Today can be summed up in one word: crazy. I arrived at the clinic at 845 and at first it seemed slow but it picked up soon after. The first patient was a calf. It was being treated for an open wound on its snout which the owner believed to be a dog bite. Dr. Abi said it was probably just a scratch and the owner should not be concerned. After that we moved onto a pug about one year old which had reduced appetite but no vomiting or diarrhea. It was diagnosed with canine distemper. Dr. Abi said due to the lack of technology at the clinic there was no way to be 100% sure of any diagnosis. After vaccination, two goats were examined. One had a slight fever of 41 C (the normal for a goat is apparently 39). It was given an antibiotic and anti-inflammatory to reduce the fever. Often owners will try to check if the goat has a fever by feeling its ears which is the equivalent of your mom feeling your forehead when you are sick; it is not always accurate but can give a good indication that something is different. I also saw a lab today that had eaten a small statue of a Hindu God and vomited it back up (I couldn't tell if that would be good or bad luck on the family's part) it was given some medicine to relieve the stomach of gas and cramping and sent on his way. Today I got to see an X-ray done for a young German Shepard named Ronnie. He had a fracture in his developing shoulder bone (I even helped with the cast). I also saw an ultrasound today. Something about seeing healthy puppies in a dogs uterus just makes me smile. They pointed out how strong the heart should be beating and where on the parts of the mothers body were the puppies. After I stuck my hand in a cows anus, yes you read that right. Most of the cows received in the clinic are there for artificial insemination. This is done by reaching into the cow and clutching the cervix and eventually working your way up to the uterus while inserting sperm. I got to try it and yes it was gross. It was warm and the cow kept rejecting me (trying to 'squeeze' me out). I kept wishing that I could see what was going on on the other end of my arm. Dr. Abi said it took her ten cows to get it right so I figure I will try again tomorrow and good news is I have one less cow to do until I can get it perfectly. Near the end of the morning, I saw one of the saddest cases I've seen since starting at the clinic. A calf came in that did not have an anal opening so it could not pass it's own food. Part of its bladder was also sticking out of its body which was quite problematic. They gave it some anesthesia to numb the calf from the waist down and begun working to find the colon and create an anal opening. What they ended up finding was a uterus and a penis like structure suggesting that the calf was hermaphroditic. Due to an obstruction the anal opening was not able to be constructed. I asked what would end up happening to the calf and Dr. Abi told me it would probably die of infection due to the inability to pass it's food. After that news I was in a somber mood for the rest of the morning. After lunch I got a knock on my door telling me that some ladies from the social work department were here to see me. Confused, I went downstairs and found out that they were taking me shopping for a zari to wear at the wedding on Saturday. I was thrilled, I was getting nervous of if I would be able to find something to wear on time! Pragathi was the one in charge (shoutout to my homegirl prag! Your name is actually common over here). She warned me not to cross the street or do anything without her because I was her responsibility. We then hopped on a bus which took us to a market. The market was crazy busy containing multiple stands and people everywhere I turned. Pragathi took me to a large store in the middle of the market to find my zari. I am so thankful that the store was air conditioned because I have never been so hot in my life than in the bustle of the market. After looking we finally found something appropriate. It is absolutely beautiful folks (pictures coming soon). I ended up leaving the store with two zaris (one for the wedding and one for a conference on Sunday) and two casual outfits. We then hit some of the stands looking for earrings which are so detailed and beautiful here and I bought six pairs for get this, four dollars. After catching the equivalent of a taxi we took my zaris to a tailor and I get to pick them up Friday!! I should mention that Pragathi and the other student I went with are both Hindu. They said that even though they attend a christian school it has no affect on their religion. We even stopped by a temple on the way back to the hostel and they told me about the different Gods they worshiped. The diversity of the city is also something that is continually amazing. Today is going to be hard to top!
Hermaphroditic calf we treated at the end of the morning.
First case of the day! Just a small scratch on the snout.
Getting off the bus this was a bit overwhelming.
This is actually a Muslim temple in Trichy.
This is Ronnie, he had a small fracture near his shoulder.
This is the small temple the girls took me to today.
First thing you can see walking into the temple.
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