The Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan partnered with 4H Manitoba at this year’s Royal Manitoba Winter Fair, to demonstrate how veterinarians assist in calving procedures.
Matthew Pauls is a third-year science student at Brandon University. He assisted in the week-long exhibit and series of demonstrations of how vets assist in calving using a simulated training aid of a mother cow and her calf waiting to be born.
Becoming a vet is something 20-year-old from Pilot Mound had been wanting to pursue throughout his schooling years. Pauls is no stranger to the Ag industry growing up on a mixed grain farm, with about 40 head of mostly Red Angus cattle.
Last November he applied to the college in Saskatoon and will find out later this spring if he is accepted for the 4-year program to become a fully certified Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.
"When I was told that I was coming to show calving demonstration I wasn't sure what was in mind, but it's a really great way of showing everybody how the process works and how hard it can be too," shares Pauls. "This is a very good training aid, and you can really visualize the process."
Brandon veterinarian, Doctor Grayson Ross, is a 2020 graduate of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon and owner/operator of Innovative Vet Services in the Westman Region. "This [simulated cow and calf pair] is owned by 4H but we have the same model up at the vet college which we use to help teach vet students how to manage different calving scenarios; to identify and correct malpresentations (when the calf is not facing head-first down the birth canal as birth approaches, as in a breech presentation). It's about as life-like as you can get," he adds.
Dr. Ross and BU student, Matthew Pauls, encourage both kids and adults to garb up to try their hands at finding the rubber calf inside the simulated cow and then add some muscle to pulling the calf, assuming the mother cow is in distress!
"The kids have to get their palpation sleeves on, and they get right in there to feel what's going on inside," explains Dr. Ross. "We try to teach them beforehand what 'normal' is and which way the calf should be coming out is. Matt, our pre-vet student is responsible for getting the tools on the calf (the calving chains) and getting them positioned properly, and then the kids give it a heave to get the calf out."
The experience is very realistic, and the props are life-like!
"It's a great thing that we get to share with the public because a lot of people don't get to see what we do very often," shares Ross. "There were certainly a lot of wide eyes that were watching the demonstration here, but I think everybody enjoyed it! We always look forward to showcasing what we do and why we do it, to the public."
Dr. Ross says veterinarians are in great demand across the country, especially for larger animals. However, he adds the need has now extended to smaller animals, like cats and dogs, and encourages Manitobans to consider veterinary college as a career choice. The Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon is the closest college for Manitobans seeking education in this field of animal medicine.