Last day in Ripon!

Today was my last day of my last farm animal placement of the summer! It started off a bit slow because I got home so late last night I wasn't really able to get a hold of a vet to go with in the morning. But I ended up getting grabbed to go to the farm where we bandaged the calfs' leg to see about that cow that had the dead calf in her. After a lot of huffing and puffing from the vet, an eye hook and lots and lots of lube we weren't making any progress so they decided that she was just going to be sent up the road. It was pretty minging, and I pretty much smelled like death the rest of the day. Then we went to a call about a sheep with bloat which turned out to be a massive belly full of fluid. We ended up putting her to sleep, not really something you do much with sheep, but she was really ill. At the same place we also sort of saw an alpaca with a skin condition  but he was being a dick so we couldn't really do much. I think I definitely could go the rest of my life without having to deal with those things again. Then we went back to the practice where I saw a few more game bird PMs. Then we went to go see a LDA. Then I came back to the practice and was done! This summer has gone by so fast it's nuts! 

And Where is the Lung Field on a Pig?

Today was a really busy day! I started out going on a routine visit which was pretty standard, a good amount of the cows were in calf so that was good! Then we had a bit of a break before a bunch of tups came in for fertility testing. We were ticking away at them when the newest vet, who just graduated, grabbed me to help her go and splint its leg. He was super cute and had a deviation of his carpus so we splinted it to help it grow straight. Then the farmer came over and said while we were there could we look at this cow that had a dead calf that had been treated to induce parturition the previous day. The vet had a hand in but her cervix was still not terribly dilated and with a dead calf its hard to get them straight and out, so we called for reinforcements. When the other vet arrived he had a hand in a decided that it hadn't been long enough for the drugs to work and that we ought to give her some more time, sort of anticlimactic but best for the cow. Then when I got back we went right back out again to PD 4 cows and look at a bull with pneumonia. That call then turned into us getting another call to go and see about a pig! It was basically a backyard pig at this super swanky restaurant that is Michelin starred and they grow all their own produce! It was a really cool place, I'm sure super expensive though! And it was certainly something different to attempt to examine a pig. It clearly had respiratory issues but I couldn't hear anything, let alone even be confident where its lung field even was! Then we got another call on the way back from that place that there was a dead calf that neeeded calving at another farm. This one we just gave some drugs and then the vet is going to look at her in the morning to see how best to proceed because we didn't want to give her anything with a significant withdrawal period in case he wants to send her down the road if we can't get this calf out. Then finally we got back to the practice at 8! It was certainly my longest day, but I got to see a lot of new stuff so that was good, though I'm quite tired!

Do I Fell Sheepish?

Today started off being pretty slow but actually turned into a pretty interesting day! I started the day chilling upstairs for kind of a while, but I needed to finish up some EMS stuff and work on my CV so I was kept fairly occupied. Then one of the vets came and said that she had a job for me to do, so I followed her downstairs. Turns out it was to do a faecal egg count, so I spent the morning playing with poop. Still it was something to do, plus its always nice to practice things like that. Afterwards we did some PMs on game pheasants because 25 of them had just dropped dead. So we went in search of what was killing them. Though the vet killed one right there, which was not the most pleasant thing to see, but thats pretty common. We took some samples and there was coccidia, but not much else. We were hoping to see Hexamita, a protozoan parasite, but alas there was none. Then I went with one of the nurses to a farm that I was at last week to do some tup testing. Those poor boys didn't know what hit them, literally. They were a little worse for wear when we were finished with them, but to be fair they only have 1 job and if they aren't up to task then there's little point in keeping them around. Then we went to another farm just down the road to fertility test a bull. Much easier than the tups for sure! By the time we were back it was 6, so that was me for the day! So it turned into a fairly full day and got to see some stuff I hadn't seen yet, pretty cool!

Those Eggos Are Prego!

Today was a fairly busy day and I got to see some cool stuff! First we went to do a routine visit where the farmer had 100% fertility! So not much for me to do, but good for the farmer! Then we went to go and harvest some eggs from some cows that are then going to be fertilized and then implanted into some heifers that are there. It was so cool! Thats definitely something I've never seen before and it was really cool! I also got to run the flush machine! And then I got to see an oocyte under the scope! So that was pretty cool! Then I went to go and PD some heifers and I was right about them being pregnant, woot! Though I legit smell like cow right now, even post shower.

Officially going to NZ 5th year!!!

I'm going to NZ to do dairy work in October of 5th year! So stoked! Thats pretty much all thats exciting here at the moment. It was a bank holiday weekend so I just hung around, so not much going on at the moment.

Sunny Days!

This has been my weekend off here in Ripon! Yesterday I didn't do much, mostly slept in and did a little work on some homework assignments and looked at EMS stuff, etc. Today I walked around the town of Ripon which was really fun! I had a toastie for lunch with some fresh made lemonade and then walked to the Cathedral here which was lovely. Then I had a little ice cream, which was amazing, and walked down the canal for a while. On the water they were doing rubber duck races! So I stopped and watched that for a bit. Then I went grocery shopping while I was in town, and did a little regular shopping for myself, and heading back to the practice. I dropped off my groceries and then headed to this abby that is around here and through a deer park. It was absolutely lovely! I kind of wish that I had spent the whole day there because it was so nice to just walk around this massive park and I barely scratched the surface of it! But after walking around all day I was quite tired, and now pretty much getting ready for bed! Tomorrow is a bank holiday so I have the day off. I might try to go on call, but I also want to read over some notes and finish up some of the problems that they have given us, so I'll see how the day progresses!

Quiet day

Today was a pretty quiet day, though it started out with me being waken up by mothra buzzing in my ear at 5am. Not cool moth. Then it proceeded to bang against my window loudly trying to get out, but I wasn't sure if the windows were set to the alarm or not so I couldn't let him out. Very annoying. Then I went out with a different vet toady for another routine visit. It was pretty standard, and I got to do all the injections and feel some cows, and on the way home we were talking about the farm and I didn't feel like such an idiot answering his questions, so that was good! Then I chilled upstairs for the rest of the day, working on some exercises that they gave us and reading old notes to refresh my memory.

Early, EARLY start!

Today I had a very early start, but it was well worth it! Up at 5 and out of the practice at 6:20, so quite early! Then we headed to a farm about 30 minutes away for a routine visit. The farm had 1000 cows, so it was a pretty big dairy. I followed the vet and palpated after he was done scanning and I did a bunch of fresh checks on my own for them and did all of the bloods for them! So it was cool to sort of be left on my own doing stuff to be helpful instead of being helpful by staying out of the way! Then we went to go look at some lame cows and do their feet. We also did a claw amputation! So that was pretty neat and hopefully we helped that cow out. A bunch of pus came out of her joint so hopefully it'll drain out well and she'll feel better soon. By the time we were done and back to the surgery it was 2:30! After that it was pretty slow, I made everyone tea and chilled in the practice since it was slow, though I'm not really complaining since it was such a long morning. So so far the placement is going well and hopefully the rest of the week goes well too!

Back on the road

Today was my first day at this placement in Ripon and so far its pretty good. They have a pretty extensive client base and everyone seems really nice! Its also super convenient to live above the flat I must say. Today we left bright and early to go do a bunch of PDs and all that comes along with it. I mostly watched at this place, and got in a little bit of trouble (though not really) for giving my opinion to the farmer, but he's sort of the type that takes things and running with it. Its just getting used to how this practice works and it was fine. Then we did some TB tests, which I've never really seen before so that was pretty cool. Then we went to another farm down the road and did some more TB testing. By the time we got back to the practice it was 2:30! So so far its like being back in Lanark where we barely went to the practice! There I met the other girl who's seeing practice here. Shes a 4th year Dick vet and seems nice enough. She certainly made me glad that I booked this placement early because I have the flat above the practice and she's at a B&B thats like 20 min down the road and pretty pricey. Then I went out with another vet to go take bloods off a cow thats a possible Johnes. So far everyone seems nice and they are really good at letting you know whats on and to plan what to do tomorrow today. So tomorrow I have a 6:20 AM start, if you can believe it! But people were saying that this is a good place to go so hopefully I'll improve on my palpation skills and who knows what else. Hopefully the early start is worth it!

Heading to Ripon!

Today I'm heading to my last farm placement for the summer, which also means it's my last placement that I'm not in Glasgow for. I went to brunch in the morning, then got to the station and got my tickets and on the train with plenty of time. Then right after we left the station we stopped for quite some time because there was something wrong with the train. We lost a lot of time, but they gave us free coffee so that was something. 

Since we started late I missed my connection, but the guy who took my ticket told me to keep on to a different station where I could take a different train to Leeds, so I did. Then I found the bus station and took a bus to ripon. Once I got here I was a little early for when the person who emailed said for me to be here so I gave her a call to see if I should mull about town or start to head towards the surgery. She very kindly offered to come and get me! So she picked me up and now I'm chilling at the surgery after 6 hours of travel! But the room is nice and the bed is super comfy so I'm gonna chill for the rest of the night 

Last few days in Mauchline!

Today was my last day here! It was kind of slow, but fairly eventful still. First I went out to see a sick cow, who ended up having pneumonia. Then I went out with another vet to see another sick cow (sensing a theme here) and I correctly diagnosed and LDA! The vet was like so what do you think? So I said LDA? And he was like oh really? Hang on, and then found it and called the other vet to come assist! So that was pretty cool, plus then I got to watch the surgery again. Later we went to go see an emergency slaughter. It was a bull that we thought that couldnt get up, though it turns out he could. The long and the short is that he was shot and bled out in the field so he could go for slaughter, so that was something you don't see every day for sure. Then we went out to PD a bunch of cows, and the vet was quizzing me about CLs and cystic ovaries and I was getting them all right! Then on the same farm we looked at some more sick cows and I was right about what they had as well. So I'm certainly improving on my clinical exams and PDing which is good! Then the vet showed us around the farm since this one had some interesting gadgets that they used. And now I'm finished here so I'm heading back to Glasgow for the weekend. Its been a really fun 2 weeks and I've learned a lot, they are really great with students here and work with us for more than just whatever happens to come in.

Slacking off of posting

Sorry I've been slacking in the post department, I just keep forgeting to and remembering too late. Anywho it's been relatively busy and I've gotten to see some new things! Yesterday we vasectomized 6 tups which was pretty cool. I should have taken pictures of them in the holder they were in, they looked a bit ridiculous and some were fairly sedated so they were a little out of it. I also got to go on a special fertility visit with one of the partners yesterday so that was fun! It wasn't special in that it was unusual but the vet stopped by the flat the day before to tell me about it so that was nice of him to let me tag along! We also did a bull fertility exam which I haven't done in a while. We did a bunch of dehorning the other day and I got to inject the local since the vet was busy trying to restrain them, though either they were crazy, we didn't put in enough local, or I messed them up or some combination of all of that because they were pretty fractious and now I have a fair amount of bruises! But it doesn't really help that the crush is too big for them, and calves are insane. We saw a colicing horse last night, and I've done some bloods off of calves and did an IV injection. Nothing much else to report!

I'm running out of blog post titles

Today was a pretty chill day. I went out in the morning and listened to some cows and did 2 PDs, and I was right! The vet said I seemed pretty comfortable with doing them and the farmer said I could come back any time! Then we went and took bloods off some calves. I've never done bloods on calves, but since its basically the same as sheep but better behaved I picked it up pretty quickly! Then we came back to the practice for a while. Then we went out and did some more PDs and I cleaned out a freshly calved coos uterus, which was pretty gross but it was something new! Then later we went to go see some sick cows and I got the correct diagnosis! The days have been going by so quickly its crazy that its almost friday! I'm really bummed I cant be at the beach this year though! Everyone better have some artichokes for me!

Also this is what a crush looks like for people who think they sound like medieval torture devices!

Let lose

Today was a pretty slow day, but it still went by fairly quickly. We mostly just sat in the office and read most of the day, but then I went with the other vet student to take some bloods of a bunch of sheep. It was really great because the vet did what my job normally is, handing us blood tubes and writing down numbers. But me and the other student took all of the bloods! And we went really fast, I'm definitely getting much better at it, despite almost getting kicked in the face. Then I went with the vet to see the coo that had had the LDA on monday. She was ketotic and ended up having pneumonia. She didn't look to poorly though, so I think she'll do well. After that on the way home we were driving and a hawk flew into the car! It was quite a surprise and we went back to make sure that it was actually dead. Certainly an interesting way to end the day!

Acting vets!

Today was a good day! First I went with the vet to do a bunch of PDs and I'm getting a lot better at my rectal pregnancy diagnosis and it was great to get my hand in some coos. Then we went to go get some special medium to grow Campylobacter because this farm has a bull that is a real pain so they are looking to cull him but after they collect his semen to sell. But the lab cultured some campylobacter form him but it died before they could speciate it, so we went back to take the sample in this stuff so hopefully they will get some answers! Then the other vet student here and I went to a farm BY OURSELVES and did a full lameness assessment on the whole herd! It was cool that we were there by ourselves doing some work, granted not very difficult work, and it did get a bit tedious so we could see why they stuck us with the job, but it was still great that they let us go off on our own. Plus while we were waiting for them to come and get us we pet some calves. Though very carefully as they were riddled with ringworm. Though there was some lag time it was still a good day!

Back to the coos!

Today was my first day of work in Ayr and it was pretty busy! I went out with a vet from Ireland, though sometimes I have a bit of trouble with the accent still.  First we went to a dairy (so nice to be back on a dairy!) and did a PD, and I was right that she was in calf! So I'm slowly getting better at it! Then we went to another dairy to get a 'pea' out of a teat. I should have taken pictures of the tools that the vet used, they looked like torture devices, but we got it out! Bascally it was a bit of milk that had clotted and wouldn't come out. Then while we were there we saw a castration that the farmer had missed with his rubber ring, so it was only 1 testicle that needed doing. Then we swung by another farm where another vet was doing a LDA, but by the time we got there she was getting stitched up so we didn't really do much. Then we went to a farm that had had 4 abortions in the last month 2 of which were yesterday, so we went to go get some samples to send off and the vet let me take the bloods! So that was cool, and it came out right away so I didn't look like a complete arse.  Then it was time for lunch back at the surgery. After lunch we went out to see a down cow and gave her a bottle of Ca. Afterwards me and the other student here went to go see a calving. The calf was dead but it was really hard to get out because its head was back. Eventually they were able to crank it out with the jack, but it took a lot of time and a LOT of lube. After that the day was pretty much finished so we headed to the co-op and then home~

Made it to Ayr!

Well it's not like it was far away! But after a night to FINALLY get to sleep in my own bed (which was glorious) I re packed all my washing and headed here. Andy was nice enough to drive me, which was great since getting here would have been a real chore with the games ending today. So it was smooth sailing and that meant I had the whole day to relax before coming. I also got the room with the eat internet apparently, woo! Hopefully I'll have some good stories to share from these upcoming two weeks!

Last day!

Today was my last day up here in Orkney. It's crazy how fast time has gone and it's been such a great experience! I waited a bit in the office for ops to finish up and then hit the road to go to a routine dairy visit where we scanned 18 coos and I followed up and rectaled them! I got to see the foetuses on the ultrasound screen too, so it was great! Plus it was nice to get back to a dairy! Then we went back to the surgery for lunch. Later I went to go see a heifer that was felling off and it seemed like she had photo sensitivity which apparently is fairly common here. Then we went to go re bandage a horse leg, which was a typical horse visit. That being said the leg was looking great! When we got back to the surgery I saw pictures of what it looked like initially and it's gotten so much better it's insane. Then we just hung around the surgery for a bit and it was time to leave! I also made them all snickerdoodles, and they were gone by the time I left, so that was good! Now I'm all packed and ready to head back to Glasgow to do some washing and finally sleep in my own bed!!!