Spay/Neuter Externship Opportunities
Goals for Spay/Neuter Externships
- Increase efficiency and skill in performing spay/neuter surgery
- Understand safe and effective anesthetic and analgesic protocols
- Implement techniques to improve efficiency in a high quality, high volume setting (i.e. smaller incisions, pedicle ties, Miller’s knots, flank spays, etc.)
- Learn safe and efficient techniques for pediatric sterilization
- Learn safe and effective techniques for feral cat sterilization, if available
- Enhance technical skills such as intravenous catheter placement, tracheal intubation, and surgical preparation
Approved Agencies
The agencies listed below have been reviewed and are qualifying externships at University of Florida, unless otherwise noted. If you are interested in pursuing an externship at an agency not listed here, visit the Host an Extern page to access the application for new agencies. Click on the agency name to learn more about their externship program.
|
Humane Society of Greater Miami First Coast No More Homeless Pets |
Humane Alliance of WNC, Inc.
View detailed externship information. Visit the agency website.
Humane Alliance offers senior veterinary students an exciting off-campus experience that introduces them to the concentration of high-volume high-quality spay/neuter, the choice that saves lives. Course work includes intensive hands-on medical and surgical experience. This encompasses every aspect of a patient’s experience with us including disease control, patient assessment and selection, behavior, patient preparation, mechanics of sterile surgical technique, record keeping, anesthetic and pain management protocol, and patient monitoring and support. We provide service to healthy canines and/or felines that are good surgical candidates. Our 13,000-square foot facility has six surgery suites and can accommodate 250 patients at one time.
Humane Society of Greater Miami
View detailed externship information. Visit the agency website.
We have a limited intake cat and dog shelter here in North Miami Beach, Fl that houses about 60 to 105 dogs (variation due to size) and 45 to 70 cats. We also have a quarantine building on site that houses an additional 40 dogs and 8 cats. We have 2 full time veterinarians on staff and we have 2 per diem part time vets that help with our clinic surgeries. We have a clinic within our shelter and another clinic about 30 miles south. Our clinics provide low cost spay/ neuter and preventive care (heartworm tests, vaccination, etc.) The extern would be exposed to a variety of shelter medicine, customer care, clinic procedures, and the opportunity to participate in surgery.
First Coast No More Homeless Pets
View detailed externship information. Visit the agency website.
First Coast No More Homeless Pets was established in 2001 to end euthanasia of healthy cats and dogs in Jacksonville, FL. It is toward that mission that all of our activities are directed. Our purpose in establishing a veterinary student externship is primarily to expose students to the emerging field of high quality, high volume, spay/neuter and to turn their thoughts toward finding a solution to pet overpopulation. Students who are thus exposed are more likely to consider this potential career path and be sympathetic toward such efforts when they enter private practice in the future.
In April 2009, FCNMHP moved into a 16,000 sq ft newly renovated facility designed to handle 200 sterilization surgeries and 75 outpatient visits per day. As of summer 2011, we are 2/3 of the way toward that daily volume. We employ 5-6 full time veterinarians and 50 staff members. There are 6 surgery tables, 5 prep stations, 12 anesthesia machines, as well as IV pumps, pulse oximeters, lab equipment, exam rooms and dental equipment.
Students will have the opportunity to participate in pre-surgical exams, cat and dog sterilization surgeries as well as additional procedures such as enucleations, limb amputations, wound treatments, etc, as needed for the pets of area animal control agencies, rescue groups and low income pet owners. If desired, students may also help in the outpatient clinic which sees routine wellness cases as well as minor injuries and illnesses.
Responsibilities of the student include learning the details of our anesthesia, prep and surgery protocols, demonstrating the abilities to screen surgical patients, complete a spay or neuter procedure in a timely manner, induce and maintain anesthesia, monitor recovery and provide follow up care as needed.
Discount hotel accommodations are available at the Microtel Inn and Suites at Jacksonville Airport, which is 9 miles (15 minutes) from the FCNMHP clinic. Mention First Coast No More Homeless Pets to get the special contract rate of $40/night plus tax. www.microteljacksonvilleairport.com
Marion County Animal Services
View detailed externship information. Visit the agency website.
Our Externship Program is about 85% spay and neuters. Although we deal with a lot more than that on a daily basis, it is our technicians and coordinators that are actually dealing with the vaccinating, assessments, and outcomes of the animals. If something seems to be more serious then we will ask the doctor for an assessment and take the necessary steps from there. We have the occasional necropsy, or cruelty case that may arise and then our doctors are pulled from surgery to do full assessments on each animal in the case. On a daily basis, they will assess animals that may have come in after hours, over the counter, or from an officer that has been placed on a Vet Check list. Typically an hour or less in the morning and once before closing they will perform this. The rest of their time is spent spaying and neutering.
Our externship here mainly entails externs performing surgeries on our cats and dogs that are moving to adoption. Although they do assist our veterinarians on rounds throughout the shelter checking on those animals that have been put in for a “Vet Check” for various reasons. About 85% of their time is in surgery. Depending on how comfortable the student is with surgery and the environment , they are often performing spays / neuters on their first day. Although the schedule is from Tuesday thru Friday for two weeks, we are now offering the student one Monday to do a ride along with our mobile unit, the “Neuter Commuter”. Just to see what its like to be out on the road away from the facility to do spays and neuters for the public on a self contained, fully operational bus.
We are a fairly large facility with 250+ animals usually on site at any given time. We have a kennel wing (adoption wing) consisting of 62 kennels, that is strictly for dogs ready for adoption. All of which are spayed or neutered prior to going into the adoption wing. We have a “friendly stray wing” that consists of 68 kennels. This is where we house friendly strays or owner surrenders that are hopefuls to go to adoption or rescue if not claimed. Then we have our “caution wing”, This wing consists of 66 kennels and is where our aggressive, quarantined, or diseased animals are held. Our cat areas are set up in the same fashion. We have one room with 38 cages that are strictly for cats waiting to be adopted. A friendly stray room with 30 cages for friendly strays or owner surrenders, that if not claimed will go for adoption. Then finally, our feral cat room, which has 42 cages with 12 of them designated for quarantine. On cases that come in for cruelty, we can get anything from livestock, reptiles, exotic birds and animals, pocket pets, to guppies. And of course, cats and dogs.
Typically, our vet on staff here at the shelter does anywhere from 18-30 surgeries a day. As far as for an extern, that varies on the extern themselves. Some are more anxious and want to get in and do more, more, and more. Where others are a bit more timid. It really depends, but the number of animals available for surgery are there for them to do if they are able. We do have emergencies that come in from the field. It may be a hit by car, embedded collar, broken leg, heat exhaustion or animals seized for cruelty. At which time all surgeries stop to focus on that animal in need.
We are also on call in the event a disaster strikes Marion County with our pet friendly shelter. We do it all!
Miami-Dade Animal Services
View detailed externship information. Visit the agency website.
An average of 97 animals are abandoned at Animal Services each day. The veterinary technicians are responsible for performing the initial physical exams and distinguishing between normal and abnormal. Externs would be an asset to the shelter and assist in this process while gaining valuable experience performing physical examinations. Two veterinarians are scheduled each day. One veterinarian works in the rabies clinic that is open to the public for rabies vaccines and micro-chipping. That veterinarian is also responsible for examining all sick/injured animals admitted to the shelter and developing their treatment plan. Equipment would include stethoscopes, a microscope, and a wood’s lamp. The second veterinarian is scheduled in spay/neuter surgery. Approximately 25-28 surgeries are performed daily. Equipment includes heart monitors and anesthesia machines.
The extern responsibilities would include performing physical exams, assisting with treatments such as bandage changes, medicating, etc., monitoring animals under anesthesia and during the recovery process, surgery, and assisting the veterinarian in the rabies/microchip clinic.
Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control
View detailed externship information. Visit the agency website.
Palm Beach County Shelter Medicine Externship Program is focused on mentoring Veterinary Students in all aspects of Herd Management. The externship will cover the following rotations:
- Surgery: mainly spay/neuter surgeries, however occasional surgeries, such as, leg/ tail amputations, enucleations, wound repairs, etc will be performed.
- Customer service: adoption processing, lost and found, relinquishment processing, customer education. Dispatch: student will learn how complaints and animal emergencies are handled over the the phone.
- Spay Shuttle: low-cost mobile spay/neuter clinic where the student will be able to learn from incoming processing, paperwork, animal pre-anesthesia injection, induction and anesthesia maintenance, surgical preparation, discharge of patients, and post surgery instructions.
- Cruelty cases processing: including necropsies.
- Shelter Rounds: assessing the well-being of all animals in the shelter. Veterinary Physical Examination and Behavior Assessment: assessment of animals to go to the adoption program.
- Incoming emergencies: assessment of Sick and Injured incoming animals, diagnosis, and formulation of treatments. Field trip: the student will work one day at the side of an ACO (Animal Control Officer), responding to public complaints related to animals.
Our goal is to mentor every Veterinary Student Extern that comes through our doors in a wide variety of Shelter Medicine skills, and to help them to truly comprehend the concept of herd management. Our vision is to see these students working with their local shelters, regardless of their chosen specialty, as volunteers, performing spay/neuter surgeries, doing pro-bono work, educating their patient owners about pet overpopulation, and embracing new adopters and their adopted animals to minimize their return to shelter, etc.
Pinellas County Animal Services
View detailed externship information. Visit the agency website.
Objectives:
- Demonstrate the role of the veterinarian in animal service operations
- Promote cooperation between veterinarians and animal services
- Understanding of pet overpopulation and problems faced by animal services
- Teach sound surgical techniques, especially for spay/neuter
- Pinellas County Animal Services is an open-admission municipal county shelter handling over 20,000 dogs and cats per year. Students will perform, observe, or assist in: lab work, health exams, treatment of sick or injured animals, spay/neuter surgery, surgery prep, rabies vaccination and licensing, bite investigation, and animal control officer ride alongs.
Helpful Links
UF College of Veterinary Medicine Externship Page
Association of Shelter Veterinarians‘ Externship Listing
Shelter Medicine Externship Stipend Information