This week at the vet some new things happened, that I wouldn't really have expected. The most important thing, and the thing that kind of shocked me, was that I was going to be given more responsibilities. Once Marilyn returned from lunch and after we greeted each other, she made an announcement to the vet that went something along the lines of "guys, Emily is going to be doing more around here. It's pointless for her to be here and not be able to do anything". I was so happy. It is true that at times the vet really did get boring, and when I was treated as a fly on the wall the hours barely trickled by. There were days where 5 minutes felt more like an hour, and those were usually the days when I wasn't mentally or physically engaged. Hearing that I was now allowed to help out and do some hands on/real life things made me excited. Not only was I going to be doing what I had hoped I would be able to do (run tests, help out with the animals, take blood, fill syringes with medication, but I was also now much more part of the vet. This new responsibility was their way of saying that they trusted me. At least that's how I interpreted it. The first task I was assigned was running "heart worm tests" basically, blood is taken from the animal (I did not do this), then put in these little tubes with a solution that keeps the blood from thickening (this is done whenever blood is drawn from an animal. Next the procedure is to take four drops of blood, add it to a small container thing with a pipet, and add 3 drops of another solution. Shake the mixture and pour it into to blood test chamber, and once the blood is properly soaked in, snap the container. It may sound either complicated or easy. Honestly it's a ridiculously simple task and basically busy work to everyone else at the vet. I don't see it that way because it's a lot closer to the type of hands on work I want to experience than standing and watching. For a while after Coachella I didn't have my car because my accidentally broke it by pouring water in the engine of something. Anyways, since I didn't have a car I had to rely solely on other people for rides, which I didn't actually mind too much. It was kinda fun. I didn't mind adapting my schedule to fit theirs and walking different places and getting picked up at different spots by whoever I could convince to pick me up haha. It felt like hitch hiking. One day my dad picked me up from the vet. I asked the people at the vet if they would like to meet him and they enthusiastically responded with yes. So I bring my dad into the vet and he starts chatting with Dr. Hagler who is just gushing about how wonderful Madi (Gibson, another miramonte student shadowing at the vet) and I are, and how great it is to have us in at the vet. Then he meets Marilyn who says that I remind her of her daughter. I don't see Marilyn too often, but was so nice hearing her say that. I really felt like part of the veterinary family. Research: I have read 3 research articles all pertaining to pure bread dogs. For a while I have had issues with the pure bread dogs I see. Not only at the vet. Prior to the vet I wasn't all too aware of the issues of pure breeding and as part of the pure breeding process, inbreeding. We had covered the harmful effects of a limited gene pool in bio, which is basically where there are not enough animals in one species in a given area, for them not to reproduce with those they are in close relation too. Basically recessive traits or illnesses specific to one "family", have almost no chance of being presented phenotypically (which is seen or apparent) without some level of inbreeding. The reason for this is that someone can be a carrier for a recessive trait, but unless they mate with another that is also a carrier, the trait will not be phenotypically presented in the offspring. (Not entirely sure how to explain this). This is exactly what happens with pure breeding. The gene pool is so limited, and the animals are forced to reproduced so frequently, that sometimes brother and sister mate and produce offspring with a lot of issues. If pure breeding were a thing for humans, it would 1. be illegal (which it basically already is) and 2. we would look like aliens. Jokes aside, it is a pretty serious issue and should be considered animal cruelty. Before I talk about the research I did from people that know a lot more than me, I'll say that I am sort of stereotyping all pure breeding dog breeders, and I'm sure there are a few that put the welfare of the animal first, however I also know people in general, and have come to realize that money and self-interest is almost always put before animal rights and safety. First article: 100 Years of Breed “Improvement”. This article was really cool because it had a lot of visuals. You can read a whole paragraph about inbreeding and the detrimental effects, but unless you actually have evidence, chances are you're not going to believe it. Here are two of the most shocking ones. The first was a bull terrier and what the bull terrier has become. In addition to its largely frightening features, the bull terrier has other issues like compulsive tail-chasing and extra teeth. The second photo is the English Bulldog. The article says that this dog has almost every possible disease and can now rarely mate or birth without medical help. My next article is called: The Purebred Paradox.
Here is an excerpt that backs up my prior beliefs: "Brachycephalic (or short-faced) breeds like bulldogs and pugs suffer from breathing problems; Great Danes and other large dogs from joint problems; long dogs like dachshunds and basset hounds from back problems; wrinkly-faced dogs like boxers and shar-peis from skin and eye problems. And due to prolific production to meet public demand, the most coveted dogs tend to have the most genetic disorders; Labrador retrievers, who’ve topped the AKC’s popularity list for 19 years, are prone to around 50 inherited conditions." It really is sad to see the destruction pure breeding has brought to these beautiful animals. Dogs are forced to suffer lives of pain and constant medical attention solely for selfish reasons on behalf of their owners and breeders. I'm not trying to make anyone feel bad, I have pure bred dogs myself, it's just an issue people need to be educated on, in my opinion, so that this abuse can maybe come to an end. My third article is "Mixed or purebred puppy: which is better?" I was looking for an article to counter out all the negative things about pure breeding, if not simply to laugh at. I typed in "why is pure breeding good?' into google, and this was closest thing I got to an unbiased and somewhat factually correct article that gave both sides. Unfortunately however it mostly focuses on the human side of it, like costs/personality/expectations, instead of the welfare of the dog. It did mention that some breeders do genetic testing on the potential parents so that the chances of the puppies having genetic diseases is significantly reduced, which I think is a step in the right direction.
1 Comment
Mr. Poling
5/28/2015 04:00:03 am
I'm pleased that you finally earned some hands on responsibility at the hospital. Do you think you'll get any more opportunities before you leave? In retrospect, what could you have done to get more involved earlier in your internship?
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AuthorMy name is Emily Burch. I am a student in the WISE program at Miramonte. This is my WISE journey (I think that's a good word for it). Archives
May 2015
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