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All of us at Coral Veterinary Clinic are excited and happy to introduce the new veterinarian on our team, Dr. Laura Braun. Dr. Laura just graduated from the University
of Missouri Veterinary School in May, 2010, and started work with us June 1. She has visited and worked with us for a week or more 3 times over the past 3 years while in vet school. We have all enjoyed her enthusiasm, professionalism, veterinary knowledge, and friendly personality, and we know you will also. The following is her biography in her own words. Please join us in welcoming Dr. Laura Braun (pronounced "Brown") to the
practice!
I grew up in the suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri. My first dog was a beautiful Cocker Spaniel that my parents used to show in obedience competitions. By the time I was born, she was deaf and blind and I would lead her around the house reading her my story books and dressing her up in costume jewelry. She was a very tolerant dog, to say the least. When we adopted a more rambunctious dog years later, my sister and I had to quickly become experts in camouflaging the damage he did throughout the house. Since I had grown up with dogs, I was understandably quite confused when we adopted our first cat. This creature did not want to go for walks on a leash, I couldn't teach her to sit on command, and when she wagged her tail it did not mean she was happy. All of my favorite memories from childhood involve my pets. I even insisted on taking my English Setter puppy on my first "date" in elementary school; we walked our dogs to the neighborhood ice cream shop. It was no surprise when I announced that I would be a veterinarian one day.
I attended the University of Missouri for college and veterinary school. During my second year of vet school I discovered Coral Veterinary Clinic while visiting my sister in Fort Myers. I would make the trip to Florida during each break from school in order to gain experience working at this clinic. I had so many unique opportunities during vet school- I performed surgery on fish and anesthetized tigers, but nothing compares to working with beloved family pets. When I was offered a job here after graduation it was a dream come true. I am privileged to work for such an exceptional clinic with clients that are truly devoted to their pet's needs.
I have a border collie mix named Cosmo that I adopted in 2004. He is very active and keeps me quite entertained at home. I know just how strong the bond can be between people and their pets and I feel honored that I am entrusted to care for your best friends!
by David B. Nichols. DVM.CVA
On Saturday, May 15, Jennifer and I landed in Managua, Nicaragua for the beginning of an unforgettable weeklong veterinary adventure. We were part of an 18 person, all volunteer team representing WorldVets, an international veterinary medical aid group that provides free veterinary care and surgery to impoverished communities around the globe. Domestic animals in these areas, which include much of the world, never receive the kind of veterinary care we in the U.S. have come to expect, if they receive any at all.
Waiting for us at the airport were our group leaders; Dr. Amanda and Dr. Robert, husband and wife vets from Billings, Montana. Also at the airport was Abby, a pre-vet student from Boston who was soon joined by Fallon, another pre-vet student from Auburn, Alabama. We got to know each other while we waited for our other 12-team members. They consisted of eight vet students from Washington State University, one from Texas A & M, Dr. Matt, a new graduate DVM from Kansas State, Dr. Doug, an experienced vet surgeon from Portland, Oregon, and Dr. Cindy, a house-call vet from Tucson.
We all piled into 2 buses for the 2-hour drive south down the Pacific coast to the beach town of San Juan Del Sur. We arrived at the gate of the resort where we would be staying, a place called Finca Las Nubes (Ranch of the Clouds). The gatekeeper was Jose, proud owner of a dog and 2 monkeys! We all got to know the monkeys quite well, as they would leap from one person's head to the next, knocking off hats and picking pockets. We then drove up a rugged, bumpy dirt road to the 8-bedroom ranch house that would be our home for the next week. The ranch was at the top of a hill with a spectacular view of the bay, the Pacific coast, and the hills of Costa Rica to the south. We went to sleep listening to the calls of various birds, frogs, and insects and woke to the crazy sounds of howler monkeys. After the lights went out, the forest was lit up by hundreds of fireflies.
World Vets tries to provide an outstanding tourist experience in addition to the volunteer work, and we were not disappointed. After buying supplies at the local grocery the next morning, we all went down to the harbor for a sailboat cruise down the coast. Snacks, beer, rum drinks, sunshine, and beautiful scenery allowed everyone to get to know each other, and the boat dropped anchor for us to swim at a remote private beach. We watched the sunset at a local beach restaurant and toasted our first day in Nicaragua.
The next morning most of us went on a zip-line ride through the forest, flying over valleys and gorges filled with fruit trees and monkeys. That afternoon, Jennifer and I joined Drs Amanda, Robert, and a few others to drive with our equipment to the small city of Rivas, where our 3-day clinic would be located. The clinic was to be held in the school lab of the Agricultural College in the town. The lab was clean and white and brand new, with 10 tile-topped lab tables, 5 on each side of the room. Picture a high-school chem. lab, without all the beakers. There were three other small rooms adjacent to the lab, and they were to be the reception area, the exam room, and the recovery room. Two of the lab tables were used for surgery prep, 4 tables were used for surgeries, since we would have four experienced surgeons working at a time, and the other tables were for equipment (gloves, drapes, instruments, suture materials, drugs, etc). The main drawback was the lack of air conditioning. We had to open the windows, but that did not help much, and the bugs could come and go. In the 90-degree heat, it felt like a steam room.
That night, Monday night, Drs Amanda and Robert went over the game plan for the next three clinic days. One vet would work with a student seeing outpatients in the exam room. Four vets would be performing surgeries, instructing rotating shifts of students doing their first surgeries ever. Other students would work in surgery prep, putting in IV catheters, starting anesthesia, and shaving and prepping surgery sites. Other students watched the patients in the post-op recovery room. Jennifer served as coordinator, instrument cleaner, anesthesia nurse, generalized gofer, and brow-wiper. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we worked non-stop from 8:00 A.M. to about 5:00 P.M., with about a 10-minute lunch break and frequent water breaks. We saw 206 patients and performed 50 surgeries, mostly spays and mostly dogs, with an occasional neuter, tumor removal, hernia repair, and enucleations thrown in. All animals had to be out of the building by 4:00 PM, so many were carried out unconscious by their owners. I will never forget the sight of the man with his unconscious dog in his backpack, an e-collar made from coke bottles on his head to protect him from scratching at the eye surgery, as he headed out on a bicycle. The surgeries were often far from routine. Many of the dog and cat spays had had multiple litters, or had infections or cancer of the uterus, or were in early pregnancy. Blood parasites causing excessive bleeding was common. It was definitely a MASH type of atmosphere, but with excellent teamwork and a common sense of purpose, we all got the job done.
Thursday night we relaxed with Amanda and Robert and some red wine and reviewed the week's experiences. Story telling led to dancing and swimming under the stars, an excellent culmination to the stress of the workweek. Friday was another tourist day, and we enjoyed surfboarding lessons in the Pacific in the morning followed by a horseback ride around the hills and ridges of the ranch in the afternoon.
Thankfully, I was still able to walk when we awoke Saturday morning, and we took the bus back to Managua to catch our flight home to Florida. Jennifer and I both felt it was one of the most amazing, emotional and rewarding weeks of our lives, and we look forward to someday doing it again. We in the U.S. are so lucky to have the resources we have, that allow our pets to live in ways incomprehensible to people who live in places like Nicaragua. Most of the animals in third world countries do not get pet food, let alone shelter and regular veterinary care. World Vets now sends out over 40 trips a year, and it is making a difference in many communities. To get more information and find out how you can help, visit their website at www.worldvets.org. It feels good to help people and animals in need.
The following is a statement from CROW (Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife, Inc.) on Sanibel Island, in response to numerous offerings of help from the public. This statement reflects the situation as of mid-June.
When the Deepwater Horizon exploded on April 20th, little was known about the immediate effects it would have on wildlife. One week later, the first oiled bird was found off the coast of Louisiana. For the next two weeks, there was still minimal impact on the region’s wildlife. But as we are approaching mid-June, that is all changing.
Federal officials are now reporting that 604 birds have been collected, just 82 alive. They also say that 253 sea turtles have been found, with only 25 alive. So far, 29 dolphins have been found, all dead. The oil is beginning to reach the shore, the marshes, and two major breeding grounds in Louisiana. Experts are now predicting that thousands to tens of thousands of our wildlife neighbors could be directly harmed by this environmental catastrophe.
From the time the oil spill began, all wildlife rescue and rehabilitation efforts have been coordinated through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research. At CROW, as a member of the local joint response team, we have volunteered our services and our facilities to them as part of that coordinated effort and we are on alert to assist as needed.
At CROW, we have also been heartened and overwhelmed by the generosity of those who have called to volunteer their services to help with the rescue and rehabilitation of oiled wildlife. The USFWS and Tri-State are compiling lists of potential paraprofessional responders in our area in the event local efforts are needed.
In order to be considered to participate in these efforts, individuals must possess(or work directly under someone possessing) an active permit, license or authorization related to the migratory bird, sea turtle or other species being handled. You must also possess a working knowledge and have at least 3 months experience with the protocol, procedures and hazards associated with the species. Preference will then be given to those with hazardous materials training, OSHA training, rabies shots and extensive rescue experience. In Southwest Florida, there are over 80 federal, state and local agencies and organizations with qualified responders on their staff. It is up to USFWS and Tri-State to assess and deploy the human resources if local rescue, rehabilitation or cleanup efforts are needed.
In other words, it is highly unlikely that any “volunteers” will be called upon to directly participate in local efforts. It is an inherently dangerous activity, the oil is considered to be a highly toxic material and for your own safety (and for the safety of our wildlife) you should avoid going to any oil-affected areas and handling wildlife in distress.
But there is still a lot you can do to help. The State of Florida has created its own program for volunteers (www.volunteerflorida.org) to fill a variety of needs (you must be at least 18 to register). Governor Crist has also activated a toll-free hotline (1-888-337-3569) to answer questions about volunteer opportunities and the state’s response activities.
Over the past weeks, so many caring and compassionate people have also come to CROW to help us. Our potential call to duty to help oiled wildlife significantly threatens our existing daily operations and having these new volunteers to help us with basic patient care, food preparation, feedings, tortoise grazing, cage cleaning, laundry and even helping to answer our telephone hotline has made a tremendous difference for CROW. We are open 7 days a week, 365 days a year, treat over 200 species and nearly 4,500 patients a year and are always close to full capacity. We are still looking for additional volunteers who are seeking a memorable and meaningful experience.
You can also help us by becoming a member of CROW or by making a donation that will help us continue to save wildlife through compassion, care and education. If you would like to become a CROW volunteer, a member or make a donation, please call CROW at 472-3644 Ext. 6 or go to our website www.crowclinic.org.
For over 40 years, thanks to people like you, CROW has worked tirelessly to give wildlife a voice and to give people hope for their future. Together, let’s hope and pray for the future of those who are now seeing their world through oil-soaked eyes and let’s give them a voice in the midst of this tragedy.
Thank you for you continued support!
Thank you!!
Thank you to everyone who came by and enjoyed the day with us! What a successful and entertaining event! It was a hot, first weekend in May, but thankfully the rain stayed away.
We raised just over $500.00 for the Save the Pets Alliance, the most cash any one event has ever raised! The raffle items and the Dunk Tank were a huge success. Out of our 6 Veterinarians, Dr. Nichols raised the most money in the dunk tank. People really wanted to see him dunked!!
Check out our Facebook page for lots of pictures!
Has your feathered friend see the Vet?
Birds hide illness quite well. Often, owners don’t even realize that a bird is sick until it’s almost too late. By the time a bird shows symptoms, it may have been sick for a long time. Owners should be aware of any subtle change in the bird’s behavior. Slight decreases in appetite or activity may signal an illness requiring medical care. It is always best to catch problems early, and as with most pets, birds benefit from an annual physical examination by your veterinarian. Call for an appointment with Dr. Nichols or Dr. Andazola today!
OFFICE LOCATIONS
FORT MYERS:
9540 Cypress Lake Drive . Fort Myers, FL 33919 | Telephone: 239.481.4746
SANIBEL: 1530 Periwinkle Way . Sanibel, FL 33957 | Telelphone: 239.472.VETS (8387)
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