Critical Care

Photo By Sgt. Julia scott | Pfc. Erian Shelly, a veterinary technician assigned to the 438th Medical Detachment Veterinary Support Service (MDVSS), comforts Sage, a civilian dog, during a field training exercise at Fort Carson, Colorado, Aug. 26, 2020. For this exercise, MDVSS performed dental cleanings for civilian dogs owned by Soldiers in the unit. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Julia C. Scott)  

FORT CARSON, CO, UNITED STATES

08.26.2020

Story by Pfc. Julia scott 

14th Public Affairs Detachment

Something was wrong with Gina. Even for a well-conditioned athletic dog, her heart rate was much too low at barely 50 beats per minute. Army Maj. Diane Collette, a veterinarian at the Department of Defense Dog Center at Lackland Air Force Base at the time, checked a few more of the dog’s vital signs and instinctively sent the dog back for an ultrasound. The test revealed a small clot in her heart and Collette was able to treat Gina successfully and return her to her military career.
Now assigned to the 438th Medical Detachment Veterinary Service Support (MDVSS), 1st Medical Brigade at Fort Carson, Colorado, Collette uses her expertise to help provide field training to new veterinary technicians in the unit.
“Military dogs save lives every day,” said Collette. “They’re out in the forefront, especially if they’re combat tracker dogs. They go out in front of a unit to search for improvised explosive devices. In our opinion, and in the opinion of anyone who works with them over there, they save lives.”
MDVSS is currently undergoing a field training exercise at Fort Carson to help its Soldiers perform routine and critical care for dogs in a setting similar to what they would experience “down-range” during a deployment.
During the exercise, veterinary technicians must maintain a clean environment, set up and use their equipment, and perform basic procedures on several non-military dogs.
According to Lt. Col. Thomas (Rick) Tucker, commander of the 438th MDVSS, the detachment is solely responsible for the care of military working dogs and contract working dogs in a deployed setting. They manage both routine exams and screenings as well as any critical care needs that might arise.
Dental procedures provide an ideal opportunity to practice many of the skills MDVSS would use in an overseas clinic.
Tucker even volunteered his own pet, a mild-mannered pit bull named Basil, for the training exercise. Basil received a thorough teeth cleaning and dental radiology exam from Spc. Sarah Wilmore, Spc. Angel Romero and Spc. Adam Nichols, under the experienced supervision of Capt. Cassandra Kerwin, the officer in charge of the exercise.
Cpl. Kathryn Elzen, the non-commissioned officer in charge of the training, agrees with the importance of maintaining healthy working dogs.
“Our military working dogs can range from drug-detecting dogs to bomb-detecting dogs to search-and-rescue. They have a range of uses and keeping them healthy helps us complete the mission down-range and the mission on post.”

• Date Taken: 08.26.2020
• Date Posted: 09.03.2020 16:14
• Story ID: 377049
• Location: FORT CARSON, CO, US