RAVS Recap

Well I am back from Washington state and I would highly recommend this experience to all vet students. It was more hands on and more intense than most of the training we get in school. I did in fact pass my surgery exam and lucked out with 2 surgery days (many only get 1 day). I started trying to find my way through many a physical exam, had some varied anesthesia cases, and performed 10-11 spays/neuters on dosg and cats. I also saw a limb amputation and helped that dog, who was hit by a car 3 weeks prior recover miraculously.

The days were draining though and at times I wondered how I would get it through it. The reservation was in a beautiful area with mountains, lakes, Coulee Dam (quite a site) and pine trees everywhere.

It was fun to get advice and help from the doctors that were there. I have to say I absolutely loved surgery.

On a surprising note, I brought home a living souvenir. Her name is Spokane (it was Apache) and she was one of the Reservation's Animal Control Officer's dogs who only had a few more days before she would be euthanized if no one adopted her. Another girl on the trip and myself really took a liking to her and did not want to see that happen. Nether one of us was quite ready for a dog, but in what was my most spontaneous decision possibly ever, I got her on my flight and now I have a crash course in dog training 101. She is a lot of work for me and Matt, but for only 2 days she is doing really well. Although I wish she liked the crate more.

I hope I made the right decision and that she can be trained asap! I am very nervous about having her and the 3 cats during school, but hopefully I can make it work.