Yesterday I went to Portland to attend a wet lab. What a day! Very enjoyable and lots of nice people!

We learned parasite id, how to use a scope, how to give injections and necropsy, plus as a bonus, we got to watch Doc Johnson remove a tumor from a lovely Oranda afterwords.

Our teachers for the day where Doc Johnson, Vickie Vaughn, University of Georgia and inventer of Tricide Neo, and Oregon State University's Dr. Tim Morgan-Miller.

Wet labs are very instructive and you can learn a lot, I really recomend taking one!

So on with the pics:

Yup, this is me with Doc J



Doc J & Dr. Morgan-Miller



A very lovely lady and sweet: Vickie Vaughn

Preping for surgery on "Big Guy" the Oranda:



Putting him to sleep (oil of clove used) and the tumor





Beginning: Scale removal



Removal



Water for the gills:

Touching up. This guy was lucky, the tumor did not extend into the muscle



Time to wake up

And finally, one last pic. On Koi, ich cannot alway's be seen, it will attack the gills and/or can be very small and we won't alway's actually "see" the parasite unless it is scraped and scoped:

This pic is off a small koi, gill snip and only show a stationary pic, they are capable of moving, though mostly in a stationary place the "face" of the cyst moves though Doc showed us a film of one actually moving and changing spots !




Flukes are downright scary when magnified.. Let us hope they never get exposed to nuclear garbage and grow to be a godzilla... I deffinetly wouldn't want one of those things latching on to me.....

One last word for those of us with Koi.....

KHV is a devestating illness for our baby's, there's a donation drive going on and we are within a year of beating this. Direct donations will go 100% to the research and finalization process. 5.00, even 10 will help bring this a step closer to the valuable immunization. There's a sticky note posted in the main domain with Links and a letter from Doc J at koivet about this and where to send the donations. And lets face it. we probably throw away more money then that on junk food and treats!

We worry about our fishy kids and love them, so love them enough to help with the prevention!

Wow, very informative. Glad Big Guy is okay! I want to go to a wet lab now!

was there very many people there? From your pictures it doesn't seem like it. Looks like it was fun and I am sure that the show today is exciting as well.
Thanks for the pictures!

Scott

There was about 30-38 people for the wet lab. This one is a Convention for the PNKCA, there was people from Canada and Washington there, not sure if any Californian's showed up. The shows are late this month and one next month.

I also checked on the sticky, seemed it was removed, but check's for KHV donation can be sent directly to Vicki Vaughn at the University of Georgia, or to Doc Johnson. I'll see if I can get the links from koivet admin. Or just get in touch with the Admin REC there about it.

Doc and Vicky have a great sense of humor, very friendly people and it made a long day very interesting. I was up at 4:30, two hour drive both way's, so it was around 9 pm when I got home. The class was pretty much all day, lunch provided in the cost and we where able to puchase necrospy instruments in case at cost.

Wow very interesting!

I live in Portland. Any links to info on these wet labs? Would love to join one.

Very intresting, that Oranda is very cute by the way lol

Wow, Kathy, looks like the long drive was well worth it! Amazing to see a surgery so up and close, isn't it? And flukes, well, they always remind me of a manatee moving around.
So, today is the actual show date then with judging and all? Hope you take some more pics, I am always for pics of shows!

About the KHV research, I think there is a donation going on at Koiphen as well. But in my opinion, whoever does it does a whole lot of good towards finding a true cure for that disease. Not to mention that it has start to sneak into the goldfish world as well now!

Wow Kathy! Very interesting stuff here! Would love to go to that also. Sounds like you're learning all kinds of skills which sure helps at some point. I'd love the Scrapes and Microscope slides.That would definately come in handy.Loved the Pics! Yea for the Oranda! He was sure a cutie Pie! Good job!

Demi, go to the PNKCA web site and go to there list of the local clubs, there's one in Portland. Then email them and they can tell you the next wet lab and anything else you need to know. I did post up here on this coming up. It was deffinetly worth it. I believe the Portland Koi Show is next month, around the 30th at the World Forestry Center and they may have a wet lab going that weekend as it appears to be something that goes on at most shows. Doc doesn't come out this way often, this was only his second trip out here, so I lucked when I inquired about it. Couldn't ask for better teachers!

Ranchu, yup, it was certainly well worth the extended hours for me,lol! I'm still feeling upbeat and good about the learning! I didn't go back for the rest of the convention, thats all it was, few vendors and mostly seminars. I may go to the actual show next month though... I'm thinking about it since I have not attended one of those either! I am going back to Portland this week though, I plan on a visit to the dealer's and putting the QT tank into use.... I've the mind for a couple of new baby's..... Something contagiouse about that!

I'm not a member at KP, but yes, another source to make donations for KHV! I'd just like to see that money get raised for the sake of Koi & Goldies alike!

Every penny helps!

Devs, TY! I'm one of two who took pics! I think the hands on teaching is the best part, actually loading the needle and making the injection. I stood back and watched some of the older folks, and fish doing the amazing "Flying" leaps back to the tub. You had to laugh as you could almost see these poor fish going:


Your gonna stick what where? No way! *zing back in the water*

It also gives you a chance to see how not to hold the fish and develope a better plan of action... By the time I went up to do it, I nailed the fish neatly! Poor fish didn't have a chance...