Veterinary Technology Photo Gallery

Welcome to our Photo Gallery! The pictures are good examples about the life and times of the students, faculty, staff and animals that work, study and live in Robinson Hall. We hope you enjoy our pictures!

Friendship Visit

BABY SQUIRREL

SPLISH SPLASH!

CARVING PUMPKINS

TOAST'S STORY

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Life in Robinson Hall

Clydesdales

Sam's Foxtail

Sam Gets a Dental

This is the story of Toast. A kitten that was in the wrong place at the wrong time!

One day Farmer John* decided that he had to dispose of some very old haystacks. The year had been very dry and he was fearfull that a fire would start and if it reached those old stacks it would get out of control.

So he and his hired hand Janny* started the first stack on fire. Things were going well with each stack starting on fire in good order. Suddenly a kitten came tearing out from under one of the burning stacks and it was on fire!

Janny quickly scooped the kitten into her arms and smothered the flames.

The kitten was badly burned around the head. Janny was very scared that the kitten would die if she didn't do something right away.

Janny took the kitten home with her and did her very best to clean and medicate his wounds. But she felt like there was more that could be done. The kitten was in a great deal of pain and she could do nothing for him.

Then she remembered that her alma mater, NDSU, had a Veterinary Technology Program. She hoped they would take the kitten, she knew it wouldn't hurt to ask!

Janny brought the kitten to Robinson Hall and Amy Ellwein, one of the technicians, immediately took charge.

She had Dr. Colville examine the kitten and decide what needed to be done. She then rounded up several students to carry out Dr. Colvilles orders.

The kitten was dubbed "Toast" and with a lot of tender loving care it has healed from its terrible wounds. Dr. Colville thinks that he will make a complete recovery with just a few scars. Toast will go to a loving home once he is completely recovered.

* The names have been changed to protect their privacy.

Who doesn't love a Jack-o-Lantern? It turns out our students do a great job carving pumpkins. If you look closely you may be able to find Bo our "helper" dog!

On occasion the wind blows in North Dakota and on occasion the wind is so strong that baby squirrels are knocked out of their nests. Amy, one of our staff veterinary technicians, has become known as the baby squirrel surrogate mother. She has successfully raised and released a number of baby squirrels back into the wild. This is not a task for the weak willed. Feedings every two hours, around the clock until the baby can eat on its own is a daunting task.

Does Amy recommend bringing her every baby squirrel? NO! If the babies have a full coat of hair and are mobile leave them alone. The mother will feed them and protect them. If the babies look like the first picture, and you can't reach the nest to put them back, then some intervention is needed. Kitten milk replacer is the food of choice. The baby needs to be in a quiet location and kept very warm. Amy recommends a hamster or gerbil "transportation" cage, lined with soft towels. The entire cage can sit on a heating pad set at the lowest setting. The baby is fed every two hours with warmed milk replacer. As the picture shows a small 3 cc syringe works well. After feeding the stomach and anal areas need to be rubbed with a warm soft cloth to stimulate urination and defecation. If this isn't done the baby won't eliminate and will get sick and die. It is important not to handle the baby anymore than necessary. This avoids it becoming attached to humans. As you can see in pictures two and three the baby is standing on its own and eating. This will facilitate its release back to nature. As the baby matures you can start to add solid food to its diet. Pieces of fruit and nuts work well. Once the baby is eating the solid food exclusively it is time to release the youngster. Select a spot without a lot of other squirrels. They can be territorial and will drive the newcomer off. Select an area that has a variety of trees for a food source.