Vet Times

Tag: Vaccination

  • Silver linings in a blue January

    Silver linings in a blue January

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    With altered plans and festivities limited to just one day in England, it feels like Christmas came and went even more swiftly than usual this year – so perhaps the post-Christmas blues may not be so noticeable. However, it is these – together with the poor weather, failure to stick to New Year’s resolutions and…

  • A Christmas cheer

    A Christmas cheer

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    This year has had, at least from my peculiar and very Western perspective, a peculiarly narrative structure; specifically, the classic narrative structure of a disaster movie (although at times it has felt more like a 10-season box set). It started, as many good stories do, right at the start of the year with dark rumours…

  • A dog is for life, not just for Christmas… or lockdown

    A dog is for life, not just for Christmas… or lockdown

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    In the first lockdown in March, we saw a surge in puppy purchases. With vets up and down the country struggling with staffing issues, and trying desperately to heed RCVS and BVA advice to see emergencies only, new owners requesting puppy vaccines just added to that pressure. We waited with trepidation, expecting the craze to…

  • Lockdown 2.0 as a vet

    Lockdown 2.0 as a vet

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    During the last lockdown, I wrote about the struggles of working in a veterinary practice through COVID. And while that has changed slightly, it has still been an extremely tough year for all members of staff throughout the profession. In March, practices up and down the country resorted to emergencies only, and postponed all routine…

  • Lymphocytes, part 1: Bridget Jones

    Lymphocytes, part 1: Bridget Jones

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    My job is full of beauty and wonder, but I must admit that, at first glance, lymphocytes aren’t much to look at. They come in all manner of varieties, but a standard-issue small lymphocyte is basically a tiny black dot with an almost indistinguishable small amount of cell juice (cytoplasm) around it. A small lymphocyte…

  • Feline fine in lockdown

    Feline fine in lockdown

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    Since the start of lockdown, I’ve been seeing a lot of cats in practice – not that I’m complaining, as a self-confessed “crazy cat lady”. A lot of these cases have been geriatric cats – many of which presented with chronic vomiting or reduced food intake (with various aetiologies). However, when we tore through our…

  • Coping with euthanasia from a distance

    Coping with euthanasia from a distance

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    I’m not really sure what’s happening in practice at the moment, but it’s insanely busy. Despite trying to justify the unbelievable increase in work, I can always think of a counter argument: There’s fewer staff members, so maybe the cases are just more concentrated between fewer vets? In reality, we are actually only 1.5 vets…

  • Don’t get a puppy

    Don’t get a puppy

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    I read somewhere that, as more people will be at home at the moment, now might be good time to get a puppy. However, I cannot disagree more: in the middle of a pandemic, now is NOT the time to get a puppy. If you are due to get a puppy or are considering getting…

  • Social distancing and vets

    Social distancing and vets

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    The Government’s advice is clear. We should not be leaving our houses for anything other than four very clear reasons: Shopping for basic necessities, as infrequently as possible One form of exercise a day – for example, a run, walk or cycle (alone or with members of your household) Any medical need, to provide care…

  • Quiet days

    Quiet days

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    Sometimes, back when I worked in general practice, I would wish for that fabled, longed-for rarity: a quiet day. Usually when the case I was examining was clearly more complicated than 10 minutes would allow, or as I watched the waiting room list grow and tried not to think about the other cases I’d already…