CARING FOR ANIMALS
4-H course exposes kids to veterinary careers
NORTHUMBERLAND, N.Y. » With stethoscopes and thermometers in hand, kids from throughout Saratoga County learned Wednesday how to examine the health of large animals during a trip to Kings Ransom Farm, which milks 900 cows.
The outing was the most recent class in a six-week 4-H Veterinary Science course for students ages 11 and up.
Previous activities have included visits to a small-animal practice and Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Saratoga Springs. During next week’s final session they’ll learn the fine art of suturing, in a lab led by Dr. Stacey Bunting, DVM, at Cornell Cooperative Extension offices in Ballston Spa.
“I’m interested in biology and science, so I like learning about different types of animals and how to care for them,” said 14-year-old Anna Nikiforov, of Charlton, who said she’s considering a veterinary career.
Colin Anderson lives at his family’s West Charlton farm, Anderson Acres, which has 80 head of beef cattle.
“I just want to know how to do simple things,” he said. “You can’t call a vet for every little thing.”
Dr. Pandora Davis, DVM, the wife of Kings Ransom Farm coowner, Jan King, taught kids how to take a cow’s temperature — the norm is 101-102.5 degrees — and check their heart rate. She also explained how to act, move and behave around animals, which is critical to avoiding injury.
Davis said most of her work is involved with evaluating and enhancing the reproductive capacity of cows at local dairies.
“It’s all about getting cows pregnant,” she said. “You can’t produce milk unless you have a baby.”
And milk is what dairy farms are in business for.
Cooperative Extension 4-H educator Carter Older said enrollment in this year’s course, about 24 students, is up considerably from previous years, an indication of strong interest in agriculture-related careers even among kids from non-farm backgrounds.
In classroom settings, participants have also learned proper injection methods, by practicing on an orange; plus obtaining vital signs and valuable information about veterinary school, xrays, disease, and parasites.
“They have met and spoken with veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and veterinary assistants,” Older said. “They are exploring all aspects of veterinary medicine because many
of them are not sure which particular path they want to follow yet. This program gives them a glimpse into all sides of the veterinary world and helps them make decisions for the future.”
Mike Drindak, of Middle Grove, accompanied his daughter, Adrianna, 13, to Wednesday’s farm visit. She attends Academy of Holy Names in Albany.
“She’s interested in STEM classes (science, technology, engineering and math) and veterinary science is closely related,” he said. “When you go to a vet, you drop animals off and they’re cared for behind closed doors. This gives kids a chance to see a side of things you don’t usually get to see.”
Jan King watched as Davis, his wife, interacted with students. His only lament is that such classes weren’t available when he was growing up.
“How else can kids get hands-on like this?” he said. “A class like this is awesome. What better way?”
Davis offered tips for kids seriously interested in pursuing veterinary careers. What do they need most? “Experience, experience, experience,” she said. “Get locally involved in agriculture — Future Farmers of America, 4-H, working at a farm, riding with a veterinarian. Grades are very important, of course, and be well-rounded. But show that you are committed and know what you are getting into.”
“If I shared anything,” Davis said, “I hope it was the value of doing something you love. Being a cow vet isn’t always the easiest thing, but I generally love what I do. I love working with these big creatures and want to be the best advocate for their well-being that I can be.”