has three
• The glandular part of the stomach, which only makes up about 20% of the third compartment, is very prone to ulceration, secondary to non-steroidal drugs, or stress.  So, while hospitalised, they are put on Omeprazole (a proton pump blocker) to reduce stomach acidity, and are always kept with a friend to reduce stress
• They have mainly cartilage instead of a nasal bone, so halters must be very well fitted to avoid suffocating them (they are obligate nasal breathers)
• To control an alpaca, you must control its head!
•  They are very prone to vomiting under anaesthesia

OK, that’s probably enough for now!  As you may have guessed, I was charmed and intrigued by my new alpaca friends - perhaps a career as an alpaca vet beckons?  Well I doubt it, as I don’t think I’d end up with that much work to do!

Just as a bonus, here’s a pic of my alpaca mates

Throughout my undergraduate career, I’ve bought a fair few textbooks, and referred to probably hundreds more. I’ve found that while most are generally good, there are some absolute crackers, and a few that are absolute rubbish. This is the start of several posts looking at books I’ve enjoyed using, starting with anatomy and physiology books.

Anatomy & Physiology

• Veterinary Anatomy - Dyce, Sack & Wensing
  • This is my bible of veterinary anatomy - it contains all you will ever need to know on the main species. It’s reasonably well laid out, although it divides things into a general overview, then species specific sections which I find unnecessary, and a touch confusing. It also goes into massive detail, so picking out clinically relevant details can be tricky, but in conjunction with lectures it’s ideal.
  • Definitely one to buy, you will use it all the way from first to final year.
• Guide to the Dissection of the Dog - Evans & de Lahunta
  • A great book for canine anatomy, with really descriptive advice on actual dissection technique. Anatomy-wise, it covers no more than Dyce, Sack & Wensing, but it has the added bonus of the dissection guide. I found it extremely useful during dissections, but have never really referred to it since.
  • Probably one to borrow from the library, or buy as a cheaper alternative to Veterinary Anatomy. Just try not to get it covered in blood!
• Principles of Anatomy & Physiology - Tortora & Grabowski
  • A human book, but really nicely laid out, with great pictures and excellent narrative. Some sections of it do become a little redundant in the veterinary world, and some of the clinical advice doesn’t hold true, but it is worth having as a physiology text.
  • I used this a lot in first and second year, and still occasionally look back to it. It’s relatively inexpensive, and well worth having on your shelf in my opinion
• Veterinary Reproduction - Noakes, Parkinson & England
  • I’ve included this here because it does have great sections on the normal physiology of reproduction, as well as being good for the clinical side of things. It was irreplaceable during reproduction lectures and tutorials, covering all the major species in good depth.
  • I used it a lot in second year, and it’s coming into its own again now. Expensive, but if you can afford it then definitely buy it.
• Horse Anatomy - A Pictorial Approach To Equine Structure
  • I’ve got a horse anatomy book on the way, just to work through as a bit of a refresher, and see things from another point of view. I’ll update this to a full review when it arrives and I’ve read it.

Many more sections to come as soon as I find the time to write them up! Also coming soon, some equine cutaneous neoplasms - fun fun fun!