Vet Times

Tag: insurance

  • A difference of opinion

    A difference of opinion

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    I’m only a few short weeks into my final-year rotations at the University of Bristol’s Veterinary Referral Hospital, but I already feel like I’ve learned a lot: DOPs aren’t as scary as I’d built them up to be in my head. It does get easier to navigate your way around the hospital with time (and…

  • All creatures great and small: big dog, bigger impact?

    All creatures great and small: big dog, bigger impact?

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    Rescues and breeders both agree on one thing: small dogs are more popular than big dogs. Having recently made the move from a small dog to big dog owner, I’ve been reflecting on the differences in terms of his impact. Is a big dog more money, work and impact than a small dog? Money I…

  • 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…

  • What would you do?

    What would you do?

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    Having returned from an equine visit, I clambered out of the car in the practice car park and started gathering some equipment that needed cleaning. A few parking spaces over, one of our other vets was stood with her back to me, sporting a visor, deep in conversation with a client via a rolled down…

  • What about vets on the front line?

    What about vets on the front line?

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    Our profession is generally pretty good at pulling together in the face of adversity. I’ve always loved the community feel of being able to go to CPD events, and usually know someone, or have connections with someone, who is there. I love being able to send a message to my uni friends at any time…

  • Pitfalls of pet insurance

    Pitfalls of pet insurance

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    Nowadays, insurance is not the be all and end all. It is no longer the all-singing, all-dancing green light to work up a case to “gold standard” without financial restraints. So many companies are out there with so many variations in policies that it’s seemingly impossible to keep up. The question “is he insured?” is…

  • Sustainable veterinary

    Sustainable veterinary

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    Having recently attended a talk from Davies Veterinary Specialists regarding its environmental initiatives, I felt that both I personally, and many veterinary practices out there, could be doing a lot more to be “greener”. In a recent BVA Voice of the Veterinary Profession survey, it was found 89% of members think vets should play a…

  • Pet vs medical insurance

    Pet vs medical insurance

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    Vets deal with insurance on an almost daily basis and are used to discussing pet insurance with owners. Whether it’s offering free insurance with a puppy package, asking whether an owner has insurance when deciding treatment plans, or filling out continuation insurance forms for on-going cases, we all understand both the value and the pitfalls of…

  • Two cats: a tale of diametric treatments

    Two cats: a tale of diametric treatments

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    I thought I would take well to emergency work; I’m a night owl, and when animals crashed or bled in general practice I kept my cool and worked logically, but quickly, to discover the problem and fix it – or at least, attempt to. I had recently left my post as clinical director, and picking…