Being back for about a month now

I can't believe it's been just over a month since I was in Europe. It seems like such a long way back! I don't think I really experienced any reverse culture shock. I was just so excited to get back home to see my son and fiance. I can't begin to explain how awesome Europe was. Everyone I talked to asks if I will go back, and I say yes without skipping a beat. Before I left I was apprehensive about leaving the country, and now I'm so glad I went. Everyone needs to expand horizons just a bit, and if you ever get a chance to go to Europe  I say jump on it! I still haven't gotten around to uploading all my pictures, because there are so many! Every aspect of the trip was unique, especially hearing about all the different veterinary medicine programs. It's amazing to see how things work in my field in other countries. I am so glad I wrote about my stuff weekly so that I can look back and remember it all. I made new friends and got to see how people live halfway around the world! It was interesting to hear and see all the different languages, and everyone was mostly friendly since there were so many tourists. I even picked up on a few foreign words. Sure there were times when I wasn't in the best mood, but overall, the trip was great. I was so used to living at someone else's house that when I got back home and had to do laundry and dishes it was hard for me to do it! Haha. I can now say that I have visited 7 different countries! One day I hope I can add to that list, but for now, I'm super happy I can say I've been to Europe. Being able to go to our own for the weekends was nice as it allowed us to go see even more things! I can't say enough times how glad I am that I went on this trip, and I cannot wait to go back someday!

Weeks 3 and 4

In Berlin,new visited the Leibniz institute for zoo and wildlife they had a 128 tesla CT. They are getting a 256 tesla CT soon.  The images were amazing.  We got to watch a skull of a primate go through the MRI.  We also got to e images of a cerebellum that was pushing out of the foramen magnum of a large cat.  They have done surgeries to open the foramen to have less pressure on the cerebellum and the cats had reversed signs of ataxia.  I thought that it was also really interesting that they are doing comparative CT and Radiograph images on elephants that are known to have lameness.  Since you can not send an elephant through a CT while it is alive.  They take radiographs of an elephant foot and when it is euthanized take the foot and send it through the CT.  They thought before this study that there was no soft tissue damage with arthritis in elephants because radiographs are not the best for viewing soft tissue damage.  Now they know and are pairing the radiographs with the CT images to determine what soft tissue damage is occurring and being able to treat the animal better.  This comparative imaging diagnosis is catching on more in the zoos in Germany and in Europe.  We also got to meet a Dr. That does 3D printing.  He had a 3D image of a tiger fetus.  He has own multiple awards for his research and it was amazing to see where the future of veterinary medicine can be heading.  After the institute, we went to a concentration camp, sachsenhausan that was about 45 minutes outside of Berlin.  The feeling evoked by the images are indescribable.  I could have spent all day there reading the history and walking through the buildings.  It was a large concentration camp, though not the largest.  The way they executed the prisoners there was to act like they were visiting the doctor.  They were looked over and told to open their mouth to look for gold in teeth.  If hugely had gold in their teeth, they had a mark put on them to indicate that after they were shot they needing to go to a separate area to have teeth pulled.  They used a measuring device that had a small hole between the planks of wood.  There would be a man in the room behind them and when they pressed down on the measuring stick it would keep them still enough to shoot.  The ruins of the execution room were preserved and they had a double wall for insulation so the sound would be muffled so the other member of camp could not hear.  It was fairly chilly the day that we were there.  I could not imaging living through the winter with only a thin layer of clothes for protection.  They would make them line up I the front of the camp morning and night for roll call.  If someone was missing, the other members of camp would have to stay there until they were found, dead or alive. As if the barbed wire was not enough, there was strip of land about 10 feet in front of the wall that if you stepped foot on the land you were shot without question.  It was said that a lot of suicides occurred this way.  They were given rotten potatoes and if they tried to clean or cut the rotten parts, they were beat by the guards.

We took a bus Seal center.  The bus was hot and did not have air conditioning.  This center is used in the region for seal pups that are either lost or abandoned from their mother.  There are "seal hunters" that bring them in.  They do not only bring pups, but if a seal is injured will bring it to the facility.  They try to keep the seals at the center for the least amount of time as possible and release them back to the wild.  pups are only nursed for 4-6 weeks by their mother and then are left on their own.  If there are twins, the mother will only nurse one pup.  We got to see feeding time with the seals.  They do target training with them to get them to go to a specific point in the enclosure do they can do daily physical exams on them.  I thought it was interesting that if a seal is born in captivity they are not allowed to return to the wild.  They will have to separate the male and female when they reach maturity.  They also give "anti baby pills" to the males.
Multimar attformum was the aquarium/learning center.  I thought the center was very interactive for young children and that is important.  There are very few aquariums that have interactive learning stations in the states.
Aquatic wildlife center- I got to do a necropsy on a porpoise.  We started by measuring the porpoise's length and girth.  We then cut into the fat layer and measured the layer of blubber.  We also noted any scars or places of discoloration on the skin.  It was thought that they porpoise was about a year old, which is still considered a juvenile.  We had to take out the intestines and cut into them to see if there were parasites.  There were none.  All of the internal organs were of a normal size.  Porpoises have relatively large internal testicles for the size body they have.  We then went into the thoracic cavity,  the lungs had firm nodules, but were emphyzematous.  Cutting the trachea, there was a large amount of foam that came out of it.  There were multiple fish in the stomach and esophagus.  We cut into the trachea and found a fish lodged in the trachea.  This was thought to be how the porpoise died.  They have the ability to beath and swallow at the same time.  There was a would in the nose that looked fresh and it was thought that he might have been caught in a net.  I really enjoyed the lecture that was given on marine life and the conservation efforts that are trying to be out in place in face of the masive amounts of off shore development.
Dinner at Kolles Alter Muschelsaal and lecture by Karl Kolle.   I really liked getting the prospective of the seal hunter.  The food was amazing and the history of the restaurant was incredible.
I liked walking in the Mudflats.  I never knew that there was so much life under the sand.  I wish it would have been a little warmer because my favorite part was making "mud angels".

The Cologne zoo was amazing for the fact that we got behind the scenes tours of the elephants and birds.  I never knew that so much training went into keeping elephants at the zoos.  Feeding the baby elephant was the highlight of the day. I also thought it was interesting the way they trained the elephants to place their heads against the bars to be able to draw blood from an ear.  The zookeeper told us that one of the elephants had a bad experience with the blood draw and it took months for them to be able to draw blood from her again.  I never knew that elephants were so sensitive.  The positive reinforcement training is the same that we use in small animals and it just goes to show that mammals are very similar in their behavior.  The Cologne city tour was one of the best I think on this trip.  The lady was very knowledgeable and funny.  
We also visited the animal shelter in Bonn.  I thought it was a good experience for us to see a shelter in Europe because they seem so different from the shelters in the states.  They are almost never at capacity, do not euthanize because there is no space, and even take animals from other countries that are overpopulated.  I did think that some of the animals there were being kept alive because of some workers emotional attachments to the animals and not looking at it from a medical or ethical perspective.  I thought their cat condos were amazing and wish that shelter in the US could do something like that for their cats for enrichment and adoption purposes.
That afternoon we went to an organic farm.  It made me sad that the community was not in support of the farm and that the. It has put so many regulations on them.  I think it is important to educate our kids as to where our food comes from; wether it be a local organic farm or a farm with 1000s of acres for one or few crops.  We tasted strawberries that were so sweet I almost needed something salty.  I tried a vegetable that I have never even heard of before.  I ate a purple flower.

Next it was off to Utrecht. This was my favorite vet school that we visited.  I really enjoyed the tour of the veterinary hospital.  It is interesting that all they see is referral cases and no primary or preventative care.  I liked how the students really wanted to include us and show us a typical day for them.  I guess it helped that the FIFA World Cup was going on and that the Netherlands was playing.  I did not like how some of the students and professors thought that our "4 years of vet school" was inferior to their 6.  When we tried to explain to them that we actually do 8 years total to their 6, they "jokingly" would ask if we are not as smart and if that is why we needed to go longer.  This happened on more than one occasion to multiple people.  I enjoyed hearing how their 6 years was divided up.  I do not think that I would like taking only 1-2 classes at a time though.  In some ways, I thought the system of them being "self taught" is good.  However, I really do feel that there are some things and lectures that should be presented by a knowledgable person, rather than looking all of the information up in a book.  For example, my host student was reading the big red pharmacology book and taking notes.  She said that the professor could really ask anything they wanted from the book and on any drug.  There is way too much information and nobody could ever feel like they are prepared for a test like that.  In that respect, I would think the way we do things is easier.  Also, it was interesting the way they are getting people to track large animal by letting them in, even if they do not have the best grades if they commit to being large animal.

Overall, my experience in Europe has been amazing and I would love to come back.  I have had so many new experiences and have become friends with people that I never would have thought to have got along with in College Station.  I am really glad I went on the trip and will carry the memories with me for a lifetime.

Some Green Day Song

The last week of the program went by way too quickly! We enjoyed some delicious ice cream and a laidback tour our first afternoon in Bonn. It was a nice to take a break and revel in the nice, warmer weather. The next morning we took a tram to the Cologne Zoo where we were able to take a behind-the-scenes tour of the elephant exhibit and feed a baby elephant! Well, not a baby – he was two years old – but he was so adorable and cute! Two of the keepers took us on a tour of the rest of the zoo, and we saw a very independent baby anteater and quite the climber red panda. After our day at the zoo, we went on a quick tour of Cologne.

Our quick-witted guide definitely distracted us from the heat of the day. We went to an animal shelter on our last day in Bonn. It was interesting to hear about the differences between shelter policies there and back home in the states as well as the stray population conditions. The shelter we visited had never had a problem with running out of space, which always has been a frequent issue at shelters I have volunteered at in Texas. It was nice to hear that they never really had to consider healthy euthanasia to create space. They do not have any veterinarians on staff; the one that comes in during the week is actually contracted out, which is a bit different than what I have experienced. I think that’s a good idea though; being a shelter veterinarian wears you out emotionally, and a reprieve from that daily wear would be helpful in the long run. Later that day we visited an organic farm. I never had toured one before, so it was interesting to compare the way an organic farm ran in comparison to a conventional farm. They allowed us to sample their strawberries while we walked, which were absolutely delicious. After Nils took some of us to the German National Museum of Contemporary History in Bonn. We had the chance to gain insight into the history and growth and development of Germany in recent years. Nils took us around the museum, talking to us about the changes his parents and himself have seen the country go through. It was an amazing experience.

Our last few days of the program were spent at the Utrecht University. We were lucky enough to learn about the history and veterinary program of the university and to tour the companion animal hospital. Something that really impressed me about their hospital was that the ICU ward of the companion animal hospital had video cameras put in each cage so that the owners could observe their animals from home. I’m definitely putting that idea in the memory banks. The host students were welcoming and excited to have us stay with them for the last part of our trip. The Netherlands happened to have a world cup match while we were there. A couple of us dressed up for the occasion with orange hair spray and lays and joined in on the festivities and celebration as we watched them beat Spain 5-1. We spent the morning on a (leisurely) canoe tour on our last day. It felt good to give our legs a rest and force our arms to work a bit. It was something different and definitely something fun. It was difficult saying goodbye to everyone that night. This trip has been amazing, and I’m incredibly grateful that I had the opportunity to participate in it. This is the last post before the back in the states one later this summer. Although I’m not going to miss searching for wifi, I am going to miss all the girls, and even Nils, because once you spend four weeks straight with someone, you can’t even really get them out of your head. Thank you for the great memories. I miss you all already. (I feel like this reads like a Green Day song. Or confused Fall Out Boy lyrics. Sorry about that, guys.)

Miniatur Wunderland

We arrived in Berlin Monday morning and took a city tour that afternoon. Our tour guide was funny and informative, and the amount of history in the city was unbelievable. I learned many things about the background of Berlin, the events of World War II, and that German pride is strong around the World Cup. The next day we visited the IZW Leibniz Institute. They had a number of research and conservation projects they were working on, one of which involved the stargazing syndrome of lions in captivity. It was interesting to compare the CTs of affected and healthy lions. We also were able to watch a CT in real time of an ape skull, my first time watching a CT scan in action. Later that day we traveled to Auschwitz, the first concentration camp I have visited since we started our trip. It was an emotional experience.

We left for Busum Wednesday and visited a seehundstation and Multimar Wattforum, a museum connected to the national park on the North Sea. The seals at the station were absolutely adorable! They had grey and harbor seals playing in an on-site pool. We learned about the mission of the station and the howler seals and the sea hunters. The national park was beautiful, and the models they had depicting the ecosystem under the mud were really cool. The biologist told us about the sealife and explained the challenges of the park with acoustic pollution and overfishing.

We performed necropsies on a seal and a harbor porpoise the following day. It was awesome! After a morning lecture, we cut into a seal that had been shot by a sea hunter and a porpoise that had washed up on shore. The first showed signs of sepsis and the second suffocated on his dinner. The little guy had a crazy amount of fish in his stomach! I loved that we were able to get hands on and be a part of the necropsies. A local sea hunter and chef, Karl-Heinz Kolle, made us dinner at his restaurant. His stories were fascinating, and I loved listening about his choice to become a seal hunter and what he volunteers to do to help the seals. 

W walked on the mudflats on our last day in Busum. There were so many jellyfish that had been left during low ride, and you had to make sure that watched your step. The mud and seawater felt surprisingly warm. We saw tracks and worms and crabs everywhere. I had so much fun on the mud walk; it would definitely be amazing to get the chance to do it again.

The majority if us spent our last free weekend in Hamburg. We walked around town and visited Miniatur Wunderland, the world's largest miniature railroad. It was awesome! We went on our first boat tour, which was nice and relaxing, as was most of our weekend. I cannot believe that this is the last week of the program! I've had a great time and some sleep would be nice, but I'm not ready to go home just yet.