RVP (Rural Veterinary Practice)

Last week I finished up another month long rotation. The rotation was RVP or Rural Veterinary Practice which involved going on farm calls! At times I felt like I was in a James Herriot novel as we would go to various farms and treat the animals with supplies from our vehicle like portable ultrasound and x-ray. 

The rotation is split into 1 week each of Farm animal medicine, Equine medicine, and Theriogenology (Animal Reproduction). The fourth week you got to choose an extra week of whatever. I ended up doing 2 weeks of theriogenology mostly because on that service you get to see both large and small animals. For example, in one day I helped breed some dogs, ultrasounded pigs for pregnancy, helped with a C-section on a goat, and performed breeding soundness exams on some bulls. It was a very busy service full of baby animals.

My skin closure on a goat C-section

On Farm Animal week we saw a lot of cattle, sheep, and goats. One day we were at the dairy all day long rectally palpating cows to either determine if they were pregnant or to confirm pregnancy. There were at least 70 cows total that were palpated split between 2 other students and the clinician. Of course the clinician would double check all of the students and I'm sure glad that he did! I've decided that I was not meant to be a dairy cow vet although it was a good experience despite the bruises that I acquired on my left arm. 

On the equine service I got to perform equine dentals which involved using instruments (basically power tools) to smooth and even out the surface of the cheek teeth. I was also able to perform some local nerve blocks and extract some incisors. It was fun doing lameness exams to try to determine where the cause of lameness was arising (hoof vs hock) with gait assessment and nerve blocks. 

Horse dental tools

Overall, I enjoyed the rotation. I learned a lot and enjoyed that this rotation was one of the more hands-on rotations. I got to do a lot of things I will probably never do again in my veterinary career like de-horning, ear tagging, and applying tattoos to cattle. I got to do regional limb perfusion with antibiotics on a goat with a foot infection. I helped collect semen from stallions and bulls for breeding soundness exams. The list goes on but you get the idea. I got to do a lot!

Equipped with my helmet in preparation for collecting semen from a stallion.

Also last week I presented my Senior paper with a powerpoint presentation to my peers and some faculty. It was stressful  but I feel like a did a good job and my mentor Dr. Warnock was very helpful. I presented on orthotic devices in dogs. Now I just have to finish writing the actual paper and turn it in. Once complete, that will be a big weight off my shoulders. 

Lastly, I've officially started my job hunt. I'm mainly looking for a position as a veterinarian in northern Utah so I can be near my family.  So far I haven't had great success but I have had one phone interview and I'm looking forward to a working interview in April. It's hard not knowing exactly what my life will be like or where I'll be after graduation but I'm sure that things will work out and one way or another I will end up exactly where I am supposed to be.