![]() My passion for zoological medicine has been remarkably reinforced by my experience here, and I am lucky to have been blessed with the opportunity of a lifetime interning with the Gladys Porter Zoo! I have never been so impressed with a zoo’s staff, efficiency, enthusiasm, and teaching ability, and I will undoubtedly return for many visits in the future! The people and animals I have been surrounded by for the past six weeks are unlike those in any other place, and I cannot tell them enough how much I have enjoyed being a part of this zoo family. ![]() I am so very sad to be wrapping up my internship at the Gladys Porter Zoo. I think this case will prove to be very interesting, and I wish I could be around to help with it! Zoo veterinarians have to know about this in pelicans so they do not mistake the crepitus for a medical problem! When we examined the pelican we found no broken bones or any other visible injuries that would explain the drooping wing we observed. When air collects in the tissues beneath the skin of a pelican’s chest, it makes a faint popping sound when it is palpated.) When pelicans catch fish, they dive into the water with such force that they need the air in their chest to act as a cushion for their bodies to hit the water safely. (Crepitus is a medical term for the sound air makes when it is discharged from an organ. Pelicans are very very stinky (as are any other fish-eating birds, I’ve learned) and this particular pelican was covered in lice! (Which we treated with Sevin Dust, but made us all have the “heebie jeebies” for the rest of the day!) Another interesting finding with pelicans is that they all have a certain degree of crepitus beneath the skin on their chests. Timo has become a giant replica of his former self, and has even developed a feisty attitude! He now eats his meals with lightning speed, and then proceeds to head-butt you in the knees with his knobby little horns until you are forced out of his stall! It seems he has finally decided it is time for me to go back home and stop trying to play mommy with a wild animal! (It seems as if all the animals around the clinic wanted to bid me farewell because an inordinate number of them took the liberty of pooping on me today!)Īfter lunch, we took x-rays of a pelican that came in from South Padre Island. Today, I finished my normal cleaning and feeding duties with Ryan, Nicole, and Romeo, and when it was all done, I spent some time with my little Gaur. Today is my last day working in this amazing place with these spectacular people and the animals they love! (“sigh”) I wish it could go on for longer, but all good things do, in fact, come to an end.
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