Y3S2 Week 11: Small Mammals and Oceanside 70.3!

We are officially down to our final species-specific block before heading into our clinical orientation!

Monday started off with a quick run around the block with Churro before a hot yoga session. This was a great way to stretch out after driving to Davis the day before! The first lecture of the day was an introduction to the new block and helped lay out the ground rules for the upcoming two weeks. This block is focused on small mammals, specifically guinea pigs, hamsters, ferrets, rats, and rabbits. Over the course of my life, I have had a majority of these “pocket pets” so I am excited to learn more about them from a veterinary perspective. The following lecture was on anatomy, and the last lecture of the morning was on nutrition and husbandry. These were a great way to get everyone on the same page and clear up some common misconceptions surrounding the nutritional management of these species.

That afternoon we had an anatomy lab where we had the opportunity to learn more about guinea pigs, rats, rabbits, and ferrets. The first hour of the lab consisted of 4x15 minute stations, each focused on one of the listed species. We then had an hour to perform our own dissections of a rabbit and rat. This was a great way to cement the information from that morning’s lecture and truly understand the complexities of the rabbit’s intestinal tract! The rest of the day included some fun time with Churro on the field and a little preparation for the upcoming dentistry lab.

Tuesday morning began in a similar way with a quick whirl around the park with Churro followed by a hot yoga session. We started the morning with a dentistry lecture then had two lectures on gastrointestinal disease in small mammals. Many of these species have complex gastrointestinal tracts and can commonly present with abdominal discomfort. I found it fascinating to learn that for a rabbit to completely empty its GI tract, it would have to be fasted for over a week! The following lecture was on clinical pathology in small mammals, and Dr. Ammersbach did a wonderful job of highlighting the main differences between the species along with blood collection techniques.

That afternoon we had a dentistry lab where we had the opportunity to do dental exams on rabbit cadaver heads and use the endoscope to visualize the oral cavity. We then had a chance to practice filing down the sharp points of the teeth that occur over time when there is a malalignment. The last part of the lab involved extracting the incisor teeth. This was similar to the dentistry lab we did on dogs and cats, but the rabbit's incisions are much longer, and they do not have a normal tooth root system. Their teeth constantly grow throughout their lives, so the teeth we extracted were much larger than those in a dog or cat. The rest of the day included some time on the field with Churro.

Wednesday morning began with a 7 miler with Churro followed by a lecture on anesthesia for small mammals. These animals can be finicky under anesthesia, so having the ability to anticipate common complications is key to keeping them safe while anesthetized. We then had two radiology lectures highlighting the key species variations.

Sunrise Run!

That afternoon I had a chance to visit Rebecca and spend some time walking and chatting about life before heading back to campus for a clinical pathology lab. This lab was a great way to bring together the information from yesterday’s lecture! The rest of the afternoon included some lecture review and some time with Churro on the field.

Thursday morning started with a quick whirl around the block with Churro followed by a nice hot yoga session. We then had a lecture on emergency and critical care for small mammals followed by a lecture on the urinary system and finished the morning up learning about the reproductive system. Each of these lectures ended with a quiz which allocated points towards the intense Golden Rabbit competition. At the end of these three lectures the scores were tallied, and the winner was awarded a trophy with a golden rabbit along with a chocolate rabbit. The second-place winner was awarded a smaller version of both prizes. The professors in this block have been phenomenal and their passion for the content is evident. After those lectures, I hopped in the car and made my way home to San Diego.

Very intense Golden Rabbit competition!

Friday morning started with a quick whirl around the neighborhood with Churro followed by catching up on some of the afternoon lecture material I missed the day before. I then had a chance to drop off my bike for the race on Saturday and make sure everything was ready to go! The rest of the day involved some studying, stretching, and an early bedtime.

Saturday involved the Oceanside 70.3 half-ironman, and it was a phenomenal experience! I had completed this race during my senior year of undergrad and had wanted to do it again to celebrate the end of the didactic portion of vet school. I love pushing my body to its limit and celebrating what it is capable of. I also had the best cheer squad around and am so grateful for their support. I have a post about the race coming out soon so stay tuned for a full recap and my train of thought over the course of 70.3 miles!

My support team ♡

Another thing that made Saturday extra special was the ability to spend some time with Dr. Clarke and celebrate her birthday! Dr. Clarke has been an extremely important person in my journey, and I am incredibly grateful to have her as not only a mentor, but also as a friend.

Sunday I drove back home to Davis so most of the day was spent in the car with Churro. Once we arrived in Davis I was able to do some organizing, stretch, and get prepped for the upcoming week.

Quote of the Week: “I know this is a stressful time, but we have to keep it together.” – Dr. Beaufrere on the Golden Rabbit competition