Shocking discoveries...

The most interesting thing that I was able to witness this month at mentorship was when a pregnant English Bull Mastiff came into the clinic. The technicians had me look at the x-rays and they found something pretty interesting. There were around 20 puppies in the mother's womb! How crazy is that?! The technician had me count the skulls and spines to see how many puppies I accounted for. I counted 20, but they said there could be more. It was hard to tell from the x-rays the exact number of puppies because they were all squished in there. The technicians had to take two x-rays just to get the full body image of the dog, that's how big it was. They know that some puppies might not survive, but they are hoping for the best.

Blog 13: Lesson 2 Reflection

1.What are you most proud of in your Lesson 2 Presentation and why?

I am most proud of my activity. I feel that it engaged the audience and helped further explain/demonstrate my answer.

2. a.)What assessment would you give yourself on your Lesson 2 Presentation (self-assessment)?

I would give myself a P.

b.) Explain why you deserve that grade using evidence from the Lesson 2 component contract.

I think I deserve a P because I felt my research and evidence was clear, I had a visual aid, I cited my sources, and created an engaging activity.

3. What worked for you in your Lesson 2?

My activity worked, as well as my PowerPoint.

4. What didn't work? If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your Lesson 2?

I would have projected my voice more and made better eye contact with my audience.

5. What do you think your answer #2 is going to be?

They can also best help the animal through examinations, x-rays, and health tests.

Blog 12: Mentorship 10 hours check

1.   Where are you doing your mentorship?

            Country Animal Clinic

2.   Who is your contact?

            Dr. Gene Metzger

3.   How many total hours have you done? 

            32 hours

4.   Summarize the 10 hours of service you did.

For the ten hours, I was introduced to the staff, as well as my mentor, in the clinic. I was shown around the clinic and got to witness the types of procedures and services they offer. I got to see a dog get spayed on my first day there. Later on, I got to see the technicians perform different procedures such as nail clippings, vaccinations, ear cleanings, inserting IVs, and many more.

Blog 11: Holiday Project Update

1.  It is important to consistently work on your senior project, whether it is break or we are in school.  What did you do over the break with your senior project?

Over break, I continued to go to mentorship when I could. There were a lot of things going on over break, so I was unable to go as much as I would have liked to. 

2.  What was the most important thing you learned from what you did, and why?  What was the source of what you learned?

I learned that it is important to keep track of the supplies in the clinic. When I went to mentorship, one of the vet techs told me that they had run out of ear cleaning solution because no one wrote down that they needed more. This could hurt the business because the vet techs do not have the necessary supplies and can, therefore, not perform the needed task. Luckily, there was one extra bottle in the back that could be used until the new shipment of ear cleaning solution came in.

3.  If you were going to do a 10 question interview on questions related to answers for your EQ, who would you talk to and why?

I would talk to the vet techs in the clinic where I mentor because they are included in my EQ and could best help me answer it. I would also talk to a vet that works at a different clinic to get her perspective and see if it differs from where I mentor.

Interesting things happening...

I have seen and learned a lot of things while at my mentorship this month, but one thing stood out to me the most. I overheard technicians and mentor discuss what they believed to be wrong with two cats that had been brought in by West End Animal Shelter. The shelter didn't tell them what was wrong so it made things difficult. Technicians were preparing to take blood and give injections to one of the West End cats, when it flew off the table, hissed, and tried to scratch the technicians. Technicians then placed the cat in the "cat box" with gas attached to it. I had never seen this box used before so I found it very interesting. I learned that the box is used to sedate cats that can't be controlled or freak out. The gas slowly sedated the cat so the technicians could work on it. One technician, named Julia, told me that they have to work fast before the gas wears off because the cat could wake up at any moment. They also have to make sure the cat is all the way sedated before they remove it from the box because it could also wake up suddenly. December was an overall good and busy month at the clinic. I'm glad to do my mentorship there and look forward to witnessing more exciting things.

Further Volunteer Work At Priceless Pets

I have finished my hours for my independent component, but still continue to volunteer at Priceless Pets because I enjoy working with the animals. Volunteering at Priceless Pets is very enjoyable for me. There is always things to be done such as wash dishes, walk dogs, clean kennels, feed dogs, and so much more. I get to interact with so many amazing and loving cats and dogs. I have grown attached to many of these animals and want to further volunteer my time to help them.
Recently, a small dachshund-chihuahua mix named Stymie came into the shelter with his mom. He is still a puppy and the mom is still a little protective over him. There was a litter of puppies, but they all got adopted and Stymie is the only one left. Him and his mom are both sweethearts and enjoy playing with the volunteers. I hope they get adopted into a loving home soon.

Blog 10: EQ

1. I reviewed the rule of three for writing an EQ.

2.  a. What is the most important factor in healthy weight loss?

• Follows the rule of three.
• Question is not too general. Is specific in healthy weight loss and not just weight loss in general. The wording makes sense and can argue a point.

     b. What is most important to securing a conviction in a criminal investigation?

• Follows the rule of three.
• The wording is very specific and calls for depth of research. This question also takes a stance and is arguable. 

     c. What is most important in creating a hairstyle that best satisfies a customer?

• Does not follow the rule of three.
• Question seems to general. There could be a list of answers.

     d. How can an anesthesiologist best treat chronic pain?

• Does not follow the rule of three.
• This question is general and can be answered in a list.

3. How can a veterinarian and veterinary technician work together to best treat an injured or sick animal?