Vet Times

Tag: MRI

  • Seizures, part 2: the differentials

    Seizures, part 2: the differentials

    —

    by

    In part one of this series we discussed the important questions to ask when taking a history from owners of dogs and cats that are having seizures. In this part, we look at the differential diagnoses for these cases. There are many ways to classify the different causes of seizures, but the simplest is as…

  • Commonly held beliefs that don’t do us any good, pt 2

    Commonly held beliefs that don’t do us any good, pt 2

    —

    by

    Belief #2: if you can’t afford to care for an animal then you shouldn’t have one You, young doctor or nurse – living in your privileged society of excess, with your years of study, working in an industry that exists largely to minimise animal suffering – have certain expectations of what “taking care of an…

  • Loss (reprise)

    Loss (reprise)

    —

    by

    My father-in-law was the type of gentleman they don’t make any more. He was a far calmer, kinder, friendlier and gentler man than it is within my nature to be. Although he was her stepfather, he was far more of a dad to my wife than the previous incumbent. He was the kind of grandfather…

  • A defence of generalism

    A defence of generalism

    —

    by

    Ahh, veterinary medicine. Look at it, stretching out over the horizon – so pretty. Look at all those referral centres. Of course, I remember back when it was all fields. Back in my day, you could be a proper mixed vet, expressing anal glands with the lingering scent of cowpat on your fingers, and an…

  • Loss

    Loss

    —

    by

    You may be thinking, if you read my last blog, I’m not the sort of person who should have a dog. You may even be right. Well, I didn’t know as I was writing it that I would soon be a person who didn’t have a dog anymore… Willow had been quiet for a week…

  • Standing surgery

    Standing surgery

    —

    by

    On my latest EMS placement at an equine hospital, I’ve seen a number of surgeries – some done under general anaesthesia (GA) and others under standing sedation. After getting over the fact a horse can stand half asleep while having its face drilled into and not really seem to care, I started wondering about the…

  • Familiarity is the gateway to empathy

    —

    by

    In our line of work we not only confront, but make use of death as a means to an end – stopping or preventing suffering. But how do we know what we’re putting our patients through really is an “easy death”? I qualified in 1997; it was quite a long, warm summer as I recall. I…

  • Neuro-exams can be very helpful

    —

    by

    A nice six-year-old Labrador with a history of possible trauma, complete forelimb muscle atrophy and proprioceptive deficits was brought to see me. Radial paralysis was high up on the list of differentials, but the poor chap had not shown any response to conservative management. I noticed it had mild anisocoria, slight ptosis and third eyelid prolapse, indicating the…