Ear issues are a common problem when dogs and cats go to a veterinarian.
And for the shelter animals presented at the College of Veterinary Medicine for pre-clinical courses, it is all-too-common for dogs or cats to have an ear issue.
Now, thanks to a generous donor, all Iowa State veterinary medical students have an easier method to observe those common ear ailments.
A new video otoscope has been purchased through a private donation and is in use in four different courses this semester.
“The video otoscope helps prepare our students to diagnose and treat ear problems in the shelter animals who come to Iowa State,” said Dr. Joyce Carnevale, clinical associate professor of veterinary clinical sciences.
First-year students use the video otoscope in the “Clinical Foundations” course to learn the anatomy of the ear canal and ear drum, while also learning how to manipulate the new piece of equipment while utilizing a hand-held otoscope to perform an ear exam.
Students in the second-year “Principles of Surgery Lab” course will use the video otoscope to examine feline surgery patients who frequently present with ear issues.
Third-year students in the “Surgery, Anesthesia and Community Outreach” course will utilize the video otoscope to examine ears of canine and feline patients under their care, while fourth-year students will do the same in the “Community Outreach Surgery” rotation.
November 2024
