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The camelid conundrum

Llamas are social animals.

Despite expecting a purely equine placement, I’ve had a bit of a crash course in camelids over the past two weeks.

As alpacas and llamas continue to increase in popularity throughout the UK, more and more first opinion vets are having to apply their knowledge from other species to these slightly odd creatures.

Having had no previous experience with either of them, even just handling and trying to read their behaviour was a bit of a challenge.

Being social animals who get extremely upset when alone, one in-patient (a llama) was accompanied by two of his friends to minimise stress levels.

Sadly, said llama didn’t make it, but his acquaintances were able to travel home together, considerably less stressed than a lone llama forced to leave its dead friend behind.

Drugs done different

I also accompanied two of the vets to go and castrate eight alpacas, which thankfully went smoother than expected. In addition to learning the procedure itself – which is very similar to castrating a dog, apart from leaving the incision open and only using local anaesthetic – I learned how some drugs must be used differently in these animals. For example, lidocaine has to be mixed with sterile water rather than used straight.

Luckily, we had plenty of help and most people involved were experienced handlers, which made the whole operation run fairly smoothly, even if everyone did get splattered with blood and alpaca spit.

I found out the hard way that alpacas have extremely powerful legs and sharp claws, having had one narrowly miss my face but leave a considerable scratch along my neck, and another tear straight through a pair of very hardy waterproof trousers, in addition to leaving me with numerous bruises.

The point of an alpaca

What’s the point of an alpaca?

Having also been to castrate a llama that day, this sparked a discussion about the purpose of camelids in this country.

Llamas are sometimes kept as guard animals for flocks of sheep, and alpacas for their wool – but, other than being expensive pets or “field ornaments”, what is the end market for breeders?

A breeder present for the mass emasculation expressed his support for castration since, as the popularity of these South American natives grows, so does the number of unwanted individuals.

This discussion on the welfare of unwanted animals reminded me of Princess Anne’s suggestion that a UK horse meat market would decrease the number of unwanted horses.

Could the same be said for camelids? Would an alpaca meat market in this country help the problem, and would it ever take off anyway? Being a very lean meat, I think there could be a market in a nation of people yearning for a healthy lifestyle.

Having visited South America in 2013, I’ll admit I was more inclined to try alpaca steak than another of their native dishes – and believe it far more likely to take off in the UK than guinea pig.

July 31, 2015
IVSA SpringBreak in Naples

Jordan “attempts” pregnancy diagnosis in buffalo

A friend who had attended an International Veterinary Students’ Association trip told me I should definitely attend any of its future events if I had the opportunity. Hence, when an email arrived about the IVSA SpringBreak in Naples, I applied immediately.

In all honesty, by the time I received an email confirming I had a place, I’d forgotten about applying entirely and began to reconsider.

Luckily my “what’s the worst that can happen” and “I have an overdraft if it gets costly” attitude got the better of me, and shortly after my professional exams finished in May, I found myself on a plane to Naples at some ungodly hour of the morning.

After the total of 24 vet students from all over the world (Poland, Taiwan, Israel, Nigeria, Algeria, Grenada, USA, Greece, Ireland and Scotland) had arrived, our Italian hosts held a welcome party in our honour at their university’s veterinary faculty. Despite Naples living up to its dodgy reputation within hours (one of our group got mugged after the party), we were soon thrown headlong into a packed week of vet activities and sightseeing and began to enjoy ourselves.

Over the course of the week, we had a few activities relating to the buffalo that are milked in Italy to produce mozzarella. In addition to sampling fresh mozzarella, we were shown around a buffalo farm and dairy parlour, were able to (attempt to) pregnancy diagnose some buffalo ourselves, dissected pregnant uteri and performed a postmortem on calves.

Standardbreds are a breed of horse best known for their ability to race in harness at a trot or pace instead of under saddle at a gallop – Wikipedia

The racecourse at which we had equine activities held some flat races on turf, but its main use was for harness racing of Standardbred trotters – not a common occurrence at home, but very popular in Italy. We took part in lameness assessment of Standardbreds, were shown the procedure for pre-race documentation checking and doping testing, and watched an endoscopy of a horse with suspected laryngeal problems. We did also, of course, get to watch a few harness races, which were quite the novelty.

An important aspect of the veterinary course in Naples involves the role of the vet at the fish market. For us, this meant waking up at 3am (thankfully supported by beautiful Italian espresso) in order to witness the process from fish arriving from the boats to being sent off to other markets, and the ways in which the vet ensures quality and maintains health and safety standards throughout.

Among all the exciting vet stuff, we managed to squeeze in a little sightseeing, including the breathtaking Cemetery of Fontanelle and the Pompeii ruins, after navigating (and getting in a complete mess with) the Italian public transport system.

After an impressive send off in the form of another party in the veterinary faculty, it was quite sad to say goodbye to some of the friends we’d made in a short space of time and, of course, to our fantastic Italian hosts – however, having being at least two hours late for most activities all week (after all, the Italian way is to not rush), I was relieved to be safely seated on my plane home.

IVSA SpringBreak in Naples: 24 international veterinary students and their Italian hosts

Aside from the experience I gained from the structured activities, I learned even more from the different types of people I encountered and their tales of how veterinary differs in their respective countries, which I think can be even more important than the specific veterinary knowledge acquired.

Sharing experiences with people from different backgrounds and cultures can be truly eye opening, and never ceases to amaze me.

June 16, 2014
Glasgow Vet School Rodeo
My responsibilities included poster/flyer design.

The Glasgow Vet School Rodeo is an annual charity event organised by vet students. It is traditional for second year students to make the event happen, and so this year, I was involved in its organisation.

My responsibilities included taking minutes at weekly meetings, correspondence with print media for advertising, compiling the programme and poster/flyer design.

Each year, we support several (usually animal-related) charities with the aim of hosting a fun-filled family day out while raising money for worthy causes. The year, the final total raised came to a huge £16,162.74, which will be split between the charities [see bottom of page for a full list].

The 54th annual Rodeo was held within the grounds of Glasgow Vet School on April 12.

After the committee was soaked to the skin while unloading and directing exhibitors to their pitches in the morning, the rain (but unfortunately not the wind) stopped just in time for the gates to open at 11am – much to everyone’s relief.

The day included falconry, dancing, duck-herding and husky demonstrations in the main arena, with SMAART horse, Trec and horse rescue demonstrations in the horse arena. There was also a dog show, which offered all owners the chance to enter their dog in a variety of classes, as well as an animal tent, reptile tent and pony rides.

Jordan (left) and “friends”

If that wasn’t enough, there were craft stalls in the marquee, bouncy castles, horse and carriage rides, and local animal charities also came along to promote their work.

As has become traditional, we ended the day by drawing our “rodeo raffle”. We had some fantastic prizes, such as a family pass for Blair Drummond Safari Park, afternoon tea at Hilton Glasgow, “Tee Time” at Royal Troon Golf Club and many more – we are grateful to the various organisations for providing these.

Despite battling through the fury of Scottish weather in the morning, and relentless wind throughout the day (resulting in many stalls being relocated into one of the marquees), the committee felt the day was a success overall. After eight months of planning, we pulled it off, and celebrated that evening in true Scottish style with a ceilidh open to students at Glasgow Vet School.

The charities being supported this year were:
- World Horse Welfare, which is an international horse charity that ‘improves the lives of horses in the UK and around the world through education, campaigning, and hands- on care’.
- Blue Cross, which “finds the right homes for unwanted pets throughout the UK, treats sick and injured animals at their hospitals when owners can’t afford private fees, promotes animal welfare and provides the Pet Bereavement Support Service”.
- Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, which helps people experiencing hearing loss throughout the UK by creating “life-changing partnerships between deaf people and specially trained hearing dogs”.
- Veterinary Development Fund: the James Herriot Scholarship fund will enable Glasgow Vet School to award scholarships to excellent undergraduate and postgraduate veterinary students who, through financial constraints, may otherwise not be able to study at Glasgow.
- Inti Wara Yassi is a Bolivian charity that works to rescue wildlife by confiscating illegally kept wild animals or by offering sanctuary to animals that are voluntarily brought to the charity. These animals are cared for in one of three parks throughout Bolivia (I also volunteered at two of the parks last summer).
- Hessilhead Wildlife Rescue, is a charity in North Ayrshire, Scotland, that aims to rescue, treat, rehabilitate and release birds and animals back to the wild.
- Students for Animals In Need is a charity made up of veterinary students from the University of Glasgow who work together to provide treatment to sick or injured animals that might not otherwise be treated, due to financial difficulties.
- Riding For the Disabled Association (RDA): Glasgow RDA provides equine therapy to more than 300 children and adults with disabilities from across the greater Glasgow area.
April 30, 2014
The German attitude to learning

A veterinarian placing a syringe in the vein of a horse. © iStockcom/Jan-Otto

The vet handed me the needle and vacuum tubes and, at the slightly bewildered look on my face, asked if I’d ever taken blood from a horse before. Upon my answer of “no”, he shrugged and said: “I’ll show you the first one, instruct you for the second, then you can do it by yourself.”

Having started at 8am on my first morning, he had me taking blood samples from broodmares used to produce top class racehorses by 8:05 – not something I would expect to be allowed to do as a second year vet student anywhere in England.

I spent the rest of that morning with Neils, the vet, driving to different yards and observing while he performed rectal ultrasound scans on mares, assessed an ongoing case of RAO (Recurrent Airway Obstruction) and extracted a tooth from a very old and very hairy pony, alternating between being utterly flummoxed by his exchange of German conversion with clients and him then explaining things to me in perfect English. I then returned to the stud yard I was based at (between Hannover and Hamburg) to groom, feed and bring in the mares.

Although I was technically supposed to be on pre-clinical EMS at the stud, Neils was eager for me to learn from him, in addition to the more husbandry-based experience I was gaining from being on the yard. Some days were spent entirely on the yard, and others were spent partially with him, gaining bonus clinical experience. Neils was a “one-man-band”, running a mobile equine practice by himself – an alien concept, compared to the practice based vets that are the norm at home.

About halfway through my first week, I spent an entire day with Neils and, having watched him scan (via rectum) more mares than I could count, he decided there were a few safe candidates for me to try my hand on (or, rather, arm in). After a few minutes of fumbling around, I managed to orientate myself and understood far more clearly what the grey and black mush on the ultrasound screen represented.

We then went on to x-ray a horse with a fractured radius and I assisted in applying its Robert Jones bandage. I took a few more blood samples and we called at other horses to drop off medication, vaccinate, assess lameness and rasp some teeth.

I felt like I’d had a taste of what it would be like to be a qualified vet – not from the practical and clinical things I got to see and do that day, but from the 14 hour day, having had nothing but a Creme Egg to eat and not stopping for breath…

However, arriving back to the yard that evening just after the arrival of a new foal made it worth every second. Between them, Neils and the yard manager explained everything that was done and needed to be done just after a foaling; we examined the afterbirth to ensure none had been retained, assisted the foal while it began to suckle and kept an eye on both the mare and foal for the next few hours.

The end of my two weeks in Germany came around all too soon and was quite sorry to have to leave. I was taken aback by their hands-on attitude and desire for me to get as much out of my placement as possible, and not just be another pair of hands for mucking out.

The generosity I experienced from everyone I worked with is something I’m extremely grateful for, and will never forget.

April 15, 2014
Role play… at vet school?

Image © iStockphoto.com/DenGuy

A role play class with professional actors brought in to help out would be commonplace on a course such as drama, and may sound a little odd for veterinary medicine. But is it really?

Communication is a vital part of being a vet and can often be the “make or break” factor for client satisfaction. Often, owners won’t have any concept of your surgical skills or medical knowledge, but they will know instantly whether they trust their animals in your care within minutes of meeting you simply from the way you communicate.

The class uses realistic scenarios with different types of “client” (the actors) that we are likely to come across in practice. These involved breaking the news that a pet has to be euthanised, dealing with tight horse owners that just think you’re trying to rip them off, and discussing alternative treatments for someone struggling to tablet their cat.

Sometimes, it can be difficult if you don’t know enough about the condition the animals has in your scenario, but the important thing is how you convey the information, not necessarily the content of what you are saying.

On the whole, the students got stuck in and enjoyed themselves. It was interesting to see how different students took different angles on the same scenario, proving there isn’t just one way to communicate effectively. The actors and supervising vet also gave us pointers on body language and tone of voice.

Years ago, veterinary graduates were thrown into practice with very limited guidance on communication, which must have been terrifying. The interactive sessions give us the chance to make mistakes in an artificial environment, so that we (hopefully) won’t make them in the real world.

I found the session incredibly helpful and think that communication is an immensely important skill to develop in order to give us the best chance at getting on with our clients in the future. Sessions like this should become a fundamental component of any veterinary course.

January 15, 2014
Food (with added equine) for thought

Princess Anne has suggested that the British attitude to eating horsemeat needs to change.

For a nation of horse lovers, the discovery of equine DNA in food products earlier this year was horrifying. It caused nationwide outrage, with many people sickened that they may have unknowingly consumed meat from the same species as their beloved pets and, in many cases, best friends.

But are we just being a bit squeamish about the whole situation?

During a speech at the World Horse Welfare annual conference, Princess Anne – president of both the charity and the Pony Club – suggested that the British attitude to eating horsemeat needs to change.

With 7,000 equines at risk of abandonment and neglect this winter, could an active horsemeat industry in this country change things?

The prices of horses have plummeted, meaning some may be worth more as meat. If the choice was between selling the animals for meat or being exposed to starvation, slaughter certainly becomes the kinder option. The Princess Royal inferred that the prospect of selling horses for meat may increase the value of the animals, helping to reduce the number of welfare cases.

She further claimed the issue with the horsemeat scandal was not the presence of the horse DNA, but the lack of honesty in what is going into our food. If the food were labelled correctly, would Brits be more inclined to eat products containing horsemeat?

If the Princess Royal is willing to debate the idea, then perhaps we should rethink our attitudes towards horsemeat.

The question is, regardless of the positive impact a meat industry may have on welfare of equines throughout the country, could Brits ever truly get over the uncomfortable thought of eating them?

I know I couldn’t.

As vet students, we are taught about humane slaughter of different species and meat inspection; some of us may well find ourselves working in abattoirs in the future. Are we soon going to have to learn about slaughter of horses too?

December 30, 2013
One year as a vet student

Jordan

Having received my results for the professional exams, I can finally say that I’ve finished my first year at vet school!

Being brutally honest, the first term was a bit of a culture shock. I had focused so much on getting into vet school and being a vet that I didn’t really think about what it would be like when I actually got there.

Coming from a town on the edge of the countryside in the heart of England and moving to Glasgow was quite a change. Although the vet school is on the edge of the city in a fairly green area, it wasn’t the same as being able to cycle 10 miles on quiet country roads to the farm where my horses are kept.

I think what I found the hardest was not being able to ride. I had gone from riding my horse every day to having a lesson with the uni riding club once a week. Owning a horse is a lifestyle, and not something I wanted to give up.

While the first term was largely spent getting used to the mountainous workload, I managed to squeeze other things into my time. Many of my friends from home went to uni a year earlier than me and have told me that Fresher’s Week is the craziest uni experience. But none of them are vets, and they don’t know what AVS Sports weekend is (an annual event hosted by the Association of Veterinary Students). This year, it was held in Glasgow, so we didn’t do any traveling, but certainly experienced the madness of meeting people from every other vet school, who came in all shapes and sizes – penguins, mimes, power rangers and more.

Another annual inter-vet-school event for us is Dick Day, where Glasgow competes against Edinburgh – The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies – in various team sports. Again, this year, it was held in Glasgow. Unlike AVS, the sport on Dick Day is serious and there was a strong sense of rivalry between the schools. I was part of the vet hockey team, but unfortunately we did not defeat the Dick vets in our match.

After battling through a long term of learning at a hundred times the rate we were used to and facing the stress of the class exams, I started the second term knowing better what to expect. I threw myself into getting fit for Easter by swimming, cycling and gyming. I also took up a weekly creative writing class that was put on by the Glasgow uni English department, to rekindle my love of writing.

At Easter, I had my first taste of EMS in the form of my first time lambing. The placement was great – we got loads of hands-on experience and got involved in all aspects of lambing time. We learnt loads, and everything from those seemingly endless sheep lectures started to sink in. Although tiring, we enjoyed every bit of it.

I also spent a week in Norway doing a charity dog sledding challenge to raise money for the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance, who saved my life when I had a serious riding accident two years previously. My family and I had spent a year raising money by doing bucket collections, making Christmas decorations, selling Valentines Day cupcakes, and selling bedding plants. The challenge was fantastic – I loved working with the dogs and getting to see the beautiful Arctic landscape.

However, the day after I landed back in the UK, I was driving back to Glasgow to face revision and the end of year professional exams. I especially began to feel the pressure, because I had arranged to be abroad during the summer when resits would be scheduled (not a wise move, and not something I’d recommend).

We had exams in five subjects: anatomy, physiology, biomolecular sciences, animal husbandry and veterinary professional and clinical skills (VPCS). While I felt most of them went OK, I was almost certain I’d mucked up VPCS after the first day of practicals, having gotten flustered and putting sharps in the wrong bin (we make such idiots out of ourselves when we’re nervous).

During the first month of the summer holidays (while avoiding thinking about the inevitable doom that results would bring), I did some dairy EMS. I’d never been on a dairy farm before and found the experience extremely useful in improving handling skills and my understanding of the dairy industry. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I’d retained from the two cattle lectures we’d had so far.

Without warning, our results started to trickle in, one subject at a time… and so began the momentary relief after receiving one and then the rising anticipation for the next one. Finally, the last one came in, and by some miracle (or so it felt), I had passed all of them! All that worrying about being away for resits was extinguished, and now I could get on with preparing for the next set of EMS I had planned… six weeks in Bolivia in a wildlife sanctuary.

And so I have passed first year. It’s been hard work and no doubt second year will be harder, but vet school hasn’t defeated me yet!

July 10, 2013
My barking mad challenge

You know you’re going somewhere remote when your first exchange with a local Norwegian at the airport is: “People don’t go to Alta, people get sent to Alta.”

Alaskan Huskies in Norway. Credit: Pater McFly

Joking aside, Alta is a fairly small community well into the Arctic Circle, and we were leaving civilisation behind altogether by venturing into the wilderness with seven sleds and 32 huskies. The cabins we stayed at varied in facilities – some had running water and electricity but, at some, we had to keep a fire going for warmth and drill into a frozen lake for drinking water. It really did feel like we’d left the real world far behind.

On the first day, we were introduced to our dogs and shown how to harness them correctly to the sled. Before long, we were tearing across the snow, astounded at the dogs’ enthusiasm, strength and speed. They were as friendly as pet dogs and yet much hardier with a relentless attitude towards their work. They slept outside in the snow and pulled the sleds for hours on end without tiring. And each had an individual character.

Whenever we hit an incline and they started to slow, we had to jump off and run with them or scoot to help them out. Leaving them to it was not an option; if we were slacking, the dogs would just stop and turn round to look at us. They don’t need the power of speech – it was easy to see what they were thinking!

But it wasn’t just a case of jumping on the sled in the morning, traveling for five or six hours, and then collapsing. We looked after the dogs’ every need before we settled down each night. Having no TV or internet meant that our group of seven (including the expedition leader and trip doctor) really bonded over the course of the week.

I think the second day was the most physically demanding. Not because there were many hills (that day was actually quite flat), but because muscles I didn’t even know I had were aching. Despite all the training, everyone seemed to be feeling the strain. I don’t think I could have trained more, but think this was simply down to the fact that it’s a completely different type of exercise to running or cycling or swimming. That day, I really did have to make myself get off and run when the dogs needed a bit of extra help. But I kept reminding myself why I was doing it and kept going.

Lying in hospital with 12 broken ribs, I would never have thought that, two years on, I would be mushing my own team of huskies across Norway. I can’t thank the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance (WNAA) enough – I genuinely believe that they saved my life the day that I fell from that horse. I think it’s important to keep raising awareness and funds for the charity so that they can continue to save lives.

So that’s how I came to be stood on a sled in the North of Norway. It was tough at times but I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and am grateful that I had so much support with raising money for the charity.

April 8, 2013
Pony Club values

Sat in our equine lectures so far, I’ve found myself dozing off a little. Not because of the morning-after headache following one of Glasgow’s vet school socials, or from utter boredom, but because I already knew a lot of it.

The Manual of Horsemanship (14th Edition)

Yes, I’ve had my own horse and have been riding since I was 11, but I think the real culprit is The Pony Club. Years of Pony Club badges, efficiency tests and stable management sessions at camp had obviously made a lasting impression.

It’s only now, at university, that I’m beginning to appreciate just how much has sunk in over the years. From simple things like the difference between hay and haylage, to the less fundamental like laminitis and strangles – The Pony Club has taught me so much. The best part is that it rarely felt like an effort because of the friends I made and because I always had so much fun at the same time.

Not only did I pick up horsemanship knowledge, but also invaluable skills like being tested orally and having to think on your feet.

There are no written examinations in The Pony Club. The efficiency tests – which higher up can be regarded the same levels as the British Horse Society stages – require a riding and stable management element. In both, you are asked to demonstrate or explain things. Without realising it, by the time I got to the B Test, I was able to talk confidently to an examiner about all aspects of horse owning, riding or the industry in general.

Over the years, I’d also gotten roped into the team Stable Management competition, which took a similar format to the efficiency tests but required you to work as a team of three to carry out practical skills as well as discuss answers. Aside from teamwork, I’d picked up how to effectively bandage for different situations, comprehensive first aid and nutrition – all useful for a prospective vet.

I think The Pony Club has been invaluable and is a fantastic way for children of all ages to learn about the beautiful animals they ride, whether they end up having a career involving them or not. While sat in the vet school library the other day, I noticed a very old copy of The Pony Club’s Manual of Horsemanship on the shelves. I couldn’t help but smile to myself.

January 17, 2013
A bundle of nerves

“If a nerve is squashed, it’s not too serious, it goes back to normal. If the nerve is severed or torn, the cow will be lame for a long time – the prognosis is bad.”

That made me sit up a little straighter than normal for a Monday morning lecture.

© iStockphoto.com/Eraxion

During my riding accident, I squashed part of my sciatic nerve (it was “stuck” on something, my doctors told me). Of all the injuries I sustained, that was by far the most painful and most long-term. Within a couple of months, I regained most of the movement in my foot, but the pain didn’t stop then.

Nerve pain is unlike other pain; it’s a stinging, hot pins-and-needles, burning, tingling, throbbing and above all persistent pain. There’s no escaping it… except for the appropriate nerve painkillers. It’s difficult to describe, and incomparable.

Now, a year-and-a-half later, I’m still on the painkillers, which is not unusual – I’ve lost count of the number of times doctors have told me nerves take the longest to heal.

So, how can we possibly hope to understand what an animal is going through? Or even, for that matter, whether they are in pain at all? Perhaps slight nerve damage doesn’t seem so serious because the cow can still move almost normally. But how are we to know that the cow is not experiencing that excruciating, burning pins-and-needles sensation?

In farm practice, I suppose the general consensus would be that if the cow’s value decreases and it’s cheaper to euthanise it, then so be it. But what if it were a horse or dog with sciatic nerve damage? Would we go as far as to operate on the damaged nerve (as mine was) or are there nerve-painkillers currently available for animals?

How do we know how long the animal is in pain or discomfort for? My foot doesn’t hurt anymore, but it’s still hypersensitive, so I don’t like people touching it, etc. I would assume nerve tissue in animals takes as long to heal as it does in us. Does that mean these injured animals are suffering, though perhaps on a slightly lower key basis than initially, for longer than we realise?

We can’t possibly experience every type of pain or ailment that an animal might have, so we may not always understand why something hurts or indeed where that pain is coming from (although the pain is in my foot – the damage is at the knee). But all we can do is try to use the resources available to us to do the best for the animals under our care.

As with any condition in veterinary medicine, it comes down to the fact animals can’t speak to us, and we must not forget that.

November 18, 2012