Today was our first official day of work for our crew of
Amazon Cares volunteers. From our quarters in Iquitos, we boated up a branch of the Amazon River to Amazon Cares’ regional office and veterinary facility to pick up supplies for our day.
We had a brief chance for WiFi access, so I was eager for the opportunity to post a new article,
Journey into the Jungle: From Lima to Iquitos.
Our task was to run a mobile spay and neuter facility in the Nuevo Versalles neighborhood of the District of Punchana along with a local veterinarian and assistants from Amazon Care. Once our government escort arrived, we gathered our scrubs, scalpels, and surgery skills and headed out by truck and motor rickshaw over the muddy, rough road.
Once there, we were greeted by an eager group of pet owners with their dogs and cats in need of medical services. Being the only true spanish speaker, Molly Medinikow, president of Amazon Cares, checked in the pets and left the surgical preparation and procedures up to the relatively spanish illiterate gringoes.
As
i Love Dogs premium canine supplements is the top corporate sponsor of our trip, we displayed our gratitude prominently through a banner at the front of our pool hall turned makeshift veterinary hospital.
Both dogs and cats required spays and neuters, so
Dr Jessica Vogelsang (Dr V) and I worked efficiently alongside our Peruvian veterinary compatriot to complete our procedures.
The most dramatic aspects of our cases included my dog suddenly waking up and projectile vomiting moments from the conclusion of her spay and Dr V removing two extremely premature kittens from a pregnant queen.
The conditions were steamy, sweat soaked my scrub top, pool tables served multiple roles as surgery tables (which had me hunching over in a fashion very ergonomically incorrect for my fragile back), and my head lamp adequately served as a surgery light. Truly, it was an experience none like which I had ever previously participated.
Our team is now adequately warmed up to be more proficient with patient intakes, examinations, and procedures on subsequent mobile spay and neuter clinic days.
Now, we will soak in the sunset on our treck back down the river to our quarters to shower off all this perspiration, miscellaneous environmental debris, and DEET topical insecticide. More vets abroad adventures to come tomorrow!
Thank you for reading my article. To receive my next update of my trip to Peru via email, please press the “Don’t Miss a Blog Post” button on the right upper corner of this page or follow this link.
Make sure to follow my Amazon Cares adventures by friending
Patrick Mahaney: Veterinarian Acupuncture Pain Management for Your Pets on Facebook and
@PatrickMahaney on Twitter.
Copyright of this article (2011) is owned by Dr. Patrick Mahaney, Veterinarian and Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist. Republishing any portion of this article must first be authorized by Dr. Patrick Mahaney. Requests for republishing must be approved by Dr. Patrick Mahaney and received in written format.
Today was our first official day of work for our crew of Amazon Cares volunteers. From our quarters in Iquitos, we boated up a branch of the Amazon River to Amazon Cares’ regional office and veterinary facility to pick up supplies for our day.
We had a brief chance for WiFi access, so I was eager for the opportunity to post a new article, Journey into the Jungle: From Lima to Iquitos.
Our task was to run a mobile spay and neuter facility in the Nuevo Versalles neighborhood of the District of Punchana along with a local veterinarian and assistants from Amazon Care. Once our government escort arrived, we gathered our scrubs, scalpels, and surgery skills and headed out by truck and motor rickshaw over the muddy, rough road.
Once there, we were greeted by an eager group of pet owners with their dogs and cats in need of medical services. Being the only true spanish speaker, Molly Medinikow, president of Amazon Cares, checked in the pets and left the surgical preparation and procedures up to the relatively spanish illiterate gringoes.
As i Love Dogs premium canine supplements is the top corporate sponsor of our trip, we displayed our gratitude prominently through a banner at the front of our pool hall turned makeshift veterinary hospital.
Both dogs and cats required spays and neuters, so Dr Jessica Vogelsang (Dr V) and I worked efficiently alongside our Peruvian veterinary compatriot to complete our procedures.
The most dramatic aspects of our cases included my dog suddenly waking up and projectile vomiting moments from the conclusion of her spay and Dr V removing two extremely premature kittens from a pregnant queen.
The conditions were steamy, sweat soaked my scrub top, pool tables served multiple roles as surgery tables (which had me hunching over in a fashion very ergonomically incorrect for my fragile back), and my head lamp adequately served as a surgery light. Truly, it was an experience none like which I had ever previously participated.
Our team is now adequately warmed up to be more proficient with patient intakes, examinations, and procedures on subsequent mobile spay and neuter clinic days.
Now, we will soak in the sunset on our treck back down the river to our quarters to shower off all this perspiration, miscellaneous environmental debris, and DEET topical insecticide. More vets abroad adventures to come tomorrow!
Thank you for reading my article. To receive my next update of my trip to Peru via email, please press the “Don’t Miss a Blog Post” button on the right upper corner of this page or follow this link.
Make sure to follow my Amazon Cares adventures by friending Patrick Mahaney: Veterinarian Acupuncture Pain Management for Your Pets on Facebook and @PatrickMahaney on Twitter.
Copyright of this article (2011) is owned by Dr. Patrick Mahaney, Veterinarian and Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist. Republishing any portion of this article must first be authorized by Dr. Patrick Mahaney. Requests for republishing must be approved by Dr. Patrick Mahaney and received in written format.