Hello from Somerset

Hello from Somerset, Pennsylvania! Somerset is a cute little town in the beautiful Laurel Highlands. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I would be surrounded by such a gorgeous landscape this summer. I hope to take advantage of some of the many hiking trails in the hills in my limited free time.

After a very busy week, I already feel right at home here at the clinic. Brown Equine Hospital is a small referral hospital that currently staffs four veterinarians. Dr. Keith Brown is the practice owner and a board certified surgeon. Dr. Jennifer Brown focuses primarily on breeding management and artificial insemination. Dr. Travis Tull, also a board certified surgeon, is the doctor on call for emergencies. Dr. Jason Dickey, the veterinary intern, has worked the hardest and the longest this past week. A slew of great veterinary technicians keep the clinic running smoothly around the clock. Everyone has been so friendly, going out of their way to teach me new things.

This week has been jam packed with a variety of different cases. I have gotten to try my eye at detecting lameness and learned to shoot radiographs. I also helped prep for and stood in on several surgeries, including a joint arthroscopy, a periosteal strip, and several castrations. I actually got to scrub in and assist on a cryptorchid castration, which was very exciting.

The case that has consumed the most of my time this week has been a miniature foal that came in Tuesday afternoon. The filly’s mother had died the night before and she was combating both failure of passive transfer and hypoglycemia. She was treated with a dextrose drip and plasma transfusion. She has needed constant monitoring and I took my turn with her Tuesday night. She looked to be doing better by Wednesday morning, taking fieldtrips up and down the barn isle. Unfortunately, she took a turn for the worst on Friday and now she is just barely hanging on. She has been a rather sobering reminder that sometimes, you can do everything right and still not make a difference.

I am still extremely excited for what the next nine weeks will bring. I can already tell that this will be a fantastic experience. I can’t wait to get started again tomorrow.