Tag: Stress

  • On yer bike…

    On yer bike…

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    I would like to introduce you to something I discovered during my time researching for Horrible Histories: the dandy horse – a horse that, while not a living creature, still managed to cause stress for veterinary surgeons. The British dandy horse was developed from the German Von Drais’ pedestrian cycle and was at the height…

  • Thoracentesis, part 1: indications, equipment and protocol

    Thoracentesis, part 1: indications, equipment and protocol

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    Thoracentesis is a relatively straightforward and life-saving technique for seriously dyspnoeic animals with pleural space disease, and is a valuable diagnostic tool. Here are my tips for getting the most out of your approach to performing a thoracentesis. Indications Therapeutic – relieve respiratory distress caused by pleural effusions and pneumothorax. Diagnostics – cytological examination of…

  • 5 things I would tell my vet school self, part 3

    5 things I would tell my vet school self, part 3

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    So far in this five-part series I have stressed the importance of signalment and finding practical work while studying – both of which should be crucial in student learning. In this third part I decided to focus on the incredible support nursing and reception teams offer vets – both on a professional and personal level.…

  • The revision roller coaster

    The revision roller coaster

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    At this stage of the year, it’s hard for me to write about anything but revision. So, for those of you reading this as a means to escape, I can only apologise. At the same time, if your idea of time off from studying is reading my work-related articles, then I think we need to…

  • Five strategies to develop your resilience

    Five strategies to develop your resilience

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    The ability to learn resilience is one reason research has shown that resilience is ordinary, not extraordinary. Like building a muscle, increasing your resilience takes time and intentionality. With that in mind – and following last week’s article, which explored what resilience is – here is a five-point plan to help develop it. 1. Develop…

  • What is resilience?

    What is resilience?

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    Resilience is the ability to bounce back from problems and setbacks or when things don’t go as planned. It’s a quality we all possess to some degree, but some of us can draw on it more easily than others, or can take bigger knocks (or more knocks) than others can. Resilience is important because it…

  • Managing workloads

    Managing workloads

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    It’s 2023. I’m most likely closer to my date of dying then I am to my date of birth. This doesn’t terrify me, but what does scare me is the fact I seem to be “growing up”. How did this happen? Can I reverse it? Can I get a refund? I’m sure many of you…

  • Systemic hypertension, part 1

    Systemic hypertension, part 1

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    Blood pressure monitoring is a standard practice as part of human medicine physical examination. In veterinary medicine, however, this is often omitted due to patient compliance issues, as well as inaccuracy as a result of transient hypertension caused by stress and fear. Systemic hypertension ultimately results in target organ damage – brain, heart, kidneys and…

  • To resect, or not to resect…

    To resect, or not to resect…

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    To resect or leave in a piece of intestine that is concerning you is a common source of stress when performing exploratory laparotomies. In many cases, this is straightforward; in some, it can be difficult to decide. The risk is if you leave in a piece of intestine and it devitalises, then leakage of intestinal…

  • Dangers of festive gatherings

    Dangers of festive gatherings

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    Christmas is a great time for family gatherings, but this does not necessarily mean it is a great time for pets. In fact, it can often be the opposite, with veterinary clinics seeing a major increase in patient numbers that come through the door. One common emergency we see at the emergency hospital during the…