Vet Times

Tag: insurance

  • Disillusionment

    Disillusionment

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    “Have we had the suicide talk?” I was 16 or 17, seeing practice at my local vets’, as I did every Thursday evening. One of the vets would often fill gaps in consults by grilling me on the ins and outs of the profession, but this topic had not been covered before. When I blinked…

  • Striving for (im)perfection

    Striving for (im)perfection

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    In our current era, it seems as if perfectionism is considered a great virtue. I see and hear a lot of people describing themselves as “a bit of perfectionist” (which always strikes me as an oxymoron) as if this is a good thing, a great virtue to be lauded. I freely admit here that I…

  • The value of a nurse: putting a number on it

    The value of a nurse: putting a number on it

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    I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve heard anecdotally about the value of vet nurses to the vet team. This is always nice to hear; whether it’s about me or vet nurses as a whole, it’s heart-warming to hear – but does that pay the bills? For some reason, while we are getting…

  • Money and medicine: compromising care for cost

    Money and medicine: compromising care for cost

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    Here’s a good way to start a blog: Victorian humour. Man: I say, Doctor, how’s that old chap you’ve been treating? Doctor: I fear he is beyond medical help. Man: Oh no! Is he dying? Doctor: No, he ran out of money. Hey, I never said it was a topical blog… Uncomfortable bedfellows In my…

  • Hollie: a cautionary tale

    Hollie: a cautionary tale

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    “For Hollie, my soulmate, my daemon, my constant shadow”   I saw this today – words I had written elsewhere, but forgotten about – and the stoic face I had worn for the past few months melted away. Hollie died in October and I have been in a strange state of denial, relief and grieving…

  • Importance of pet MOTs

    Importance of pet MOTs

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    The annual vaccination appointment is important for a number of reasons, there’s no denying that. However, it should be considered an annual health check or pet MOT, as many owners like to put it, rather than a yearly visit to the vets – a distinct difference exists. By law we have to take our cars…

  • Dog walker insurance

    Dog walker insurance

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    When is an insured dog not insured? I think we’re probably all pretty well versed in this: When it’s pre-existing. When the policy has been cancelled. If it’s an excluded condition. If it’s a preventable disease and a prophylaxis hasn’t been given. Yet there is an area where medical insurance may not cover your dog:…

  • Pet safety in an emergency

    Pet safety in an emergency

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    It’s almost a year since the fire at Grenfell Tower in west London – an awful event taking so many lives and causing distress to those who survived. You may recall concern at the time for a number of pets there, as some people had tried to move their pets safely and had lost them,…

  • An abbreviation too far?

    An abbreviation too far?

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    We love an abbreviation in the veterinary world. CBA, RTA, TTA – just hopefully not all on the same patient, or all at the same time. To laypeople, medical notes must seem like another language. Therefore, it’s no surprise, when said laypeople request access to their records, that these notes rarely hold the answer. So…

  • The art of veterinary medicine

    The art of veterinary medicine

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    So, with less than three weeks until finals, my friends and I have finished rotations. Some of us have had job interviews and some have accepted job offers. This is all getting a bit real… Supposedly, we’re ready to take on the outside world as real vets. We’ve got heads full of knowledge and hands…