Sarah Howard is a junior at UTK. She is a full time student and a member of the Color Guard for our Pride of the Southland Band! Sarah loves animals and is using her time at UT to study to become a veterinarian. Sarah spends her nights and weekends to assist the UT veterinary program as a research assistant. While the rest of us are relaxing in front of the TV or hanging out with friends, Sarah is giving her time to the horses being studied on campus. She assits with the medical studies, as well as makes sure the animals get some lovin’!
Describe the work you’re doing with the UT Veterinary Clinic?
I am a research assistant working in the equine department. We are studying laminitis, which is a disease that mostly causes damage to the horse’s hoof. There are many causes, but the one we are studying is an overload of certain carbohydrates, which causes an endotoxin to be produced during digestion. This endotoxin is released into the bloodstream, which causes poor circulation (most commonly in the feet), which in turn causes laminitis. I assist in taking blood samples and taking care of the horses that we are studying.
What are you hoping to accomplish with the research?
Although we know some causes, we are still unable to cure this disease. Currently we can only treat the symptoms if it is caught early, which is very difficult to do. Even though we know that the endotoxin is one of many causes of laminitis, some horses that are exposed to it do not develop the disease. With our research we are trying to figure out what is physiologically different between the horses that develop laminitis from those that do not.
How many days/hours a week do you work with them?
I typically work the late night shift two to three days each week (from about 6:00 pm to 1:00 am). I also spend most of my weekend labeling about 1,500 test tubes and preparing for the upcoming week’s research.
What’s your favorite part about working at the veterinary school?
I have known that I wanted to attend veterinary school since I knew what it meant to have a job. I could not imagine my life without animals. Working at the vet school gives me the opportunity to help animals in a very special way. Not only am I able to help comfort and care for the test subjects that we have currently, but I am also participating in a project that is making progress towards being able to better treat (and hopefully eventually cure) this terrible disease.
Do you feel like you’re making a difference with your work?
This study has only been underway for about a month, with an average of two horses going through our program each week. So far, we have not had enough test subjects to really make any significant generalizations, but we are hoping to have some new information very soon!
What does it mean that UT does research like this for animals and that you get the opportunity to help?
Research projects like this one open very unique doors for the school and for participants like myself. I feel so blessed that I attend a school that provides me with opportunities like this. Being able to work with this study means that I am already learning things that go on in the veterinary teaching hospital before I even get to attend. I get to meet professors, learn about interesting medical cases, help care for animals, and have a blast all at the same time!
Have you had a favorite horse through the process? What made him/her your favorite?
One of the best parts of my job is getting to spend time with the horses. I love working with timid animals that need a little extra TLC. This past week, I had a patient that was completely blind. He loved to cuddle and be petted, but was very nervous around large groups of people. I really enjoyed being able to spend some quiet one-on-one time with him and make his stay at the vet school a more positive experience. It is extremely important to me that the animals are happy, because they are doing us a huge favor by providing us with scientific information that we would not have otherwise.