Vet Times

Tag: surgery

  • Check bile acid values in lethargic puppies

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    Have you ever had a puppy that just presents with lethargy, exercise intolerance and sleeps all the time? This is normal for my teenage daughters, but not so for a young Lhasa apso that presented to my surgery. Physical exam was unremarkable, but the dog was so sleepy we administered IV fluids to perk it up. Routine biochemistry…

  • Reduced defecation in dogs post-surgery

    Reduced defecation in dogs post-surgery

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    Many dogs will not pass faeces for the first four to five days after surgery. Reasons include, but are not limited to: The dog has been fasted prior to surgery. Dogs do not eat well during the hospital stay. They frequently do not eat well when they go home, as they are still recovering fully from anaesthesia.…

  • Is cranial cruciate ligament surgery always necessary?

    Is cranial cruciate ligament surgery always necessary?

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    For dogs weighing less than 15kg, cranial cruciate disease can be managed conservatively – weight loss until an appropriate Body Condition Score (BCS) is achieved, exercise restriction for 3 to 6 weeks, and possibly physical therapy and pain medication – allowing acceptable comfort and function. In dogs weighing more than 15kg, cruciate disease will eventually cause significant arthritis,…

  • What makes a good vet?

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    As a student on placement, I’m often in awe of the vets I’m working with. The ability to take a history, examine an animal, run through differentials and come up with a diagnosis or action plan within 10 minutes – all while listening to an owner commenting on the weather or traffic – seems superhuman.…

  • I’d recommend early neutering

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    Last week I removed one of the largest, most pus-filled uteri from a large breed dog that I have ever seen. I’m a bit long in the tooth now, but I still found the whole procedure a bit scary given the size and vascularity of the uterus – and this made me reflect on the…

  • The cases that stay with you

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    We are deep into a busy term of teaching and have veterinary care assistant students in centre, as well as nursing diploma and nursing degree groups. We are also supporting students in practice and ensuring nursing progress log (NPL) completion. It’s so important in teaching to relate theoretical and practical elements to cases. We can use standard cases…

  • Top tips from the reception desk

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    As I’ve done quite a few clinical tips now, I thought it would be interesting to ask our receptionists what their top tips from the front line would be. Sara, one of our excellent branch manager team, says communication is essential. Passing on as much information as possible to the clinical team can sometimes be…

  • It takes two to tango

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    Before the full force of third year hit, the first week back at vet school started with everyone catching up on tales from their summer holidays. Before long, it was like we’d never left and the four months of freedom seemed to fade into a distant memory. However, one particular topic of holiday gossip that…

  • Twenty years too late?

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    I recently paused to think about what I was doing (which is always fatal) and realised I was drowning in paper. I was looking after seven in-patients, all in various stages of recovery. Each patient had a set of computer records where the narrative of their stay and invoicing were kept, while the hour-by-hour notes…

  • Use spay hooks to reveal pharyngeal foreign bodies in cats

    Use spay hooks to reveal pharyngeal foreign bodies in cats

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    I find retching cats usually present last thing in an evening surgery, leaving you with that tricky choice of whether to anaesthetise and investigate immediately, or delay until the next morning. It also seems to be the ones you delay (because they’ve eaten, of course) that do have a grass blade while, more often than not, the ones…