Fourth-year students in the Sheep and Goat Medicine & Surgery elective help clean and feed lambs delivered by C-section.
Monica Tam is from San Francisco, California and had never worked with sheep or goats before signing up for course number VMC740. The Sheep and Goat Medicine & Surgery elective taught by Dr. Erica McKenzie provides students like Tam with valuable animal handling and clinical practice opportunities. “I gained a lot of experience using the ultrasound to diagnose pregnancy, learning how to disbud and dehorn, as well as castrate sheep and goats,” she says. “There was some practice in foot trimming as well.”
The class also visited several farms to see how ruminant producers manage their operations. “Visiting farms was a great experience and learning how people manage their flock and facilities was good to know,” says Tam.
Large animal surgeon Dr. Michael Huber provided the fourth-year students an opportunity to observe and assist in several C-sections on sheep. They also go to work with the newborn lambs, a favorite part of the class for everyone.
