June 2016

There’s a horrible moment we’ve all experienced – a nasty creeping sensation as it slowly dawns on you someone, somewhere has made a terrible mistake...

20 mins

Like most RVNs, I like a good clean. This is never at home though, obviously – it's all about a sparkling work place. I love to smell disinfectant and have everything shiny, especially a ward.

9 mins

Fine needle aspiration (FNA) is a valuable tool in subcutaneous skin masses.

2 mins

On my latest EMS placement at an equine hospital, I’ve seen a number of surgeries – some done under general anaesthesia (GA) and others under standing sedation.

8 mins

This is a blog about a moment in time; that heart-stopping, sweaty, cold and confused moment you never quite get used to, no matter how often it happens: the middle of the night phone call.

11 mins

Ever had one of those cases, which seem to typically occur around this time of year, that you think must be the start of an allergic dermatitis?

2 mins

I had always wanted to write, but didn't start it in earnest until after I graduated. Writing was my escape from the shock of general practice; zombies, aliens and other worlds took my mind off the realities of the consulting room.

5 mins

Pet obesity is back in the news. Apparently our pets are getting fatter faster than ever. We all know the health issues related to this and a bit of the psychology.

9 mins

Dagmar Mayer recounts her recent trip to Malawi, during which she helped to run the first surgical training course for African vets from the new premises of the Blantyre SPCA.

15 mins

May 2016

As regular readers of this blog may have noticed, I was a little apprehensive about starting my final year at veterinary school...

8 mins

More than 16 years after beginning his career as a veterinary surgeon, blogger Nick Marsh has progressed into the world of clinical pathology and finds himself at the bottom of a very steep learning curve.

10 mins

Blogger Jane Davidson RVN emphasises the importance of using the correct terms when referring to your ‪‎veterinary‬ colleagues – particularly on practice websites.

6 mins

WVS vet Cait Finnegan shares her account of treating a dog that received a neck injury after having a choke collar embedded into its neck.

4 mins

Two years ago, I received an email to confirm an EMS placement at a certain well-known veterinary practice in the south of England.

7 mins

Mature chickens normally undergo one complete moult a year, usually in autumn. However, this can depend on the time of the year the bird started laying.

2 mins

"I’m telling you, I haven’t got the money! Are you going to leave her like this? She’s in pain! Don’t you even care?" If you haven’t heard this sentence already then don’t worry – you will.

15 mins

The fact that animals feel physical pain just like we do can be difficult for some people to understand – but when the evidence is staring you straight in the face (or even trying to bite your hand), why can people still not see it?

12 mins

We recently had an elderly cat that presented with typical signs of hyperthyroidism. However, as is sometimes the case, total T4 proved stubbornly normal on two estimations a couple of weeks apart.

1 mins

Having averaged four hours' sleep a night for a couple of weeks, I came out of fourth year exams alive... just. But now, the prospect of final year rotations beginning in five days' time is becoming very real.

6 mins

Have you ever had a puppy that just presents with lethargy, exercise intolerance and sleeps … more

2 mins