my rss feed is finally sorted! now using AOL reader.

anyhoo, here is an outdated posts that i want to share :)

Burtoned (the cherry blossom girl)

ewe post-mortem

*please do not read on if you get woozy with descriptions of organs/anatomy/medical convo..

Did a very cool post-mortem today on a ewe with a 2 week history of inappetence, weight loss, down on several occasions and arthritis in its right fetlock joint (thank you G for letting me practice doing a necropsy on a sheep that was going to be euthanised anyway). She was already dead when we came, so I was spared having to exsanguinate a live animal (to drain the blood supply to the brain to render them unconscious), but I was taught and got to actually practice the technique, and he also gave me a tip to hyperextend the neck to reveal the spinal cord to be severed to ensure that the animal is really unconscious/dead after severing of the carotid. Also, make sure you have a really sharp knife so that this process can be done as quickly as possible and cause least stress to the animal. 

Anyway, the abdominal cavity was unremarkable besides some barber's pole (the spiral-y pattern on the worm) in the abomasum - she still had plenty of fat as she was well conditioned before she was sick. Looked for signs of Johne's disease as she was originally from a part of NSW that the bacteria likes (cut through the two leaves of greater omentum so that the abdominal organs weren't displaced and more easily identified), and could not find any. She was a young ewe anyway. Then we opened the thoracic cavity and immediately found that there was an adhesion from the R middle ventral lung lobe to the chest wall - still haemorrhagic and not fibrinous so probably not so old. The apex of the right caudodorsal lung lobe felt nodular, and contained purulent material in the airways when the lung parenchyma was sectioned. Another tip that I was taught was to ask the farmer to help cut the top of the ribs, and then use the rib cage as a board to inspect the organs. Then we inspected the heart, and everything externally was normal, but on opening of the heart, the tricuspid valve was extremely proliferative and cauliflower-like - she had endocarditis! 

Those cauliflower growths on the valves aren't normal. Contrasting red and green colours yo.

Not sure if the tricuspid valve is more commonly affected in sheep, like in cattle (unlike dogs/cats where the mitral valve is most commonly affected).The mitral valve was also infected, but less so. We also checked her mouth, as she was inappetent, and her tongue, pharynx and teeth (both incisors and cheek teeth) were normal. So she most likely died from the endocarditis, which could have spread causing the pleuropneumonia and septic arthritis (we were rushing for time so did not open up the fetlock joint).

*why am i posting such a long description of the necropsy? well at first i was just excited at all the findings, but then thought that i might as well write everything down so that i don't forget what I learnt, particularly the necropsy technique tips.

seasons of love

by the Glee Cast (originally from the musical Rent)

mika nakashima - hatsukoi

miscellaneous pics

Tunnel of Hope by DW and the Benevolent Society (Sydney VIVID festival 2013). Bees by Jon Voss (VIVID festival 2013). Rubber duck by Florentijn Hofman in Darling Harbour (Sydney Festival 2012).

specs yo

le specs Swizzle in matte copper

(*background info: i have pterygia in my eyes that i'm currently managing with topical eye drops)

i don't normally wear sun/glasses, and the only pair of sunnies (actual UV blocking ones) were the ones i got from Wicked the musical.

so at least now i have a less weird looking pair to wear while i'm outside.. even when i'm in the shade. (yes i'm gonna be one of those people.)

for more frequently posted unessential readings, visit my TWITTER! (@celaby6691)

and for unessential vids, go to Instagram (also @celaby6691)

good day ;)

laksa, fresh juice, books, the voice US, nap.

first proper weekend since a while ;) made corn fritters with bacon/avocado/sour cream/sweet chilli for breakfast, and watched life of pi and the amazing spider man.

man, my calves hurt. sometimes i wish ppl hv a weightless/float option.

what a difference good vets/teachers make. i've learnt more in a day with these two particular people compared to a week with others. actually doing instead of just observing, and being stumped having your knowledge tested is definitely a good way to motivate learning.

mast cell tumour

FNA of popliteal ln from a 14yo GSD with an ulcerated non-healing lesion proximal to the paw pad.
- mast cells (right) & eosinophils (left, lower)

is this a cell in anaphase? (or am i just being super enthusiastic..)

john legend - coming home

rainy day, lazy day. time to listen to some John Legend and work on my assignments!

insect bite hypersensitivity, please dampen down. only a week at a vet clinic and already getting itchy swellings from fleas jumping off the animals T__T...

heard on the radio yesterday, during the recent 40+ degrees heatwave, that arsonists who light bush fires should be made to euthanise (put to sleep/kill) severely burned animals so they realise the lives, non/human that they are putting at risk. this is the closest to an 'eye for an eye' punishment that i've heard being discussed for criminals. and i found myself nodding in approval when i heard it.

がんばれ！

added Eric Carle's very hungry caterpillar to this month's calendar picture (from Typo).

ahhh kevin mchale's smooth voice and the bass' melody ;) *sway, sway.*

super soft super cropped cardi (in jupiter) from Metalicus. it was on sale so i got it for $45 ;)