Vet Times

Tag: Cats

  • AFAST, part 2

    AFAST, part 2

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    Part one of this series looked at how to perform an abdominal focused assessment with sonography for trauma (AFAST) – this week looks at how to interpret abdominal fluid scores (AFS) in a clinical setting. To recap – the score is out of a possible 4, with each site allocated a 0 or 1 based…

  • AFAST, part 1

    AFAST, part 1

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    AFAST = Abdominal Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma In the emergency setting, focused ultrasound examinations are increasingly being used as extensions of the physical examination. The goal is the identification of life-threatening conditions – such as internal bleeding or organ rupture – but can also assist in tracking conditions over a period of time.…

  • Nail clipping

    Nail clipping

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    “Clip nails” It seems innocuous. It looks so simple and routine on the consulting list – no worrying about history taking, no complicated diagnoses or treatment plans – just clip the nails. A quickie that may even give you a chance to snatch a few minutes back so you can stay on time: this is…

  • Keeping pets happy in the heat

    Keeping pets happy in the heat

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    The English summer, though tardy as usual, has finally arrived – and while this is cause for celebration among humans, I thought it best to share a few words of caution about keeping our furry friends equally happy as the temperatures rise. Around this time of year, vets get a surge of patients coming in…

  • Head trauma, part 3: hypertonic saline 7% or mannitol?

    Head trauma, part 3: hypertonic saline 7% or mannitol?

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    As discussed in part 1 and part 2 of this series, many dogs and cats can recover from severe brain injuries if systemic and neurological abnormalities are identified and managed appropriately and early enough. The initial trauma to the brain parenchyma is followed by secondary damage resulting from haemorrhage, ischaemia and oedema. As the brain…

  • Always on: a new perspective

    Always on: a new perspective

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    It was a couple of weeks before I set off for Bristol and an uncertain, but exciting life on the vet course that my mother – who’s been a member of the medical field for many years – began pointing out various dogs and cats to me as we passed them, stating that, once I…

  • Farming EMS in the news

    Farming EMS in the news

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    I’m not from a farming background, and nobody I knew was agriculturally inclined when I decided to pursue production animal medicine. My family wondered why I would bother “messing about with cows” when I could comfortably work a four-day week petting kittens (their somewhat confused perception of small animal vetting). There were some not-so-subtle hints…

  • Create rules when you can’t remember everything

    Create rules when you can’t remember everything

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    We all know it is impossible to know everything. Even when you are studying for an exam it is still hard to remember the specifics of whatever you are learning. What I found helps me is to create rules around things that can have serious implications if I don’t remember them. The rules are there…

  • From the other side of the fence: how to help students make the most of EMS

    From the other side of the fence: how to help students make the most of EMS

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    Not long ago I was shadowing vets on placement, but now I’m on the other side of the fence – the one being shadowed. As a student, I found EMS placements variable – some were great, and some… not so much. This often depended on the individual vet, some of whom would be naturally better…

  • Naked emotion: client reactions to fur loss

    Naked emotion: client reactions to fur loss

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    I’m watching Twitter with joy as @myleftfang (Ollie to those who know her) parades her nekkedness on social media. It’s an issue close to my heart, so I thought I’d talk about it with Ollie’s experience as a starting point. For those wondering, Ollie is Ricky Gervais and Jane Fallon’s cat. She is very active…