Trisomy7

Today was a very exciting, tiring and fulfilling day.
I got to go to San Lazaro and Sta. Ana Race parks in Carmona and Naic respectively. Doc Dan Arreola was so kind enough to bring me along and teach me about horses. He was very patient with me and answered all my questions as best as he could. I thought he'd think I was being so makulit since I kept asking him a lot of things but it was the opposite. He said that I was asking logical and intelligent questions so it's ok that I ask.

So in order:
1. Went to the race track to watch the horses exercise and to mingle with the trainers and stable hands. Doc Dan always carries a notebook to list down the appointments he has to make in one day.
a. He introduced me to a lot of people saying that I was "Boss Manoling Layug's anak" and more often than not they'd know who Tatang is and ask me questions. Usually about stuff in Arpilleda.
b. Asked me if I was going to be a vet too.
c. Doc Dan joked that whenever there's a student there's a lot of stable boys hanging around. Haha.
2. Did a lot of x-rays.
3. A lot of floating too
a. Doc Dan has this nifty gadget with a backpack motor. Its used to file the horses' sharp teeth.
b. He also used a hammer and screw driver to knock teeth out.
c. Used a hand file to smoothen out the edges
d. I got to put my mouth in the horses' mouth and feel for the teeth.
e. They use a Haussman or Swayle apparatus to keep the horses' mouth open.
4. Caslick's Procedure
a. It's cool. He injects local anesthesia into the vulva.
b. Does horizontal mattress suture.
c. Sprays it with aluminum silver paint for protection and healing.
d. Its for pneumovagina and for breeding.

5. Check for Colic
a. Doc Dan let me listen to the stomach sounds. It was slow and barely audible.
b. It sounded better after Doc gave it much water through the stomach tube.
i. HE also wanted to check what the stomach contents were so he allow some water to pass up back through the tube.
c. He added a lot of mineral oil so that it would lubricate the feces and push dead worms out
i. He used the really long gloves and stuck his hand into the rectum to check for fecal consistency
ii. Since it was dry it meant that it wasn't drinking right
iii. So he told the boys to give 4 NSS bottles at fast drip and 4 more later at slow drip
d. When we checked again later the stomach sounded better.
e. The heart was kind of arrhythmic too.
6. Firing
a. It's a cruel procedure wherein you intentionally injure the animal to cause inflammation to hasten healing.
b. A hot soldering iron is used and a pattern is made over the desired area (like the leg).
i. It takes about 6 weeks for it to entirely heal
ii. So the horse cant do anything then for that time

The things I learned:
1. Some steroids are injected into the biccipital bursa and a fanning technique is used to spread the drug. You inject one and partially dispense small amounts into the surrounding areas whenever you partially withdraw and insert.
2. Fibroscopes are used to look through the throat. Its inserted through the nose just like the stomach tube but it goes down a different path. But like the stomach tube, there is a certain way to insert it:
a. You need to have your elbow underneath the horse's eye just resting on the facial crest with the fingers holding the horse's nostrils. The other hand is the one that inserts the tube into the nostril with your middle finger guiding it medially and caudally.
3. Whorls should be noted of for identification of each horse.
4. A canal in the fetlock would mean that there is inflammation in that region.
5. There is a triangular area near the base of the neck where you can inject vaccines. Its not the Viborg's Traingle though. Doc Dan gave me a chance to inject anti-tetanus. He made pinch the skin cranial to the injection site to divert the horse's attention from the actual vaccination.
6. Ice tight it the white stuff that looks like paint that they put on the horses' legs for it to feel cool and for the skin to tighten. They usually put it after exercise to soothe the muscles.
7. Yellow lotion is composed a lot of things. It's used for wound contraction before surgery or in cases of wounds that don't need to be sutured.
8. Relaxing skin incisions cant be used on horses because they tend to get proud flesh!
9. Mr. Esguerra's stables is really cool. It has so much high tech stuff. I got to meet Doc Carlo who's the vet there and he showed me the digital X-ray! It costs P4 Million!!! They also have a CBC reader! Waaah! He also taught me how to use both! Coolness. Turns out he also knows Doc Ariel.

I also got to meet Mr. Omy Santos, who Doc Dan said is one of the pillars of the Philippine racing industry. Small world: I got to meet Migz' dad: Mr. Bobby Ungson. He was very nice. He's a trainer. IT turns out that MIgz has been telling his dad or family about me. Migz and I are close. Tito Bobby said that I should go to their farm one time so Migz and I can see what's up with the horses. I got to talk to Migz on Tito Bobby's phone. I think Migz was surprised. They're in Palawan right now. Hehe.

So tomorrow, another day with Doc Dan and next week we get to go to Batangas and Calatagan! Yay!

Update: I've been working on my thesis for the past few days and I'd say I just have to add the interview I need to conduct with a Philracom member. I also need to get the updated list of 2009 this Tuesday from their office. And I'll be able to get the 2010 list be early Feb. I just need to fix the methodology too.
Dilemma is that Doc Hope is offering me a thesis on Equine Metritis. Sample collection from different brood mares followed by bacterial isolation and culture. It takes two students to do this but I don't know if any of my batchmates will be interested in it because only Migz and I are really into horses. Its tempting because it can win best thesis too. But Doc Dan said its better if I focus on the CK and AST thesis. They're both important in their own field: CK and AST for racing, and Equine metritis for breeding.
Sigh.