Y2S2 Week 13: Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Last Mini-Rotation, and CMC Frisbee Contest!
- Izzy Pulido
- Apr 13
- 5 min read
This week started off with our second quiz of the block followed by a lecture on ecosystem change and its impact on human and animal health followed by a lecture on One Health problem solving. We then had a little break before diving into the first of three sessions for our problem-based learning activity. This was an outbreak situation where we were presented with some data on a mysterious illness that was affecting dogs and humans. We spent most of the first session looking through the clinical history that was provided and creating a list of differential diagnoses along with some diagnostic testing that we would like to have.
The rest of the afternoon was spent walking Churro and teaching the undergraduate class. This week we had an outbreak investigation session with the focus on tick-borne illnesses, specifically Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is caused by the bacteria Rickettsia rickettsii which is transmitted via tick bite. While these bacteria can be transmitted by different species of ticks, the Brown Dog Tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) is one of the more common vectors. These ticks are prevalent in the Southwestern United States along with the US-Mexico border. Symptoms of RMSF include fever, cough, stomach pain, vomiting, polyarthritis, and a rash *in humans. Since these symptoms are vague, if a tick-borne disease is suspected, it is important to test for antibodies using an indirect fluorescent antibody test as well as perform a complete blood count to look for abnormalities. One of the most common abnormalities associated with a tick-borne illness is thrombocytopenia or low platelets. In the case of RMSF, the bacteria target endothelial cells that line blood vessels which leads to inflammation and leakage. This disrupts blood clotting which causes an increase in platelet consumption as the body tries to repair the damaged blood vessels.
While this disease is more common in the spring and summer time when the weather is warmer, ticks can still be found year-round in some locations so year-round flea and tick preventative is key for prevention! It is also important to do thorough tick-checks on your dogs after they have been outside or on hikes. If a dog is suspected to be infected with Rickettsia rickettsii, starting doxycycline can dramatically improve their chances of recovery. Doxycycline is an antibiotic that targets intracellular bacteria and as far as antibiotics go, it is a fairly safe choice.
Tuesday morning started off with a nice hot yoga session followed by a lecture on infectious disease dynamics and cross-species disease transmission. We then had a lecture on disease spillover before transitioning into a lab on disease transmission in domestic animals and wildlife. After a quick break for lunch, we had the opportunity to present our lab cases to the class and discuss future recommendations regarding the outbreak. This was a fun way to connect the material from yesterday’s lectures.
The afternoon finished up with the second session for our problem-based learning activity. We received more diagnostic test results and were able to narrow down the pathogen associated with the outbreak. We spent the rest of the session breaking off into teams and coming up with an outbreak response plan that we would be presenting on Friday to our facilitator. The rest of the evening was spent relaxing with Churro.
Wednesday morning started off with a nice run with Churro followed by a mini-rotation day! I was on small animal anesthesia, and we started off the morning with a round's session focused on cardiac abnormalities and how to approach anesthesia with these potentially compromised patients. It was super interesting to learn about the different precautions along with the drug protocols for different conditions such as mitral valve disease and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The rest of the day included watching an E-tube placement and monitoring the patient.
Thursday morning started off with a quick run around the block followed by a hot yoga session. I then had the privilege of meeting up with Curtiss, our epic Christian Vet Fellowship advisor and we got to chat and work on an exciting project. It was awesome sharing a bit of time with him and reflecting on all the amazing things that God has done this year! I then had the chance to get a nice swim in before reviewing some lectures and working on the final population health outbreak essay.
Thursday afternoon included a final meeting with the SAVMA Symposium core-four planning team. We had some time to reflect on the event and recharge while enjoying some frozen yogurt in the park. It is seriously so awesome to work with people that bring out the best in you and I know we will be life-long friends.
Thursday evening, I had the opportunity to attend a dinner talk hosted by Dr. Marty Goldstein and his team on integrative veterinary medicine. Dr. Goldstein is one of the pioneers of integrative medicine and it was interesting to learn about his perspectives as well as hear about some of his successful cases. People typically seek out integrative medicine when they are at the bottom of the road and have heard, “there is nothing else we can do for you” by other practitioners. Learning about these modalities and how they can help improve our patients’ quality of life is always exciting and I am fortunate to know so many awesome people in this field!
Friday morning started off with a nice run with Churro followed by some playtime with his friends! We then had our final problem-based learning session and presented our outbreak scenario to our facilitator. The presentation went well, and we had the rest of Friday afternoon off from class. The symposium team and I had the opportunity to get nice sports massages from Iris from Serenity Massage and Wellness which was the perfect way to end a busy week and kick off the weekend! The rest of Friday night included some quality time with Churro followed by an early bedtime.
Saturday started off with a nice run with Churro followed by Steve’s Hot Pilates class. I then helped out with the Canine Medicine Club Frisbee Contest which is an annual event that takes place during Picnic Day. We had 8 wonderful contestants, and the crowd loved the show. It is always such a blast watching these dogs and their owners work as a team to achieve a goal and everyone on the field did great!
The rest of Saturday was spent getting some things done around the house, relaxing with Churro outside, and giving him a bath. Sunday morning started off with a nice 7 miler with Churro followed by Church. I then got in a quick swim before heading home to get some things done and prep for the upcoming block. The afternoon consisted of some grocery shopping, meal prepping and quality time with Churro.
This week’s blog wouldn’t be complete without giving my little man, Jake, a shoutout. Jake gained his angel wings on Thursday morning after 16 years of life on this earth! He was by my side since third grade and has lived through countless chapters of my life. From day one when we picked him up after back-to-school shopping he was my buddy. For those of you who never met him, he was the spunkiest little Chorkie (chihuahua yorkie) you could have ever met. The amount of personality that fit in his little 13-pound body was incredible. He always was and will forever be the best little man!
Quote of the week: "To be completely honest this lecture is going to be sort of a downer" - Dr. Christine Johnson as she begins her lecture on ecosystem change and its impact on human and animal health
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