Vet Times

Tag: Stress

  • Triage, pt 1: primary survey

    Triage, pt 1: primary survey

    —

    by

    The art of triage takes time to master – particularly in emergency hospitals, where critical patients arrive in quick succession to the crash area. Patients need to be examined quickly and effectively to ensure the most critical issues are identified and stabilised. To do this, I break triage into two categories – primary survey and…

  • Don’t rush: a systematic approach to x-rays

    Don’t rush: a systematic approach to x-rays

    —

    by

    One of my responsibilities in our emergency hospital is the training and mentoring of vets new to the field of emergency and critical care. A common area I have found where clinicians request more training is radiographic interpretation. When I review radiographs and find pathology that was missed, it Is more often due to a…

  • Moxie’s milkshake brings all the boys to the yard

    Moxie’s milkshake brings all the boys to the yard

    —

    by

    VN Times has recently been accepting images and details of animals where you have been part of their rescue story. I have already entered my lovely hospice foster Moxie, but I thought I would expand on her rescue journey as she has helped others along her way. Moxie was found about a year ago in…

  • Oh, CR*P! Using point-of-care C-reactive protein tests

    Oh, CR*P! Using point-of-care C-reactive protein tests

    —

    by

    Few companies now offer affordable point-of-care tests for canine C-reactive protein (CRP). As we did when we recently received our new box of CRP slides, you might soon be asking the question: what do we even do with this stuff? Here’s what we’ve learnt… CRP is one of the acute phase proteins produced by the…

  • Rat bait’s sneaky trick: bleeding into the dorsal tracheal membrane

    Rat bait’s sneaky trick: bleeding into the dorsal tracheal membrane

    —

    by

    Most of us are familiar with anticoagulant rodenticide toxicosis and the range of clinical signs it can present with, but there is one potentially fatal manifestation of coagulation pathology that is perhaps not as widely known… Dogs with severe clotting problems will occasionally bleed into the dorsal tracheal membrane. This causes collapse of the thoracic…

  • The why of veterinary science

    The why of veterinary science

    —

    by

    In one of the last decade’s most influential books on motivation, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, author Daniel Pink argues that the traditional motivators of the previous century – reward and punishment – mostly fail to deliver when it comes to keeping people engaged, fulfilled and happy in their careers. According to…

  • This long December

    This long December

    —

    by

    With 13 years as a blogger for Vet Times under my belt, you may think that writing comes easily, but this December it has felt very difficult to come up with a festive post. Previous articles have considered the chocolate etiquette of clinic life and the frozen turkey “gift” given to our team on Christmas…

  • Dystocia, pt 2: diagnostics

    Dystocia, pt 2: diagnostics

    —

    by

    Part one of this series covered the stages of labour and indications dystocia is present. Once the bitch presents to the clinic, a few basic diagnostic checks need completing to determine the status of the bitch/queen and the fetuses. Physical examination The first is a thorough physical examination, starting with the bitch or queen: Demeanour,…

  • Pancreatitis, pt 2: treatment and prognosis

    Pancreatitis, pt 2: treatment and prognosis

    —

    by

    Last week we covered diagnosing pancreatitis and the challenges associated with doing so. This week we look at management. The treatment of pancreatitis largely involves supportive care and monitoring for potential complications. Here, we recap the fundamentals. IV fluids IV fluids are critical in the acute phase to restore perfusion to core organs and correct…

  • Systemic antibiotics – a brief guide for new grads

    Systemic antibiotics – a brief guide for new grads

    —

    by

    A lot of information is available regarding different antibiotics and, for the newest generation of vets, the pressure to use them correctly and responsibly is greater than ever. One of main challenges when you start clinical practice is knowing the most appropriate antibiotic for common presenting conditions. Below is a rough guide for antibiotic selection according to body…