As many of you know it is vital to have a range of work experience, dealing with all types of animals. Living in central London it can be challenging at times to find veterinary medicine related work experience with larger animals such as horses. However, luckily London has many city farms to offer. Animal husbandry is very important as you must be able to handle an animal before you can treat it! Vauxhall City Farm is a great place to volunteer or do work experience. This year was the second time I did work experience at the farm, and I loved it!
Here are my notes that I made during my weeks placement at the farm:
30.7.18
Calf’s 3 months old.
Mucking out, put clean straw in a corner and move dirty and wet straw away.
Marsupialize an abscess: to cut it and sew it to the surrounding skin to make an open wound.
Marsupialization is the surgical technique of cutting a slit into an abscess or cyst and suturing the edges of the slit to form a continuous surface from the exterior surface to the interior surface of the cyst or abscess (Wikipedia)
Insulinoma is an insulin producing tumour, steroids are given to suppress the tumour and relieve symptoms. Untreated patient presents with lethargy, drooling, clenched jaw. Steroid given orally, every other day.
· An insulinoma is a tumour of the pancreas that is derived from beta cells and secretes insulin. It is a rare form of a neuroendocrine tumour. Most insulinomas are benign in that they grow exclusively at their origin within the pancreas, but a minority metastasize. (Wikipedia) lung and the rest of the body. (Wikipedia)
· Neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) are neoplasms that arise from cells of the endocrine (hormonal) and nervous systems. Many are benign, while some are malignant. They most commonly occur in the intestine, where they are often called carcinoid tumour, but they are also found in the pancreas, lung and the rest of the body. (Wikipedia)
31.7.18
Cuddle time: entrusted with small animals such as rabbits, rats, guinea pigs, chickens, ferrets, tortoises and chicks (3 weeks old). Handled a rat and rabbit.
Ferrets and chinchillas not good with heat.
1.8.18
To give ferrets a pill hold by the scruff of the neck and open mouth. Throw pill into back of the throat. Make sure that the ferret swallows the tablet. (a similar technique to cats)
Cuddle time, handled a rabbit and guinea pig.
To halter goats, sheep and cows the rope that is adjustable goes below the chin, the next band sits on the nose below the eyes and the top goes over the ears and horns to sit on the upper neck.
2.8.18
Methods of cooling down animals:
Ice in water
Submerge in water (alpaca)
Cuddle time, handled a ferret and a tortoise.
To bridle a donkey approach from its side and place bridle over the nose and do up the headband similar to a horse.
3.8.18
Tylan used for pigs, cattle and chickens for getting rid of mycoplasma.
Mycoplasma is a genus of bacteria that lack a cell wall around their cell membrane. Without a cell wall, they are unaffected by many common antibiotics such as penicillin or other beta-lactam antibiotics that target cell wall synthesis. (Wikipedia)
Also used as an antibiotic for sheep. Mainly for poultry. Muscular, subcutaneous vaccines. Intravenously administrated.
Symptoms of Mycoplasma; Red gunky eyes, sneezing, lethargic and holding head down.
Baytril or Meloxidyl (slightly higher dose can be used) is an antibiotic.
Metacam as a painkiller for things like abscesses.
Enrofloxacin is a painkiller for post op cases. More for rehabilitation.
Isathal and Orbenin are eye drops for infection or foreign body in the eyes. Orbenin is mainly used for small animals as Isathal can be slightly too strong can cause gunky eyes.
Twin Lambs used in cases of rejection or where there is a lack of colostrum (Colostrum is the first form of milk produced by the mammary glands of mammals immediately following delivery of the new born. Most species will generate colostrum just prior to giving birth. Wikipedia).
Common in cases of twins. Twin lambs has large amounts of electrolytes. Also used for pregnant ewes.
Also used if Toxaemia occurs. Toxaemia is where the lambs are taking a lot of nutrients and antibiotics from the ewe, twin lambs can be given in water.
Betamox is a yearly vaccine, used as a booster. Muscular, subcutaneous vaccine. Intravenously administrated.
Pen and Strep is a vaccine. Muscular, subcutaneous vaccine. Intravenously administrated. Respiratory diseases for large animals.
Pen & Strep Injection 100ml. A combination of Penicillin and Dihydrostreptomycin indicated in the treatment of conditions such as joint ill, enteritis and some forms of mastitis caused by bacteria sensitive to Penicillin and/or Streptomycin in cattle, horses, pigs and sheep. (farmacy.com)
Loxicom is a painkiller and anti-inflammatory properties. For sheep and livestock.
Panacur is a dewormer for rabbits.
Heptavac P is given to animals as an annual vaccination.
For the active immunisation of sheep as an aid in the control of lamb dysentery, pulpy kidney, struck, tetanus, braxy, blackleg, black disease and clostridial metritis caused by the above listed organisms.
The vaccine may be used as an aid in the control of pneumonic pasteurellosis in sheep of all ages from a minimum age of 3 weeks and in the control of systemic pasteurellosis in weaned fattening and breeding sheep. (Farmacy.com)
3 weeks before birthing it is given to ewe. Given to lambs within 4/6 weeks of birth. Given if outside of 4 months since the annual booster. Has to be used within 7 hours of opening or is toxic to animals. Can’t be administered when they’re under 2 weeks of age or above 7 weeks.
Crovect to rid of ticks.
Dectomax given to horses more. Deworming: ticks, fleas, lung worm and roundworms. Faeces samples are taken, and worms are counted. Send to vets and labs.
Volostrum given to lambs if the ewe dies in child birth, to replace the colostrum.
In case of cuts scrub and wash with surgical hibiscrub and then spray purple antiseptic spray every day.
Wound powder for wounds in eyes, or in little animals as opposed to purple spray.
Red mite powder used on chickens. Red mite spray for the environment. Red mites suck out the blood from the chicken and cause anaemia.
· Anaemia is a condition that develops when your blood lacks enough healthy red blood cells or haemoglobin. Haemoglobin is a main part of red blood cells and binds oxygen. If you have too few or abnormal red blood cells, or your haemoglobin is abnormal or low, the cells in your body will not get enough oxygen. (Web MD)
· Symptoms: come and wattle will become lighter. Eyes will become lighter. Lethargy and visible mites. Fast growing and spreads quickly. Eggs can live in environment for 7 months.
Be forceful if needing the animals to go where you need them to go.
Held ferret when steroid was being given orally.
Cooled down tortoise and bearded dragon by bathing in shallow water.
Bearded dragon excretes undigested food such as meal worms.
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