Do you ever marvel concerning the means positive natural world veterinarians took to get to the place they’re nowadays? Smartly, I used to be lucky sufficient to speak with Dr. Jennifer Bloodgood over espresso lately to do exactly that. In November 2022, Dr. Bloodgood used to be employed as an Assistant Professor of Apply within the Division of Public and Ecosystem Well being within the School of Veterinary Drugs, and as a natural world veterinarian with the Cornell Flora and fauna Well being Lab, a part of the New York State Flora and fauna Well being Program. Thru those two positions, Dr. Bloodgood necessarily will get to paintings on, “anything else and the whole lot natural world well being orientated for the state of New York.” How cool! Since immersing herself within the CVM neighborhood virtually a yr in the past, she has had this type of certain affect, particularly for college kids who’ve goals of following in her footsteps. In scripting this submit, I am hoping to put across her inspirational nature as I proportion about her pathway to turning into a natural world veterinarian.
Dr. Bloodgood pursued a profession in veterinary medication after acquiring each a Bachelor and Grasp of Science in Flora and fauna and Fisheries Biology at Clemson College in South Carolina. After completing her grasp’s level, she labored on the College of Georgia as a analysis technician the place she were given to review each damaging algae control and the illness of Avian Vacuolar Myelinopathy. Following her pursuits in natural world well being and illness, Dr. Bloodgood additionally labored within the Aquatic Epidemiology Lab at North Carolina State College the place she studied endangered freshwater mussel species. Thru this process, she now not best were given to snorkel in native creeks, however she additionally discovered the best way to arrange and propagate endangered species. Dr. Bloodgood then were given recruited to paintings as a veterinary assistant on the North Carolina Museum of Herbal Sciences the place she assisted within the scientific control, well being care, and husbandry of loads of assortment animals. Whilst on the museum, she additionally evolved and delivered teaching programs for undergraduate scholars, interns, and volunteers. It used to be right here that Dr. Bloodgood learned how a lot she loves veterinary medication, and that she actually enjoys instructing.
Following her new-found pastime, Dr. Bloodgood attended the College of Georgia for 7 years to finish a twin DVM-PhD level. She completed her PhD throughout her first semester of vet college, which used to be finished in Integrative Conservation, a program keen on integrating herbal and social sciences with conservation. For her dissertation, Dr. Bloodgood evaluated the dietary standing of rehabilitated inexperienced sea turtles on the Georgia Sea Turtle Heart and when put next it to that of a wild inhabitants in Florida. Thru this analysis, she came upon that feeding squid and fish to captive inexperienced sea turtles, versus a vegetarian nutrition, used to be related to weight problems and fatty liver illness, in addition to prime ldl cholesterol and an inverted calcium/phosphorus ratio. She concluded that feeding a vegetarian nutrition to rehabbed inexperienced sea turtles is healthier for his or her well being than feeding them seafood, which she phrases, “the mac and cheese of sea turtles.”
As soon as Dr. Bloodgood graduated from the College of Georgia, she were given to mix her pastime for analysis and aquatic veterinary medication via securing a task as a analysis veterinarian at Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL) in Alabama (the similar position I did my first dolphin necropsy)! Right here, Dr. Bloodgood served as a community veterinarian concerned about are living animal reaction and necropsy of cetaceans and manatees with the Alabama Marine Mammal Stranding Community and Manatee Sighting Community. All through her time at DISL, Dr. Bloodgood labored with the ALMMSN crew to review the results of freshwater on bottlenose dolphins that entered Cell Bay, a close-by estuary. They found out that it used to be a not up to best setting for them, continuously inciting pores and skin lesions, or even loss of life. The crew additionally studied the results of chilly pressure on manatees in line with local weather exchange. Of their herbal conduct, manatees must migrate from Alabama to Florida throughout chilly months, however because of expanding temperatures, they’re sticking round longer than they must, which has unfortunately higher their morbidity and mortality. In spite of there being numerous necropsy and pathology concerned about her first process, it’s the veterinary paintings that she is maximum pleased with. At DISL, she evolved her talents as each a veterinarian and scientist and started working with one of the global’s maximum magnificent marine mammals, together with a sperm whale, which to her used to be a life-changing enjoy.
If truth be told, Dr. Bloodgood used to be now not even having a look to switch jobs, but if she noticed that Cornell College used to be hiring, she idea, “it used to be me in a task description.” She actually liked always she were given to spend operating with marine mammals, however she used to be excited for a possibility to as soon as once more observe as a generalist via operating with birds, reptiles, and mammals, along with marine mammals. She used to be additionally actually eager about the training facet of the process, afterall she loves instructing scholars who proportion her power to facilitate conservation and illness control throughout the lens of veterinary medication.
Dr. Bloodgood enjoys operating in interdisciplinary groups to take on real-world problems, and he or she believes her present pos ition lets in her to do exactly that. Despite the fact that I best met with Dr. Bloodgood for a short lived length, I may inform that she is an ideal have compatibility for the jobs she has bought inside the CVM and the New York State Flora and fauna Well being Program. Her pastime for natural world and conservation is contagious, and her adventure in opposition to turning into a natural world veterinarian is indisputably inspiring.
In parting techniques, I requested Dr. Bloodgood what recommendation she has for college kids concerned about pursuing a identical profession trail, and he or she mentioned, “don’t be afraid to open the door.” Dr. Bloodgood encourages all her scholars to community – she stresses the significance of assembly folks within the box via attending meetings and in quest of externships. And whilst doing so, she recommends following alternatives that one will have by no means considered earlier than. As an example, Dr. Bloodgood began her first process after vet college now not figuring out so much about marine mammals, however she used to be excited to take a look at it, and he or she believes that her interest and open-mindedness is what were given her to the place she is nowadays – and we’re lucky that this is right here with us on the CVM!
Maison Scheuer is the 2022-2023 WildLIFE Weblog Editor and a proud member of Cornell ZAWS. Her passions lie on the intersection of veterinary medication and natural world conservation. She likes to trip and has hung out in Canada, Thailand, Alabama, Belize, and Honduras the place she studied Columbian flooring squirrels, elephant conservation, natural world rehabilitation, and veterinary medication. Even though specifically concerned about One Well being and international medicine, she has additionally found out a love for small animal medication thru her enjoy operating as a veterinary technician at a full-service exotics and small animal non-public observe.