Community Practice Rotation

Taylor Swift concert:

Kelli and Gavin's shower

Immersing myself in my new location, I've been researching festivals, food, and events in Baton Rouge for any free time that I may have.

My second rotation, Community Practice, started this week, which includes just one other LSU student and me.  It was like my old jobs again with annual vaccinations and well visits. We saw the two LSU police dogs. We discussed behavior issues and the medications to help correct them, nutrition, heartworm treatment and preventive, and toxicology.

Here are my rants for the week:

Keep your pet on heartworm preventive.  Heartworm is transmitted through mosquitoes, so yes, even though your cat is completely indoors, those pesky mosquitoes have still been know to get inside.  Make sure you are giving a heartworm pill every 30 days; the first of the month is always easiest to remember.  Even if your pet has been on heartworm preventive regularly, you should still get a heartworm test yearly in order to ensure the preventive is working correctly.  If heartworms aren't caught, it can be fatal to your dog or cat.  The treatment in dogs can even be fatal, although it's rare, and unfortunately, there is no treatment in cats.

Nutrition is very important and most vets don't stress it enough because, like owners, they don't know enough about it.  Be sure to check the AAFCO statement on the bag of food to see if it was formaulated or food trialed.  Food trial means that it was actually tested on animals, so they know it is an appropriate diet.  Formulated just means it's a receipe of ingridents.  Next be sure to check which lifestage the food is for.  "All lifestages" means it has to provide the needed ingredients for the hardest lifestages, puppy and lactating dogs.  So, if your adult dog is on all lifestages food, it's not getting the required nutrients, so switch to an adult maintenance.
Corn has such a bad rep lately because people don't think it has any nutrients and it's just filler.  Corn in fact supplies several nutrients such as protein, carbohydrate, fatty acids, and antioxidants.
Blue Buffalo has been getting a lot of attention as well.  I bet you didn't know that Blue Buffalo is the same guy that created Sobe water.  This food claims that it is all natural (natural doesn't mean organic) and is very expensive so owner's believe that it must be "good."  It is actually high in unneeded Phosphours and deficient in some vitamins.  Blue Buffalo just lost a lawsuit and admitted they were wrong about their food not containing byproducts when it does.  Several other foods, such as Beneful, have had similar issues.
And don't get me started on the BARF, raw, and homemade diets.  As a health nut myself, I can understand the appeal, but in reality it doesn't usually work for animals.
Truth is, above anything else most vets want to make sure your pet is on a balanced diet food, they don't care about the ingredients within the food.  Pet food labels are very tricky to interpret, so best advice is to ask your vet about the best food for your pet.  Of course, these are my own opinions, so please form your own opinions based on your research.

Toxicology lesson:
Toxic plant list

Some traditional Cajun cuisine: 

Cardiac Arrest

Born On The Bayou

Congratulations to all of my friends who passed the NAVLE this week!  Here's to wishing you much success in your future goals.  You have worked hard in silence, now let your success be your noise.

I have made a few additions to my blog such as the "About me" section on this right side ->

This week on my rotation we saw some cases of mitral valve degeneration, right sided heart failure with pulmonary hypertension (my case), and a possible heart failure, but ended up being pulmonary disease so it was sent to another department. The dog with pericardial effusion from last week came back for more fluid removal and a pericardioectomy, so we were able to watch that surgery. 

Lively weekend with the Taylor Swift concert on Friday and the Bayou Country Superfest on Saturday and Sunday, as well as a friend's couple shower.  Unfortunately, I will be on call so I will be missing a friend's wedding (I will be thinking about you though dear!).

Cardiology Rotation

Quick day trip to New Orleans last weekend:

I started my first rotation this week!  We pretty much got throw into the mix of the 4th year LSU students and although we had no idea where anything was or what their protocols are, luckily, they aren't too hard to pick up on.  During my cardiology rotation, we reviewed echocardiographs, cardio auscultation, electrocardiographs, saw a few referrals, as well as saw a surgery performed. We saw some cases of heartworms, pulmonary hypertension, pulmonic stenosis after a balloon valvoplasty (my case), a pacemaker recheck after Sick Sinus Syndrome, a recheck pulmonary effusion, a mitral valve degeneration (my case), and even a PDA surgery.  I will be on-call three times as well during this two week rotation.

A PDA or a Patent Ductus Arteriosus is a congenital condition that normally occurs in German Shepherds (oh look Julia and Ryan ;) ).  It is an extra vessel or opening from the aorta to the pulmonary artery in neonatal animals, however it should close around one week of age.  If it doesn't close, then surgical fixation is required.  It is typically diagnosed by a continuous murmur, radiographs, and an echocardiograph.  The case we saw, we were able to go in through the femoral artery and place a ACDO similar to this video: ACDO placement

Down In The Bayou

Now, officially blogging from the Louisiana Bayou!!

It took us 12 hours for our road trip to LA and I moved into my awesome new place (a very nice upgrade from St Kitts)!

 

I had my orientation on Wednesday and Thursday where we received the run down on what to expect for the next year including our schedules!  I have a variety of rotations so it will make for a sensational year!  I start on Monday with my cardiology rotation.

On Friday, Luannie and I going to travel to New Orleans to tangibly live the culture, and relax before the craziness starts.  This area is unique with its cultural diversity woven into the food, music, and architecture.   It's a sensory experience on all levels and I'm eagerly listening to the story that lurks around every corner.

Preparations

List of things I have not missed about the US:
Speed limits (you mean I can't just drive whatever speed I want?)
Stop lights (no patience for them anymore)
Traffic
Using a GPS (I don't like not knowing the roads or where I am going)
Cold weather
Gloomy weather
Having to wear shoes (anything other than barefoot is overdressed)
Carrying a purse  (I would always just carry a wallet and my cell phone)
Having to check the weather to see what to wear
Mom's to-do lists  ;)
Malls (they are overwhelming)
Grocery store selections
Portion sizes  (disgustingly large)
Free flowing soft drinks
Fast food chains and obesity
Pumping your own gas (yeah I know that's lazy of me)
Music on the radio (how many times can you play the top hits in the same day, I mean really?)
Violence and media (I turn on the TV and the first thing I see is the Baltimore riots....insanity)
Reality TV ("reality")

These are all probably things I have taken for granted in the past, but being away for three years puts a lot of things in perspective.  There is a kind of magic about going far away and then coming back changed.  I believe F. Scott Fitzgerald said it perfectly: "It's a funny thing coming home. Nothing changes. Everything looks the same, feels the same, even smells the same.  You realize what's changed is you."  I had someone ask me if I was going to change the name of my blog, now that I am moving back to the States.  I told him paradise has never been about a place, it's a state of consciousness.  While the US may not be perfect, it's far from the "hell" this individual had in mind.

I have been doing lots of preparations to move to Louisiana these past two weeks, which has included lots of shopping but that was been oddly overwhelming.  I've also had the pleasure of visiting friends, celebrating two friend's weddings, and a little bit of planning for my sister's wedding.

Orr Wedding:

 Carroll Vow Renewal:

While the island Ross students are starting to fly back and get ready to start classes on Monday, I am eager for my new adventure in Bation Rouge.  I am living a gorgeous feeling of teetering on the unknown.  Normally that would scare me, however since I have been living at the end of my comfort zone, I know I can and am willing to take on anything.  Once you become fearless, life becomes limitless, and that is an incredible feeling.