Purdue University

Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program

Veterinary Student ExternshipsFourth year veterinary students from Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine will be given the option to pursue a 5-6 week clinical rotation in shelter medicine at PAWS Chicago Lurie Family Spay/Neuter Clinic or the Humane Society of Indianapolis. The externship program will also be replicated for Purdue University veterinary technology students, who will enjoy all the same benefits of working in a hands-on shelter environment. During their clinical rotation, students will participate in the full spectrum of shelter medicine services, from intake to adoption. Students will work alongside experienced shelter veterinarians while gaining experience in population medicine, infectious disease care and control, preventative medicine, spay/neuter anesthesia and surgery, animal welfare, behavior and environmental enrichment, and client interaction and education.  

The Shelter Animal Medicine Lecture Course:This elective course will be offered annually to second year and third year veterinary students.  The course will cover topics that will enable students to understand the breadth and complexity of the shelter environment.  Topics include:

• Shelter types and terminology
• Animal sheltering in the  21st century community
• Feline viral upper respiratory tract infection as a case study in the management of respiratory pathogens
• Canine parvovirus infection as a case study in the management of gastrointestinal pathogens
• Vaccination in the shelter setting
• Infectious disease outbreaks – investigation, management and risk assessment
• Foster care of shelter animals
• Triage and critical care on a budget
• Disaster management and planning – animal aspects
• Reasons for pet relinquishment (with an emphasis on animal behavioral reasons)
• Animal behavior assessment of shelter animals (temperament testing)
• Recognizing animal cruelty; legal aspects of animal cruelty; the veterinarian’s role
• Human-Animal Bond; animal hoarding
• Euthanasia and the no-kill movement
  

Maddie’s® Summer Research ExperienceVeterinary students who desire a more research-oriented shelter experience early in their education have the opportunity to participate in the Maddie’s summer research experience. In this 12-week summer research program, students work with a Purdue SVM faculty member to collect data for their project  and attend weekly seminars during which faculty talk about such topics as how to write a scientific paper, research ethics, research careers in veterinary medicine, and preventive medicine.