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Tag: Dogs

An unrecognised reliance on technology

It’s surprising how much we rely on the internet and associated technologies. In fact, you don’t quite realise how much it helps until you find yourself without it.

I experienced a weird widespread internet fault. I’m not sure if it was localised to to my geographical area, but, for a few hours, neither my mobile data would work on my phone or the internet on the practice computers (although I’m not sure if they were just being their usual painstakingly slow dinosaur selves) – even the clients were commenting there seemed to be a data blackout.

Regardless, it made my consulting morning surprisingly more challenging.

First appointment

Repeat aglepristone injection for mismating

I go to check the protocol as I know the timings are different to when given for pyometra. The BSAVA app crashes four times on opening before I accept defeat and find a bound copy of the formulary.

I then realise things are listed by drug name rather than brand name and draw a blank. I try to open the NOAH website on the consult room PC, but this inevitably crashes the internet browser. Of course it does.

Suddenly the name aglepristone is dragged from the depths of my brain and I leaf through the formulary once more. That wastes nearly the whole appointment time before I even manage to find the drug, draw it up and give it.

Second appointment

“When your consults are only 10 minutes, that extra couple of minutes in each one adds up and very quickly I found myself getting behind, and, therefore, more stressed.” Image © WavebreakmediaMicro / Adobe Stock

Potential re-admit from the previous day

The computer freezes while trying to print consent forms. Luckily it’s a fairly straightforward admit for fluids/treatment and the client knows the drill. I hand over to the ops vet and leave her to work out doses.

Third appointment

A transfer from the out-of-hours provider

After skim reading the long history (that consists mainly of numerous phone calls back and forward as to whether the owner could get the collapsed dog in the car), I finally get to the point and call the client in.

The dog is bouncing and back to normal, apart from a stonker of a heart murmur. Cardiology is not my strong point and after a lengthy discussion about starting medication, and much faff flicking through the compendium trying to remember various side effects, I manage to convince them to trial medication.

Fourth appointment

Vaccination

Yay, no formulary needed.

Fifth appointment

Medicine check

One client thinks her dog has gained weight since being prescribed a particular medication. I highly doubt this is the cause of weight gain, but say I will quickly (or not so) check the data sheet.

I reach for the NOAH Compendium (when I manage to locate a paper copy) rather than the formulary, because I can’t for the life of me spell the active ingredient. On skim reading the page, can’t find anything about weight gain or appetite, but it’s not as clear cut as the lovely “clinical particulars” or “contra-indications and adverse reactions” tabs on the website. I close the book.

The client seems to be in a rush, but wants to discuss lowering the dose (are you serious? Could you have not said that while I had the page open?). I flick through and eventually find the page again, and work out the dose as they’re practically running out of the door.

Sixth appointment

Pregnant bitch

The owner asks about worming and once again I leaf through the compendium to find the protocol, only to realise we don’t have that formulation in stock.

Of course I’ve shut the book – but, before I find the right page again, one of the fantastic receptionists has materialised a bottle from somewhere and is flashing the data sheet in front of me for reference.

Seventh appointment

As she had no internet, Jordan turned to the NOAH’s Compendium for guidance, with varying results.

Dog bitten by a ferret

Small wound, possibly infected, but the dog is very wriggly. I prescribe Amoxyclav – one of the few things I instinctively know the dose of – and meloxicam (definitely no books required to work out that dose).

Eighth appointment

Puppy diarrhoea

Can you give young puppies probiotic paste? Back to the book…

It’s not listed in the compendium, and the box doesn’t indicate a minimum age – normally I would check the product website… Sigh. I search for the other vet to ask what feels like the 100th stupid question today. So it went on…

No time to lose

The point is, I didn’t realise quite how much using the internet on my phone sped up my consults. A 10-second search on an app turns into a couple of minutes leafing through a book for a drug dose. When your consults are only 10 minutes, that extra couple of minutes in each one adds up and very quickly I found myself getting behind, and, therefore, more stressed.

I can’t retain numerous drug doses in my head – or at least don’t trust myself to rely on memory for many of them except the most common ones – so maybe this dependence on technology is more of an issue for new grads than more experienced vets who seem to be an encyclopaedia of drug doses.

I was thankful this hadn’t happened on a large animal day – as someone with a terrible sense of direction, I would definitely have been stuck in the middle of nowhere with no Google Maps to get me home.

July 18, 2018
The importance of pre-purchase nurse clinics – the missing piece?
It is a renowned fact among the veterinary profession that the number of brachycephalic breeds in rehoming centres is soaring.

As veterinary nurses it needs to be our role to educate owners-to-be on which breed of dog is the most suitable for their circumstances. This allows owners to make informed decisions when opting to either purchase a puppy or rehome a dog.

Statistics

In September 2017, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home published a press release featuring the story of Piccalilli the French bulldog, which also contained information on how the rehoming centre was experiencing an increase in the number of brachycephalic breeds needing homes. In 2017, it took in 29 French bulldogs for rehoming, whereas in 2014 only 8 were taken in.

“The French bulldog had overtaken the Labrador retriever as the UK’s most registered puppy for the first time, with 8,403 French bulldog puppies registered in the first quarter of 2018, compared to 7,409 Labradors.” Image © otsphoto / Adobe Stock

The Kennel Club (KC) also published data stating the amount of registrations for French bulldogs has also increased greatly. In 2007, 692 French bulldogs were registered. Whereas, by 2016, 21,470 were registered – that’s 20,778 more French bulldogs in the space of nine years.

In June 2018, The KC revealed the French bulldog had overtaken the Labrador retriever as the UK’s most registered puppy for the first time, with 8,403 French bulldog puppies registered in the first quarter of 2018, compared to 7,409 Labradors.

All in all, the breed has seen an “astronomical” 2,964% increase in the past 10 years, The KC said.

Why is this happening?

Pugs, French bulldogs and bulldogs – collectively known as “brachycephalic” breeds – are widely deemed as “fashionable” due to the number of celebrities who own and flaunt them on social media platforms.

The influence from celebrities and the media, such as TV adverts, are having a strong impact on the public’s demand and want for these breeds. They are being bred uncontrollably to emphasise the large bulging eyes, tight skin folds and extremely short snouts causing their distinctive “snorting” noise. These features on the pug and French bulldog are all considered as cute by members of the public, and demand is high for them – and where there is demand, there will always be supply.

Unrecognised health issues

The reason why we are seeing the increase of brachycephalic breeds in rehoming centres is due to the health problems owners are unaware of, and the lack of funding to afford the veterinary bills to manage or correct them.

When these dogs are bred irresponsibly (for example, to exaggerate the “flat face” look), they can incur a whole lot of health risks. The most common is brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome, which occurs in all brachycephalic breeds to a greater or lesser extent.

Other health problems in these breeds include:
- entropion
- luxating patella
- hip dysplasia
- skin disease
- uroliths
- intervertebral disc disease
Owners are not being made aware substantially of these health risks and the seriousness of them – most of the disorders listed require either surgical correction/repair or life-long medication, which, in turn, costs a fair amount of money.

What can VNs do?

I believe nurse clinics are one of the most important aspects of our job.

“In clinics, we are given the opportunity to build up a rapport with clients and, consequently, a trust relationship with them.” Image © Monkey Business / Adobe Stock

In clinics, we are given the opportunity to build up a rapport with clients and, consequently, a trust relationship with them. Often – as opposed to vet consultations – we can spend more time with our clients in a more relaxed setting. These are a great opportunity to educate clients and use tools to demonstrate our knowledge as VNs.

Done incorrectly, the prospect of pre-purchase consultations with nurses could come across to clients as “lecture-like” or monotonous, but they don’t need to be like this. Instead, they could be based on a puppy party structure, but for pre-puppy or dog owners.

Clarification for clients

To begin, prepare a questionnaire for them to fill out in advance, taking details of their home circumstances, then bring together a group of three or four clients to discuss different breeds and their suitability.

Informational leaflets can be designed for prospective owners, explaining how to choose a healthily bred puppy and what to ask breeders; and fact sheets could include details of breed health pre-dispositions, how much food and exercise certain breeds require, as well as information on training and puppy classes. A “pre-parent pack” could be put together containing this information.

If we can educate owners on health problems – not just brachycephalic breeds – it could deter clients from purchasing breeds inappropriate for them or their lifestyles, and provide accurate information on how to purchase responsibly. This could contribute to breaking the “supply and demand” cycle of irresponsibly bred dogs.
July 13, 2018
How to survive your first weeks as a new grad
You’ve done it – five long years of hard work and study have paid off and you’ve graduated as a fully fledged vet. Welcome to the veterinary community.

And it is just that – a community of people who’ve all been there and had a first day as a vet. You’ll find that everyone (meaning more senior vets than you, which is basically any vet) is happy to offer what I consider “well-being” advice, such as “don’t be too hard on yourself, you will make mistakes” or “don’t be afraid to ask if you don’t know”.

Now, while this sort of advice is true, I don’t think it’s practically helpful for getting you through those first few weeks. No matter how much positive encouragement you receive from other vets, you will probably still be terrified for your first day/week/month.

Practical advice

“Familiarise yourself with the drugs in the dispensary. At uni, you learn drug names, now you’re in practice you will have to learn the brands.” Image © JackF / Adobe Stock

Having been there only a year ago, I have some practical tips and tricks to help get you through the day during those first few weeks:

In-practice consultations
- Make sure you know where things are kept in the consult room, so you don’t have to open every drawer in front of the client to find the syringes on your first consult.
- Likewise, familiarise yourself with the drugs in the dispensary. At uni, you learn drug names, now you’re in practice you will have to learn the brands.
- Make a note of the vaccination protocol used at the practice and the most common recommended flea/worm treatments (such as those on the pet health plan, if your practice has one).
- Note down anything you may want to look up quickly, particularly premed doses. Depending on how your practice works, nurses may draw up premeds and have vets check before giving them, which can sometimes just be a waft in the vet’s direction for assertion – don’t panic and agree just because you don’t know what the dose is off the top of your head.
- Keep a health plan or puppy/kitten package leaflet handy for when clients ask about them.
- The stethoscope is one of the most useful tools for allowing yourself time to think without the client bombarding you with questions.
- ALWAYS leave something essential outside of the consult room (a thermometer, fluroscein or tear test strips, for example). This gives you an excuse to leave the room have a flick through a book or ask another vet (don’t do it too many times in one consult).
- If it’s something you want another vet to look at, most owners respond well to getting a second opinion. Alternatively, take photos “for comparison” then go and show another vet (be careful here – you need permission from the owners and check your practice policy regarding GDPR. You may be okay to use a work phone/camera, but not a personal one).
- If you want to remove the animal from the owner – either to get another vet to look or for thinking space – ask if you can go and get a nurse to help restrain.
Being on-call/farm visits
- Open things before your first equine/farm visit (gloves, lube, etc) to avoid awkwardly trying to rip open boxes while the farmer is waiting.
- Save dropped pins on Google maps or your satnav for your main farms or big equine clients. Again, work within GDPR, which may only allow this on work phones.
- Make a cheat sheet for the car detailing drug doses for the most common things you use on farm – to avoid the inevitable mind blank resulting in an inability to do simple mental maths while staring at the bottle of Pen and Strep with the farmer staring at you. I made one for a 300kg/500kg/750kg size horse for quick reference.
- If you need to call a colleague for advice while on farm, make an excuse to go back to the car. I would go to examine the animal first with minimal kit (just a stethoscope, for example) then, if necessary, make a call when I had to go back for a thermometer or relevant meds.
- Make a note of who to contact regarding out-of-hours, door codes and alarm codes – and make sure you have practice keys.
- Be prepared to be tired. It doesn’t last forever, but working as a vet is very tiring to begin with – don’t make too many plans for week nights or weekends for the first couple of weeks to allow you to relax when you get home.
- Plan easy, quick meals so you don’t end up ordering a takeaway every night.
General advice
- Have a pocket-sized notebook and pen at all times, and hold on to that pen for dear life. Pens have a habit of wandering in vet practices.
- Take a look at one of my previous blogs on language (Fake it ’til you make it) for some handy phrases to help assert your ability when you don’t really have a clue what’s going on.
- “Plan easy, quick meals so you don’t end up ordering a takeaway every night.” Image © serguastock / Adobe Stock
  
  Have a couple of books handy for quick reference when you need a memory jog. I use 100 Top Consultations in Small Animal General Practice and Gerardo Poli’s The Mini-Vet Guide for small animal, but I hear good things about the “Nerdbook” as well. For equine, I find the Handbook of Equine Emergencies great for quick reference on the go, along with the Saunders Equine Formulary.
- Make lunch in advance to start with. It may be that you always get a lunch break, but sometimes things are manic, so ensure you have food to keep you going.
- Take part in any work social activities and get to know your team – it will make the working day much more fun if you get on with those around you.
- Book a holiday for three months time. You will need it.
Handy resources

Make use of the vast range of apps and websites out there. Here are some I found really helpful:
- BSAVA app for the formulary (it’s quicker to search drugs than flicking through the paper formulary).
- BEVA apps – which features drug doses, certain procedures and joint blocks.
- NOAH Compendium – there isn’t an app (at the moment), but the mobile version of the website works well. Open the NOAH website on your computer before a consulting session starts – practice computers are notoriously slow and I guarantee it will freeze when you’re desperately trying to do a quick search for doses while the client is waiting.
- Norbrook app – for drugs not on NOAH.
- BHA Vaccination Date Calculator for horses saves a lot of time when working out vaccine validity.
- MSD Vet for the Merck manual.
- Vet Calculator for various calculations, particularly the heart rate counter.
While the word “survive” carries negative connotations about veterinary practice (and I have previously discussed how this sort of language can be harmful), I do think you feel like you’re firefighting in those first few weeks.

There’s no doubt it is a steep learning curve, but I’m confident you’ll come out the other side and thrive on the challenges of being a new grad.

Good luck and enjoy finally being able to say you’re a vet.
July 2, 2018
Aggressive patients

I’ve discussed before the massive emotional shift that seems to occur in the transition from a student to a new graduate – namely due to the responsibility – but the transition to being an actual vet also means being on the front line when it comes to aggressive patients.

As a student, you are often given the “nice” patients to practise blood sampling or catheterising – or even just examining. If a pooch utters a slight growl, the muzzle will be on, with a confident RVN holding for you at worst, but, in most cases, the vet would just take over to keep you out of harm’s way.

As such, when I started out as a “real vet”, this meant I had very little experience in dealing with the more difficult patients.

Exposure

At vet school, we were shown how to make a bandage muzzle if all else failed and practised stuffing a cuddly toy cat into a cat bag, but, again, we were rarely involved with any real-life angry cats or dogs.

Obviously, this was in the interests of our safety, and I’m not suggesting they put us in dangerous situations deliberately, but in the real vet world, we are now the ones who ultimately need to gain that blood sample, despite flailing paws and teeth.

Safe handling of aggressive, or often just scared or nervous, patients who lash out from fear is something that can only be gained from experience – which, as a new grad, is fairly limited at this point. Drawing on ideas from your colleagues and nurses is probably the best way to learn – especially for behaviour-related things that aren’t necessarily taught very well at university.

Near misses

Dealing with difficult patients on the front line is “quite a scary place to be”. IMAGE: jonnysek / fotolia.

Nearly being bitten by a little dog with severe dental disease (who could blame it for not wanting me to touch its mouth), that then seemed immune to sedation and therefore needed a general anaesthetic to even examine its mouth, was my first taste of having to make a call based on my own safety, but also the need to make an accurate assessment.

I’ve also had a few near misses with horses – in particular, one that really did not fancy a nerve block and decided to fling its front legs at mine and the other vet’s head height instead.

Support each other

Being a vet can be a dangerous job, since we work with unpredictable living creatures better equipped with natural defences than us, and often a lot bigger and heavier. We just need to help each other work as safely as possible around them. But, if you’re on your own with bared teeth, it’s still quite a scary place to be.

Just another thing to add to the list of “things they don’t teach you at vet school”.

October 16, 2017
SNAP cortisol test
While hyperadrenocorticism is not an uncommon incidental finding in patients presenting to our emergency clinic, hypoadrenocorticism is a lot less common. Or, possibly, more frequently underdiagnosed.

Textbook clinical presentations combined with haematology and biochemicial changes can make diagnosis straightforward, but not all patients will present with all the classic signs.

The SNAP cortisol test is a quantitative ELISA test that measures the level of serum cortisol in dogs.

To complicate things further, hypoadrenocorticism is the great mimicker of diseases; it is often impossible to arrive at a definitive diagnosis without knowing the cortisol levels.

The SNAP cortisol test allows clinicians to determine cortisol levels in-house – a blessing to those of us who work out-of-hours – but is not without its limitations.

Suspicious signs

Patients with hypoadrenocorticism often present with vague and non-specific clinical signs, but certain clinicopathological changes help raise the suspicion:
- a decrease in sodium-to-potassium ratio (below 1:27)
- azotaemia
- an inappropriately low urinary specific gravity, despite evidence of dehydration or hypovolaemia
- a leukogram unfitting to the degree of illness of the patient (a “reverse stress leukogram”- neutropenia, lymphocytosis, eosinophilia)
- anaemia
- hypoglycaemia
- hypercalcaemia
Although most Addisonian patients will not present with all these signs – especially those in the early stages of disease or those with atypical Addisonian disease (glucocorticoid insufficiency only) – any patients showing any of these haematology and biochemicial changes should have hypoadrenocorticism ruled out as part of the diagnostic plan.

Imperfect ELISA

The SNAP cortisol test has been advertised as an in-house assay to aid the diagnosis, treatment and management of both hyperadrenocorticism and hypoadrenocorticism, although the quality of the result is not perfect. This quantitative ELISA test measures the level of serum cortisol in dogs.

In one study¹, the SNAP cortisol test appears to have a good correlation with an external laboratory chemiluminescent assay test; however, in 12.8% of cases (5 of 39 patients), the SNAP test result could have led to a different clinical decision regarding the management of the patient.

Since long-term Cushing’s management relies on reliable, repeatable cortisol level detection, this high level of discrepancy is unacceptable, especially when more accurate alternatives are available at external laboratories.

Still useful

Despite this, it is still very useful helping to assess for the presence or absence of hypoadrenocorticism, especially in an emergency setting.

I use the SNAP cortisol to measure the resting cortisol level. If it is below 2ug/dL or in inconclusive range (between 2ug/L and 6ug/L), but the clinical picture suggests hypoadrenocorticism, I would perform an adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation test and send samples to an external laboratory. If it is well above the inconclusive range, I would not perform an ACTH stimulation test.

In summary, I think the SNAP cortisol test can be useful in helping assess for hypoadrenocorticism, but would still recommend performing an ACTH stimulation test and running the samples externally.

However, use it with caution for hyperadrenocorticism diagnosis and its long-term management – especially when more accurate and economical alternatives are available.
June 27, 2017
Giardia SNAP test
Following last week’s discussion about pancreas-specific lipase tests, this week we look at Giardia SNAP tests.

Giardia is an important differential diagnosis in domestic species presenting with gastrointestinal disease, with a reported prevalence varying between 10% in household dogs and up to 100% in canine shelters and breeding colonies.

The Giardia SNAP test.

Younger animals – particularly younger than six months – and the presence of both acute and chronic diarrhoea have been found to have a higher likelihood to be tested positive for Giardia. However, the accurate identification of giardiasis continues to be problematic, particularly in chronic cases.

Several reasons exist for this:
- The shedding of cysts is often intermittent.
- Excretion of coproantigen may continue for several weeks, despite resolution of clinical infection. This is because it is a protein expressed by the organism during cyst formation, not the whole organism.
- Reinfection can occur after a period of clinical resolution.
- Chronically infected animals can often be asymptomatic.
In-house test

The Giardia SNAP test is an in-house test that detects faecal Giardia antigens. Although this test boasts to have both a high sensitivity and high specificity – 95% and 99.3%, respectively – be cautious in interpreting the results as they are based on a population with high disease prevalence (100%), which is not characteristic in most general populations.

In a prospective study with naturally acquired canine chronic subclinical giardiasis by Rishniw et al (2010), it was found this test has little value as a screening test because of its low positive predictive value (probability a positive result being a true positive), especially when the prevalence of disease is low (10% or less).

This means a positive result is substantially more likely to be a false positive, supporting the complicating factor of persistent coproantigen beyond clinical resolution of disease.

High negative predictive value

Despite this, the test has a high negative predictive value – a negative result being truly negative – meaning it is useful in helping rule out the disease.

In a nutshell, consider your patients’ likely risk of infection. If the risk of giardiasis is low, a negative result helps you rule out the disease, but a positive result is non-conclusive due to the high risk of false positive. However, if the risk of disease is high – for example, puppies from shelters or breeding colonies – a positive test will help confirm the diagnosis.

With regards to tracking patients treated for Giardia, if clinical signs have resolved, due to the high chance of false positives, repeating the test does not provide valuable information.

Giardia intestinalis. Optical microscopy technique: Bright field. Magnification: 6000x (for picture width 26 cm ~ A4 format). Image by Josef Reischig / CC BY-SA 3.0
June 14, 2017
Using canine pancreas-specific lipase test
Accurately diagnosing pancreatitis in dogs is so tedious and difficult, we used to wish for a single test that could save all that hassle – hence the arrival of the pancreas-specific lipase (PL) test, designed to help vets worldwide with this difficult situation.

So, how do I use this test? I don’t use it to diagnose pancreatitis, but to help rule out acute pancreatitis.

Stay with me…

Standard diagnosis

The pancreas-specific lipase test.

First, let me go back to the basics. Historically, pancreatitis is diagnosed based on a combination of supportive evidence from medical history:
- physical examination findings
- complete blood count
- biochemical analysis
- abdominal ultrasound
- occasional histology
The reason to do all these is because no parameter is sensitive or specific enough.

Ruling it out

PL is exclusively of pancreatic origin, which inherently gives PL tests a high sensitivity (reported to be between 85% to 95% in acute pancreatitis) and thus has a high negative predictive value (the probability subjects with a negative screening test truly don’t have the disease). This makes this test useful in ruling out acute pancreatitis.

Notice how I specifically mentioned acute pancreatitis? Chronic pancreatitis is often associated with fibrosis and atrophy, so is not usually associated with leakage of pancreatic acinar cell enzymes, and thus makes this test insensitive to diagnosing chronic cases.

Looking at specificity, PL tends to have a variable specificity – between 59% and 98% depending on the test methods used – meaning it has a modest positive predictive value (the probability subjects with a positive screening test have the disease).

False positives

In a prospective study assessing the diagnostic accuracy of SNAP PL and Spec PL tests, Haworth et al (2014) found 40% of the 38 dogs presenting with acute abdominal disease gave a “false positive” result when used to diagnose pancreatitis. This supports the fact disease in organs closely associated with the pancreas or the pancreatic ducts – liver or duodenum, for example – can cause concurrent mild inflammation of the pancreas without causing clinical pancreatitis itself.

Personally, I have removed foreign bodies several times from patients who were referred for suspected pancreatitis.

My take on the SNAP PL is a negative is highly unlikely to be pancreatitis, which, in itself, is useful information as it helps rule out a common disease, but a positive can still be caused by many other abdominal inflammatory diseases and an ultrasound performed by a skilled operator is still needed.
June 6, 2017
Final-year students get their kit off for charity calendar

A sneak peek at this year’s charity calendar.

As the end of vet school draws ever nearer, my fellow final-year students have been busy not only completing rotations, but also organising a number of events and keepsakes to act as a well-deserved send-off.

With the final-year dinner, graduation ball, final-year holiday and yearbook, we have been inundated with requests for ideas, contributions and cash.

To add to this, a number of final-year students have taken on the challenge of facing the often-gruelling weather of the north, lurking around the library after nightfall and sidling into the hospital out of hours to continue a long-standing tradition of the University of Glasgow School of Veterinary Medicine – the soon-to-be-new-graduates’ naked calendar.

Time-honoured tradition

The calendar has been a Glasgow vet school tradition for many years.

My colleagues have been baring flesh across the Scottish countryside and around the vet campus to contribute to a masterpiece of (for the most part) tasteful animal, vet or countryside-themed photos, to raise money for a number of great causes. The final-year naked calendar has been an annual fund-raiser for many years and the tradition has not died with the class of 2017.

Proceeds from sales of the calendar will be split between The Trusty Paws Clinic and Students for Animals in Need (SAIN), with a small proportion going towards our graduation ball.

It’s fantastic to be able to use the calendar tradition to support the much-loved student charities Glasgow vet school is proud to be home to.

The calendars are being sold at a pre-sale price of £8 until the end of March and will be then be available for £10 each. To order, email Alice at 2019429C@student.gla.ac.uk for bank transfer details and state how many copies are required.

Trusty Paws

The Trusty Paws Clinic was set up in Glasgow to provide free veterinary care to dogs belonging to the homeless. Students from stages of the veterinary course are involved in gaining resources, fund-raising and organisation of the monthly clinics.

The clinics involve fourth year students, supervised by a qualified vet, volunteering to conduct clinical examinations and administer basic treatments such as vaccinations, worming and flea control. I had the pleasure of being involved in a clinic last year, which enabled me to experience how appreciative the owners are.

Resources for the dogs – such as coats, food, collars and toys – are also given out at the clinics, thanks to donations via an Amazon wish list. The charity has now expanded to London, too, where RVC students run the clinics.

For more information, visit the clinic’s website.

Students for Animals in Need

SAIN is a charity set up and run by students at Glasgow vet school, and offers financial aid for animals presented to the university’s Small Animal Hospital and Weipers Centre Equine Hospital that may not otherwise be able to receive the treatment they require.

Students from all year groups contribute to fund-raising and assessment of eligible cases. A number of animals have benefited from the funding available over the years.

More details can be found on the SAIN website.

March 1, 2017
New year, new us

With the Christmas festivities over and 2017 already upon us, many of you will have taken the time to make a new year’s resolution you won’t keep.

Image © chrisberic / fotolia.

It is estimated only 8% of people succeed in achieving or keeping their new year’s resolution (so the odds are against you), but if you feel this is your year to make a difference, why not incorporate your four-legged friend into that lifestyle change?

Fat cats and dumpy dogs

A lot of resolutions will be along the lines of trying to lose weight or get fitter, and while the human population has a weight problem, obesity is also rife in the UK pet population.

Headlines and statistics are forever telling us our pets are overweight, and my parents are sick of me enforcing a diet every time I go home to find my cats a little rounder than a few months previously. However, it wasn’t until I spent a few days consulting in first opinion small animal practice, as part of one of our final year rotations, that the problem really hit me.

I’m used to seeing overweight pets in the consult room while on placement with other vets and I’ve witnessed the weight loss conversation more times than I can count. But on one particular morning, when I had similar conversations myself with four out of five clients, I saw the future of my veterinary career flash before me: overweight dog after overweight dog coming through the door.

Cruel is the new kind

Despite sounding like a broken record, I can only hope my words did not fall on deaf ears. So many owners didn’t even realise their animals were overweight – “that’s just his shape”. And yet others are fully aware, but just can’t ignore their pets’ begging.

Why not substitute pet treats with a healthy alternative such as carrots, Jordan suggests.

Unfortunately, sometimes you have to be “cruel to be kind” and ignore those big round eyes that are trying to melt your heart – your dog will be better off long term being denied those extra treats, but having a healthier lifestyle.

If you think your pet may be on the larger side of normal, vets will often run free weight clinics with the veterinary nurses to allow accurate monitoring and adjustment to diet and exercise.

Everyday changes

General advice would be to cut down on meal sizes and cut out treats, or at least substitute them with a healthy alternative such as carrots. Exercise should be determined on an individual basis, dependent on any existing health conditions (such as joint problems), breed and lifestyle.

There may be a medical reason for retaining weight, so if the aforementioned doesn’t seem to be working, seek veterinary advice.

This new year, even if you can’t keep your own resolution, why not make one for your pet and help them achieve the lifestyle they deserve? Or if you’re trying to lose weight or gain fitness yourself, why don’t you and your pet do it together?

January 4, 2017
Cat-proofing the Christmas tree

Having acquired two new bundles of fluffy joy this year, our Christmas tree is looking a little worse for wear. Now six months old, our kittens’ new favourite game is trying to de-decorate said tree at lightning speed.

Many clients are aware of the edible dangers to pets at Christmas time, but the tree itself, while one of the most prominent symbols of Christmas time in many homes, may not immediately come to mind as one of the seasonal hazards for our animals.

For cat-owning clients, here’s some top tips on cat-proofing the tree this Christmas:

Fake snow

There have been some reports of adverse reactions in cats who have ingested the fake snow found on some artificial trees. If cats are seen licking or chewing the tree, clients should watch for any unusual behaviour (vomiting or seizuring, for example) and seek veterinary advice ASAP.

Anchoring

Ensure the tree has a sturdy base or is attached to a wall to prevent toppling if the cat climbs it. A tree skirt can hide an unsightly base (but my cats tend to try to destroy these too).

Positioning

Placing your tree at a distance from any “launch pads” such as shelves or the arm of the sofa may discourage cats from taking a leap at the tree.

Choose decorations with care

Avoid fragile glass decorations or baubles that are likely to smash – these may cause injury if your cat does climb and topple the tree.

Pine cones

It appears cats don’t like walking on pine cones, so placing them under the tree can discourage nosy pets from getting too close. I can’t vouch for the success of this one, however, as I haven’t tried it…

Beware of foreign bodies

Tinsel is irresistible to cats but may result in a linear foreign body, so watch out for persistent vomiting. Even if no symptoms are seen, but you suspect your cat is steadily chewing through your supply of tinsel, a check with the vet may be worthwhile.

Baubles that break easily can cause a whole heap of problems… IMAGE: fotolia/tibanna79.

Likewise, fake berries and other dangling decorations may end up in cats’ stomachs, so keep an eye on what your cat is keeping an eye on.

Wires

If your tree looks like a flashing beacon you may want to protect any loose wires around the base of the tree to prevent them from being chewed. This can easily be done using cardboard tubes from the centre of kitchen roll, for example. This will protect your cat from injury and keep your tree lighting the room.

Suspending the wires can avoid damage if your cat urinates under the tree. However, if your cat chews the wires hidden in the boughs of the tree itself, consider abandoning tree lights altogether.

Avoid chocolate decorations

Cats are less likely to raid chocolate gifts and decorations than dogs, but I still wouldn’t take the risk of having something poisonous dangling from the tree, which are just asking to be chewed by your moggie.

Have a wonderful Christmas everyone, obviously, but remember – among the madness of it all – to keep your pets safe among the madness of it all.

December 15, 2016