Vet Times

Tag: canine

  • Sarcoptes ELISA

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    Have you ever had an atopic dog that’s really well managed but suddenly flares, becomes very pruritic and seems to stop responding to therapy? I had one such case just a couple of months ago. Skin scrapes did not reveal the presence of any ectoparasites and cytology was pretty unexciting (a bit of bacterial colonisation…

  • When is a law not a law?

    When is a law not a law?

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    It’s finally hot. SUPER HOT! Time to moan loudly about the lack of air conditioning, talk up the merits of wearing scrubs, and attempt to cover yourself in enough fake tan to hide the pasty white of working long shifts inside. Time also for pets to suffer: heat stroke, fly strike, grass seeds – they’re…

  • Attracting and retaining clients (pt.1)

    Attracting and retaining clients (pt.1)

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    “Are owners who buy jumpers for their dogs unhinged, odd, eccentric or perfectly normal?” A strange question perhaps, but – in the first part of her TMS presentation* – Onswitch MD Alison Lambert explains that people who visit your practice aren’t like you. In fact, no matter how daft you think they are, many loving…

  • It’s worth ruling out hypothyroidism if blood cholesterol is elevated

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    To be truthful, I have a bit of a blind spot when it comes to hypothyroidism. I often find few dogs follow the traditional textbook description of the clinical signs. I have seen two cases of late with elevated cholesterol, but no hair loss, unexplained weight gain, heat seeking and mucinous skin thickness. Both cases had blood…

  • How far is too far?

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    In my interview for Glasgow vet school, I was asked the question “how far is too far?”, and recent episodes of The Supervet on TV had me musing on the topic again, particularly as I had used The Bionic Vet as an example in my answer. At the time I discussed kidney transplants in cats…

  • Euphemisms

    Euphemisms

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    I was enjoying a lovely nurse chat with a friend recently, and we started reminiscing about clients and the joyful comments they come out with – which brought us to the wonder of client euphemisms. For example, my friend had recently received a telephone call, during which the client had requested help as her dog…

  • Where should we get our pets from?

    Where should we get our pets from?

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    I gave a lovely Clinical Coach training course this week. It’s always lovely to welcome new CCs to the fold and, to add to the good feeling, there were three ex-students on the course, all freshly qualified and ready to train others – I was bursting with pride! I demonstrated our college’s virtual learning environment…

  • Could I have a pet at university?

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    I’ve always had cats at home, and they often played the role of revision buddy/lap warmer. That was one of the things I missed most when I first went to university. Pets aren’t allowed in student halls, but now that I live in a flat with other vet students, pet ownership becomes a possibility (landlord permitting).…

  • Self-indulgent post

    Self-indulgent post

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    There are lots of things going on in the world of veterinary nursing at the moment: VN council elections have just taken place – congratulations to Hilary Orpet and Amber Richards The RCVS has announced the end of its Awarding Body role for the Level 3 Diploma The final OSCEs for them will take place in summer 2015 Due to this, the…

  • How to examine a patient’s rima glottidis for suspected laryngeal paralysis

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    Anaesthesia normally depresses laryngeal movements, making diagnosis of laryngeal paralysis challenging. The animal should be anaesthetised to the point at which the mouth can be easily opened but a laryngeal reflex is still present. If jaw tone is such that you are afraid of being bitten during the examination, then the plane of anaesthesia is…