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  • RCVS council election manifesto: Christopher Barker

    RCVS council election manifesto: Christopher Barker

    CHRISTOPHER BARKER

    Christopher Barker.

    BVSc, MLitt, CertVR, MRCVS

    Ashlea Veterinary Centre, Unit 2b, Port Road Business Park, Carlisle CA2 7AF.

    T 01228 549177

    M 07703 753758

    E ctbarker@supanet.com

    PROPOSERS: Anne French, Iain Richards

    Since qualifying from Bristol in 1980, I have worked in a wide range of first-opinion practices (mixed, pure equine and pure small animal) and, for seven years, was involved in the tuition of final year veterinary students while working for the former Glasgow University Practice in Lanark. I achieved the CertVR from practice in 1991 and obtained an MLitt for archaeological research in 1989.

    Since 1994, I have run a small animal practice in Carlisle with my wife Kirsty, which has grown to employ five veterinary surgeons and four RVNs, and accepts student VNs from three different colleges. The practice achieved the Investors in People Award on three occasions. I take primary responsibility for cardiology, imaging and orthopaedic work.

    Beyond work, my interests include skiing, cycling and DIY, keeping my English setter fully exercised and watching cricket.

    Before offering myself for election to the RCVS, I spent two years on SPVS Council; I was elected to RCVS Council for the first time in 2012.

    Manifesto

    I have been fortunate to be a member of the standards committee throughout my first term on council. Currently its vice-chairman, I have sought to ensure demands made of practitioners are both reasonable and deliverable.

    I was part of the post-Chikosi 24/7 review, which, we hope, has more clearly defined the responsibilities of both owners and veterinary surgeons. Another review may prove unavoidable as consumer choice leads to the fragmentation of veterinary service provision, with resultant confusion as to who exactly carries responsibility for the emergency care of those animals “registered” with more than one supplier.

    A recent survey, part of the Vet Futures initiative, has revealed worrying levels of disillusionment among younger members of the profession. Further analysis will, I hope, help us to understand the reasons for this. While dedicated emergency services have improved work-life balance for many, as 10-hour days become common have we simply changed the nature of work-related stress? I find it sad fewer graduates now express an interest in running their own practice; while it is undoubtedly challenging to run your own business, you can at least take control of your professional life. If this trend continues then the number of genuinely independent practices will inexorably decline.

    Next year should see the conclusion of the current review of RCVS governance, a review likely to lead to a significant shrinkage in the size of council. Elected members will remain in the majority, but their numbers will be reduced. It will be important council retains members with relevant and recent experience of first-opinion practice. In this regard, I believe I can continue to make a worthwhile contribution and would ask for your support in this election.

  • Mega dairies: intensive farming? Or just efficient?

    Mega dairies: intensive farming? Or just efficient?

    Delegates who participated in the farm stream at the 2016 Association of Veterinary Students (AVS) Congress in Liverpool (myself included) had a visit to a so-called “mega dairy”.

    Ohio dairy.
    So-called “mega dairies” often receive bad press for their size.

    The herd we visited had around 1,000 milkers, which seems large when compared to the UK dairy herd average of 123 (according to AHDB Dairy). Yet, in the grand scheme of things – when considering the real dairy giants in places such as the US with herds ranging up to 30,000 and the proposed 100,000 cow dairy in China – it’s questionable as to whether this farm could really even be considered “mega.”

    Putting numbers aside, the real reason we were taken to the farm was to see how these large-scale, high-intensity dairy production units function.

    Preconceptions versus reality

    The public shudders at the words “intensive farming” and, as a vet student, I like to think I have a slightly more informed view on what that means. Saying that, I hadn’t been to a dairy farm on such a scale as this before and was pleasantly surprised by the forward-thinking approach to every aspect of dairying.

    The concept behind many of the methods used on this farm is based on maximising production by reducing stress levels in the dairy cow, thereby minimising any health implications and reduction in yield. This is done by time budgeting by accounting for time she wants to spend feeding, lying down, eating, drinking and socialising. The “leftover” time is used for milking, with management tasks fitted around – i.e. pregnancy diagnosing during her time at the feed face.

    Regulation and reduction

    Social cows.
    Milking is fitted around the cows’ “social” time.

    Interestingly, the zero-grazing system allows for the cow to regulate her own feed intake depending on her stage of lactation. The straw-based total mixed ration fed is the same for every cow, and differences in energy requirements rely on the reduction of rumen size during late pregnancy to sufficiently reduce intake. This minimises fat cows during late lactation and drying off.

    Digital motility assessing scales are used to pick up any load imbalances, which can then be addressed immediately, opposed to 2-3 weeks later, when the cow would begin to show clinical lameness. There is also emphasis on the milking parlour being a stress-free environment so the cattle can enjoy being there without the need for food bribery.

    Efficiency effects

    Maximising efficiency is key, not only in terms of the cow, but the unit as a whole. Water used on the farm is recycled five times by using it for drinking water, washing and filtering bedding sand from slurry. This process also allows the sand to be cleaned, dried out and reused for bedding. Large solar panels on the roofs of the open-sided housing sheds provide more than enough electricity for the whole unit, with the surplus being shipped out to the surrounding area.

    Research has shown the optimum environmental temperature for a cow is much lower than perceived – this is accounted for by the huge open-sided housing buildings and ventilation system. Each detail seems to have been meticulously considered, with continual monitoring and data analysis taking place to ensure production efficiency is maximal. In the efforts to reduce antimicrobial use within the veterinary profession, the farm’s claim to have halved its use, and any veterinary involvement in the last few years, can only be applauded.

    Time for change?

    Solar panels.
    Efficiency measures on the farm include water recycling and solar panels (file image).

    With its huge open sheds, cows bedded on a calculated depth for maximal comfort with access to feed at any time and constant monitoring for early signs of stress or ill health, while not the idealistic picture of a cow moseying around a field at her leisure, was not far off, and certainly not the grim jumped-to conclusion when it comes to intensive farming.

    Public perception is always going to be a huge hurdle for farming, but perhaps we can change that through the right sort of publicity, starting with abandoning the phrase ‘intensive farming’ and all associated misconceptions, and replacing it with something like ‘efficient’ or ‘environmentally friendly’ farming, because that is exactly what it is.

  • Work hard, play hard

    Work hard, play hard

    At the end of January I travelled down to Nottingham for the third annual Student Equine Veterinary Association (SEVA) symposium.

    Image: Roman Milert / Fotolia.
    Image: Roman Milert / Fotolia.

    The weekend was crammed with lectures, practicals and seminars relevant to horses in particular, for equine enthusiasts from all UK vet schools – and even some from further afield.

    Auspicious start

    Any congregation of vet students is eventful, and the weekend kicked off with us accidentally setting the toaster on fire before making our way to campus for the first set of lectures.

    It’s always interesting to see other vet schools in their settings: the short journey through the Midlands countryside was quite different from our commute in the West End of Glasgow.

    Sarcoid legend

    Big names in the equine vet world were present to deliver talks on a range of subjects from the emergency colic, orthopaedics, the racing vet and reproduction.

    The British weather was against some of the guest speakers and, after battling the snow to make his plane, Prof Derek Knottenbelt arrived a little later than planned to deliver his lecture on oncology – a highly amusing and informative presentation that proved the renowned sarcoid legend was worth the wait.

    Jonathon Pycock, as well as delivering a talk on reproduction, ran a seminar on the Veterinary Defence Society (VDS) and through the medium of hilarious anecdotes, encouraged students to make use of the VDS in the future should they ever get into a sticky legal situation.

    Practicals covered a wide range of subjects, but I had chosen cardiology and farriery.

    Matters of the heart

    The cardiology practical covered auscultation of the normal horse and localisation of a heart murmur in the abnormal horse, followed by ultrasound scanning of the heart; something I’d never done before.

    We were able to use electronic stethoscopes during the session – the difference they made was incredible (shame I haven’t got a spare £400 to upgrade from the manual one). We then had a related seminar on diagnosing and interpreting heart murmurs from auscultation recordings and ultrasound videos, which was very helpful in trying to distinguish heart sounds more clearly.

    cardiology practical
    Veterinary students taking part in the cardiology practical.

    Local Army Farriers ran a session on farriery, allowing us to practice removing a shoe, putting a shoe on and the approach to an abscess in the foot. We later discussed the use of different remedial shoes for various conditions and urged us to communicate effectively with farriers in order to work together to achieve the best solution to problems of the foot.

    Party on

    Saturday evening played host to a black tie ball, with great food and wine and a live string band, before continuing the party with many of the speakers also dancing among the students until the early hours.

    As with all vet events, I had a fantastic time and would urge other students to go to at least one of these symposiums or congress during their time at vet school.

    Even if it’s revision, I find learning something you think you might know reasonably well in a different format will highlight areas you need to work on and help consolidate things better. While the focus is primarily academic, I think these weekends are still always true to the vet school mantra of “work hard, play hard”, and I always have a fab time.

  • Lost and found: why microchipping is a must

    Lost and found: why microchipping is a must

    Hinckley Times article
    Doogle’s plight found its way into the hallowed pages of The Hinckley Times.

    One of our cats – Doogle, a home-loving feline who rarely sets foot outside the garden – recently got himself caught under my mum’s car, only to drop out when she’d driven along a few streets and run, startled, across the fields toward the next village.

    Posters, local press coverage and Facebook shares resulted in a few potential leads on his whereabouts (we’d localised him to 2-3 miles from home) but, as a cat that doesn’t normally roam far, we never thought he’d find his own way back. The only comforting factor was the knowledge he was microchipped – should someone find him and take him to a rescue centre or vet, he’d be returned to us.

    Cats vs. dogs

    As cats tend to stray (or get lost), the advantage of microchipping them is clear, but it isn’t a legal requirement. It will, however, become law in England and Scotland for dogs to be microchipped from 6 April 2016. This change in the law means that all dogs must be chipped by 8 weeks of age and the appropriate details registered to the chip must be up to date.

    Unfortunately, while we did have Doogle microchipped, we realised we hadn’t registered our contact details with the microchip company, despite him being 18 months old and having been chipped as a kitten.

    This is something many dog owners will have to consider in line with the new law: if an owner does not keep the dog’s information up to date on a relevant database, or the dog is unchipped, a notice may be served giving 21 days in which to rectify the situation. If they still fail to comply, a fine of up to £500 can be issued or the dog may be seized and microchipped.

    Raising awareness

    Doogle
    Doogle managed to make his way home without the aid of microchip technology, but not all pets are so lucky.

    Ignorance is no excuse, so we must make clients aware of the new regulations, and in some cases, the exemptions:

    • Working dogs that have their tails docked in accordance with the Animal Welfare Act 2006 are allowed an extended time limit of 12 weeks before they must be chipped (this applies to England and Wales only – tail docking is entirely banned in Scotland).
    • Implantation can also be delayed if a vet believes it could adversely affect a dog’s health. In these cases, the vet must certify this is the case and state the expiry of the exemption, by which time a chip must be inserted.

    The introduction of the law will help trace inherited defects, tackle puppy farming and promote responsible dog ownership, not to mention the peace of mind that chipping gives owners should their pets be lost or stolen.

    Much to our disbelief, Doogle managed to find his own way home two weeks after he first went missing, so we never relied on his microchip for him to be returned, but we can now appreciate the relief of knowing it’s there (with the correct details registered) if he ever disappears again.

  • Barking up the right tree – with Trusty Paws

    Barking up the right tree – with Trusty Paws

    Originally a charity set up by veterinary students for the homeless hounds of Glasgow in October 2014, Trusty Paws has become incredibly successful and has received a huge amount of public support.

    The Trusty Paws Clinic logo

    This success has allowed the charity to run monthly clinics at the Simon Community Scotland drop-in centre, providing free health checks, vaccinations, microchipping, and flea and worming treatment for the pets of the homeless.

    Essential supplies, such as food, coats and harnesses for the dogs, are also given out at these clinics for those in need.

    Branching out

    The success of the Glasgow clinics has led to a branch of the charity opening in London, with the first clinic taking place in November 2015.

    Run by fourth year RVC students, the clinics take place at the West London Day Centre in Marylebone, which also provides other services for the homeless.

    The expansion of the charity is excellent news for the pets of the homeless, for whom we can continue to provide the veterinary care they deserve.

    In at the deep end

    The Glasgow clinics are organised by the student committee, but health checks are conducted by other fourth year student volunteers. Last week I had the chance to get involved and, under the supervision of a volunteer vet, conducted my first full consultation that didn’t involve actors in a communication skills class.

    My patient, Bruno, wasn’t particularly well. The owner said he was not himself (he certainly looked depressed), had lost a significant amount of weight since his last visit and had a slow heart rate, in addition to some evident skin issues.

    The vet suspected Cushing’s disease, so we referred him to the local Pets’n’Vets branch that undertakes any secondary veterinary care Trusty Paws patients require. They have conducted blood tests, paid for by the charity, and have confirmed the diagnosis.

    Offering support

    While a little daunting to be thrown straight into a full consultation, I thoroughly enjoyed helping out at the clinic and would certainly encourage other students (whether in Glasgow or London) to do so in the future.

    The clients are extremely appreciative and evidently love their pets dearly, so it’s easy to see the benefits of such a charity to everyone involved.

    • If you can’t get directly involved, but wish to offer financial support, donations can be made via PayPal.
    • Alternatively, the charity has two Amazon wishlists (one for Glasgow, one for London), enabling supporters to purchase specific products that each clinic requires.
  • Festive threats to four-legged family members

    Festive threats to four-legged family members

    Now well into December, and getting ever closer to Christmas, there will be an abundance of “goodies” around the house that are not so good for the four-legged family members.

    Image: © Freeimages/s22k.
    Jordan advises colleagues to ensure clients keep an eye on their pets during the festivities. Image: © Freeimages/s22k.

    Most owners are aware of the dangers of chocolate and so are likely to rush down to the vet on Boxing Day when their Labrador has broken into the tin of Heroes – but what other festive dangers are there that owners are not so clued up on?

    Pudding

    The festive favourite Christmas pudding, while enjoyable for us, can be lethal for pets. It is the raisins, currants and sultanas that may lurk within that are poisonous.

    While the mechanism of toxicity is poorly understood, we know it can cause acute kidney failure in dogs.

    The treatment protocol for poisoning by raisins, etc, is similar to general suspected poisoning with an unknown agent: give an emetic (to make the animal vomit), an adsorbent (for example, activated charcoal) and supportive care (IV fluids) to protect the kidneys for a few days.

    Antifreeze

    Ethylene glycol, more commonly known as antifreeze, is extremely toxic to pets, with consumption of tiny amounts resulting in crystal formation in the kidneys, and so acute renal failure. Antifreeze smells and tastes sweet, so pets are often attracted to it. For this reason, it is best for owners to ensure it is kept in a secure container, well away from pets.

    Early symptoms include neurological signs, such as wobbliness, twitching, seizures and depression. As the poisoning progresses, the animal will have cardiac and respiratory signs, such as increased heart and respiratory rate. It’s vitally important owners look out for these signs if their pets have had any possible access to antifreeze (for example, if they’ve got into the garage or if a cat has been missing for a few days and potentially been locked in someone’s shed).

    The antidote for ethylene glycol poisoning is ethanol, because it replaces ethylene glycol as a substrate for the enzyme that breaks it down into toxic products. More specifically, lab-grade ethanol is best.

    Sweetener

    Xylitol is a sugar-free sweeter that is used in chewing gum, cakes and sweets, particularly diabetic foods. Xylitol causes insulin release in the body, resulting in hypoglycaemia and, later, liver damage.

    Symptoms include vomiting and signs of hypoglycaemia: lethargy, weakness, collapse and, if it progresses, seizures and coma. Unlike ethylene glycol, there isn’t a specific antidote, but supportive care, including fluids and liver protectants, is vital. The prognosis for xylitol toxicity is good if the animal’s hypoglycaemia is corrected quickly, so it is essential for owners that suspect this to contact their vet immediately. If you’re trying to determine whether xylitol is in a product, it is often listed as a food additive, code E967.

    Decorations?

    And don’t forget the potential foreign body too – if the cat has been playing with the tinsel and managed to swallow some or the dog has ingested a few tasty looking baubles.

    Enjoy the festive season, but advise owners to keep an eye on their pets this Christmas.

  • Being English in Scotland

    Being English in Scotland

    Coming from the centre of England, studying veterinary medicine in Scotland has its quirks. In my first week I was immersed in an entirely new language that had nothing to do with my choice of course.

    england-scotland-jigsaw-2_Fotolia_treenabeenaOne of my Scottish friends loves to remind me of the golden moment in an introductory lecture when I leaned over and whispered “who’s Ken?” (as in “I dinnae ken”, or “ken what I mean?”).

    But this week, during a lecture on bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD), I was left wondering about the geographical impact of studying in Glasgow compared to friends who stayed closer to home.

    North of the border

    The BVD virus has a pretty interesting mechanism that, while making for fascinating reading, is the reason it wreaks havoc on the UK’s cattle industries and can be pesky to both diagnose and get on top of in the herd.

    While BVD is prevalent all over the UK, Scotland is significantly further ahead than my home turf in the control of this disease, mainly due to a government-implemented eradication programme in recent years.

    In England, however, many farmers are unaware of the disease or reluctant to undertake the costly exercise of hunting persistently infected calves within the herd, which, at the moment, is not compulsory – unlike in Scotland.

    Now there was a lot of joking about England letting the side down and being a bit useless, but the reality is that until England plays catch-up and implements an eradication scheme, it’s going to be extremely difficult for the Scottish eradication to be 100% successful – short of throwing up a double fence between us and them.

    Regional issues

    If I were studying elsewhere, I wonder how the emphasis would differ depending on the prevalence in that region. Several times in my lectures I’ve heard Angiostrongylus (heartworm) brushed off as a differential if the animal has been to the south of England, with little much else said.

    Would that be given more time in an area with higher prevalence, if I were studying in London for example?

    At the end of the day, we all come out as vets, no matter where we’ve studied, and, while some topics may get more emphasis because of their regional importance, we’ll still need to pay particular attention to those conditions or diseases more commonly found in the areas we end up working in. So I don’t think geography has a dramatic impact long term (unless you never intend to leave your university city).

    And after all, Scotland knows how to ceilidh.

  • A high-risk profession

    A high-risk profession

    Currently nursing a bruised tailbone after being propelled twice from a four-legged fiend I had a disagreement with regarding a small upright jump, I can’t help but wonder why we do these stupid things.

    "HorseKick" by Daniel Johnson - originally posted to Flickr as IMG_1328. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
    “HorseKick” by Daniel Johnson. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

    Horses can be hazardous enough when you’re on top of them, but they’re not all angels at ground level either. The results of a 2014 study commissioned by BEVA revealed equine vets are at the highest risk of sustaining injury out of all the civilian occupations in the UK.

    While these results have been published for some time, and whether the news was surprising or not on first reading, my recent injury certainly made me consider more seriously whether we are cautious enough around horses in a veterinary context.

    I was probably about as safe as possible this week during my falls, kitted out with a high standard helmet and air jacket, yet I still got injured. We can’t prevent every injury or accident possible, but we can try to take measures to minimise the damage.

    The second most common site of injury reported by equine vets in the study was the head, but when was the last time I saw a vet enter a stable wearing any form of head protection? Never.

    In some cases, I believe this is a matter of pride, practicality or even client confidence. If a vet turned up at the yard with a riding hat on, clients may believe they’re not confident around horses – and how difficult is it to look into a horse’s mouth while rasping teeth with bulky headgear?

    Armour
    “Jousting? No, I’m just off to the stables…”

    However, safety should come first and perhaps vets should consider being more vigilant, despite the potential judgemental attitude they may be presented with.

    What about repro work? I’ve seen many a fractious thoroughbred mare lash out with her hindlegs while being scanned, luckily with an appropriate board or stocks used to protect the vet. But I have seen an equal number of occasions when vets have been rectal scanning with nothing except confidence in a “good tempered” horse to protect them.

    So, how can we make situations like that safer, short of carrying a portable kick board in the car or persuading clients to invest in appropriate equipment.

    It should be a daunting prospect entering a profession that has been proven to carry the highest risk of injury in the country, and yet most of us take this as a given, not giving it much thought. The results of the study have only confirmed what many of us already knew about equine work, but I think it should act as a wake-up call to encourage vets or practices to alter policies to maximise safety in the field.

    After all, it would be pretty miserable work if most of the time was spent hobbling around like I currently am.

  • Finding the words

    Finding the words

    I’m a bit of a grammar Nazi, so getting involved in editing has been a lot of fun.
    I’m a bit of a grammar Nazi, so getting involved in editing has been a lot of fun.

    I enjoy writing about my experiences, but I also enjoy reading about others. I’m also a bit (or a lot) of a grammar Nazi, so getting involved in editing over the past couple of years at university has been a lot of fun.

    I started by subediting the University of Glasgow’s student newspaper and proofreading emails/letters for fellow students on the organising committee for a charity event, before taking on the role of editor for the student vet magazine (JAVS), which goes out to all UK veterinary schools.

    This is something I love doing, but it does have its downsides – and it sometimes feels like trying to draw blood from a stone. The past few editions of JAVS have seen a serious deficiency of contributors, but each one has been saved by my persistent chasing of articles, rallying people I know have an interesting story to tell, and reassuring those who’ve been asked to write but lack confidence in their ability.

    Now this begs the question: why do veterinary students not want to write?

    • Are they too busy and see it as pointless extra work that won’t be recognised or count towards their degree?
    • Are they worried about not producing an item good enough to publish?
    • Do they lack confidence in their linguistic abilities?

    While the vet degree is insanely busy and students will count every precious moment of free time they have, there are considerable advantages to having a piece of writing published – be that in print or on the internet.

    Getting your name out there

    JAVS, Spring 2015
    “Writing for a student publication is a great start in order to get into the swing of things without strict word counts or other constraints.”

    It’s surprising how far an article or blog post can reach. People with seemingly nothing to do with the veterinary profession or, alternatively, those higher up in the profession may see them.

    Social media provides a particularly excellent platform for getting your work out there – many of the student written articles published on the AVS (Association of Veterinary Students) Facebook page have received “likes” or comments from BVA and RCVS presidents.

    For those looking to publish in the future, whether through research or journalism, writing for a student publication is a great start in order to get into the swing of things without strict word counts or other constraints.

    Even if you have no interest in writing as part of your career, having your name on an article can have other advantages. Who knows, maybe in a few years your future employer may have been intrigued by something you’d had published – which could make the difference between being asked to interview or not.

    Spread the word

    Sharing ideas with other students allows writers the opportunity to pass on information that could benefit other parties as well. For example, if someone undertakes EMS with a charity he or she feels is a particularly worthwhile cause and needs extra help, writing an article to raise awareness could give the organisation a huge boost. It will also make fellow students aware so they could go and have the same great experience as others before them.

    Even sharing hints and tips for other things vet related might help other students avoid common mistakes or guide them more smoothly through the maze of the veterinary degree.

    Don’t be scared

    writing
    “Don’t be scared. Bite the bullet. Put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and just go for it,” says Jordan.

    It has been suggested many veterinary students don’t want to write because they don’t think they have anything interesting to say, or worry their finished piece won’t be good enough for publication – and I appreciate writing doesn’t come naturally to everyone, but that’s where I come in.

    I can’t magic up the entire content for a whole magazine, but if students give me some ideas to work with – regardless of how scrambled they may be – they can be edited into fully formed articles.

    It may be that self confidence is the issue, but don’t worry, everyone has to start somewhere. Your first attempt wont necessarily be the next Harry Potter phenomenon, but I guarantee that most veterinary students do have interesting experiences or ideas to talk about – so don’t be scared. Bite the bullet. Put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and just go for it.

    Getting published can open a lot of doors you didn’t even know were there, so I would encourage every veterinary student to try to get their names out there. After all, the veterinary world is smaller than you think, and you never know who might be reading.

  • The wrong end of the telephone

    The wrong end of the telephone

    Pepsi3
    Jordan and Pepsi in happier times.

    A couple of weeks ago, I received the phone call I’ve been dreading since moving away to university.

    My horse had had an accident in the field, hurt her leg, and the vet was on the way. That’s all the information I received until the next call, with the vet on the other end.

    “Communication within the tarsal joint… leg swinging… don’t think the long bone is actually fractured but significant damage to tendons at the back… rapid respiratory rate.”

    As soon as I knew which way the conversation was going, I barely heard the rest.

    My girl, who I’d had for 10 years. My girl, who’d been passed from pillar to post before we gave her the stable long-term home she’d never had. My girl, who had taught me to ride by being an infuriatingly awkward cow at the best of times.

    My girl, who, when in the mood, was unbeatable and with whom I achieved a national title. My girl, who was the only one I trusted not to hurt me after my four-week stint in hospital when another horse landed on me. My 21-year-old girl, who’d been steadily getting stiffer from arthritis over the last few months. My girl, who, when I last rode about a week before this incident, was 10 times better than she’d been in a long time.

    pepsi2
    “My girl, who, when in the mood, was unbeatable and with whom I achieved a national title.”

    My girl was about to be shot…

    All the vet language stopped making sense, the clinician rationale went out the window. I just needed to know one thing, vet to vet student: is this fair? Could it wait five hours for me to tear down the M6 to say a final goodbye or would even that be an unnecessary amount of suffering?

    I think I already knew the answer.

    I felt utterly helpless and beyond reason for the following days, but as the shock wore off I was able to consider things retrospectively.

    Having spoken to the family that were with her at the time, I’ve gathered a bit more information and been able to convince myself it was the right and only decision.

    pepsi1
    RIP Pepsi.

    I’ve seen many animals have to be euthanised, for varying reasons. Some cases were more upsetting than others, but, for the most part, I’ve been able to detach myself from it – always telling myself it was for the best, in the animals’ interest for welfare reasons, and that there were no alternatives.

    They say clients will only take in a small proportion of bad news. Now I know what that means. All the vet talk just went straight over my head, and the only thing I really got was that there was only one way it was going. This has outlined the importance of clear and concise communication when delivering bad news to my own clients in the future.

    In communication skills classes, we’re told to encourage owners to bring someone with them who can write down key points and ensure they understand before proceeding. Now I appreciate the value of this so much more, having been the receiver instead of the bearer of bad news.

    While the pain is still raw, I think I can take something from this to help me be more empathetic and ensure I communicate effectively in the future.

    You can steal all the ham sandwiches you want now, Pepsi.

     

    pepsi4