Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road, Guelph, ON, Canada, N1G 2W1
519.824.4120 x54401
©1998-2013 Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph
Foal Watch is a program run by the Teaching Hospital (OVCTH), located at the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC), and provides a service to clients who bring in premature and critically ill neonatal foals. Participants in the Foal Watch program may include students from across campus and the community and involvement can benefit the student but also the neonatal foal. Students benefit by gaining valuable experience and clinical insight into neonatal intensive care while the foal benefits by receiving 24-hour nursing care and monitoring. This around the clock care ensures that the foal receives the most comprehensive care possible, and helps them get through the most critical of times. The Foal Watch program typically runs from January to June, coinciding with the North American foaling season.
We are now preparing for the 2011 foaling season! If you are interested in joining our team, follow the checklist below:
If you have any questions about the OVC Foal Watch program, please contact Lauren Reid (lreid@uoguelph.ca).
Each year, we hold a General Information Meeting where everyone interested in the program can find out about Foal Watch and ask any questions they may have. There will be two meetings held on November 2nd at 12:30pm and November 3rd at 6:00pm. These meetings are for further information for people interested in joining the Foal Watch program and is NOT mandatory but you only need attend one of the two meetings.
Meetings will be in 1713 of the life learning centre in the OVC.
Applications will be available at each meeting, however if you cannot attend, you will be able to pick up an application form from Bonnie/Michelle’s Office (Foal Watch Office).
All areas in the Teaching Hospital (OVCTH) accepting volunteers require medical proof of rabies immunizations, confidentiality form and a signed liability waiver, all of which must be updated annually.
The Foal Watch Team is mainly made up of undergraduate students of the University of Guelph and students of the DVM program, but there are some high school team members as well. Foal Watch provides students with great experience and clinical insight into neonatal intensive care and may also count for the volunteer hours for high school students. All volunteers must be 16 years or older and all volunteers must sign a waiver form and a confidentiality form.
Students interested in becoming a member of the Foal Watch Team need to be fully immunized against Rabies and need to receive initial orientation from one of the Team Captains. Once they have completed this they can sign up for one or more four-hour shifts per week as a volunteer/rookie member. Rookies receive further training from the experienced member who will be paired up with the rookie during his/her shift(s). Steel-toed boots must be worn during the shift, coveralls will be provided.
Once a rookie has worked several shifts they may become eligible to move up to experienced status. This has the additional advantage of getting paid. To move up to experienced status, please contact Lauren Reid (lreid@uoguelph.ca)
Team Captains are students that have had a lot of experience with Foal Watch and have received additional training. They hold orientation sessions and evaluate volunteer members, and are on-call once a week. On-call shifts are 16 hours long on weeknights and 24 hours long on weekends (day and night shifts). When called in captains are responsible for setting up and making sure that the members who are signed up to work the current and next shifts are called in to work.
Update – Nov. 24th, 2010
Foal Watch applications are now being accepted.
Nov 2 2010: If you have not been receiving emails regarding Foal Watch, please send an email to Lauren Reid (lreid@uoguelph.ca) and your email address will be added.