Student Experiences: The Big Fix

Submitted by Lauren Bynum, Texas A&M University

One of the reasons I first became interested in veterinary medicine was because of the time I spent volunteering with SNIPSA, Spay Neuter Inject Protect San Antonio. SNIPSA is a group that rescues, fosters, and adopts dogs out of shelters and holds large scale low cost spay/neuter operations out of San Antonio. It’s also the rescue organization from which I adopted my own dog, a foster failure Great Pyrenees named Riley. In high school, I volunteered at SNIPSA adoption events where I loved on the animals as we helped them find forever homes, and I worked the check in desk at quarterly “Big Fix” events where 400+ animals were spayed or neutered in a single day. I enjoyed my time helping out at check in or at adoption events, but I always longed to be a part of the actual surgeries. 

Now that I am a veterinary student with several years of technician experience, I was given the opportunity to work as an anesthesia technician at the last Big Fix I attended. I will admit—the fifteen hour day was quite long. My sore feet at the end of the day can confirm this. But getting to be a part of the action after years of watching from the outside of the surgery room was so worth it. Assisting the veterinarians as they neutered faster than we could even prep the next pack was intimidating, but so inspiring. They put my five cat minute neuters on my shelter rotation to shame! It quickly became impossible to keep track of the number of patients I’d worked on as the hours passed. Being in charge of running anesthesia was also a huge confidence booster. Learning about anesthesia and running cases on a rotation, under supervision, is one thing. But having a veterinarian trust you to keep their patient asleep and pain free as they focused on solely the surgery was a whole new level of responsibility that truly made me feel prepared to be a veterinarian myself in not too long. 

The veterinarians volunteering at SNIPSA came from all over Texas, and some even from out of state. Some were shelter veterinarians, some private practice, some mixed animal, and an equine vet was even there helping out! The planning and organization required to put this event into motion, to staff it, and to keep the day running smoothly can’t be understated. Even lunch was meticulously planned, which all the doctors and technicians were grateful for—long days are much better when you have a near constant supply of fajitas and brownies available to you at all times. Despite the long hours, morale was high, as we all shared a common goal: to save the animals. Spaying and neutering pets to reduce shelter overcrowding is one way we as future veterinarians can have a direct impact on animal welfare. I plan to continue doing this through SNIPSA, and I cannot wait to graduate so that I can give back to the animals of San Antonio and to the organization that helped inspire my love of veterinary medicine.   

Animal Doctors Abroad

Although traveling may not be the safest at the moment, we can still cherish the experiences we have had thus far!  Thank you to Robyn Cates of Oregon State University for sharing her story with us - we can't wait to see what you accomplish in the future!

'Last summer I had the opportunity to volunteer at a non-profit clinic on Santa Cruz Island in the Galápagos Islands. The main goals of the clinic are: domestic animal population control through sterilization programs, therefore protecting the biodiversity of native wildlife, and community education on animal welfare. This photo of me with four puppies is from one of our spay/neuter campaigns where we traveled to nearby Isabela island and sterilized 67 animals over three days. These puppies got parasitic treatment and their mother was spayed. Isabela island has no veterinarian so this campaign that occurs every few months is the community's only access to animal care. This trip was incredibly rewarding. Unfortunately the clinic is temporarily closed but a new NGO will be taking it over in the coming year and I cannot wait to go back! The sea turtle is another friend I found along my journey through these beautiful islands.' 

Comparison of Perioperative Analgesics During Cat Spays

Spays, or ovariohysterectomies, are a pretty routine procedure for veterinarians and veterinary students alike. My Vet Candy released a study that compared the results of using different analgesics at the surgery site, which included the incision line, the ovarian pedicles, and the uterus. Check out the rest of the article here!