Y3S1 Week 9: Salmon Poisoning, Countless Infectious Diseases, and Joint Taps!

This week was our final week of the first small animal block and after our little exam on Monday we will be diving into two full weeks of dentistry!

Monday started off with a quick run with Churro around the block followed by our emergency/critical care/ and toxicology sub-block. This was a fun way to test our knowledge and see how much we had retained over the past two weeks. After the exam I had some time between classes, so I ran to the rec center and did some interval work on the treadmill. These intervals felt better than last week, and it has been fun to get in some speed work. I then headed back to campus for the comparative animal stream. This week our topic was focused on integrative veterinary medicine, which is something near and dear to my heart. I love the idea of looking beyond traditional Western medicine and combining modalities that provide a comprehensive benefit for our patients. Some of the specific things we touched on were rehabilitation, chiropractic, acupuncture, herbal medicine, and laser. All of these have their time and place, and it was refreshing to hear about their benefits in our curriculum.

That afternoon I attended a VBMA lunch talk and had the chance to hear from Dr. Crocker, a popular ER vet and practice owner with a prevalent social media presence. Dr. Crocker spoke about leadership in the veterinary profession and how to cultivate an environment that fosters growth and wellbeing as a team. This was a great reminder of our bigger purpose as veterinarians and the inherent leadership that is associated with our profession.

The rest of the afternoon included a quick swim at the rec followed by some quality time on the field with Churro. I then spent some time studying and getting set for the week!

Tuesday started off with a quick whirl around the park with Churro followed by a hot yoga session. We then had two lectures on mycoses followed by a lecture on tick-borne diseases. These lectures touched on some of the more prevalent diseases that we may encounter in general practice, and it was a great way to review the appropriate ways to diagnose and treat these conditions.

During lunch the CVF club had their first book study session. It was wonderful to connect with so many awesome people and talk about life. The rest of the afternoon included a discussion on antimicrobial selection followed by a session on the use of artificial intelligence in veterinary diagnostics. The antimicrobial lecture provided a nice framework on how to mindfully select antimicrobials based on the information that we are given. It is important to choose these drugs wisely due to the potential for resistance. The AI talk was also fascinating and dove into how technology can perform machine learning and deep learning to help produce relevant diagnostic results. While this technology can be a beneficial asset, it is key to remember that it is not meant to replace the need for human intelligence, we have to check the data being produced and utilize it as an adjunct tool, not become completely reliant on its output. The rest of the afternoon included a nice walk with Churro followed by a SAVMA meeting and some studying.

CVF Team ♡

Wednesday started off with a fun 6 miler with Churro followed by another lecture on tick-borne diseases. We also had the opportunity to learn about Salmon poisoning, which is a potentially fatal condition caused by ingesting infected salmon. This disease has an interesting pathogenesis; a dog needs to consume some part of a fish that has been infected with the fluke parasite Nanophyetus salmincola. To be infectious, that fluke needs to carry the rickettsial organism, Neorickettsia helminthoeca. Once a dog has consumed an infected fish, they may experience signs such as fever, anorexia, vomiting/diarrhea, enlarged lymph nodes, lethargy, and weakness. If this disease is not promptly addressed, it can lead to death. To help us remember these diseases, Dr. Skyes brought some fun props to class, raw salmon and some trout. This definitely captured our attention and made the disease concept stick. If you are interested in learning more, here is a fun infographic I designed as a study tool.

The rest of the morning we covered protozoal diseases and their impact on companion animal species. During lunch I had the chance to go to the arboretum and enjoy the fall weather. The rest of the afternoon included a spay model practice lab followed by an anesthesia lab where we reviewed all the new drug protocols and cautery machines. The rest of the afternoon included some playtime with Churro on the field followed by some studying for the upcoming infectious disease exam. 

Thursday morning began with a quick run and nice hot yoga session followed by a morning prayer on campus lead by Dr. Bellone. It is always nice to start the day with a mind that is clear and focused on what truly matters in life and I am incredibly grateful that we have a faculty member willing to pour into students and share their love of Jesus with others.

We then had two lectures on immunosuppressive therapy. This was a great way to round out the sub-block and discuss treatment options for patients that have been infected by the diseases that we discussed over the past week. We then had a fun jeopardy zoonotic game which was an exciting way to review previous diseases and think about things in a slightly different way.

That afternoon we had a bone marrow, joint tap, blood culture, and lymph node aspirate lab. Throughout the block we discussed each of these diagnostic techniques, so it was nice to have the opportunity to get some hands-on practice. The rest of the afternoon included a quick introduction to the next block followed by some quality time with Churro on the field. I then spent the rest of the evening studying for the upcoming exam.

Friday morning started off with a quick run with Churro followed by a hot Pilates class. It had been a little bit since I had taken a Pilates class, and it was fun to mix up my workout schedule. The rest of the morning involved a portfolio project for our comparative species course. Our group decided to choose the topic of integrative medicine since it is something that can easily be applied between species and is something that we learned about in that course.

After the portfolio was submitted, I had some extra time to get in a nice walk at the arboretum. The rest of the afternoon included two lectures from the USDA which highlighted their involvement in animal health and the role veterinarians can play. The rest of the afternoon included a quick trip up to Sacramento to set up for the upcoming Chi acupuncture weekend session. This brought back memories from the previous year when I was in the course, and it is fun to be on the other side and have the opportunity to encourage and support this year’s current cohort. The remainder of the afternoon included some nice time with Churro on the field followed by some studying.

Dr. Hein one of the awesome Chi TAs for the weekend

Lunch delivery helper!

Saturday morning began with a nice 6.5 miler with Churro followed by some quick playtime on the field with his friends. After that I got in a nice hot yoga session followed by a trip to the farmer’s market. I then headed home to get a few things done before checking in and delivering lunch to the acupuncture cohort. The rest of the afternoon included some studying and a nice walk with Churro. Sunday morning began in a similar way with a 7-mile run followed by church. The rest of the day was spent preparing for the upcoming infectious disease exam!

Quote of the week: “Google is not licensed in the state of California to practice.”- Dr. Steven Gallego