Diary of a Fourth-Year Vet Student: That'll Do, Pig, That'll Do

I have spent this week in a preceptorship that really put me on the spot in a lot of ways. I was constantly grilled with thought problems based on real-life scenarios that this person had experienced. I had to use a leg hook to catch feisty chickens--much harder than it looks, you have to be committed once you grab one. I had to get blood from many different types of chicken, and under time pressure. Sure, the basic anatomy is the same but some were so small I could barely tuck them under my arm (in this world, you hold your own bird to collect blood). Apparently I was only the second student in 10 years who had managed to bleed one particular strain, and even better, I pulled about 40% of the needed samples in that barn, which was not shabby at all.

And today, I got to do postings (the word used in the poultry world for field necropsies) on guinea fowl. They were not reaching target weight. Based on observation in the house and discussions with Clemente, the farm manager (who spoke only Spanish), we suspected coccidia, a type of intestinal parasite. It is such a problem in chickens that we vaccinate for coccidia, but guinea fowl do not get this vaccine. So the farm manager grabbed a transport crate and turned it on end, and we euthanized five birds who were not doing well. And I did the necropsies right there. I like to talk when I necropsy, probably annoying to some, but it is helpful if people who have never seen a necropsy before are watching you: "Hmm, the trachea and larynx are clean. Look, there is no feed in the crop. The liver looks great, smooth, no lesions. Oh, look at that gall bladder--a bit bigger than it should be, but then the bird hasn't been eating for a few days." And so on.

When I was done, the guy I am working with this week suggested a picture. There is only one commercial guinea fowl producer in the US and we were not only standing in one of his barns, we were doing field necropsies on the birds. Not many vet students get that opportunity. A picture! Great idea! Suddenly, the farm manager jumped over and put his arm around me.

And that photo is priceless to me. It says a lot that I could walk in and get the confidence of that guy in a couple of hours. Those are his birds in the sense that he takes care of them every single day. He wants to do what it takes to help them get better.

My mentor told me in the car afterwards that I had done an excellent job with the necropsies, and with Clemente.