Clinical Skills Lab Welcomes Life Size Palpation Cow.

Nov. 14

Pictured (left-right) Floyd Williams, of the DVM Class of 2022; Clinical Skills Laboratory Manager Danielle Buchanan; and Oscar Ramirez, Timothy Stohlman, and Mariana Barragan, all of the DVM Class of 2023, pose with the new cow model, which came c

The new life-size palpation cow will be kept with the horse model in the Clinical Skills Lab.

DVM students Floyd Williams and Timothy Stohlman practice uterine palpation and calf delivery with the cow model while Clinical Skills Laboratory Manager Danielle Buchanan provides encouragement and instruction.

Purdue Veterinary Medicine’s Clinical Skills Laboratory recently acquired a life-size palpation cow that will provide veterinary medicine and veterinary nursing students more life-like learning opportunities. The Hereford Model Dystocia Simulator, like many other animal models in the lab, was purchased through an instructional equipment grant.

With the model, DVM and veterinary nursing students will be able to learn about uterine palpation, and how to assist during a bovine dystocia. The model allows students to practice placing obstetric chains and manipulating abnormal calf presentations in the birth canal. This opportunity to practice will help students better understand techniques that can be used to successfully deliver a calf during a difficult birth. Additionally, the model has a functional udder, which gives students the opportunity to learn how to milk a cow or perform a mastitis test.

Clinical Skills Laboratory Manager Danielle Buchanan, RVT, VTS (SAIM) said providing students with access to a more realistic learning option is very important. “Prior to the development of clinical skills labs in veterinary schools, students had to get creative if they wanted opportunities to practice skills. Now, we have models for them to practice on providing them more opportunities to gain confidence and mastery of skills before treating a live animal for the first time,” Danielle explained.

Writer(s): Maya Sanaba, PVM Communications Intern

Bailey Nicole Eidahl

Clinical Skills Lab Welcomes Life Size Palpation Cow.

Bovine birthing simulator used to educate veterinary students on display at Agribition.

Cow birthing simulator used to educate Oklahoma State Fair visitors.