UP produces world’s first bull model for skills training
It was also found that more competency skills could be taught on simulators.
The University of Pretoria’s faculty of veterinary science introduced the world’s first skills laboratory model of a bull recently. Its pupose is to teach veterinary skills to students.
Veterinary clinical teaching has become popular over the years and as a result there has been a limited number of veterinary animal models for students.
“The bull will assist veterinary students to enhance their clinical skills before they practice on live animals,” Dr Annett Annandale, said.
It was also found that more competency skills could be taught on simulators.
As a result, the world’s first skills laboratory model bull was created.
The diagnosis of bovine venereal diseases was an important skill required of any veterinary practitioner in Southern Africa.
All newly graduated veterinarians and nurses must be able to perform a sheath scrape, which can be taught on a veterinary model.
Annadale had the idea for the sheath scrape model and chose to attach it to the life-sized bull.
“The bull costs R95 000, it was sponsored by Zoetis, a pharmaceutical company. We also collaborated with Liezl Kok, the CEO of Anatomoulds with which the skills lab has a contract,” she said.
An existing taxidermy mould was used to create a “Brahman” bull, made from fibreglass with a coating gel, while the skin from a bovine carcass was preserved.
Other components such as scotal content for the bull’s sexual organs were used to make moulds of these organs.
Skills that could be taught with the bull model included rectal palpation to assess the accessory sex glands, palpation of the sheath and its contents, palpation of scrotal contents (interchangeable normal and abnormal testes, epididymis and spermatic cords), measurement of scrotal circumference, palpation of the penile sigmoid flexure, evaluation of sheath confirmation and the sheath wash and scrape procedure.
Other simulators were available from international companies such as www.rescuecritters.com , www.vetsimulators.com, www.breednbetsy.com, www.veteffects.com.
There were also small animal models available such as the canine training manikins for auscultation of heart and lung sounds, resuscitation, intubation, intravenous catheter placement, bandaging; suture and injection training pads; and spray and castration training models.
Simulators for large animals included colic horse simulators, rectal examination simulators and dystocia cow models.
Also read:
Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites:
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram.
- We have exciting news! We’re offering a free alert to help you always be in the loop. Send an email with the word ‘Subscribe’ to breakingnews@rekord.co.za to receive your free daily breaking news update
