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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
Topical treatment of Pseudomonas otitis externa in dogs

Severe otitis externa in a four year old cocker spaniel. The ear canal is inflamed and swollen shut, and ceruminous exudate is present. Image by Joel Mills [GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0 or CC-BY-SA-2.5-2.0-1.0], via Wikimedia Commons.
As a general guideline, 5-10 drops (depending on the dog’s size) of topical antimicrobial agent should be applied to the ear twice daily, but in cases with ruptured tympanic membranes, all topically applied antibiotics are potentially ototoxic.

When the tympanic membrane is not intact or its patency is unknown, pet owners must be warned of potential adverse reactions. However, such cases are rare, and the benefits of topical antibiotics outweigh the risk of ototoxicity.

In acute Pseudomonas otitis cases, first-line topical antibiotics include neomycin, polymyxin and gentamicin.

Cases that fail to respond to initial therapy or cases of chronic Pseudomonas otitis call for second-line topical antibiotics such as tobramycin, amikacin, enrofloxacin, ticarcillin and silver sulfadiazine.

In these circumstances, presoaking the ear canal with Tris-EDTA enhances the activity of the subsequently applied topical antibiotic. Tris-EDTA disrupts the cell membranes of gram-negative bacteria, such as Pseudomonas species, allowing the antibiotics to permeate the bacteria and work more effectively.

April 21, 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
PETS with rabies, in the UK?

Close-up of a dog’s face during late-stage “dumb” paralytic rabies. Animals with “dumb” rabies appear depressed, lethargic, and uncoordinated. Gradually they become completely paralyzed. When their throat and jaw muscles are paralyzed, the animals will drool and have difficulty swallowing. Image credit: CDC/Barbara Andrews

Lectures on legislation regarding veterinary-related issues are never the most interesting, often involving endless lists of dates and figures, but the Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) lecture this week had a slight edge to it.

Among other important factors, such as microchipping and documentation, the focus was quite obviously on the recent changes to the rules regarding rabies.

It was evident that abolishing the blood test was not a great move in the opinion of this particular lecturer. But he’s not alone – there seems to be a ripple of discomfort throughout the veterinary community in response to the new regulations.

Pets are now free to travel within the EU just 21 days after having received one dose of the rabies vaccine, despite the incubation period of rabies being up to three months.

Although Defra claims the risk of rabies entering the UK is still very low, there still seems to be an underlying concern within the veterinary world.

It has been proposed that the potential increase in risk of exposure to rabies means that vets should be routinely receiving the rabies vaccination.

I myself have had a course of rabies vaccinations. Not because I’m a vet student, but because I was travelling in South America, where there was a possibility of coming into contact with rabid animals.

However, my understanding is that the vaccine does not prevent you developing rabies if bitten, but just puts it off for 24hrs, to give you time to get back to the UK to be appropriately treated. With this in mind, would providing the vaccine for those working in the veterinary profession in the UK be of any benefit if it is purely used to “buy time”?

I’m not convinced that vaccinating vets would be an effective measure to take, but we must now include rabies as one of our differential diagnoses and be open to the possibility (however slim) of being presented with rabid animals in practice. Perhaps more advice about the risks and clinical signs of rabies would put the minds of vets and owners alike at rest.

January 31, 2014
Harvest mites and Seasonal Canine Illness

AHT investigations are ongoing at five UK sites: Sandringham Estate and Thetford Forest in Norfolk, Clumber Park and Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire, and Rendlesham Forest in Suffolk.

Seasonal Canine Illness (SCI) is associated with dogs that have been walked in wooded areas or parkland during the autumn months.

SCI was first reported in 2010 and is thought to be caused by harvest mites. Cases are characterised by lethargy, vomiting, diarrhoea, pain and rapid unconsciousness.

More than 300 cases have been reported to the Animal Health Trust (AHT) study with 16 deaths, but many more cases are likely to have gone unrecorded.

The AHT recommend owners should spray the underside of the dog with fipronil before walks. However, treatment with fipronil pipettes, applying drops to the back of the neck, are NOT thought to be effective.

December 23, 2013
Kennel cough – treatment and prognosis

Kennel cough is an infection of the upper respiratory tract of the dog, and can be caused by a variety of different viruses and pathogens. Canine parainfluenza, adenovirus, coronavirus, distemper and some bacterial infections such as Bordetella bronchiseptica are all implicated.

Surprisingly, kennel cough is one of the few canine conditions that is a zoonosis.

Many dogs can get over kennel cough without any treatment. However, the longer the dog is affected by the disease, the more compromised the dog’s immune system will become, and the worse it will affect the dog.

While antibiotics can be given to tackle the bacterial component of the condition, the mixed nature of the infection means it will still be days or weeks before the viral infection subsides.

Cough suppressants and humidifiers may also be used to help to lessen the coughing itself, and so reduce the pain and inflammation that can accompany the cough. Kennel cough can be serious in dogs with a compromised immune system, and careful monitoring of the condition is required to ensure the infection does not progress to the lower respiratory tract and potentially cause pneumonia or other complications.

Generally though, the condition can be resolved within a few weeks, and most dogs make a full recovery.

November 18, 2013
“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy All work and no play makes Jack a…

After a summer of EMS, traveling and very little academic work, the time finally came for me to come back down to earth.

Having been back in Glasgow for about a month now, I think I’ve just about settled into the second-year routine. After a week of scavenging freebies and signing up to every club under the sun at the fresher’s fayres, I managed to just about fit in everything that I want to do this year around vet school.

During the day, we’re back to lectures and practicals on everything from farm animal nutrition to parasitology, respiratory system anatomy to learning where to put ECG electrodes on a dog.

I have to say that, so far, second year has been more interesting than first year was. Whether this is because of the course content, a different outlook on my part, or simply the fact that I now know the drill, I couldn’t say. But I certainly seem to have gained more passion for the subjects we’re studying at the minute.

Glasgow University Guardian

But it’s not all about studying. This year, I’ve taken on a lot more outside of vet school than I did before. Having this time made it on to the university riding team, I have training every week with my teammates at the local stables, and also hope to start doing a bit of polo. I’ve also gotten involved with Glasgow University Guardian, the student newspaper, in order to do some writing and editing, as well as to learn what goes on behind the scenes when producing a publication.

Every Easter, Glasgow vet school hosts a big charity event called the Rodeo, and it is the responsibility of the second years (with some acquired help from the freshers) to organise it. A group of my friends and classmates have formed this year’s committee, with me taking on the role of secretary and helping out with advertising the event. Hopefully it won’t be too stressful and we will work together to pull off the best Rodeo so far!

So it looks like I’m in for a busy year, but it should make being a vet student all the more exciting.

October 14, 2013
Petitions, petitions, petitions

Brian May’s “Stop the badger cull” e-petition

The online petition calling on the Government to “stop the badger cull” – launched in autumn 2012 by Queen guitarist Brian May – finally closed on September 7, having collected a grand total of 303,771 (ish) signatures.

We say “ish” because, due to the nature of the online signing process, additional signatures are continuing to dribble in day by day. In fact, the last 24 hours has seen the “final figure” rise by another 100.

[Editor’s note: as of September 23, the count stands at 304,027 signatures]

Whatever the actual final figure, this e-petition smashed all records: on launch, it received the number of signatures required to have it considered for debate in the House of Commons in just two weeks; it then went on to more than triple that figure, making it the biggest ever on the Government’s website – beating “Convicted London rioters should loose (sic) all benefits” into second position.

Bearing in mind only 21 out of 23,134 successful petitions (0.09%) launched on the website have succeeded in achieving the required number to be considered for debate, this truly does show the strength of feeling on the subject.

But will it make a difference? Who knows? MPs initially voted against culling in October 2012, yet environment minister Owen Paterson is fully behind the trials and seems determined to see them through – although he should beware, another e-petition currently online is entitled simply: “We call on Owen Paterson to be replaced from his position as Secretary for the Environment”. [2,808 signatures]

One other petition of interest to us at the moment is one yet to achieve the full complement of signatures required. Currently sitting at 71,430, celebrity vet Marc Abraham’s e-petition to “Ban the sale of young puppies & kittens without their mothers being present” needs a hand to achieve its quota, so please do think about signing to help end the cruel practice of puppy/kitten farming in the UK.

But if you need more of a reason to sign, check out the amusing viral video below. Launched by Pup Aid to promote the puppy petition, the short film stars comedian Mark Heap (Spaced, Green Wing) and follows the humorous exploits of Philip the dog when his owner pops out to buy milk…

September 11, 2013
Who’s afraid of the big bad dog?

Status dog, or just misunderstood?

If recent genetic studies are to be believed, domestic dogs evolved from wolves around 11,000 years ago when our ancestors stole wolf cubs, domesticated them and trained them to help hunt for food.

However, other than their shared genealogy, both animals are very different nowadays – particularly when it comes to temperament. The wolf is in every sense a “wild” animal, while the dog is obviously far more suited for the domesticated life of chasing sticks and tummy rubs.

Despite this, media reports of dog attacks, combined with the trend among certain elements of society to own vicious “status dogs”, have led to a situation where many Brits are afraid of strange dogs and people are becoming increasingly wary of our canine companions in general.

A poll of more than 1,000 adults (commissioned by behaviour product supplier The Company of Animals) found that 71% of people are nervous around dogs they don’t know, while more than half (54%) are worried by particular breeds.

Around 20% also admitted to having become more afraid of dogs over the past decade.

This news comes as a shock, and it would be a huge shame if man’s best friend was to slowly find himself usurped by the cat, spelling an end to walkies as we know it and guaranteeing you’ll only ever get your stick back if you retrieve it yourself.

Mind you, we can but wonder what a “status llama” might look like.

July 31, 2013