Chins in class

[Brittney]

OK, so I am doing my Pre Vet courses at the local community college. This month is all on learning restraints of dogs, cats, birds and pocket pets. I find this kind of crap, but if someone doesn't have an animal in the category stated above, the whole class fails for that assignment. Next Wednesday is pocket pets. My instructor asked if anyone had any pocket pets and I didn't raise my hand because I really just don't want to bring my chins to class. She asked 3 times and started to walk over to the grade book and drop F's in all the places for that day. Being the hero, I spoke up and said I had chinchillas. She said great, bring them, without even letting me explain why I didn't want to bring them. The chick sitting next to me got the same reaction when she asked if anyone had birds. She said she had a macaw but it wasn't the nicest animal and that it bit, she was told to bring it.

I pulled her aside and told her that they are very skittish, fragile and that they stress very easily. She replied "I know, bring them"

I made sure no one was bringing any other kind of animals such as rabbits due to the stuff they can pass to chins. I'm just really nervous about this. I'm only taking Bryson since he is pretty calm and is very people friendly. I'll take him in his carrier and put some ice packs under his fleece so he can stay cool. The classroom is at 70 so I don't think that will be a problem. I just don't want anyone to snap his neck or bones :cry3:

Anything else I should do? My class is from 8am to 12:45 so he will be in his carrier for a while. I hope he will just sleep.

Anything I should tell people before they get their hands on him?

As much as I don't want to take him, I'm pretty much stuck with it. He will have 28 people practicing on him. Hope a heart attack doesn't ensue. Oh jeez. I would take a failing grade over this than losing my little guy, but I can't afford that.

Any advice or calming words for me are greatly appreciated.

 

[3CsMommy]

I would not let that woman use grades to blackmail me into endangering my animal. Yes, you all need the training, but if/when someone screws up with *your* animal and hurts him (I'm thinking mishandling by an inexperienced student = degloved tail or something), does the teacher plan to pay for fixing him? Will the school do it? The chances of that, I think, are slim and none.

I'd talk to this woman's superior, and if she'll go, take the girl that owns the macaw with you when you do. Part of being a good vet tech is knowing what's best for any kind of animal you might have to handle, and this teacher seems to be trying to make you jeopardize your pet for her own desires/laziness. (She's the teacher; somewhere between her and the school, the equipment should be supplied. If it's not, its up to her to modify her lesson plans, or 'borrow' a couple rats from a rescue for a free check up or something.) If she wouldn't expect one person to let the whole class use a lap top, cell phone, or other expensive personal item, she shouldn't expect exceptions with animals, which are far more precious to most people than their computer.

 

[AZChins]

If you do take him, take a huge bottle of hand sanitizer and make everyone use it before touching him. He would do fine with people touching him, I'd just be worried that he would get scared. He's a good boy and he would be the one I would take...don't take Ande, that would seriously freak him out to have people touching him in while being in a strange place.

Maybe take some ice just in case because this week is supposed to be warmer than normal. Wrap an ice bottle up in a towel and put it in the carrier while you walk him into class if it seems warm.

I agree that everything should be supplied and that having someone force you to bring in your pets just seems so wrong. I hate that you have to do this. It would make me very nervous! I've been asked several times if I could bring in chins to a classroom to show them off to children and I always end up saying no because I am worried about the chins getting strep or something off of other people.

 

[Dustbunnies]

Sounds like a bunch of crap! I don't think you should let 28 students handle (as in restrain, not just pet) your chin in one sitting. That is worse than a vet trip. On the other hand, the 28 students SHOULD have the experience of learning to hold a chinchilla properly...I have been to several vets and maybe two people about of all the techs and vets in several offices handled my chins properly. You should be elected to work with the professor in making an instructional video on how to handle a chin or bring your chin to class but you and the instructor do the handling. It is not your responsibility to endanger your pet to keep from failing. If it is not in the course description that you must own and provide for scientific procedures a pet, then it shouldn't be required. The vet school should have adequate access to some kind of animal (such as a rat) that can be used in such a manner. A rat can even be used to show how to handle a chin (by holding him as thus). I hope that the students at your school aren't jack***es like they were at mine and care enough to treat your baby like he is your baby....because he is! And that Macaw is going to take a chunck out of someones finger. If he does or Bryson does....they can sue YOU! And they can WIN!

 

[Brittney]

I looked on your website and pulled off a vet that is 8 minutes from my school just in case. I'll give them a call just to make sure the vet will be on standby there. And our school makes us sanitize until our hands are raw anyways.

I never even thought to bring Ande or even Charlie for that matter since it will be his first week here, way too stressful and Ande would just freak too much and bite.

I'll try to talk some since into her before then, hopefully she can let it slide.

 

[EveningChin]

I'm sorry she was going to give you an F for not having a pet? That sounds really.. well stupid. I would infact go to the dean. She cannot fail people for not owning a certain kind of pet. I wouldn't take my chins in, I would tell her that she cannot fail me for keeping my pets safe and that as a teaching institution they should provide the animals then insist they student to provide them.

 

[AZChins]

Charlie would be awesome for it, he loves everyone very much...but not the first week...no no no. He wants constant lovies from everyone. He's so cute.

You don't need this stress...you've had way too much of that lately.

 

[Brittney]

I'm just going to either insist that she let us slide and me not bring them, or she just demonstrates herself. She's not an exotic vet. She works with livestock.

The kicker is, someone asked if they could bring their rabbit. She laughed and said "well, that's a pretty difficult animal to restrain, if we did it wrong, we would kill the thing” Does she even know what the **** a chinchilla is? Rabbits are way more tolerant than chinchillas.

I will have a word with the dean though. My parents are paying very good money for me to go to this school. There is no reason or right for her to fail someone for not having a pet. If we fail even one class, we have to take it over and that's $800 out of our pockets to retake it.

 

[ChinchillaSteve]

An F for not owning a certain pet?
Excuse me but that's just bull.

I'd go to the dean if I were you with the girl with the macaw

 

[Stackie]

I would never bring my chins to school, failing or not. She can't fail you for not bringing a pet to school, and I'm sure the dean will agree with that.

We have swine flu going around my campus right now, and not to mention how easily chins get stressed and can get diarrhea from it. I just lost a chin to a prolapse because of diarrhea. Not to mention all the other things that could happen...especially with everyone handling him.

 

[FiaSpice]

There is no reason or right for her to fail someone for not having a pet.

Exactly what I tought, it's really not fair at all. Doesn't the animal have it's own animals to "test" on (we had a chinchilla in ecology class, don't ask why!). I would not bring my chinchilla specially to a "restraint" class. I think I would talk to the principal or something, like sugested, along with the girl that owns the maccaw.

best of luck

 

[AZChins]

I was thinking about it this morning. Is this class graded on a curve? If everyone gets an F, does it matter in the end?

The more I think about it, the less I like the idea of Bryson being around 30 strangers, who do not love him. Handling a chin is so much different from handling almost any other animal, and it does require a bit of love and patience for chins...

 

[Bethany2386]

I really don't like the fact that she is making people bring in their own animals. I also don't understand how someone can fail a whole class for not having a certain type of pet. That just sounds bad. I definately would try talking to the teacher. And if that doesn't work, then I would go to the dean or whoever you can. I won't let other people hold my chins. They could hurt my babies and I wouldn't want that. So to protect them, I do not let anyone else other than me and my husband hold them. Even my stepkids are not allowed to hold them. And they understand how to hold them. I just don't want them to squirm and my kids to drop them or something. You never know what could happen.

 

[Brittany]

You seriously need to talk to your professor's superiors. I am a student and work for the dean of a college. Granted I'm in the fine arts department, but policies are generally the same across the board. The professor and/or school are required to supply all materials needed for a class unless it is specifically outlined in the syllabus. Your teacher can not hold a grade over you for something like bringing your pet to class.

There are so many things that could go wrong, check your syllabus and get help from the appropriate authorities at your school. I can't tell you how common it is for veteran professors to do whatever they want just because they don't think anyone will question their actions.

 

[Sesame]

I found this teacher's tactics to be ridiculous. Essentially she is threatening/blackmailing students to bring in their pets so she can teach a lesson. I think the Dean needs to be notified immediately, prior to this lesson.

I would not risk the lives of my own pets in this situation; it's very unsettling and makes me uneasy. There are many "what ifs" that could happen in a classroom setting of a large group of inexperienced students and a possibly inexperienced teacher.

I understand that future vet techs must learn somehow with hands on experience, but a more intimate setting would be appropriate when dealing with pets. There is too much at risk and if anything were to happen, the consequences would affect you the most. Even if this particular chin is friendly, with a different environment filled with inexperienced students (who may be nervous, making the animal more nervous)... too many things that can go wrong.

 

[kendra]

Just jumping on the bandwagon to say tell the dean, that is not right! She is blackmailing you and essentially being a bully- it's one thing if she asked if anyone had a pet they would like to bring but mandatory- that is nuts! This has to be against some school regulation.
I'm sorry you are having do deal with that crud!

 

[VolunteerChin22]

Ugh, this makes my skin crawl...please do not give into this bully. I strongly urge you to go to the dean. If I was the dean I would not want this person teaching for me.

If she was a resonable person she would just have you demonstrate for the class or have you make a video for the class. She obviously doesn't care for the safety of the animals and I would rather take an F than have one of my animals injured. Is there not an IRB board at this school? Seems like IRB would need to be consulted before outside animals or "research" could be conducted...that would require consent forms from everyone who would be involved...I had to go through IRB to just give a survey to people...but then again you may not need IRB when just the class is involved...

 

[mishellyshel]

i would not want that many people handling my pet. the only alternative i can think of is perhaps just YOU could hold him and show how a chin is properly held and point out their sweet little feet and adorable faces, but i would in no way let that many people handle my chin. honestly there have been times when my own boys almost slipped out of my hands because of a loud noise or whatever.
i highly doubt she has the authority to give an F for not having an animal......what if NO one had a "pocket pet"?? That is just ridiculous.

 

[Brittney]

I was going to see how cat restraint went today just to get an idea of how she runs the lessons. Everyone gets a special restraint technique in the book. For the rodents, it involves scruffing. I told her that was not possible on a chinchilla and she didn't believe me. I flat out told her I wasn't going to bring one and she had to find something else. Luckily, someone in the class got a guinea pig yesterday, so she is bringing that.

I had a word with the dean and she was not happy with it and said she would have a word with my instructor.

 

[AZChins]

Wow. Scruffing a chin? No...not with Bryson, he would probably be scarred for life emotionally over that.

A guinea pig is a much better choice anyway, probably wouldn't stress one out nearly as bad as it would with a chin.