AnimaLIFE / pg. 2

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AnimaLIFE / pg. 3

Editor

Patrice Scott1700 Denison Ave.,

103 Trotter HallManhattan, KS 66506-5601

785.532.4046pscott@vet.k-state.edu

Photography

Instructional Technology Center College of Veterinary Medicine

Kansas State UniversityDave AdamsPatrice ScottBrennan Engle

Personal family photos

Publisher

AnimaLIFE is published by theVeterinary Medical Teaching

Hospital at Kansas StateUniversity, Manhattan, KS 66506.

For advertising information contact Patrice Scott at

785.532.4046.

All rights reserved.

Contents of this magazine may not be reproducedin any manner without the written

consent of the publisher.

FALL/WINTER 2005

Contents

Pg. 6 At Your Service

VMTH provides theneeded expertise todetermine which dogsare healthy enough tobecome assistancedogs.

Pg. 10 One snake, two bites, two hospitals

Al Alspach and his curious dog, Arlow, no longer find snakes charming.

About the Cover

Breckin Cubie and Twister, his service dog, are pictured in the library at Amanda ArnoldElementary School. Twister is a KSDS service dog. See page 6 for the complete story.

Pg. 14 Referring Vet

Dr. Mike Kobuszewski’sreasons for referringcases to the VMTH hithome.

Pg. 16 Labor of Love

Freckles is BillFingland’s treasuredbroodmare. Would thispregnancy be her last?Would her foal survive?

Pg. 20 Veterinary Techs

Veterinary techniciansprovide skilled supportto the hospital’s doc-tors, clients, patientsand students.

Pg. 22 Left Behind

Drs. McMurphy andMoore lead a group toLouisiana on a two-week mission to assistHurricanes Katrina’sand Rita’s animal victims.

Pg. 4 AnimaLIFE editor’s column

Pg. 5 VMTH Director’s column VMTH expands serv ices and oppor tun i t ies .

Pg. 13 Your Pet’s VetDr. Susan Ne lson leads the Pet Hea l th Center w i th in VMTH.

AnimaLIFE / pg. 4

LIFEAnimalThe power of a Twisterand a hurricane

VMTH client Suzy Sankpill, left, and PatriceScott, AnimaLIFE editor, with Suzy’s mare,DawnStarr, and her foal, who looks like aMediaStarr to me.

T h e t w o w o r d s “ a n i m a l ” a n d “ l i f e ” s h a r e t h e “ L ” b e c a u s e —j u s t l i k e o u r p e t s — t h e y a r e a s e a m l e s s p a r t o f o u r l i v e s .

A few weeks after my sons Matthew, 10, and Andrew, 7, started school this fall,they told me they saw Twister at school. “Twister, the movie,” I asked? “No,Mom. Twister the dog,” they said in unison. That evening our dinner

conversation was all about their third grade schoolmate, Breckin Cubie, and his servicedog, Twister. Through Breckin’s story we will explore an amazing dimension of thehuman-animal bond.

When Breckin’s parents shared their story for this feature article, I couldn’t help butimagine myself in their situation. Many stories touch me: this one hit home. After all, mysons are close to Breckin’s age, they go to the same school. Life is no morecomplicated than being what they are—boys.

Breckin and Twister’s story is yet another reason to be proud of veterinary medicine. Ittakes two years, hundreds of volunteers, the expertise of board-certified veterinariansand seven full-time staff members at KSDS to match one person like Breckin with a doglike Twister. Having an assistance dog is not about disability, it’s about ability. It’s theability for a person to go places with confidence, to see, hear, do, feel and experience allthe things many of us, quite frankly, take for granted.

The human-animal bond is central to each feature article in this edition. I invite you to openyour hearts and minds to what Drs. Moore and McMurphy experienced as they treatedcountless animals abandoned after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita ravaged the Gulf Coast.Read a first-hand account of a copperhead bite from a left-handed dog owner. And, bethere as equine specialists draw on years of experience and make life-and-death decisionsfor two mares heavy in foal.

We hope that through the pages of this magazine you gain an even greater appreciationfor animals. In many respects, they make us better people. T

All the best,

Patrice ScottMarketing and Development OfficerVeterinary Medical Teaching Hospital1700 Denison Ave., 103 Trotter HallManhattan, KS 66506-5601785.532.4046email: pscott@vet.k-state.edu

AnimaLIFE / pg. 5

The commitment to thewellbeing of animalsdemonstrated by our clients, clinicians, staff and

students is truly amazing and worthy of great celebration.Heroic deeds and amazing stories are borne from thiscommitment, and it is a pleasure to share some of themwith you in this magazine. I invite you to read on andcelebrate with us!

The College of Veterinary Medicine was well representedin Louisiana following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Drs.Rose McMurphy and Lisa Moore and four seniorveterinary students spent two weeks in Louisianaproviding medical care for hundreds of animal victims. Aheartfelt thank-you goes to each of these professionalsfor taking action in what truly was an hour of need. Iwould also like to thank our referring veterinarians andclients who assisted by donating their time and resourcesto help animals impacted by these tragedies.

Our hospital has experienced tremendous growth in eachof the last 10 years. Referrals to our specialists are at anall-time high in some areas. This growth results from ourcommitment to exceptional clinical education, customerservice and veterinary health care. And, it is a testamentto the heart of the people who work here. Uncommon

achievements are the result of uncommon efforts. I would like to personally thank our clinicians and staff for theiroutstanding work managing the hospital’s busy caseload.

Our goal is to provide the best medical care available for animal patients in the Midwest. Our clients expect it of us; weexpect it of ourselves. That is why we are embarking on two majorinfrastructure initiatives. The first is the renovation of the emergency andcritical care unit in the VMTH. Construction has begun and should becompleted in early summer. Construction recently began on a satellitespecialty and critical care hospital in Omaha that will allow us to betterserve our clients and referring veterinarians in northern Kansas andsoutheast Nebraska. Midwest Veterinary Specialty Hospital (MidWestVET)is the result of a partnership between K-State and a wonderful group of private practitioners who are committed toproviding all levels of medical care for their patients. MidWestVET is adjacent to the Animal Emergency Clinic of Omaha,and the complex will provide state-of-the-art care 24 hours a day, seven days a week as well as excellent clinical trainingopportunities for our students and house officers. Special thanks to the many veterinarians in the Omaha area whoinitiated this project and have continually supported the effort.

As you read this edition of “AnimaLIFE”, please join me in celebrating the commitment to animals that we share. Thankyou for supporting our hospital, and thank you for caring about animals. T

View

VMTH director Dr. Roger Fingland and Dr. Nels Backlund inspect the initial con-struction phase at MidWest Veterinary Specialty Hospital in Omaha, Neb.

Warm Regards,

Roger B. Fingland, DVM, MS, MBADiplomate, ACVS

Professor and DirectorVeterinary Medical Teaching Hospital

AnimaLIFE / pg. 6

Bruce Cubie, afirefighter, and his

wife, Carol, anemergency and criticalcare nurse at MercyHospital, are trained todeal with unforeseenevents. Precious littlecould prepare theManhattan couple forwhat was to happen athome.

A comment by their 7-year-old son’s baseballcoach during thesummer of 2004 prompted them to visit theirpediatrician. “Breckin had a peculiar run,” Bruce says.“Almost every day he would have cramps in his calfmuscles.”

The pediatrician referred them to an orthopedic surgeonwho concluded Breckin was a “toe walker,” Carol says.The condition was so advanced that he underwent eightweeks of physical therapy, double the norm. However,the symptoms persisted. Then, Breckin started toexperience numbness in his hands and feet.

On Nov. 18, 2004, two months after celebrating his 8thbirthday, a neurologist examined Breckin. “When we left,

K A N S A S S P E C I A L T Y D O G S E R V I C E

“

”

I didn’t knowthere was aservice dogorganization inKansas until Icalled ourveterinarian,but I knew ittook two tothree years toget a servicedog,” she says.“We had tomove fast.

AT YOURSERVICEStory by Patrice ScottPhotos by Dave AdamsCubie family photo courtesy Meysenburg Photography

The Cubie family

—Carol Cubie

AnimaLIFE / pg. 7

it wasn’t if there is a problem, it was determining whatthe problem is,” Carol says. The doctor suspectedmuscular dystrophy. “I got home that night and got onthe Internet,” Carol says. “As I was reading I thought,‘there’s my kid.’”

Breckin was diagnosed with Duchenne MuscularDystrophy (DMD), one of nine types of the genetic,degenerative disease. Breckin had the classic symptoms:generalized weakness in his muscles and enlargedcalves. Symptoms usually appear in children between theages of 2 and 6, and DMD primarily strikes boys. The

disease affects all voluntary muscles, and in time, theheart and breathing muscles.

“That knocked us to our knees,” Bruce says of his onlyson’s diagnosis. “We had to accept it. We had to startlooking to the future for Breckin,” he says. Carol wasreeling at how quickly their lives could change—again.“By age 12, there’s a chance Breckin will be in awheelchair,” Carol says. “That’s fast when they are talkingabout your baby.”

One of the first places Carol called was a local veterinary

“

”

We had toaccept it. Wehad to startlooking to thefuture forBreckin.

Above: Dr. Marjory Artzer, right, teaches junior year students the proper way to conduct a physical examination. The KSDS dogs are idealbecause they establish a baseline for a normal, healthy animal.

—Bruce Cubie

AnimaLIFE / pg. 8

clinic. She needed information about assistance dogs.Could a service dog help with Breckin’s disability? “I didn’tknow there was a service dog organization in Kansas untilI called a veterinarian, but I knew it took two to threeyears to get a service dog,” she says. “We had to movefast.”

Carol submitted Breckin’s application to KSDS, a non-profitorganization based in Washington, Kan., that trains andplaces assistance dogs nationwide. According to KarenPrice, KSDS chief executive officer, Breckin’s applicationwas one of 50 the organization receives annually. KSDSplaced 23 dogs in 2005. About one-third of the KSDSdogs are placed as guide dogs for the visually impaired.The remaining dogs are placed as service dogs for thosewith physical disabilities like Breckin.

Twister is a striking 3-year-old yellow Lab who goes toschool with Breckin, now 9, every day at Amanda ArnoldElementary. Twister is a stabilizing force for Breckin. “Shehelps him get up when he falls,” Bruce says. “She helpshim go up and down stairs.” Twister also steadiesBreckin’s emotions. “She calms him down when he getsnervous,” Carol says. “He reaches down and pets herand rubs her ear.”

Like Twister, all of the KSDS assistance dogs go throughextensive training before being placed. “Each personselected to receive a dog is asked to provide detailsabout their environment and daily activities,” Karen says.“The training staff uses that information to identify whichdog will best fit the person’s needs. At the same time,trainers are evaluating the dogs for their strengths andskill preferences.”

Carol appreciated the personalized approach. “Theyasked for a videotape of our house to show the stairsand layout,” she says. “They also wanted details aboutBreckin’s favorite activities, like riding his bike, so theycould start training specific to Breckin’s needs.”

The Cubies traveled to Washington where the KSDS staffhad narrowed Breckin’s future partner to three dogs.After Twister and Breckin were matched, they spent twoweeks training together.

From puppy to professional

Long before a pairing like Breckin and Twister’s can takeplace, much work, effort and expertise are invested ineach dog. KSDS breeds 40 Labrador Retrievers and

“

”

Each personselected toreceive a dog isasked toprovide detailsabout theirenvironmentand dailyactivities. Thetraining staffuses thatinformation toidentify whichdog will best fitthe person’sneeds.

Above: Dr. Patricia Payne and Asheni go everywhere together including the college library.

—Karen Price

AnimaLIFE / pg.9

Golden Retriever puppiesannually. The breeds are idealbecause of their strength,health, aptitude, intelligence andattitude, Karen says. At 8weeks, each puppy is placed inthe home of one of 60 volunteerpuppy raisers locatedthroughout the Midwest andFlorida.

Dr. Patricia A. Payne, assistantprofessor in diagnostic medicineand pathobiology at the Collegeof Veterinary Medicine at K-State, is a puppy raiser. Her firstKSDS dog, Maize, was acandidate for Breckin. “We teachbasic obedience and sociali-zation and expose our dog toanything and everything we canthink of—traffic, elevators,statues, crowds and cars,” she says.

At the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, 40 KSDSdogs receive free hip evaluations and the hospital deeplydiscounts the dogs’ eye exams.

It’s in the hips

Dr. James Roush, professor and small animal surgerysection head, examines the dogs for hip dysplasia, acommon joint malady in retrievers. Early detection iscritical because the arthritic condition can significantlyshorten an assistance dog’s career, which ideally spans 7to 10 years before retirement.

KSDS complies with the Orthopedic Foundation forAnimals (OFA) guidelines for hip certification. Each dogmust be certified by age 2; KSDS screens them between12 and 18 months. “It’s important to screen the dogsbecause you don’t want to train the dog and have it bondwith someone who depends on it only to discover thatthe animal itself has a disability,” Dr. Roush says.

Karen says that 70 percent of the dogs complete thetwo-year program. The top reason a dog is released isOFA hip score.

“When Breckin falls or needs to get up, he puts his handsover Twister’s shoulders and hips and pushes up,” Brucesays. “You can imagine how strong Twister’s hips andbody have to be to support him.”

Drs. Roush and Payne say the top three reasons dogsdevelop hip dysplasia are genetics, activity level andnutrition. “Hip dysplasia is not just a genetic disease,” Dr.Roush says. “It’s also affected by the nutrition the animalgets when it’s young. Pet owners should select a namebrand dog food from a company that formulates dietsbased on sound research.”

Twister will receive Hill’s Science Diet dog food for life

thanks to Buddy, America’s first guide dog. Buddysuffered from kidney failure and his owner, Morris Frank,needed a solution. The field of clinical nutrition wasvirtually nonexistent in veterinary medicine until 1939when Morris consulted veterinarian Dr. Mark Morris aboutBuddy’s condition. Dr. Morris believed he could managecertain diseases through proper nutrition. The speciallyformulated diet, which Dr. Morris made in the familykitchen, worked for Buddy. Based on this success, Dr.Morris started a pet food company, Hill’s Pet Nutrition.

“Dr. Morris’ commitment to Morris Frank and Buddybecame the inspiration for our company mission: toenrich and lengthen the special relationships betweenpeople and their pets,” says Dr. Kathy L. Gross,associate director for research at Hill’s.

Hill’s, headquartered in Topeka, has remained true to itsmission. “Hill’s provides all of the pet food free to KSDS,to our puppy raisers and to graduated dogs,” Karensays. Breckin’s parents are appreciative of Hill’s support.“It’s wonderful that they (Hill’s) do that for us,” Carol says.“The food is delivered right to our door. Breckin is theonly one who feeds Twister.”

Puppy raisers must return the dogs to KSDS for the OFAhip evaluation and to begin training. “Puppy raisers arevery special people,” Karen says. “They take thisincredible little ball of energy and they teach it, and theylove it, and they give us back this amazing well-manneredanimal that will change someone’s life.”

Dr. Payne says that saying goodbye to Maize wasdifficult. But she will face that selfless act again somedaywith Asheni, her new KSDS black Lab puppy. “Maize willalways carry my heart with her and will always bewelcome back into my life. I love her dearly, but let hergo gladly, with hope that she will bring freedom and joyto someone in need.”

Someone like Breckin. T

Editor’s Note: Just

before going to press,

we learned that Maize,

Dr. Patricia Payne’s first

KSDS dog, was placed

with a gracious

woman in Texas.

Dr. Payne and Maize

were a regular fixture

on the veterinary

medicine campus.

Along with Dr. Payne’s

heart, Maize took the

hearts of the college’s

360 faculty and staff

members with her to

Texas.

To learn more about

assistance dogs, Dr.

Payne encourages

people to check out the

Animals in Society

section in the college

library.

Above: Dr. Jim Roush performs a hand examination, called Ortoloni, on aKSDS dog to determine hip laxity as senior student Kathy Bradshaw steadiesthe patient. “You push the femur into your hand and abduct the leg,” Dr.Roush explains. “You don’t want to hear or feel the head of the femur fallback into the socket.”

AnimaLIFE / pg. 10

Al Alspach, a conservationist and outdoorsman,bought 109 acres of farmland to reintroducenative grasses in an effort to preserve the tall

grass prairie. That decision would come back to bite him,and his dog.

The land is 20 miles southwest of Manhattan onMcDowell Creek Road. Playing at the farm is somethingAl’s English Setters, Chile, 8, and Arlow, 1, do every day.There are fields to romp in and a stream to rompthrough. It’s a sort of Disneyland for dogs. And, there areplenty of things to investigate, especially for a young pupwith an inquiring nose.

Last spring, Al and his neighbor planted 1,950 shrubs forhabitat. The then upcoming 4th of July holiday weekendwas the perfect time to weed the shrubs. Al, co-owner ofMaster Landscape, knew exactly what the project wouldentail, except for one thing.

“It was a warm, sunny day, and Chile found the onlyshade in the area under a Mulberry tree,” Al says. “He’d

been lying there all morning, then for some mysteriousreason, he gave up the spot. Arlow took over the nest.Shortly after that, I heard him yelp.”

A stream of blood shot from Arlow’s left nostril. Blooddripped from the other. A snake, Al deduced. Movingquickly, Al secured both dogs in the cab of his truck andrushed back to find the snake. “I thought my dog wasdying in that truck,” he says. “I had to find out what kindof snake it was so I could tell the veterinarians in case heneeded antivenin.”

He returned to the shaded area and located the snake. “Icould tell from its vertical pupil that it was a pit viper, but Icouldn’t tell which type,” Al says. “I couldn’t find a stickanywhere so I pulled a great big milk weed plant out ofthe ground and ripped the leaves off. I fished the snakeout of its cover. It was over 2 feet long. I reached in andpinned him down. When I stood up, he sank a fang in myindex finger. Felt like a hot poker.”

1SNAKE

2PATIENTS

“He sank a

fang in my

index

finger. Felt

like a hot

poker.”

“

”

Above: Al Alspach and Arlow enjoy a Saturday morning on Al’s land. Left: Months after being bitten by a copper-head snake, Al’s left index finger remains swollen.

AnimaLIFE / pg. 11

Al placed the snake in its temporary home, a cooler fromhis truck, and headed to a neighbor’s house. She is aquasi expert on reptiles and could help him identify thesnake. She wasn’t home. A workman, Wayne Corn, wasthere, and Al relayed the story. About 10 minutes hadpassed since he was bitten. Al was not feeling well. Notsurprising since the poisonous venom of a copperheadnow flowed through him and Arlow.

Wayne drove the symptomatic Al and Arlow and the veryconfused Chile to Manhattan. “We planned to take Arlowto the veterinary hospital then take Al to the hospital,”Wayne says.

Al’s arm swelled. He felt dizzy, nauseous and had dryheaves. “Just outside of town we decided that I neededto get to the hospital first,” Al says. “I felt really guiltyabout that because Arlow was bitten before me. He tookthe brunt of the venom.” Arlow’s jowls swelled to nearlythree times their normal size. “He just lookedhorrendous,” Al recalls.

Al was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit upon arrivingat Mercy Hospital. Just a few minutes later and a fewblocks away, Arlow was admitted to the Small AnimalIntensive Care Unit at the Veterinary Medical TeachingHospital (VMTH).

Dr. Lisa Moore, a board-certified internist, treated Arlow.“His main clinical sign was swelling on the face andneck,” Dr. Moore says. “He was anxious and shied awayfrom anything that came near his face. We put him onoxygen and placed an IV catheter to administer fluidtherapy. He was also given antibiotics and a pain relieving

medication.” Meanwhile, Dr. Moore called Mercy Hospitalto see if they had extra antivenin.

Janelle Hodgson, senior veterinary student, was assignedto Arlow’s case. “We were concerned he might havebreathing difficulty because of the swelling,” she says.“He was very skittish and afraid of everything. When hesaw a leash, he jumped. He thought everything was asnake,” Janelle says.

Dr. Moore researched copperhead bites and found mostinformation was on humans. “We can use information onhumans as a guide, but that does not mean dogs willrespond to therapy the same way humans do,” she says.“Dogs are not small people. We were interested in thesurvival rates with and without antivenin and what othertherapies are recommended,” she says. “Our researchconfirmed that Arlow was receiving the proper course oftreatment.”

2PATIENTS

“ I thought my dog was dy ing. . .

I had to f ind out what k ind o f snake

i t was so I cou ld te l l the veter inar ians

in case he needed ant iven in . ”

Al was admittedto the IntensiveCare Unit uponarriving at MercyHospital. Just afew minutes laterand a few blocksaway, Arlow wasadmitted to theSmall AnimalIntensive CareUnit at theVeterinaryMedical TeachingHospital.

2 H O S P I T A L S

Story by Patrice ScottPhotos by Brennan Engle

Arlow received personal attention in ICU. JanelleHodgson holds a syringe to gauge the swelling. Hisjowls are three times the normal size.

—Al Alspach

AnimaLIFE/ pg. 12

Al felt relief the instant he received the first of four dosesof antivenin. But several hours after his hospitaladmission, Al was nervous and unsettled not knowingArlow’s condition. “I knew he’d get the best care availableat K-State,” Al says. “A few years back, another one ofmy dogs was operated on at the hospital. It’s the utmostof professionalism. I was just worried about him. Icouldn’t call because there wasn’t a phone available tome in ICU. I’m single, and my dogs are my children. Itwas tough not knowing how he was.”

Heidi Vagts, a registered nurse at Mercy Hospital, saysAl’s physical condition was improving, but she wasconcerned about his spirits. “We take a holistic approachto medicine at Mercy Hospital,” Heidi says. “Al wasworried about his dog, so I offered to call the veterinaryhospital to check on him. Al finally relaxed when he knewthat Arlow was doing well.”

During that telephone conversation, Al granted Dr. Moorepermission to give Arlow a costly vial of antivenin ifneeded. “Heck, I have more than that invested in Arlow. Ifhe needed it, he was going to get it,” Al says. Soon aftertheir conversation, Arlow’s swelling subsided, making theantivenin unnecessary.

Janelle and Arlow became friends during their timetogether in ICU. “He was just so sweet. He was the bestbehaved dog,” she says. “He was off leash most of thetime he was in ICU,” Janelle says. “He followed mearound and when I’d sit down, he put his head in my lap.”

Al was released from the hospital the next day and he

went straight to the VMTH. “When I got to the teachinghospital, they asked if I wanted to see Arlow. I onlywanted to if it wouldn’t hurt him. A few minutes later, hecame around the corner. He just walked up and put hishead on my shoulder. He looked at me like, ‘Oh, daddy.’ Ilooked at him and said, ‘I know, buddy. Believe me, Iknow.’ We have a pretty strong bond after going throughsomething like that together.”

Al says he is wiser after this incident. “I thought I neededto identify the snake because antivenin was speciesspecific – it’s not,” Al says. “You don’t need to know whatkind of snake it is, just get to the hospital. Getting bittenwas totally in vain for me,” Al says.

Dr. Lisa Moore says Al did everything right for Arlow. “Themost important thing is to get to a veterinarianimmediately. Don’t assume things will be OK even if theanimal seems fine. Some problems can take 24 hoursbefore symptoms occur. The wound also may needmedical attention, which is more common withrattlesnake bites. The skin at the site of the bite can getinfected, die off and may require surgery. But I wouldadvise owners to never pick up a snake.”

As Al and Arlow headed home, there was one piece ofunfinished business: the snake. “We let him go, releasedhim in a field,” Al says. “This wasn’t the snake’s fault. Itdid everything within its power to avoid us. On that day,109 acres just weren’t enough.” T

I thought I

needed to

identify the

snake because

antivenin was

species specific

—it’s not. You

don’t need to

know what kind

of snake it is,

just get to the

hospital.

“

”

From left to right: Chile, Al and Arlow are reunited and having fun and enjoying a beautiful fall day at the farm. Al’s land is a sort ofDisneyland for dogs with rolling hills, outbuildings and a creek that meanders through his property.

—Al Alspach

AnimaLIFE/ pg.13

Your Pet’s Vet

Dr. Susan Nelson & the Pet Health Center

Story by Patrice ScottPhoto below by Dave Adams

A lifelong dream became a reality when Dr.Susan Nelson graduated from K-State afterearning a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

degree in 1989. In 2003, she returned to her almamater after spending 14 years in private practice.Only this time on campus, she was the teacher.

Dr. Nelson, clinical assistant professor, works withDrs. Marjory Artzer and Matt Reigel in the Pet HealthCenter, the primary care veterinary practice locatedwithin the hospital. “We’re open to the public,” Dr.Nelson says. “We offer continuity of care, and we arepassionate about what we do.”

The Pet Health Center is a thriving local practice thatprovides students hands-on experience and preparesthem for the rigors of private practice. “The vastmajority of students go into general practice,” shesays. “The Pet Health Center experience exposesstudents to the pace and variety of cases they willhandle.”

Primary care veterinarians provide routine health care for life. “I alwayslike to build relationships with clients. It’s nice to go through puppy orkittenhood to adulthood,” she says. “We offer comprehensive seniorcare programs for dogs and cats as well as puppy and kitten wellnessprograms. We strongly believe in annual wellness exams because somany things can change in a year’s time. We frequently discover minorissues that can be managed before they become major healthproblems.”

In those instances, the Pet Health Center is uniquely equipped to providestate-of-the-art medical care. “We have the latest technology anddiagnostic equipment,” Dr. Nelson says. “We have specialists availablefor consult. Our patients have immediate access to anesthesiologists,

radiologists and a pharmacist. And, we have acompassion room and full-time grief counselor tobetter serve our clients.”

The opportunity to impact the future of veterinarymedicine was one of the compelling reasons Dr.Nelson decided to join the faculty at the teachinghospital. “An academic environment challenges you tobe on the cutting edge,” she says. “I enjoy workingwith students and like the thought of molding futureveterinarians.” However, she quickly points out thathospital clients are the most important people inshaping students. “Our clients make an investment inus because they want great care and they value andsupport the teaching mission of the hospital. It’s ourclients who truly have an impact on futureveterinarians. We can’t educate students without thepatients they present to our hospital.”

Dr. Nelson’s future was set at age 5. “Our next doorneighbor, who was a veterinarian, came over,” Dr. Nelson remembers.“He had to perform a C-section on a cow and asked Dad to help. Heasked if any of the kids wanted to come along. From that moment on, Iwas hooked. I knew what I wanted to do and never really strayed fromwanting to be a veterinarian. That’s when I started bringing injuredanimals home and now my kids are doing it.”

She and husband, Hank, are rearing their children Carter, 8, and Katie,4, in a home full of animals—a dog, cat, snake, turtle, toad, beta fish,goldfish and a horse. “I’m happy to be raising kids in a home withanimals. Children can learn so much from animals—responsibility,caring, love and when the time comes, loss.”

When asked about hobbies, Dr. Nelson gently laughs. She vaguelyrecalls gardening, reading and riding horses. T

Dr. Susan Nelson enjoys the PetHealth Center and shaping futureveterinarians.

I n May, when someone calls the Indian Creek Veterinary Hospital inTopeka for Dr. Kobuszewski, one of three people may return the call.That’s because both of Dr. Kobuszewski’s sons, Jonathan and

Joshua, are in the senior veterinary class at K-State. “Only 50 kids fromKansas are admitted to veterinary school each year and two of them aremine. I take great pride in that,” he says.

Growing up in Linn, Kan., Dr. Kobuszewski enjoyed animals and theoutdoors, which made veterinary medicine a likely career choice. “Ienjoyed anything that put me in an environment withanimals,” he says.

During high school and college, Dr. Kobuszewski wasinvolved in athletics. With his decision to apply to theCollege of Veterinary Medicine, he says academics becamehis sport. “What brought me to veterinary medicine was thedesire to pursue a profession that required intense study,”he says. “It was very competitive as it is today.”

After earning his DVM in 1979 from K-State, Dr.Kobuszewski bought a mixed animal veterinary practice inOskaloosa, Kan., where Carol worked as the accountantand office manager. “We started out scared,” he says. “Thiswas quite a thing to own a practice right off the bat.” By theend of his first year, Dr. Kobuszewski added twoveterinarians because of growth.

The practice continued to thrive until the couple sold it 12 years ago topursue a dream. “We enjoyed owning our own clinic, but we dreamed ofbuilding a hospital,” Dr. Kobuszewski says. That dream became realitywhen they purchased 105 acres in north Topeka and built Indian CreekVeterinary Hospital, a 4,500-square-foot animal hospital with three exam

rooms and two surgery suites. Inadvertently, Dr. Kobuszewski points out,the hospital was built to accommodate three doctors.

“I firmly believe that if you are going to make a mistake, make it on theside of having too much space instead of too little,” Dr. Kobuszewskisays. “I believe that we have a very modern practice; however, I amhappy that we have the teaching hospital to refer patients to whenneeded.”

Dr. Kobuszewski explains the three primary reasons he refers to theVeterinary Medical Teaching Hospital are technology,support of veterinary medicine and communication. “Theteaching hospital is a state-of-the-art teaching facility thatoffers CT scans, MRIs and ultrasound,” Dr. Kobuszewskisays. “I feel a responsibility to offer that to my clients,” hesays. “If I don’t, I’m not doing my job.”

K-State is family according to Dr. Kobuszewski, andreferrals are a prescription for success for his practice, hispatients and his alma mater. “As a K-Stater, I am supportingmy college of veterinary medicine by supporting thehospital’s caseload. Maybe I am biased because I have twosons in their clinical year of training. But, through referrals Ican help my children and everyone else’s child achieve theirdream of becoming a veterinarian.”

Communication is another reason he refers to the teachinghospital. “I consistently receive a high level of communication concerningmy patients,” Dr. Kobuszewski says. “The faculty and staff are doing a lotright at K-State.” T

Referring Vet

THREE is an importantnumber for Dr. Mike

KobuszewskiHe marr ied h is h igh schoo l sweethear t , Caro l ,a f ter comple t ing h is th i rd year a t Marymount

Co l lege o f Sa l i na . He t r ip led h is pract ice h is f i rs tyear out o f ve ter inary schoo l . He had three

ch i ld ren . And, he bu i l t a spac ious c l i n ic i n Topekain 11999933 that was per fect for three doctors . Theon ly surpr ise was h is fu ture par tners wou ld a lso

be h is sons.

K-State is

family

according to

Dr. Kobuszewski,

and referrals are

a prescription

for success for his

practice...

Story by Patrice ScottPhotos by Brennan Engle

AnimaLIFE/ pg. 14

AnimaLIFE / pg. 15

When Dr. MikeKobuszewskiand wife,Carol, marriedand started afamily, theywere actuallystarting a family business anda family tradition.

The couple had threechildren, Jonathan, Joshuaand Annie. They hadJonathan during Dr.Kobuszewski’ssophomore year inveterinary school. Whilereading son Jonathan’sautobiography hissophomore year in highschool, his parentslearned of his desire tobecome a veterinarian.

It was as equallyunexpected from Joshua,who is 15 monthsyounger than his brother.Joshua was a candidatefor homecoming king inhigh school. With his armslocked with his parents,an announcer introducedJoshua and the fact hewanted to be aveterinarian. “I wasshocked when I learnedthe boys wanted to followin my path,” Dr.Kobuszewski says. “Iinvited them to go oncalls with me, but I neverpushed. They must haveseen a great deal ofprofessional satisfactionin their Dad to choose thesame career.”

Dr. Kobuszewski admitsthat it was difficultjuggling the demands of agrowing veterinarypractice and growingfamily. “When I’d close theclinic at 5 p.m., I knew Iwas going to be back inan hour or so at themost,” he says. “I misseda lot of games backthen.”

What his childrenremember was that theirDad loved his professionand that he was therewhen his clients neededhim. “Dad loves what hedoes, which is evident bythe way he gets up every

morning,” Joshua says.“His work ethic amazesme. When Dad is withclients, I see theconfidence they have inhim, and I hope somedayto be as respected as he.I never would have madeit this far without hisguidance. I am proud tobe his son.”

Oldest son Jonathan andfather of two says hisparents’ actions werealways in support of theirfamily. “Right out ofveterinary school, Dadbought a practice,”Jonathan says. “Momimmediately became

everything from thebookkeeper to veterinarytechnician to keeping uslittle ones happy in theback while we waited forDad. Everything myparents did was aboutfamily, and they appliedthose same principles toour clients and patients.Just recently Mom drovea client to the teachinghospital because the ladywas a little nervous. I amproud of my parents.What they have done andwho they haveencouraged us tobecome is prettyamazing.”

Perhaps the boys gottheir drive from theirfather, but Dr.Kobuszewski credits Carolfor their character. “Carolis a person who getsalong with everyone,” hesays of his wife. “She’svery humble.”

Soon there will be threeveterinarians in the family.But given the example setby Dr. and Mrs.Kobuszewski, it’s safe toassume there will be Dr.Kobuszewskis for, ofcourse, a thirdgeneration. T

Left: Dr. Mike and Carol Kobuszewski. Above: Dr.Mike, Carol and daughter Annie, center, visit sonsJoshua, left, and Jonathan, right, at the VeterinaryMedical Teaching Hospital. Right: Joshua, left, and Jonathan, right, check ontheir Dad’s patient, Heidi, who was referred to thehospital. Heidi’s owner is Donna Porter.

And Family

AnimaLIFE / pg. 16

Bill Fingland drove through the night to get to the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital.

It was 4 a.m. when he backed the trailer up to the hospital’s emergency equine entrance.Freckles, Bill’s treasured broodmare, had made the five-hour drive. But a questionloomed in the back of Bill’s mind: would he bring home one horse, two or none?

Hours earlier, Bill and his wife, Patty, made a disturbing discovery at their ranch inRogersville, Mo. Freckles, just 270 days along in her pregnancy, was lactating. She alsoappeared to be straining. The astute owners feared she might prematurely deliver thefoal and immediately called their veterinarian. “Dr. Spragg nailed the fact that she hadplacentitis and was straining to urinate,” Bill says. “He advised us to take Freckles to K-State.”

“When I arrived at the hospital extremely early that morning, I was met by a half dozenpeople at the door,” Bill says. Doctors examined the 10-year-old quarter horse andordered extensive medical tests. The tests yielded information that was helpful yettroubling. “After the initial examination, we were convinced we had a problem,” Bill says.

Dr. Bonnie Rush, equine section head and associate dean of career development, saysthe situation was critical. “We were close to losing the pregnancy at that point.”

She explains that placentitis is an aggressive bacterial infection of the placenta, and ittakes time for clinical evidence of the disease to appear. Because the placenta isresponsible for providing oxygen and nutrients to the foal and removing waste, this canbe and routinely is a deadly diagnosis for the foal. That’s because the infection cancompromise the integrity of the blood supply to the foal and cause the mare toprematurely deliver.

Freckles’ infection didn’t require just any antibiotic but rather the right antibiotic to

LABOROFLOVE

Story by Patrice Scott

“It’s so fun to watch Wildcat runand play with his other farm

brothers and sisters because heprobably shouldn’t be here.”

—Bill Fingland

AnimaLIFE / pg. 17

combat the infection. “We grew E. coli from a swab thatwe obtained from her cervix,” says Dr. Beth Davis,assistant professor of equine internal medicine. “Weselected Ceftiofur, an antibiotic that the organism wassusceptible to. We couldn’t sterilize the uterus, but wecould control the bacterial counts. We also selected thisantibiotic because it posed minimal negative effects tothe foal.” The dilemma is effectively treating the mare tosave her life while ensuring that the treatment does notcompromise the foal.

When Freckles presented on Feb. 21, an ultrasoundrevealed that her foal was large and stressed. Dr. Davissays stress is determined by the foal’s heart rate, whichis normally between 80 to 100 beats per minute.Freckles’ foal’s heart rate was 112. Six hours later, it was84. “A persistently low heart rate in the 60s for a day ortwo indicates the foal may be dying,” Dr. Davis says. “Anabnormally high or low heart rate indicates the foal issuffering from in utero stress. In this case, it was a resultof severe infection.”

Doctors placed Freckles on Ceftiofur to control theinfection. She was placed on a hormone, progesterone,to help maintain the pregnancy. Additional medicationswere administered to aid in maintaining the uterine bloodflow and reduce the negative effects of bacterial toxin

release. Another crucial fact was that Freckles was, interms of a typical pregnancy, remarkably far from herdelivery date.

A normal equine pregnancy is approximately 350 dayswith foals maturing in the last five days. Dr. Rush saysthat 320 days is the “bare minimum” for a foal to survive.That meant Freckles would have to maintain herpregnancy until March 25, a staggering 50 days just forthe foal to have a chance of surviving.

Because of all of these factors, doctors predicted thatFreckles had significantly less than a 20 percent chanceof delivering a live foal. “I was very concerned,” Dr. Davissays. “Freckles was thinking about having a baby thenight she presented.”

Bill says he quickly realized the gravity of Freckles’medical condition. “What we were hoping for was onething. Realistically, we realized that if we were fortunate,we’d save the life of the mare.”

Freckles was moved to a quiet stall where she wasintensely monitored. She was ultrasounded twice a dayevery day to detect changes with the thickness of herplacenta and to monitor the foal’s heart rate.

Doctors ordered daily tests of her milk electrolyte counts,

What we werehoping for wasone thing.Realistically,we realized thatif we were fortu-nate, we’d savethe life of themare.

“

” —Bill Fingland

VMTH client BillFingland withWildcat, left, andFreckles, right.

AnimaLIFE/ pg. 18

persistently low for a day, we would inducelabor. However, when we ultrasounded her 12hours later, the heart rate was 76. We wereconvinced the right thing to do was to maintainthe pregnancy for as long as possible.”

On April 9 — 65 days after she was admittedto the hospital and 335 days into herpregnancy — Freckles delivered her foal. “Iexpected the foal to be down and depressed,”Dr. Davis says. “But he was able to get up andnurse. He was very vigorous. Within 20minutes of being born, he was up. Within anhour, he was running around the stall. Since weknew that he had been exposed to significantbacterial contamination in utero, weimmediately ordered tests to determine hislevel of infectious challenge. His numbers (onblood tests) were not good.” After a few daysof intense medical therapy, the foal responded.

Bill and Patty named the foal Wildcat in K-State’s honor.Wildcat had two surgeries following his birth. The firstwas to remove his umbilicus, Dr. Davis says. Thesecond surgery was to augment the umbilical repairand to correct his left hind leg, which was crooked.Surgeons performed a procedure called a periosteal strip.

On April 26, Freckles and Wildcat were on their wayhome after spending two months in the hospital. Thistime it was a happy five-hour drive. Today, Bill says you’dnever know Wildcat had suffered such challenges soearly in his life. “It’s so fun to watch Wildcat run and playwith his other farm brothers and sisters because heprobably shouldn’t be here,” Bill says.

This wasn’t the first time that Bill experienced what heconsidered a miraculous outcome at the teachinghospital. In 2004, he had two foals with severerespiratory illness treated at K-State. He brought thefoals to K-State because his brother, Dr. RogerFingland, is on faculty at the teaching hospital. “It’s amiracle they survived,” Bill says. “The attention todetail, the communication and the attention given toworried moms and dads drove us back to K-State,”Bill says. “I knew the kind of service we’d get withFreckles, and we did.”

which is an indicator of foaling. Some weresimple stall-side tests; others were complexand sent to the clinical pathology lab for acomplete analysis of her sodium andpotassium levels. “Blood progesterone levelswere monitored so we could utilize all availableparameters to determine if Freckles was goingto deliver the foal immediately or maintain thepregnancy for even a few more days,” Dr.Davis says.

On Feb. 28, doctors were confronted withadditional complications. The foal’s heart ratereached 120. Dr. Davis says the infection wasthe source of the foal’s stress. “This foal wasliving in severe infection.”

Another challenge arose when doctorsobserved that Freckles wasn’t drinking anadequate amount of water. Tests revealed thatFreckles had an acute kidney problem thatappeared to be associated with the pregnancy. Doctorscontrolled her creatine levels by giving her 10 to 20 litersof intravenous fluids for several days. She continued toreceive the fluids periodically throughout the duration ofher hospitalization.

“After I went home, I received phone calls from hospitalfaculty and students daily giving me detailed informationabout Freckles,” Bill says. “That made me confident in thefact that they were doing everything possible for her.”

After nearly a month and scores of daily tests, doctorsreceived an alarming result on March 23. The foal’s heartrate plummeted to 68. “We discussed our options,” Dr.Davis says of her conversations with Dr. Rush. “Weanticipated this and decided if the heart rate remained

“The attention todetail, thecommunicationand theattention givento worriedmoms and dadsdrove us back toK-State.

—Bill Fingland”

Above: Wildcat at home in Missouri. Doctors gavehim less than a 20 percent chance of surviving.

Left: Wildcat nursing shortly after his triumphantbirth on April 9. Freckles was intensely monitoredthroughout her 65-day hospital stay. Within twoweeks, Freckles and Wildcat were on their way home.

Top right: Suzy Sankpill with DawnStarr and her filly.Like Freckles, DawnStarr, an Arabian, was monitoreddaily throughout her hospitalization, which lasted 45days.

AnimaLIFE / pg. 19

A new DawningDawnStarr had a similar reproductive challenge as Freckles. A routine tripto the east pasture of Suzy and Alan Sankpill’s ranch, Hacienda Del S-ParArabians in Stillwell, Kan., turned out to be anything but. It was there thatLiz Laabs, facility manager, noticed something alarming aboutbroodmare DawnStarr, who was heavy with her third foal. She wasdripping colostrum, the precursor to mare’s milk that is rich in antibodies.

The 17-year-old Arabian was 45 days from her due date. Theirveterinarian, Dr. Tom Lenz, happened to be at the ranch that day in earlyJuly, so he evaluated DawnStarr. An ultrasound examination revealedabnormalities with DawnStarr’s placenta. She was placed on antibioticsand moved to a foaling stall.

Suzy has been there for every part of DawnStarr’s life. “I bred her, and Idelivered her,” Suzy says. And Suzy would do anything to get DawnStarrthrough this medical crisis.

Even under their watchful eyes and being housed in a well-equippedfacility, Suzy and Liz opted to take DawnStarr to the teaching hospital onJuly 13. Their veterinarians were 30 to 45 minutes away. If DawnStarr hada problem at the ranch, that amount of time could mean the differencebetween life and death. “I would rather trailer a horse that’s stable andhaving a problem than one that’s down and having a problem,” Liz says.

“DawnStarr was stable and alert when she presented to the VMTH,” Dr.Davis says. “We did a complete reproductive examination and began bloodwork. DawnStarr had a history of dystocia. She had colic surgery followingher first delivery; after her second foal, she retained the placenta.”

Dr. Rush recalls examining DawnStarr. “She had premature lactation andplacental insufficiency,” Dr. Rush says. “This was certainly an at-risk

pregnancy. We continued the antibiotics that Dr. Lenz had started andclosely monitored her for clinical signs that would indicate she mightstart foaling.”

Dr. Davis says the hospital became a temporary home for DawnStarruntil she delivered. “We helped her settle in and get used to her stall,”she says. “We kept the environment as quiet as possible so she coulddeliver on her own terms.”

DawnStarr had her foal on Aug.1. “When the foal was born, we knew itwould need intervention because DawnStarr had lost all of hercolostrum,” Dr. Davis says. “We gave her plasma. DawnStarr and the foaldid great and went home in a couple of days. DawnStarr is anexceptional broodmare.”

Dr. Davis says Bill and Suzy saved the lives of their horses. “If you thinkthere’s something wrong, you’re usually right,” Dr. Davis says. “Nobodyknows an animal like an owner.”

Suzy has had several horses treated at K-State, and she holds theteaching hospital in high regard. “That place is THE BEST,” Suzy says.“You have no idea what it means to us to get there, have the doors openand everyone is there ready to help.”

Bill encourages equine owners to learn from his experience. “Wildcatsurvived because of the work done by the doctors and students at K-State,” Bill says. “Don’t ever hesitate to involve the teaching hospitalwith health issues associated with your horses. You may save a horse’slife because of it.”

In Freckles’ case, the question he wondered on that cold February nightwas finally answered. He would take home two horses. T

Phot

o by

Bre

nnan

Eng

le

T he veterinary technicians at the VeterinaryMedical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) are jacks-of-all-trades in purple scrubs. They teach students,

re-stock supplies, advise clients and answer generalquestions from the public.

While performing all of these mission-essential tasks, theyalso provide the best care for the animals being treatedat the hospital. Literally every one of the 50,000 animalsthat receive treatment through the VMTH is in some waytouched by a veterinary technician.

Sharon Tucker, a large animal technician, has an easyway of simplifying her very complicated job. “I alwayscompare my position to what a nurse is to a doctor,” shesays. “We provide similar services.”

There are 29 veterinary technician positions at thehospital. All of the hospital's veterinary techniciansgraduated from a two-year program from an accreditedcollege. The majority graduated from Colby CommunityCollege, Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture orother schools in the Midwest.

The hospital’s veterinary technicians were recentlyhonored during National Veterinary Technician Week Oct.9-15. The VMTH observed the week with displays at thesmall and large animal reception desks to inform clientsabout the important role of veterinary technicians in thehospital.

“Our veterinary technicians are invaluable,” says Dr.Susan Nelson, clinical assistant professor at the PetHealth Center, the hospital’s small animal veterinarypractice. “They teach the students specific skills such asdrawing blood, taking cytology samples, providinggeneral information and materials, deciphering vaccinehistories and providing overall organization,” Dr. Nelsonsays. “The technicians teach students proper handlingtechniques to administer medicines and to performprocedures so they don’t injure themselves or the animals.”

We helppatients andclients getstarted on theright track sothat their pethas the bestchance to enjoya long, healthylife. We adviseowners aboutthe appropriatediet, exercise,lifestyle,training andpreventivehealth care fortheir new pet.

TEACHINGC A R E

“

” —Beth Galligan

Eric Traul

Dana Parvin

Sharon Tucker

Dr. Susan Nelson and Beth Galligan

AnimaLIFE / pg. 20

Story and photos by Melissa Cessna

Technicians Beth Galligan and Dana Parvin work in thePet Health Center. They assist the three doctors in thebustling general medicine practice that provides hands-ontraining opportunities for senior veterinary students. “Ienjoy general medicine and seeing a little of everything,”Beth says.

While that range includes everything from routinecheckups to injuries, Beth also deals with chronic healthconditions and assists with diagnostic and preventiveprocedures. She particularly enjoys kitten and puppyexaminations. “We help patients and clients get startedon the right track so that their pet has the best chance toenjoy a long, healthy life,” Beth says. “We advise ownersabout the appropriate diet, exercise, lifestyle, training andpreventive health care for their new pet.”

Beth says 90 percent of her time is spent teaching theveterinary students. That and educating pet owners arethe most rewarding aspects of her job. “My favorite partis helping both students and pet owners make gooddecisions about the animals they own or the animalsthey’re treating.”

Unlike the Pet Health Center, the majority of a surgerytechnician’s time is spent solely with the patient. EricTraul, a surgery technician, explains in his hospital sectionthe doctors and senior veterinary students typicallyinteract with the clients. His main focus is the patient.

Eric prepares the surgery site on the animal and preparesthe surgery suite by gathering the necessary instrumentsfor the operation. His responsibilities extend to the smallanimal recovery ward where he monitors the patientfollowing surgery.

“The surgery technicians keep things moving smoothlythroughout the surgery,” says Dr. James Roush,professor and small animal surgery section head. “Clientsdon’t realize how integral they are to the running of anyveterinary hospital, because they make each veterinarian

more efficient, which allows us to spend more time withpatients and clients.”

Surgery technicians also help the students with surgerypreparation. This includes preparing for surgery, followingproper sterile technique and answering questions aboutthe patient’s procedure. Surgery technicians usually workin other areas of the hospital as well. Eric helps withexotic animal and with large animal surgery.

“It’s rewarding to see the senior students learning andgetting to do parts of the surgery,” Eric said. “It’s alsorewarding to see how happy the owners and students arewhen a patient is able to return home.”

While Eric may be preparing the surgical site on a dog,cat or iguana, Sharon, a large animal technician, may bestocking the field service units that make on-farm calls forherds. Each truck must be stocked with specific andample supplies because the units travel across Kansasproviding treatment for 33,000 animals annually.

Sharon closely tracks inventory of large animal vaccinesbecause many are seasonal. For example, calves born inthe spring must be weaned by fall so Sharon makes sureshe has respiratory disease and clostridium vaccinationswell stocked for fall trips. In the spring, she stocks thescour prevention vaccines for heifers.

Sharon assigns the veterinary students for each trip andconducts inventories to ensure the trucks are properlystocked. After each trip, the students report to Sharonand she reviews billing information.

Another major aspect of Sharon’s job, like Beth’s, isworking with clients. She fields phone calls from clients,schedules appointments and answers questions.

For Sharon, as well as most veterinary technicians, thejob is anything but routine. “There aren’t typical days,”Sharon says. “That’s why I like my job.” T

TOUCHINGL I V E S

“Our ve ter inary techn ic ians are inva luab le . They teach the s tudents spec i f i csk i l l s such as draw ing b lood, tak ing cy to logy samples , prov id ing genera li n format ion and mater ia ls , dec ipher ing vacc ine h is tor ies and prov id ing overa l lo rgan iza t ion . ”—Dr. Susan Ne lson

AnimaLIFE / pg. 21

There are 29

veterinary

technician

positions at

the hospital.

All of the

hospital's

veterinary

technicians

graduated

from a two-

year program

from an

accredited

college.

AnimaLIFE / pg. 22

L E F T B E H I N D • K - S T A T E R U S H E S T O A I D L O U I S I A N A ’ S A N I M A L S

Atwo-week emergency

and critical carerotation turned intoa crash course inveterinary medi-cine, tragedy andtriumph for foursenior veterinarystudents.Dr. Rose McMurphy,anesthesiology section head,and Dr. Lisa Moore, a board-certified internist, planned andorganized a trip to Louisiana inthe wake of Hurricane Katrina.“I was on the Internet lookingfor ways to help by making adonation to a reputable

organization,” Dr. McMurphysays. “That’s when I saw thatLSU (Louisiana StateUniversity’s College ofVeterinary Medicine) wasasking veterinarians tovolunteer.”

Drs. McMurphy and Moorerecognized the tremendousteaching opportunitiesassociated with spending therotation in Louisiana to assistwith rescue efforts followingHurricane Katrina. Whenapproached, the four studentson the rotation, Greg Jackson,Courtney Brown, BlakeDickerson and Kami Linnens,said “yes!”

Thousands of animals werestarved physically andemotionally after beingabandoned followingHurricanes Katrina and Rita.Many received the bestveterinary care of their livesthanks to dozens of caringprofessionals, including sixvery special people from theteaching hospital. Each picturetells of the cumulative tragedy.Cane’s story (see left) is oneanimal’s journey that couldhave ended like so manyothers, but it didn’t.

Following are a few of eachstudent’s insights as theaccompanying photos tellmuch of the story.

Impressions:“This experience will define mysenior year and my career inveterinary medicine.”—Greg Jackson

C A N E & T H E V E R Y A B L EThe euthanasia solution was already drawn. The chow’s headinjuries were horrific. Senior student Kami Linnens couldn’twatch him be euthanized. “Did he really have to die after he’dsurvived all this?,” Kami asked. “This” was being locked in aflooded house for three weeks and surviving two hurricanes.The group named him Cane, short for hurricane. Above left: A radiant Kami holds Cane after he receives initialcritical care treatment at Louisiana State University. Center: Back at the VMTH, Dr. Rose McMurphy displays one of59 heart worms hand extracted from Cane’s heart. Right: A healthy Cane with Kami at home in Manhattan. “I’m justso thankful that I had the opportunity to help him,” Kami says. Cane is available for adoption. If interested inproviding a loving home, please call Patrice Scott, “AnimaLIFE” editor, at 785.532.4046 for details.

AnimaLIFE / pg. 23

H E S T O A I D L O U I S I A N A ’ S A N I M A L S“We saw hundreds of cases ofbloody diarrhea, eye lesionsand chemical burns to thepaws and elbows. So manypatients were emaciated.Triage took on a whole newmeaning to me.”—Courtney Brown

‘”The week at Lamar-Dixon wasfilled with emergencies. Theweek at LSU was nothing butcritical care cases. I learned agreat deal about animals andjust how generous people canbe.”—Blake Dickerson

“It made me so proud of thecareer I’d chosen. I felt like Iwas part of the greatestprofession in the world.”—Kami Linnens

On Drs. McMurphyand Moore:“During the entire trip theywere always supportive of ourexperience as students, firstand foremost. They functionedas teachers, mentors, friendsand just other peopleexperiencing this tragedy.”—Greg Jackson

“I will always be grateful to Dr.McMurphy and Dr. Moorebecause this experiencechanged me in ways I cannotput into words. It proved to methat I can hold it togetherunder extreme conditions.”—Courtney Brown

“They shouldered greatresponsibility by taking fourstudents into that area. Withoutthem, the three dogs we

brought home would probablybe in Louisiana somewhere oreuthanized, especially Cane.”—Blake Dickerson

“Incredible! They worked sohard to make this happen,including acquiring approval fora curriculum change. Whenthey couldn’t locate hotelrooms, they rented an RV. Iappreciate them.”—Kami Linnens T

Story by Patrice Scott

Editor’s Note: In an effort to reunite owners with theiranimals, pictures were posted on petfinder.com. Theanimals could technically be adopted within threeweeks. However, many shelters asked that the animalsbe fostered until Dec. 31. To date, no one has comeforward to claim Gonzo, Katie or Cane.

Nonprofit OrganizationU.S. POSTAGE PAIDPermit #4Manhattan, KS 66502

The largest veterinary hospital in Kansas and one of the largest in the nation.

Kansas State University Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital1800 Denison Ave. • Manhattan, KS 66506

• Small Animal & Exotics: 785.532.5690 • Equine and Agricultural Practices: 785.532.5700• www.vet.ksu.edu/depts/VMTH

Kansas State UniversityVeterinary Medical Teaching Hospital

Mosier Hall1800 Denison Ave.Manhattan, KS 66506

CANE & THE VERY ABLETwo K-State veterinarians and foursenior veterinary students walk thedogs they rescued in Louisianafollowing Hurricanes Katrina andRita. While there, the group treatedhundreds of animals.

The team spent one week at Lamar-Dixon, a makeshift animal shelter inGonzales, La. Gonzo, the pit bull,was named after the city. Katie, aGerman Shepherd mix puppy, wasnamed after Hurricane Katrina.

They spent a second week atLouisiana State University treatingcritically ill patients. Cane, the chow,was brought to LSU near deathafter being locked in a floodedhouse for three weeks.

Cane is available for adoption. Ifinterested, call Patrice Scott at785.532.4046.

Read more on pages 22-23.

Left to right: Back on campus, Blake Dickerson walks his newly adopted pit bull, Gonzo. Drs.Lisa Moore and Rose McMurphy, walking Katie, arranged the trip to Louisiana. Greg Jackson,Courtney Brown, Kami Linnens and Cane bonded because of this experience. The group rentedan RV and called it home for two weeks. “No one had to resort to the ‘serenity tent,’”Greg says.