Vet Times

Tag: clinical

  • Aggression as an unusual presenting sign of hypothyroidism

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    I’ve not long come across a case of a middle-aged dog that had suddenly become unaccustomedly grumpy and started snapping at its poor owners. This was uncharacteristic, as it had no previous history of behavioural problems. There were no other obvious clinical signs – perhaps it had become lazy of late, but there was nothing to put your…

  • Anaesthesia: safety first!

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    I attended some great anaesthesia lectures at London Vet Show. The Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists (AVA) ran an afternoon of lectures, and all were really good. The use of safety checklists prior to anaesthesia was discussed in one session. These are available free of charge from the AVA’s website. The lists work well in human medicine…

  • Email and information security

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    More commonly these days, our practice management systems (PMS) are able to distil a patient’s records and send the package via email. This is a tremendously convenient tool for us – it is a lot quicker and cheaper to do it this way than struggling with the arcane and temperamental fax machine. However, bear in…

  • Top tips from the reception desk

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    As I’ve done quite a few clinical tips now, I thought it would be interesting to ask our receptionists what their top tips from the front line would be. Sara, one of our excellent branch manager team, says communication is essential. Passing on as much information as possible to the clinical team can sometimes be…

  • It takes two to tango

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    Before the full force of third year hit, the first week back at vet school started with everyone catching up on tales from their summer holidays. Before long, it was like we’d never left and the four months of freedom seemed to fade into a distant memory. However, one particular topic of holiday gossip that…

  • Work experience

    Work experience

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    It’s the start of another academic year. With this comes the students who have struggled to get work experience to secure their place on course, and those who have waited for a training practice (TP) place to come up. All veterinary nursing courses require the applicant to have completed a number of weeks work experience…

  • Ask the editor

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    As a student steward at the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) Congress, my responsibilities included helping set up the trade exhibition, handing out welcome packs at the registration desk and escorting speakers to the appropriate rooms. However, we were also able to sit in on lectures and act as the legs for the microphone whenever…

  • Back to the coalface

    Back to the coalface

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    Being in VN education means I can drop back into practice occasionally. We are actually required to spend a minimum of two days per year in practice for practical clinical updating, as well as another two days for updating theory. I’m booked in to enjoy two days with a favourite past employer of mine. It’s…

  • Because I say so

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    This blog entry isn’t a rant. It’s a plea. I got involved in a discussion on euthanasia techniques with a couple of other colleagues – and if there’s a topic that sparks discussion and opinions as much as this one I have yet to find it. We had our daily seagull brought in. It was…

  • Clinical EMS 101

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    At vet school, you learn some basic clinical skills and are taught how to conduct a general clinical examination to prepare you for EMS placements in veterinary surgeries. What they don’t prepare you for is making a complete idiot out of yourself. Before my first clinical placement I told the vets I would be working…