Exotics Rotation

So Exotics is super duper cool!!! Dr. Finch was great, the techs were super helpful, and of course Jacki my classmate was awesome. We had a blast plus I was able to work with some pretty amazing animals - 

• Golden Eagles (I got to hold them!) 
• Owls- Great Horned Owls, Barred Owls, Short eared, Screech
• Other falcons- kestrels, Red tail hawk, Swainson hawk, Coopers hawks, Sharp-shinned hawk 
• Axolotl 
• African Frog
• Canada Goose
• Ferrets
• baby cottontail bunny
• baby birds- robin, flicker, starling, pigeon
• Rabbits 
• Spotted Leopard gecko 
• Macaw 

I was able to perform some cool procedures as well

• gave injections to reptiles 
• gave subq fluids to a golden eagle and a Guiana pig 
• neutered a rat and half a rabbit 
• changed bandage on a great horned owl
• got a lot of experience grabbing raptors and restraining them for exams and transport 
• force fed a great horned owl 
•  learned how to feed and care for baby birds and bunnies. 

Some procedures I got to watch and learn from

• How to perform an physical exam on a screaming macaw and other birds
• how to perform nail, beak, and feather beauty trim
• a mass removal from a 100 g bird
• radiographs of a box turtle, great horned owl, guiana pig
• The easiest way to grab a bird from its cage (it involves complete darkness) 

Weekend patient care was overwhelming- it took us 6 hours to complete morning patient care on Saturday, but to our credit we had over 50 animals to care for and we cut it down to 5 hours on Sunday. 

4th of July - Emmett

Wild Cow Milking 

During my Radiology rotation I had an extra day off. Randy and I planned to meet in Emmett at his parents for the weekend with both of us arriving Friday afternoon. Thursday afternoon Randy decided to head up early and arrived at his parents Thursday night. I finished school at 5 and I hadn't packed or anything, but decided to follow my mother's spirit and drive up Thursday night (My mother is a strong believer in last minute trips and staying up a few extra hours to be with your husband sooner). I threw some essentials in a bag, loaded the animals in the car, and left the house at 6. I arrived at midnight.

Friday morning we went to a local bakery called The Rumor Mill for doughnuts and pastries - yum. That evening we went to a rodeo in Vale Oregon. My favorite part was the Pig Scramble which consists of letting 6 piglets lose in an arena with 60 kids who each want to take it home. There was a sweet moment when a bigger kid caught a pig but quickly gave it to a younger kid.

Saturday (the 4th) I went to help my in laws put on a pancake breakfast at the church. Later we worked with our horses. It was a gorgeous day, but hot so none of us worked too hard. That evening Randy and I went out to eat a Red Robin (where else?). That evening we watched the fireworks in the cemetery (it was up on a hill over looking the park where the fireworks were lit). It was cool to be able to see not just the city fireworks, but all family party fireworks as well.

Me and Tag 

Randy and Montana 

Cindy on Sax

Sunday came too soon and I had to drive back up to Pullman for my next week of Radiology.