Vet Times

Tag: Stress

  • Cats versus dogs – the ultimate speciesism?

    Cats versus dogs – the ultimate speciesism?

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    It seems ages ago now, but the August bank holiday brought many treats this year – it was sunny, I didn’t have to pick up a dead cat from the gutter and a special edition of This Morning aired. For anyone who has had to recuperate from surgery like me then This Morning becomes a…

  • Schedule 3 – evidence of our role secured

    Schedule 3 – evidence of our role secured

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    As well as traditional Halloween high jinks, 31 October 2017 marked a truly happy day for veterinary nurses, as the RCVS published results of its survey into VNs and vets‘ knowledge and use of – as well as future wishes for – the VN role under Schedule 3. As the full document is more than…

  • On killing

    On killing

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    “It must be the hardest part of your job.” In my early career I would nod solemnly, sigh, and say “yes, it is,” while I thought about the myriad other things about my job I was finding harder than euthanasia: challenging ongoing clinical cases out-of-hours work the stress of responsibility the fear I was blundering…

  • Arguments

    Arguments

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    I am not a naturally confrontational person – I am British, slightly shy and not especially self-confident, which means I am effectively Arthur Dent (except I prefer coffee to tea). I am generally pretty popular with clients, though it makes my humility gland twinge to admit it, and I used to joke this was because…

  • SNAP cortisol test

    SNAP cortisol test

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    While hyperadrenocorticism is not an uncommon incidental finding in patients presenting to our emergency clinic, hypoadrenocorticism is a lot less common. Or, possibly, more frequently underdiagnosed. Textbook clinical presentations combined with haematology and biochemicial changes can make diagnosis straightforward, but not all patients will present with all the classic signs. To complicate things further, hypoadrenocorticism…

  • It’s good to talk…

    It’s good to talk…

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    The issue of poor mental health in the veterinary profession as a whole is becoming more recognised, and has sparked the launch of initiatives such as Mind Matters and Vetlife’s helpline service. But what about vet students specifically? When I was applying for vet school, I remember numerous people told me the hardest part is…

  • Pet hunting criteria – am I neurotic?

    Pet hunting criteria – am I neurotic?

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    It’s been suggested to me recently some of my attitudes to owning a pet might be a bit “weird”. As I have written in previous blogs about Hollie, Little Blue (LB) and general pet ownership issues, you might agree. You might already have thought this. I don’t really mind. I know I’m a little special…

  • Good mental health – not just for humans

    Good mental health – not just for humans

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    Hollie has had a big month. She’s had surgery and now we’ve started behavioural therapy. To be fair, she’s generally a bit anxious as she hadn’t really been socialised at all until we got her at six years old – so she’s always been a bit behind the usual socialisation time frame. We cope with…

  • Pieces of paper

    Pieces of paper

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    Several piles of paper are on the table in the centre of the room. The slide trays are stacked next to them; depending who has been on “winkling” duty, this is either a towering Manhattan skyline of ominous-looking pillars, or a sprawling shanty town of small groups and ordered by urgency, potential difficulty, quality of…

  • Eating disorders and the veterinary profession

    Eating disorders and the veterinary profession

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    The general public associates the word “anorexia” with the eating disorder characterised by refusing to eat to lose weight, which, in human medicine, has the more specific name of “anorexia nervosa”. As vets, we use the word the term “anorexic” in the slightly different sense of being a clinical sign our patients exhibit – defined…