Laica

Alexander Robb, V’13
Tufts University
Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine
Experiences

I never would have guessed that scrambling eggs would be an important moment in the course my veterinary education.  This summer, such a seemingly mundane act took on a much larger significance.  For a week in July, I traveled to San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua with WorldVets to participate in a small animal spay/neuter campaign.  San Juan del Sur is a beautiful coastal town with many nice shops and restaurants lining the beach,remarkably friendly people, and an unfortunately limited supply of regular veterinary care.  Our group of veterinarians, veterinary students, technicians, and volunteers spent a week in town, with three days totally dedicated to clinical procedures.  We spayed, neutered, enucleated, drained abscesses, repaired wounds, did healthy consultations, and administered medication for over 400 animals in that short period of time.  For some in our group, the highlight of the trip was their first spay, for others it was treating a crocodile with a wound or a monkey with a urinary tract infection.  For me, it was one dog in particular. Laica in her body suit Her name is Laica, and the fact that I can still use “is” to describe her, is amazing.

Laica came into our clinic on the second day for a routine spay.  I wasn’t involved in her surgery, but there weren’t any complications that we were aware of while she was under our supervision and care.  Once ready to go home, she was discharged to her owners with instructions to keep her inside for the next day and keep a close eye on her as she recovered.

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