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10-19-2012, 10:00 PM

Adder, I have been to your website, several times now, and read your 2004 paper on the procedure. I also read O'Shea's paper in the next edition of Herptile, as he presents the opposite view. Before I go into what I think, I have some questions for you.

In order to perform surgery on animals in Australia legally, you must be a licensed veterinarian. The definition from Merriam-Webster as to what constitutes "surgery" is here: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surgery

The link to Australia's regulations for becoming a practicing veterinarian are located here: http://www.avbc.asn.au/skills.htm

Question 1: Are you a licensed veterinarian and/or have you completed the steps necessary to be recognized as one?

Question 2: In certain cases it is my understanding that the board may "certify" an individual to perform certain procedures usually only allowed by veterinarians provided you pass examination, demonstrate a need to perform the procedure as opposed to a veterinarian (i.e., sedating wildlife for examination/tagging). Do you have any documentation showing you are certified to perform surgery on your animals, and thus not engaging in an apparent illegal act?

Question 3: Can you provide a single verifiable article, paper, endorsement, or the like in favor of this procedure and of you yourself performing this procedure by a veterinarian?

Question 4: Are you aware that boiling instruments for 10 minutes and then letting them sit in open air to cool makes them very clean, but not in fact, sterile? In fact boiling of instruments is to ONLY be used in a life threatening emergency and it is recommended that instruments be boiled for 20-30 minutes at minimum? Why not just buy an autoclave man?

Question 5: what are you using to sedate/anesthetize these patients? I see a lot of references to effective restraint so the snakes are mobilized, but not so much sedation. I know from your paper that the board you tape them to is stored in the refrigerator. Also, you squirt ice water into their mouths to help with bleeding. Does that indicate that you use only hypothermia as a means of sedation and inflammation control? If so, are you aware that cold sedation for reptiles has "been shown to cause serious metabolic consequences, and, in the case of hypothermia, may be considered inhumane?" (that came right out of Mader, who I know you like to reference).

I guess you're right. By referencing your own paper, I was able to ascertain that you use makeshift surgical equipment, do not sterilize properly, do not use any kind of chemical sedation, either for restraint or pain control, would rather squirt freezing water into an endotherm's mouth than use something as simple as a sterile handheld cautery, and don't provide any sort of pain control before, during, or after the procedure. Further, you didn't bother to become a veterinarian before you started performing surgery, which again, is required by law. I guess cutting all those corners does simplify things considerably.

Also, the "he" you refer to as being "disingenius" (which is not actually a word, so I'm assuming you meant "disingenuous") is a "she." Nice of you to even bother to check my name (or for that matter, that my handle references wearing a skirt."

Funny, but the definition of "disingenuous", which is the big word I think you were trying to say, means "lacking in candor," which I am not, and I quote: "giving a false appearance of simple," which is I feel is incredibly ironic given the circumstances.

That was all the smarty-pants stuff. The bottom line, based on your own words that I read in your own literature, is that you strap down and mutilate animals for your own convenience, without a veterinary license to do so, using sub-par methods. I guess my last question is: Have you ever thought about why you are the "only" person who does this?

10-19-2012, 10:00 PM	#144
skirtinthedirt	Adder, I have been to your website, several times now, and read your 2004 paper on the procedure. I also read O'Shea's paper in the next edition of Herptile, as he presents the opposite view. Before I go into what I think, I have some questions for you. In order to perform surgery on animals in Australia legally, you must be a licensed veterinarian. The definition from Merriam-Webster as to what constitutes "surgery" is here: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surgery The link to Australia's regulations for becoming a practicing veterinarian are located here: http://www.avbc.asn.au/skills.htm Question 1: Are you a licensed veterinarian and/or have you completed the steps necessary to be recognized as one? Question 2: In certain cases it is my understanding that the board may "certify" an individual to perform certain procedures usually only allowed by veterinarians provided you pass examination, demonstrate a need to perform the procedure as opposed to a veterinarian (i.e., sedating wildlife for examination/tagging). Do you have any documentation showing you are certified to perform surgery on your animals, and thus not engaging in an apparent illegal act? Question 3: Can you provide a single verifiable article, paper, endorsement, or the like in favor of this procedure and of you yourself performing this procedure by a veterinarian? Question 4: Are you aware that boiling instruments for 10 minutes and then letting them sit in open air to cool makes them very clean, but not in fact, sterile? In fact boiling of instruments is to ONLY be used in a life threatening emergency and it is recommended that instruments be boiled for 20-30 minutes at minimum? Why not just buy an autoclave man? Question 5: what are you using to sedate/anesthetize these patients? I see a lot of references to effective restraint so the snakes are mobilized, but not so much sedation. I know from your paper that the board you tape them to is stored in the refrigerator. Also, you squirt ice water into their mouths to help with bleeding. Does that indicate that you use only hypothermia as a means of sedation and inflammation control? If so, are you aware that cold sedation for reptiles has "been shown to cause serious metabolic consequences, and, in the case of hypothermia, may be considered inhumane?" (that came right out of Mader, who I know you like to reference). I guess you're right. By referencing your own paper, I was able to ascertain that you use makeshift surgical equipment, do not sterilize properly, do not use any kind of chemical sedation, either for restraint or pain control, would rather squirt freezing water into an endotherm's mouth than use something as simple as a sterile handheld cautery, and don't provide any sort of pain control before, during, or after the procedure. Further, you didn't bother to become a veterinarian before you started performing surgery, which again, is required by law. I guess cutting all those corners does simplify things considerably. Also, the "he" you refer to as being "disingenius" (which is not actually a word, so I'm assuming you meant "disingenuous") is a "she." Nice of you to even bother to check my name (or for that matter, that my handle references wearing a skirt." Funny, but the definition of "disingenuous", which is the big word I think you were trying to say, means "lacking in candor," which I am not, and I quote: "giving a false appearance of simple," which is I feel is incredibly ironic given the circumstances. That was all the smarty-pants stuff. The bottom line, based on your own words that I read in your own literature, is that you strap down and mutilate animals for your own convenience, without a veterinary license to do so, using sub-par methods. I guess my last question is: Have you ever thought about why you are the "only" person who does this?