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Category: Students

Two years as a vet student

In November, Glasgow descended on Liverpool as zombies for an alcohol-fuelled weekend of “sport”.

Having endured the wait for results, I can officially say I’ve passed my second year at vet school, and reflect on another crazy twelve months of life as a Glasgow vet student.

A vet is a unique type of student – despite having a crammed uni timetable we all manage to fill our “spare” time with a mountain of other activities. Not only that, but the close-knit circle of vet students at each individual school and the wider community across the schools in the UK and Ireland is something that is particularly characteristic to vet students.

In November, Glasgow descended on Liverpool as zombies for an alcohol-fuelled weekend of “sport”. Shortly after, however, the Glasgow vet sports teams focused their attention on the far more serious matter of “Dick Day”, the sports day against Edinburgh.

January brought my first experience of Association of Veterinary Students’ Congress, which was a great weekend of helpful practicals and talks. Here, the AVS elections opened, in which I was running for the editor position of JAVS (the vet student magazine).

Jordan gets her hands dirty during IVSA SpringBreak.

In March, I jumped on a plane to Germany to undertake foaling EMS at a thoroughbred stud yard, which was incredible and well worth the travel. Along with having an enthusiastic vet and yard manager (who were both keen for me to learn) I was also given the opportunity to return in the summer for yearling preparation.

After a year of meetings, emails and phone calls, the group of friends that had formed the Rodeo Committee finally pulled off a fantastic charity event for the public, despite battling the typical Scottish weather. It was a marathon effort for everyone involved, but worth it to see families having fun on the day, and succeeding in raising £16,000 for our chosen animal charities.

During the Rodeo aftermath, our exams hit, and the entire vet school population turned into library hermits. But after two weeks of red bull, little sleep and aching writing hands, we were free.

Shortly after, I ventured abroad once again, this time to Naples, Italy, as part of an IVSA (International Veterinary Student Association) trip. In addition to the interesting and unusual practicals and lectures, I met a variety of vet students from various countries and learned far more about veterinary in different cultures.

Having competed with the university riding team all year, I then found myself at the BUCS (British University and College Sport) Riding Championships with my teammates.

After three days of dressage and style jumping, our team was placed second in our league – a fantastic result for our club!

It’s been a busy year, and although exam results may suggest it’s now over, my summer has other ideas.

June 30, 2014
IVSA SpringBreak in Naples

Jordan “attempts” pregnancy diagnosis in buffalo

A friend who had attended an International Veterinary Students’ Association trip told me I should definitely attend any of its future events if I had the opportunity. Hence, when an email arrived about the IVSA SpringBreak in Naples, I applied immediately.

In all honesty, by the time I received an email confirming I had a place, I’d forgotten about applying entirely and began to reconsider.

Luckily my “what’s the worst that can happen” and “I have an overdraft if it gets costly” attitude got the better of me, and shortly after my professional exams finished in May, I found myself on a plane to Naples at some ungodly hour of the morning.

After the total of 24 vet students from all over the world (Poland, Taiwan, Israel, Nigeria, Algeria, Grenada, USA, Greece, Ireland and Scotland) had arrived, our Italian hosts held a welcome party in our honour at their university’s veterinary faculty. Despite Naples living up to its dodgy reputation within hours (one of our group got mugged after the party), we were soon thrown headlong into a packed week of vet activities and sightseeing and began to enjoy ourselves.

Over the course of the week, we had a few activities relating to the buffalo that are milked in Italy to produce mozzarella. In addition to sampling fresh mozzarella, we were shown around a buffalo farm and dairy parlour, were able to (attempt to) pregnancy diagnose some buffalo ourselves, dissected pregnant uteri and performed a postmortem on calves.

Standardbreds are a breed of horse best known for their ability to race in harness at a trot or pace instead of under saddle at a gallop – Wikipedia

The racecourse at which we had equine activities held some flat races on turf, but its main use was for harness racing of Standardbred trotters – not a common occurrence at home, but very popular in Italy. We took part in lameness assessment of Standardbreds, were shown the procedure for pre-race documentation checking and doping testing, and watched an endoscopy of a horse with suspected laryngeal problems. We did also, of course, get to watch a few harness races, which were quite the novelty.

An important aspect of the veterinary course in Naples involves the role of the vet at the fish market. For us, this meant waking up at 3am (thankfully supported by beautiful Italian espresso) in order to witness the process from fish arriving from the boats to being sent off to other markets, and the ways in which the vet ensures quality and maintains health and safety standards throughout.

Among all the exciting vet stuff, we managed to squeeze in a little sightseeing, including the breathtaking Cemetery of Fontanelle and the Pompeii ruins, after navigating (and getting in a complete mess with) the Italian public transport system.

After an impressive send off in the form of another party in the veterinary faculty, it was quite sad to say goodbye to some of the friends we’d made in a short space of time and, of course, to our fantastic Italian hosts – however, having being at least two hours late for most activities all week (after all, the Italian way is to not rush), I was relieved to be safely seated on my plane home.

IVSA SpringBreak in Naples: 24 international veterinary students and their Italian hosts

Aside from the experience I gained from the structured activities, I learned even more from the different types of people I encountered and their tales of how veterinary differs in their respective countries, which I think can be even more important than the specific veterinary knowledge acquired.

Sharing experiences with people from different backgrounds and cultures can be truly eye opening, and never ceases to amaze me.

June 16, 2014
Could I have a pet at university?

Missing her cats, Jordan ponders the feasibility of owning a pet while at university.

I’ve always had cats at home, and they often played the role of revision buddy/lap warmer. That was one of the things I missed most when I first went to university.

Pets aren’t allowed in student halls, but now that I live in a flat with other vet students, pet ownership becomes a possibility (landlord permitting).

As a student, I meticulously budget in order to ensure I eat well, am able to enjoy myself and get some travelling in without blowing all of my cash the first week that student loan comes in. But even with this amount of planning, could I find some spare to pay to feed a cat as well as myself? Probably. Could I find the money if something went wrong, if said cat needed lifetime insulin or thyroxine treatment or broke a limb in a road traffic accident? Probably not.

Pet insurance would extinguish the worry surrounding the “what ifs”, and I do know other students with pets that are insured. Even then, premiums that cover long-term conditions come at a fair price, and I wouldn’t want to find myself in a financial position forcing me to cancel insurance and risk my pet requiring costly treatment.

Money is not the only commitment that you make to a pet though. The other major consideration is time – although this is more of a concern with dogs, which require a greater time commitment than cats.

I often feel that owning a dog would be excellent stress relief, but as idillic as dog walking seems, could I commit several hours a day, every day, including around exam time?

Even if I could commit the time while I’m around, I know that I don’t stay permanently in one place. For the majority of the time I’m in Glasgow, but during the holidays I’m at home (Leicestershire), on EMS or travelling. Who would look after the pet then? Since I live with vets, they have similarly busy lifestyles and it would be unfair to expect them to pet-sit while I’m away.

And what would happen when I graduate? I don’t know where I’ll be living, where my first job might take me, or whether it will be feasible to take a pet along for the ride.

An alternative to pet owning is fostering. The Glasgow branch of Cats Protection has recently advertised their fostering service to vet students at Glasgow. The fostering scheme encourages taking on a cat, with bedding, litter and food provided. They will provide all veterinary care and will even take back the cats if you go on holiday.

I think fostering is a great way of caring for cats without a lot of the concerns outlined above, and perhaps the only option I’d consider while at university with regards to pets. As much as I’d love to own a pet in Glasgow, I think it would be unfair on the animal if I could not offer the money and time to give it a great quality if life.

It’s unfortunate that many people do not undertake greater consideration when deciding to own a pet. Perhaps many of the day-to-day ethical issues faced in practice could be avoided if they did.

May 30, 2014
Examining for the real world

A little last minute cramming? Image ©iStockphoto.com/Stock Shop Photography LLC

It’s that dreaded time of year again: end of year professional exams.

Having already completed our OSCEs (practical clinical exams), we now have the written exams to “look forward to”. Stress levels at vet school are sky high at the moment, and while my immediate concern is also the fast approaching exams, I have a more long-term concern playing on my mind: how reflective are the exams of our veterinary knowledge, really?

Some people can do exams and some just can’t handle the pressure. I am definitely the sort of person that can cram for an exam and then forget the majority of what I’ve learned as soon as I walk out of the exam room – I think this stems from riding and having to learn four show jumping courses a day, then immediately erasing the route of the first from memory so as to not mix it up with the next.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a complete last minute crammer – I have been working towards these exams for the best part of the last six weeks and hope I won’t forget everything immediately, but I know I can’t remember every detail from first year now. So how am I possibly going to retain everything I will need to know as a practising vet?

I have some small animal clinical EMS lined up this summer, and the staff at the practice are well aware that I’m only just finishing second year, so they won’t be expecting me to have expert knowledge on every drug in their cabinet or be a masterful surgeon. However, if I’m shown an radiograph of a limb, from first year anatomy, I should know what I’m looking at… but will I?

I suppose this reinforces the critical importance of EMS in supplementing our knowledge and allowing us to apply it in a practical situation. I can certainly appreciate the retention value of things I’ve seen or done on placements already – even from before vet school.

My first work experience placement at a vets was with a farm practice when I was 15. I remember being very cold while spending three hours pregnancy diagnosing dairy cows in February. But I also remember the three methods of correcting a left displaced abomasum that I saw that week and the unforgettable diagnostic “ping” heard through the stethoscope.

One of our practical exams last week involved the clinical examination of rumen function in the cow, and required that same diagnostic test. At this level, we were given healthy cows, and many of my friends were unaware of what exactly they were listening for. But I’m certain that even now, six years later, if I heard that ping, I’d know what it was.

Perhaps this just means that personally, I’m a practical learner – but being a vet will be a practical job, and the truth is, you can’t learn everything out of a book… and you can’t test long term retention by sitting a written exam.

The real test of whether I’ve remembered first year knowledge will be when vets start quizzing me in context.

May 16, 2014
Glasgow Vet School Rodeo
My responsibilities included poster/flyer design.

The Glasgow Vet School Rodeo is an annual charity event organised by vet students. It is traditional for second year students to make the event happen, and so this year, I was involved in its organisation.

My responsibilities included taking minutes at weekly meetings, correspondence with print media for advertising, compiling the programme and poster/flyer design.

Each year, we support several (usually animal-related) charities with the aim of hosting a fun-filled family day out while raising money for worthy causes. The year, the final total raised came to a huge £16,162.74, which will be split between the charities [see bottom of page for a full list].

The 54th annual Rodeo was held within the grounds of Glasgow Vet School on April 12.

After the committee was soaked to the skin while unloading and directing exhibitors to their pitches in the morning, the rain (but unfortunately not the wind) stopped just in time for the gates to open at 11am – much to everyone’s relief.

The day included falconry, dancing, duck-herding and husky demonstrations in the main arena, with SMAART horse, Trec and horse rescue demonstrations in the horse arena. There was also a dog show, which offered all owners the chance to enter their dog in a variety of classes, as well as an animal tent, reptile tent and pony rides.

Jordan (left) and “friends”

If that wasn’t enough, there were craft stalls in the marquee, bouncy castles, horse and carriage rides, and local animal charities also came along to promote their work.

As has become traditional, we ended the day by drawing our “rodeo raffle”. We had some fantastic prizes, such as a family pass for Blair Drummond Safari Park, afternoon tea at Hilton Glasgow, “Tee Time” at Royal Troon Golf Club and many more – we are grateful to the various organisations for providing these.

Despite battling through the fury of Scottish weather in the morning, and relentless wind throughout the day (resulting in many stalls being relocated into one of the marquees), the committee felt the day was a success overall. After eight months of planning, we pulled it off, and celebrated that evening in true Scottish style with a ceilidh open to students at Glasgow Vet School.

The charities being supported this year were:
- World Horse Welfare, which is an international horse charity that ‘improves the lives of horses in the UK and around the world through education, campaigning, and hands- on care’.
- Blue Cross, which “finds the right homes for unwanted pets throughout the UK, treats sick and injured animals at their hospitals when owners can’t afford private fees, promotes animal welfare and provides the Pet Bereavement Support Service”.
- Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, which helps people experiencing hearing loss throughout the UK by creating “life-changing partnerships between deaf people and specially trained hearing dogs”.
- Veterinary Development Fund: the James Herriot Scholarship fund will enable Glasgow Vet School to award scholarships to excellent undergraduate and postgraduate veterinary students who, through financial constraints, may otherwise not be able to study at Glasgow.
- Inti Wara Yassi is a Bolivian charity that works to rescue wildlife by confiscating illegally kept wild animals or by offering sanctuary to animals that are voluntarily brought to the charity. These animals are cared for in one of three parks throughout Bolivia (I also volunteered at two of the parks last summer).
- Hessilhead Wildlife Rescue, is a charity in North Ayrshire, Scotland, that aims to rescue, treat, rehabilitate and release birds and animals back to the wild.
- Students for Animals In Need is a charity made up of veterinary students from the University of Glasgow who work together to provide treatment to sick or injured animals that might not otherwise be treated, due to financial difficulties.
- Riding For the Disabled Association (RDA): Glasgow RDA provides equine therapy to more than 300 children and adults with disabilities from across the greater Glasgow area.
April 30, 2014
The German attitude to learning

A veterinarian placing a syringe in the vein of a horse. © iStockcom/Jan-Otto

The vet handed me the needle and vacuum tubes and, at the slightly bewildered look on my face, asked if I’d ever taken blood from a horse before. Upon my answer of “no”, he shrugged and said: “I’ll show you the first one, instruct you for the second, then you can do it by yourself.”

Having started at 8am on my first morning, he had me taking blood samples from broodmares used to produce top class racehorses by 8:05 – not something I would expect to be allowed to do as a second year vet student anywhere in England.

I spent the rest of that morning with Neils, the vet, driving to different yards and observing while he performed rectal ultrasound scans on mares, assessed an ongoing case of RAO (Recurrent Airway Obstruction) and extracted a tooth from a very old and very hairy pony, alternating between being utterly flummoxed by his exchange of German conversion with clients and him then explaining things to me in perfect English. I then returned to the stud yard I was based at (between Hannover and Hamburg) to groom, feed and bring in the mares.

Although I was technically supposed to be on pre-clinical EMS at the stud, Neils was eager for me to learn from him, in addition to the more husbandry-based experience I was gaining from being on the yard. Some days were spent entirely on the yard, and others were spent partially with him, gaining bonus clinical experience. Neils was a “one-man-band”, running a mobile equine practice by himself – an alien concept, compared to the practice based vets that are the norm at home.

About halfway through my first week, I spent an entire day with Neils and, having watched him scan (via rectum) more mares than I could count, he decided there were a few safe candidates for me to try my hand on (or, rather, arm in). After a few minutes of fumbling around, I managed to orientate myself and understood far more clearly what the grey and black mush on the ultrasound screen represented.

We then went on to x-ray a horse with a fractured radius and I assisted in applying its Robert Jones bandage. I took a few more blood samples and we called at other horses to drop off medication, vaccinate, assess lameness and rasp some teeth.

I felt like I’d had a taste of what it would be like to be a qualified vet – not from the practical and clinical things I got to see and do that day, but from the 14 hour day, having had nothing but a Creme Egg to eat and not stopping for breath…

However, arriving back to the yard that evening just after the arrival of a new foal made it worth every second. Between them, Neils and the yard manager explained everything that was done and needed to be done just after a foaling; we examined the afterbirth to ensure none had been retained, assisted the foal while it began to suckle and kept an eye on both the mare and foal for the next few hours.

The end of my two weeks in Germany came around all too soon and was quite sorry to have to leave. I was taken aback by their hands-on attitude and desire for me to get as much out of my placement as possible, and not just be another pair of hands for mucking out.

The generosity I experienced from everyone I worked with is something I’m extremely grateful for, and will never forget.

April 15, 2014
Ignorance is bliss

Over the last month there’s been quite an uproar over the reality of the production of halal and kosher meat, which has finally been brought to forefront of the public eye after the controversial decision to ban slaughter without stunning in Denmark.

There has been nationwide outrage and horror at the claims that slaughter without stunning (i.e. slitting the throat of the conscious animal) causes prolonged pain and awareness of aspirated blood before losing consciousness.

I have to say, I’m not as shocked as most people seem to be, including fellow vet students. Religious slaughter was mentioned during anatomy lectures last year with regards to blood supply to the brain. During ritual slaughter, the vertebral artery is not cut (only the common carotid arteries and jugular veins are severed when the throat is slit). In cattle, the vertebral artery is one of the main sources of arterial supply to the brain, and so they lose consciousness more slowly than other species, such as sheep, when slaughtered in this manner.

But after those lectures, nobody in our class expressed the level of disgust and anger that currently seems to be sweeping the nation. Evidently, Denmark’s drastic move to ban all slaughter methods that do not include stunning has brought the facts to public attention. Perhaps many people simply didn’t realise exactly what is meant by halal or kosher meat.

A goat slaughtered at the Kashgar livestock market according to the laws of dhabīḥah ḥalāl. Image © iStock.com/tanukiphoto

This sudden understanding has resulted in many people, including vets, voicing their opinions and calling for the UK to follow Denmark in banning such practices. However this suggestion was more than a little ambitious, and was put to bed unequivocally when Prime Minister David Cameron said, in Israel, that kosher will never be banned in the UK.

Personally, I think it was unrealistic to ever entertain the idea that the UK would do the same as Denmark. This country’s culture is extremely broad and mixed in the present day, and so could never allow for the banning of religious slaughter without offending a considerable proportion of the population. Religion is always a touchy subject and political correctness, along with fear of being labelled as racist means the Government would never allow a complete ban.

Ensuring animal welfare is the moral priority of any current or future vet, and I am no exception. Yes, I do think that slaughter without stunning is cruel. However, I don’t believe that it is entirely unacceptable, because I respect the fact that it’s not quite as black and white as banning these methods outright.

This might seem defeatist, but I’m just being realistic.

Instead of fruitless protests and campaigning for a ban, I feel that it would be more productive to raise awareness of animal welfare issues such as this instead. The vast majority of the UK public would probably still be blissfully ignorant to what goes on in our very own abattoirs if it wasn’t for Denmark’s recent actions. Slaughter without stunning has been happening for thousands of years, and it seems like the general public are only just beginning to understand what is involved.

It’s not just the species or method of slaughter that makes an animal product kosher. Further laws govern which parts of it can be eaten.

If we want to tackle this issue directly, the best result we could hope for would be better labelling of meat products to enhance public knowledge of how they’ve been produced. Perhaps then, those who are not Jewish or Muslim would be more inclined to buy products from animals which have been stunned, allowing a refinement of the market so that minimal animals are subject to the methods used to produce halal and kosher meat.

Looking at the bigger picture, those of us within the veterinary community should take it upon ourselves to raise public awareness of similar welfare issues that those outside of the industry are not necessarily aware of. It can be difficult for us to distinguish between the issues that the public are or are not aware of because we are immersed in the animal produce industry to a much greater level. However, it is our responsibility to realise this, and bring future welfare issues into the public eye, when they otherwise might go unnoticed for years to come.

March 31, 2014
Should I be a vegetarian?

Like the design? Buy the t-shirt

Vegetarianism can be quite the controversial topic, with many people choosing not to eat meat or particular types of meat for varying reasons – be that moral, financial or simply down to taste and preference.

But how should I stand on the matter, from the point of view of a vet student?

While on EMS, I’ve been met with differing opinions. At my lambing placement, the farmer’s mother just could not understand why anyone would be vegetarian and believed that we especially – as future vets – should not even entertain the idea. In stark contrast, the farmer and his family at my dairy placement were quite surprised when I told them that I eat all types of meat, and claimed that every previous vet student they’d had was vegetarian.

These views may simply arise from generation differences, with older generations still firmly sticking to the “you get what you’re given” attitude. But is it more than that? Are we, as vet students, expected to have an opinion one way or the other?

©iStockphoto.com/alle12

Vets contribute massively to the meat industry; they need to be present in abattoirs, and the aim of farm vets is to keep the industry going. On a day-to-day basis the farm vet is likely to undertake routine tasks (TB testing, pregnancy diagnosis or the occasional caesarian or surgical correction of a displaced abomasum), but if you look at the bigger picture, these all contribute to helping the meat and dairy industries run smoothly. The farm vet also plays a vital role in advising on improving production and maintaining high welfare standards in order to produce the optimum quality and quantities of meat.

So, if a farm vet spends their life oiling the cogs in the meat industry, surely it’s entirely counter productive to be vegetarian?

Of course, there is the moral argument against using animals for meat. But, as ambassadors for animal welfare, should vets sit on this side of the fence?

There is the opinion that any type of farming instigates cruelty and unnatural methods of some degree, and that, as vets, we should not stand for this. Dedicated to ensuring good welfare of all species, we, of all people, cannot turn a blind eye because we are faced with the reality of what goes on behind the scenes of the meat industry.

But we are not vets yet. And how much of the “student” in us dictates our diet, whether we like it or not? The hard truth is that meat is expensive to the average student, and a lot of us subconsciously undertake the decision to eat very little meat purely due to finances.

Is this how vets should be expected to think?

While I respect other people’s decisions to become vegetarian, I could never do it. Since we have a pig farm in the family, meat eating has always been a way of life, not a choice – not that I genuinely think I’d be forced to eat meat if I didn’t want to, but vegetarianism is just “not done” in our family (and I always get packed off to uni with enough home-produce to last me the semester).

As for seeing “behind the scenes” of the meat industry, I have very strong opinions on farming, and the reasoning behind methods and techniques that may be deemed as “cruel” to the outsider. These views stem from my farming background, and the ignorance of non-farming folk often frustrates me.

While vets have a much deeper insight into the meat industry than the general public, I’m not convinced that this has a particular effect on our choice in being vegetarian or not – and I don’t think being a vet student changes your opinion in one direction or the other.

However, I do believe that if someone genuinely had very strong objections towards the meat industry, they would find a veterinary course very difficult to handle morally. Even if you’re set on purely becoming a small animal vet, we all get immersed in the meat industry to some extent.

March 14, 2014
It takes balls to neuter

A close up of a vet performing sterilisation surgery on a dog. Image ©iStockphoto.com/Dan-Edwards

As graduates, one of the most routine surgeries that we will be expected to be competent at is neutering. As students, when on work experience or EMS, we will have seen at least one of these procedures a day at small or mixed practices… often more.

But routine does not necessarily mean easy, simple or without risk. When learning about reproductive anatomy, we were faced with a harsh truth: the concept of spaying is actually fairly terrifying, particularly as there is a considerable risk of a bitch bleeding to death.

Spaying is not to be underestimated. Among the usual complications and risks involved in the use of general anaesthetic, there are also a few scary blood vessels to worry about.

During the surgery, it is necessary for both pairs of ovarian and uterine arteries to be cut. It is of vital importance that these are ligatured (tied off) securely to prevent the likelihood of internal bleeding post-surgery. Neither of these are to be underestimated – the ovarian arteries are particularly important to ligature properly, since they branch directly from the aorta. A slipped ligature could result in serious problems, and could potentially result in the patient bleeding to death.

Clients should always be made aware of surgical risks and all eventualities, but I would imagine that the last thing an owner would expect after taking their dog or cat to be neutered would be the death of their beloved pet post-surgery.

This is quite a daunting prospect for the “most routine” surgery in practice. You can’t afford to be complacent – you really do have to get it right.

As an avid traveller, I had always intended on getting involved in a neutering clinic in India for EMS, even before learning just how risky neutering can be if not done properly. Now, I will make sure to realise that aim, in order to get as much surgical practise as possible before graduating. Hopefully, it will help boost my confidence, so that I won’t be as concerned as I am currently about this “routine” surgery by the time I am a qualified vet.

March 3, 2014
Media in the veterinary world
Media savvy vet, Pup Aid founder and #wheresmum author Marc Abraham.

In January, I attended my first AVS (the Association of Veterinary Students) congress. It was a fantastic event, featuring inspiring talks and lectures, fascinating practicals and the infamous AVS ball.

I would strongly urge any vet student to attend congress at least once during their time at vet school – aside from all the events available during the weekend, it’s a great opportunity to meet students from other vet schools and make valuable contacts that you may well need in the future. It certainly opened my eyes and made me realise just how small the veterinary world can be.

TV vet Mark Abraham opened the event with a talk to illustrate his achievements and work to date. He talked briefly about his Pup Aid campaign, which aims to prevent puppy farming in the UK and promote obtaining puppies from registered breeders or rescue centres only.

In addition, he gave some valuable advice: fight for a cause you believe in and use the media to your advantage.

He reiterated the importance of media within the veterinary world, which includes not only journals and papers within the profession, but other forms such as TV and social media that are more accessible to the general public.

In particular, he emphasised the impact that Twitter has had on spreading the word about the Pup Aid campaign. With the support of well known celebrities “retweeting” the link to the online e-petition, Marc gained the required number of signatures, and puppy farming is currently being debated in Parliament as a result.

A recent storyline on Eastenders involved breeding a dog and selling the puppies as a way to make money. This is a crucial example of the impact the media can have on public opinion. After seeing this, many viewers may be inspired to do the same in order to make a bit of spare cash, which is exactly the sort of attitude that the Pup Aid campaign is trying to abolish.

In today’s age of technological advancement, there are so many media platforms available to bring the veterinary world into the public eye. We must use this to our advantage, whether that is to promote campaigns such as Pup Aid, raise awareness of veterinary issues or even to promote individual practices and the services they provide.

The media is a powerful thing, and we must not forget that just because it sometimes feels like we live in a bubble that is the veterinary world.
- Marc’s petition to ban the sale of young puppies and kittens without their mothers being present runs until 02/05/2014 – SIGN THE PETITION HERE!
February 17, 2014