Sienna Linn, a rising first grader at Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy, says she has no pets at home but has had a blast with her dog, Mia, at the Little Vet School camp.
Photo by Madison Bierl
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Although Connor Barreiro is allergic to cats, he is still a lover of animals, especially dogs.
He described them as energetic, always ready to play.
Barreiro, a rising fourth grader at Gene Witt Elementary, was among the campers to attend the Little Medical School Suncoast's Little Vet School summer camp at The Out-of-Door Academy from June 15-19.Â
During the week at Little Vet School, students learned about what it is like to be a veterinarian and how to be a good pet owner.Â
Hands-on activities included removing “ticks," learning about different eye injuries such as scratches, tears, and divots, and running their own mock vet clinic. They took turns acting as a receptionist, vet tech, veterinarian and patient.
On June 18, the focuses were learning how to clean a dog’s ears, recognizing different dog body languages, and understanding how dogs use their noses to locate scents.Â
Katarina McCall, an instructor with Little Medical School Suncoast, said teaching the kids has been nothing short of amazing. Her favorite part is watching their curiosity grow throughout the week and she is surprised how much information they retain.Â
"I hope they leave camp with a love of learning, a greater appreciation for animals and science, and maybe even some inspiration to pursue a career in a science-related field one day." McCall said.Â
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Connor Barreiro, a rising fourth grader at Gene Witt Elementary, and Annie Mlynarski, a rising fourth grader at Sarasota Christian School, are both eager to answer any and all questions at the Little Vet School summer camp.
Photo by Madison Bierl
Isabelle Robinson, a rising third grader at Rowlett Elementary Academy, practices cleaning the ear of her dog with a cotton ball at the Little Vet School camp held at The Out-of-Door Academy.
Photo by Madison Bierl
Connor Barreiro, a rising fourth grader at Gene Witt Elementary, says he learned how to safely get crust out of an ear, a skill he hopes to put to use to help his 3-year-old Frenchie named Tom.
Photo by Madison Bierl
Emery Arrington, a rising first grader at Lake Manatee K-8, and Cooper Heim, a rising first grader at Gilbert W. McNeal Elementary, take turns sniffing incense in order to use their sense of smell to locate things similar to the way dogs would.
Photo by Madison Bierl
Adeline Eskew, a rising first grader at St. Martha Catholic School, is one of the campers to learn how to care for animals at the Little Vet School camp held at The Out-of-Door Academy.
Photo by Madison Bierl
Connor Barreiro, Audrey Olivarri, Emery Arrington and Cooper Heim pretend to be dogs and use their sense of smell to locate incense sticks at the Little Vet School camp.
Photo by Madison Bierl
Cooper Heim, a rising first grader at Gilbert W. McNeal Elementary, attends the Little Vet School camp in full scrubs ready to learn June 18.
Photo by Madison Bierl
Little Medical School Suncoast's Katarina McCall demonstrates how to use a syringe to give a dog medication to the Little Vet School campers.
Photo by Madison Bierl
Little Medical School Suncoast's Madelyn Bland and Katarina McCall point at the term "antiseptic" and explain it is often used as treatment when a dog gets an ear infection.
Photo by Madison Bierl
Little Medical School Suncoast's Little Vet School summer camp teaches campers many veterinarian skills, including how to remove a tick, how to remove an animal's earwax, and how to give a dog a pill.
Madison Bierl is the education and community reporter for the East County Observer. She grew up in Iowa and studied at the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication at Iowa State University.
