Bill, the Farmer

Here are my daily journal entries for the second week of Veterinary classes:

FYI: I’m writing these to my TA, Gabby. Also the professor for this part of my stay is Dr. Tesecum, a (mostly) large-animal veterinarian.

But before I get into all of that, I do want to talk briefly about a previous patient we had last Thursday night. The foal that needed IV fluids passed away this week… unfortunately its mom just could not deliver any milk. Despite all of our best efforts, the odds were against us: I don’t even know if the foal ever received the colostrum it needed to build up its immune system (colostrum is a type of protein-rich milk that includes antibodies that young foals need). It sucks when these things happen, but in a way it helps to stabilize the healthy populations. At least any genes that may have prevented the mom from milking would be eliminated from the gene pool.

July 23, 2012 (Monday):

Today we spent the day learning about animal reproduction and artificial insemination. After a couple of lectures, we all took a trip to a beef-cow slaughterhouse. Although we didn’t do too much at this slaughterhouse, the whole experience was very educational. First we were shown the reproductive tract of a pregnant and non-pregnant cow. I never realized just how bumpy the placenta could be! Later we were allowed to look inside the meat lab, where the workers showed us the proper way to bleed out a cow and cut it open…I have to admit, watching them cut the head off and letting it fall to the floor grossed me out. I really didn’t like seeing that, but everything else didn’t seem to bother me too much. Before they finished cutting everything open, some of us volunteered to try and palpate the cervix. Although I could not find it this time around, I plan on doing the same tomorrow, on a live cow that isn’t upside down. I think that will be a little bit easier to figure out. There really wasn’t anything else I wanted to do while at the slaughterhouse. I was perfectly alright not witnessing the slaughter itself, though I am interested in how they administer that blow to the head and paralyze them…the whole bleeding out process, though, is something I really wouldn’t want to see.

The slaughterhouse.

July 24, 2012 (Tuesday):

Today was a very short day. We were done by 10:30am! To learn more about artificial insemination and rectal palpation, the class was taken to a farm with cows that all needed to be dewormed. We lined them all up into a chute, and as each one approached the gate we would stick our hands up the cow’s rectum to see if we could palpate the cervix. This is the way that farmers practice artificial insemination in the field, and it was really cool to try it out for ourselves. I actually got the chance to do this twice, once with a pregnant cow and once with a non-pregnant cow. It was really hard to locate the cervix in the pregnant one, since you cannot physically grab it, but I was able to find it in the other one (with the farmer’s help of course)! I wish we could have seen an actual AI gun, but I forgot to ask the guy to take one out. Other than that, there was nothing I really disliked about this trip, save for getting a little poop on my hands. It’s probably not something I’m going to be doing on a regular basis, but it was interesting to try at least once.

Zebu Cows!

 BABY!!!

 Getting ready to palpate...I look way too curious, hahaha.

 Injecting the cow with Vitamin B12.

Sarah, showing off that glove.

July 25, 2012 (Wednesday):

Today was a LOONG day. We spent the majority of it in the car, driving up to a couple of farms that supposedly have Newcastle Diseased chickens. After about two-and-a-half hours of waiting, we finally got some animal action. The biohazard suits they made us wear were ridiculously hot, but catching chickens in them and restraining them was kind of fun. I even got the chance to practice my blood-drawing skills, although I wasn’t able to get blood out of the one chicken I caught (they were pretty dehydrated). At this point Dr. Tesecum took over for me; I really wish I could have gotten another chance to draw some chicken blood, but I understand it was hot and everyone wanted to finish quickly after such a long day. Getting another chance to do that would probably be the only thing I would try and change about today, although I really didn’t like how long we had to wait in the car. I do understand though why we had to travel so far, and I am glad that we could take part in helping to prevent a Newcastle outbreak. Stopping by the beach afterwards was a great way to relax, and the ocean temperature was amazing. Thank you guys for taking us! We really enjoyed it!

Umm...that doesn't look quite right.

Dr. Tesecum, showing us the proper way to restrain a chicken.

Collecting blood samples to check for Newcastle Disease.

Suit up!

Me, restraining a chicken for blood sample collection.

Wacky looking signs.

The beach! Finally!!

Do it, I dare you.

July 26, 2012 (Thursday):

We started the day at a pig farm, trying to castrate a huge boar. Kelsey performed the operation this time around with Sarah helping her, so there wasn’t much for me to do. The castration did not go as smoothly as we hoped… at one point the boar kicked and ended up castrating himself (without any zip ties)! Dr. Tesecum reacted almost instantly and administered another dose of ketamine to keep the boar calm during the rest of the operation. It was cool to see how a veterinarian reacts to a sudden and potentially dangerous situation. After the castration was done, we spent the rest of the day wrangling up sheep and goats for oral deworming. It was fun trying to catch them all, though I did end up getting head-butted by one in the process. We also got the chance to deworm a few puppies at the goat farm. Although I did not administer the injection myself, I was in charge of restraining one of these dogs. Last, but certainly not least, all of us stopped by Dr. Tesecum’s clinic to spay and neuter some dogs (including Martina!). I finally got another chance to work on my spaying technique, and I am proud to say I’ve really improved! You all have been amazing teachers, so once again thank you for giving us the chance to operate! All in all, today was a really good way to end the Large Animal class …even if Martina scared the crap out of us when she stopped breathing. The only thing I did not like was having to wait at the second goat farm. Other than that, the one additional thing I wanted to do today was practice my spaying, which is exactly what we did. What a fun way to end a fun class!

Pigs are naturally squeamish animals...this pole helps to release endorphins.

Those are pretty big....

Sorry, I couldn't help myself...not exactly sure what to do with it though (that's a pig's testicle by the way).

Catching a goat!

Dalmatian-Butt!!

Getting ready for an oral deworming.

I love puppies :)

Falcon PUNCH!!!!!

This is the first time Martina was ever on a leash...she is not very fond of the vet's office.

July 27, 2012 (Friday):

*Sigh* my last day in Belize. It all started with final presentations, exams, and reviews (this time my presentation was on cryptorchidism), and ended with a good-bye party. I wouldn’t really call today a “class day,” because we didn’t do much besides recalling information. Looking back on everything, I really learned quite a lot though and I am thankful for this wonderful opportunity. It was also my very last chance to gather up souvenirs, and I was scrambling to get all of that done before the party that night (can’t wait to show everyone at home!). Once again, Dr. Tesecum was cool enough to host it at his place, and let me tell you that place was rockin! (I think I forgot to mention in my previous journal about the party he threw for my friend Shawna on her birthday…it was a lot of fun!) This time around, he made a home-cooked meal with seasoned lamb that he grew himself…DELICIOUS!!! The music was great, the beer was plentiful, and we all just had a great time playing limbo and dancing. It was a really nice way to say goodbye to everyone.

Here's a puppy I found exploring the city!

Jess wearing my hat!

 

My hat likes to travel.

Wow, I sure am going to miss all of you!

EPILOGUE: Returning home was something I looked forward to, but dreaded at the same time. Towards the end of my trip, I started to get really homesick; I missed my (step)mom’s cooking and my comfortable bed, my friends, and my job. Writing this from home, I really do miss Belize…the people were so much more laid back and there was a lot less stress in the environment. For those of you wondering whether or not to study abroad, just do it. Trust me, it’s worth it.

Thanks for Reading,

~Bill

The Lone Day (Sunday July 22, 2012)

This was my last trip I would be able to take outside of class, and definitely one of my most anticipated ones. Now I’ve mentioned before how there are numerous caves throughout Belize where the Mayans would perform their sacrifices, caves they believed would take them to the “Underworld.” There was one cave in particular, named “Actun Tunichil Muknal,” or “Cave of the Crystal Maiden” that was known by the locals to be a place for upperclass worship. This cave is riddled with water-filled passageways and giant rock formations, some of which looked like fearsome jaguars if seen by a flickering torch. This was actually how the upperclass Mayans kept the lowerclass out of the cave, by scaring them away. Exploring this cave was absolutely fantastic: most of it is covered in water, so you have to swim and climb over rapids to navigate through the cave. The challenge brought out all of my adrenaline and made me feel like a true navigator, ready to take on anything! The only downside is that cameras are prohibited to protect the wellbeing of all the artifacts found in the cave…yeah, past guests did manage to break some skulls and such with their camera / camera cap. Funny how just a few can ruin it for the rest of us.

If you manage to make it to the end, however, there is a fully intact skeleton waiting for you (the Crystal Maiden). Just make sure to take your shoes off when travelling across the floors littered with Mayan artifacts! CAUTION: your shoes / clothes will be soaked by the end of this trip, and your socks will permanently be stained…but it’s all worth it!!!

I am sorry there are no pictures…but I hope you enjoyed the blog anyway J !! If you really want to see some pictures, try googling "Actun Tunichil Muknal" or you can try the website <http://www.pacztours.net/actun-tunichil-muknal>. Apparently they have overnight tours as well, though it does get cold in that cave!

Your Local Spelunker for the Day,

~Bill

Watch your Balls!

These past two weeks have been really time-consuming. Unfortunately, I did not have much time to write my blogs BUT I have been writing daily journal entries for my class. So without further ado, here they are:

FYI: I’m writing these to my TA, Gabby. Also the professor for this part of my stay is Dr. Tesecum, a (mostly) large-animal veterinarian.

July 16, 2012 (Monday):

Not much to write about today. All we really did was sit thru a whole bunch of lectures and practice our suturing skills. I learned a new type of knot, though, called the simple-interrupted knot; this brings me up to four total knots that I can perform (simple-continuous, simple-interrupted, horizontal mattress, and vertical mattress). It’s incredible that I’m not even a vet student yet, and I already know how to stitch an animal up. I really can’t wait to practice this in the field, but I sure am nervous about trying it out on live animals…I wonder how it compares to raw chicken?

The Simple-Interrupted Knot - each stitch uses a new piece of thread.

July 17, 2012 (Tuesday):

Today was our first day in the field! I feel that we got a lot done: two castrations (both a stallion and a bull), a bunch of physical exams, a lot of dewormings, and we even looked at a puppy who was suffering from ringworm and what looked like worm-belly (when the amount of worms in the stomach makes the belly stick out). It was pretty cool seeing exactly what a veterinarian has to do on a daily basis; I really enjoyed watching Dr. Tesecum perform all of the surgeries, even though I did not get the chance to help him today. Instead, I was able to inject a couple of dogs with Ivermectin (a deworming medication), as well as my horse Skywalker. There really wasn’t anything extra I thought could have been done. The only complaint I have is that I felt pretty lost when conducting the horse exam. Even with the lecture Barry gave on examinations, this was my first one and I was unsure about my method. After talking to Gabby (you!), I have a much better idea on how to tackle the examination, so thank you!! Hopefully I will be a lot faster next time, especially now that I know where to find the gastrointestinal sites. I am really excited to bring these experiences back home with me when applying to vet school.

 Gabby - my TA. She and Barry (the other TA) taught me a lot these past four weeks.

Skywalker!! He is not too happy with me, poking him with needles and such...

We saved this iguana from a bunch of dogs - note the amputated leg.

July 18, 2012 (Wednesday):

I felt like a real farmer today, getting up at 5:30 am to go milk some cows! It was a pretty busy day; we each had two cows to milk in the morning, and then we travelled to another farm to castrate a horse named Tripod. This was the first time I ever witnessed a castration, and I even got a chance to take part in it! After Kelsey finished with all of the incisions, I came in and chopped the testicles off with a special device that first crushes and then cuts them…OUCH, I’m real glad those weren’t mine!! All in all, I really enjoyed everything we did today; I honestly have nothing that I disliked. Even giving those cattle their deworming injections was fun, especially the part where the ranch hands had to lasso them up (I need to practice my lassoing skills). And of course, what better way to end the day then with a couple of spays and a neuter? Working on the spay was pretty nerve-racking, especially when it came time to suture the dog up. Gabby (you!) really helped me out though, and I really appreciate the tips on how to lift the skin to help make the suture even on both sides of the incision. Obviously, there is a lot I still have to work on, but I am really grateful for this opportunity to practice so early on in my education. The only additional thing I wish I could have done today was to try and lasso a cow…sounds kind of fun, but probably pretty dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing.

Evil Viking Cow. It's hilarious how she came in looking like this!

Pre-dipping is important (in other words, keep the udders clean!)

 Setting up the milker.

 Clamping down the ovaries.

 Take a look at that suture technique! Hey mom, I'm doing surgery!!!

July 19, 2012 (Thursday):

Today was a REALLY busy day. It started at the pig farm, castrating some boars…those had to be some of the biggest balls I’ve ever seen!! I didn’t really assist with the actual surgery this time, but I was responsible for holding some of the tools. While we were there, Dr. Tesecum also collected blood samples from the pigs to look for possible signs of Swine Fever. To me, the whole procedure looked really painful, but they didn’t seem to mind after it was all done. Either way, the whole process of collecting blood from these animals is pretty interesting…who would ever think to stick a needle in their eye? After that, we travelled to another farm to look at some cattle and some dogs. All of us had the lovely opportunity to remove a bunch of botflies, not only from the backs of these cows, but also from the vulva of one of the dogs. The whole procedure was pretty gross, but at least I learned how to search for botfly infestations. I was really lucky to get the one neuter that needed to be done at this farm; it was very similar to the castrations we were performing except that this time the animal was anesthetized and needed to be stitched up. Once again, I had the chance to practice my suturing technique, which still needs a lot of work. I have really enjoyed getting the chance to participate in so many different surgeries; it’s definitely one of my favorite parts about working under Dr. Tesecum. Obviously, there are some things that I do not enjoy, such as listening to the pigs squeal and removing bot flies, but it really is all part of the job. If there was anything I wish I could have done differently, it would be to practice drawing swine blood. It seems important to learn how to properly stick the needle in the eye without damaging it. Oh, and before I end this entry, I don’t want to forget about the foal we tried to save tonight! I had the chance to restrain this horse, while the others set up a catheter and administered some much-needed fluids. Poor thing, I hope it makes through the night!

Mama Pig.

No, this cow did not have a showdown against Treebeard or anything like that. This contraption actually keeps the cow from hurting itself against the barbed wires.

 Dr. Tesecum showing us the "proper" way to restrain a bull.

 The Ball Cruncher (OUCH)

The foal we tried to save.

July 20, 2012 (Friday):

Yo Gabby! I hope you found something nice to wear for your wedding. Honestly, today was a little bit more dry than usual. We didn’t get to do all that much: each horse needed a shot of Ivermectin/Vitamin B Complex and an oral deworming. We were able to administer both of these, but then Rubin gave out the tetanus and rabies vaccines. It was cool to practice administering needles to a horse IM, but it sort of paled in comparison to all of the other days. I wish we could have spayed/neutered the dogs at the farm as well…but with Dr. Tesecum not around, and the male dog full of adrenaline (he was running around all day), we decided not to knock him down. We are going back on Sunday, but I don’t think I will be going (I already made plans). Horseback riding afterwards was pretty sweet though! Looking over the land from the top of the hill was awesome! All in all, the trip was pretty long and uneventful, but needed to be done!

Yeah, they're still intact...for now. (I have to admit, this dog was stinking cute!)

 Getting ready to deworm!

 Typical donkey face.

Nice treehouse!!

Showing us how to put a horse in Dorsal Recumbency (fancy way to say "on its back").

July 21, 2012 (Saturday):

Instead of doing our normal weekend-like activities, the class was rounded up to work in a spay-and-neuter clinic for the day. This was something I’ve been looking forward to ever since I first heard about it. All day locals were bringing in their dogs and cats, asking us students to perform the exams, and administer the shots, and do the surgeries…I couldn’t believe how many animals there were! I literally felt like I was in a vet hospital, with all of the usual chaos that accompanies it. Even though I did not get to perform all that many surgeries myself (we had about 2 dozen helpers, all wanting to get the same experience as me), the quality of work I performed made up for that. I was proud to call myself a “doctor” today (I can dream right?), being able to take on one patient and stick with her from start-to-finish. The only thing I really did not like was not knowing what to do in between patients; there were always lines of clients wrapped around the room, yet there was no general order to them. With all of us constantly shifting roles, it did not take long for me to lose track of what patient needed what…I think I could use a secretary, hahaha. After a hard day’s work, and once we were sure that the last patient recovered from his dose of anesthesia, Dr. Tesecum’s brother invited a group of us to go zip-lining. Calico Jack’s has an awesome 9-line course filled with hydraulic platforms and long suspension bridges. It was thrilling to be able to look out at the countryside while traveling 45mph over its canopy. Towards the end, there was even a special canopy swing that hurtled you over the trees…of course I had to try that out, and I sure am glad that I did! What an awesome way to end the week!

At the Spay/Neuter Clinic.

My friend, Faye, watching over her patient.

 ZOOOOOMMMMM

 Getting ready for the Canopy Swing.

Unfortunately I could not attach a video of this swing to my blog, but here's a link to it on Facebook (I cannot guarantee privacy settings will allow you to see it though):

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=686097708060&set=t.513592379&type=3&theater

NOTE: I might have used a slightly profane word as I started to fall, but the laughs do an effective job canceling it out.

Tomorrow’s another day!

~Bill

Taking it Easy

(By now, you have probably all figured out that I can only post my blogs when the Internet is working properly…here is my post for my second weekend in Belize, July 14 & July 15.)

This was my weekend off from all responsibilities, so I felt like kicking back and taking it easy. All day on Saturday all I felt like doing was hanging out by the pool, exploring town and looking for souvenirs. At about 5pm my TA came up to us and told us about a fiesta they were having in Benque, a border-town about twenty minutes away. Granted it didn’t take long to convince me to go, and what a blast we had! We only really stayed for the daylight portion of the fiesta, which was set up like a carnival: there were rides, carnival games, free beer (because we knew the locals), and dozens of food stands that all smelled really good. It was fun to party with the locals, and we all must have felt really adventurous that day since we tried some of the sketchiest rides I’ve ever come across (Ferris wheels made from tractors that change speed when switching gear, metal contraptions that spin in all directions especially those that are upside-down, etc.). The fiesta was also a great opportunity to try a new Belizean meal, although I must admit I am not a fan of whatever it was we ate … but the beer sure was tasty :P.

Graffiti we saw on the way to the Fiesta... It says "Creativity costs less than Alcohol."

La Fiesta.

Local Beer!

Sunday morning we all got up real early to go horseback riding! The Mountain Equestrian Trail (or MET for short) was about a six-hour trail ride, with a break at Big Rock Falls to go swimming. The view was spectacular – we cantered passed the mountainside, through the woods, across streams, and even galloped alongside a dirt road. I was really excited to go galloping, especially since I never went that fast before… and trust me it’s pretty fast! Stopping at the waterfall was the perfect way to cool down after such a long ride. Swimming against the rapids may have been challenging, but the reward was so worth it (how many people can say they have jumped into a falling waterfall??) There were a bunch of rocks to climb too, some of which were eighty feet above the water and were perfect places to jump from! The guides even provided a hearty lunch filled with chicken, beans, and tortillas for us to enjoy while watching the falls. All in all, the trip was amazing and we had a lot of fun doing it. Anybody that travels to San Ignacio and decides to skip out on this tour is really missing out.

Riding through the woods.

Look at those rolling hills....

I'm on a horse!

Amazing view of the sky.

In front of Big Rock Falls.

Climbing the rocks to jump into the waterfall!

Since this blog is not all that long, I have decided to include a couple more pictures for you all to enjoy:

 Each Saturday the Market restocks its shelves with fresh fruit.

Dragon fruit!

 Shadow, one of the local stray dogs...she isn't all that nice to many of the other dogs.

 Martina <3

 Martina's boyfriend, "Fighter" - he gave us all fleas. :/ (but we loved him anyway)

These guys could be found EVERYWHERE.

 According to local customs, graves were built aboveground it seems.

Can’t wait to start my Veterinary classes tomorrow!

~Bill