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Tag: South America

  • PETS with rabies, in the UK?

    dog with rabies
    Close-up of a dog’s face during late-stage “dumb” paralytic rabies. Animals with “dumb” rabies appear depressed, lethargic, and uncoordinated. Gradually they become completely paralyzed. When their throat and jaw muscles are paralyzed, the animals will drool and have difficulty swallowing. Image credit: CDC/Barbara Andrews

    Lectures on legislation regarding veterinary-related issues are never the most interesting, often involving endless lists of dates and figures, but the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) lecture this week had a slight edge to it.

    Among other important factors, such as microchipping and documentation, the focus was quite obviously on the recent changes to the rules regarding rabies.

    It was evident that abolishing the blood test was not a great move in the opinion of this particular lecturer. But he’s not alone – there seems to be a ripple of discomfort throughout the veterinary community in response to the new regulations.

    Pets are now free to travel within the EU just 21 days after having received one dose of the rabies vaccine, despite the incubation period of rabies being up to three months.

    Although Defra claims the risk of rabies entering the UK is still very low, there still seems to be an underlying concern within the veterinary world.

    It has been proposed that the potential increase in risk of exposure to rabies means that vets should be routinely receiving the rabies vaccination.

    I myself have had a course of rabies vaccinations. Not because I’m a vet student, but because I was travelling in South America, where there was a possibility of coming into contact with rabid animals.

    However, my understanding is that the vaccine does not prevent you developing rabies if bitten, but just puts it off for 24hrs, to give you time to get back to the UK to be appropriately treated. With this in mind, would providing the vaccine for those working in the veterinary profession in the UK be of any benefit if it is purely used to “buy time”?

    I’m not convinced that vaccinating vets would be an effective measure to take, but we must now include rabies as one of our differential diagnoses and be open to the possibility (however slim) of being presented with rabid animals in practice. Perhaps more advice about the risks and clinical signs of rabies would put the minds of vets and owners alike at rest.

  • Reverse culture shock

    Reverse culture shock

    As mentioned in a recent post, I spent this summer in South America. This involved a couple of weeks in Peru and six weeks in Bolivia, volunteering for the charity Inti Wara Yassi, which runs three animal sanctuaries.

    Jordan and Carlos
    Jordan and Carlos

    During my time there, I was allocated a puma to walk every day, as well as being given other responsibilities looking after the “house animals”. This involved preparing food and cleaning of enclosures for the birds in the aviary, chanchos (pigs), tapirs and tejons (coatimundi).

    It was also important to provide different forms of enrichment to each of these animals, tailored to their specific needs. I also participated in some essential construction work, such as building a new puma management cage and contributing to a set of monkey enclosures.

    Accepting the extraordinary

    To begin with, it was surreal to be living in the jungle and working so closely with such potentially dangerous animals. But before long, sleeping beneath mosquito nets, eating dinner (usually rice) at a candlelit table and having only a deck of cards and each other’s company for entertainment became the norm.

    There was no electricity at the animal parks and only cold showers, which were surprising refreshing after the heat and humidity of the day.

    Every day was a constant battle against mosquitos and we had to make the compromise between wearing enough layers to minimise being bitten and not overheating in the tropical environment. But we soon got used to the lifestyle.

    Caring for Carlos

    The daily commute to my puma, Carlos, involved a 15 minute walk through a waist-high swamp. I learned to love the swamp and accepted it as part of my daily routine, in addition to caring for and walking Carlos. Building a bond with him was incredibly rewarding and unlike anything I’d ever done before. I learnt so much from him and the other volunteers who were caring for different cats.

    Jordan and the team of volunteers at Inti Wara Yassi.

    Although my time with Carlos counted as pre-clinical EMS, there was a vet on site, which allowed me to understand the minimal equipment and sheer lack of resources available to the animals in developing countries such as Bolivia.

    Before experiencing it first hand, I would never have understood the problems these animals face and the struggle to resolve them, mainly due to lack of funds.

    Life-changing experience

    I had mixed feelings about coming home. I loved every minute of my time away – I’d made some great friends and had adjusted to living with utter basics – but it was strange to be suddenly immersed in the media-obsessed world once more.

    Even small things like flushing toilets were a novelty at first. Crossing roads in the UK seemed unnatural when I’d gotten used to everything being the opposite way around. But slowly, I think I’m getting back into the swing of university life again.

    Going to South America really was life-changing, in more ways than I could have imagined. It opened my eyes to a different way of life and allowed me to appreciate so much that we take for granted in day to day life.

    The experience truly reminded me why I want to be a vet. I hope that one day I can use my skills and knowledge to make a difference, and help people in developing countries care for their animals.

  • Broaden your horizons with EMS

    Broaden your horizons with EMS

    Bolivia
    ©iStockphoto.com/mjbs

    When I received yet another EMS email that had been sent to the whole vet school, I almost deleted it out of habit, but something stopped me. A word caught my eye: Bolivia.

    I had always wanted to go to South America – would this be my chance to tick something off the bucket list as well as get in a few weeks of EMS?

    After a few days of mulling it over, I decided to fill out the online application – I could always change my mind, and I might not even get selected anyway – but the next day, I received an email inviting me to take part in a Skype interview. Shortly afterwards, I was offered a place on the project, so I decided to bite the bullet and say yes.

    The project I will be volunteering on runs a wildlife sanctuary that houses various types of monkeys and birds as well as jaguars and pumas. Many of the animals are rescued from the fur and pet trades. While re-release back into the wild is difficult (especially for the big cats, due to local laws), the animals are given a much better life in the sanctuary than the alternative.

    Antimalarial drugs
    ©iStockphoto.com/BeauDamonRichardsGallery

    As well as handling and work with the animals, the students on the project will help construct new animal enclosures. The project itself lasts for six weeks, but I will be then going on to Peru for a two-week expedition afterwards.

    Before going abroad, I’ve had to organise vaccinations against hepatitis, typhoid, yellow fever and rabies. I’ve also had to obtain malaria tablets to take while I’m out there. As for equipment, I haven’t had to buy too many “specialist” things as such – just a big rucksack, old clothes and the odd thing like water purification tablets and rehydration sachets.

    With less than a week to go, I’m starting to get excited but still in shock that it’s actually happening. And I really need to start packing!

    I’ll let you know how it was when I return to the UK in two months!