#future dvm

[dogtorari]

In organic chemistry we learned how to melt certain substances using a vernier melting machine and lab quest app. It was cool!

[missnoodliness]

This is an appreciation post for the special bun in my life. I am part of the statistic of veterinary students who acquire pets in vet school.

With everything going on in the world, I am reminded how this bunny has kept me grounded, given me purpose, and made me smile. There will never be enough pets or treats to satiate him, never enough toys to throw, never enough boxes to shred or parsley to eat.

Definitely the best decision I made throughout veterinary school.

We've got a new adventure ahead, me and my Coriander.

[catdoctorb]

Jitterbug and I have survived the first 2 days of vet school! I’m working on building a routine and getting a feel for which classes will have weekly assignments or readings. I’m so excited to jump into classes!

Photo: Jitterbug lays on the floor next to a maroon bag filled with school supplies. A small whiteboard next to her says “1 VM” in black market

[missnoodliness]

Here is the tree and rabbit I decorated for the holidays. Hope it's going well for my Tumblr fam! If you have holiday pics of your pets, I'd love to see them!

No Coriander was harmed for these pictures and many treats were found in his stocking

@doomspaniels @melonsystem this is me being brave

Of course the goodest boy got treats for his photo too

[missnoodliness]

Coriander is an absolute menace who craves destruction

And I just sort of encourage him

[missnoodliness]

Tyrosinase Mutations

So, you all remember the foolish floof that runs this blog and my life, right?

About a year ago, he colicked, we went to get some pain meds and subcutaneous fluids since he was free of an obstruction. Coriander then had some fatty infiltration in the area where he got his SC fluids over his right shoulder. We shaved his hair to collect a sterile sample with needles to observe this under the microscope.

About a month later, when his hair began growing back in it was black. Over the course of a year, it has grayed out, but my initial thought was: what the fuck?

Below are before and progress photos over the course of 10 months. (An auricular artery appreciation pic provided as well!)

Now that I am on my dermatology rotation, I finally have the answer. My attending did not know what a Lionhead is, so I had to show her my bunny. She asked me what I knew about his coat coloring and I had to admit that I did not know the mechanism for pointed hair coats (like Siamese cats have).

Tyrosinase is an enzyme that is involved in the synthesis of melanin, the brown-black pigment. Pointed animals have a mutation in their tyrosinase gene, resulting in it being temperature sensitive. In areas where it is cool, the extremities like the nose, ear, feet, and tail, the enzyme is increasingly active. These areas of the animal are then darker due to the increased amount of melanin production in the hair.

So, when I shaved Coriander’s shoulder, I made it very cold and so then his tyrosinase was activated during hair regrowth, making the hair much darker than it was before. This was probably more dramatic due to the time of year and his surface area:volume resulting in heat loss. I was confused for nothing and no one seemed to know what was up, but I now know when you shave pointed animals that coat color change is possible.

[missnoodliness]

When is it appropriate to ask a veterinary professional a question about your pet when you're both not at the clinic?

Never.

Call your vet. Call an emergency clinic.

We are not on call all the time. You aren't the first person to contact us recently. You are abusing the relationship we have and making it feel like we can never get away from work.

Call your vet.

[missnoodliness]

Hey just wondering but what exactly is a fear free clinic? I tried looking online but I'm still not really sure what it is

A fear free certified clinic is one whose staff has all gone through Fear Free training. They've met many benchmarks to say their clinic is committed to Fear Free practices.

Fear Free is a concept that was initially marketed by Dr. Marty Becker D.V.M. It puts the focus on the patient's emotional health during vet visits. Parents want a pediatrician who uses techniques to distract and reward their child for vaccination, not someone who calls a nurse in to pin their child to a table so they can be quickly vaccinated and tells the child to not be dramatic. Your kid would absolutely hate that place and you'd change pediatricians if you had the latter, right?

Fear Free is very different than how veterinary medicine has been done traditionally (it used to be just hold the patient down even if they're so stressed that they might bite, defecate, release their anal sacs, scream or all of the above. Drugs were for animals you just couldn't get in the door safely).

Examples of Fear Free techniques:

Using treat trails to get patients on a scale instead of forcing a frightened animal

Using cat only rooms and separate waiting rooms so cats are not exposed to dogs

Routinely scoring a patients signs of fear, anxiety, and stress. This means we're recognizing the yawning, lip licking, cat becoming the immovable loaf, and so much more.

Utilizing calming pheromones in all exam rooms

Prescribing antianxiety drugs when signs progress beyond mild rather than wait until we have a screaming, biting patient.

Using positive reinforcement for even things like a scared pet sitting in the room with staff.

Making time for Happy visits. Client and patient show up, patient gets treats, they leave. It helps to remove the association of vet office = restraint + pain.

Making sure our patients have adequate pain control. Pain is a huge fear factor. If our patients can't be distracted by desensitization techniques, or just had surgery, it's important to manage their pain well or they make negative associations.

Client education on asking and rewarding their pet for good behavior, not demanding it and adding corporal punishment.

Making positive kitten/puppy visits to start off on the right track. Since starting Fear Free techniques, I've had amazing luck with kittens who don't even know they're getting a vaccine with almost no restraint. Then it's all about the snuggles, the food, the toys, and not the hard hands and needles.

There's a lot of other examples and these are just a few off the top of my head. Yes, it's extra work, but it makes a huge difference in our patients. A Fear Free visit actually starts at home! You can read more at the link below.

Fear Free Website