Vet Times

Tag: Horses

  • Hirudotherapy – not just for the movies

    Hirudotherapy – not just for the movies

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    Hirudotherapy is the use of leeches in a medically controlled environment to treat medical and surgical problems. Within the veterinary world, Hirudotherapy is less commonly used than in human medicine, yet has been shown to aid a variety of cases. This is something I have never personally seen or worked with, but as someone who…

  • On yer bike…

    On yer bike…

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    I would like to introduce you to something I discovered during my time researching for Horrible Histories: the dandy horse – a horse that, while not a living creature, still managed to cause stress for veterinary surgeons. The British dandy horse was developed from the German Von Drais’ pedestrian cycle and was at the height…

  • The revision roller coaster

    The revision roller coaster

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    At this stage of the year, it’s hard for me to write about anything but revision. So, for those of you reading this as a means to escape, I can only apologise. At the same time, if your idea of time off from studying is reading my work-related articles, then I think we need to…

  • DO look a gift horse in the mouth

    DO look a gift horse in the mouth

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    If you don’t come from a “horsey background” (like me) then the equine side of the vet course can feel a little overwhelming. From a different number of ribs and guttural pouches to the inability to vomit, horses have an abundance of clinical differences to our smaller patients, and so (quite rightly) often need to…

  • Do I have a hound or a horse?

    Do I have a hound or a horse?

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    The longer I live with a greyhound, the more I recognise similarities between owning a greyhound and owning a horse. I’m not quite at the stage where I’m considering a stable for Joey, but there are definitely personality traits and physical needs that are very similar between equids and hounds. Plastic bags Ah yes, the…

  • Mixed new grads

    Mixed new grads

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    As a student, I remember sitting in the passenger seat of a farm vet’s car on the way to a cow caesarean, desperately trying to remember anything he might ask me about calvings. Instead, he quizzed me on the top 10 small animal emergencies. I think he was trying to reassure me that not many…

  • The borrowers?

    The borrowers?

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    Having written on what I see as the perils of the popularity of “borrowing” pets via apps and websites, I was saddened to see that, with the COVID-19 puppy boom, these are now being seen as a “normal” alternative to doggy day care. A sad narrative of puppy farm dogs with behavioural issues and ill…

  • Eosinophils: worms, wheezes, and weird diseases

    Eosinophils: worms, wheezes, and weird diseases

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    Unless you’re a parasitic nematode (and I suspect the majority of you reading this aren’t) or suffer from an allergy (probably a bit more likely), it’s hard not to be a little bit excited when you see an eosinophil. Just like their brothers-in-arms, the neutrophils, eosinophils are part of the front-line defences of the immune…

  • Social distancing and vets

    Social distancing and vets

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    The Government’s advice is clear. We should not be leaving our houses for anything other than four very clear reasons: Shopping for basic necessities, as infrequently as possible One form of exercise a day – for example, a run, walk or cycle (alone or with members of your household) Any medical need, to provide care…

  • Are you firework ready?

    Are you firework ready?

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    The season of terror will soon be upon us, and by that I don’t mean Halloween – I refer, of course, to the dreaded Bonfire Night, and the influx of owners requesting a magical cure for their dogs’ noise phobia. We’re all guilty of losing track of time, but this time of year particularly seems…