LSU gives aspiring Dr. Dolittles much to do this summer

Only 28 communities in the United States are lucky enough to have veterinary schools. Baton Rouge is even more fortunate that every summer, the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine hosts a series of weekly, kid-centered seminars. The goal is to encourage school-aged children to gain a greater understanding of other species, get involved in their pets’ care and consider a career in veterinary medicine.

All presentations are free and open to children age 6 and older and their parents, but pre-registration is requested.

Topics include everything from sea turtle rescue, pet therapy and horse anatomy to prosthetic limbs for animals, a tour of the mobile shelter and even a journey into the world of microscopic organisms.

In addition to imparting interesting information, the series introduces kids and their parents to professionals such as Javier Nevarez, DVM, director of the Wildlife Hospital of Louisiana. As LSU’s exotic animal specialist, Nevarez treats unusual pets from boa constrictors and hawks to potbellied pigs and sugar gliders.

“It’s a great opportunity to showcase the vet school, get kids involved in science and let the community know the vet school is here for them and their pets,” Nevarez says. “[The faculty] really enjoys interacting with the kids and their parents. They have a lot of good questions, some of which we don’t yet have answers for yet.”

Although topics are subject to change depending on the professionals’ availability, the 2010 schedule includes these presentations:

June 5
10 a.m. Horse Anatomy/Treadmill by Drs. Dan Burba & Laura Riggs
11 a.m. Raptors (Birds of Prey) by Dr. Javier Nevarez

June 7
10 a.m. Boo’s Amazing Rescue: Rescuing Sea Turtles following the Gulf Oil Spill by Dr. Shanna Seals
11 a.m. Animal Prosthetics by Niki Hansen

June 14
10 a.m. Shelter Medicine & Mobile Unit by Dr. Alison Salmon
11 a.m. Underwater Treadmill by Jennifer Bridges

June 19
10 a.m. Microscopic Mysteries – Solved! By Dr. Angela Royal
11 a.m. We Heart Animals: Veterinary Cardiology by Dr. Caryn Reynolds

June 21
10 a.m. Veterinary Anatomy by Dr. Martha Littlefield
11 a.m. How Pets Help Us: Tiger HATS by Stephanie Johnson

June 26
10 a.m. What’s for Dinner? Feeding Exotic Pets by Dr. Tom Tully
11 a.m. The Eyes Have It: Veterinary Ophthalmology by Dr. Eric Storey
All Pets & Vets courses are held at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine on Skip Bertman Drive. For more information or to register, please click here or call 225-578-9900.