Each student in the Food Animal Ward is assigned an "in house" animal that they are responsible for. Each of these animals are used as blood and fluid donors for sick animals seen by the Food Animal Clinic. I was assigned the fistulated steer. His name is Rupert and he is a 1500lbs Angus steer. A fistulated animal is one that has a window surgically implanted in his side so that his rumen (largest stomach compartment of the cow) is accessible. Animals with multiple stomachs or ruminants use microbes (bugs) in their rumen to help them digest things like cellulose from grass that would normally be indigestible. During times of illness many ruminants loose the healthy bugs in their stomachs and the "bad bugs" can take over. By giving them rumen fluid from a healthy animal it can help them recover and regain the healthy bugs in their rumen.
One of the task associated with Rupert's care taking is cleaning is cannula (the device that sits inside his fistula to close it to the outside world, it has a door that can be opened to access the rumen). This sounds like a simple task...not so much!!! By the time I finished taking out his cannula, cleaning it and replacing it, I was covered in sweat, rumen juice, water, and other substances that are unidentifiable! Needless to say the cannula got the best of me, but I will prevail!
Rumen Cannula = 1
LuJean = 0
hi honey - Yuk!! this project sounds like the one you had at UF ranch in Brooksville that summer - or similar huh?? but it didn't require that the device? had to be cleaned or whatever but it does sound interesting tho. I know that this will NOT get the best of you - because you still do not understand "I can't" soooo you just keep on keeping on!!! love you lots
ReplyDeletep s next will be LuJean 2 - Rumen 0