Day 4: Camp September 2011

Little did I know this would be a long but amazing day as I caught the metro to the meeting place. We were all tired but determined to make the most of our penultimate day of the Veterinary Training Camp. We were a well oiled team as we launched into our routine when we arrived at the shelter. Our previous patients were all looking good with the anaesthetic emergencies bright and happy, so all in all a good start to the day.



Dog with Glaucoma

We became very selective with the dogs we picked trying to make our choices count. As a result several of our surgeries were on pregnant females. The operations and anaesthetics went smoothly with Lidia and Sandra really demonstrating how routine surgery should be performed. We had also identified a dog with glaucoma and were able to perform an enucleation today, the second of the week.



The atmosphere was relaxed as we went about our work and we shared some interesting stories on topics ranging from small rodents to amazing inventions. It wasn’t just the camp attendees who were learning today.

Flank Spay

There was a great opportunity for Aurelian to teach a flank spay techniques. This is a technique which is adopted depending upon the patient and can be preferable in lactating bitches especially if feeding puppies. It is also sometimes chosen in deep chested dogs. Sandra quickly got to grips with the techniques and was able to see why this approach would be preferable in some cases.

Worming the puppies

If all of the surgeries did not keep us busy enough with an amazing 11 females and 6 males being neutered today plus the enucleation. Lidia, Sandra and Katy also set to work examining and worming a large group of puppies that arrived at the shelter. We made plans to bring vaccines for them tomorrow.



We were operating until after sunset using only lamps to work by in an effort to get as many dogs neutered as we could. As we were leaving the shelter, tired but satisfied, Aurelian got a call from Almavet a clinic in Bucharest. They had a complicated emergency case that they needed his expertise with.

Lidia Operating by Lamplight

We arrived back at Bucharest at about 9.30pm. Two cases were waiting at the clinic for us. The first was a 14 year old boxer with a pyometra, her bloods were fine so she was prepared for surgery which went without incident. The second case was a little more challenging and not just because it was happening at the end of a long day.

Penile trauma

The second case was major trauma to the penis, including a break to the os penis. The dog must have suffered extensive bleeding as he was pale and shocked. The decision was made to salvage as much of the healthy tissue as possible rather than opting for urethrostomy in the first instance. The physiological state of this dog meant his anaesthesia was just as challenging as the intricate surgery. Balancing fluid therapy, cardiac output and anaesthetic depth was a delicate minefield especially well after midnight following a long day. We are pleased to report the dog made it through his surgery as is doing very well. Further details and pictures of the surgery can be found on our facebook page.

We left the clinic in the early hours of the morning ready to grab a few hours sleep before our last day in Giurgiu. We had agreed to meet an hour earlier to make the most of the time we had left. As tired as I was I couldn’t wait to get started on the  work for the next day.