As a Round Square school, we encourage students to embrace the six IDEALS, or core values. One of these values, ‘Service,’ motivates students to actively help others and engage in practical learning experiences. Daisy, a Year 7 student, exemplified this by volunteering for a day at a veterinary clinic, where she assisted in the theatre during a horse surgery. Through this hands-on experience, she gained valuable insights into the veterinary profession, discovering both the intricacies of animal care and the importance of teamwork and responsibility. Below, Daisy shares more about her experience…
I spent a day at my mum’s vet clinic, helping in theatre whilst a horse was having surgery on its leg after an injury in the field.
In surgery everyone in the room must wear a mask, a scrub top, a theatre cap and special shoes. These are all compulsory to stop the spread of germs. The surgeons’ arms and hands had to be all clean ready for surgery. They have to wear special gowns and gloves to stop infections.
The horse was put to sleep on the table so it would not be awake during the process. The surgeons operated with a camera to take a closer look at what was inside the leg. I helped monitor the horse’s eyeball to make sure it was still asleep. If the horse’s eyes are moving back and forth, it means the horse is starting to wake up and it might be feeling what the surgeons are doing to its leg.
I also helped check the horse when the surgery came to an end. The surgeons took all the equipment off the horse, getting it ready to be lifted by the hoist into the recovery room. I watched the horse in the recovery box. This is a completely padded room so the horse cannot hurt itself when trying to stand up. The horse stood up once it had fully recovered from the anaesthetic.
After the surgery it is important to clean the table where the horse has been ready for the next horse. I helped the nurses with this job.
I really enjoyed my day at the clinic as I learned so much about horse care and loved spending time with all the patients. When I am older I would like to be a vet!