Saturday, August 17, 2013

Veterinary student goes hairless to save the hairy...


Having flirted with the crew cut at the vulnerable age of 12 (inspired by Liz from Degrassi Junior High), its safe to say that I don't have the guts to do this any more.

But veterinary student Sy Woon is shaving off her long locks this morning to raise funds for her favourite animal charities.

She has almost reached her target - so help her out! Her efforts support the charities below.

*Animals Asia: https://www.animalsasia.org/donate/
*Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses: http://bit.ly/SCZL8s
*Medical Advances Without Animals (MAWA) Trust: http://www.mawa-trust.org.au/
*World Society for the Protection of Animals: http://www.wspa.org.au/helping/donate/Default.aspx



Friday, August 16, 2013

Interview with Techlife journo and rescue-dog parent Peter Dockrill

Meet Belle. What is not to love about this face?
SAT interviewed Peter Dockrill, technology journalist for APC and Techlife magazines, about his rescue dog Belle and why we should step away from our tablets, smartphones and social media and walk the dog once in a while.

How did Belle come into your life?

My wife Nita wanted to get a dog. I wasn’t so sure. I knew having a pet would be fun, but I also wasn’t sure if I wanted to deal with the extra responsibility. It seems so silly now. I insisted on adopting a rescue animal rather than getting one through other means as frankly I feel it’s the ethical thing to do since so many poor animals are abandoned through no fault of their own. So Nita sent me through a zillion profiles of dogs on the Pet Rescue web site. Eventually she found Belle, who we both liked the look of. We went to meet her on a Saturday, and half an hour later she was ours.

Tell us a bit about Belle - what is she like and what are her favourite things to do?

Belle is an extremely loveable dog, but she’s also very timid and feisty - likely the result of her upbringing before we had her (We got her at approx. 18 months, and they told us that she’d had it pretty rough before.) She’s very defensive. She barks at strangers, and will warm to women before men. She’ll also yap like crazy whenever anyone approaches the house. But she’s very friendly and warm once she knows you, very affectionate. She loves walks. I take her for two quick walks per day. When time allows we also frequent the massive dog park by the canal in Leichhardt. She’s not great around other dogs. She gets very excited and goes a bit crazy if she’s on a leash. Off leash she’s better, but she’s still a bit edgy. She either intimidates them or they intimidate her. Occasionally she’ll have a good run with some other dogs in the dog park, but she doesn’t make dog friends easily. 

One of the benefits of your job is that you can work from home at times. SAT supports working from home as less commuting means a reduced carbon footprint, but also because it means one tends to be available more for one's non-human companions. What are the benefits of working from home as a pet owner?

I think it’s much more natural for the pet - especially dogs - if you can be home more often than not. The idea of the animal being essentially imprisoned between 9-5 (or longer) during the week seems pretty insensitive, all things considered. If they have access to the outside that’s better, but apartments and closed houses must be terribly limiting for a dog during the day. We currently don’t have a dog door in our rental house, and Belle is more of an inside animal than an outside one, so if we’re both at work Belle is pretty cooped up. As such, it’s great to have the flexibility to work from home (which I do frequently) and spend more time with her, just by being around. Even so I often feel a bit guilty because I’m busy when I work at home and can’t dedicate much time to spending with her, but at least she knows I’m around and I think we both enjoy the company - even if she’d like me to step away from the computer and play around a bit more I think!

Would you disturb this snuggle to pick up your tablet and start answering emails?
In your view does technology help or hinder our relationships with pets?

I don’t think consumer technology has really gotten to the point where it can help us with pets - as opposed to scientific technology being used to help animal experts and zoologists communicate with animals like orangutans etc. If anything, it’s the opposite. Consumer technology is so addictive and omnipresent now, it actually has the potential to make people spend less time with their pets. We have to remind ourselves to put our phones and tablets down and play with our pets more! 

As a pet owner, how would you like to see vets use technology to communicate with clients?

I think things like the DNA test for your pet is a fantastic example of science and technology helping us to understand our pets better. We don’t know Belle’s makeup, and we often think about getting the test done (which is a little expensive) just to satisfy our curiosity!

[Ed: I performed the DNA test on Phil and was totally shocked by the result - I expected him to be a chihuahua cross something, but he is something altogether else!!!]

Belle found a home with Peter and Nita and life has been awesome ever since.
Have you got any favourite pet or vet related websites or apps?


I was very impressed with the ease of adopting a pet through Pet Rescue. If we ever get another dog I’d like to go through them again, and I encourage anybody reading this to do the right thing and adopt a pet who’s already around and waiting rather than picking up a new animal, which supports an industry that frankly provides us with a surplus of animals.

Thanks Peter-D!

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Three things I learned: respiratory pathophysiology

dogs study with Anne
Online learning: dogs LOVE it!
Unless you are an ubernerd (more power to you) the word pathophysiology probably makes you want to run away...which is precisely why you should pay attention to any course with the word in its name (or even the word physiology!). I don't know about you but this stuff is challenging to teach and challenging to learn, so a review on the subject is always welcome and I always pick up something new (or learn about something old in a new way).

This month I'm enrolled in the Centre for Veterinary Education's TimeOnline on Respiratory physiology, monitoring and basic support.

Don't get me wrong...I am very much a fan of attending courses. But its nice to be able to take one at one's own pace. This course is great - you can take it as light or deep as you want. You can just read the notes and coast through, or you can read the supplementary materials and watch the videos and pick up a lot more.

So what did I learn or remember this week?

  1. There are type I and type II alveolar cells (aka pneumocytes). Type I are very thin and enable gas diffusion. Type II are fatter, and produce surfactant which is essential for alveolar stability. But Type IIs are capable of cell replication and can turn into type I's.
  2. Oxygen toxicity leads to damage and loss of Type I's (thin walls make them more fragile). Where there is inflammation and destruction, type II's proliferate, but they are thicker so there is a diffusion impairment of oxygen into the blood. As part of alveolar repair they will eventually turn into type I's but you want that process to happen rapidly.
  3. In acute respiratory distress syndrome, type II's have reduced capacity to produce surfactant - leading to increased alveolar instability and collapse.
Surfactant therapy during these episodes sounds like a sensible idea but apparently, despite improving oxygenation which makes sense, it doesn't decrease mortality.

We covered lots more this week including anatomy, the principles of ventilation, regulation of respiration, oxygenand gas transport across alveoli, ventilation/perfusion ratios, water balance in the lung, oxygen transport from lung into tissues, CO2 transport from tissues to lungs and other functions of the lungs (such as filtering), but I'm restricting myself to three things.

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Happiness is...guinea pigs munching on their favourite vegies


Few things signify that all is right with the universe than the crunching sounds of a pair of cavies chowing down on their favourite vegies (in this case celery tops and dutch carrots. Oh, and if anyone reading this works in a supermarket, DON'T CUT THE TOPS OFF THE VEGIES!!! The humans might not eat them but that bunch of dutch carrots may be destined for non-human members of the household. Ditto celery tops).

Vegie bouquet
A vegie bouquet for the cavy lover in your life. This arrangement is made from continental parsley and coriander, but you can use basil, mint, dutch carrots, Asian greens. Okay, so flower arranging is not my talent - but you get the idea.

If you're looking to do something nice for the guinea pig lover in your life, skip the bouquet of flowers and opt instead for a vegetable bouquet - it looks nice but its also edible (remember to serve in sensible portions - they aren't called pigs for nothing).

Nothing washes it down quite like a timothy hay chaser. Hay and grass should account for around 80 per cent of your guinea pig's diet to ensure an adequate fibre intake and ensure that the teeth are worn down appropriately.

Uneven incisors in a boar.


Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Calling creative veterinarians

kitten playing action image
Cats. There is something constantly aesthetically pleasing about them, ergo they must be living art (this is Moisie the masterpiece playing on her favourite rug, oblivious to her own perfection).
Is there such a thing as an animal perspective? If so, how might it look? How do humans and animals interact? How do humans impact on the animal world? What sentiments are stirred within and between humans and animals?

Veterinarians and nurses who think they might be able to answer these questions in an artistic form are invited to submit works for potential inclusion in the University of Melbourne’s Artful World of Animals exhibition.

The exhibition celebrates 50 continuous teaching years of the school, and will be curated by artist Purnima Ruanglerbutr. Sculptures, paintings, photographs, drawings - all will be considered.

A maximum of three entries may be submitted. Entry forms must be submitted by August 20 (not long), with artworks to be delivered on September 23. Entries will be judged in categories of medium and winners announced at a reception on October 5 (Saturday). [For those Melbournites I know it would be a GREAT day out!].


A modest ($10) entry fee applies. For details on entering, email Purnima Ruanglerbutr at purnima.r@unimelb.edu.aunor visit facebook.com/PurnimaCreations

If you need some inspiration, don't forget to revisit this post on dogs in Australian art, by clicking here.

And while we are talking creativity, the HARN (Human Animal Research Network) annual Vox Animalia Student Prize is now open to undergraduate and postgraduate students of the University of Sydney.

The deadline is 5pm, Friday, October 5. 
This year's topic is:

“Public discussion about animal welfare and ethics is increasing in Australia. What do you believe should be the main issues for debate in the future, and why?”

Its encouraging to see plenty of avenues for veterinarians and budding veterinarians to express themselves.

THE FINE PRINT

Eligibility
Applicants must be currently enrolled on a full-time or part-time basis, as undergraduates or postgraduates, at the University of Sydney. Students may submit only one essay for consideration. All submissions must conform to standard principles of academic honesty and scholarly referencing. The essay can be a piece of writing already submitted as part of study at the University of Sydney but it cannot be previously published.

Application
       Cover sheet with the applicant's name, SID (student identification number), Faculty where currently enrolled, mailing address, telephone and e-mail address. Students are responsible for keeping the prize coordinator updated with current contact information. If a student cannot be contacted, the prize is forfeited.
       The essay must be between 2,000-2,500 words long. Applicants must also include a one paragraph abstract.  The abstract and any references or bibliography are not included in the word count  (we accept all scholarly referencing systems).
       The first page should include the title of the paper and the author's name.
       The essay should be submitted electronically as an attachment, a WORD document, to Dr Fiona Probyn-Rapsey, at fiona.probyn-rapsey@sydney.edu.au.
       The email submission must contain ‘Vox Animalia Student Essay Prize’ in the subject heading.  An acknowledgment of receipt will be sent.

Selection
The selection committee will be comprised of the members of the Executive Committee of HARN: Human Animal Research Network, at the University of Sydney.
       The winning essay will receive a cash prize of $1000 and a Certificate of Award.
       Runners-up (2 places available) will each receive $500 and a Certificate of Award.
       The winning paper will be considered for publication in Animal Studies Journal (ASJ).
       The selection committee may decide that no entry is worthy of a prize or that only a first prize will be awarded.
       The decision of the selection committee is final and no correspondence will be entered into.



Monday, August 12, 2013

Interview with children's author Alison Lester

Alison Lester is my favourite children’s author of all time. You may know her as the author and illustrator of the Clive Eats Alligators series, or the spectacular Are We There Yet? I learned that she is also an intrepid traveller and animal lover who shares my passion for the Northern Territory.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I’m a children’s author and illustrator, and I live on a little farm outside Melbourne with a couple of horses, dogs, cats, and a big vegie garden. I have a husband and three grown up kids, one of whom is a vet.

I’ve been the Australian Children’s Laureate [along with Boori Monty Pryor] for two years, which ends in November and involves a lot of travelling. I do like travelling so I can’t complain but I have been away from home a little too much!

My favourite thing is to work with kids in remote indigenous communities and help them write and make books about their lives.

Image courtesy Alison Lester
Alison Lester with a very relaxed cat.
Animals are a common feature in most of your work. Can you tell us the influence animals had on you and what sort of relationship you had with them as a child?

I really do love animals and without being too soppy about it, if I see a dog I will talk to it - I say hello (sometimes just with my eyes), it might wag its tail. It’s the same with horses, I am always very interested in them as characters rather than as creatures. As a kid we didn’t have pet dogs, but we always had cats and horses and were working with cattle all the time. I was interested by animals in the natural world as well. Where we lived there were lots of kangaroos, koalas, and wombats.

When I was a kid I raised a baby wombat, and when my kids were little we found and raised an orphaned wombat.

When my eldest son was six we bought him a jack Russell terrier who had many litters of puppies over the years.

Image courtesy Alison Lester
Reading with horses.

Alison Lester illustration
Art imitates life...
Do you live with any animals now?

We have a 30-year-old Clydesdale-thoroughbred horse called Woollyfoot, and his paddock mate is a Shetland-miniature pony cross called Honey who is good for taking little kids on rides. Woollyfoot and I have been hunting, eventing, droving and just riding together for nearly twenty years. We have Bigsy, a jack Russell terrier-sausage dog cross who rules the roost. He is a lovely character but very bossy. I’ve taught him to fall over dead when I shoot him with my finger but he usually messes this trick up if anybody is watching. There’s Buffy, a border collie-red heeler cross who is 16 this year, and Jessie the jack Russell terrier border collie cross who is very fat. There’s Little the Kelpie and Jerry, an Australian-Airedale terrier cross – a very hairy little dog. And Easy the cat.

Then my two kids who live in the city have a cat and dog between them so if they go away it gets pretty animally around here.

Alison Lester
A Lester family portrait.
Do you write about your animals in your books?

In the Bonnie and Sam books, a lot of our animals are characters in those books, but I nearly always changed their names. For example Woollyfoot became Whale.

Image Courtesy Alison Lester


Your books provide a brilliant child's perspective on the world. When you were a kid what did you think about vets? Has that view changed?

I really wanted to be a vet when I was a kid and I probably did until I got to year ten or even year 11. I was struggling a bit with chemistry, and there was no one who said “you can do it”. Everyone said “it’s not much of a job for a girl”, but for a time there I certainly saw it as the absolute dream job. I don’t know how I would have gone doing the hard things though.

I just had my old horse at the vet yesterday to see a visiting equine heart specialist, it was lovely watching her look at him. I was really concerned that he might have been in pain. He has a problem with his aortic valve but he is less likely to deteriorate rapidly so it means we can still go out for short rides.

Alison Lester author
Canine family portrait.
You have undertaken adventures and residencies around the world and worked with kids from different backgrounds. How important are animals in their lives?

I think animals are just a wonderful way for kids to be able to empathise. If you see a child who can be with an animal and not understand that the animal needs looking after you’re with a kid who needs lots of help in their life.

I think animals are a wonderful way to understand responsibility for looking after a living thing. Any kid who knows and loves an animal has a friend for life.

How has writing facilitated your interaction with animals?

I’ve been to China a couple of times and been to see the pandas which was very nice even though they were in the panda place, it was still lovely watching them.

Antarctica was wonderful. I saw a few different sorts of whales - orcas, minke whales, humpbacks and fin whales, and lots of penguins and seals.

A whale surfaces near British Colombia.
In the Arctic I saw polar bears which were pretty stunning. One day we got off the ship and were on a little zodiac pottering around the edge of an island in a huge fjord and a young polar bear was wandering along the shore.

The young polar bear goes about his business, unfazed by the mesmerised audience.
We watched him eat a nest full of ducklings, swim towards us to get a bird off the water, lay down and scratch his back on the heath. One of my favourite books is Arctic Dreams by Barry Lopez…it’s a beautiful natural history of the Arctic.

Do you read a lot?

I am an absolute bookworm. I really loved the Poisonwood Bible, and A Visit from the Goon Squad. I just finished reading a book called Where’d you Go Bernadette which I loved. I really like The Uttermost Part of the Earth, a book about a kid who grew up in Tierra del Fuego last century.

When I worry about people and I can’t sleep there are a few books I go to that are like a balm. It’s a nice way to use books, to calm you down.

[Ed: Are We There Yet?  is my balm!]

Any favourite pet or animal related websites you'd like to share?


I use the internet a heap but I don’t look at too much animally stuff on the web. I’m writing another book in the series Clive Eats Aligators, called Nicky Catches Koalas. It’s about kids who travel around the world helping endangered animals, so I have used the red list to help make sensible suggestions about which animals to write about.  

Cats
Being a cat!