Vet Med Patients - Large and Small - What were They?

[Doctor-S]

Just curious (following a delightful discussion about companion pets at the AMC):

* What was the smallest mammal, bird, amphibian, reptile, exotic, or fish that you have (thus far) encountered, treated or learned about working with in school?

* What was the largest mammal, bird, amphibian, reptile, exotic, or fish that you have (thus far) encountered, treated or learned about working with in school?

Thanks in advance for your comments!

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[DVMDream]

This is likely going to vary so much depending on each person.

Smallest Animal:
Learned about: We learned about all the small birds, gerbils, hamsters, snakes, mice, etc. Actually treated in school during clinics: Probably a small gecko but wasn't in for long. Long-term treatment... snake.

Largest Animal:
Learned about: Whales and elephants. Had a question on an exam about the reproductive cycle of an elephant (we were never directly taught that) we just had to deduct how their reproductive cycle worked based off a hormone levels graph. Actually treated in school during clinics: Probably a Clydesdale.

 

[SkiOtter]

This is likely going to vary so much depending on each person.

Smallest Animal:
Learned about: We learned about all the small birds, gerbils, hamsters, snakes, mice, etc. Actually treated in school during clinics: Probably a small gecko but wasn't in for long. Long-term treatment... snake.

Largest Animal:
Learned about: Whales and elephants. Had a question on an exam about the reproductive cycle of an elephant (we were never directly taught that) we just had to deduct how their reproductive cycle worked based off a hormone levels graph. Actually treated in school during clinics: Probably a Clydesdale dragon.

FTFY

 

[DVMDream]

FTFY

It was a Clydesdale Dragon....very rare

 

[battie]

Smallest: a <1 inch turtle in the wildlife clinic (didn't actually treat it, but it came in while I was in the clinic dealing with another page). His eyeball was popping out (very doctory term).

Largest: draft horse mix on an emergency equine call this summer. (Overweight so was going lame)

 

[PrincessButterCup]

In the <1-2 g range I've seen some tiny newts, very small birds and mice - ooh, and a bumble bee two weeks ago!

Holstein research steers are among my largest. (The messiest, too.) I've seen some huge horses but I don't remember weights. Nothing larger than a ton though, or our hoist would have broken.


I've been surprised at just how large beavers are and how small (adult) black bears can be. And how little even huge hawks weigh.

 

[battie]

how little even huge hawks weigh

I got used to how small out broadwing hawk was. Then we got in a bald eagle and was like, "How much does she weight?!?!?! She's massive!!!"

Responses: "Dude, she's only 4kgs. Calm the **** down."

 

[vetmedhead]

In the <1-2 g range I've seen some tiny newts, very small birds and mice - ooh, and a bumble bee two weeks ago!

Holstein research steers are among my largest. (The messiest, too.) I've seen some huge horses but I don't remember weights. Nothing larger than a ton though, or our hoist would have broken.


I've been surprised at just how large beavers are and how small (adult) black bears can be. And how little even huge hawks weigh.

I can second your comment about the wildlife.

Also... how does one submit a bumblebee for necropsy? I get the concept of them as patients, just wondering what exactly a pathologist can do with them since they're so fundamentally different from virtually every other veterinary patient lol

 

[Doctor-S]

@DVMDream @SkiOtter @batsenecal @PrincessButterCup @vetmedhead ...

Thank you for your responses ... lots of different patients, of every description imaginable - fascinating!

View attachment 238462

 

[Doctor-S]

Your larger patients ...

View attachment 238467

 

[Doctor-S]

Your smaller patients ...

 

[Frozenshades]

Smallest: Probably a salamander at the zoo; that was a tough blood draw. I mean, okay mice are pretty small too, but a salamander is kinda cooler...

Largest: Had a lecture about whale and dolphin medicine. Don't think I've treated anything bigger than a cow or horse.

I can second your comment about the wildlife.

Also... how does one submit a bumblebee for necropsy? I get the concept of them as patients, just wondering what exactly a pathologist can do with them since they're so fundamentally different from virtually every other veterinary patient lol

I know a bloke who used to work for the state health lab and someone sent in a box of live bees once...

 

[SkiOtter]

I know a bloke who used to work for the state health lab and someone sent in a box of live bees once...

 

[CalliopeDVM]

Of the animals I've worked with (not just learned about), I think a pet mouse was the smallest (about 20g), and the largest would be the horses of various breeds. Most unusual would probably be an ostrich.

 

[cdo96]

I know a bloke who used to work for the state health lab and someone sent in a box of live bees once...

 

[pinkpuppy9]

Just curious (following a delightful discussion about companion pets at the AMC):

* What was the smallest mammal, bird, amphibian, reptile, exotic, or fish that you have (thus far) encountered, treated or learned about working with in school?

* What was the largest mammal, bird, amphibian, reptile, exotic, or fish that you have (thus far) encountered, treated or learned about working with in school?

Thanks in advance for your comments!

Smallest: a house mouse pup
Biggest: Whale shark

Worked with both

 

[PrincessButterCup]

I can second your comment about the wildlife.

Also... how does one submit a bumblebee for necropsy? I get the concept of them as patients, just wondering what exactly a pathologist can do with them since they're so fundamentally different from virtually every other veterinary patient lol

Our resident had actually just attended a talk about reading histo for bees. He was going to take cross sections and fix them for that, but the bee ended up being sent whole to tox. It was sad because he was stoked about it.

 

[that redhead]

Just curious (following a delightful discussion about companion pets at the AMC):

* What was the smallest mammal, bird, amphibian, reptile, exotic, or fish that you have (thus far) encountered, treated or learned about working with in school?

* What was the largest mammal, bird, amphibian, reptile, exotic, or fish that you have (thus far) encountered, treated or learned about working with in school?

Thanks in advance for your comments!

Smallest: I “examined” and treated an African Dwarf Frog that was about the size of a small grape.

Largest: a 19hh+ Belgian/Jutland looking mare in large animal medicine.

 

[PippyPony]

So far after year 1...

Smallest: baby weasel

Largest: an american brown Swiss cross ox who was easily as big as a draft horse (descended from world record holders!)

 

[JaynaAli]

I did two CBCs on elephants today, does that count?

 

[Doctor-S]

@Frozenshades @CalliopeDVM @pinkpuppy9 @that redhead @PippyPony @JaynaAli ...

Thanks for sharing some amazing comments about amazing patients!

Some of your smaller patients ...

 

[Doctor-S]

Some of your larger patients ...

@JaynaAli ... yes, doing a CBC on an elephant counts! That is seriously awesome!

 

[Doctor-S]

Some of your patients from the ocean ...

 

[Trilt]

I routinely see 3-5g bearded dragons... probably the lightest thing I treat. (Calculating drugs for them is a bitch!)

Heaviest is probably the big horses I treated in school. "Cool" heavy is the albatross I helped rehab... juvenile and already had a 7+ foot wing span!

 

[JaynaAli]

Oh, I got to look at histopathology of a coral once. That was cool. I knew nothing about it, but I got to look with the anatomic resident.

 

[ziggyandjazzy]

Smallest was nuthatches that weren't more than a couple days old. I haven't done anything with large impressive animals lol. Edit: I did see a camel getting treatment while touring at WSU.

 

[LadyOtheFarm]

Currently: (smallest) (biggest) (coolest)

Work is mouse embryos and morbidly obese mice and bizarre models like the low set ears and Down Syndrome models.

Home, rabbit pinkies and dairy goats and nubian kids.

As a vet tech, either a budgie or a pair of salamanders and biggest was a percheron pair and coolest... maybe the giant scarlet macaw that boarded with us while we adjusted seizure meds a few times a year.

At the zoo, tiny frogs food (tiny crickets) and red deer, horses too I guess. Though I helped prepare stuff for elephant birth control project one day. Coolest, red pandas and the old lady wolverine.

 

[Frozenshades]

View attachment 238482​

Yes.

Apparently receiving was on their game and wisely did not open the buzzing box without preparing for it.

 

[that redhead]

(Calculating drugs for them is a bitch!)

Omg how tho.

 

[Trilt]

Omg how tho.

1:10 dilution, give one drop, use meds with decent safety margins.

 

[genny]

In school:
Smallest were newborn mouse pups. Largest was a preggo giraffe.

In practice:
Smallest was a rat spay/tumor removal. Largest so far was a 160lb dog that should have been a 120lb dog.

 

[JustPaws]

Smallest: as a tech I worked with sugar gliders and a goldfish

Largest: 150# great Dane. No LA for me yet!

 

[vetmedhead]

Off the top of my head I would guess smallest was probably a tarantula and largest was probably the tigers at a circus traveling through town.

 

[SnowshoeDog143]

I thought this thread was going to be asking about what size you had to be to be a vet med student? Like can you get in to vet school if you are small? or if you are large?

 

[battie]

I thought this thread was going to be asking about what size you had to be to be a vet med student? Like can you get in to vet school if you are small? or if you are large?

Smallest: there are definitely 2 girls under 5 foot in 2020

Largest: dude in 2020 that has to be 6'5" and 230-250 pounds.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

I know a bloke who used to work for the state health lab and someone sent in a box of live bees once...

 

[wildlifer]

As a tech the smallest was probably either one of the mice from the medical lab I worked at trying to apply eye ointment and it was in one of the more sterile rooms in the lab, so it was difficult to say the least with all of the ppe required for that particular room.

Also had couple sugar gliders come to my clinic couple years ago, my goodness they are fast little buggers.

Biggest...I work in a small animal practice as a tech and the biggest one there was probably the mastiff we used to do acupuncture on, it was easily a solid 170lbs. Luckily he was a good boy once he figured out the routine of acupuncture.

When I was working with birds, probably the loons. I worked with Common Loons and where I am in Maine, they do not have to migrate far during the winter, so they tend be pretty beefy birds and boy are they strong!!

 

[Squeaksmom]

From small animal practice this summer... the smallest was the baby mouse, and the largest was a 65 kg (about 143 lbs) dog. It weighed more than me... glad it was good on a leash!

I've dealt with horses and cattle through school as well, including a Belgian Blue, but they weren't really patients so I'm not counting them.

 

[dogtorschmogtor]

During my internship we did exams on tiny little frogs and I got to come along for an exam on an elephant with something wrong with its tail

 

[katashark]

Smallest: zebrafish, but I've dealt with other small fishes as well (neon tetras, larval sculpin, etc) and invertebrates
Largest mammal: walrus