PHOTOGRAPHY

Submitted by Tuuli Overturf, Cornell University

"Friendly Meeting"

VIN Topic Rounds

 

Are you missing out on clinical rotations because of COVID-19? The VIN Student Team has you covered with Tuesday Topic Rounds.  During the month of February, join J. Scott Weese, DVM, DVSc, DACVIM (LAIM) for 30 minute, case-based sessions on Zoonotic Disease every Tuesday at 12ET. Everyone and all levels of experience are welcome. There will be time for Q&A and discussion following. The next session is Large Animal Zoonotic Cases on February 9, 2021 at 12 ET.

In this rounds:

• Discuss common and uncommon large animal zoonoses.
• Explore diagnostic, treatment, and management approaches.
• Learn through case-based discussion.

TO JOIN THE SESSION, LOG INTO THE VIN STUDENT CENTER AND CLICK THE GREEN BUTTON IN THE TOP RIGHT

The Veterinary Information Network (VIN) is here to help you as a vet student – especially during this worldwide pandemic. Membership is always free as a student!

Learning More About Production Medicine

Learn more about the experience that Nicholas Shen (Lincoln Memorial University) had this summer learning about production medicine!

This summer I enrolled in Kansas State University’s Advanced Cow- Calf and Feedlot Rotations, taught by national thought leaders of beef cattle veterinarians in the U.S. I also had learned a lot at Lincoln Memorial University’s large animal ambulatory rotation where I began my veterinary school journey with three years ago.

I also had an opportunity to attend the Veterinary Agri-Health Services (VAHS) Advanced Beef Production Medicine Rotation at their facilities. The expe­riences I gained were invaluable to me as I learned how to provide value as a beef cattle veterinarian, in and outside of traditional veterinary services.

The most memorable lesson was from a Canadian rancher, Stephen Hughes, in Longview, Alberta. At Chinook Ranch, Mr. Hughes has been grazing his cattle 12 months out of the year for over 20 years, despite the Canadian snowfalls in the winter. He does this through his sustainable range management practices, which continue to improve the land’s native and tame grasses.

Due to his strategic grass manage­ment, his cattle have plenty of nutri­tion the entire year, move constantly to fresh pastures, which decreases chances of illnesses that require anti­biotic treatment. The environment and wildlife populations are taken care of, and any invasive weeds are managed without using herbicides.

In the summer, Mr. Hughes moves his cattle herd to a new pasture every 48 hours, allowing the grass from the previous pasture to rest and regrow. This method keeps the grass in its veg­etative state, and allows for a higher nutrient content in these grasses going into the fall and winter, which can then be grazed through the snow in the winter months, just like how the bison had thrived on this land many years before.

The lesson learned was not only how to graze cattle through the winter months without putting up hay, but to do this, it is important to go into the winter with at least 8" of grass that was frozen in its vegetative state, increasing the quality of grass to sus­tain the cattle through winter grazing.

Mr. Hughes also said the greatest factor in rotational grazing is not about getting the correct number of cows to prevent over grazing. It is about determining the correct amount of time you allow your herd to graze. 

Going forward, I can see this experience helping me to provide value to producers to help decrease their winter feed costs by increasing the number of months the cattle can graze during the year.

Texas A&M CVM Open House: Painting the Anatomy Horse

Entry, Creative Corner
Sarah Jarosinski, Texas A&M

If She Only Had a Brain

Entry, Experiences
Becky Zaremba, Ross University

During my undergraduate time at Purdue University I took a summer volunteer position at the large animal teaching hospital which allowed me to shadow clinicians as well as become familiar with basic veterinary skills. Since I was interested in pursuing a career in equine practice this is what was referred to as “a good life choice”! The poor life choice that followed was that I hadn’t invested in a Dorland’s Medical Dictionary sooner and, like most vet students, I had a hyperactive baby animal gene.

During one of my rotations, a four day old American Mini filly presented with a fist sized mass on the dorsal aspect of her skull. After further evaluation the mass was identified as a meningocele. A neurologic exam indicated that she had ataxia of all four limbs and that her vision was incomplete. Otherwise, she acted as if she was a normal healthy foal, but was not sufficiently nursing from a bottle as she was donated to the university as an orphan. A nasogastric tube was placed and a CT scan was scheduled in order to more closely examine the meningocele. The CT scan is when I truly became involved in the case as it was, hands down, the most interesting thing I had yet to encounter in veterinary medicine.

The CT scan had revealed that the meningocele contained brain tissue and fluid. The clinicians on the case had started discussing options for the filly and at that point they were unsure if there was anything that they would be able to do.

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