The last gift and the final moments

Posted October 9, 2018

Every patient we see is a precious member of a family, a partner in crime, and a true companion that we get to share our lives with. As they step into the clinic, they always leave behind paw prints through our journey as veterinarians. In school, we spend a lot of time learning different disease processes, differential diagnosis, and treatment options, etc., but, we don’t talk a great deal about death and grief. It’s not a pleasant topic, but

What to expect – externship edition

Posted October 5, 2018

Hey everyone! I’d like to spend a bit of time today talking about what the incoming Phase Threes might expect next summer when they begin their own externships, and how Picton Animal Hospital schedules their days, because I think it’s a cool system.

There are five veterinarians at PAH, with one doing primarily large animal, two doing about half and half, and then two doing primarily small animal calls. The clinic allows me to choose where I spend my time based on my own interests, and all the veterinarians make sure to give me a heads up if they’re about to go and see a particularly interesting case. I have...

Help! My dog’s breath stinks!

Posted October 1, 2018

Oral health of pets is of great importance to us here at Hanover Veterinary Hospital. We take great pride in advocating to start pets on a dental hygiene regimen as early as possible. However, even with the most compliant owners, we still suggest a dental checkup under anesthetic as we have no way of checking diseases lurking underneath the gum line in an awake pet. This week I was able to assist Dr. Curtin in doing my own dog’s dental. Curious to see what your fluffball’s dental look like compared to yours? Here’s a typical day...

Calves, calves, and more calves!

Posted September 27, 2018

When we think of baby animals we often think of how cute puppies and kittens are, weighing in at sometimes just 200 grams. We don’t often think about livestock. However, some of the cutest baby animals are over 35 kg at birth! While here in New Zealand, I have been fortunate enough to work with lots of baby cows….and I mean lots. A baby cow is called...

How did your Externship impact your veterinary career?

Posted September 20, 2018

Dr. Melissa Wagner, OVC 2017 (2016 Externship Blog Project)

I did my externship at Prescott Animal Hospital in Prescott, Ontario. I am currently working in small animal general practice at the Brockville Animal Hospital in Brockville, Ontario. I live nearby with my husband, John, on our dairy farm with our dogs, Diego and Papito, and cats, Wallace and Myrtle.

The hands on and case-based learning experiences that the externship offered...

How did your Externship impact your veterinary career?

Posted September 20, 2018

Dr. Shannon Finn, OVC 2018 (2017 Externship Blog Project)

My externship was one of the highlights of my final year. I really enjoyed the vets and clinic staff I worked with, and the length of time we were there really allowed us to grow and develop our skills. Being there for eight weeks gave us the ability to get to know the clients too! It’s a very formative time in the beginning of your clinical year in terms of getting your footing, putting book-learning into practice, and renewing your love for veterinary medicine. And nothing beats driving through the beautiful countryside in the...

How did your Externship impact your veterinary career?

Posted September 20, 2018

Dr. Leah Kahn, OVC 2017 (2016 Externship Blog Project)

Leah is currently a small animal general practitioner with the Seneca Animal Clinic in Toronto.

My eight-week externship program impacted my career because it was my first opportunity to develop skills in formulating diagnostic plans. This is a skill that I use many times a day...

How did your Externship impact your veterinary career?

Posted September 17, 2018

Dr. Laura Constantinescu, OVC 2017 (2016 Externship Blog Project)

I originally completed my eight-week externship in Eastern Ontario on the Ontario, Quebec border at Vankleek Hill Veterinary Services (large animal) and Hawkesbury Animal Hospital (small animal). My time was evenly split between the two hospitals and I was able to see all sorts of species while I was there. The large animal was mostly dairy focused and the small animal was lots of cats and dogs. While I now work almost exclusively with horses and their owners/trainers, I still value my externship for giving me a good look at other aspects of veterinary medicine. The time spent with the veterinarians discussing cases, life and client communications was...

How did your Externship impact your veterinary career?

Posted September 14, 2018

Dr. Kate Sweetman, OVC 2016 (2015 Externship Blog Project)

Summer 2015 feels like it happened yesterday and some days decades ago. I can't believe I have been out of veterinary school for two years and did my externship three years ago. I performed my externship at Heartland Veterinary Animal Clinic located in Listowel, one hour outside of Guelph. There I received a crash course on bovine medicine as it is part of the “Dairy Belt” of Ontario, or so to speak. My background to this point of my career had been mainly small animal and equine, with the majority of my bovine exposure through veterinary school. At Heartland, with guidance and teaching, I was able to apply what I had learned in the classroom to...

How did your Externship impact your veterinary career?

Posted September 12, 2018

Dr. Jeremy Shaba, OVC 2015 (2014 Externship Blog Project)

I was fortunate enough to spend my eight-week OVC externship in Northern Ireland at a wonderful mixed animal practice. Although I knew I wanted to join equine practice after graduation I was very excited to increase the depth of my veterinary education. My externship not only allowed me put the communication skills learned in the classroom into practice in a real-life setting but also gave me the opportunity to take primary case responsibility. 

The highlights of my externship...