SUMMER 2008 Animall IFE VETERINARY MEDICAL TEACHING HOSPITAL
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KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY SUMMER 2008 AnimaLl IFE VETERINARY MEDICAL TEACHING HOSPITAL Inside Student’s Hard Work Saves Draft Horse Brown Cow has Purple Knee Speaker Foam Saves Dog Afghanistan is Special to Specialist W SUMMER 2008 Contents Pg. 2 AnimaLIFE Editor’s column The two words “animal” and “life” share the “L” because— just like our pets—they are a seamless part of our lives. Pg. 4 VMTH Director’s column Shaping the future of the hospital happens every day. A Father’s Gift Pg. 5 Dr. Amy Rankin Pg. 6 Pulling Through Dr. Amy Rankin A senior student I remember a wonderful summer day when I was about 6 years old. It was late afternoon didn’t originally shares his account when my Dad parked the station wagon in front of our two-story home in Kansas City. As envision a career in of a draft horse we got out, a police cruiser stopped in the street. The officer said, "Little girl, do you like veterinary medicine. that pulled through Now she’s an despite enormous puppies? I only have one left." He lifted the tiny creature up and handed it to me. She ophthalmologist. medical challenges. immediately snuggled her nose to my neck. I flashed my Dad a look with pleading eyes that begged, "Can we?" Dad smiled. I darted into the house with excitement and announced that we had a puppy. We named the seventh female of the house, Officer Squad Car Macan. Dogs were important members of my family growing up. People often talk Pg. 10 How Now Brown Pg. 12 Road to Recovery Cow? about the animals they love, but we Dog’s life depends seldom talk about the people who Cow receives on a vacuum, taught us to love and care for them. world’s first speaker foam and a For me, that person was my Dad. artificial ligament, veterinary surgeon known as the who works well My amazing father passed away this Wildcat Power under pressure. Patrice Scott, “AnimaLIFE” editor, with Clyde. winter. For those who wondered if Cord. Right: Dad with my sister Rita and Officer. they’d missed the fall/winter edition, you now know why one was not produced. It touched me deeply that many readers cared enough about AnimaLIFE to contact me and Pg. 15 Referring Vet Pg. 16 Kabul-ing it inquire. If you appreciate the way the articles Together Honesty is the are crafted in the magazine, my Dad has touched your life. I simply could best policy for Afghanistan comes not write them the way I do without the life foundation I was blessed with. Loved ones – Dr. Robert Johnson. alive in Dr. David animals and people – are gifts. Hodgson’s riveting account about Thank you for indulging me in my story. As always, please contact me if you have a story teaching veterinary you'd like to share. I'd love to hear from you. W students in the All the best, war-torn country. About the Cover After a lengthy stay at the KSU-VMTH, 11-year-old Dachshund, Little Pup (LP) is back Patrice Scott home with his owners, Bill and Dee Wills. Marketing and Development Officer Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital Editor Photography Publisher 1700 Denison Ave., 103 Trotter Hall Patrice Scott Digital Instruction, Support and AnimaLIFE is published by the All rights reserved. 1700 Denison Ave. Creative Services Veterinary Medical Teaching Manhattan, KS 66506-5601 Contents of this Phone: 785.532.4046 103 Trotter Hall College of Veterinary Medicine Hospital at Kansas State Manhattan, KS 66506-5601 Kansas State University University, Manhattan, KS 66506. magazine may not be reproduced E-mail: [email protected] 785.532.4046 Dave Adams For advertising information in any manner without the written [email protected] Patrice Scott contact Patrice Scott at consent of the publisher. Personal family photos 785.532.4046. Anima LIFE / pg. 2 Anima LIFE / pg. 3 Faculty Profile Dr. Amy Rankin Story by Patrice Scott Shaping the Future... Eye Know-How Photo by Joe Montgomery r. Amy Rankin, assistant production. I felt so relieved that TODAY professor of we finally knew what was wrong. Dophthalmology, didn’t We just apply the prescribed originally envision a career in ointment to her eye daily and veterinary medicine let alone she’s perfect.” reetings from the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at Kansas State becoming a veterinary University. I hope your summer was fulfilling and that you had an opportunity to Dr. Rankin advises clients to be specialist. All that changed when enjoy family and friends. We are excited to share more wonderful stories about alert to possible signs that their G she applied to veterinary school our patients and clients as well as some of the hospital’s successes and challenges. We pet is experiencing eye (vision) her junior year in college. Before are pleased to get AnimaLIFE back to you after a short hiatus! problems. If, for example, a pet long, her long-range plan is squinting, rubbing at the eyes, The Pet Health Center renovation was completed recently. The new area better included becoming an producing extra tearing/ accommodates the heavy traffic flow in the busy local practice area of our hospital. With ophthalmologist. watering; if the eyes have a new cabinets, countertops, exam lights and LCD monitor for the microscope, the space “After three years of general cloudy or bluish cast or the white is more efficient and addresses the needs of the doctors, students, technicians and practice, I decided I was ready area turns red, it may be time to patients. It is an excellent learning environment. for a new challenge,” Dr. Rankin see an ophthalmologist. If a Our equine clients will be happy to know that we will soon begin construction on an says. “I love ophthalmology horse is spooked when equine lameness center that will be located on the east side of the hospital. The equine because I get to work with every approached from one side but faculty will have a dedicated and enclosed space designed for diagnosing lameness. species. Ophthalmologists not the other, this may be a sign manage eye problems in cats, of a vision problem. We are quite hopeful that our small animal surgery suite can be renovated within three dogs, horses and exotic years. Currently we have four operating rooms and the suite has remained much the The great opportunity here is that animals. For me, it’s the best of same since the hospital was built in 1977. Tentative plans call for a total infrastructure so much can be done. all worlds wrapped into one upgrade and the addition of one operating room. The floor plan will be modified so that Many corrective microsurgical specialty,” she says. “Every critical services are unified. For example, the anesthesia induction area and patient procedures are available to help animal has two eyes.” recovery will be co-located near ICU to increase efficiency and optimize patient care. patients suffering from diseases Dr. Rankin finds it doubly or degeneration of the eye. We would appreciate your help in making these plans become reality. Some of our needs gratifying to help clients and Dr. Rankin tells of a VMTH patient propel our visions; others help patients today. Recently, our linear accelerator became patients because many of them that was completely blind from inoperable. Then we learned that it was irreparable. This is an extremely important piece have never heard of a veterinary cataracts. “His cataract was so of equipment in our fight to help animals with cancer. Oncologists use the linear ophthalmologist until they need complete I couldn’t see his accelerator to deliver targeted beams of radiation to kill cancerous tumors. If you are one. “So many people don’t retina. So, if I can’t see in, he interested in learning more about the many ways you can help our hospital help animals, know that this specialty exists,” can’t see out.” She surgically please call Patrice Scott, marketing and development officer, at 785.532.4046 or e-mail she says. What I want our clients broke apart the cataract and was her at [email protected]. to know is that we’re happy to able to restore the patient’s Thank you for supporting our hospital, and thank you for caring about animals. W help them, and we’re happy to vision to nearly normal of 20/70. work with their veterinarians.” Warm Regards, More help is on the way for small VMTH client Medina Roynon is a Dr. Amy Rankin at home with husband, Dr. David Rankin, and twin daugh - and large animals thanks to her typical client who was unaware ters, Mary Frances and Eleanor. The family adopted Sugar when she research. Dr. Rankin is currently of the specialty until her puppy, failed her eye examination during the service dog certification process. assessing different models of Pebbles, needed advanced care. inflammation inside the eyes of Pebbles’ breeder told Medina that the puppy’s left eye was scratched by cats to determine which medications can be used clinically to reduce Roger B. Fingland, DVM, MBA, DACVS a littermate. When problems persisted, she took Pebbles to a inflammation. She’s also conducting a corneal sensitivity project with Associate Dean, Clinical Programs veterinarian who treated her for an eye infection. “She kept blinking and alpacas. Director, Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital her eye seemed to irritate her,” Medina says. A friend suggested that Dr. Rankin comes to the VMTH from a busy ophthalmology practice near she make an appointment at the teaching hospital to see an Milwaukee, Wis.