Grandparent University at the Veterinary Center

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Oklahoma State University’s Center for Veterinary Health Sciences recently welcomed 13 children and their grandparents to Grandparent University 2016 (GPU).

Attendees spent the first day in the equine and small animal medicine sections of OSU’s Veterinary Medical Hospital. They listened to a horse’s heartbeat, lungs and gut sounds. They learned how veterinarians use a scope to look at a horse’s throat, airway and even down to its stomach. Children tried their palpation skills and tested their sense of smell. Attendees assisted in retrieving candy bars from a demonstration dog’s stomach using an endoscope.

Day two found GPU attendees rotating through three areas. They spent time in the Dr. Duane R. Peterson Anatomy Learning Center learning about carnivores, herbivores, omnivores and more. In the parasitology lab they looked at a variety of microscopic parasites and enjoyed tick races. And one of the most popular events involved a mock surgery as children gowned up and ‘operated’ on stuffed animals in Teddy Bear Surgery.

Special thanks to the following who helped make GPU a memorable event for all: Dr. Jill Akkerman, Anatomy; Miranda Anthony, class of 2018; Dr. Anne Barrett, Veterinary Parasitology; Mary Beth Davis, class of 2019; John Evans, class of 2018; Dr. Elisabeth Giedt, Continuing Education, Cooperative Extension and Community Engagement; Samantha Hancock, class of 2019; Dr. Andrew Hanzlicek, Small Animal Internal Medicine; Jenny Hardy, class of 2018; Meredith Molhusen, class of 2019; and Emily Snow, Continuing Education.