Greetings from Littleton, Colorado

Hello everyone!
I will be spending the summer at Littleton Equine Medical Center in Colorado.  LEqMC is a full service primary care, referral, and emergency center. There are 15 full time doctors, including 2 board certified surgeons, and 4 rotating interns. The hospital has the advantage of having its own on-site laboratory. There is also a wide variety of imaging modalities available for the doctors to use including digital radiology, ultrasound, standing MRI, endoscopy, and nuclear scintigraphy. Some doctors also perform acupuncture, chiropractics, and laser therapy.

Darkelly, a 1994 Quarter Horse stud, stands at the hospital. When I first met this handsome boy, I would have never guessed that he was 21 years old!

On my first day Thursday last week, I came in to a newborn baby filly! She has quite the personality and has a great mom!

I will mainly be working in ICU during my time here. After a couple more weeks training in ICU and around the hospital, I will assist one of the field veterinarians on Mondays,  assist with surgeries on Tuesdays, and my remaining days each week will be in ICU. We haven't been extremely busy so far but this has given me the chance to take care of post-op and medical colics, assist with lameness exams, observe part of a carpal joint scope, assist in preparation for a colic surgery, among other things. Everyone has been wonderful so far and willing to teach me as well as quiz my knowledge. I've had the chance to apply my radiology skills a few times the past week. I assisted with a couple fetlock and foot radiographs as well as a thorax study. The horses stand on blocks to help elevate their feet off the ground to get the best possible view of the hoof.

The best part of Colorado is the gorgeous view of the mountains while working with the horses!

I also had the opportunity to go hiking Sunday in Boulder! This is the view from the top of Royal Arch.