Vet Times

Tag: Cats

  • The only way is ethics part 2: inequality

    The only way is ethics part 2: inequality

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    I’ve written about one particular coincidence before on this blog. It’s not much of an anecdote, but it stuck with me because, in many ways, it gets to the root of one of the peculiar hypocrisies that pepper our relationship with animals. I had just finished my consultation with a long-standing feline patient – a…

  • Anal glands: the tax bill of canine anatomy

    Anal glands: the tax bill of canine anatomy

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    Considering the massive variety of day-to-day tasks we perform as vets (social worker, diagnostician, surgeon, diplomat and so on), it’s strange the first thing people always think of when they hear we’re vets – other than to tell us how much money we earn, evidence on our payslips to the contrary – is to fixate…

  • Logic versus instinct: dealing with temporary ownership of lost pets

    Logic versus instinct: dealing with temporary ownership of lost pets

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    I’m seeing a trend for people rehoming lost pets in “found pets” Facebook groups, with seemingly little effort to trace an owner. An assumption seems to exist the owner has caused the loss or poor state the animal might be in. Having spent long enough in veterinary practices – in particular, charity vets – I…

  • Cat cafes – a pawsitive or negative?

    Cat cafes – a pawsitive or negative?

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    Cat cafes are popping up all over the UK and, while they may seem like a novelty for cat lovers, I had to wonder how ethical these feline havens really are. As vets, we believe cats are inherently solitary animals, and often become stressed when multiple cats are in the same household or when new…

  • You don’t fake your appointments… do you?

    You don’t fake your appointments… do you?

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    Controversial statement alert: I believe every practice I’ve worked in that has an appointments system has had someone working in it who books fake appointments for the final appointment of the day/session/week. Before you all start piling on to agree, disagree or otherwise, let me explain what this is about. I am aware booking false…

  • Supporting new grads: are you up to the job?

    Supporting new grads: are you up to the job?

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    As I discussed in my previous blog post, if you are a boss, partner or practice manager, it’s important to consider whether your practice is suitable for a new graduate, before taking one on. Perhaps you’re considering taking on a new grad for the first time, or maybe you’ve employed them before, but are struggling…

  • Veterinary aromatherapy: the good, the bad and the ugly

    Veterinary aromatherapy: the good, the bad and the ugly

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    Don’t run away! I’m not entering into the complementary and alternative medicine debates… I’ve just been thinking about the lovely smells of the vet world that make me feel good. Following a Twitter conversation with fellow blogger Nick Marsh back in 2017, I’ve been keeping a little list – a secret list. But I’m now…

  • Home visits: improving lives for vets, owners and pets

    Home visits: improving lives for vets, owners and pets

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    We were disappointed to read Nick Marsh’s recent assessment of home visits as “frustrating and scary”. As the UK’s largest home visit service provider, we are concerned about owners who cannot easily take their animals to the vet. As we are all too familiar with, travelling to the vet can be a traumatic experience for…

  • A cryonic kitty conundrum

    A cryonic kitty conundrum

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    I’m starting this blog with an apology. I frequently like to use links to other stories to illustrate a point or show where an idea originated from, but, sadly, this time that “read through” is from The Sun. I’m warning you now as I don’t want anyone to click through who doesn’t want to give…

  • Pitfalls in the waiting room

    Pitfalls in the waiting room

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    They say never work with children or animals, but I suspect whoever said that didn’t have much of a career in veterinary medicine (or as a paediatrician, come to think of it). In any case, they’re wrong – animals are the easy part. Instead, the question that crosses my mind as I take sink into…