Y3S1 Week 7: Shock Simulation, Apple Hill, and Evermore Pet Food!

Monday started off with a quick 3-mile run with Churro followed by our ophthalmology final. After that fun little quiz, I ran to the rec and did some resistance training before our comparative tract lecture. This week’s topic was on regenerative medicine which is becoming increasingly popular in not only human medicine, but veterinary medicine as well. It was interesting to learn the progress that has been made in regard to treating suspensory ligament injuries in horses and stomatitis in cats.

This type of medicine utilizes the body’s mechanism for healing, which helps reduce exogenous products such as steroids. After that lecture we had a lunch break, which I spent at the arboretum doing a little review for our upcoming case-based learning session. This session was on potassium disorders and helped to clarify concepts that we had covered at the end of last week.The rest of the afternoon included some time on the field with Churro followed by some review and a little cleaning and meal prep that didn’t get done over the weekend.

Tuesday morning started off with a quick run with Churro followed by a hot yoga session. We then had a lecture on surgery and anesthesia followed by two lectures on how to address a bleeding patient and blood transfusions. During lunch we had our first Bible study session of the year, and it was awesome to see new and returning faces. We spent the session getting to know each other and are going to be diving into Megan Marshman’s book, Relaxed over the next 7 sessions. The rest of the afternoon included a discussion on shock fluid therapy, followed by some quality time with Churro and some studying.  

Wednesday morning began with a 6 miler with Churro followed by our first morning prayer session of the year. This session was led by Dr. Bellone and was a refreshing way to start the day and put things into perspective. We then transitioned into a three-hour case-based session that went through a few different scenarios of bleeding patients. This was a great way to help practice some of the information we had learned the previous day.

That afternoon I had the chance to get in a quick swim at the rec center before heading home to study some lectures. Churro and I also got in a nice walk and spent some time playing on the field before returning home to study.

Thursday morning began with a quick run with Churro followed by a hot yoga session. We then had three lectures, one of which touched on household toxins, the next was on rodenticides and the final lecture was all about sepsis and systemic inflammatory response syndrome. I enjoyed diving into the toxicology lectures since ingestion of these items is a common reason animals present to the veterinary clinic. During lunch I walked around the arboretum and had some time to catch up with a sweet friend from back home.

Thursday afternoon consisted of a three-hour discussion on daily fluid therapy where we had the chance to put our calculation skills to the test. We practiced designing fluid plans for patients with different conditions as well as learning how to safely add in different compounds such as dextrose or potassium in a way that is safe and beneficial to our patients. After that session, I spent some time with Churro on the field before heading back to school for their monthly SAVMA meeting. This meeting was a little extra fun because Dr. Juarez, our SAVMA region rep, was in town. She had visited us last year and seen some of the behind-the-scenes planning for the symposium, so it was nice to reconnect and reflect on the changes this past year has brought.

Dr. Juarez!

Friday morning started off with a fun 7 miler with Naomi and Churro. We then had a two-hour case-based learning activity on sepsis and systemic inflammatory response syndrome. This was our last emergency discussion, and our faculty went all out. We did a fun simulation that involved having a dog model hooked up to multiple pieces of monitoring equipment and all the vital signs were projected on a huge monitor for us to view. As we walked through the scenario, both Dr. Burkitt and Dr. Hoehne modeled what they would do if this patient had walked through the doors of their emergency room. With interactive feedback from the class, they provided medical support, and we were able to witness how each of our decisions may have impacted the patient. These decisions included adding fluid boluses, emergency drug administration to correct abnormal heart rhythms and surgery.

By the end of this session, all the topics that we had been learning over the past two weeks started to come together. It was awesome to see how passionate our instructors are about emergency medicine and their willingness to put on the full simulation activity was extremely helpful. After that session, we transitioned into our comparative anatomy course and had the chance to learn more about equine limb anatomy and what can happen when things go south.

During lunch I went for another walk around the arboretum and then attended our final session of the week; law. This week’s law session was hyper-focused on the rules and responsibilities of the veterinarian when it comes to prescribing, administering, and dispensing medications. Oftentimes, people are unaware of the difference in these terms and that simple misunderstanding can get veterinarians into a sticky legal issue.

Here is a brief overview of the difference between prescribing, administering, and dispensing:

Prescribing: An order by the veterinarian for a drug and/or treatment plan. This goes into the medical record and if desired, can be written on a prescription pad for the client to take to a pharmacy to have filled.

*In California, pet owners have the right to request a written script in lieu of purchasing the drug from the clinic. Clinics are NOT allowed to charge for a written script.

Administering: Applying a treatment or giving a drug to an animal (patient) directly.

Dispensing: Providing a drug from the veterinary practice stock for the client to take home.

Dinner with the gang ◡̈

After that session I went for a quick swim at the rec and then spent the evening with my wonderful housemates and friend from undergrad.

Saturday morning began with another run with Naomi and Churro followed by some playtime on the field with his buddies. I then got in a hot yoga session before heading to Apple Hill with Morgan, Katelyn, Naomi and Gretchen. A while ago we had decided to have a joint belated birthday celebration for Gretchen and myself, and this was the weekend that we had chosen. We went to two different farms in Apple Hill, one for the apple donuts, and one for a less-touristy orchard / pumpkin patch experience. In the whirlwind of school, it is always refreshing to take time and do something fun with friends, and I seriously couldn’t have asked for better people to do life with. The rest of Saturday was spent with Churro on the field, and I also had some time to review a few lectures. Sunday morning started off with a nice 7 miler with Churro followed by church and some errands. The rest of the day was spent studying and prepping some things for the upcoming week.

Pumpkin Patch ♡

Churro also got a little extra spoiled this week because his food shipment from Evermore Pet Food arrived! Evermore Pet food is a gently cooked diet made up of minimally processed whole foods and prepared using a low-heat cooking process. This helps maximize digestibility, nutrient availability and taste while also decreasing the risk of pathogen exposure. They are one of the few pet food companies that utilize a USDA/FDA-inspected “people food kitchen” that is in strict compliance with HACCP food safety protocols. They lab test every batch of food to make sure that it is nutritionally balanced and free of harmful pathogens such as salmonella, E. coli, listeria, Staph. aureus, mold and yeast. On top of that, they strongly support humane farming practices and have organic and sustainably sourced ingredients. It is a privilege to be able to work with a pet food company that shares my passion for nutrition and Churro gets spoiled as a byproduct! If you are interested in learning more about Evermore and the amazing things they are doing to reshape pet food, you can click here!

Happy pup ♡

Quote of the week: “Dobutamine, she giveth and she taketh away… beta agonism.” -Dr. Jamie Burkitt