I get to do that this semester. One of many reasons they make you take the introductory course BEFORE they bother with the paperwork to declare your an Animal Science major.
I think it's cool NOW. Ten years ago when I was more of a city girl I would have been nauseated. They make potential ANS majors take this class first because a lot of them want to be small-animal vets and think "animal science" is kitties and puppies. Our first lab involved a 6-week-old pig sliced open with his guts splayed across the table. :P
They have that on one of the Animal Science units at NC State. I went to see it, but did not put my hand in it because I am afraid of large animals. I did, however, in another class put my hand into a cow's rear end, but that cow was restrained. And yes, there was a purpose to that exercise, it was to feel the baby cow fetus, because they ultrasound cows rectally. Nice, huh?
See, putting my hand in a cows vagina would bother me more because a) it's probably more uncomfortable for the cow b) you're right in striking distance of the hooves.
It wasn't the vagina, it was the rectum. The way the cow's organs are positioned, you can feel the fetus through the rectal wall. I'm sure it's uncomfortable for the cow. If you're right up against the cow, it can't kick you, but the cow beside it can kick you if you're not careful.
i guess i don't know was fistulated means... how can a living cow stand there with a huge hole it it's side while someone sticks their fist in there? if i was the cow i would cry.
Yes, it does look..uncomfortable doesn't it? However, I don't think it does any great harm to the cow. If fact, some pioneering studies on digestion were done on gutshot civil war veterans, who had "naturally' occuring fistula's due to their wounds. Doctors would tie bits of meat to a string and lower it into the stomach of the solder, and measure how long it took the meat to dissolve.
Most of the pain would occur after the fistula was installed, and the wound was healing. Once the fistula wound healed though, I don't think it would cause the cow much discomfort.
I hope they are mad as hell because I think that is almost the coolest thing I've ever seen done to a cow. Here at the UW-Madison they have a cow with a Plexiglas side. They cut out its ribcage on one side an replaced it with a big Plexiglas window. THAT is something to see!
I think Im going to wait on that until they make a Visable Cow. This world wont be right until they have a fully (bar the head) plexiglass cow running around, digesting things for our pleasure.
At the ag or vet school. Every once in a while they parade it around at the stock pavilion. I saw it a few years back. perhaps it has died since then or maybe they have made another. I bet if you went down to the Ag department or the vet school they could tell you if they still have one around.
It's nice to see another Madisonian around LJ. It's a cool town mostly and an OK school. I graduated back in '92 with a worthless degree in History. I had a lot of fun though.
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Re: That thing's HUGE!!
Date: 2004-02-06 10:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-02-06 09:39 pm (UTC)One of many reasons they make you take the introductory course BEFORE they bother with the paperwork to declare your an Animal Science major.
Re:
Date: 2004-02-06 09:54 pm (UTC)What bugs me about cows is their hooves, and their tendency to tromp on you.
Re:
Date: 2004-02-06 10:03 pm (UTC)They make potential ANS majors take this class first because a lot of them want to be small-animal vets and think "animal science" is kitties and puppies. Our first lab involved a 6-week-old pig sliced open with his guts splayed across the table. :P
Re:
Date: 2004-02-06 10:54 pm (UTC)Hmmm...hmmm...bacon!
no subject
Date: 2004-02-06 09:43 pm (UTC)Re:
Date: 2004-02-06 10:03 pm (UTC)Still pretty neat though.
Re:
Date: 2004-02-06 10:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-02-06 09:49 pm (UTC)Re:
Date: 2004-02-06 10:00 pm (UTC)Most of the pain would occur after the fistula was installed, and the wound was healing. Once the fistula wound healed though, I don't think it would cause the cow much discomfort.
no subject
Date: 2004-02-06 09:52 pm (UTC)Re:
Date: 2004-02-06 10:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-02-06 10:01 pm (UTC)Re:
Date: 2004-02-06 10:05 pm (UTC)Re:
Date: 2004-02-06 10:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-02-06 11:16 pm (UTC)I hope they are mad as hell because I think that is almost the coolest thing I've ever seen done to a cow. Here at the UW-Madison they have a cow with a Plexiglas side. They cut out its ribcage on one side an replaced it with a big Plexiglas window. THAT is something to see!
Moo! It's what's for dinner...
Re:
Date: 2004-02-06 11:27 pm (UTC)Where's a plexiglass cow?!
I must see this!
Re:
Date: 2004-02-07 01:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-02-06 11:40 pm (UTC)It's nice to see another Madisonian around LJ. It's a cool town mostly and an OK school. I graduated back in '92 with a worthless degree in History. I had a lot of fun though.
Varsity, Varsity...blah, blah, blah Wisconsin....
Heh.
Re:
Date: 2004-02-07 12:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-02-07 12:21 am (UTC)I must sue for emotional distress.
no subject
Date: 2004-02-07 04:04 am (UTC)It is me, Fitz.
Date: 2004-02-08 01:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-02-08 04:54 am (UTC)That is so. NOT. right.